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Farm Reforms Bill 2020: Will it get rid of middlemen or is it just an anti-farmer puffery?
Government has introduced three agricultural bills with the intent to transform the agricultural infrastructure. Despite discontent and confusion among most of the farmers, there are plenty of positive reactions coming up from experts of the field. Discussing the diverse facets, various association heads and economic experts express their opinion on the farm bill.
Anushruti Singh October 10, 2020
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Sanwarmal, a farmer from Rajasthan and the head of Bhartiya Kisaan Sangh, has been protesting the contentious farm bills along with numerous others. The new farm bills introduced by Modi government to restructure agricultural infrastructure are under scrutiny of farmers. Farmers from north-west and south have opposed it calling it as anti-farmer reforms.
According to the association, the ministry has totally ignored suggestions regarding the resolutions handed prior to passing of laws. “There is no mention of MSP clause, thus farmers are worried,” says Sanwarmal. The protestors across India are apprehensive on the farm reforms as there is no clarity on minimum support price (MSP).
Discontented with the government’s move, farmers are of opinion that this will pave the way for dismantling of MSP system as the corporates take over. On this, Badrinath, National General Secretary of Bhartiya Kisaan Sangh questions, “There are number of cases of frauds by private players. In such situation, what is the guarantee that farmers will get a fair price?”
Farmers are hence demanding to revoke the bills. On the contrary, there are agricultural apex bodies and experts who are supporting the reforms. But, let us first understand briefly what agricultural reforms bills are about.
Bill on market of agricultural produce
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 will create an ecosystem for farmers or traders and will provide them freedom related to sale and purchase of farmers’ produce outside the physical premises of APMC markets. Furthermore, state governments are prohibited from levying any market fee, cess etc outside APMC areas.
Contract farming bill
Through the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, a national framework on farming agreements would be developed. Adding to this, the risk of market unpredictability will be transferred from the farmer to a sponsor through this.
This legislation will also attract private sector investment to supply the Indian farm produce to national and global markets, and in agricultural infrastructure. In addition to this, farmers have been provided adequate protection against sales, lease, or mortgage of farmers’ land as it is totally prohibited in it. The farmers’ land is also protected against any recovery in this bill.
Essential Commodities bill
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 will remove certain commodities from the list of essential commodities such as pulses, onion, oilseeds, potatoes etc. Farmers suffer huge losses whenever there are bumper harvests, especially of perishable commodities. The legislation will boost investment in cold storages and modernization of food supply chain. It will also create competitive market for these produce by preventing their wastage.
Point of Conflict in Bills
Speaking about these bills, union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar claims that the Government has taken several landmark decisions for agricultural reforms in last six years. These decisions are to ensure that farmers get the best price for their produce, and to increase farmers’ incomes, and thereby improve their livelihood status. The bill will also grant farmers the freedom and choice to sell his crop.
The most contentious issue for farmers is less clarification on MSP. According to them, it may end MSP-based procurement system. Another doubt is that if produce of farms is sold outside APMC mandis, an alternate effective system will be required. Then, electronic trading such as in e-NAM will replace physical mandis. This raises questions on the existence of the trading portal e-NAM.
Farmers are also opposing the contract farming bill. They will be dependent on associations if this bill becomes an act as they will not be able to determine prices. Sponsors will shy away, because investors do not want to deal with smaller and marginal parties. Farmers also argue that in case of disputes, big companies will always be at an advantage.
Farmers are also of opinion that big companies will dictate their terms if essential commodity act comes into play. They will have freedom to stock the commodities. This can further lead to less prices for famers. Lastly, the ban on onion export creates further confusion among farmers about the implementation of this act.
Overhaul of Agricultural Supply-Chain
Despite discontent and confusion among most of the farmers, there are plenty of positive reactions coming up from experts of the field. Discussing the diverse facets, various association heads and economic expert express their perspective on the farm bill which will replace ordinances promulgated on 5th June 2020.
BV Jaware Gowda, President of the Federation of All India Farmer Association (FAIFA) says that these visionary bills will ensure a sustainable and profitable future for the farming community. FAIFA represents farmers and farm workers across various states.
According to him, the new regulation will create an ecosystem for farmers to prosper. He asserts, “The farmers and traders will enjoy freedom of choice of sale and purchase of agri-produce. I believe this will encourage inter and intra state trade and commerce outside physical premises of markets notified under State Agricultural Produce Marketing legislations.”
On the similar note, India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the nodal body for India’s pulses trade and industry welcomed the passing of three bills. Bimal Kothari, Vice Chairman of the apex body said, “This is a welcome move and IPGA has given thumbs up on behalf of traders. The farm sector has been completely opened up by the government.”
Kothari also feels that this will prove as a major step towards doubling the farmers’ income and improving living standards of farmers. In 2018-19, an analysis by HT of National Sample Survey Office revealed that an average Indian farmer monthly income would be Rs 10,329. There is a significant divide to be filled to level up the incomes.
Appreciating the historic move, Dr D K Aggarwal, President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry echoes the same views as Kothari. He says that three farm bills will enable barrier-free agricultural trade and significantly enhance farmers’ income. The core of reforms is ensuring a highest level of farmers’ welfare, said Dr Aggarwal.
Agarwal claims that these agricultural-reform bills are likely to enhance India’s agricultural and food processing exports from the current level of US$ 40 billion to US$ 100 billion in next five years. It will also enhance sector’s competitiveness globally.
India has emerged as a key supplier of food products in past few years and has the potential to serve as a factory to world. Even during the difficult phase of COVID-19 lockdown, India has ensured production for the continuity of world food supply chains and has remained open to export of agricultural commodities.
Is free market a new normal?
Even if the contentious farm bills have created a political uprising, numerous ex-bureaucrats, including former finance, banking, and defence secretaries, have supported bills. Along with them, agricultural corporate firms also feel that it is a necessary move to reap maximum benefits from the Indian agricultural wealth.
This new farmer bill appears to be a watershed moment in the history of Indian agriculture as farmers can now sell their crops anywhere from open markets to processing companies, exporters, hotels, restaurants, and retailers. Simultaneously, the farmers can also sell their produce in APMC market, eNAM, futures market, haat etc without any licensing requirements.
Earlier, APMC Act only allowed farmers to sell their produce at APMC through license holders’ traders who were controlled by middlemen. There were no other alternatives for farmers to sell their crops. Responding to PM Modi’s Mann ki Baat on the farm bill, RS Sodhi, Director at Gujarat Cooperative Milk Federation Ltd (GCMMF) or Amul hailed the act on Twitter.
He also explained how free markets helped dairy players to grow and how milk became India’s largest crop worth Rs 8 lakh crore. This is more than the combined value of wheat, paddy and sugarcane. Praising the freedom to sell, he added that the dairy farmers are free to sell their produce anywhere. As a result, the dairy industry enjoys healthy competition.
Agritech companies see these bills as welcome steps. Sudhanva Sundararaman, COO, Barton Breeze, an agritech firm which helps in setting up hydroponic set-ups expresses his views. He claims, “Now the farmers have got their real independence. To clear the misconceptions, even small farmers can produce specific products according to demand of buyers. They can also make their own club such as an FPO, or cooperatives etc.”
Role of corporates and end of middlemen-era
The primary intent of these bills is to boost agricultural production, promote healthy competition, and fetch better prices for farmers’ produce. These reforms also aim to abolish the middlemen trap and other related bottlenecks for farmers. Does it then infer that corporate firms will get a stronghold on this sector?
According to the farmers, corporates will gain more control under the contract farming bill, and farmers will perish. Explaining the predicament, Sanwarmal of BKS tells that developed countries such as America have smaller population. Hence, practicing contract farming suits them. But, in a country like India, there are bigger families where 10 to 12 members of each family are engaged in farming in every village.
He adds, “Imagine if a company comes to a field of small farmers, it will hire its own men to till the farm. Where will the family members go who were farming on those fields. Also, if a family disengages in farming for few years, it is difficult for them to get back into agriculture. Then their fields may be taken up by corporates leaving nothing for them,” he adds.
On the contrary, agricultural experts do not think alike. Sundararaman who started his company in form of indoor farm says currently conditions are like 1990 when India implemented a liberalisation program. It was said then too that big corporations like GM, Fords, Toyota, Honda, McDonald’s, KFC etc will destroy the Indian market.
But the truth is that after 30 years GM has closed their operations in India, while Maruti controls 51 per cent market share. Honda just holds 3 per cent of market share. India’s Cafe Coffee Day has bigger turnover than McDonald’s or KFC and Chai Point runs more successfully than Starbucks. Hence, Indian companies have emerged stronger in these years.
“In the similar way, market forces and proper regulations will never let anyone control the whole farming sector. It is too big and diversified for any company to control. Most importantly, government is working to transform market intelligence through digital technology and AI. It will provide every farmer an access to good markets,” he adds.
This huge furore has largely erupted in Maharashtra and Punjab where middlemen have a monopoly. The previous political dispensation was a corrupt private club which was engaged in exploring opportunities for looting poor farmers. The farmers should hence understand that vandalism is futile and refraining from fringe groups with vested interests is the best move.
He then claims, “When vegetables are thrown forcibly on the road, they belong to poor farmers and not any rich middlemen. The tractor that was burned in Punjab also belonged to a poor farmer. Many agents or dalals (with political connections) who control APMCs are all millionaires. The families of many farmers are struggling to make their ends meet.”
Lack of clarification in MSP
Central government sets the minimum support price (MSP) for crops based on the recommendations from Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Government had announced revised MSP last year and there was uproar because of the formula used to calculate the MSP.
This year also government has announced increase of MSPs for six crops ranging between Rs 50 to Rs 300. This was done a month ago when bills were passed. But these actions don’t seem to pacify worried cultivators. Instead, they are protesting and demanding to bring a fourth law to guarantee the minimum support price.
Government has however clarified that the MSP system will remain intact. According to renowned agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, if MSP is guaranteed, it will spell disaster in markets and private player will shun buying. Expressing his views in an article, he argues that MSP cannot be assured even with the wheat and paddy crops.
According to NSSO survey, only six per cent farmers gain from MSPs. The rest of agrarian society suffers because of imperfect markets. Therefore, this is time to get agricultural markets right, and the bills are right steps towards that direction.
Growth of investments will reinforce supply-chains
The Essential Commodities (amendment) bill has a provision to remove several commodities such as cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. Government claims this will encourage private investments in cold storage and will remove the supply side hurdles at better prices.
On this, Kothari points out that this amendment is hugely beneficial to trades also. “The Essential Commodity act was a draconian law which was used by the state against agricultural traders and farmers. This progressive change will allow traders to do their business without any hindrance. Now that the farm sector has been liberalised, we can expect lot of investment.”
According to him, this investment in infrastructure will boost monetary value for farmers, enhance production, minimise post-harvest losses, better storage facilities with larger capacities, modernization, and technology.
“This will also improve accessibility and availability of goods throughout the year as goods can be stored for longer periods despite natural calamities and irregularity in weather conditions. Earlier due to difficult laws, traders were not willing to make large investments because of uncertainty. Now trade will invest more, and they can do business without any fear and apprehensions,” he says.
As government is coming up with FPOs, traders and manufacturers can work in partnership with farmers through these FPOs. They grow their produce for mass supply and meet the increasing demand through these. Many options such as contract farming are also possible now. With this amendment in the essential commodity act, the traders will be able to buy the produce directly from the farmers.
They will also be able hold the association for a longer period. Thereby, the farmers will be assured of the maximum price. It will also ensure availability of produce in case of natural calamities or extreme weather conditions. This will not only benefit the farmers but also the trade and manufacturing sector as there will be value addition, huge employment generation, and increase in the GDP of agriculture.
Green thumb for all!
Experts feel at large that government is on the right path and farmers are now in safe hands. With inception of these acts, they can now take their produce beyond the premises of what are known as APMC markets or mandis. Also, companies are enthusiastic with enormous opportunities unfolding the future of entire agri-ecosystem.
According to Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal, private companies have already started investing in farm sector and this will help in increasing farmers’ income. “Lot of things are happening. I was told that a rice company has already entered into contract farming with basmati rice growers in 1,000 acres, while another company has opened a private mandi,” he tells without disclosing the investment amount.
Overall, agricultural fraternity is confident that this policy will boost the farm production and create many avenues for traders to invest in agri-infrastructure. Experts are calling these reforms as definite game-changer in lives of Indian farmers. Hence, it will be interesting to witness whether the policy change favours the agrarian society or it will doom the farming economy


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The original Gerber Baby Food baby celebrated her 95th birthday on Saturday, November 20th. Ann Turner Cook became the first Gerber baby back in 1928 but, according to WABC-TV, her identity was kept under wraps until 1978.
Gerber posted on Facebook: “A very happy birthday to the original Gerber baby, Ann Turner Cook! Ann, who turns today, has graced Gerber products since 1928. Her image has inspired parents everywhere to share their babies’ photos with Gerber.”
After her brief but highly successful baby food modeling career, Ms. Cook grew up to become an English teacher and a novelist. The fact that the baby on the label has lived so long might be the best possible marketing campaign for the benefits of feeding babies Gerber products.

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A man walks in front of Nike products exhibit, on February 22, 2021 in New York City.
John Smith | Corbis News | Getty Images
Nike on Thursday reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and sales that topped analysts’ estimates, fueled by record revenue in its largest market, North America.
The company continues to benefit from consumers seeking out comfortable clothing to wear for workouts but also around the house. Even as people return to schools, offices and other social settings, many are still searching for relaxed options like sneakers and stretchy pants.
Nike also saw a boost to its wholesale business — something that was largely inactive a year earlier during the Covid pandemic, when…


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Steve Jobs saved a long-time Mac developer from an early deathsource • appleinsider.com
Jobs asked how Curry made recordings, and was told it was with what was then called Audio Hijack Pro. But at the time, the highly litigious Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) was trying to stop any possible method of pirating music.
“The RIAA wants us to disable Audio Hijack Pro,” Eddy Cue reportedly told Curry, “because with it you could record any sound off of your Mac, any song, anything.”
Jobs then asked whether Curry and other podcasters needed Audio Hijack. The answer was an emphatic yes, “so Steve Jobs told [the RIAA] to get lost,” said Curry.
For all of the negative discourse surrounding Apple, and app developers, I sure do love learning about things like this happening behind the scenes to help the industry as a whole.


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This week, Ford is upgrading SYNC and MyFord Touch on the cars of hundreds of thousands of owners.
Read This Article
Drivers who continue to text while driving have become a focal point of law enforcement agencies all around the country.
Ford has appointed Amko Leenarts as its new director of global interiors design strategy, according to a report in Car Design News.
Whatever euphemism we're told about the 2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon being a wagon, rest assured that it's still a minivan by any other name.


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VATICAN ENQUIRER – Mexico City, One of the largest companies in Mexico had to resort to a name change for pastry formerly called “Negrito”to now “Nito”, because according to several sources, this was deemed racist against people of a dark complexion. Now they face a new challenge as Caucasians representatives say the “Pam Blanco”(white bread) should be renamed as well.
“They talk a lot about equality between people, but now everything has turned, it is very easy to support African-Americans now that Obama became fashionable and Hip Hop, but nobody defends white, in fact the other day I saw that in America there is a day of discounts for blacks (Black Friday),” said a member of the International Association of Caucasians (IAC).
“Worse, I also noticed that in appliance stores and many departments stores was well, they have “white line”as if we could not be in the same line as the others. That’s just too much.”
Thanks to strong pressure from this organization and some others joining the effort for equality between races, Bimbo rename will rename its Pan Blanco.
The company has not yet come up with a new name. If you have a good idea for a new name to replace Pan Blanco Bimbo name, you can use the comments section below or contact Bimbo directly.


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Newberry, MI – June 22, 2017 – Great Lakes Radio got a chance to check out the brand new loaded Chevy Colorado 4×4 pickup with a Duramax Diesel. A Duramax in a Colorado was new information to me!
Sales Pro David Jeszke said Chevy recently started offering this option in 2016. Dealers downstate are actually charging more than retail sticker for their Colorados… but not Newberry Motors. As we’ve heard, go East to pay the least!
Save on this Colorado; give David a call at (906) 293-5104. By the way, Chevy has some awesome closeout deals with savings over $7,000 on pickups ending June 30th.
We talked with Kevin Vanetta about this:Listen to us talk with Kevin Vanetta about great deals at Newberry Motors in Newberry, MI.


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Some of you have undoubtedly been enjoying the PlanetSide 2 beta for a while now, but there comes a point after the initial wow factor, for any game, when you grow tired of having to deal with the annoyances of unfinished software.
The end is in sight: Sony Online Entertainment has scheduled the MMO first-person shooter's launch date for November 20, 2012 in North America and Europe. Together, beta testers have fired 2.87 billion projectiles to date. That sounds crazy enough to be true.
Other news out of the SOE Live fan event is that a third continent, Amerish, will soon be accessible within PlanetSide 2. Viewable below, there's concept art and a rather barebones trailer to give you an idea of what to expect.
They grow up so fast: Game Informer interviews Aaron Linde about writing Battleborn
1:00 PM on 07.27.2014
Video: Wilhelm is like a Terminator on rocket skates in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
7:00 AM on 07.24.2014


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6 Interesting Statistics about Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles or EV sales have shown very healthy growth over the last few years. With the global market currently dominated by China, the US is not too far behind.
Within the US some states are leagues ahead of the rest with regards to EV take-up, with states like California regularly topping the charts.
In the following article, we'll take a quick look at EV sales in the US, and around the world, and reveal some interesting stats about EVs.
What percentage of cars in America are electric?
According to sites like the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers, EV market share in the US is pretty low overall. Their data for 2017 shows that electric vehicles only comprise around 1.2% of all sales or 187,985 in total.
2018 saw massive growth in EV sales to 328,188 and a market share of about 1.96%. This was an impressive 63.33% higher from 2017.
Some states, like California, topped the tables for both 2017 and 2018 with EV market shares of 5.02% and 7.84% respectively.
Apart from California, the other top ten U.S. states for EV sales in both years were as follows (data courtesy of Alliance of Auto Manufacturers):
|2018 vs 2017
What percent of cars sold are electric in the US?
As we have already seen, in countries like the US, EV sales are relatively small compared to conventional combustion engine vehicles. However, it is clear that sales are growing year by year.
States like California are forging ahead with their uptake for EVs and it regularly tops the tables for EV sales in the US. Last year saw a massive 75% growth in sales from 2017 in California.
Total sales for EVs in the US topped 361,307 for 2018 which was an enormous 81% increase compared to 2017. The major contributing factor, according to industry experts, appears to be down to one company - Tesla.
They had a fantastic year in 2018 and the Silicon Valley-based manufacturer sold no less than 139,728 Tesla Model 3s last year. With their Model S and Model X thrown into the mix, Tesla accounted for more than 50% of the market share for total plug-in sales in the US in 2018.
After Tesla, Toyota Prius Prime was the second-bestselling EV of 2018. Its total sales accounted for 27,595 units.
GM’s Model 3 challenger, the Chevy Bolt, and others made the top 10 list but were well behind the market leader, with 'just' 18,019 sales for the year.
In other parts of the world, EVs are seeing similar growth in the market. Major EV markets, like China and Europe, are also pushing hard to get EVs on the road.
China is obviously something of a special case as it is now both the largest auto market in the world and one where the government has strict requirements for their development.
Auto manufacturers are forced to produce electric vehicles in China if they want to sell in that market.
How many electric cars were sold in 2017?
According to sites like EV-Volumes.com, EV sales for 2017 broke the 1,000,000-mark. From their statistics, "global plug-in vehicle deliveries reached 1,223,600 units for 2017, 58% higher than for 2016".
"These sales included BEV and PHEV passenger cars sales, light trucks in USA/Canada and light commercial vehicle in Europe."
Of these, about 66% were so-called, pure electric (BEV), and 34% where plug-in hybrids (PHEV). Growth-rates appear to have been heavily influenced by the Chinese market and were up 73% from 2017.
The USA was next up, showing an increase of 27%, and Europe came in third place with a growth of 39% from the previous year.
The best selling models in countries like Japan was unsurprising, the Toyota Prius Prime PHEV, with the Nissan Leaf showing excellent sales in Q4 of the year.
"Globally, December was another sales record, with over 170,000 units delivered worldwide, another 17% higher than the previous all-time high in November. In December the global plug-in share touched the 2% mark for the first time, following consistently strong increases during the last 5 months of the year. The global share for the complete year of 2017 stands at 1.3%," notes EV-Volumes.com.
Some interesting statistics about EVs:
1. EV sales are also growing in the UK
Over the last four years, according to nextgreencar.com, EV sales grew to over 214,000 by May 2019, up from 3,500 in 2013. Pure electric and plug-in hybrids have also seen a massive surge in available models with many major manufacturers offering their own versions.
Of these, the most popular in the UK have been:
- Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
- Nissan Leaf
- BMW 330e
- BMW i3, and
- Mercedes Benz C 350e
2. Tesla is much more popular in the US than the UK
As we have seen, Tesla had a fantastic 2018, especially in the United States. In the UK, its a bit of a different story.
For example, in 2018, Tesla Model S sales comprised a total of around 1,800 units with the Model X coming in at around 1,500 units in the United States (albeit a much larger market). UK sales were dwarfed with total sales for all Tesla models, which comprised around 191,627 units for 2018.
3. California buys almost 50% of all US EVs
The state of California is only 12% of the US population. Yet, despite this, it accounts for 48% of all EV sales in the US.
4. The biggest EV market is in China
China, as we have seen, is leading the charge globally in the development and sales of EVs. Since 2014, it has seen steady growth in the EV market with 2017 alone seeing China's EV sales rise, accounting for over 1.3 million EVs in circulation.
5. Norway saw the highest market share in EVs in 2017
Only a handful of countries have significant market share around the world.
In terms of sharea, Norway remains the world’s most advanced market for electric car sales, with over 39% of new sales in 2017. Iceland followed at 11.7% and, then Sweden at 6.3%.
6. Battery costs are dropping fast over time
Batteries are becoming increasingly affordable over time. Since 1995, Li-ion price per kWh has dropped from about $5,000 to around $400 in 2016.
These significant cost reductions and improved performance of batteries have been attributed to increased production and investment, with the rapid spread of consumer electronics.
IE talked with Shohini Ghose about how quantum computers might transform our future, the mysteries of quantum mechanics, and what the quantum scene will look like in 2027.


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Content is king, they say, and lately, Yahoo appears laser-focused on bringing top-notch video content to its website.
The company has announced plans to produce a slew of original online programming featuring big-name stars such as celebrities Ed Helms, Cheryl Hines, Diane Sawyer, the Undertaker, and more. The announcement comes just a few days after Meyer announced Yahoo would get exclusive online access to Saturday Night Live’s 38-year archive, as well as clips from SNL's current season.
Yahoo has three comedy shows scheduled for the fall, including Tiny Commando, starring Ed Helms of The Office fame as a four-inch tall crime fighter. We Need Help stars Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Rachael Harris (The Hangover) playing versions of themselves who share and take advantage of their personal assistant, Max. Finally, John Stamos is coming to Yahoo with a new celebrity interview show called Losing Your Virginity with John Stamos, where the former Full House star talks to other famous people about their first time. That show is co-produced by documentarian Morgan Spurlock of Supersize Me fame.
In a nod to Netflix’s success with so-called “binge viewing"—where all episodes of an original program are available immediately—all three new comedy shows will offer their complete seasons from day one.
Yahoo is also bringing three new lifestyle shows set to debut later in 2013, including Fashion Recipe featuring stylist Brett Alan Nelson; Cinema & Spice, exploring cooking and film; and a show unofficially titled Grill Girls with Chef Megan Mitchell.
Yahoo is also partnering with ABC and CNBC to present new online news segments, including three companion shows to ABC News programming: World News Beyond the Headlines hosted by Diane Sawyer, as well as Nightline: Online featuring what sounds like daily previews of each weeknight’s program. Yahoo will also get a Good Morning America recap show called GMA Live. Yahoo and GMA are already using the ‘GMA Live’ title for some videos at the GMA-Yahoo portal.
Yahoo is teaming up with CNBC for Talking Numbers, a stock analysis show aimed at personal investors, debuting in May. Yahoo also says it has signed a deal with Conde Nast to feature the publisher’s video content on Yahoo sites.
Yahoo gets RAW
Yahoo is also showing hustle, loyalty, and respect for professional wrestling with an exclusive 30-minute pre-show every Monday before WWE Monday Night Raw airs on television. Yahoo will also get two as-yet-undefined weekly WWE series (good for 50 episodes per year), access to the WWE archives for online distribution, additional live WWE events, and clips from the latest WWE TV shows.
Digital content goes mainstream
Yahoo has been moving into original content programming for some time with notable shows such as Tom Hanks’ sci-fi animated series Electric City, which debuted last July. The company’s announcement also comes as Web-based video becomes more important to the entertainment industry, hot on the heels of the news that Netflix’s U.S. subscriber base has surpassed HBO’s. And, based on reports, online video will finally be included as a part of television viewership ratings.
On Tuesday, Nielsen announced a pilot program to measure viewership of online content from A&E, ABC, AOL, CBS, the CW, Discovery Communications, Fox, NBC and Univision. Nielsen’s first run at online video viewership will be somewhat limited in scope as it reportedly won’t include popular sites such as Hulu, YouTube, or Netflix, according to The Wall Street Journal. AOL, the Journal says, will be the only major independent video site to participate in Nielsen’s new viewer tracking program. In February, Billboard magazine added YouTube views to its Hot 100 music singles chart.
Beyond its new content offerings, Yahoo on Tuesday also announced a new Yahoo app for Android featuring summarized news stories in a redesigned, highly visual format.


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A Small Business Competition Starts in SecaucusColleen Debaise
It’s good to know that small business owners are keeping it real. In recent months, we’ve seen Wall Street chieftains taking the heat for excessive bonuses, private jets, and lavish office redecorations – all while the economy continued to tumble.
So on Thursday, when I attended a launch event for the Make Mine A Million Race, a competition for women business owners, it’s probably appropriate that the event was held in Secaucus, N.J – not a place anyone wants to linger – inside a less-than-glamorous Sam’s Club. The time? 7 a.m.
But despite the location and early hour, about 100 entrepreneurs had gathered for a few hours to network, get advice and swap ideas about how to grow their businesses, especially as customers scale back. “What you have here is the answer to every business question you have,” said Nell Merlino, the event’s organizer, pointing to attendees as she gave opening remarks in the food court. “We are going to get through this together.”
Merlino, by the way, thinks small business owners (especially the female entrepreneurs her non-profit, Count-Me-In, has long advised) aren’t just going to survive these tough times but rather save the economy outright. So far, she’s gotten 1,500 female business owners around the country to sign up for the Make Mine A Million Race, which challenges participants to hit one of three revenue goals – $250,000, $500,000 or $1 million – by yearend. Ramping up, she reasons, will create countless job and pump much-need dollars back into local communities.
But first that growth needs to happen, which is why Thursday’s event featured a few workshops presented by experts. This being a Sam’s Club, not a banquet hall, the sessions (complete with podiums and chairs) were set up in rather incongruous settings.
In the bakery section, near a table stacked with $6.88 Bundt cakes, expert Bill Dueease talked about the benefit of working with professional coaches to develop strategies and set priorities. Meanwhile, over by the super-value packs of rawhide chews, marketing guru Nancy Michaels advised business owners on how to win new customers. (One tip? Ask your best customer to write a “testimonial on steroids” and send it to new prospects, she says.) And over in the furniture setting (where this blogger comfortably sat on a La-Z-Boy ottoman), accounting expert Elizabeth Ladu spoke on the topic of “Getting Friendly With Your Financials.”
Ladu’s session seemed particularly timely, as many entrepreneurs are figuring out how to adjust in these uncertain economic times. She advised owners to get a handle on their profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cash-flow statement. “Really interpret your numbers so you can do some planning,” said Ladu, standing – rather appropriately, given the sobering topic – in front of a pallet of cases of Corona. One attendee voiced her concerns about losing her business line of credit. Ladu suggested that the business owner talk to her banker about converting it into a term loan. Or try to get another line of credit from a different bank. “Smaller banks are lending,” she said. “Go to the local community bank – someone who is going to really benefit from your business, and who wasn’t caught up in subprime lending.”
Speaking of banks, that reminded me of that image we’ve seen lately, of the industry’s top CEOs testifying before Congress – and defending themselves against accusations of greed. When it comes to rebuilding the economy, I suspect the new power players (or at least, a small cross-section of them) took the bus to Secaucus on Thursday.


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Two More Reasons to Feel Awkward About Using Uber
Who here loves Uber and simultaneously feels badly about loving Uber?
I know it’s not just me. Whenever I talk about Uber with friends, it seems like we start off all saying the same thing: “Yeah, Uber is so great! It’s so much better than taxis!” and then immediately switch into “Except for the surge pricing… and I’m not sure how the insurance piece works… and I heard they still haven’t worked out the regulation thing…”
The trouble with Uber is that the parts of the service that we love — fast, clean cars! getting to book rides and pay from our smartphones! — are all on the surface, and the parts that we probably wouldn’t love if we thought about them are hidden from our view.
So here are two more reasons to feel awkward about using Uber:
1. Drivers are experiencing pay cuts
On Tuesday, September 2, Los Angeles Uber drivers assembled in North Hollywood to protest pay cuts. CBS Los Angeles quoted one Uber driver as saying “I’ve experienced four cuts since I started. It was $2.50 a mile when I started a year-and-a-half ago, and now we are at $1.10 a mile. You can’t make a living off of that.”
Seattle Uber drivers held a similar protest in August. According to GeekWire, Uber Seattle General Manager Brooke Steger issued a response claiming that the reduced fares and pay cuts would actually enable drivers to earn more because of the increased demand. The drivers, on the other hand, dispute her math.
The Washington Post also recently quoted a former Washington, D.C. Uber driver who quit driving for Uber because he wasn’t making enough money: “I had to pay taxes, gas, mileage and for car maintenance and repairs. I was spending time and making $3 per hour.” (The Washington Post article reports that Uber recently cut prices for D.C. rides by 15 percent, but did not clarify whether that meant drivers experienced rate cuts as well.)
2. The insurance issue isn’t fully worked out yet
Earlier this week, the New York Times reported on the complicated ethics of Uber drivers and car insurance:
They could tell the truth about their commercial use of the car and run the risk of the insurance carrier getting mad and canceling their policy altogether. Or they could simply avoid mentioning their rides-for-rent operation during any claim process and hope the insurance company didn’t ask what they were doing with the vehicle.
So was Uber, the biggest company in this arena, encouraging drivers to commit insurance fraud by hiding the truth about how they were using their cars? No drivers have come forward to make this assertion publicly. But industry observers are skeptical. “There is no honest answer that doesn’t include, ‘I hope the drivers lie,’ ” said Brian Sullivan, editor of the Auto Insurance Report newsletter, which has reported on the issue extensively. “It’s just a little lever they were using during their early days to build the business.”
Lane Kasselman, an Uber spokesman, said that Uber does not encourage lying. “When driver partners ask us about the process for making a claim to their personal insurer, we recommend that they are honest and clear with their insurer,” he said in an emailed statement.
Well, sure, it’s easy for Uber to say “tell the truth to your insurer” because any associated penalties will fall towards the Uber driver, not Uber the company.
Uber started offering improved ridesharing insurance coverage this past July, but the coverage only applies when cars are actively engaged in transporting passengers, not when cars are driving around with the Uber app on looking for passengers. (The argument there is that drivers with the Uber app on waiting for passengers are not technically working for Uber during that time; they’re just hanging out, hoping a passenger will ask them to start working for Uber.)
So there you go. Two more reasons to feel just a little uncomfortable every time you book an Uber car. I’ve got my fingers crossed that Uber and its drivers will sort all of this out, because I really do like Uber as a service. But — well, there’s always a but, in the sharing economy. At least for now.
Photo: Mike (cropped)
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New car registrations declined -6.7% in October, driven by poor demand in the private market.
Fleet registrations remained stable (+0.3%) with just under 80,000 vehicles registered in the month, according to the latest SMMT figures.
It leaves the new car market -2.9% year-to-date, with fleet and business sales accounting for around 55% of the total number of cars registered this year.
Registrations of diesel cars fell for the 31st month, down -28.3%, while petrols also declined, by -3.2%.
Electrified cars continued to grow in popularity. Hybrid cars increased by a considerable +28.9%, with 7,950 leaving showrooms, as battery electric vehicle registrations almost tripled, up +151.8% to 3,162 units.
Plug-in hybrids fell just short of their positive performance in the same month last year, down -1.7%.
Combined, alternatively fuelled vehicle registrations reached 9.9% market share in the month – the highest on record, up from 6.9% last year.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “The growth in alternatively fuelled cars is very welcome, showing increasing buyer appetite for these new technologies. The overall market remains tough, however, with October now the year’s eighth month of decline and in need of an injection of confidence. Whether the general election delivers a ‘bounce’ to the economy remains to be seen but, with attractive deals and an ever-greater choice of low, ultra low and zero emission models arriving in the UK’s showrooms, consumers have every incentive to consider buying a new car.”
There was a mixed picture across body types, with the popular supermini segment experiencing a substantial decline (-23.4%), while dual purpose and small family car registrations grew +7.1% and +3.3% respectively.
UK’s most popular cars in October
The Ford Fiesta remained the UK’s best-selling car in October, with more than 5,000 sold. The Volkswagen Golf remained in the top-three despite the reveal of the next-generation model taking place in the same month.
Five of the top-10 best-selling cars in October were SUVs, with the Nissan Qashqai leading the pack, taking second place overall. The new Range Rover Evoque also made its way into the top-10 with 2,134 registrations.


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DEARBORN, Michigan — Ford is recalling 45,505 vehicles in the U.S., including the 2014-'15 Ford Fiesta, for a fuel-pump problem that may lead to a stalling risk, the automaker said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ford said a problem with the nickel plating on the fuel pump may cause it to seize.
"If the fuel pump seizes, a vehicle may not start or may stall while driving," it said. "An engine stall without warning while driving increases the risk of a crash."
Ford said it is aware of one allegation of an accident that may be linked to the recall.
Another 4,618 affected vehicles are in Canada and 34 are in Mexico.
No information about the recall has been posted on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees vehicle safety in the U.S.
Edmunds says: Owners of these vehicles should wait for their official recall notice and then schedule a service appointment. But if you have an immediate concern, contact your dealer now.


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The 2019 Genesis G70 has now become a vehicle that can be best described as a performance bargain. The reason is its improved driving dynamics that has now thrown a tougher challenge to its closest
The 2019 Genesis G70 has now become a vehicle that can be best described as a performance bargain. The reason is its improved driving dynamics that has now thrown a tougher challenge to its closest rivals.
The 2019 Genesis G70 as a premium luxury compact sedan has now placed the name of Hyundai Genesis in the same row of Mercedes Benz, Audi and BMW. With the success of the 2019 edition of G70, Genesis hasn’t only sent a message to the prospective buyers that they too have the right to enjoy premium luxuries at an affordable price, but also thrown an open challenge to the first row luxury brands, the models of whom were so long enjoyed by the privileged few.
After this much of market commotion, the 2019 Genesis G70 raised a lot of curiosity among people who wanted to test its capabilities on the road, after Genesis has announced its improved performance mechanisms. Dealerships like Riverside Genesis, started accumulating regular crowd for the 2019 G70 and the sales record shows a busy note.
Genesis has installed within the 2019 G70 a2.0-liter turbo-4 engine that is capable of making a 252-iof horsepower and has also included in the lineup a 365-hp generating 3.3-liter turbocharged V-6 engine for the more spirited drivers paired toeither an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters or to a 6-speed manual transmission.
The 2019 model year of Genesis G70 is constituent of 2.0T and 3.3T models that are furthered distributed in trims like Advanced, Elite, Prestige, Dynamic, and Sport. If you are eyeing on the 6-speed manual gearbox, choosing only the 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine can get you one.
The3.3-liter V-6 engine that comes standard with an 8-speed with paddle shifting transmission. Both the engine can be configured as all-wheel drive with a Launch control feature.
The road test results counted the 2019 Genesis G70 raising a speed of 60 mph from a dead stop in about 6.5 seconds when driven with the turbo-4 engine, while the V-6 options brought down to 4.5 seconds.
Driving, Handling and Overall Performance
All V-6 versions of the 2019 Genesis G70especially the 2.0T Sport trim are given the advantage of a limited-slip differential in order to achieve better control on the vehicle in the events of cornering and facing hairpin turns, while the mechanisms of an uprated Brembo is made available to make the stopsshorter after applying the brakes. All the 2019 G70 models are also given a pair of front struts in tune with a rear multi-link suspension that are tuned up to make a canyon performance score.The existing powertrain options earned the 2019 Genesis G70 a decent EPA rating that counts it’s fuel economy as 25 mpg in a combined trip, when the G70 model fits under its hood the turbo-4 engine, and the count comes down to 20-21 mpg when you drive with the V-6 engine.
As informed by the Riverside Genesis dealer staff, the 2019 Genesis G70 is now also a safer car to drive as Genesis has installed a wide range of active safety features that include automatic emergency braking withforward-collision warnings, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic warnings adaptive cruise control, and active lane control.


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Terry moved on at the end of December, but will continue to have an involvement in the toy market as a consultant.
Having spent the past 30 years in the toy market, Terry will continue to be involved in the industry, having accepting several offers to consult for toy companies. He will be in Hong Kong this week, where he will also be taking charge of the UK toy football team in their bi-annual match with the formidable Hong Kong team, which takes place next Tuesday.
Terry told Toy World: “I have really enjoyed the past 30 years working within the industry, and particularly the last 10 years at IMC. I will be in Hong Kong for the next week and hope to see a few friends and adversaries whilst there.”


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ING Groep N.V. (ING)
|Net Income (ttm)||4.24B|
|Ex-Dividend Date||Aug 8, 2022|
|Day's Range||13.49 - 13.66|
|52-Week Range||8.14 - 15.97|
|Price Target||15.97 (+17.77%)|
|Earnings Date||Feb 2, 2023|
ING Groep N.V., a financial institution, provides various banking products and services in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Rest of Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Australia. It operates in six segments: Retail Netherlands, Retail Belgium, Retail Germany, Retail Other, Wholesale Banking, and Corporate Line Banking. The company accepts various deposits, such as current and savings accounts; and offers business lending products, as well as consumer lending products, such as residential mortgage loans, term loans, and rev... [Read more]
In 2021, ING Group's revenue was 18.29 billion, an increase of 2.62% compared to the previous year's 17.82 billion. Earnings were 4.78 billion, an increase of 97.76%.Financial numbers in EUR Financial Statements
According to 31 analysts, the average rating for ING stock is "Buy." The 12-month stock price forecast is $15.97, which is an increase of 17.77% from the latest price.
ING's CFO says net interest income momentum will continue to rise
Tanate Phutrakul, chief financial officer of ING, discusses its better than expected fourth-quarter net profit.
Hans Wijers to retire as ING Supervisory Board chairman
ING posts FY2022 net result of €3,674 million,proposed final 2022 dividend of €0.389 per share
Worldline has announced an extended card issuing and processing arrangement with ING. The French multinational payment company said in a Monday (Jan. 30) press release that it has signed a new multiye...
ING completes share buyback programme; remaining €297 million cash to be paid to shareholders in January
ING completes share buyback programme; remaining € 297 million cash to be paid to shareholders in January
Progress on share buyback programme
ING Group has been notified of the European Central Bank (ECB) decision on the 2022 Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process (SREP), based on which it has taken a decision on ING's prudential require...
ING announces changes to Management Board Banking
(Kitco News) - Gold is up nearly 8% in the last three months as markets are counting on the Federal Reserve to slow down its rate hike pace as inflation starts to cool. And this time around, the rally...
ING reports outcome of 2022 EU-wide Transparency Exercise
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#1 Gen Z favorite makeup brand* e.l.f. Cosmetics is kicking off the holidays with a first-of-its-kind digital campaign informed by insights from The Weather Channel® and b...
(Kitco News) - Gold is still in danger of falling lower and giving up its recent gains, but the longer-term outlook is more constructive as the Federal Reserve shifts from tightening to easing next ye...
By Ed Frankl
ING announces change in Supervisory Board
ING announces share buyback programme of up to € 1.5 billion
ING posts 3Q2022 net result of €979 million and announces additional distribution to shareholders
ING makes climate progress, calls for collaborative effort
Investment bank ING slashes its oil price forecasts by 20%, as Russia pumps much more crude than expected
Russian oil production was expected to tumble this year, but the country has had little problem rerouting its supplies towards India and China.
Oil prices fell Friday in step with losses for global equities and other perceived riskier assets, as investors fretted over the possibility of higher U.S. interest rates that could bring on a recessi...
Euro-dollar rate to drop to between $0.75 and $0.80 in coming months, ING analyst says
ING Senior Technical Analyst Roelof-Jan van den Akker makes bearish predictions on the EUR-USD rate.
Bridgewater Associates, one of the biggest hedge funds in the world, has seemingly walked away from its big short bet
ING Second Quarter Profit Tops Estimates
Anju Abrol, chief executive officer and head of wholesale banking for APAC at ING Bank NV, discusses second quarter earnings, her outlook for the bank in the second half of the year and the firm's gro...
ING posts 2Q2022 net result of €1,178 million, supported by increased income and modest risk costs
NEW YORK , July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ING Capital LLC ("ING") led a $350 million syndicated financing on behalf of Auramet Trading and Auramet International (collectively, "Auramet"), a precious me...


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S.KOREA'S SOLAR UP
FT - South Korea's solar industry is heating up as tighter global supply lifts polysilicon prices higher. But with China expected to ramp up production capacity again next year analysts are questioning how long the upturn will last.
The solar industry recovery, after a five-year slump, has driven a surge in earnings for Korean polysilicon producers such as OCI, which unexpectedly posted robust third-quarter profits as prices of the raw material used to make solar products rebounded.
It comes as growing environmental concerns feed demand for solar installations worldwide, with China and the US the two biggest markets.
Prices of polysilicon have climbed since June, having fallen sharply since 2011 amid a glut of supply from China, which makes about 70 per cent of global solar panels. They have gained some 20 per cent to $16.66 a kilogramme — above the break-even point of $14-$15 for South Korean producers — buoyed by the closure of some Chinese plants for maintenance and an explosion at German chemical company Wacker Chemie's US plant.
Supply has been further strained as solar-panel makers stock up in anticipation of potential US tariffs, and by particularly robust Chinese demand amid expectations Beijing will further reduce government subsidies for solar energy production next year.
South Korea already is a world leader in renewable energy technologies, home to several top polysilicon producers as well as makers of solar cells and panels including OCI and Hanwha Q Cells. Its industry has been fuelled by a government drive to promote green energy, aimed at increasing power generation from renewables to 20 per cent of its energy mix by 2030, from 5-6 per cent this year.
OCI — the world's third-largest polysilicon maker by capacity and South Korea's biggest — this month reported a 3,373 per cent increase in operating profit to Won78.7bn ($72m) for the July-September quarter, its best performance in five years. Rival Hanwha Chemical saw third-quarter net profit jump 25 per cent to a record Won252bn.
However, the current situation "is likely [to be] shortlived," says Lee Choong-jae, analyst at KTB Securities. "It all depends on demand from China, which is likely to fall back next year."
China's solar demand has exceeded expectations this year, with installations set to reach 52GW by year-end — more than half of all global demand — driven by a desire to get in ahead of Beijing's expected move to cut feed-in tariff rates for solar systems at the beginning of next year.
The boom in China is expected to push global demand past 100GW this year, up more than 30 per cent from last year, though analysts believe demand will recede once Beijing scraps government subsidies altogether at the end of June.
Nevertheless, analysts still foresee upside for world demand. "The global shift to renewables from fossil fuels is irreversible although there could be some price fluctuations in the short term," says Lee Doo-hee, researcher at Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade.
The South Korean solar industry also has benefited from government measures to boost renewable energy production. Moody's estimates that solar and wind capacity expansion to meet Seoul's targets will require total investment of Won100tn-Won130tn over the next 12-13 years with 40-60GW of new capacity needed, up from around 5GW at end-2016.
However, analysts note that South Korea has a small place in a fragmented world market, and with hundreds of global panel makers competing, margins are low. OCI's third-quarter operating profit margin of 8 per cent lagged behind that of rivals Wacker and China's GCL-Poly Energy Holdings.
Given the small domestic market, many South Korean solar companies rely on exports, and are likely to face headwinds with China and the US leaning towards protectionist measures.
This week, Beijing doubled anti-dumping duties for imports of solar-grade polysilicon from South Korea to as much as 113.8 per cent, effective immediately. The US is weighing imposing tariffs of 30-35 per cent on imported solar cells and panels, with President Donald Trump to make a final decision in January.
"Any punitive tariffs from the US and China will deal a blow to Korean companies heavily reliant on exports for growth," says Mr Lee.
Also of concern are plans by Chinese producers, especially lower cost ones, to push up capacity again to capitalise on rising prices and demand.
GCL, for one, has unveiled plans to build an $823m polysilicon production complex next year to add 40,000 tonnes to take annual capacity to 110,000 tonnes.
"A sustainable price recovery is unlikely, given the solar industry's persistent overcapacity problem," says Shin Hyun-joon at Hanwha Securities.
For South Korean solar companies, says Lee Chul-yong, researcher at Korea Energy Economics Institute, "the key is who can weather the problem longer before another round of consolidation comes".
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PLATTS - For full-year 2017, South Korea's crude imports from its biggest supplier Saudi Arabia fell 1.7% to 319.02 million barrels, compared with 324.45 million barrels in the previous year, customs data showed. On the contrary, South Korea has imported 1.77 million mt, or around 13 million barrels, of crude from the US in 2017, about four times higher than in 2016. Shipments from Russia grew to 140,000 b/d last year from 112,000 b/d in 2016.
AOG - ADNOC’s 2030 strategy, he said, aims to capitalise on predicted global economic growth and demand for oil and petrochemical products, particularly in non-OECD countries. As its business responds to changing market dynamics, the company will continue to broaden its partnership base, strengthen its profitability, adapt to new realities and expand market access.
WNN - Under the terms of the assignment and purchase agreement it has signed with Nucleus and Brookfield, Toshiba will sell its rights to assert claims against Westinghouse related to the parent guarantees in the amount of $5.788 billion, and on account of other claims Toshiba holds against Westinghouse in the amount of $2.284 billion to Nucleus, for the sale price of $2.160 billion.
REUTERS - Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $69.23 a barrel at 0808 GMT, up 8 cents from their last close, but down from a high of $69.37 earlier in the day. Brent on Monday rose to $70.37 a barrel, its highest since December 2014, the start of a three-year oil price slump. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were at $63.84 a barrel, down from a high of $63.89 earlier, but up 11 cents from their last settlement. WTI hit $64.89 on Tuesday, also the highest since December 2014.


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Does Amazon Have An Athleisure Line Up Its Sleeve?
As people continue to mill the streets in chic yoga pants that double as office pants, it looks like Amazon is hopping on the athleisure bandwagon.
In December, the company posted job listings looking for brand managers with "experience studying (athletic, activewear ) trends, customer behavior and shopping patterns and converting them into recommendations for products and programs,” hinting that activewear is the next step for Amazon fashion. While this hasn't been confirmed by reps at Amazon, research from the Cowen Group predicts that Amazon will be the largest apparel retailer by 2020, so an athleisure line would likely be a good move for the company.
Smart business decisions aside, this would also be an exciting development for active women all over the globe. While many of us scour our favorite activewear companies at the beginning of each season looking for updates to our favorite pieces, an Amazon athleisure line could fill in the gaps.
Think affordable sports bras that fit seamlessly under your button down and also provide support, a tank that shows off the details of that colorful Lululemon sports bra you just invested in, or a pair of grippy socks that will take you straight from work to barre class.
And as any Amazon Prime member knows—and Prime members now outnumber non-Prime members—with an Amazon activewear line, you wouldn't have to wait weeks for a new pair of basic black yoga pants when your favorite pair splits down the middle. You'll get them immediately, and you won't have to pay extra for shipping.
Will it happen? That remains to be seen. But we're certainly keeping a close watch on the situation.
Want your passion for wellness to change the world? Become A Functional Nutrition Coach! Enroll today to join live July office hours.


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Carnival Games for the Wii has shipped over a million copies worldwide and was the fifth best-selling game in January 2008, according to NPD. Its success has lead 2K Play to announce a DS version of the mini-game collection. Set for release this summer, the portable game will use either the stylus or microphone for each event. Games in the compilation will include Alley Ball, Frog Leap, Dunk Tank, RC Raceway, and Clown Hammer.
"The success of Carnival Games is proof that the casual game market continues to grow," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K.
"The consumer response to Carnival Games has been extraordinary," said Steve Lux, VP of business development for 2K Play. "The game resonates with every demographic and the feedback we have received from moms, dads, kids and grandparents shows Carnival Games as one of the drivers of family game time. Our new games build on the strength of the first title and will promote this growing trend."


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See the complete list
The Downtown Development Authority has implemented an EV charging fee at its charging ports.
Know which streets to avoid during U-M's move-in week. Unless you're an incoming undergrad, of course.
The city is partnering with the DDA to expand its EV charging network downtown.
The 10 cent rate increase will only affect on-street parking.


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|Day Low/High||41.99 / 42.00|
|52 Wk Low/High||28.07 / 41.75|
Jim Cramer weighs in on Berkshire Hathaway's purchase of Amazon shares, Beyond Meat's successful IPO and Tesla is raising more capital.
Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, has announced a third round of price cuts on hundreds of items. So what's actually cheaper?
U.S. stock futures pointed lower as North Korea threatened to pull out of a summit with the United States. These are the headlines you must know premarket Wednesday.
Acquiring smart doorbell maker Ring is far from the first time Amazon has opened its checkbook in a significant way. Check out its biggest acquisitions.
Following Amazon's deal for the smart-doorbell maker Ring, one analyst thinks the company might go after a large -- but not too large -- brick-and-mortar chain to add to its physical retail footprint.
In an appearance on CNBC, Warren Buffett adds color to some of the biggest insights gained from Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder letter.
Rite Aid shares surge in premarket trading Tuesday after it announced merger plans with grocery store chain Albertsons Companies.
Health food junkies, feel free to get a little lazier. Watch and find out if Whole Foods delivery is coming to a city near you.
As investors decide what to do after a volatile three days, here are the business stories you need to know.
The iPhone maker will give most employees a $2,500 bonus, building on Wednesday's blitz of investment announcements.
It's no doubt that the tech sector had a landmark year; from the Apple iPhone X to the Tesla Model 3, check out some of our favorite moments.
Ford and Alibaba shares jump in pre-market trading after partnering to "re-define the driving experience".
With Macy's shares slumping this year, Amazon should take a look at buying the bricks-and-mortar retailer.
Jack in the Box has been approached by Apollo Global Management.
The deal is reportedly for $300 million.
Jana Partners' Barry Rosenstein has acquired a large stake in Bloomin' Brands and said he may urge it to "explore a sale" in a move that comes after another insurgent fund has accumulated a stake.
Alibaba gets major stake in China's leading hypermarket retailer as online giant adds 'bricks-and-mortar' to Wal-Mart challenge.
Whole Foods is dropping their prices for holiday specific items, with additional discounts for Prime members.
But many businesses have good reason to fear it.
Today's cases in point: Walmart and Cisco.
The Panera founder is stepping down as CEO - but he's still certainly going to be busy.
Ahold Delhaize, one of the biggest U.S. food retail owners in the United States, posted stronger-than-expected Q3 earnings amid its ongoing battle with giants Amazon and Wal-Mart.
Mergers reducing an industry's size to four players from five will be OK, while deals involving Chinese buyers face long odds. The jury is still out on vertically integrated deals.
Whole Foods Market's (Nasdaq: WFM) global buyers and experts today announced the most anticipated food trends for the year ahead.
Which zip codes will be affected as Amazon moves to shut down its Amazon Fresh service in certain zip codes.
Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFM) is searching for passionate, food-focused candidates to join its team.
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Entries in 'Apps' (1738)
Follow us on
How app developers can prosper in today's competitive market place.
It's like Where's Wally, but we tell you where the execs are hiding.
Targeted promotions to account for a third of all mobile ads and marketing.
Aspiring apprentices can now check out the latest vacancies from their iOS device.
Windows Phone firm is vexed at the way the search-cum-mobile giant pushes Google-branded services to Android.
Makeover boasts better visuals, simplified payment procedures and ease of use.
Search giant named as the latest buyer of the OTT messaging service.
An 11 per cent rise on Q4.
Brand’s full range of Veg Pots to feature in shopping platform.
More and more unknown third parties gaining access to personal details.
80 per cent of time is spent on apps.
India is the top ranking country across a host of app stores.
Renews mobile push as 37 per cent of smartphone users demand device-based deals.
Will allow developers and businesses to add voice and messaging services to apps.
Streaming platform to find new residency at the junkyard.
Secures new players in the cooking, education, and utility sectors.
Key announcement coming soon for iOS version of the app.
Teams mobile shopping solutions provider AIRTAG for the launch.
Plans to strengthen existing brands and continue teaming third parties.
It's a 'Boots to Asses style app'. Get ready to lay the smack down.


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Disney’s Latest ‘Jungle Cruise’ Clip Has Some Indiana Jones Vibes
Viewers who are entertaining the idea of embarking on a Jungle Cruise this weekend may want to know what’s in store for them.
Disney’s live-action adaptation of its Jungle Cruise theme park ride hits theaters and Disney+ Premier Access on July 30.
Now, the studio has released a new 4-minute clip which gives us our best look […]The post Disney’s Latest ‘Jungle Cruise’ Clip Has Some Indiana Jones Vibes appeared first on /Film.
Read full article


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The Centre on Wednesday said as much as 2.97 million tonnes (mt) of wheat have been cleared for export up to June 14 in the current fiscal after the shipments were allowed with official approval. It also said exports of atta have been monitored closely so that it does not replace wheat.
Briefing media on the prices of essential items, Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said the domestic wheat prices have been stable at ₹30.33/kg as of June 20, which is much below the international rate of ₹40.96. He said due to the policy measure (ban on export) of the government this has been possible and inflation has been contained.
Request from several nations
Pandey said the Government has received requests from several countries for allowing wheat exports but he refused to share details. Sources, however, said as much as 1.5 lakh tonnes have been sent to Bangladesh after the ban. An inter-ministerial committee has been constituted under a joint secretary, Food Ministry, to consider all proposals under government-to-government deals for wheat exports.
India had banned wheat export on May 13 but agreed to allow only those quantities for which an irrevocable letter of credit (LC) has been opened on or before the ban was imposed. It also has opened the window of export for friendly and food-insecure countries on government-to-government basis.
Pandey said, “the government is monitoring ( atta prices/export) and it will take appropriate steps. Monitoring is needed as wheat is regulated for export and it should not so happen that wheat gets converted into atta and an excessive quantity of flour gets exported. We have to maintain a balance.” He, however, said the export is on the higher side compared with the year-ago period.
As much as 0.26 mt of atta (wheat flour) has been exported between April 1 and June 14, officials said. About 0.57 mt of flour worth ₹1,842 crore was exported in entire 2021-22 fiscal (means less than 50,000 tonnes a month).
Edible oils cool down
Meanwhile, Pandeysaid, “trends in edible oils prices are very positive due to the government’s timely intervention and global developments.” The average retail prices of packaged edible oils have eased slightly, except for groundnut oil, across the country since the beginning of this month and are ruling between ₹150 and ₹190 per litre.
Adani Wilmar and Mother Dairy last week announced reduction in MRP (maximum retail price) for different varieties of cooking oils by ₹10-15 per litre. Both the companies said the stock with new MRPs will hit the market shortly.
As per the data compiled by the Department of Consumer Affairs, the average retail prices of groundnut oil (packaged) stood at ₹188.14 per litre on June 21 against ₹186.43 per litre on June 1. Mustard oil rates have edged down to ₹180.85 on June 21 from ₹183.68 on June 1. The price of vanaspati is flat at ₹165 per kg. The price of soya oil is marginally down to ₹167.67 (₹169.65), while that of sunflower dipped slightly to ₹189.99 (₹193). Palm oil has dropped to ₹152.52 on June 21 from ₹156.4/litre on June 1.


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LendingPoint announced this week it closed a credit facility worth up to $500 million on Aug. 22. It was arranged by Guggenheim Securities.
At closing LendingPoint took down $138.5 million and on Sept. 15 they took down an additional $32.7 million. The funds will help grow the consumer installment loan portfolio, one that grew by 98 per cent in the year ending in August 2017.
Earlier this year LendingPoint signed a participation agreement with FinWise bank, one allowing LendingPoint to offer installment loans with standardized rates, loan agreements, product portfolios, marketing and services to American near prime consumers.
“Investors are looking for opportunities that combine leading technology, sound data and risk modeling, and predictable return,” LendingPoint cofounder and CEO Tom Burnside said. “LendingPoint’s credit-first, balance sheet approach has proven that it’s possible to unlock access to credit for more consumers who have been underserved by traditional lending, while still offering stable, predictable performance for investors.”
“LendingPoint is in the business of democratizing access to credit for millions of people who are overlooked by risk models that rely too heavily on traditional credit scores,” cofounder and chief strategy officer Juan E. Tavares said. “We do this by using data and technology to tell unique credit stories — looking at people’s potential, not just their past.
“Today’s announcement marks an important step in our ability to make credit fair again for a huge segment of the population who are deserving, yet underserved.”


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This year has seen Unite employing its new leverage strategy to hit "back at employers all the way up and down their supply chain and their customer chain". In practice, this involves Unite launching a campaign, during an industrial dispute, aimed at pressurising the employer by targeting its direct and indirect areas of weakness. Typically, this will include stunts, flashmobs, demonstrations and other high-profile national and international protests aimed not only at the employer, but at customers, suppliers and investors. For example, during this Spring's electrician dispute, Unite reportedly organised protests at a dinner for management in Park Lane.
While Unite do not see leverage as a replacement for strike action, it does provide alternative industrial "muscle", according to Unite, which may be more attractive to officials when faced with detailed balloting and notification requirements and a limited appetite by workers for strikes.


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Another day, another massive data breach in the headlines and this one isn’t even new. Facebook is grappling again with damage control as a previous data breach (discovered and mitigated in 2019) garners international attention with newly discovered published data sets of personal information for over 500 million customers. Facebook may be able to withstand
In 2020, the United States Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act1). The CARES Act created a new lending program for small businesses. Most technology businesses can benefit from the CARES Act. The exceptions are organizations that are controlled by venture capital or private equity firms and some online retailers.


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Big data or smart data? Seriously, it’s not about how much data you have, it’s about how well you use it.
Knowing the difference between the two can be the key to unlocking innovation in your agency, says the Chief Innovation Officer for Dentsu Ageis Network.
Arvind Sethumadhavan will talk about his smart data philosophies in a live, online chat hosted by ADMA and B&T at 12 noon AEST, Friday 27 June.
Sethumadhavan will talk to B&T’s Editor-in-Chief David Hovenden about how to successfully navigate the surplus of data to distil useful insights and how using those insights can ensure a better customer experience. They’ll also take a closer look at the innovation process and how remarkable ideas can become remarkable stories.
The half-hour webinar is a lead up event to the new ADMA Media Connect conference taking place Tuesday 29 July at the Sydney Hilton Hotel.
As Chief Innovation Officer at Dentsu Aegis, Sethumadhavan is responsible for identifying scalable initiatives, products and services to enable clients to harness the power of new technologies.
His key areas of focus are platforms and technology, incubating new business opportunities with existing key clients, industry thought leadership, and being a support for all Aegis Media brands around the region: Isobar, iProspect, Carat, Vizeum and Posterscope.
His role is designed as a catalyst to enable Aegis Media teams to move beyond tried and tested boundaries. His expertise enables Aegis media in creating innovative solutions for clients that deliver tangible long-term business impact.
Sethumadhavan has over two decades of professional experience spanning a diverse set of industries covering global brands like LG, Samsung, Dell, Motorola, HSBC, Unilever and Diageo to name a few. He has rich experience in supporting businesses in the diverse landscape of APAC, having lived and worked in India, Hong Kong, China and Malaysia.
Register for the half hour webinar at http://www.adma.com.au/attend/upcoming-events/adma-unplugged-webinar-arvind-sethumadhavan/
Acast, the independent power source of podcasting has teamed up with Comscore to provide brand suitability controls for brands advertising through the Acast Marketplace. This new innovation is part of a global partnership with Comscore, and will be available to all advertisers working with Acast Australia and New Zealand. The brand suitability solutions offered by […]
Media agency Wavemaker has appointed Susie Si as group business director – to lead the Vodafone account. Si joins from sister agency MediaCom, where she has spent the last 8 years. Most recently she was group client lead on News Corp. Si will report to Wavemaker Sydney managing director Ian Edwards, and replaces Emily Cook […]
Headquartered in Melbourne, Trade Indy is expanding off the back of strong client retention and consistent growth through existing and new business. Founded in Melbourne in 2014, the team have since expanded the business through team members in Singapore, Indonesia, Tasmania and Queensland, and are pleased to announce the full-time employment of NSW commercial director […]
Outbrain Inc. has announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 8,000,000 shares of common stock at a price to the public of US$20.00 per share. The gross proceeds to Outbrain from the offering, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $160 million. The shares began […]
HubSpot, the customer relationship management (CRM) platform for scaling companies, has announced that as part of its World Certification Week, it is supporting the GO Foundation with its mission to empower young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through education. As part of the support, HubSpot will donate $5 for every HubSpot Academy certification awarded […]
IntelligenceBank has today announced a strategic growth investment from Five Elms Capital. The $US37 million ($50 million) investment comes as brands and enterprises have realised that outdated technologies, disjointed data sources, and manual processes make it challenging to efficiently manage essential marketing workflows and ensure compliance across the organization. IntelligenceBank digitally transforms manual processes and […]
Southern Cross Austero (SCA) announced today 10 all-new DAB+ music stations on LiSTNr. The introduction of the 10 new Dab stations takes the number of music stations to 25 and reinforces its commitment to growing exclusive music programs and content. The 10 new stations have been created to cater to a variety of moods and […]
SBS has launched live interpreting of the daily NSW Government COVID-19 press conference in languages other than English, to provide communities with access to the latest information and critical health messages. The national-first initiative provides real-time interpreting of the press conferences in Arabic and Vietnamese, streamed live every day on the SBS Arabic24 and SBS Vietnamese Facebook pages, SBS […]
Snowflake, the Data Cloud company, today announced it has been chosen by market-leading linking platform, Linktree, to support the company’s business intelligence and analytics activities. Linktree enables creators, brands, artists, publishers, agencies, and businesses of all sizes to curate an online ecosystem and monetise their passion, instantly guiding their audience to the destinations they care […]
Australian Pay On Demand fintech Beforepay has launched its first-ever brand campaign: ‘Your pay at your command’. “Beforepay exists to meet a gap in the market where Australians are seeking flexibility and control to access the pay they’ve earned on their terms. As pioneers of the Pay On Demand category, it’s important that we set […]
Taboola (Nasdaq: TBLA), a global leader in powering recommendations for the open web, helping people discover things they may like, announced today that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Connexity from Symphony Technology Group for approximately $US800 million. Connexity is one of the largest independent e-commerce media platforms in the open web, serving over 1,600 direct merchants, and 6,000 publishers.
Twitter has just experienced its fastest growth in revenue since 2014, with the social media platform benefiting from increased interest from advertisers. Revenue was up 74 per cent YoY, according to the company’s Q2 results, reaching $US1.19 billion ($1.6 billion) from $US683.4 million ($925 million) 12 months ago. The strong results came in the same […]


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Futuristic racing fans in need of some speed got some fantastic news from the good folks over at Shin’en Multimedia today. Announced via Twitter, Fast RMX is set to receive six additional tracks and two new cups next month as part of a free update!
While a more specific worldwide release date has yet to be confirmed, we do know Japanese players will receive the update first alongside an official release of the game on Switch.
For those who have yet to get behind the wheel of a subsonic spacecraft, we found it to be an exhilarating ride for both casual and hardcore racing fans alike.
What do you think? Does the thrill of once again hurdling through tracks at breakneck speeds beckon you back?Leave a Comment


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News Hunt 240x400 - Eterno Infotech has launched a revolutionary new product NewsHunt , which allows mobile users to read newspaper of their choice on the go .NewsHunt is a mobile application through which you can access the latest news of the regional language newspaper on you mobile handset .NewsHunt provides more than 30 leading Indian Newspapers like Andhrajyothy, Andhraprabha, Dainik Bhaskar, Dinamalar, Midday, Dinamani, Prajavani, Eenadu ,Indian Express, Jagran, Kannada Prabha, Loksatta, Mangalam, Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Deccan Herald, Dainik Navajyoti, Divya Bhaskar, New Indian Express, Punjab Keshari, Sakal, Sandesh and many
-More than 50 leading Indian NewsPapers
-Millions of users across the world.
-9 different languages
-Over 1500 handset models supported
-Works across ALL operators
Like it? Share with your friends!
Google News Zimbabwe Google News Zimbabwe Live Zimbabwe news stories delivered fast from Google News Zimbabwe, powered by biNu to be ultra-fast, simple and easy to use. Also comes with other features such as Google Search, Wikipedia, English dictionary, Google Translate, weather in many languages
Mobicom Free Mobile Application. Rich Downloads, Headline News and SMS services
Women24 Women24 is SA's largest online female brand now available on your phone. Content includes: Love & Sex, TV & Gossip, Fashion & Beauty, Welness, Bride24, Careers & Money, Books & Astrology, Home & Away and Columnists
AIBL2011 The 2011 AIBL Business & Leadership National Conference will be held March 31 - April 2
Baidu News Baidu News - Live Chinese news stories delivered instantly from Baidu News, powered by biNu to be ultra-fast, simple and easy to use. Including top stories, finance, military, entertainment, games and more. Also comes with other features such as Google Search, Wikipedia, English dictionary, Google Translate, weather in many languages
Post by ME - WAP Site Post by ME - WAP Site Key features include:
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2) Users can view submitted content on a map and on a list arranged by categories. You can even read about the content authors
Peoples Daily English by biNu Peoples Daily English by biNu - News from the English version of the People's Daily, powered by biNu to be ultra-fast, simple and easy to use on standard phones. Also comes with Google Search, Wikipedia, English dictionary, Google Translate, weather, news in many languages, soccer scores, forex quotes, horoscopes and much more..


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20,000 pack into fair in 2 hours
Amy Nip and Janet Gu
More than 20,000 people rushed to the Hong Kong Book Fair in its first two hours yesterday.
They queued to buy the memoirs of late democracy activist Szeto Wah, snapped up discounted history volumes marking the 100th anniversary of the Chinese revolution - and collected free cosmetics.
There was even a treat for male fans when a couple of top pseudo-models put in an appearance.
The number of visitors was 20 per cent up on last year's opening day and sellers said book fans - some of them with suitcases to carry their purchases - had started queuing outside earlier than usual.
Chelly Fok, a 19-year-old Form Seven pupil, was the first in the queue. 'I am aiming at a limited edition of a fiction book,' she said.
One of the most popular books was Szeto's The Endless River Eastward Flows: A Memoir, Yuen Kwok-sum, of Greenfield Book Store, said.
More than 100 copies were sold in the afternoon alone. And many had their eyes on bargain books costing as little as HK$10 each.
'A man bought about 30 of the HK$10 books. It could be something to do with inflation,' Yuen said.
Buyers were also keen to get their hands on hugely discounted books, particularly on history and politics due to the centenary of the 1911 revolution, publishers said.
But Luck-Win Book Store manager Lam Pik-fun said sellers were still waiting for another blockbuster series like the Harry Potter books to boost profits in the coming years.
Some of the longest queues were at the stalls of fashion magazine publishers who handed out gifts to subscribers. Free cosmetics were a big draw for female readers.
Frequent fair-goer Lisa Hews and her daughter Cora Yau See-wai brought two suitcases with them and planned to spend more than HK$1,000, almost half the family's annual book budget.
'We wish we could bring bigger suitcases, but that may block the traffic,' joked Hews.
Pseudo-models may have been banned officially from signing autographs at the book fair.
But on the first day, they still managed to titillate some, and offend others.
Phoebe Hui, whose book of photographs was on sale, drew a huge crowd of mostly male fans when she made an appearance.
'This album seeks to convey the feeling of sex,' she said.
The book fair allows the sale of photo books of models in swimsuits, though critics argue such publications blur the line between literature and soft pornography.
The models are allowed to attend the fair but cannot sign autographs.
The signing ban was imposed last year after several pseudo-models kissed and hugged their fans as a marketing strategy.
Many visitors complained, saying such behaviour reflected badly on the event.
Some of the more well-known pseudo-models, such as Chrissie Chau Sau-na, were absent yesterday
Last year, Chau and a fellow pseudo-model skirted fair rules by holding autograph sessions at a tunnel near the adjacent Golden Bauhinia Square.
Benjamin Chau Kai-leung, deputy executive director of the Trade Development Council, said a foreign exhibitor removed books after it was warned about explicit content.
He said the organiser had received no complaints about the models, who were allowed to exercise freedom of speech and movement at the fair as long as they did not cause major disruption.
He advised them to be mindful of the fact that the event's visitors included children.
Meanwhile, one of the most popular events at the fair at the Convention and Exhibition Centre yesterday was a talk by Li Chengpeng, a mainland blogger who has more than three million followers.
More than 200 attended, drawn by his black humour.
He said his son had told him that instant noodles in Hong Kong tasted quite different from those on the mainland. He replied: 'Of course, they don't contain melamine.'


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The Legal Week Innovation Awards 2017 launch today (3 February) with a call for submissions that highlight innovation and ingenuity within the legal services market.
The awards, which are in their third year, set out to celebrate the contribution made by lawyers and non-fee-earning staff to the success of their businesses, and cover disciplines including BD, finance, IT, project management, operations, PR and recruitment.
Hosted by Legal Week in association with sister title The American Lawyer, the awards will take place on 26 May at The Brewery in the City of London.
Last year’s winners included Dentons, Cooley and Wiggin, while Schillings COO and partner Christopher Mills, who was instrumental in reinventing the firm from a defamation boutique to a reputation defence business, received the Outstanding Innovator Award.
Dentons was recognised for the launch of its own technology investment arm NextLaw Labs, while Cooley won plaudits for its online resource centre for entrepreneurs in London, building on the US firm’s Silicon Valley experience.
Wiggin (pictured above) was the recipient of the flagship Future of Legal Services Innovation category, for the creation of a technology company to help clients identify online sales of counterfeit goods and take action.
This year’s judging panel will include Legal Week editor Georgina Stanley and The American Lawyer’s chief global correspondent Chris Johnson, working alongside a panel of experts. Last year’s judges included former Simmons & Simmons senior partner Dame Janet Gaymer – now a non-executive member of the House of Commons Commission – and former Bar Council chair Chantal-Aimee Doerries QC.
- For sponsorship enquiries, please email email@example.com


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Celebrating 40 years of powering innovation
The world’s tech community converges in Dubai, positioning GITEX among the top 3 tech events worldwide. Since 40 years, GITEX has been the global stage for innovation.
With the rapid acceleration of digital transformation and the booming tech demand in the Middle East & North Africa region, the event is now more important than ever to access the massive regional market.
GITEX will serve as the common collaborative platform to enable the UAE's tech vision.
GITEX is five-day exhibition and conference taking place from 6 – 10 December 2020 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Returning for our 40th year, we’ll be showcasing the transformational ideas that will shape the future of government and business in the next decade.
Companies of all sizes take part in GITEX to showcase their solutions and products. From tech powerhouses to innovative.
See the big list of Exhibitors here.
Small-enterprises and startups, GITEX is the tech industry’s most important business and growth-generating event for 2020.
You bring the products, we’ll bring the buyers
Your innovation and products deserve to be seen, which is why GITEX is your vital go-to-market partner in 2020. In 2019, over 100,000 visitors attended GITEX and over 85% see GITEX as their ‘key product sourcing platform’ of the region
Whatever your target sector, we’ve got you covered including hosting the largest government representation of any tech show, with 500+ entities joining from the MENA region and beyond last year.


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Do Not Track techniques and technologies are finding wider acceptance and usage as consumers become more weary or wary of digital data collection, mobile tracking and addressable advertising strategies.
Consumers are making greater use of so-called DNT technologies to protect their personal data, and to prevent or reduce its exposure and collection by Internet marketers and mobile advertisers.
Individual websites, social media networks, mobile devices and even set-top TV boxes are all part of a digital ecosystem used to deliver highly targeted ads and marketing messages, but that approach is now being challenged at its very core.
Digital analysis firm Ovum recently painted what it described as a threatening scenario for the Internet economy, as consumers seek out new DNT tools that make themselves untraceable and impossible to target.
A majority of surveyed Internet and digital media users in eleven different countries want to be “invisible” , and they would use a “do-not-track” (DNT) feature if it was easily available, suggesting that a data black hole could soon open up under the Internet economy.
Together with calls for tighter regulation, consumers who make such choices can reduce the amount and relevance of personal data supply lines, and negatively impact targeted advertising, CRM, big data analytics, and other digital industries.
“Unfortunately, in the gold rush that is big data, taking the supply of ‘little data’ -- personal data -- for granted seems to be an accident waiting to happen,” said Mark Little, principal analyst at Ovum, in describing the report's findings. “However, consumers are being empowered with new tools and services to monitor, control, and secure their personal data as never before, and it seems they increasingly have the motivation to use them.”
Ovum’s analysis echoes a recent report from Advertising Standards Canada, and underscores consumer and privacy advocate concerns expressed here.
It found that some three quarters of Canadians worry about the erosion of personal privacy; it’s the second most worrying issue for Canadians among several global concerns: 72 per cent said they are worried about the erosion of personal privacy, roughly on par with the number concerned about the global financial crisis (73 per cent) and climate change (71 per cent).
"The use of online behavioural advertising has exploded and we're concerned that Canadians' privacy rights aren't always being respected," said Canada’s federal Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart in notes prepared for a speech to a Marketing and the Law conference in Toronto.
The Commissioner has unveiled new guidelines on online behavioural advertising which also set out restrictions on the tracking of children and tracking technologies that people can't turn off. She has also warned about “data leakage” from some popular sites; she has said that some improvements have been made, but the sites had not been named or otherwise identified.
In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission has endorsed DNT as a simple way for users to inform integrated web services which offer content across the Internet (such as buttons, widgets, and other embedded features) that they do not want certain information about their webpage visits collected across websites when they have not interacted with that service's content on the page.
There are calls for a "DNT mechanism that would prevent an entity from developing profiles about mobile users" that are “easy to find and use”, “effective and enforceable,” and would apply to more than “just advertisements.”
“Internet companies need a new set of messages to change consumers’ attitudes,” Ovum’s Little added. “These messages must be based on positive direct relationships, engagement with consumers, and the provision of genuine and trustworthy privacy controls. Most importantly, data controllers need a better feel for the approaching disruption to their supply lines, and must invest in tools that help them understand the profile of today’s negatively-minded users -- tomorrow’s invisible consumers.”
For more Mediacaster Magazine coverage related to this topic, please see:
Online Advertising Causing Concerns for Privacy Advocates
ASC Report Highlights Privacy Concerns with Media Marketing
Addressable Advertising Tech Standards Approved
CRTC Opens up Video on Demand Services to Addressable Advertising


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DETROIT: Jaguar Land Rover on model offensive
After a year in which Jaguar Land Rover has launched some important new models such as the redesigned Range Rover and new Jaguar variants specially for markets like the US and China, there is plenty more to come from the company which promised eight new or refreshed models this year.
Some we already know about such as the new F-type Jaguar and the hybrid Range Rover while others are still under wraps.
But global sales chief Phil Popham revealed that there would be a "significant" US launch of another new model.
This is almost certain to be the unveil of the redesigned Range Rover Sport at the New York show in late March.
Popham said: "These are very exciting times and we have eight new 'product actions' to look forward to this year. We are talking about new body styles and the introduction of new lightweight materials and other innovations.
"We have already seen that customers react well to innovation and there have been 25,000 people in the US alone expressing an interest in the new F-type. Some 85% of these are new to the brand and the age demographic is 10 years younger than our current customers."
This QUBE report from just-auto provides a comprehensive overview of the global automotive starter motor and alternator sector, major suppliers, top 14 markets, technology trends and market size forec...
The media days for the 2013 Frankfurt Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) are 10 & 11 September. Each of the following vehicles is a world premiere at the show....
The 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed was held between 11-14 July inclusive, with many vehicles making their global debuts....
Tata Group's Jaguar Land Rover has created two new roles on its executive committee to support an increased focus on research and development and to help develop new products....
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- Peugeot reveals revamped 3008 compact SUV
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- Ford recalls 271,000 F-150s for brake job
- Romanian PM asks Ford for more


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What a Wonderful Beef!, the campaign sponsored by provacuno to promote beef in non eu-countries
- The 3-year promotional campaign will be taken to countries like Saudia Arabia, UAE, Hong Kong and Vietnam, and will be subsidized by the EU
- The contract to get the project underway is expected to be signed in January 2018
- The campaign has been designed to demonstrate and promote the qualities and characteristics of Spanish beef in countries outside our borders
Madrid, 12 December 2017 – The project to promote Spanish beef in non-EU countries, which the Inter-professional Organization of the Spanish Beef Industry (PROVACUNO) presented to the EU, has been selected to be executed in 2018-2021 with 80% co-funding from the EU. PROVACUNO will roll out a promotional campaign with a view to raising awareness about Spanish beef in non-EU countries and presenting the characteristics and qualities of our product in foreign markets. The 3-year program will be executed under the slogan, “What a wonderful beef!”, and responds to a budget of 2,250,000 euros.
The contract is expected to be signed in January 2018, and the association will implement promotional actions in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Hong Kong and Vietnam. PROVACUNO will participate in the main trade fairs held in these countries: Foodex Saudi, Gulfood Dubai, HOFEX Hong Kong and Food & Hotel Vietnam.
Several parallel activities have been planned, including events aimed at importers and the media, sector analyses in these countries, reverse trade missions, and other acts to position Spanish beef as a high-value alternative in those markets.
This action, which is part of the International Promotional Plan which the Inter-professional Organization of the Spanish Beef Industry will roll out in 2018, aims to establish and strengthen commercial ties and reinforce the presence of Spanish beef in these demanding markets, some of which have just recently opened up their borders to beef from Spain.