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Announcing Southern California Distribution!
We are thrilled to announce that with the help of Reyes Beverage Group and Pacific Beverage Company, we will be distributing in Southern California as of January 1, thereby securing our presence in the entire state! Southern Californians can expect to find Founders year-round and seasonal beers in bottles, cans (as applicable) and kegs in retailers throughout the area, with select limited release beers also available after the launch.
“Southern California is home to some phenomenal brewers who have cultivated one of the most passionate beer enthusiast regions in the United States,” said Co-Founder and President Mike Stevens. “We’re confident that the Reyes Beverage Group and Pacific Beverage Group will be a strong and dedicated partner for the Founders brand and we’re excited to introduce our entire portfolio of products to a new audience.”
The following distributors will represent Founders in their respective markets:
- Harbor Distributing: East LA and Orange counties
- Crest Beverage: San Diego county
- Gate City Beverage Distributors: San Bernardino and Riverside counties
- Unique Craft Solutions: West LA and downtown LA
- Allied Beverages-Sylmar: LA
- Pacific Beverage Company: Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo
Stay tuned to Founders website and Twitter handle @foundersbrewing for launch event information. Fans in California can visit foundersbrewing.com/california for information on launch events and more.


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Toyota has piqued curiosity by dropping a couple of enigmatic photos on Thursday, presenting a fresh Land Cruiser that’s set to hit American markets, likely making its debut as a 2024 model.
This unveiling comes on the heels of a promotional video that Toyota launched just weeks prior, displaying classic Land Cruiser emblems accompanied by the catchphrase, “The legend returns.”
Land Cruiser in Focus
The recently revealed teaser images provide a glimpse of the incoming U.S.-oriented Land Cruiser, with one image strikingly juxtaposing it against a six-decade-old original FJ40 Land Cruiser.
In 2021, the Land Cruiser range retired from the U.S. market while the rest of the globe was introduced to a revamped 300-series variant in 2022. The 300-series Land Cruiser, twin to the latest Lexus LX which made its way to the U.S. in 2022, is not the version destined for the American showrooms.
Land Cruiser Teaser Unpacked
The upcoming U.S. Land Cruiser will be a rugged SUV even more robust than its predecessors, aligning more with the redesigned 2024 Lexus GX, as suggested by the newest teaser images. This association is hinted at by a heightened beltline post the B-pillar, a design element akin to the GX but alien to the 300-series Land Cruiser sold internationally. The Land Cruiser destined for the U.S. will be promoted in international markets as a redesigned Land Cruiser Prado.
Speculation is rife that the Land Cruiser targeting the U.S. market will incorporate vintage design elements, not adopted for the international Land Cruiser Prado. One such attribute will be round headlights, echoing the design of the FJ40 and akin to Toyota’s previous execution with the FJ Cruiser.
The vehicle will be supported by Toyota’s TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, which also underlies the 300-series Land Cruiser, its Lexus LX counterpart, along with the Sequoia SUV and the most recent Toyota Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks. The same platform is also used in the Lexus GX, outfitted with full-time four-wheel drive, a 2-speed transfer case, a Torsen limited-slip center differential, and the off-road-specific Overtrail and Overtrail+ modes. A similar arrangement can be expected for the U.S. Land Cruiser and its Land Cruiser Prado counterpart.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about U.S.-bound Toyota Land Cruiser
What new vehicle is Toyota teasing for the U.S. market?
Toyota is teasing a new version of the Land Cruiser for the U.S. market, likely to be released as a 2024 model.
What is the design influence for the upcoming U.S.-bound Land Cruiser?
The upcoming U.S. Land Cruiser is heavily influenced by the redesigned 2024 Lexus GX, as suggested by the latest teaser images released by Toyota.
What platform will the new U.S.-bound Land Cruiser use?
The new U.S.-bound Land Cruiser will utilize Toyota’s TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, which also underlies other vehicles like the 300-series Land Cruiser, Lexus LX, Sequoia SUV, and the latest Toyota Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks.
Will there be any vintage design elements in the new Land Cruiser?
Yes, it’s rumored that the U.S.-bound Land Cruiser will feature vintage design elements, such as round headlights, inspired by the design of the FJ40.
Will the new Land Cruiser be available in markets outside the U.S.?
Yes, the U.S.-bound Land Cruiser is expected to be marketed overseas as a redesigned Land Cruiser Prado.
More about U.S.-bound Toyota Land Cruiser
- Toyota Official Site
- 2024 Lexus GX Overview
- Toyota TNGA-F Body-on-Frame Platform
- Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
- Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

domain: news


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Women are thriving in the Trump economy, and female entrepreneurs don’t put much credence in the deceptive liberal narrative about this president. I know because I have talked with many of them.
Past experience dictates that polls are not reliable, particularly when applied to his supporters. Conservative women cannot be stereotyped. -- They can be a stay-at-home mom, a CEO or owner of a large corporation or both. For them, there is no call to comply with a pre-determined lifestyle. They have the support of other women in their Party, regardless of the choices they make.
President Trump has delivered real results for women; in his first year of office, the number of women in poverty fell by nearly 600,000. Since then, his pro-growth economic policies have improved the lives of millions of women. Since he took office, the economy has created nearly 6 million new jobs, more than 3 million of which have been filled by women.
Additionally, the national female unemployment rate remained close to its all-time low for many months. Female unemployment has not been this low since the days of Rosie the Riveter.
There is a huge but silent support base for President Trump. The women highlighted in this article, however, are not silent. They and their businesses have benefitted from the Trump administration’s policies and the president’s commitment to jobs. They recognize that President Trump is fighting for the American worker and American companies. Businesses have waited a long time for an administration that puts them first.
American workers understand that Trump is fighting for their best interests and what will benefit them long term. When President Trump looks to make deals, he does so with our country’s best interests in mind and with the skills of a businessman for whom deals have consequences, as opposed to a politician who depends on the voter forgetting by the next Election Day that his deals didn’t pan out.
President Trump's pro-growth economic policies have improved the lives of millions of women. Since he took office, the economy has created nearly 6 million new jobs, more than 3 million of which have been filled by women.
Trump’s policies have lightened the burden by lowering taxes and eliminating regulations that crush the spirit of capitalism.
Trump has demonstrated through policy and trade agreements that everything we’ve been told about America’s decline is wrong. We can manufacture items here at home.
In the recent past, we were sold the idea that America’s best days were behind her, that the new normal was 1 –1.5 percent annual growth. That was the leveling wind of globalism.
Trump’s policies shattered that idea in less than 18 months. In this new environment, the world is taking notice that the words “made in America” mean something again.
MadeInAmerica.com, Founder and CEO, Don Buckner, will be hosting the first-ever Made In America trade show, where I serve as spokesperson, in Indianapolis from October 3 - 6.
Don was in manufacturing since 1997 when he launched Vac-Tron Equipment from his garage. He sold his company in 2018 to go all-in on #AmericanMade and to hold a trade show to highlight Made In America manufacturers and celebrate National Manufacturing Day on October 4.
While manufacturing has traditionally been perceived as a male domain, more and more women are working in manufacturing and leading a myriad of companies. In Indianapolis, among the many exhibitors at the event, there are several female powerhouses in the industry.
The women highlighted below have benefitted from the administration’s policies and its commitment to jobs. Here's what they told me:
In 2006, Angela Horevitz wanted to find a better way for those who love to bake, to store or transport baked goods without compromising icing, and to keep food fresh. She started Bakers Sto N Go in 2007, producing a food storage container with adjustable shelves on the inside.
Angela is convinced that the quality of the materials obtained in the U.S. is far superior; “I’ve heard horror stories about purchase order delays, and items arriving damaged or poorly assembled, when ordering from overseas. I find that manufacturers are now hiring at an all-time high, and that’s good for everyone.”
CEO Barbara Creighton’s Sarati International in South Texas provides a natural rebalancing option for women going through menopause.
In the 1990’s Barbara searched to find a safe product for her personal use and discovered a product that would provide a natural path towards rebalancing. She told me, “I’m so appreciative of what President Trump has done for consumer confidence. Our customers who sell our proprietary or custom formulations in their spas or on Amazon are expanding their businesses. The Trump effect blesses us all as sales and profits increase.”
Beverlee Dacey, President of Amodex, a company providing solutions to what could potentially be anyone’s worst nightmare, stains - including a Sharpie. The materials used are non-toxic and sourced in the U.S.
Beverlee took over the company during the recession in 2008 and committed to supporting her fellow U.S. manufactures in the supply chain. She’s less concerned about cost than she is about what might be in the ingredients in solutions from other countries.
- James Carafano: China's Communists partied hard this week but they can’t hide from these 5 big problems
- David Bossie: Pelosi's impeachment rush to judgment is totally premature but rabid Dems are desperate
- Leslie Marshall: 7 major things Congressional Dems are trying to do (that have nothing to do with impeachment)
She said that this administration has “restored the Made in USA brand and revived our status in global markets. We’re finding that more foreign companies and consumers want American made products again.”
President Trump has put American jobs first. As more manufacturers look to sourcing their materials in the U.S., they’re finding the price for those materials have become increasingly more competitive.
Many saw the “trade wars” on the horizon and took steps to source materials and products domestically. As the demand grew for more American-made materials, new businesses begun to sprout up to meet that demand. Over the last two and a half years the U.S. economy has added over 500,000 manufacturing jobs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Women have made incredible economic progress under President Trump, and as more women continue to enter the workforce at every level, it’s more important than ever to continue to pursue the pro-growth, America first policies that got us to where we are today.
For more info on the Made In America Trade Show visit www.madeinamerica.com


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Apple said on Friday that they are temporarily closing a few stores again in the United States in Florida, Arizona, South Carolina, and North Carolina (reported by Bloomberg), as new cases of coronavirus continue to rise in the country. The company’s stock, which said the closure in these states would affect 11 stores, were down 0.5 per cent. Apple had intended to reopen about 100 US stores at the end of May, mainly with curbside pickup but a few with walk-in service, as lock-down restrictions started to ease.
In March the company closed all its stores outside mainland China as the coronavirus pandemic spread. In May, it began reopening US stores, with some offering only roadside or storefront service and not permitting inside customers. Stores which were open to customers conducted temperature controls and allowed employees and customers to wear face masks.
“Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas,” said an Apple representative. “We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation, and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible.”
Stores are closing June 20 including two in North Carolina, Southpark and Northlake Mall; two in Florida, Waterside Shops and Coconut Point; one in South Carolina, Haywood Mall; and six in Arizona, Arrowhead, SanTan Village, Scottsdale Corner, Chandler Fashion Center, Scottsdale Fashion Square and La Encantada.
US COVID-19 cases reached 2 million last week, and some areas are now recording a rise in cases as lockout orders relax, and companies begin to resume. Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, has Said on June 12 that the recent spike in new coronavirus cases is not a second wave.
Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s retail manager, had said in a letter to Apple customers in May that the company should look at data locally, and that re-closures were a possibility based on that data.
“These are not decisions we rush into — and a store opening in no way means that we won’t take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant,” O’Brien had said.


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- Business of Brands
- 2 min read
Keen to be no.1 in FMCG, ITC seeks the e-commerce edge
The company will also sell a range of functional food such as products targeted at diabetics and those with metabolic disorders
ITC is set to become one of the first frontline FMCG companies to start its own e-commerce operation for premium and niche products as it seeks to expand market share in the fast growing online sales segment and ensure wider availability of products, executive director B Sumant said.
A recent report by Nielsen says e-commerce share in total FMCG sales in India has tripled over last two years with 98% of Indian consumers with access to internet having made an online purchase. The conglomerate will sell both food and non-food FMCG products from the recently launched e-store, itcstore.in, where it is currently undertaking a pilot to sell gourmet chocolates, Fabelle. Sumant said ITC’s online store will be limited to metros that account for the largest share of consumption of premium and niche FMCG products for now. The store will complement its efforts to sell through online channel partners and marketplaces. ITC has also launched an e-store and an app for stationary products.
“ITC plans to sell premium and niche FMCG products to discerning consumers through the e-store. Based on the success in major metros, we may scale it up later to other cities,” Sumant said. The online store will initially sell in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
ITC intends to sell its premium skincare range Dermafique, Sunbean Gourmet Coffee, blended atta sold under Aashirvaad brand and products which are currently sold in limited markets or have a niche appeal, such as ghee, rice and protein biscuits.
The company will also sell a range of functional food such as products targeted at diabetics and those with metabolic disorders and health food such as millet and ragi flour, which it will launch in the next few quarters. The fulfilment of orders will be done by a distributor, while ITC will tie-up with third-party logistic providers who are already operating in the ecommerce space.
ITC currently sells through trade partners on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Grofers and Big Basket. The move to expand into direct online sales is not due to the recent disruption in operations in large e-commerce marketplaces, but to expand its reach and ensure products are never out of stock for online shoppers.
ITC also runs direct e-commerce operations for its lifestyle apparel business, WLS and John Players. It has recently started online sales of Classmate notebooks and other stationery products with the pilot operational in Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. This platform allows consumers across the country to customise the covers of their Classmate note books, which are then printed and delivered to them, said Sumant.
ITC is aspiring to become India’s largest pure-play FMCG firm by 2030 across products like packaged food, personal care and stationary which account for Rs 1lakh crore in revenue. In 2017-18, the non-cigarette FMCG business revenue was `11,328 crore, while the business gross profit nearly quintupled to Rs 164 crore.


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Collage Group: “The American dream is still attainable”
A new study indicates that multicultural Americans are optimistic.
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According to a recently released annual report, 78% of black, Asian and Hispanic American consumers say they have achieved or believe they can achieve the American dream, compared to 69% of white consumers.
“America Now 2022: Harnessing American Identity to Navigate Social Issues,” is the name of this study produced by the cultural intelligence company Collage Group.
Jack Mackinnon, Senior Director of Cultural Insights at Collage Group, stated:
Both Hispanic and Black Americans are more confident about their futures in comparison to other American segments, and this conviction translates to their faith in pursuing and achieving the American Dream.
Among the results found in the report, the following stand out:
- 25% of Asian consumers and 21% of Hispanic consumers said they have already achieved the American Dream.
- 60% of Hispanic Americans and 59% of African Americans responded that although they have not yet achieved the American Dream, they are confident that they can still achieve it.
- 12% of white Americans responded that they could no longer achieve the American Dream.
- 75% of respondents across all ethnic groups said they are proud to be Americans.
- Boomers are the proudest, with 88% saying they are proud of their country.
- The majority of Americans (65%) said they believe the United States is the best country in the world.
- The United States is the best country for 68% of Generation X, as well as 59% of Millennials, but for Generation Z only 36%.
“We also allowed people to select what they think constitutes the American Dream and notably, most Americans define the Dream in practical terms, like owning a home, being able to retire, freedom to live how they want, and a stable family life,” added Mackinnon.
- 80% of African-American consumers said that gun violence is a serious or very serious problem.
- 77% of Asian consumers and 75% of Hispanics are also concerned about this type of violence.
- Black and Hispanic consumers are also concerned about racism, with 77% and 68% respectively considering it very serious.
- 65% of Gen Z say that racism is a serious problem for them.
- 20% of each demographic group said the American dream was never attainable, no matter how hard they worked to realize it.
“While Hispanic, Black, and Gen Z Americans are those most likely to say, ‘we want to see brands engaging in a set of topics we care about,’ – such as racism or climate change – we also see these demographics are engaged and positive about the American Dream in surprising, if not counter-intuitive ways,” noted David Evans, Chief Insights Officer at Collage Group.
Evans concluded stressing: “Brands must focus on insights pertaining to America, as well as the issues Americans care about and where they show concern.”
Small business owners describe themselves as being innovative, driven, and community-oriented. As an action step, we recommend your brand focus on these attributes for best communication with different segments. Learn more: https://t.co/Z2UM8URMY8 pic.twitter.com/SoN2ypH6Mi— Collage Group (@collage_group) November 1, 2022


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Brave, with his orange lion head as emblem, is trying to find a place in the French and European internet browsing market. It relies on the Qwant search engine to reach French and European users.
Brave, the little browser who wants to reinvent the web
Brave is a browser founded by the American Brendan Eich. In the past, Eich participated in the creation of the Mozilla Foundation and was General Manager of its subsidiary Mozilla Corporation in March 2014. (He was forced to resign because of his unfavorable views on gay marriage.)
It is in addition to the current alternatives to Chrome, such as Opera which holds more than 5% of market share in the world, or UR Browser, a solution devised by a French company. Brave, like UR, were built on the open source technology of Google Chrome. They are so close, but these small sailors, almost lonely, are strong to protect privacy and limit see block ads.
The ad is the great battle horse of Brave, who has just announced. Moreover, that it now offer by default the search engine Qwant, when it downloads, just like UR Browser.
Advertising, this big cake that only Google tastes (or almost)
With 1,500,000 users, Google is taking over the entire advertising market. This is called adtech, that is, all the technologies and methods that make it possible to display appropriate advertisements on the screens of Internet users. For that, you have to know who they are and what they do. We are now entering the debate on privacy, which has led to the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.
By being in a key position in this market, Google is the biggest winner in the advertising market. Adblocks systems (blocking the advertising display) are actually a division of the market, more than its actual hindrance. Because without advertising, it is impossible to make the production of content on the web profitable. For the media, for example, displaying the ad on their pages is a contribution of money, which they are not ready to do without.
The proof: some American media had insurgent against Brave and against the blocking and misappropriation of advertising revenues.
Is there a way to change the system?
The browser creator now offers a new template.
Brave blocks the advertising of websites. And, if the user wishes, he replaces them with other ads deemed more relevant. The revenues from these ads are then donated:
- the website on which they appear (up to 55%);
- to the browser editor Brave
- to the user (up to 15%) with a cryptocurrency
- But for this to work one day, it takes a lot, a lot of people.
Brave, created two years ago, currently has only 4 million users. It's Tom Thumb behind Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Android and Samsung Internet. He hopes to reach an audience of 12 million Internet users by the end of 2019.
With less than 100 million users, one can not imagine an advertising market according to the experts. Tristan Nitot of Qwant, argues for an alternative:
We must find systems that allow a remuneration for everyone that is an alternative to ad tech, which is really toxic in terms of security and monitoring for everyone.
Brave brings a complaint against Google
no complaint to the European regulator for massive data breach on the web by Google and other ad tech companies has been filed under the European GDPR.
The action is driven by Brave's Johnny Ryan, Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, and Michael Veale of University College London. The complaint points to a massive and ongoing data breach that affects virtually all web users.
When people are on sites that display so-called behavioral advertisements. It seems, according to Brave, that many private data are thus sucked, then sold or communicated to Google's advertising advertisers so that they adapt their offers to these same users. This is the so-called RTB technique, “real-time bidding”.
It is not illegal to retrieve user data, but it is illegal to distribute it to create an “auction” and not to guarantee their security against malicious and fraudulent attacks.
In addition to ensuring the agreement of Internet users, data owners. The company must ensure the security and confidentiality of this data. Google has several times warned its users to have complied to comply with the RGPD from May 25th.
The penalty provided, in case of non-compliance with this regulation may be up to 4% of the turnover of the penalized company.
Like the lion representing him, Brave tries to roar against the giant Google. By allying with Qwant, who has been talking a lot about him in Europe in recent months. He hopes to create a chain of “solidarity” to give the Internet a little of its original utopia, that of sharing knowledge.


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The new material industry includes new materials and related products and technical equipment. Compared to traditional materials, it features higher technology contents, more R&D investment, higher added value, more openness, wider application range and better development prospects. As one of Xi'an's eight core and hard technology industries, the new material industry has maintained high-speed growth in recent years. As of 2017, there were 152 new material enterprises above designated size in Xi'an, and the output value of these enterprises was 66.793 billion yuan, up 22.1 percent year-on-year, accounting for 11.75 percent of the total output value of industrial enterprises above designated size.
Settled in Xi'an are a number of new material research institutions and enterprises, represented by Xi'an Bright Laser Technologies Co., Ltd.(BLT), Shaanxi Non-ferrous Metals Holding Group Co., Ltd, Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research, Western Superconducting Technologies Co., Ltd., Xi'an Tianli Clad Metal Materials Co., Ltd., and Western Titanium Technologies Co., Ltd. As a national new material and industrialization base, Xi'an has 15 state-level new material enterprise technology centers, five state-level new material product quality control and technology evaluation laboratories, and two state-level new material manufacturing and innovation centers. The new material industry will maintain its high-quality development strategy. By 2021, the output value of the new material industry is expected to exceed 150 billion yuan.


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Pop-up shops in Tokyo and Osaka celebrate the premiere of Last Evolution
Digimon Adventure and Sanrio are combining for ultimate cuteness!
To celebrate this month's release of Digimon Adventure: LAST EVOLUTION Kizuna, the mascot maker is mashing up their popular creations with the show's leading 'mons. Fans will be able to pick up merch with crossover characters of Agumon and Hello Kitty, Gabumon and Pompompurin, and others. Plus, there's some sweet watercolor art of the Digimon and their DigiDestined:
The collaboration was announced at yesterday's SANRIO EXPO 2020, where Hello Kitty and Agumon appeared on behalf of the project:
Shops will open in Tokyo and Osaka later this month, and will run until March 8. Accessories and goods will be available in-store featuring both crossover designs.
Digimon Adventure: LAST EVOLUTION Kizuna premieres in Japan on February 21, and will have a limited US screening through Fathom Events on March 25.
Source: Anime! Anime!


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“We can apply this (process) to a virtual clay sculpting,” said Stewart, a specialist in the Ford Research Lab (ford.com) in Dearborn, Mich. “You hang on to the stylus in front of a virtual model of a component and scrape away at a virtual prototype model, just like scraping away at clay.”
Robots allow designers to scrape clay, open tailgates and slam doors on three-dimensional computer models — something Ford calls haptic.
“When we use electronic models, you have the ability for everyone to see the changes simultaneously,” Stewart said. “It makes it more efficient. We’re good at turning a clay model into a math model. The problem is when models exist in different forms, it’s difficult to include everyone in the design process.”
Demand growingAutomakers are embracing virtual prototyping, despite a lack of compatible software. Still, U.S. software spending will grow 19.2 percent to top $1.3 billion this year, estimates Daratech Inc. . By comparison, the market research and technology assessment firm in Cambridge, Mass., says CAD/CAM user spending will rise 9.8 percent to $5.4 billion.
Daratech analyst Bruce Jenkins said more manufacturers are looking to virtual prototyping and simulation to accelerate time to market.
“Auto OEMs are moving to embrace it vigorously,’’ Jenkins said. “GM is quite a proponent of this technology. Ford is doing a lot, too. Suppliers are responsible for components and subsystems. But at the OEMs, refinement of the total product level can happen. Only the OEMs hold all the data.”
From 80 to 20A decade ago, General Motors built 80 physical prototypes — at about $300,000 each — to validate and test designs for its 1991 Chevrolet Caprice. Today, GM builds about 20 prototypes for cars and trucks, and it does most of its testing on computers.
“We’ve taken the modeling times down from months, to weeks to even hours,” said Steve Rohde, a technical director for GM’s Vehicle Synthesis, Analysis and Simulation Group. “Our computing power had been going up 85 percent a year; it’s 135 percent (up) this year. We’ve also taken hundreds of millions of dollars in costs out of the design process.”
At DaimlerChrysler, computer modeling, simulation and virtual prototyping remain in the early stages, said Tom Moore, vice president of Liberty and Technical Affairs for the Chrysler group (Chrysler.com).
“If you work in the corner inventing the most perfect steering system but find out it won’t fit in the package of the car, it’s not effective whatsoever,” Moore said.
Looking for compatibilityThe downside to using virtual prototyping technology is software incompatibility by different companies.
That’s as it should be, said Todd Vest, a technical director in the simulation department for GM’s design staff.
“Each solves some problems better than the others. Some try to make comprehensive solutions types, other restrict a wide range of problems and have gone for speed and simplicity. I see it to continue to be a set of tools. There is an inherent need for people to have options.”


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Alongside the growth of Industry 4.0 in the country, Vietnam is attempting to boost digitalisation across many sectors of its economy. Andrew Jeffries, country director for Vietnam at the Asian Development Bank, writes about the potential of a digital economy in the long term, with the need to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in pursuing digitalisation.
According to our 2021 Asian Economic Integration Report on making digital platforms work for Asia-Pacific, it is widely accepted that access to digital technologies gives individuals and households greater convenience and wider choices. With respect to the digital economy, it can trigger changes in purchasing and consumption behaviour that will in turn influence the market for digital and non-digital goods and services.
Digital revenues grew significantly in 2019 and developing Asia (excluding China) demonstrated growth above the global average in all domains, ranging from digital media and e-commerce to advertising technologies and transportation, with e-commerce and online travel agents as the most dominant subsectors.
The emergence of digital platforms has helped micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) conduct online business, and afford them global reach. Many platforms simplify logistics and often even integrate supply chains and value chains across borders – making them vehicles for international trade. Their ability to aggregate, integrate, and scale has brought new efficiencies and new growth opportunities but has also introduced new challenges.
Technology adoption among MSMEs can be slow for various reasons – such as a lack of awareness, reluctance to invest, or a lack of trust in novel solutions. The insights and efficiencies that digital technology adoption brings often drive down prices and challenge traditional businesses. Their existing know-how and skills may not be adequate to launch and operate digital solutions, requiring changes in the workforce. Even large companies may need support or a nudge to digitalise.
Implications for Vietnam
Since MSMEs provide a large number of jobs here in Vietnam, it is important for Vietnam’s economy and overall competitiveness to support technology adoption by the government and by businesses of all sizes. Regulators and policymakers need to connect and engage deeply with their constituencies to evolve flexible and responsive support systems that incentivise digital transformation and provide the support needed to make the digital economy inclusive and sustainable.
An appropriate response, covering competition, labour, social protection, data access, privacy, and taxation policies, all appropriate to the local context, will need to be formed to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies and business practices.
Digital platforms are double-edged when it comes to competition. While they can offer access to unprecedented opportunities for micro-businesses, they also tend to create one or very few winners due to strong network effects and large economies of scale. Authorities should craft policies that encourage fair competition and ease entry barriers. Authorities should promote interoperability across platforms to help market players collaborate and innovate to the benefit of consumers.
Meanwhile, as traditional labour relations and conditions no longer apply to digital platforms, online workers are often classified as contractors or self-employed, leaving them without social protection benefits. As youth employment is increasingly short-term intermittent or involves non-standard work arrangements, the base of social security contributions is running thin.
This widens coverage gaps, which could undermine the sustainability of existing social protection schemes and strain public finances as unemployed social assistance balloons. Thus, it is important to create a system that is inclusive and universal, portable, linked to other initiatives, and digitally enabled.
As the data value chain rests on data access, use, and sharing, it is important that regulations foster greater transparency in using, sharing, and creating value from data. It is crucial to uphold data privacy while ensuring that access to data and information is secure and not used to discriminate against specific groups and that benefits are fairly and broadly distributed. Continuous cross-border policy coordination is equally important to address cybercrime.
In addition, taxing digital platforms is challenging. There are regulatory gaps and difficulties in identifying taxable digital activities as companies develop their businesses without a physical presence within a specific tax jurisdiction, among many other issues. With increasing cross-border digital transactions, it is critically important to strengthen international tax cooperation and harmonisation to plug loopholes and properly capture profits generated by the digital economy.
While regulation, policies, and programmes are key in fostering the growth of the digital economy, infrastructure investments should not be ignored as drivers of change. It is because of public and private investments into energy and electricity supply, and telecommunications infrastructure that the use of the internet has increased significantly. Southeast Asia saw 40 million new users come online in 2020 alone, while in the 5 years prior, the increase was only 100 million.
People spend more time online than ever before – and in the context of the pandemic, this trend accelerated. This year, internet adoption in Vietnam stands at 73 per cent, close to that of Indonesia (73.7 per cent) and ahead of Thailand (69.5 per cent) and the Philippines (68 per cent).
Research in Southeast Asia has identified six key barriers to growth – internet access, funding, consumer trust, payments, logistics, and talent. The current pandemic has accelerated progress in addressing these important concerns. During the pandemic response, many countries have made significant progress, especially on facilitating digital payments and boosting consumer trust.
Digital transformation also demands new policies that can cushion the impact on labour markets. Automation and digitalisation will unsettle, displace, and make redundant some tasks that have been performed at a level of low productivity and effectiveness.
To retain competitiveness and take advantage of innovations, we should embrace the changes ahead and design policies and programmes that assist individuals and organisations in the adoption of new technologies and skills. This might also include investments in digital upskilling and digital literacy programmes, schemes to facilitate device access, and innovative learning platforms which address the needs of those who have remained offline.
As millions of new users have gained access to the internet, we must not overlook that, for many, affordability and digital literacy remain a challenge. They might be able to access the internet but choose not to. A large majority of Vietnamese digital consumers – 74 per cent – are urban.
While this imbalance between urban and rural populations is a more complex challenge that goes beyond internet access, it reflects a well-known challenge: mobile network coverage alone does not equate to users. Digital literacy, cost of devices and data plans, availability of relevant and local language content, access to electricity and transport, gender, age, and employment status all play a role in determining participation in the digital economy.
In designing policy, we need to look closely at those who remain offline and those who choose not to participate. The fact that three-quarters of Vietnam’s internet users live in metropolitan areas, a higher share than in other Southeast Asian countries, demonstrates the tremendous opportunity in the rural areas where most consumers have not yet benefitted from the digital economy.
Digital infrastructure funding will have to increase dramatically to support the digital sector. Applying a digital transformation scenario, we estimate that investments into the digital sector of around $182 billion yearly or $910 billion will be needed in Asia-Pacific over a 5-year span to deliver affordable mobile and broadband services and expand internet access and coverage. Most of these investments will need to come from the private sector, which is already very active in telecommunications, signalling an important role for policymakers and regulators for incentivising such investing.
With e-commerce and cross-border trade becoming an important growth factor, it is vital to improve trade and logistics processes and infrastructure by addressing existing barriers. Presently, the gap between the best and worst-connected countries remains wide. Important challenges that stand out and could benefit from greater digitalisation and automation are customs clearance and border procedures.
Finally, another linked policy domain is access to safe and secure digital financial services as well as payment systems. Market participants on the supply and the demand side need reliable systems, technologies, and robust regulation that can facilitate financial transactions and protect personal data, prevent illegal activities, and strengthen cybersecurity.
Source: Andrew Jeffries – VIR


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Bixi files for bankruptcy, but bike-share goes on bixi, also known as public bike system, is based in montréal, but its reach extends around the globe. The uphill push to save a bike-share pioneer image montreal’s bike-sharing system known more commonly as bixi.
Case study: bixi montreal innovative public bike system this is for an operations managment course for please use relevant text and books availabe the case was written by pummy chatterjee under the direction of debapratim purkayastha. London and boston made big announcements this week, both naming montreal's public bike system – known as bixi (shoft for. As noted before, montreal has its own public bike-sharing programme, bixi, which is proving to be a great success with 3,000 bicycles in 300 different locations but montreal was already a cycling-friendly city, with the bixis complementing an energetic scene. Bixi bike system for a montreal’s city-wide bike system has expanded to cheese and wine or something more gourmet picked up one of montréal’s public.
Montreal's popular bixi has recently been can be said for this bixi bike which was recently canada's public emergency alert system to test on quebec. As the technology provider for bixi, 8d technologies continuously develops innovative solutions the bike share system in montreal the bixi network.
The 2018 bixi season has begun montreal cyclists alex pace and jessica slipp talk about the good and bad of using their own bike over the use of the public bike sharing system bixi, that start a new season on tuesday april 10, 2018. An efficient system for the average citizen who plans to make a very short trip to do not keep your bixi during dinner time as like a montreal bike rentals. Bixi’s origins date back to 2007, when the city of montreal tasked its parking authority with creating a bike share system the non-profit public bike system company launched bixi on the streets of montreal in may 2009 with 3,000 bikes and 300 stations.
Take ride return from station to station bixi is montreal’s bike sharing system take one when you need one, and leave it at any station when you arrive at your destination. What does pbs stand for vigilant futures partners with montreal's bixi[tm] public bike system de montreal created the innovative public bike system. Free essay: bixi goes to new york the public bike system company (pbsc) was a private company operating bixi, a bike-sharing service in montreal, canada.
Français network info contact us become a member my bixi space menu become a member how it number of empty bike docks number of station map. The bixi bike-sharing system will soon start its ninth season since its creation in the spring of 2009, bixi has survived thanks to public funds what does the bill add up to for montreal taxpayers. Bixi bikes will be free to ride on sundays in montreal they're definitely more reliable than our public transportation system so why not.
Bixi bixi, montréal's public bike system bixi allows you to make short trips and leave your bike at any station it's innovative the bixi rate system. Pbsc urban solutions provides custom bicycle-sharing systems for cities the public bike system bixi bikes land in montreal with its first expansion of 3,000.
Visiting montreal bixi bikes offer an excellent, inexpensive option for tourists to get around and explore montreal by bike learn more here. The bike sharing system bixi has filed for bankruptcy protection the non-profit company owes creditors, including the city of montreal, nearly $50 million. Posts about bixi written by casesolutionshub in may 2011, the public bike system company, based in montreal, canada, was preparing to answer a request for proposal by new york city to create a financially self-sustaining public bike-sharing system.Download


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MD hopes lower comparisons will help end declines.
Chow Tai Fook cautioned the jewelry market environment remains challenging even as the company expects its sales slide to ease in the second half.
“This year is still a challenge because the volatile global economy is affecting buying sentiment as a whole,” Kent Wong, the managing director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, said in an interview with Rapaport News. “But, we can forecast an improvement in the second half [of calendar 2016] because sales dropped a lot last year so we’re working off a lower base.”
Chow Tai Fook’s revenue fell 12 percent to $7.3 billion (HKD 56.59 billion), while profit slumped 46 percent to $384 million (HKD 2.98 billion) in the fiscal year that ended March 31. Sales slid 13 percent in China and 22 percent in Hong Kong and Macau in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. The slowdown has hit the rate at which Chow Tai Fook is expanding, as it opened net 62 stores in fiscal 2016, compared with an average of 150 to 200 in previous years.
While Wong recognized that Chow Tai Fook’s chain-store model remains its core business, the company is looking at new opportunities to offer a more personalized product to millennials. Retailers have to up their game as customers are more educated, with easier access to online research relating to diamonds and jewelry than they did a decade ago, he explained.
Following a period of strong growth that prompted aggressive expansion across China in the last 10 years, Wong noted consumer behavior has changed along with their buying patterns. The company, which operates over 2,300 points of sale across China, Hong Kong and Macau, is exploring ways to develop stronger tools to sell online, in particular via mobile devices, Wong said.
“Consumption [patterns] have changed and the short term is still volatile,” he explained. “But we are optimistic about China. It’s still a huge market for diamond consumption. ”


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International tourist arrivals grew by five percent during the first half of 2013 compared to the same period of 2012, reaching almost 500 million, according to data just released by UNWTO. Growth was above the projection made at the beginning of the year (+3 percent to +4 percent) and is also exceeding the trend of the UNWTO long-term outlook Tourism Towards 2030 (+3.8 percent a year).
Destinations around the world welcomed an estimated 494 million overnight visitors in the first six months of 2013, according to the Advance Edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer released on the occasion of the UNWTO 20th General Assembly.
This represents an increase of five percent or an additional 25 million international tourists compared to the same period of 2012. Growth was stronger in emerging economy destinations (+6 percent) than in advanced economies (+4 percent), a trend which has marked the sector for many years now.
“The fact that international tourism grew above expectations confirms that traveling is now part of consumer patterns for an increasing number of people in both emerging and advanced economies” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.
“This underlines the need to rightly place tourism as one of the key pillars of socio-economic development, being a leading contributor to economic growth, exports and jobs,” he added.
Europe (+5 percent) performed surprisingly stronger than expected, driven by Central and Eastern Europe (+10 percent) and Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+6 percent).
Asia and the Pacific (+6 percent) also exceeded expectations, boosted by South-East Asia (+12 percent) and South Asia (+7percent).
On the other hand, results were weaker than anticipated in the Americas (+2 percent), as South America and the Caribbean lagged behind.
The first semester normally accounts for some 45 percent of the total arrivals count of the year (the Northern hemisphere high season months of July and August fall into the second semester).
According to the UNWTO, growth is expected to continue in the second half of 2013 but at a gradually slower pace.
UNWTO forecasts 2013 to end at four percent or slightly above, thus exceeding the initial estimate for the year.


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2-5 October 2020 in Idar-Oberstein, Germany
The Intergem team has developed a complete safety concept to ensure that the trade fair is as safe as possible by keeping infection risk to a minimum for everyone involved – exhibitors, contractors, and employees. As an example, the whole foyer will be used as a cashier’s office and registration area to ensure proper social distancing. We will be using part of the outdoor area for catering.
Face protection must be worn throughout the venue; exhibitors are responsible for compliance with statutory regulations at their own booths.
A Show Guide will be produced and sent in September to potential visitors around four weeks before the Intergem trade fair as in previous years.
The Intergem team is confident that the situation will improve further in the autumn and Intergem will take place at an ideal time for businesses to prepare for the Christmas season.


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Industry associations have strongly welcomed Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s call to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to mandate Least Cost Routing (LCR) for cashless payments, saying it is imperative the RBA acts quickly to implement the initiative.
Frydenberg has said that the Morrison Government is committed to lowering costs for small business through the implementation of default LCR in the debit card market.
He has penned a letter to the RBA to mandate LCR for tap-and-go debit transactions, so business merchants can avoid typically higher fees charged by international schemes and default to the usually cheaper domestic eftpos system.
AACS CEO Theo Foukkare said without LCR, small businesses were being set up to fail at a time when pandemic related impacts continued to amplify challenges to operations.
“Australia’s preferred method of payment has been trending away from cash for years, until the pandemic sped up the process and made cash payments all but outlawed,” Foukkare said.
“At the same time, the cost incurred by businesses for processing debit card transactions has continued to rise, in some industries doubling over the past five years.
“While cashless payments aren’t a problem alone, the antiquated system which sees small business left with no option when it comes to choosing a more cost-effective processing option – even when they exist – certainly is.
“Unlike big retailers, our members are predominantly mum and dad style businesses, and the difference between mandated LCR and the current system over one year can also be the difference between a profit or a loss.
“For example, an independent service station or convenience store with an average basket of $44 could save as much as $14,495 per annum on the costs associated with merchant fess on debit transactions under a mandated LCR.
“After a period when many SMEs have suffered greatly, it is imperative the RBA heeds the Treasurer’s calls and mandates LCR without any delay to give small businesses a choice and level the playing field.”
Peak industry group, the National Retail Association (NRA) has also backed the Treasurer’s calls, with CEO Dominique Lamb, saying that reforming the debit payments system would be crucial to helping retailers navigate the current COVID-climate.
“The NRA has been a strong and consistent advocate on the need to reform debit transaction costs and we commend the Treasurer for his leadership on this issue. The RBA can no longer ignore the myriad voices from industry and government demanding changes that update the payments system for the modern digital world,” she said.
“Mandating least cost routing would provide enormous relief for small retailers at a time when many continue to battle lockdowns and other restrictions.
“COVID has further accelerated the trend away from cash to digital payments. The current payments system has failed to keep pace with changes in consumer behaviour, with the overwhelming majority now either using tap-and-go or mobile methods for transactions.
“With COVID continuing to wreak havoc and cash becoming even less frequent, providing cheaper options for digital transactions is not something that retailers can afford to wait years to occur.
“Retailers across the country strongly urge the RBA to take on board the unequivocal stance made by the Treasurer and enact the necessary reforms to the debit payments system.”
The sentiment is echoed by the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association (ACAPMA).
Mark McKenzie, CEO, ACAPMA, said that the issue of LCR has been a longstanding concern of ACAPMA, owing to the fact that debit costs paid by fuel merchants for the processing of debit card transactions has more than doubled over five years.
“Service station owners, nearly two-thirds of which are small to medium businesses, are now paying an estimated $116m in card transaction fees – double what it was in 2016 – just to process the card payments of fuel customers via their payment terminal,” he said.
“At around 17 cents for a typical fuel transaction processed via the eftpos gateway versus around 32 cents via the international card gateways, the difference might at first appear trivial.
“But when you are doing hundreds of millions of fuel transactions that cost amounts to businesses paying an estimated $68m per year more than they otherwise might. This equates to around $12,500 per service station per year, or just on 14 per cent of the pre-tax profit of a typical family owned small to medium fuel retail business.
“The Treasurer’s intervention addresses both aspects and comes at a time when the RBA was signaling an unwillingness to tackle this issue head on by mandating LCR and requiring maintenance of dual network debit cards issued by Australian Banks, despite acknowledging that the issue was causing pain for all Australian SMEs irrespective of the industry in which they were operating.
“Most importantly, the Treasurer’s action in writing to the RBA on this matter clearly demonstrates that he is prepared to fight to address a longstanding small business vulnerability on merchant fees when the RBA was not – and that is a great thing.”


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The comeback of vinyl records, covered just a half-decade ago as a wacky trend, is now a bona fide business story: vinyl accounted for $182 million in sales in the first half of 2017, according to the RIAA. And although the format represents a small percentage of unit sales, revenue from deluxe packages means that it accounts for 29 percent of revenue from physical retail. So, now that some labels are selling cassettes once again, perhaps it’s time for record clubs -- remember, seven albums for a penny? -- to make a comeback as well.
Universal Music Enterprises, the global catalog division of Universal Music Group, today announced that it’s starting a distinctly digital age version, which will use mobile technology and a recommendation engine to sell directly to consumers. The Sound of Vinyl will sell 20,000 titles, from Universal as well as its competitors, both major and indie. The store includes a significant content operation -- a blog, as well as recommendations from musicians like Henry Rollins, Young Guru and Don Was -- and it will sell limited-edition items as well as standard releases.
“As we were discussing the explosion of interest in vinyl, [UMG executive vp] Michele Anthony hit upon the idea of a record club, but with a very modern approach,” says Universal Music Enterprises (UME) president/CEO Bruce Resnikoff.


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Service industries key in low carbon transition
While it may be talk of giant turbines and a green manufacturing sector that grab the headlines, Britain should not forget its economy is built on the service industries - and there are low carbon opportunities here too.
This was the core message of Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT Retail, when he spoke at an industry gathering at the House of Lords prior to this week’s election.
He said that manufacturing is important but that the UK needed to play to its current strengths and grasp the possibilities offered by the services sector.
Speaking at the launch of business lobby the Aldersgate Group’s latest report, Mr Patterson said: “We’ve led the world in many ways in thinking around the low carbon economy and the climate change act is a world first.
“The industrial base of the UK has changed we’re much more of a service based economy these days but often we don’t talk about it and it’s certainly not featured much in the media.
“Let’s make sure that we talk about manufacturing but we also seize the opportunity around services.
“There are as many opportunities around services as there are in manufacturing.”
He said the UK should turn them into services that it can export around the world.
“The timing is perfect – really is the opportunity to set the new agenda – to put the low carbon economy front and centre in terms of policy,” he said.
“If we seize opportunities like this and sell our expertise we’ll be at the forefront of the creation of new jobs.”


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There’s little question that COVID-19 represents a significant threat to the UK’s hospitality sector. Even prior to Boris Johnson’s social distancing measures, UKHospitality already reported that hotel occupancy had fallen by 15%. The latest figures from Tenzo suggest that sales at UK restaurants, cafés and pubs are down 69% YoY. With the government’s ‘social distancing’ plans in place and more stringent lockdown measures still on the cards, we can only expect the situation to worsen in the immediate term.
While these are undoubtedly challenging times, there are proactive and smart steps that hospitality brands can take now to manage reputation in the immediate term, enhance revenue in the mid-term and maintain brand equity in the longer term. In this whitepaper, we take a look at:
- Hotel survival strategies adopted during the SARs outbreak
- Recession consumer shopping and travel behaviours
- Recession marketing effectiveness and brand strategies
- Emerging consumer behaviours under social distancing measures and lockdown scenarios
- Practical actions for hospitality brands
While this is undoubtedly a deeply troubling period for hospitality brands, we would urge those affected to take this time to brand-build, innovate, experiment and plan for a post-crisis future.
Download the whitepaper here
If you found it insightful please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!
Contact the author:


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Newly elected director thinks Blackberry will do fine, but there are “subsets” of the company that won’t survive.
Blackberry being broken up is something of a guaranteed thing, but company officials have been hard pressed to admit it.
That’s all changed now that Bert Nordberg, a newly elected director of the company, who sits on the firm’s board committee for exploring strategic alternatives, has broken this corporate silence by telling the Wall Street Journal that the future of Blackberry is as a “niche company” that will part ways with certain “subsets” of itself.
Nordberg didn’t specify what subsets of the company that might be, and danced around naming any particular parties that may be interested in buying company’s units should they be placed on sale.
Nordberg emphasized to the Journal that Blackberry needs to address the disparity between its paper-value and Wall Street asses it at.
“If you look at BlackBerry’s book value versus its market value, it’s clear that there’s lots of work to do,” he said to the Journal. “BlackBerry is strong on the enterprise business, its products are NSA-proof in the sense that you can’t intercept their communication, its handsets’ keyboards have many fans around the globe, and the company has a leading worldwide data network.”
Nordberg comes to Blackberry with a wealth of experience from the smartphone sector. As CEO of Sony Ericsson he re-engineered the firm, selling Ericsson’s stake back to Sony and moving the company to only focus on Android phones. Now, Sony’s smartphone division is one of its best performing units.
In some ways, what Nordberg is suggesting harkens back to the plan Silicon Valley investor Robin Chan pitched to Blackberry (then RIM) in 2012 as part of his plan to take the company private.
From our earlier coverage:
Chan’s plan was radical: it would involve completely abandoning the Blackberry OS in favor of a heavily modified version of Android, slimming down the device portfolio and offering RIM’s services on iOS and Android devices.
In the end Chan’s herd of investors was $5-billion short of the $6-billion required to buy the company at a slight premium for shareholders. While Chan’s group pitched the idea to RIM’s management and board, neither Chan nor anyone from the company has stated how the group was received. Chan did mention to The Verge that CEO Thorsten Heins was adamant that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with the RIM during their meetings.
Though Chan’s plan didn’t work out, it looks as if it is living on in some form if Nordberg has his way. Blackberry, as Nordberg points out, has its strengths that have yet to be replicated by other vendors — like security — and has the trust of the enterprise community. These are ingredients of success. Let’s see if Nordberg can be as effective as board member of Blackberry as he was CEO of Sony Ericsson.
Source: Wall Street Journal


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NEW YORK — Subsensuals will be exhibiting a painless new way to experience nipple jewelry, magnetic nipple clamps, at the next edition of the highly anticipated consumer event, Sexual Health Expo, set for Sept. 24-25 in Brooklyn.
According to spokesperson Helaine Katz, excitement is building at Subsenuals to participate in SHE. “We are a new company, offering a new way to experience nipple jewelry without having to get pierced. We’re looking forward to meeting new customers, sharing our products with them, and growing our business.”
Set for Sept 24-25, SHE NY will feature the refreshing, dynamic format that has made it a resounding success nationwide. Anchored by engaging workshops presented by Sex Ed Sponsor Pleasure Chest, SHE will once again host the most sought-after sex experts and intimacy product showcases from leading manufacturers.
Tickets to the groundbreaking consumer event SHE NY are now available. Registration sponsor We-Vibe is sponsoring free admission to the first 2,000 attendees that register online.
Praised for its fresh approach by exhibitors, sex educators and consumers alike, SHE’s dynamic format has been touted by leading media outlets such as Cosmopolitan, CBS News, Vice.com, The Guardian, Playboy and Bustle, among others.
Emily Morse, sex expert and host of iTunes’ top downloaded sex and relationship advice podcast Sex with Emily, will once again serve as SHE’s official spokesperson.
Last year’s SHE NY drew more than 2,500 attendees over the course of two days centered around education and products for achieving a better sex life.


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The present Article is written by Aaditi Shah under the National Article Writing Competition organised by LeDroit India discussing about the economic consequences of Covid-19 and the need for epidemic preparedness.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is a striking shock to the Indian economy. The Indian economy was already appalling before COVID-19 struck. Then subsequent lockdown raises serious economic concerns and catastrophes. The progression of the disease and it’s economic impact is highly uncertain which makes it difficult for policymakers to formulate a pertinent policy response. In this article, we will discuss the state of the Indian economy before and after the pandemic, and set forth a set of policy recommendations.
The COVID-19 outbreak is caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus. This outbreak was triggered in December 2019 in Wuhan city in Hubei province China and it continues to spread across the world. We are in the middle of a global COVID-19 pandemic, which is inflicting two kinds of thunderbolts: (1) health shock and (2) economic shock. Given the nature of the disease which is highly contagious, the ways to contain the spread include social distancing, self-isolation at home, the closer of institutions and public facilities, restrictions on mobility, and even lockdown of an entire country. These actions have lead to distressing actions on the economy. On April 9, the chief of International monetary fund, Kristalina said that the year 2020 could see worst global fallout since the great depression in the 1930s, with over 170 countries likely to experience negative per capita Gross domestic production (GDP) growth due to raging coronavirus pandemic.
GLIMPSES OF COLLAPSING INDIAN ECONOMY BEFORE COVID-19:
The Indian economy was horrendous even before the COVID-19 pandemic. GDP rate has been on a downward path since the 2015-16. According to the official statistic, GDP growth slowed down 4.2% in 2019-20, the lowest since 2002-03. The manufacturing sector has grown merely by 0.03% in fiscal year 2019-20 compared to 5.7% in the previous year. The construction sector too declined by 1.3%, consumption expenditure has also been falling, for the first time in several decades. The lockdown has diminished any chance of revival of consumer demand and private investment.
Developing countries like India have severe consequences for employment as 81% of employment is informal in nature (ILO, 2018). A nationwide lockdown has a high economic impact on lower sections of society which mostly are daily earners and engaged in the informal economy. The macroeconomic impacts of COVID-19 on India’s national and sub-national levels are uncertain. India is already running through economic distress after the adoption of demonization in 2016 (India today, 2020). After the emergence of COVID-19 people regarded it as a double hit to the Indian economy. It has created a supply shock which also has the potential to create demand shock.
The exact span and deepness of crises are not known right now and time will reveal the real picture.
SECTORS VULNERABLE WITH THE ONGOING ECONOMIC CRISIS:
India has a vast, informal sector, the largest in the world, employing close to 90% of it’s working for population and contributing more than 45% to the overall GDP.
This sector was hit by two consecutive shocks in a short period. The first demonization in November 2018 followed by goods and services tax. With the COVID-19 outbreak, the already struggling informal sector has been disproportionately affected.
During crisis times, one sector of the economy that is required to play a crucial role in terms of alleviating the pressures on the real economy is the financial sector. During crisis times, one sector of the economy that is required to play a crucial role in terms of alleviating the pressures on the real economy is the financial sector. However, the banking sector in India is badly broken. The problems in the banking sector have been adversely affecting credit growth and by the time the pandemic hit India, these problems had begun to hurt the debt markets as well which also play an important role in the context of financial intermediation. This has become a serious choke point as the Indian economy struggles to come to terms with this unprecedented shock.
INDIA’S AVIATION, TOURISM, AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRIES:
These industries are sustaining maximum damage. According to the consumer’s pyramid and household survey travel and tourism account for 5% of total employment in India (nearly 20 million jobs). Hotel and restaurants account for another 4%. These sectors are disproportionately affected during the ongoing crisis.
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL ACTIVITIES:
The agriculture sector is critical as a large number of workers and the entire country’s population are dependent on this sector. The adverse impact of Covid-19 on agriculture has been much less as compared to manufacturing and services. However, the initial lockdown did affect agricultural activities and the necessary supply chains through several channels: input distribution, transport hurdles, marketing, and processing. Closure of restaurants, transport bottlenecks, etc reduced the demand for fresh produce, poultry, and fisheries products, affecting producers and suppliers.
SET OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS:
The objective of the policy is to mitigate the effect of shock on economic agents in both the informal and formal sectors and to help them bridge over the crisis. The thunderbolts of COVID-19 and lockdown are operating at 2 levels
- Creating supply-side disruptions
- Triggering reduction in aggregate demand
The need of the hour is policy actions to deal with both supply and demand-side problems.
- Establishing liquidity support lines to avoid the stigma associated with applying for support.
- Give the IMF a role in a network of central bank swap lines.
- Allow IMF to borrow from the market as it could significantly increase IMF firepower.
- Investment in sustainable infrastructure is the best way to boost economic activity and create employment.
- Building resilience for the most vulnerable- providing employment guarantees, a universal basic income, providing vital resources for subsistence.
- Regulating enabling technology as it will lead to employment in the e-commerce sector and help to support future response and resilience.
Covid-19 has posed an unprecedented challenge for India. The eventual damage to the economy is likely to be significantly worse than the current estimates. Policy makers need to be prepared to scale up the response as the events unfold so as to minimise the impact of the shock on both the formal and informal sectors and pave the way for a sustained recovery. At the same time they must ensure that the responses remain enshrined in a rules-based framework and limit the exercise of discretion in order to avoid long-term damage to the economy.


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The team at StockBrokers.com has released their annual 2012 Online Broker Review. The in-depth analysis and commentary is published on the StockBrokers.com website. This year brought new insight, test results, reviews, and most importantly a new overall winner out of 24 different online brokerages covered. Last year in 2011, E*TRADE was the overall finisher. We know traders of all types will learn something new in the 2012 Online Broker Review.
The official press release can be found here on PRWeb.


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Costco Campaign "For The Kids": September 1-30
Costco Wholesale is a proud partner of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, raising more than $336 million since 1988. Each year, Costco participates in a month-long Miracle Balloon Campaign inviting members to make a donation at the time of checkout - whether you are shopping at the register, at self-checkout, online at Costco.com or even via Instacart. This year’s campaign will take place September 1-30. Last year, the four local Costco warehouses listed below raised over $126,000 for Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. We’re grateful for their continued support and can’t wait to see the miracles they’ll make in September!
Special Opportunity for Costco Business Members
In addition to donations at the register, Costco Business Members have a unique opportunity to support the cause while promoting their business in their local Costco warehouse. By making a donation of $250 or more, business members will be featured on a large CMN Hospitals icon that will be placed in a prominent location at their Costco warehouse throughout the month of September. If you are interested in this opportunity, speak with the marketing representative at your local Costco warehouse.
See below our local warehouses supporting Orlando Health Arnold Palmer:
5. South Orlando: 4696 Gardens Park Blvd, Orlando, Fl 3283
6. Orlando Business Ctr: 2101 Waterbridge Blvd, Orlando, Fl 32837
7. East Orlando: 3333 University Blvd, Winter Park, Fl 32792
8. Altamonte Springs: 741 Orange Ave, Altamonte Springs, Fl 32714
For more information, contact:


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Rayzoon Mark For Jamstix 2 & Spring Sale
Rayzoon has announced the release of Mark, a new drummer model for Jamstix 2, which is available for free.
'Mark' is presented as an intricate model designed to showcase the Jamstix 2 drummer simulation engine.
Rayzoon has also started its Spring Sale Event with discounts up to 40% off.
This includes all versions of Jamstix 2 and all expansions, including the recently released Jamcussion hand percussion add-on.
In addition, customers who buy Jamstix 2XL, XXL or Studio are eligible for a $51 discount coupon for 4Front TruePianos. This sale ends on May 31st.
More information at www.rayzoon.com.
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On May 28, Cal Poly Pomona Foundation (CPPF) Dining Services is launching the Poly Trolley food truck that will serve the California State Polytechnic University-Pomona campus community. Most unusually for a campus food truck, Poly Trolley will serve coffee drinks from the Starbucks "We Proudly Brew" program. “The Poly Trolley will feature the first mobile Starbucks operation in the country,” claims Aaron Neilson, CPPF Interim Director of Dining Services. “We ...
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Sony is celebrating today’s release of Resistance 3 to the general public on their official blog, and in doing so they also announced DLC for the near future.
On October 4th, gamers will be able to download the Survival Pack, which includes a new Invasion mode, four new character skins, and a static XMB theme. The Invasion mode “requires both teams to divide resources to simultaneously own multiple control points on the map.”
Also on October 4th, there will be a patch for the game that will offer everyone two new multiplayer maps, absolutely free.
The game has been garnering positive buzz, and we’re currently playing the game for review; look for that later this week!
Source: PlayStation Blog


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Not long ago, Cadillac announced their ELR electric vehicle, and they were mighty proud of making the first EV with all LED exterior lighting.
While this might not be news in the automotive industry, Cadillac deemed it worth bragging about, and they didn’t stop there.
Now they have announced that they will be using aerospace technology in producing the battery packs for their ELR. To be more precise, they will be using ultrasonic welding when building the energy storage devices.
Using this technology on all the 200 welds needed for each battery, Cadillac claims to have complied with some high standards of quality. As a result, the life time of each battery pack is extended to eight years or around 100.000 miles.
Ultrasonic welding is a first for the car making industry, and while it is high quality, was it really necessary for the ELR Cadillac, or is it just another sell point for the manufacturer?


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World records in marathons have toppled like track hurdles in recent weeks. Tigst Assefa, the new women’s record holder, beat the old one by more than two minutes. Kelvin Kiptum, the latest men’s record holder, took 34 seconds off his predecessor’s time. These are astonishing accomplishments. But not everybody is crediting the athletes. Instead, critics argue that Assefa and Kiptum couldn’t have run at top speeds without a new generation of high-performance “super shoes.” Some go so far as to equate the souped-up shoes to performance-enhancing drugs.
The critics are right to note that sports technology enhances human talents. Super shoes, a category that Nike introduced in 2016, utilize a lightweight, bouncy midsole and a rigid carbon fiber plate to create an energy-saving spring-like effect that makes runners speedier. But rather than critique the new shoes, athletes and sports fans should celebrate them. After all, technology has always played a role in competitive running, boosting performance, participation and business opportunities for athletes and non-athletes alike.
At the dawn of competitive running, racers participated naked and barefoot. Fortunately, in the form of shoes (and clothes), technology stepped in to improve comfort and endurance. If anything, grippy, lightweight rubber soles, developed and sold in the 19th century and widely used for running shoes in the 20th century, represent a much bigger performance-enhancing leap than we see today.
Between 1908, when the first marathon world record was documented at an Olympics, and the early 1970s, when a more scientific approach to running shoe development was adopted, the Olympic record in the men’s marathon was slimmed down by about 45 minutes.
Was it just the shoes that accounted for those gains? Probably not. Improved nutrition and training techniques undoubtedly contributed. But in the 1980s, Nike’s in-house research demonstrated that even minor reductions in shoe weight could boost athletic performance and speed. So, naturally, when marathon performance gains are examined, the shoes get outsize attention from fans, athletes and developers.
In 1973, Nike’s “waffle trainers,” with rubber spikes and elevated soles, provided runners with a new, lightweight edge. Their bright, fashionable colors and comfortable fit also sparked a mass market that grew into today’s multibillion dollar athletic shoe industry. And, perhaps most important, they inspired people to get out and run.
Just look at the New York City marathon, for example. In 1970, the race’s first year, 126 people were at the starting line. Last year, that number ballooned to 48,762. During that time, roughly 18% has been shaved off the finishing time of those in the top male and female NYC spots.
From the 1970s to the early 2010s, there were little to no complaints about running sneakers’ performance-enhancing soles. Athletic shoes had become such a ubiquitous fashion obsession that it was easy to take them for granted as technology assists.
Who wants to go back to running barefoot, anyway?
Generally, what people want is help going faster, with comfort. When Nike introduced the first super shoe, the Vaporfly, seven years ago, it was filling a need of a very profitable market. In 2019, Nike credited the sneaker for helping its running shoe market share reach a record high.
Adoption and transformation were quick. In 2019, nearly 90% of the podium spots at the six major marathons were taken by athletes wearing super shoes. And 9 of the 10 fastest marathons of all time women’s and men’s competitions) have been run since 2018.
The new records unnerve longtime members of the running community, especially former elite competitors. A retired British Olympian, Tim Hutchings recently told the Telegraph that super shoes have turned world records into a “devalued currency.” But have they? As impressive as the super shoe era of record-breaking has been, speeds appear to be plateauing around the two-hour mark for marathons. That would seem to indicate human performance and limits still play an important role—and possibly an increasing one—in finish times. In previous decades, when rubber soles and other lightweight materials were being introduced, the speeds were increasing rapidly.
Of course, a company could introduce a new generation super shoe that provides an even greater assist. Nike and Adidas, for example, are competing fiercely to build one. But that competition is constrained by rules limiting what design elements can be entered into competitions associated with World Athletics, the global governing entity overseeing marathons. Restrictions include: a shoe with a sole exceeding 40 millimeters is considered a prototype, and no athlete aspiring to win a marathon will wear one.
If and when they do, elite athletes aren’t the only ones who will benefit. Like earlier advances in running technology, super shoes have gone mainstream. Runners who covet a world record-setting shoe model can acquire one for less than $300. For everyone else, Nike and others have figured out ways to adapt the super shoe’s foam and plate architecture for slower runs and lower prices. And for those who don’t want anything remotely resembling a super shoe, the materials and technological advances that produce a faster marathon could soon contribute to more prosaic shoes, such as orthopedics.
That’s a technology win for the shoe business and for sore feet everywhere.


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Huawei has gone through a rather complicated phase commercially due to the conflicts and restrictions of the United States government, which has imposed limits on them in the moment of maximum splendor of the company.
[El Huawei P50 Pocket es un móvil plegable demasiado caro, y sólo tiene una explicación]
After a few years of intermittent activity interrupted several times, it seems that the company wants to return to normality in terms of its outings,
Therefore, the company could having set 2023 as the year of its return to normal, and plans to resume its habit of launching two flagships a year, with the Huawei Mate 50 as the protagonist.
2023 could be the year of Huawei’s comeback
Despite the fact that Huawei has opted for launches such as the Huawei P50, P50 Pocket or Nova 10 and 10 Pro th is year, the Mate family still seems in the inkwell,
And it is that 2023 would be the perfect scenario for the Chinese company to return to its traditional routine for the launch of two flagships per year, a custom that other companies like Samsung are also following, with the launch of the Galaxy S earlier this year and the Galaxy Z in the second half.
At the moment, the company’s catalog is made up of some flagships such as the Huawei Mate XS 2 foldables or the Huawei P50 Pocket, in addition to the Huawei 50 and 50 Pro, which you can buy in Europe.
The Chinese firm has just presented the new version of HarmonyOS, its operating system with which it wants Add more value to your ecosystem to be able to differentiate themselves from users who already own several brand devices.
And it is that the company’s objective is to create a whole set of products that integrate it and communicate with each other intelligently. In fact, the launch of a car with this system is even planned.


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Zynga Makes Drastic Staff Cuts, Shutters OMGPOP
By Paul Tassi for Forbes
What we witnessed yesterday, as the announcement was made and Zynga’s stock took a dive, was yet another disaster in a series of perfectly expected failings of a company built on attempting to copy creative, popular games if they couldn’t buy them outright.
First, let’s look at the aftermath: Zynga is closing its offices in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas, they’re laying off 18% of their workforce, or 520 employees, they’re effectively shuttering OMGPOP, the Draw Something studio for which they paid $180M last year, they’re projecting quarterly net losses of between $39 million and $28.5 million, though that has been revised slightly downward from larger previous projected losses and their stock plunged from $3.40 to $2.99 in the wake of the announcement.
Zynga had this to say about the layoffs:
“Today is a hard day for Zynga and an emotional one for every employee of our company. We are saying painful goodbyes to about 18% of our Zynga brothers and sisters. The impact of these layoffs will be felt across every group in the company.”
And this to say about the restructuring the layoffs reportedly will make way for:
“Mobile and touch screens are revolutionizing gaming. Our opportunity is to make mobile gaming truly social by offering people new, fun ways to meet, play and connect,” CEO Mark Pincus wrote to his employees. “By reducing our cost structure today we will offer our teams the runway they need to take risks and develop these breakthrough new social experiences.”
It should have been obvious to everyone that this isn’t a sustainable business model, and I’m amazed why anyone would actually invest in a company with these practices. Cloning games was bad enough, but buying the studios who made them was almost a worse idea from a business perspective. Zynga famously bought OMGPOP literally days before Draw Something reached its peak of popularity. All $180M bought them was an app that began crashing in users as soon as they picked it up.


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Holiday Girls Night Out returns to downtown Howell
Two local business organizations will be spreading holiday cheer to shoppers and diners in downtown Howell on Thursday evening.
The Howell Main Street Downtown Development Authority is hosting its annual Holiday Girls Night Out from 6-9 p.m. Women can save money and win prizes by visiting 27 participating downtown businesses.
“It’s going to be a great evening of fun,” said Cathleen Edgerly, DDA director. “The ladies can go into shops for special discounts, do-it-yourself activities, and drink and food specials.”
For a list of the 27 participating business, go to http://www.downtownhowell.org/girls-night-out.
Patrons will be able to fill out a raffle ticket at each location for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate that can be redeemed at any of the participating businesses.
In conjunction with the DDA event, the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce is promoting its Chamber Cash program by hiding six facsimiles of $25 gift certificates downtown. To be eligible to win, contestants need to have liked the chamber’s Facebook page. Clues to the locations of the six facsimiles will be revealed every 30 minutes.
When participants find a facsimile, they need to grab it and email firstname.lastname@example.org with the code and location listed on the back of the card. The deadline to submit the code for redemption is 5 p.m. Friday.
The Chamber Cash program was launched in October. It allows people to purchase Chamber Cash certificates that can be used more than 20 chamber member businesses.
Chamber Cash certificates can be purchased at http://www.howell.org/chambercash, and they make ideal gifts, said Pat Convery, chamber president.
“We began at the end of October, and we are now at over $2,300 sold, with lots of the holiday shopping season still to come,” Convery said. “In addition to individual purchases, we’ve had several large employers purchase them for holiday gifts for employees, customers, etc.”
The Chamber Cash program is part of an effort to promote small businesses and grow the local economy.
“Studies show that 70 percent of money spent with local retailers stays in the community,” Convery said.
Contact Daily Press & Argus business editor Mike Lammi at 517-552-2854 or at email@example.com.


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Fashion and music's relationship goes way back, and now SoundCloud wants to expand into the merch game, too. On Tuesday, the streaming platform announced its first-ever fashion line launch, which will incorporate different collaborations with emerging designers. Its first drop is in partnership with workwear label GRVTY, from design and video director duo Orlando Urbina and Marshall Tan.
"Our community has been asking for SoundCloud merch and apparel, and it's something that we've been wanting to do for a while," Leon Sherman, SoundCloud's global editorial director, tells NYLON. "We wanted to work with emerging designers who share the same ethos as the SoundCloud community who are innovative, DIY, and known for pushing culture forward. Now with the right partners in place for the collaboration, we're excited to share a full, original fashion collection for the first time ever."
Sherman says that SoundCloud's users are familiar with Urbina and Tan's work, so the collaborative process has been a seamless one. Created during (and inspired by) the start of the global pandemic, the seven-piece collection, priced between $25 and $200, will include graphic tees, shorts, hoodies, and music tech accessories inspired by how many of us turned to music for escape while in quarantine.
See more of Soundcloud's first fashion collaboration with GRVTY below, and visit its now-live online shop on Friday, Oct. 2, to shop the full collection.


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The Italian fashion house has joined forces with Sotheby’s to execute a charitable auction to benefit UNESCO educational projects across the globe
Prada and Sotheby’s have this week announced they will be collaborating to offer a charitable auction set to launch in October of this year.
The Prada x Sotheby’s Tools of Memory online partnership will celebrate the importance of design across art and fashion, while benefiting UNESCO projects for expanding education in vulnerable populations around the world.
“Clothes are objects of desire that remind us of emotion and experience, tools of memory of a precise moment within fashion and time, that on this occasion can help the future,” Prada said in a statement.
According to the Italian fashion house, the highly anticipated auction lot will focus on Prada’s F/W2020 campaign visuals from both the men’s and women’s runway shows, which “juxtapose backstage photography and precious artifacts, presented as in pages from an auction catalogue.”
The items on auction will showcase a handful of original pieces from the recent fashion show in Milan, including one-of-a-kind garments that were worn by models during each runway presentation, as well as photographic prints, show invitations, and elements of the runway décor.
“Tools of Memory honours Miuccia Prada’s unique position within the house of Prada, in which she redefined the world of fashion through design, art, architecture and how we understand luxury today.” Sotheby’s said in a statement.
Bidding for this exciting lot will open on October 2, 2020, with a small selection of items going under the hammer already previewing on the official Sotheby’s website. Further details will be released as the opening date draws sooner, with the entire catalogue being unveiled in time for the launch.


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Fourth-gen Octavia RS finally gets the RS treatment, and for the first time the sporty variant comes with a plug-in hybrid system as well
While bookings for the third-gen Octavia RS were opened for the Indian buyers two days ago, Skoda Auto has officially revealed the RS iteration of the fourth-gen Octavia globally. The most interesting fact about the new-gen Octavia RS is that it now gets a plug-in hybrid system, which is also the first time hybrid tech is being offered by Skoda in a sporty top of the line model.
The car comes equipped with a 1.4-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine, coupled to an 85 kW electric motor. The combined power output of the car is rated at 245 hp, and the peak torque output at 400 Nm. The said motor will help the car sprint from 0 to 100 kmph in 7.3 seconds and attain a top speed of 152 mph (245 kmph). What’s more, the Octavia RS iV can also cover 37 miles or 60 km on electric power alone, on a full charge.
Just like the previous-gen Octavia RS, the iV model has also been revealed in both hatchback and estate forms. It sports 19-inch Xtreme alloy wheels with red brake calipers, a wider front bumper with piano-black grille, black ORVMs and a black lip spoiler as well. The badging on the boot lid has also been painted black, in order to distinguish the RS from the regular Octavia.
Inside the cabin, the Octavia RS iV gets sporty Alcantara seats that are heated and can be electrically adjusted for both the driver as well as the front passenger. Also included is a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system packed with Skoda’s MIB3 interface and offering a variety of connected car tech.
Apart from that, the RS iV also gets a similarly sized Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, adaptive cruise control, three-zone climate control, an electric boot, front and rear parking sensors and key-less entry.
Pure diesel and petrol-engined models of the Octavia RS iV have not been unveiled as of yet, but have been confirmed to be launched later, and we expect them to have a similar power output as the Golf GTD (197 hp/400 Nm) and GTI (242 hp/370 Nm) respectively.


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India is making the headlines for all the right reasons. Since India is a perfect platform for the tech giants to pull its customers, the South Korean brand Samsung is all geared up to shift its mobile and IT display production unit to Uttar Pradesh from China. The company is slated to invest approximately Rs 4,825 crore in the state which will generate thousands of jobs.
It has been reported that the new production plant by Samsung will be the first high-technique project, which will be set up in India after relocating from China. About 1,500 people will be given employment through this project and it will also generate thousands of indirect jobs.
On Friday, the UP government’s cabinet headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved special incentives to Samsung Display Noida Private Limited for setting up a manufacturing unit of mobile and IT display products in Noida.
“The unit intends to invest Rs 4,825 crore. It could be made possible by the sustained efforts of the UP government to create an eco-system in NCR in sync with the intent of the Centre to make an export hub in view of the ever-increasing demand of mobile and other gadgets in the country and abroad,” the Uttar Pradesh spokesperson said.
Under the state government’s “Electronics Manufacturing Policy 2017”, the South Korean telecommunication giant will get an exemption from stamp duty on the transfer of land. The state government will also make financial provision of Rs 250 crore for this project for the next five years, the official said.
Samsung will also receive a financial incentive to the tune of Rs 460 crore under the Centre’s Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS).
The project will give a global identity of an export hub to Uttar Pradesh and will help the state receive more foreign direct investment (FDI).
This is indeed a big achievement for the UP government, especially during the pandemic phase. The world now believes that India can do very well and that we can contribute greatly towards the welfare of mankind. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are looking to shift from China to India.
The Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been putting in all efforts to attract these investors to the state, which would help in reviving the pandemic-hit economy. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has held video-conferencing with over 100 American companies recently in a webinar after these companies expressed their interest in India.
The UP government has taken significant steps to attract foreign investors who are contemplating opting out of China in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Yogi Adityanath took the reigns of the state, the government has been pitching itself as an attractive investment destination in the country.


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If you’re a fan of Splatoon then it’s time to get excited. Nintendo recently released a video on YouTube that confirmed they are currently in production of a Callie and Marie amiibo. The amiibo will feature Splatoon’s freshest girls at their finest as they strike their signature “Stay Fresh!” pose:
When scanned into the game, you can request Callie and Marie to sing you brand new, never before heard songs in your own private concerts.
Not only that, but the girls also have brand new dance moves to shake things up in Inkopolis and really give you a show!
What’s interesting to note is that Callie and Marie amiibos were rumored months ago due to data found in-game. These data-mining rumors also included the possible presence of octolings as playable characters, so will we be seeing them anytime soon? Well, rumors aside both these amiibo look great and will be available for purchase on July 8th. Nintendo also confirmed that they are doing re-releases of the inkling boy, girl, and squid amiibo with alternate colors. These will also be available July 8th.
Thank’s for reading guys, and remember, Stay Fresh!


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SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — While 6 out of 10 parents with infant children recognize the educational potential of smartphones, only 1 out of 10 parents actually used mobile educational applications for children.
Roughly 60 percent of parents said they let their children play with smartphones to entertain them or so that they could focus on their work.
The Barun ICT Research Center at Yonsei University asked 602 parents with children between the ages of 12 months and 6 years if smartphones or tablets help children’s education.
Among the respondents, 57 percent said they recognize the educational effect of smartphones.
However, educational apps accounted for merely 7.8 percent of smartphone usage by children, indicating that less than 1 out of 10 parents offer educational apps to their kids.
Children were typically shown YouTube and other video applications that accounted for as much as 82.1 percent of total smartphone usage.
Most children watched toy reviews and entertainment videos (43.3 percent), animations and cartoons (31.7 percent), and song and dance videos (23.6 percent).
When it came to smartphone use among children, only 16.8 percent of parents said they used the device with their children, while 49.9 percent said they observed the smartphone use, and 32.2 percent said they focused on their work instead.
On the reasons for giving a smartphone to kids, 31.1 percent of parents said they wanted to avoid distractions during work, 27.7 percent wanted to calm their kids down, 26.6 percent said their children like smartphones, and only 7 percent said the smartphone use was for educational purposes.
On the amount of time spent on smartphones, 57.1 percent of the parents said they wanted their kids to cut back on smartphone use, while 9.2 percent said they wanted to completely ban smartphone use and 32.5 percent said they were okay with current usage.
The Barun Research Center said children are more exposed to cartoons and entertainment apps than educational ones because parents give smartphones to children to avoid being distracted during work.
“Many parents are using smartphones as an easy way to entertain their kids,” said Kim Beom-su, head of the Barun ICT Research Center.
“To maximize educational value, parents should constantly advise and communicate with their children when they play with smartphones.”
Kevin Lee (firstname.lastname@example.org)