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2021 was the strongest year ever for UK ad market | WARC | The Feed
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2021 was the strongest year ever for UK ad market
The 2021 recovery in the UK’s advertising market was even greater than previously expected, as the latest Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report, published today, puts annual growth at 26.4% to reach a total of £29.7bn.
The upgraded projection for the year coincides with actual data released for Q3 2021, showing adspend of £7.3bn – three percentage points and £183m ahead of forecast, making it the largest-ever summer spend on record.
All media recorded double-digit growth in Q3 following the previous year’s decline, as the summer period saw the return of key sporting moments such as the Euros, Olympics and Paralympics along with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
2022 looks good
Q1 2022 looks to be stronger than expected (particularly within TV) and overall adspend is now forecast to grow 12.6% year-on-year, compared with the previous forecast of 10.5%. Over the whole year, investment is set to rise by 8.5% to £32.2bn – meaning the UK market will have expanded by more than a third since 2020.
Strong recoveries are forecast for cinema (+201.1%) and out-of-home (+26.8%) this year. Continued growth is also expected from the largest advertising channels, including search (+11.1%), online display (+8.3%) and TV (+5.3%) as consumer habits gained during the pandemic are expected to be retained.
“While inflation is set to act as a headwind on both the consumer and media buyers alike in the coming months, we have little reason to believe that the UK’s ad market won’t achieve growth of 8.5% this year – well ahead of the average recorded during the decade preceding the [coronavirus] outbreak” – James McDonald, director of data, intelligence & forecasting, WARC.
A subscription to the AA/WARC Expenditure Report includes access to an executive summary report analysing the latest trends and investment data available to download in Excel format. More information is available here.
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"Choice Hotels has transformed itself these past few years, and this latest recognition is a powerful testament to not just the strength of our strategic investments and growth, but also to the fortitude of all our associates who have gone the extra mile to take our business and brand promise to new heights," said Pacious. "Together, we're leading the way – supporting more than 13,000 franchise owners who put their trust in Choice brands each day while continuing to create rewarding experiences for the loyal guests who stay with us – and our future has never been brighter."
Pacious has been Choice Hotels' president and CEO since September 2017, and throughout his successful tenure has established a proven track record of building and strengthening brands. In addition to cementing Choice Hotels' legacy in the midscale travel segment with the successful transformation of the company's flagship Comfort brand, Pacious propelled Choice's extended stay segment with new brands following the strategic acquisition of WoodSpring Suites in 2018 and the launch of Everhome Suites in 2020. In 2021, under Pacious' stewardship, Choice also became the first hotel company to exceed its pre-pandemic performance. Most recently, Pacious guided the acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas, the largest transaction in the company's history, which added nine brands and further extends the company's reach into the upscale segment.
In addition to helping empower small business owner success and creating memorable experiences for guests when traveling, Pacious has led an inclusive corporate culture. As a result, he was named the Lodging Magazine 2022 Person of the Year and Choice was also recently recognized as a best-in-class franchisor and leading employer by several groups, including:
Top Franchise for Diversity 2022 by Entrepreneur Magazine
World's Best Employers 2022 by Forbes
America's Best Employers for Veterans 2022 by Forbes
World's Top Female-Friendly Companies 2022 by Forbes
Comparably determined this year's Best CEOs through ratings anonymously provided by employees. The final data set was compiled from nearly 15 million ratings across 70,000 U.S. companies on Comparably.com and segmented into two ranked lists: Top 100 CEOs from Large Companies (those with 500 or more employees) and Top CEOs from Small/Mid-Size companies. Choice Hotels is the only hotel company to be recognized on this annual list.

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New Delhi– Every Indian will have a smartphone in the next five years, Niti Aayog Chief Executive Amitabh Kant said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the India Digital Summit organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), Kant said there were nearly 400 million smartphone users in the country.
He said this was a period of huge technology disruption in the country.
“Today, 85 per cent of the devices are still unconnected. Therefore, there is a huge opportunity in the Internet of Things (IoT) space. The opportunity would be in the range of $70 billion by 2025,” he said.
According to him, Artificial Intelligence (AI) alone will generate opportunity to the tune of $32 billion.
“Advanced robotics are already handling 25 per cent of the jobs. This will rise to 45 per cent in the coming years.
“India is already ranked globally as the most active Internet user globally on a monthly basis. Digital transaction will touch $100 trillion in the next 10 years,” he told the gathering.
With 99 per cent Aadhaar penetration and bank account opened under Jan Dhan Yojana, he said, the scope was immense for the Fin-Tech industry.
“As far as the start-up community goes, ‘Make in India’ initiative had brought in a paradigm change in the financial ecosystem. While we have 4,000 start-ups, it will go up to 12,000 by 2020,” Kant said, adding that about 600 start-ups were there in the FinTech sector which will become a $14 billion opportunity by 2020.
The challenges today for the country were to provide safe drinking water, create infrastructure and build flyovers. All these give unicorns a unique opportunity to invest and explore, Kant said. (IANS)


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Hyderabad: Industrialist Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has called for a universal ban on single-use plastic to rid the communities of the “malaise”. But industry body ASSOCHAM said there must be a road map for phasing out plastic goods, and a healthier and environmentally-friendly alternative found and promoted. “For instance, jute, textiles etc (such alternatives) for bags etc”, ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat said. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon Ltd, said single-use plastic or disposable plastic used only once before they are thrown away or recycled – is an environmental polluter that needs to be banned to save our planet.
Every State and every country ought to ban this modern day inconvenience that is now known to be an irresponsible habit, she told PTI. I think there is now a sense of urgency to rid our communities of this malaise
Mr Rawat, meanwhile, said plastic is a part of everyday life and “it is a reality”. “Should we ban it? in principle, yes, but an industry worth crores of Rupees and employing millions of people cannot be wished away overnight, he said.
Asked if ASSOCHAM favoured a nation-wide ban, Mr Rawat said such a thing cannot just be imposed without a proper road map for a viable alternative. Besides, he noted, it is a state subject and the states must come on board and devise their own strategy depending on local conditions. Mr Rawat also said with worldwide focus on environment and pollution issues, the plastic industry itself should draw along-term plan and come up with environment-friendly products, investing in technology and practises like recycling. “The manpower must also be re-trained for alternative products and technologies”, he told PTI.
The pressure from the Green is only going to increase and the industry must be ready for such an eventuality.
Products like jute, textiles, paper, recycled clothes and even metal containers must be used, according to him. Another alternative to plastic bottles for instance is glass.
But if the clock has to be reversed, there must be a holistic environment policy at the national level, protecting the interests of consumers, producers, States and trade, Mr Rawat added.


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HAMDEN, Conn. (AP) _ Quinnipiac University is tweaking its brand by introducing a new tartan design.
The school says the blue plaid, called “Quinnipiac Plaid,” will be listed on the Scottish Register of Tartans, an online database of tartan designs.
Officials say the plaid will help differentiate the school from its peers, provide it with worldwide recognition and showcase the school’s unique brand.
Keith Rhodes, the school’s vice president of brand strategy, says the plaid also fits with the idea of a community woven together from different backgrounds, passions and pursuits.
The school distributed flags, water bottles, notebooks and other items with the new plaid on them Tuesday to students and faculty on campus.
(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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- Sears Holdings takes steps to improve Q3 performance
- Share of sales from Shop Your Way members grows as Q4 2013 comps have fallen, Kmart parent company says
- Bitcoin gains popularity among retailers
- Bitcoin payment service chief executive touts e-currency as federal authorities signal openness to it
- Kmart, Sears offer early online holiday shopping for Shop Your Way members
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart has introduced a walk-in bill payment service in its stores, the mass merchandise retail chain said Wednesday.
Kmart announced the introduction of the CheckFreePay walk-in bill payment service from Fiserv, which allows customers at all of the chain's stores to pay bills from more than 3,000 companies, including utility, credit card and auto loan bills, for $1.50 or less per transaction, with cash or a PIN-based debit card.
"We are continuously seeking convenient ways to help customers manage their personal finances," Kmart divisional VP alternative financial services Keith Brand said. "The debut of Kmart's in-store bill pay program does just that — it gives our customers access to a fast and convenient way to pay bills and manage their finances."


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Ruckus Wireless is targeting rival wireless LAN (WLAN) vendors with an aggressive discount initiative and is offering bonuses to top-performing resellers.
From now until the end of the year Ruckus is offering enterprises the chance to replace their 802.11g WLAN systems from rivals Colubris, Trapeze and Meru. Customers wishing to replace their system with a Ruckus 11n system can benefit from discounts of more than 75 per cent.
Ruckus is also offering its Silver partners an additional five per cent discount if they order more than one Zoneflex WLAN product. Gold partners hitting sales targets will also be eligible for an end-of-quarter bonus.
Ruckus’ EMEA director of enterprise sales James Calderbank said: “Our technology puts us in a great position to exploit 11n.”
Struggling security titan makes three board appointments after investor took 5.8 per cent stake last month
Commvault ousted its CEO in May and has since undergone a radical refocus
As employees demand more flexible working environments, CRN asks how the channel is adapting to the changing working landscape
Wall Street less than impressed with Oracle's growth as cloud numbers remain hidden


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Companies typically spend a lot of money and talent protecting themselves against security breaches. This leaves ample opportunity for cybersecurity specialists to create tools for small organizations that still face the same security challenges – and like some have arguedmay be even more – than their larger counterparts but don’t have the same resources to fight them.
coro – a startup building an all-in-one cybersecurity platform for midsize businesses, with features to monitor and remediate devices, users, emails, networks, data and apps any malicious activity – raised $60 million, funding that it plans to use continue to double down on that particular gap in the market.
It is a Series C and it is led by Balderton Capital out of London, with participation from Jerusalem Venture Partners, a former backer. Alongside this latest round, the company is also disclosing for the first time an additional $20 million raised in the past six months, bringing the total to $80 million over the period.
The company – based in Israel but with a substantial operation in the United States, based in New York and Chicago – has been around for quite some time. It used to be called CoroNet (a legacy still alive in its URL) and even took part in our Startup Battlefield in New York in 2015 – but about three years ago it moved away from protecting consumer gadgets against cyber threats to public WiFi and to its enterprise cybersecurity platform, a move that CEO and co-founder Guy Moskowitz says has led to 300% growth every year since then, with a total of around 4 million users in 4,500 companies now covered on its platform.
The company does not disclose its valuation, but we understand from a reliable source that it is now around $500 million. It has raised approximately $103 million to date from other investors including Sound Ventures, Cisco and MizMaa.
The middle market according to Moskowitz estimates is between 500 and 4,000 employees, and he considers a “sweet spot” (if cyber has such a thing) to create security tools capable of automating regular work. and to render some of the other functions typical of a computer. security system much easier to handle.
“1,000 to one is the typical ratio for cyber professionals,” he said in reference to the number of people hired and how many they “represent” in terms of oversight. This means that “if you’re an organization of less than 1,000 people, there’s often no one there, just IT.”
Add to that how big companies are investing in software to equip their security teams. A company like Goldman Sachs could use more than 40 products, he said. A small business these days may need to purchase between six and 13 different apps to cover security aspects, such as email filtering, network security, device management, application management , etc
“But even if you manage to get the budget for all of this and install it, who would pursue all the events that these apps will generate?” He asked. “So we decided to look into the problem from top to bottom.”
This trick produced Coro as it is today, a platform that acts as a kind of security “super app” that covers all potential attack surfaces that a malicious hacker or virus could touch, Coro having built the entire service stack. itself: no third-party app integration. Priced at $7 per user per month, it claims to be able to automate and support 95% of the security workload that might be generated in a typical business. (Coro says a comparable set of point solutions could cost between $45 and $115 per user per month.)
“What we’ve done is really shift the paradigm,” he said. “It’s fundamentally different from the old way of using point solutions to provide security.” (That’s not the only one: there are dozens of other companies targeting the middle market, albeit often with more ad hoc solutions. Some like AlienVault and BlueVoyant also take a platform approach, albeit with different concepts on how to complete the challenge. .)
In the world of work (or any place that relies on IT, like education), it’s often a frustrating experience for users when those with the IT purse strings decide to go with a larger multifunctional platform rather than an individual point. solutions adapted to the needs of its users. Typically, this leads to a loss of dedicated functionality and customization.
Moskowitz, however, believes that Coro is the exception to this due to the approach he has taken and the whole system being AI-driven.
“We have a huge, really smart AI engine that’s powered by every attack vector, so not only isn’t it as good but much better than any point solution because it doesn’t have any corners dead,” he said, noting that anti-phishing, anti-malware, and data loss prevention really go hand in hand. “When you can see from everywhere, you can react better. Our solution is integrated throughout the chain.
With this, however, the platform comes with some compromises. For example, this means that a customer cannot customize any part of Coro: WYSIWYG.
“But you can’t customize Dropbox either,” Moskowitz countered. “We are essentially the Dropbox of security. You don’t know cyber as well as we and our machines do.
It is an argument that has won over customers and investors.
“Coro is the only company in the cybersecurity industry dedicated to serving the mid-market industry with a solution that is affordable, easy to implement, and truly comprehensive, enabling midsize businesses to protect themselves in the midst of… ‘a rapidly escalating cybersecurity climate,” Rana Yared, general partner at Balderton Capital, said in a statement. “Coro is poised to dominate this huge, extremely underserved market segment, and we believe its growth will continue at an exponential rate.We are excited to partner with the innovative team at Coro and be part of their journey to make non-disruptive security a mainstay of growing businesses across all industries.
“We have been firm believers in Coro’s vision since day one and have seen the company grow exponentially with true innovation in AI automation and massive adoption of the Coro platform by businesses in growth in all sectors,” added Yoav Tzruya, a general partner. at JVP. “Coro is well positioned to become the go-to cybersecurity solution for the mid-market sector, and we are delighted to welcome Balderton Capital to the team as we work together to support Coro’s explosive growth.


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The demo will feature a very special guest.
Pokemon Sun/Moon promises to be one of the biggest games of this year, and also the biggest breath of fresh air that the Pokemon franchise has had in at least the last fifteen years. Today’s trailer just drove that point home further- apart from showing us the evolutions for our starter Pokemon, it also showed off new features, including new multiplayer functionality, as well as the return of Mega Evolutions from Pokemon X/Y.
Additional features, including more training tools and aids for your Pokemon, were also shown off in the trailer. But the highlight of the trailer undoubtedly remains the little reveal at the end, when a special demo version for Pokemon Sun/Moon was revealed, featuring Ash-Greninja. Ash-Greninja can be carried over into the final game once it launches, too, so players could potentially have a devastating Pokemon in their arsenal.
Pokemon Sun/Moon are due to release exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS on November 18 in North America and Japan, with the European release following on November 23.


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Trends in MarTech
Marketing technology, or MarTech, has come a long way with a landscape that is steadily growing. In 2016, the MarTech landscape has nearly doubled in size, with no signs of stopping. The number of vendors entering the scene continues to grow.
Below are some trends to look out for in 2017, which is set to be a banner year for MarTech
1. The Use of ChatBots will Grow
The popularity of online interactive channels along with the continuous need to improve customer engagement is driving the market for chatbots. While the technology is still new for customer service, it is advancing fast due to progresses made in AI and in Machine Learning.
According to a recent study by Oracle, Can Virtual Experiences Replace Reality?, it is predicted that by 2020, 80% of brands will be using chatbots for customer interactions.
Nordstrom is an example of a retailer that offered a chatbot around the holidays last year. Users were able to engage with the bot, and receive personalized gift ideas based on the recipient.
2. Expect More Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)
Last year was particularly robust in regards to mergers and acquisitions. Overall, the marketing industry witnessed over 200 M&A deals in the first half of 2016, totaling an estimated $6.8 billion. Over 60% of the deals involved digital marketing capabilities. This trend should continue well into this year.
Some of the most prominent deals of last year included Salesforce acquiring Krux, a data-management platform, for $700 million and Abode acquiring TubeMogul, a video demand-side platform, for $540 million.
3. The Lines Between MarTech and AdTech will Continue to Blur
MarTech and AdTech will continue to work closely together. This convergence will especially become more popular among B2B marketers. In the past, B2B and B2C companies had distinct approaches to marketing. However, as the lines between martech and adtech continue to fade, expect to see more B2B companies behaving more like B2C ones.
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will Make an Impact
Artificial intelligence has been one of the hottest topics in marketing technology. A valuable use of AI in marketing is to allow for increased personalized conversations with the end client, understanding their needs, goals, and pain points. AI is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and it will be further integrated into martech – making the possibilities endless.
5. Mobile Advertising Takes Off
According to ZenithOptimedia’s recent report, Advertising Expenditure Forecasts, it is predicted that mobile advertising will overtake desktop ads by 2018. Mobile advertising will account for close to $115 billion by next year, up from $50 billion in 2015.
6. The Customer Experience (CX) will be in Forefront
The need to improve upon the customer experience is nothing new. Over the past few years, a wide array of technologies has been introduced that has changed the customer experience. Gartner predicts that technologies that utilize personalize and customer journey analytics will help with future customer journeys and engagements.
The customer experience will rise to the top in priority for many marketers; it is slowly taking over price and product as a brand’s key differentiator.
By Joya Scarlata


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- Apple released the iPhone 14 on September 7, 2022, and users are already complaining about different bugs in the latest lineup of flagship iPhone
- Many iPhone 14 users have reported the shaking and vibrating of the camera with a buzzing sound when used in third-party apps
- Another issue that Apple addressed in an official document is related to iMessage and FaceTime
Ever since Apple iPhone 14 release date was announced, users have been waiting for the latest addition to the iPhone family. The iPhone 14 was finally launched in the first week of September at Apple’s Far Out event. By now, Apple may have sold millions of iPhone 14, and that means user complaints have started pouring in.
At the event, iOS 16 was also made available to the public, and only 15 days after the launch, users reported some major flaws in the device and system. A few hiccups follow every new Apple device launch, and Apple usually fixes these minor bugs in the next iOS update that generally comes within a month.
On September 15, Apple issued an official document confirming and addressing the potential issues in the iPhone 14 lineup. Moreover, it also rolled out the iOS 16.1 update to resolve the problems users were facing with the new iPhone.
If you’re thinking about buying an iPhone 14 or you’ve already bought one, continue reading to learn about the iPhone 14 issues and their proposed solutions from Apple.
The first issue reported post-iPhone 14 launch is regarding its 48-megapixel wide camera. Users have complained that the iPhone 14 camera malfunctions when used with third-party apps, like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
Many iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max users took to social media to discuss the issue they were facing with their brand-new devices. In these videos, it can be clearly seen/heard that the camera produces a buzzing sound when used in any of these apps. Moreover, the camera failed to focus while being used on Snapchat.
According to users facing these iPhone 14 camera issues, the elements involved in focusing and stabilizing the image moved rapidly and uncontrollably.
At this moment, how widespread the iPhone 14 camera problem is unclear. However, Apple has responded to the panicking iPhone 14 owners with a software update. Hopefully, this software update fixes the camera issue persistent in iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
If your iPhone 14 continues to buzz and vibrate after the iOS update, your best bet is to take the device back and get a replacement. However, there’s no clear answer at this moment if doing so will get you a unit that’s without this defect.
iMessage and FaceTime
The next issue iPhone 14 users faced was related to iMessage and FaceTime. Apple instantly addressed these issues in their official document.
According to Apple, after you set up your new iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro, you may face one or more of the following issues:
- Some users may not receive iMessages or FaceTime calls
- Conversations in messages may show up as two separate threads
- Recipients may see senders’ messages coming from the wrong account (like an email address even if they select their phone number)
Due to these issues, iPhone users are unable to use their beloved iMessage app for high-quality texting. They have to switch to the standard SMS, which isn’t as advanced as iMessage. Since standard SMS apps don’t come close to the iMessage experience, iPhone users are spiraling.
To save its users from resorting to the green bubble like the Android plebs, Apple fixed the iMessage problem with its new iOS update. The iOS 16.1 was rolled out with a few bug fixes, including one for the iMessage conundrum.
iPhone 14 users can expect the iMessage and FaceTime activation issues to resolve after this update. While most iPhone models prompt users to install the new software during setup, you can also download it manually here:
Settings > General> Software Update
Knowing how to back up your iPhone may not be enough for iPhone 14 users. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have been reported to freeze when users try to transfer their data from an older iPhone.
The official document released by Apple also confirmed this issue. Apple explicitly told its users that the new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models freeze and become unresponsive when users try to transfer data from their old iPhone during the Quick Start process. The same issue is experienced by users trying an iCloud restore.
Although Apple has acknowledged the existence of this issue, they are currently investigating it and have no solution for it yet.
Apple has advised users to force restart their iPhone 14 if it remains unresponsive for more than 5 minutes. However, this is just a temporary fix, and Apple is actively working on releasing a permanent solution to this problem.


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WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — A new Veolia electronics recycling facility that serves businesses and consumers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states has opened in West Bridgewater. The facility features the latest state-of-the-art recycling of fluorescent lamps, ballast, batteries, computer electronics and mercury-bearing waste.
“As technology improves, we’re able to break down and reclaim even more materials, especially hazardous materials, and prevent them from entering the waste stream,” said Jim Bell, CEO and president of Veolia ES Technical Solutions. “Our investment in this facility represents our commitment to finding better solutions for lighting and electronic waste as well as ways to minimize the impact of waste on our environment.”
For more information, visit www.veoliaes.com or call (888) 983-6542.


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Pokémon Black and White may have sold 1 million copies in Europe but the new adventures are performing even better in America where they have sold 2 million copies in two weeks!
Nintendo of America posted on its Twitter feed: "Thanks, Pokémon fans! You helped the Pokémon Black and Pokémon White Version games hit the 2 million sales mark in just 2 weeks!"
It marks a great month for Pokémon Black and White. The games were released on 4 March and we declared them to be the best Pokemon adventures ever in our Pokémon Black and White review.
Pokémon White went straight in at number one and became the second fastest selling DS game in the UK behind Professor Layton and Pandora's Box.
A few weeks later, Nintendo announced that one million copies of the game have been sold in the UK and both games still reside in the UK top ten.


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Module-level Rapid Shutdown solution for SMA-powered solar arrays in the United States
SEATTLE–APsystems welcomes SMA to its growing network of inverter manufacturers compatible with its APsmart brand of Sunspec standard-compliant Photovoltaic Rapid Shutdown Equipment (PVRSE). Solar professionals in the United States can now combine the complete range of SunSpec Rapid Shutdown-certified SMA inverters with a reliable, safe and cost-effective APsmart Rapid Shutdown solution. Available throughout APsmart US distribution partner networks, the APsmart RSD has been certified by CSA to meet the UL 1741 standard for electrical safety and is fully compliant with the National Electric Code (NEC) 2014, 2017 and 2020 690.12 Rapid Shutdown Requirements.
“We are proud to have SMA, one of the most respected and recognized brands in the industry, join our list of inverter manufacturing partners using the APsmart RSD with their products,” said Olivier Jacques, APsystems business unit president and global executive vice president.
Already compatible with leading inverter manufacturers including Chint, CSI, Delta, Fronius, GoodWe, Growatt, Solectria and Solis, the APsmart RSD comes with a 25-year warranty, and tens of thousands of units have already been installed around the world since its launch last year.
“The APsmart RSD is Sunspec certified for rapid shutdown and delivers an easy, reliable and cost-effective solution for code compliance,” said Charles Ellis, VP of sales for the Americas region, SMA America. “When paired with SMA inverters, installers can be confident this technology will deliver best-in-class performance.”
As a result of intensive testing and cooperation from both SMA and APsystems, the approved Rapid Shutdown solution will now be available to customers through the APsmart distribution channel.
“The APsmart RSD solution is quickly being accepted as the new industry benchmark for rapid shutdown devices,” said Dr. Yuhao Luo, APsystems CTO. “We’ve built a powerful, reliable product that through its core function prioritizes the safety of homeowners and first responders.”
Technical documentation on the RSD-S-PLC can be found on the APsmart website where interested installers and SMA channel partners can also register for an upcoming training webinar on the APsmart PVRSE.


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Carnival Cruise Line has opened new Carnival Journeys reservations for two cruise ships to include unique itineraries between Long Beach, California and Tokyo, Japan and between Sydney, Australia and Singapore.
There are four new Carnival Journeys available to be booked for 2024 on Carnival Panorama and Carnival Splendor. The sailings include a 25-day transpacific cruise and two first-ever port visits.
“Offering guests new destinations to explore and make fun memories builds on our incredible portfolio of Carnival Journeys sailings,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We have over 150 long cruises open for sale right now, with itineraries taking guests to beautiful places all over the world, and now Carnival Panorama and Carnival Splendor will expand on that with these truly unique sailings.”
Carnival Panorama, a Vista-class ship, will sail two transpacific itineraries. She will embark on an 18-day voyage from Long Beach, California on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Travelers will visit three Alaskan ports and two Japanese ports before arriving in Tokyo on September 10.
She will then embark on October 12, 2024 on a 25-day transpacific cruise from Singapore with stops in Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Hawaii. Travelers will cross the International Date Line and be the first Carnival passengers to call in Manila on the return to California.
Not to be outdone, Carnival Splendor also has two unique Carnival Journeys cruises between Sydney, Australia and Singapore.
Departing Sydney on July 21, 2024, Carnival Splendor will visit ports in Australia, Indonesia and Bali before arriving in Singapore on August 5.
She will depart Singapore on August 24 on a 16-night cruise. While Carnival Splendor will take a similar route back to Sydney, she will call on Tanjung Priok, Indonesia, another first for Carnival Cruise Line. She will return to Sydney on September 9.
Carnival Journeys sailings are different types of cruise that Carnival offers. They are longer cruises that offer onboard entertainment and activities meant to immerse guests into a culture by offering new foods, music, history and more.
Carnival Journeys are offered not only during these Asian and Indonesian sailings, but also in the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, as transatlantic sailings, to Hawaii, and more.


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It’s never been easier to communicate with customers. Today’s smartphone-wielding, app-loving consumers share tons of great data with retailers, engage with brands from a variety of devices, and complete purchases while on the go. But mobile usage isn’t just driving digital sales — it’s also giving brick-and-mortar stores a makeover. The hottest retail technology trends for 2015 are all about enhancing the in-store shopping experience.
Here are five tech trends retailers can’t afford to ignore:
1. TALK THEM THROUGH THE STORE WITH BEACONS
These low-energy devices detect and communicate with mobile devices and apps, giving retailers a better way to engage with in-store shoppers. Beacons allow you to greet customers by name, share offers, send alerts, make personalized recommendations, and even provide indoor mapping. And customers love the special attention: 60% of shoppers open beacon-triggered content, 30% redeem beacon-triggered offers and 73% say these offers increase the likelihood they’ll make a purchase.
2. MAKE IT EASY TO PAY VIA MOBILE
U.S. consumers have been slow to embrace mobile payment options, but Apple Pay — which 1 million people activated in its first three days of use — might just change that. Whole Foods has processed more than 150,000 Apple Pay transactions, and McDonald’s says it accounts for half of all tap-to-pay transactions.
Other mobile payment solutions have also gotten a boost from Apple Pay’s popularity. Since its release, both the Softcard app and Google Wallet have been downloaded and used more frequently.
3. ENGAGE THEM WITH WEARABLES
Wearable technologies such as Google Glass and the Apple Watch provide a new touchpoint for retailers. Through these devices, they can engage consumers with timely, personalized, location-based content. Currently 21% of consumers own a wearable, with 130 million more expected to ship by 2018. And shoppers use these gadgets to interact with their favorite brands: 51% of Millennials want wearable tech to provide them with retail information and offers, as does 45% of the general population.
4. ROUTE TRAFFIC AND PERSONALIZE IN-STORE ADS WITH SENSORS
People overestimate how long they’ve waited in line by 36%, and then gripe about it to their friends. But new infrared sensor technology lets stores reroute customers to checkout counters with shorter lines. Kroger’s QueVision has reduced the average customer wait time from four minutes to less than 30 seconds.
Smart shelves with sensors also enable brands to personalize marketing for in-store customers. Multinational snack maker Mondelez International uses sensors to track the ages and genders of passing shoppers and display offers that match what those demographics tend to buy.
5. OFFER A VIRTUAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
For retailers with small spaces and/or large product offerings, future display technology lets customers view and purchase items that aren’t in stock. For example, at Audi City storefronts in major cities around the world, car shoppers can virtually experience the entire range of Audi models.


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Crypto Exchange CrossTower Opens Its First Branch in India
The firm hired 150 people in the initial launch with expectations to expand it further.
CrossTower, a US-based cryptocurrency exchange, has launched on Monday an official branch in India amid regulatory tussles concerning the industry. According to Reuters, CrossTower already hired 35 people for the office and planned to expand it further to 100 for the upcoming six months.
“India will play a pivotal role, and we plan to use the country as a hub to expand into other geographies,” Kapil Rathi, CrossTowers co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, told Reuters in an interview. He also stated that the firm aims to strengthen its market share by bolstering technological resources to meet the high demand of the Indian crypto market.
In fact, figures by Chianalysis suggest that the virtual currency market in the country has skyrocketed from $923 million in April 2020 to $6.6 billion in May 2021, as India keeps ranking in 11th place in terms of cryptocurrency adoption globally. “We believe were taking a calculated risk,” Rathi commented about how risky it is opening a crypto exchange branch in a country with unsolved topics surrounding regulatory affairs towards the cryptocurrency industry.
Crypto Regulatory Turmoil
The Indian government was scheduled to present a bill in March before the parliament to ban definitely cryptocurrencies, making trading and holding an illegal activity in the country. However, it wasnt on the discussion table, and the uncertainty remains alive, although the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sought to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in December. However, there are no major updates about it as of press time.
Early this year, as Finance Magnates reported, the crypto exchange announced that the company crossed $150 million in trading volumes during February, its highest level on record. The trading volumes have grown significantly since October 2020. In addition, CrossTower introduced a new Bitcoin Fund in February that offers accredited investors exposure to Bitcoin through standard privately placed security.


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( The Hindu – Metroplus) – 25th March 2016
PedalBeat, a new indoor cycling studio, was recently opened in the city
Studio cycling, or spinning as it is popularly known in the West, is finally here. Thanks to the efforts of Sowmya Arjun and three like-minded avid cycling enthusiasts — Atul Jagadish, Mukund Rangarajan and Pavithra Charan — the first exclusive and dedicated indoor cycling studio, PedalBeat, has just opened on C.P. Ramaswamy Road in Alwarpet.


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Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Blizzard Boots Up Beta For Diablo III
Irvine-based Blizzard Entertainment reported Tuesday that it has begun closed beta testing for Diablo III, the sequel to its Diablo role playing game series. Blizzard did not say how many users will be added to the beta. The firm said the closed beta is an "important milestone" on the way to final development of the new title. Blizzard is known for its massively multiplayer online games, including World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo.


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The LA-based Akimbo's service, which will be unveiled within the next month, offers consumers a video-on-demand viewing that is delivered to televisions via the Internet. Akimbo subscribers can choose from thousands of hours of nearly unlimited kinds of programming to suit their individual interests, including select content from a number of Turner brands, such as CNN, CNNfn, Cartoon Network, TCM, Boomerang and Adult Swim.
TBS appears to view Akimbo as an experimental outfit that just might take off.
"We are pleased to work with Akimbo and are looking forward to learning how consumers respond to this new subscription on-demand technology," said Kevin Cohen, senior vice president and general manager, interactive/enhanced television for TBS, Inc.
In order to receive Akimbo, consumers must have an Akimbo Player, a home network and a broadband-Internet connection in their homes. The service itself is $9.99 monthly.


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Think about the pickle through which Ferrari finds itself. Customers need SUVs. Regulators need electrics. Thus will the long-lasting automobile firm make a plug-in hybrid SUV, to be referred to as the Purosangue—Italian for thoroughbred. Quotidian calls for, met. The true Ferrari aficionado, although, doesn’t need autos that cater to hand-wringing bureaucrats or drivers who must do issues like go locations with their youngsters and groceries. Which is why, at its Capital Markets Day convention this week, the automaker introduced the launch of a brand new car line it calls Icona.
The road begins with a pair of sports activities vehicles that blend basic racing fashion from the Nineteen Forties and ’50s with the perfect that Twenty first-century engineering has to supply—together with probably the most highly effective engine Ferrari has ever made.
The 2 vehicles, the Monza SP1 and Monza SP2, are practically similar, besides the SP2 has room for 2 people, and the SP1’s tonneau cowl blocks off half the cockpit, leaving simply sufficient room for simply the motive force. The vehicles are styled merely, with nary a daring line or hulking wing to be discovered. A slight narrowing on the waist offers the Monzas a near-hourglass determine. As Ferrari’s press workforce places it, “Visually complicated options, resembling these seen on current racing vehicles, have been prevented.”
Ferrari says each vehicles are a callback to the 1948 166 MM, one of many vehicles that helped it rack up World Sports activities Automotive Championship victories within the ’40s and ’50s.
The engine in query is a 6.5-liter V12, good for practically 800 horsepower (when revved as much as 8,500 rpm) and 530 pound-feet of torque. Put these numbers in a carbon-fiber ballet slipper of a automobile that weighs simply 3,306 kilos (the SP2, with its second seat, is 45 kilos heavier), and also you get from zero to 62 mph in lower than 3 seconds. (When you want proof of how a lot enjoyable electrical vehicles may be, think about that that’s barely quick sufficient to beat many battery-powered each day drivers.) Keep on the fuel for an additional 5 seconds and also you’ll hit 124 mph. Keep on it even longer and also you’ll finally prime out at 186 mph. Which ought to be a lot quick, given the dearth of a windshield.
Keen to make sure that you look the half on this retromobile—rumored to value seven figures—Ferrari introduced in luxurious outfits Loro Piana and Berluti to make a “gentlemen-driver-inspired” helmet, gloves, scarf, driving sneakers, and racing overalls. Fancy, fancy overalls.
The Guardian experiences that Ferrari will produce fewer than 500 of the issues, and—no shock—it has already bought all of them. However hey, perhaps you’d like a pleasant, sensible, SUV as a substitute?
Extra Nice WIRED Tales
Supply By https://www.wired.com/story/ferrari-monza-sp1-sp2-inona-cars/


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China plans to start launching commercial payloads on its Kuaizhou-11 launch vehicle in 2017. The Kuaizhou-11, which first launched in 2013, is a solid-fuel rocket developed by China Sanjiang Space Group (CSSG). It was originally developed as a quick-reaction launch vehicle that could carry lightweight payloads into low-Earth orbit (LEO) with short notice.
It is not exactly clear what the relationship will be between the Chinese government and the organization that operates the Kuaizhou-11. CSSG is part of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC), a state-owned and -funded enterprise. It provides competition to China’s primary launch vehicle development company, known as China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), and launch vehicle marketing company, China Great Wall Industry Corp.[i]
The situation becomes less clear because Chinese media report that the Kuaizhou-11 will be marketed by an entirely commercial company.[ii] Typically, commercial companies raise financing from private investors or through profits from their own operations. If the Kuaizhou-11 is developed and marketed by a state-owned entity, it will not be considered a commercial enterprise. It is possible that the Chinese government plans to spin off Kuaizhou-11 operations into a commercial company.
The debate between commercial or government operations is not as important as the potential demand for the vehicle. Many space operations around the world blur the line between commercial and government-owned enterprises. For example, India’s PSLV carrier rocket is government-owned, but has strong demand within the commercial market.
U.S. export controls will negatively impact the commercial success of the Kuaizhou-11. While the U.S. periodically reviews its so-called International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) laws, American companies are not allowed to export satellites or satellite components to China. This includes shipping American-made components to China for launch.[iii] Because American companies play such a major role in the international satellite market, this essentially blocks a large swath of satellites from launching in China.
For a time, French satellite builder Thales Alenia Space marketed commercial satellites that included no components on the U.S. ITAR list, meaning they could be carried into space by Chinese launch vehicles. However, the difficulty in obtaining those components forced the company to abandon the market, demonstrating the importance of the U.S. for any successful commercial satellite venture.[iv]
Even if it does not have access to the American market, the Kuaizhou-11 could still find success in the launch market. The rise in popularity of small satellites is creating new opportunities for launch providers. The Kuaizhou-11 will be competitively priced as well, with a planned cost of $10 million to carry a 1,000-kilogram payload to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.[v]
A launch cost of $10,000 per kilogram compares extremely favorably with those of other light launch vehicles under development. Even the Firefly Alpha’s relatively cheap launch costs are double that of the Kuaizhou-11’s, and costs for U.S.-developed light launch vehicles only go up from there.
Additionally, China’s space industry remains strong. In 2015, 19 Chinese launch vehicles carried 45 payloads into orbit. The same revolution in small satellites that Western space powers are experiencing is beginning to spread to China. On September 19, a Long March 6 carried 20 small satellites into orbit. Launches of these “SmallSats” will continue. In October 2015, a Chinese investment fund and a Russian satellite company announced plans to build a large remote sensing satellite network that will provide data on large urban centers and trade routes between China and other countries.[vi]
Low costs, a strong domestic market, and the growing popularity of small satellites will drive Kuaizhou-11 production going forward. Despite being largely closed off to carrying Western-built satellites, the Kuaizhou-11 will serve China’s domestic market. Also, the vehicle could potentially become popular with foreign countries that purchase satellites from China’s growing space industry.
Please feel free to use this content with Forecast International and analyst attributions, along with a link to the article. Contact Ray Peterson at +1 (203) 426-0800 or via email at firstname.lastname@example.org for additional analysis.
Forecast International offers two Space Systems Forecast products: Launch Vehicles & Manned Platforms, with reports on manned spacecraft, expendable launch vehicles and more, and Satellites & Spacecraft, with coverage ranging from microsatellites to large COMSATs – all complete with technical specifications and forecast details.
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Amazon workers refuse to create their first union in the United States
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama refused to create what would have been the company’s first union of company employees in the United States, according to the public vote count on Friday, as the word “no” prevailed over “yes.” Overwhelmingly.
In this way, of the 3,215 votes cast and 71% counted, those who actually oppose the union by more than half, 1798.
For their part, the Unionists gained only 738 supporters, less than half of their opponents.
Final results have not yet been approved by the US National Labor Relations Board, and Unionists still have an option to fight a legal battle If they consider that there are irregularities in the process.
The audit began Thursday after two full weeks of discussions between the company and union members about the validity of each vote in a process manually conducted behind closed doors and voting by vote.
According to the union’s sources, Amazon has rejected several hundred votes.
When he could have been a pioneer, Voting was followed up across the countryEven the US President, Democrat Joe Biden, implicitly hinted at the issue when he launched a fierce public defense of unions and the right to organize in early March.
The company led by Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine, is the second largest employer in the United States, after only the Wal-Mart hypermarket chain, and since the beginning of the epidemic, its activity and profits have increased dramatically. . It employed tens of thousands of new workers.
however, The company does not have any trade union In the country and known for its vigorous opposition to the organizational efforts of its employees, something that it demonstrated on several occasions during this campaign in an Alabama warehouse.


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An Australian couple wanted to eat some salad from a local Aldi on Tuesday when they discovered something was creeping in it. Alex White (44) said, “At first I thought it was a worm.” “When I saw a tongue, I was shocked and realized that it was a snake.”
It is not known how the snake ended up in the lettuce. The refrigerated transport of vegetables seemed to paralyze the snake, until Alex bought the bag from Aldi and took it home.
The Australian and his friend Amelie, who is originally from Austria, put the hose in a plastic container to prevent the animal from escaping from the bag that was already open. Amelie wanted to photograph the animal to appear to her Austrian family, because the couple are always trying to refute the fact that Australia is full of dangerous monsters.
Animal protection officials finally took the snake – perhaps a small version of the venomous Australian brown snake. Aldi supermarket chain is investigating the accident. What about lettuce? Alex just ate it. It’s like “after you’ve washed everything well.” Watchman.
Woman eats takeaway but finds something she didn’t order: “disgusting”
“Lifelong food practitioner. Zombie geek. Explorer. Reader. Subtly charming gamer. Entrepreneur. Devoted analyst.”


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A new report has revealed that around 52 per cent of global companies expect to be fined for non-compliance with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a new ruling within the European Union.
The study commissioned by SaaS provider Intralinks and conducted by analyst firm Ovum showed that, this, too, is the average response among top nations such as UK, US, and Germany, where, 53 per cent, 58 per cent and 62 per cent respectively may face a fine.
The mission of the study was to see the level of preparedness of businesses for the new regulations, and was conducted among IT decision-makers across Europe, the Americas and Australasia.
Given the admission of the lack of preparedness for the upcoming regulations, the study also showed that two-thirds of global firms would review their business strategies in some European countries in the next year.
This comes along with another outlook from 68 per cent of respondents, which said that the new regulation would increase the cost of doing business in Europe. Of these respondents, over 30 per cent expect their budgets to rise by more than 10 per cent over the next two years, wherein costs may include hiring specialists in the field.
The survey also revealed that 63 per cent of the respondents believe that another down side of the new law will be the tougher competition for US firms in Europe. Parallel to that, 70 per cent think that the new legislation will favour businesses based in Europe.
"New regulations, such as the GDPR, are seriously worrying global businesses," said Ovum senior analyst Alan Rodger. "Different jurisdictions are imposing inconsistent and often incompatible mandates for how personally identifiable information is stored, processed and shared.
"This is already creating confusion and uncertainty, leaving fundamental questions unanswered, such as how to interpret data location requirements. Organisations need technology options that help them react to a rapidly changing regulatory environment."
Image source: Shutterstock/AVN Photo Lab


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Your keyboard is a waste of space. That’s what Moky is telling you with its prototype keyboard that turns the entire surface of the device into a functioning trackpad.
The Moky Keyboard, which recently launched on IndieGogo, looks like your standard, run-of-the-mill portable keyboard. It’s made for mobile devices, to which it connects via Bluetooth low energy, and and it’s powered by a long-lasting rechargeable battery that promises up to 3 months of usage on a single charge (assuming 4 hours of use per day).
What makes Moky stand out is what it can do when you aren’t typing on it. Embedded just under the surface of the keys are infrared laser sensors. These sensors, when activated by pressing the lower area of the keyboard, create a virtual touchpad that can sense the movements of your fingers.
The result is a keyboard capable of recognizing gesture controls.
In bringing the keyboard from prototype to finished product, the team behind the device hopes to get it down to just 8mm thick. The keyboard-touchpad hybrid will be compatible with Mac, Windows, and Android devices, but it won’t work with iOS, as Apple doesn’t currently support mouse input on its mobile operating system.
The keyboard’s IndieGogo campaign has already nearly doubled its initial goal of $30,000, so Moky should be well on its way to creating a retail-ready device.


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□ DGIST (President Yang Kook) (the following three science and technology institutions) will establish a "Semiconductor Contracting Department" with Samsung Electronics for fostering technical staff specialized in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
□ DGIST closed a business agreement on the 27th (Mon) at DGIST University Center Convention Hall for establishing and operating the Semiconductor Contracting Department, which was attended by Samsung Electronics President Seokwoo Nam and Wanpyo Kim, DGIST President Yang Kook, and other major stakeholders.
□ Owing to the recently increasing global semiconductor demand, safeguarding national competitiveness relevant to semiconductors is critical. Particularly, the semiconductor industry is a key industry in South Korea, and it is a cutting-edge future industry that will lead future industries involved with AI, autonomous driving, and robotics. Therefore, continuous improvement in semiconductor device stacking and performance are crucial. Recruiting key talent that will lead the development in semiconductor staking processes and overcome the current difficulties experienced in device stacking and performance increase is absolutely necessary. Consequently, Minister Jongho Lee of the Ministry of Science and ICT stated the importance of "establishing a government-wide semiconductor talent fostering system" last year.
□ Thus, DGIST will establish a "Semiconductor Contracting Department" in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, which will foster key talent. In DGIST, the Semiconductor Contracting Department will be operated as a five-year combined Bachelor’s and Master’s program, for which 30 freshmen will be selected every year from 2024 to 2028. Extension is also possible according to the circumstances of fostering talent. Furthermore, among graduate students, those selected as scholars and employed by Samsung Electronics will become technical staff specialized in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
□ Thereby, the number of universities that are newly established with operational departments relevant to semiconductors with employment conditions in Samsung Electronics has grown to seven, including Sungkyunkwan University, Yonsei University, KAIST, and POSTECH, followed by DGIST, GIST, and UNIST.
□ DGIST President Yang Kook stated that "global semiconductor experts that can lead innovations in semiconductor technology will be fostered on-site using DGIST semiconductor research and education infrastructure," and revealed that "DGIST semiconductor experts will be fostered to become the foundation for local economy and new industry creation as much as DGIST is cooperating in ‘D-FAB’ construction where semiconductor design to analysis can be proceeded."


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FORTUNE -- It was raining lightly in New York City for the launch of the iPad Air -- the fifth iPad that Apple (AAPL) has released since 2010 and the first of two coming out this fall. (The second, the Retina iPad mini is due before the end of November.)
But rather than blame the weather for the light turnout -- the lightest yet for an iPad at Apple's Fifth Ave. store -- perhaps we should marvel at the fact that hundreds of New Yorkers and New York tourists will still line up in the rain for yet another variation on a three-and-a-half-year-old theme, no matter how positive the reviews.
Four minutes after the 8:00 a.m. launch, I counted 392 customers in the main line and 27 in pre-order, a total of 419.
In the spreadsheet below, note that I disagree with Piper Jaffray's iPad Mini/4th Gen number. I counted 801 heads that day.
Below: 15 seconds of video from the event.
The schools' ActiveSync networks are now off limits to new Apple and Android tablets
In January, according to the New York Times, the NYC public school system -- the largest in the U.S. -- joined the latest educational technology bandwagon and spent $1.3 million to buy 2,000 iPads for classroom use.
On Nov 10., the Department of Education's IT department slammed on the brakes.
In a memo addressed to all the city's principals, MOREPhilip Elmer-DeWitt - Dec 2, 2011 6:32 PM ET
Upgrade of the Big Apple's 3G network is complete, it says. San Francisco still needs work.
After three years of dropped calls, sluggish downloads and terrible press, AT&T (T) announced on Monday that an upgrade of its wireless network in four of the five boroughs of New York City is officially complete.
According to AT&T, the project -- which involved expanding the capacity of its 3G network -- has steadily improved service MOREPhilip Elmer-DeWitt - Jun 28, 2010 5:38 PM ET
A sneak peek at Manhattan's fourth Apple Store, set to open Saturday Nov. 14
The Upper West Side, that bastion of liberal thinking and discretionary spending nestled between Central Park and the Hudson River on the island of Manhattan, is finally getting its own Apple Store.
The retail outlet -- Apple's 279th and the city's fourth -- is scheduled to open Saturday morning. On Thursday, the press got an early tour of MOREPhilip Elmer-DeWitt - Nov 12, 2009 11:04 AM ET
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Aldi opens new store in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny
Aldi has opened its 136th store in Ireland, in the Kilkenny town of Graiguenamanagh. The new discount supermarket marked the occasion with a sizeable charity donation towards the restoration of Graiguenamanagh Abbey Hall.
4 December 2018
Aldi has increased its presence in Co. Kilkenny with the opening of its latest ‘Project Fresh’ store in Graiguenamanagh, bringing 20 new jobs to the area. The new store opening also provided a welcome boost for Graiguenamanagh Abbey Hall, with the discount supermarket donating €5,000 to help support the cherished local amenity.
Abbey Hall Committee members joined in the opening day celebrations, where they were presented with their cheque in-store.
On hand to officially open the new store was the Mayor of Kilkenny, Cllr. Peter Cleere, who together with Aldi’s Graiguenamanagh store manager David Rossiter, welcomed the store’s first customers.
The new store is fitted out as an Aldi ‘Project Fresh’ store, which includes a large shop floor spanning 12,000sq ft, wide aisles, hi-spec fixtures and fittings and 93 car parking spaces. The Graiguenamanagh store is Aldi’s fourth store in Kilkenny, bringing the total number of Irish stores to 136.
Officially opening the new store, Cllr. Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere, Mayor of Kilkenny, said that there has been considerable interest and excitement over the last couple of months regarding Aldi’s new store opening. “The overwhelming majority of people I have spoken to are absolutely delighted that this day has finally arrived,” he said. “Aldi opening its doors this morning is a major boost for the area, and a huge help to those who have to travel out of town to do their shopping, meaning that more money will stay in Graiguenamanagh, with shoppers in turn picking up extras in the town centre.”


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Zillow Inc. has announced that it will open a new office in Irvine, Calif. and expand its sales team there. Zillow plans to staff up to 100 employees in Irvine in 2012, primarily by growing its sales force. The Southern California sales team will focus on selling Premier Agent subscriptions to local real estate professionals throughout the country across Zillow as well as Yahoo! Real Estate, for which Zillow exclusively manages advertising sales.
The new office will also include space for the nearly 20 employees of Diverse Solutions, an Irvine, Calif.-based company that helps real estate agents market their businesses and improve their personal Web sites which Zillow acquired in November.
"As Zillow continues to expand the breadth of our services and develop new tools to help real estate professionals grow their business, it made perfect sense to also expand our sales force to Southern California," said Greg Schwartz, Zillow's chief revenue officer. "Orange County is part of America's largest real estate market and has created a deep pool of talented sales people with expertise in Internet marketing and software from which to recruit."
In addition to its Seattle headquarters and Irvine offices, Zillow has sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. Last year, Zillow moved its headquarters to the Russell Investments Center in downtown Seattle, leasing 66,000 square feet of office space.
Zillow, which completed its initial public offering in July 2011, is growing. More than 32 million unique users visited Zillow's Web site and mobile apps in March 2012, representing a year-over year growth of 67 percent. As of the fourth quarter 2011, Zillow reported its fifth consecutive quarter of triple-digit revenue growth with total revenue growing 108 percent year-over-year to $19.9 million and Marketplace Revenue, which primarily consists of revenue generated from sales of Premier Agent subscriptions, growing 169 percent year-over-year to $13.7 million.


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House Bill 7071, which provides more than $1.2 billion of tax relief for Floridians was approved by Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this month, including reducing state and county gas taxes.
On May 6, DeSantis signed the bill, which provides ten sales tax holidays for various items commonly purchased by Florida families, including fuel, diapers, disaster supplies, and tools.
In what seems to be a first-time major initiative, the package also includes suspending state and county gas tax for the entire month of October, allowing drivers to save about 25.3 cents per gallon.
“In Florida, we are going to support our residents and help them afford the goods that they need. Florida has been fiscally responsible, so we are in a good position to provide meaningful relief for families, right now,” DeSantis said.
Florida alone cannot “independently fix or outrun” issues causing increased prices, said Senate President Wilton Simpson. “However, we are working to ease the pain with broad-based sales tax relief and a month-long gas tax holiday.”
In an attachment to a member email, Florida RV Park and Campground Association (FRVCA) also reported that Freedom Week returns this year as sales tax holiday starts on July 1 and ends on July 7.
During the week, tax on retail sales of admissions to music events, sporting events, cultural events, specified performances, movies, museums, state parks, and fitness facilities will not be collected. Sales of eligible boating and water activity supplies, camping supplies, fishing supplies, general outdoor supplies, residential pool supplies, and sporting equipment will also be tax-exempted.
Meanwhile, a new week-long (September 3-9) “Tool Time” sales tax holiday on tools for skilled trades like mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, and electricians might benefit the members of the RV sector, per the statement.
A two-year tax break for impact-resistant windows, doors, and garage doors from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024 will provide $442.8 million in tax relief.
Lastly, a tax holiday (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023) on Energy Star Appliances will allow $78.5 million in tax relief, while the industry can also benefit from a reduction in the mobile home tax rate from 6% to 3%.
For more information about the tax holidays, visit floridarevenue.com/SalesTaxHolidays.


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Working alongside his partner and the song’s muse, Hidhir Badaruddin, the duo make their musical and directorial debuts on the Italian-tinged queer love song.
From the latest issue of BRICKS, we meet creatives from across the industry and hear their stories and thoughts for the future.
In June, Eden Tan’s graduate collection was hailed as the stand-out among more than 100 fellow Central Saint Martins designers. Here, the L’Oréal Professionnel Young Talent Prize winner reveals his fascination with materiality, the importance of respecting a garment’s history and why he doesn’t like to be labelled as an upcycler.
We held an exhibition at Have A Butchers gallery featuring artwork showcasing age-defying artists, people and projects.
The latest offering from the publishers of Brocolli magazine delves into the unique relationships between cats and humans.
The Welsh-born, London-based talent shared his latest collection inspired by the stall owners on Deptford High Street.
The New York label’s founder Olivia Cheng talks sourcing broken jewellery from the street, evolving taste levels and how she balances business with creativity.
The rising star’s latest single is packed with confident, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and a tenacious attitude to match.
At the schuh HQ, fashion designer Helen Kirkum shared her upcycling techniques using recycled materials to create footwear model designs for the future.
Through the lens of 15 photographers from Stockholm to Iran, Polaroid is celebrating four truths found in the connection between real life and Polaroid imagery.
ARTWORK Rory Donnelly Prepare to immerse yourself in hedonism at HALO festival this Friday 25th August. The new mini-festival is...


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PRODUCTS SOLD ANNUALLY
NEW PRODUCTS LAUNCHED IN 2019
According to the World Health Organisation, orthopaedic conditions are the second largest contributor to disability worldwide. Such conditions significantly limit mobility and dexterity, leading to difficulty working and early retirement from employment, reduced accumulated wealth and decreased ability to participate in social roles. In India, orthopaedic disorders are the most prevalent chronic disease affecting over 200 million people. In particular, elderly populations tend to have a higher prevalence of orthopaedic ailments.
Ascent Meditech, a leading Indian medical products company and distributor of niche consumer healthcare products, is helping to provide relief for these chronic conditions.
Ascent, which has built a sophisticated manufacturing, distribution and retail strategy, specialises in wound care, mobility aids and orthopaedic soft goods. The company sold 15 million products in 2017 through its extensive network of 150,000 retail pharmacy points across 12 Indian States. Ascent’s flagship brand of products, Flamingo, is sold in more than 40 countries across the globe.
The company’s products are currently sold to seven million customers, approximately 90 per cent of whom are low-income emerging consumers, with a focus on providing high quality and competitively priced orthopaedics to India’s aging population. The share of India’s population over the age of 60 is projected to increase from 8% today to 19% by 2050. Typically, elderly consumers prefer medical aids over invasive solutions such as surgery.
Dr. Felix Olale, Partner and Global Co-Lead for Health Investments at LeapFrog commented: “The Ascent Meditech team has achieved outstanding growth in the orthopaedic and wound care market, addressing a core need for consumers with high quality products and competitive prices, thus opening up accessibility. We see a huge opportunity for LeapFrog to partner with an outstanding management team to increase production and distribution of Ascent’s quality and trusted products, including the flagship Flamingo brand, in India, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.”
The investment in Ascent will capitalise on the favourable dynamics in both the domestic and international markets. The $100 billion Indian healthcare market is expected to expand at 12-15% CAGR.
Leapfrog invested in Ascent Meditech as part of our Healthcare portfolio, alongside the following companies who a delivering profit with purpose:


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Ghana Industrial Holding Company [GIHOC] Distilleries, manufactures of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages has held the first draw of the Chill and Win promo at the company’s head office in Accra.
The promo which was launched last month [May 8, 2014] is aimed at rewarding its loyal customers; encouraging new customers taste new products from GIHOC and also promoting the GIHOC products across the country.
The key brands involved in the on-going promotion are Castle Bridges Dry Gin, Madingo Gin Bitters and Herb Afrik Gin Bitters.
Addressing the media, the manager of GIHOC Company Limited, Mr. Edward Amoo-Acquah noted that, the company has been able to survive over the years and will keep producing the best of its products to the Ghanaian citizenry and beyond Ghana.
He also appealed to their loyal customers, both old and new to buy and experience quality products by the GIHOC Company for them [customers] to win smart prizes.
For the first monthly draw, the first prize is a cash of GHC 12, 000. The winner will also be assisted to travel to Brazil for the on-going FIFA World Cup; that is if only the winner wishes to go to Brazil.
The 2nd to 5th also takes home 40-Inch Samsung series 5 led TV whereas the 6th -11th winners rewarded with Samsung Galaxy tab. The other winners will also be given special GIHOC branded souvenirs.
According to Mr. Amoo-Acquah, in the final draw, the ultimate winner will drive away a brand new Hyundai Elantra 2014 model.
|Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.|


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The US financial technology company PayPal has announced that Gamban will become part of its online payment processing service.
The introduction of the blocking software of Gamban will provide customers of online casinos and sportsbooks with the chance to ban themselves from gambling services. As Casino Guardian previously reported, the Gamban software is used to provide players who are considered at risk or more susceptible to gambling-related harm with the opportunity to better control their spending habits and make sure they stay away from gambling.
As a result of PayPal’s decision to roll out Gamban’s blocking software, its customers would be able to block online payments towards both games of skill and games of chance.
But not only traditional casino games and card games such as blackjack, craps, keno, pai gow poker, sic bo, pachinko, etc. are included in the new gambling payments blocks. PayPal customers would also be able to suspend their online payments for race betting and other forms of sports betting, including sweepstakes, simple sports betting and activities from pari-mutuel betting to off-track betting. Dedicated exchanges’ peer-to-peer services are also included in the available exclusions in the Gamban blocking software. Customers will be able to also suspend payments for purchasing lottery tickets.
PayPal’s Announcement Follows Recent Findings of Loophole Allowing Credit Card Gambling Payments in Ireland
PayPal’s move comes after a recent investigation of the Irish Independent has found out that online gambling payments with credit cards are still accepted by some of the biggest gambling operators in the UK, although such practice has already been forbidden. As the media hub’s investigation found, in Ireland there is currently a loophole allowing the use of credit cards for gambling and betting transactions.
Furthermore, there are various financial services, such as PayPal, Revolut, Google Pay and Apple Pay, which are linked to customers’ credit cards. According to reports, many online gambling companies take advantage of this and use third-party payment apps to process credit card payments without technically violating the Safer Gambling Code rules.
As Casino Guardian reported, the British financial technology company Revolut announced its decision to block credit card payments to online gambling operators in Ireland right after the aforementioned revelations were made public.
Now, PayPal said that it can also roll out further measures aimed at spending habits control in order to help customers avoid legislative loopholes such as the third-party payment apps which are often used for sending money to services that facilitate online gambling or transfer money to offshore digital gambling platforms.
The newly-unveiled solution has come as an extra to the already existing self-exclusion options provided by GamCare and GAMSTOP that allow gamblers to ban themselves from gambling services available off- and online.
Gamban blocking software highlights the importance of payment processors being more involved with transactions associated with gambling companies. For the time being, there is no data indicating how much money people spend on gambling by using PayPal.
Olivia Cole has worked as a journalist for several years now. Over the last couple of years she has been engaged in writing about a number of industries and has developed an interest for the gambling market in the UK.


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Nokia to shed 10,000 jobs
Thursday 14 June 2012
Nokia has announced it will lay off 10,000 workers worldwide by the end of 2013 in a further drive to save costs.
The Finnish mobile phone maker said it aims to return the company to profitable growth by sharpening strategy and improving its operating model.
Although it plans "to significantly reduce its operating expenses," Nokia said it remains focused on its smartphones and feature phones and intends to expand location-based services.
The cuts mean that Nokia will close some research and development projects, including in Ulm, Germany, and Burnaby, Canada.
The company said it will also close the manufacturing plant in Salo, Finland, but will keep its research and development operations there.
Nokia is fighting fierce competition from Apple's iPhone and other makers using Google's popular Android software, including Samsung and HTC of Taiwan. It is also being squeezed at the low end of the market by Asian manufacturers making cheaper phones, such as China's ZTE.
Nokia said that "competitive industry dynamics" in the second quarter would hit its smartphone sector to a "somewhat greater extent than previously expected" and that no improvement was expected in the third quarter.
"Nokia is significantly increasing its cost reduction target for devices and services in support of the streamlined strategy announced today," said spokesman Timo Ihamuotila.
"With these planned actions, we believe our devices (and) services business has a clear path to profitability. Nokia intends to maintain its strong financial position while proceeding aggressively with actions aimed at creating shareholder value."
Last year, Nokia announced more than 10,000 lay-offs, aimed at cutting operating expenses.
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Two new Under Armour Curry 6 PEs will be releasing.
A new Floral colorway of the Curry 6 has surfaced alongside the release details.
The UA Curry 6 is now available for customization.
The UA Curry 6 arrives in its newest 'Oakland' colorway.
The Curry 6 ‘Underrated’ is set to release soon.
The Under Armour Curry 6 'Heart of the Town' releases to pay homage to the blood, sweat, and tears Stephen Curry has put into the city of Oakland.
Stephen Curry's sixth signature sneaker, the Under Armour Curry 6, is set to arrive in 'Neon' and 'Black/White' colorways.
This UA Curry 6 comes inspired by the youth of Oakland & the Bay Area.
Two new flavors of the Curry 6 have surfaced.
Under Armour has officially revealed Stephen Curry's sixth signature sneaker featuring HOVR foam; the UA Curry 6.


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FOR the first time in more than 60 years, the cheesemakers of Cheshire have assembled to discuss the state of their industry.
They met at Nunsmere Hall during the event heard presentations from the University of Chester and Reaseheath College outlining the investment they are making into the food and drink marketplace across the county.
The event was put together by the newly formed Food Cheshire group, chaired by David Pickering of Meadow Foods.
Mr Pickering said: “With this investment into the food sector by both the university and Reaseheath, it is important that the food stakeholders of our county understand how these facilities can help us grow our businesses and, with cheese being one of the best known food exports out of Cheshire, we felt this was the right place to start.”
Food Cheshire is a body made up of members of the university, Reaseheath, the Cheshire Business Leaders group, Taste Cheshire, the Learning Skills Council and Marketing Cheshire.
Stephen Wundke of Taste Cheshire said: “I think it is vital that stakeholder’s voices are heard and we all left the event with a very clear goal as to how we progress food and drink in Cheshire on behalf of our Cheshire cheesemakers.
“Things are really starting to move in the county now and, with David Pickering at the helm of Food Cheshire, we are working toward a very exciting year.”
The next time the cheesemakers will be seen is in a far less formal scene, at the annual Chester cheese rolling event, on Tuesday, February 12, in Bridge Street at 11am.
The defending champions, from The Cheshire Cheese Company, have been practising hard.
Managing director Richard Buxton said: “If cheese is in your blood – like it is ours – then you simply have to be involved in Chester’s cheese rolling.
“All that history, heritage and the cheesemakers of days gone by, coursing through your veins, makes for a wonderful event and a tribute to the art of cheesemaking.”


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This aftermarketNews Executive Interview features Brian Kaner, CEO and president of Pep Boys, and president of the Icahn Automotive Service Division.
Let’s talk about where Pep Boys is in its current evolution – moving from both a parts and service business to now focusing on service. What’s the impetus behind this change?
Since Pep Boys was founded 100 years ago, our focus has always been to make car care more accessible. For our founders, this meant getting drivers the new auto parts they needed to repair the recently invented automobile. As we shift the Pep Boys business model to focus primarily on automotive service and tires, we’re doing just what our founders did: adapting to changes in the market and the demands and preferences of our customers. Our centennial is the perfect time to honor our heritage, celebrate our success, and jumpstart our future.
As a service-focused business – and one of the nation’s largest independent service chains – we are continuing to expand our national footprint, addressing the changing needs of vehicle owners, providing superior technician training and career development, and implementing a best-in-class service model. We’re now well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in the industry.
We understand working with parts retailers like Advance are a big part of this evolution as well. Tell us more about this.
We have made several strategic adjustments to optimize our network footprint, one of which is working with other retailers to occupy open space next to Pep Boys Service Centers. In March, we announced that 109 Pep Boys parts locations in California are becoming Advance Auto Parts stores. This approach provides us with an opportunity to focus on service, refresh our connecting service centers, and provides a significant convenience advantage to being located in proximity to a leading parts provider.
By the end of 2021, we’re aiming to open over 20 new Pep Boys Service Centers, and we’ll have 30 distribution centers nationwide to ensure fast, convenient access to world-class automotive service for millions of consumers. We’ve also established a highly successful fleet service business and launched our Pep Boys Mobile Crew platform to bring popular services on-site. Across the board, we’re committed to delivering on our promise to customers: “We go further to help you go farther.”
Where do you see the biggest challenges and opportunities in service today?
The service category is entering one of the most promising periods in its history. It’s fitting to me that Pep Boys is celebrating its centennial during one of the most transformative times in the history of the automotive industry at the same time that customers’ purchasing power and preferences are shifting distinctly. Consolidation and the battle for market leadership in our industry continues and the opportunities belong to the provider who can differentiate and fulfill the demand for holistic vehicle service solutions. Over the next several months, the Pep Boys Road Trip, a custom branded bus, will travel across the country to affirm the Company’s commitment to the thousands of local communities it serves, mark the opening of new locations and kick off new business initiatives, and celebrate the Team Members and customers who helped the Company reach this remarkable milestone. The entire experience can be followed with the hashtag #pepboysroadtrip, and it’s different than anything else our competitors are doing.
But by far the greatest challenge facing our industry is attracting and retaining talented employees, particularly technicians. Several years ago, we launched a program called “Race to 2026” to do our part in attracting the 46,000 additional technicians needed to meet anticipated market demand for service in five years and help encourage more men and women to pursue viable, meaningful careers in the skilled trades. Companies like ours can play important roles in projecting the modern reality of working in automotive service. This isn’t your grandfather’s garage–it’s a technology-intensive business that depends as much on brain power as it does the ability to turn a wrench.
With scheduling apps and mobile repair businesses becoming more prominent, does this impact the way Pep Boys goes to market?
It does and I’m proud of our ability to have anticipated and addressed these and several other emerging needs as part of our mission to make quality car care simple, convenient and accessible for everyone.
The aftermarket is built on three foundational pillars: convenience, quality and value. What has changed over the years is how consumers define those three benefits. Today customers are looking for a more holistic service experience to save time and effort. Given the time demands facing our customers, it only makes sense that we explore new ways to deliver the services they need. Pep Boys Mobile Crew has been a pioneer in bringing popular services directly to customers where they work, shop or maintain their fleets. Over the past year, we have also introduced an end-to-end digital customer experience. Pep Boys customers can now book an appointment online, drop the vehicle off, text their way through the electronic vehicle assessment, track progress in real-time, and pay via mobile.
As new generations of consumers come into the fold, how is the company is addressing the unique needs of younger consumers such as Gen Y and Z consumers?
There’s no question that while our car parc is getting larger and older, our customers are getting younger. Consumers who are part of Gen Y now make up 22 percent of the U.S. population. Gen Z, which includes some 68 million U.S. residents ages 6 to 24, is projected to earn combined income of more than $30 trillion dollars by 2030. Use of technology and the transparency that comes with it are tables stakes for this group of consumers. We view information as an automatic trust creator and are doubling down on our digital capabilities to serve consumers in the ways that are most comfortable and convenient for them. A new generation of consumers is focused on what good you’re doing for community and society. While Pep Boys has always been a partner our local communities could rely on, we’re now contributing to causes on a national scale that support those who have served our country and practicing an approach to sustainability that ensures a positive future for the coming generations.
Why is it important for the entire industry to stay on top of these changing consumer trends/demographics?
Just like in other industries, if we, as service providers, lose sight of what vehicle owners want and need, some other business model will fill that void. There are countless examples of businesses that failed to anticipate and prepare for the evolving needs of their customers. I can tell you that Pep Boys is perhaps better prepared for the future than at any time in its proud 100-year history. The new Pep Boys service experience isn’t about what happens in our bays, it’s about giving people a great experience and getting them back on the road so they can be at the places and with the people that matter most.
Speaking of younger generations, Pep Boys is very active in working to recruit, train and retain bright young professionals in the service industry. Tell us about the progress you are seeing in these efforts.
With travel restrictions lifted, I’ve been able to get back into our service centers again and am so encouraged by the dedicated and talented people on our team. We’ve made tremendous strides in raising our profile as a desirable place to build a successful career. This is the result of a comprehensive strategy to promote our business and the industry among the next generation of prospective technicians including offering scholarships, paid training and mentorship, and ongoing career path guidance. Those who join the Pep Boys team can count on a positive, high-energy environment where they can do their best work every day. Over the next few months, we’ll be giving out $100,000 in technician education scholarships and announcing exciting new initiatives with our training partners as part of the next phase of this work.
How is Pep Boys preparing for the much-publicized shift to EVs and the unique customer needs associated with that? How will techs and the service industry need to prepare in general for EVs?
The pandemic has been a powerful catalyst for the EV category, as we’ve seen in the massive investments being made by longtime automakers as well as countless startups. The U.S. is already the world’s third fastest-growing EV market, and as these vehicles gain share, their owners will be looking for a trusted, non-dealer source of quality service and technical expertise. Pep Boys is positioned to be that trusted provider, partly because our existing national network directly overlaps with the densest coastal EV markets, and also because we’re ahead in investing in EV service capabilities. We’re already opening dedicated electric locations, with clean, sleek designs that are equipped with the latest service technologies including charging capabilities, diagnostic and scanning tools, software, and safety equipment. Pep Boys Electric Vehicle Service locations are staffed by professionals who are trained in servicing EVs and the advanced diagnostics essential for most late-model vehicles.
Has the pandemic and the changes to the way we did business during the past 15 months inspired any permanent changes to Pep Boys’ business strategy?
The pandemic tested every business, and we couldn’t be prouder of how our team responded. First and foremost, we kept our team and customers safe, and then we executed on our plan to ensure Pep Boys would reach its centennial year in 2021 and continue to be here for the next century. While last year was tough, it proved that we have the right plan and people to make Pep Boys the nation’s leading automotive and fleet service provider. Our iconic brand might be 100 years old, but we’re faster and more agile than ever.


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Fresh from unveiling the first smartphone with an on-screen fingerprint sensor, another Vivo smartphone has surfaced on Weibo. Pictures from a presentation detailing a new Vivo smartphone have been leaked which show off the Xplay 7. Vivo’s top of the line flagship series didn’t get an update in 2017 but it is rumored that the Xplay 7 will be launched sometime this year.
In the slides, Xplay 7 is listed to sport 10GB of RAM with 256GB or 512GB of onboard storage. The phone is also expected to have a 92.9% screen-to-body ratio which also means that it will be outfitted with an in-screen fingerprint sensor.
Vivo’s smartphones that will come with this embedded fingerprint sensor use Synaptics Clear ID optical sensor. This sensor only works with OLED displays because it doesn’t need backlighting as is the case with having LCD displays. The sensors work from the gaps between the pixels which is why the technology stays invisible.
As the Xplay series is Vivo’s premium range, the smartphone in question is also said to feature a 4K display and twin camera setup courtesy of Sony’s IMX sensors. The Xplay 7 will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.
After Vivo’s launch of the Xplay 7, we can expect smartphones with 10 GB of RAM to become mainstream. In fact, there is a high chance of the next OnePlus smartphone, Vivo’s not so distant cousin, to adopt the same.
There’s no information around the official launch of the Xplay 7 but we expect the phone to make an appearance during MWC 2018 where Vivo is listed as an exhibitor.


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A report yesterday by the Bloomberg news agency did a very good job of revealing the uncomfortable jam that Renault has got itself into over the last decade.
It’s attempts to clamber out of the mainstream have not only crashed and burned, it seems be inadvertently succeeding at the budget end of the new car market.
At the turn of the century, Renault triggered its plan to move its image away from the mainstream and into something like a French Volkswagen.
It opened its product onslaught with the Avantime, Laguna and Vel Satis. These were followed up by the bustle-back Megane and the Espace.
All of the cars were meant to be unique, polished and upmarket. Chanel rather than Chevrolet. Renault figured that these upmarket big cars would reflect well on the mainstream cars and the company could bridge the pricing gap between it and VW.
This plan, of course, failed. The Vel Satis didn’t sell well, the Laguna was hit by electrical maladies and the Megane sold strongly at first, before falling away.
The Vel Satis, Espace and Laguna are all based on the same basic platform and built at Renault’s Sandouville plant. The Vel Satis died last August, the replacement for the Espace was cancelled in 2008 and the Laguna is selling at half the rate the company expected.


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As Netflix attempts to overtake HBO, Amazon plans to overtake Netflix.
In the digital content viewing arena, streaming services have reigned supreme for quite some time now. HBO, Netflix and Amazon have been battling it out for quite some time now. However, the day has come when two of the biggest companies on the web will face off in a battle of speed, content and monthly service costs.
Today, Amazon launched its Prime Video service in the U.S., which rivals Netflix at just $8.99 a month. Ladies in gentlemen, let the streaming wars begin
Previously, an Amazon Prime annual plan would set you back $100, however Amazon’s new monthly streaming service comes in at a dollar less than streaming giant Netflix is currently charging for its most popular plan.
In Oct. 2015, Netflix raised the signup price of its most popular plan from $7.99 to $9.99. While those who’d already been using the service previously escaped the hikes, starting in May, Netflix subscribers who were previously paying $7.99 per month will also be moved to a plan that now costs $9.99 per month.
It’s important to note that when Netflix’s price increases were announced last October, Canadians were charged $9.99 CAD despite the falling loonie.
Amazon Prime Video supports streaming across a wide variety of devices, including game consoles and offline playback. The platform already offers a large selection of original content, including a select few award winning shows.
However, reporters at The Next Web state that Prime Video might have a hard time luring audiences away from Netflix unless they invest in either streaming or developing local content in regional languages.
Prime Video was already available in the U.K. at a monthly price of £5.99. Will this Netflix alternative be coming to Canada?
We’ve reached out to Amazon for a comment.
[source]The Next Web[/source]


text: Antitrust enforcement is one of the most pressing issues facing America today—and Amy Klobuchar, the widely respected senior senator from Minnesota, is leading the charge. This fascinating history of the antitrust movement shows us what led to the present moment and offers achievable solutions to prevent monopolies, promote business competition, and encourage innovation. In a world where Google reportedly controls 90 percent of the search engine market and Big Pharma’s drug price hikes impact healthcare accessibility, monopolies can hurt consumers and cause marketplace stagnation. Klobuchar—the much-admired former candidate for president of the United States—argues for swift, sweeping reform in economic, legislative, social welfare, and human rights policies, and describes plans, ideas, and legislative proposals designed to strengthen antitrust laws and antitrust enforcement. Klobuchar writes of the historic and current fights against monopolies in America, from Standard Oil and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to the Progressive Era’s trust-busters; from the breakup of Ma Bell (formerly the world’s biggest company and largest private telephone system) to the pricing monopoly of Big Pharma and the future of the giant tech companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google. As the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, Klobuchar provides a fascinating exploration of antitrust in America and offers a way forward to protect all Americans from the dangers of curtailed competition, and from vast information gathering, through monopolies.