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In a recent interview with Business Insider, Xbox’s Phil Spencer suggested that COVID-19’s impact on the game industry will be felt much worse in 2021 as opposed to 2020. The good news, however, is that delaying the Xbox Series X is still entirely out of the question for Microsoft.
To understand why 2021 will be worse on game development than 2020, a period where just about everyone is working from home, you have to take into consideration what goes into creating a AAA video game – things like motion capture (MOCAP) and Audio composition, for example, can’t be done from home, Most of the games set to launch this year have already been through the majority of motion capturing. Games coming next year, however, are a completely different story.
“Through the summer, early fall? I feel pretty good about those games. Games that were targeting a year from now or beyond? There'll be some impact, but they'll be able to react.”
In a statement to Eurogamer Portugal, Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will run at a minimum of 30 FPS at 4K on the Xbox Series X.
"Currently, we can guarantee that Assassin's Creed Valhalla will run at least 30 FPS. Assassin's Creed Valhalla will benefit from faster loading times, allowing players to immerse themselves in history and the world without friction. Finally, Assassin's Creed Valhalla will benefit from improved graphics made possible by the Xbox Series X, and we can't wait to see the beautiful world we're creating in stunning 4K resolution."
Ubisoft went on to point out that this is just the current estimate. That means things could change between now and when the game is released. And, to be honest, chances are that Ubisoft is being very careful not to set expectations too high after that nonsense that was 3 seconds of gameplay during the May Inside Xbox live stream. That said, 30 FPS falls far short of the 4K60 targets that...
Following the misconception that the Xbox Series X games would (and be required to) run at 60 FPS as a standard, Xbox Games Marketing Head, Aaron Greenberg, has clarified that it isn’t the case.
Long story short, Microsoft isn’t mandating game studios to develop their games to run standard at 60 FPS. In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft said, “It’s up to individual developers to determine how they leverage the power and speed of Xbox Series X.” Shortly Thereafter, Aaron Greenberg made a rebuttal tweet along the same lines, saying,
“Developers always have flexibility in how they use the power, so a standard or common 60 FPS is not a mandate.”
So, while the Series X is capable of running at 60 FPS and even 120 FPS without issue, game studios will be the one responsible for a game’s performance. If a studio doesn’t want to take advantage of what the Series X can do, they don’t have to. Of course, there’s...
In the last two years, Forza Horizon 4 has set the standard when it comes to providing fresh, free content for players. As Series 22 kicks off, things will continue as usual, and this time around, we’re getting access to a handful of Group A and B rally cars from the late 1980s and early 1990s!.
Honestly, it’s not a bad cars list at all, and chances are that there’s something on the list that will fit you and your driving style like a glove:
1990 Nissan Pulsar GTI-R1999 Ford Racing Puma1990 Toyota Celica ST1851994 Toyota Celica ST2051991 Peugeot 205 Rallye1988 Mitsubishi Starion ESi-R
Of course, you can’t just get them all right now. They are all spread across the rewards for the four seasonal championships or for reaching completion milestones from the seaons playlists. The update is now live, though, so you can get to work at claiming your new cars. And, in case...
The sheer size of games is starting to get ridiculous with current-gen consoles, and it’s only going to get worse when next-gen games start to gain traction. I’m not talking about the length of games, but the amount of storage space they take. Just think about the size of games like Red Dead Redemption or the recent update for Call of Duty Modern Warfare – the latter pushed the game beyond the 100GB mark. With next-gen games being more intense and graphically pleasing that what we have today, storage space will become an even larger problem. As things stand right now, the 1TB Xbox Series X may only be able to hold 8-10 games on internal storage, and that’s if you’re lucky.
Unfortunately, there’s no magic trick to reduce the file size of games. Huge strides have been made in terms of hiding loading screens and making gameplay more seamless, and that will be even better with next-gen consoles. But, until some kind of new compression technology comes around...
Microsoft’s May edition of Inside Xbox might have been a big letdown in terms of gameplay presentation and, while we’ve already discussed why you shouldn’t be that disappointed, we can largely agree with everyone that there should have been more gameplay. Thankfully, IGN has managed to come up with 12 minutes of gameplay from The Ascent, one of the very games that was announced during the Inside Xbox stream.
The gameplay you see above backs up previous thoughts that The Ascent is an action-RPG set in cyberpunk world. It looks like a blend between Diablo and Judge Dredd while the city itself reminds a lot of Blade Runner (old and new.) The gameplay you see here is based on solo mode, but IGN has said that there will be a co-op mode so that you can play along with others.
The Ascent is a launch title for the Xbox Series X, but it’s also set to be available for the...
The idea of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 expected having an entry-level price tag of between $500 and $600 isn’t surprising. However, industry analyst Michael Pachter says Microsoft might be willing to take a hit to win the next-gen console war, suggesting that the company could sell the Series X for $400 at launch.
Pachter, who is a veteran industry analyst, I might add, during his appearance on Periscope with Geoff Keighley. During his appearance, he explained exactly why and how Microsoft would low-ball the Series X price.
“From what I’ve seen, Sony’s going to have to charge $500 for their PS5, and Microsoft has a big balance sheet. if they want to cut the price by $100, just price below and subsidize the first ten million, they will.”
The general idea is that, since Microsoft generates so much revenue from other sources, the Xbox division can take a hit without even stumbling. With the exception of the lackluster May Inside...
First off, the May Inside Xbox live stream was, based on set expectations a disappointment. I know a good majority of people watching were expecting to see some serious Assassin’s Creed Valhalla gameplay. I have to admit that Ubisoft should be ashamed of itself. We were promised gameplay, of which we got about three seconds mixed in with more cinematic trailer. That aside, I’ve seen a lot of complaining about graphics of the games shown off during the event, but nobody seemed to pay attention to the fine print.
I understand that a lot of people were hoping to see some next-gen graphics during the event, and it didn’t happen.
There’s a good chance that we’ll see exactly that in July when first-party titles are shown off, but the games that we saw during this month’s presentation were far from indicative of what the Xbox Series X is capable of. It was all in the fine print that, seemingly,...
If you looking to watch the Xbox Series X Gameplay Event today, then we’ve got good news for you – you can watch it right here via the stream above. It kicks off at 8am PDT 11am EDT 4pm BST.
According to the various teasers we’ve seen so far, the show should showcase “next-gen gameplay, trailers, and sneak peeks from a wide variety of publishing partners and independent developers across the globe and industry.” So far, the only game we know that we’ll see for sure is Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which is scheduled to launch pretty much alongside the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 this holiday season.
Microsoft claims that it will confirm multiple games that will be available via its Smart Delivery System – a system that allows you to upgrade to the next-gen version for free when it’s available – so there will likely be a ton of cross-gen titles available. The titles that we’ll see today will be Xbox Series...
Just one month after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign launched on the PlayStation 4, the remaster is now available on PC and Xbox. As was the case on the PlayStation 4, it’ll set you back $20.
If you’re an Xbox player, you can head over to the Microsoft store on your computer or on your Xbox and download the remastered campaign. If you’re a PC player take note that the remastered campaign is only available on Battle.net. The original release is still on Steam, so don’t confuse the two. Regardless of your platform, the remastered version comes complete with 4K support, improved textures, improved animations, and remastered audio. PC players even get ultrawide monitor support.
This is a stand-alone download for all platforms, so there’s no need for you to own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered. However, if you are a Modern Warfare or Warzone player, buying MW2 Remastered will get you the...


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“SO, TELL ME why you don’t eat meat?” – it’s the question that, as a lifelong vegetarian and now vegan, I get asked all of the time. The answer to which is constantly evolving, mainly because there are just so many good reasons to reduce your meat and dairy consumption.
Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board have recently decided to invest in research to ‘win back’ vegans and vegetarians. By their own estimations, 8 per cent of the Irish population are vegetarian, and 2 per cent of those are now vegan.
That’s eight per cent of the population – a ready-made market – that our national food board have decided they would rather twist their arms, than cater to their needs. By their own ‘Brexit Barometer’ published just last week, 85 per cent of Irish food producers and farmers are looking to expand their business into new markets. So why are Bord Bia so quick to shun one that is ready-made, and at their doorsteps.
Interfering in national diet
Let us be clear that Bord Bia’s remit is not to prescribe the Irish diet – it’s to support our farmers and food producers, by promoting Irish food, both national and internationally. Attempts by governments to interfere with the national diet have, in the past, proved catastrophic.
The blanket promotion of fructose in the US food market for example, has been detrimental to rising diabetes and obesity in America – not to mention the impact that mass-production of corn has had on the environment.
Bord Bia play a hugely important role, supporting a sector that is so valuable to our heritage and our economy. So why have they decided that they should be setting food trends, over meeting the needs of a burgeoning market?
Rather than explore how lucrative this very healthy and environmentally-friendly trend could be, Bord Bia have dismissed it as a ‘faddy diet’, opting for a naïve approach, trying to ‘win back’ this cohort, when it’s already there for the taking.
It’s also erroneous to view vegetarianism and veganism as a ‘foodism’ or ‘faddy diet’. Plant-based diets have been around for millennia, and the drivers toward them are complicated and multifaceted. Just as so many are now ditching the car for a bike, there is a sway towards eating more plant-based foods for better health, wealth and to lower your impact on climate change.
As with all diets, a predominantly plant-based one isn’t perfect, but in those imperfections lie real opportunities for Ireland to become a world leader. Bord Bia’s investment could be much better spent in researching how to overcome, and where the opportunities lie in, the countless challenges that vegetarians and vegans face on a daily basis.
For example, how to easily supplement vitamin B12; the only nutrient that is not readily available in a plant-based diet – or how Ireland can compete in the market of providing plant-based alternatives.
For farmers who want to add value to their incomes, by growing more vegetable, fruit and grain, the environmental and financial challenges can be difficult and complex. If they are to face them head-on, and meet the market demand, then Bord Bia really do need to up their game and find ways to make this transition easy.
Something we do well
We’re incredibly proud of our agricultural and food sectors, because food is something that we do really well in Ireland. Irish farmers and food producers don’t need Bord Bia to try and persuade vegetarians and vegans to eat meat.
It’s clear from their own survey data that where they actually do need help, is in finding new and lucrative markets. If we are to best help our farmers and food producers, then Bord Bia need to stop asking vegetarians and vegans “why don’t you eat meat?” and start asking us “what do you want to eat?”
Eva Elizabeth Dowling is the Green Party’s Stillorgan Area Representative.
Published in The Journal: Jul 8th 2018 https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/column-bord-bia-need-to-stop-asking-vegetarians-and-vegans-why-dont-you-eat-meat-4098610-Jul2018/

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Which streaming service offers the best value for money?...
Which streaming service offers the best value for money?
Just when you thought there were enough streaming services to contend with, here’s another.
From today, American platform Tubi is now available in Australia. But unlike Disney+, Netflix or Stan, Tubi doesn’t want your money because it is free.
Tubi is officially launching in Australia on September 1 (but is accessible now) with 7000 titles in its library, but there is a catch. Actually, two catches.
The first is Tubi is ad-supported, which means you do pay in a sense by watching on average four minutes per hour of streaming. The other catch is Tubi’s catalogue is primarily made up of B movies and TV shows you have never heard of.
While its more prominent titles, such as 3:10 to Yuma, The Blair Witch Project, Reservoir Dogs and Stranger Than Fiction, won’t be available until its official launch or later, Tubi is already in soft launch right now, which means you can stream a bunch of B movies tonight, perfect with a glass (or four) of wine.
There are titles like Titanic II (no, it has nothing to do with James Cameron’s three-hour epic), Paranormal Entity (yes, that says Entity, not Activity), Atlantic Rim (because why should the Pacific have all the fun?), Straight Outta Oakland and San Andreas Quake (this one does not star The Rock).
Eddie Murphy does not feature in Going to America (about a young man in LA claiming to be an African prince who becomes an overnight internet sensation) and Mandy the Haunted Doll may bear more than a passing resemblance to Annabelle.
Scrolling through its library and you’ll come across an occasional familiar face: Kevin Smith in Comic Book Men, Zendaya in Zapped, Zooey Deschanel in Tin Man and Chadwick Boseman in The Kill Hole.
There are also some classics that aren’t just the poor man’s version of something else, such as Sirens and Django. We’re pretty sure Mischa Barton’s 2015 movie American Beach House doesn’t belong in this category.
RELATED: Australia’s streaming utopia is over
Tubi will launch across iOS and Android devices as well as on Chromecast, Apple TV, Telstra TV, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox and selected smart TVs. Tubi won’t require registration, but you do need to register if you want personalised recommendations and your viewing queue to carry across devices.
As for the timing of its Australian launch, two months before the arrival of Disney+, Tubi chief executive Farhad Massoudi told news.com.au that Tubi’s value proposition — i.e., it’s free — makes it attractive for consumers in a crowded market.
“I think all the subscription companies are impressive, but the idea that an average home is subscribing to Amazon, Disney+ and all these other services is ludicrous,” he said.
“It’s not going to happen, and the projections some of these guys are putting out, the only way that would be possible is if we all stop saving money and spend it all on streaming services. That’s clearly not going to happen.
“I think the average household is going to have a limited number of subscriptions — that number right now is three — and then they’re going to complement them with a free service.
“We’re offering a dramatically different offer. They have a shallow library of originals, we have a deep library of content.
“Obviously being free is a huge part of our proposition. There’s a huge difference between charging a penny and charging nothing. There is no registration, you’re one click away from watching a movie.”
Mr Massoudi is also not worried about studios and distribution companies locking away their movies and TV shows for their own streaming services. He said those studios were trying to lock down the “first window” — meaning those first months or years after a title’s release — for themselves, and “Tubi isn’t about the first window”.
Australia is Tubi’s first market outside of North America — it launched in the US five years ago and Canada earlier this year.
“Australians are savvy streamers, they’re very comfortable with it,” Mr Massoudi said. “The distribution channels are prevalent, the internet connection is good, it’s culturally close to America, the advertising market is mature and obviously being English-speaking certainly helps. It made sense.”
Tubi is launching at a time of intensified activity in the streaming market with the imminent arrival of Disney+ and Apple TV+ adding to the already brimming choices in Australia, including Netflix, Stan, Foxtel Now, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Premium, DocPlay, iWonder, 10 All Access and Hayu.
Australia is also serviced by iview and ad-supported on-demand platforms SBS On Demand, 10Play, 9Now and 7plus.
Will you give Tubi a go? Join the conversation in the comments below
Share your TV and movies obsessions | @wenleima


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How SaaS start-ups are doing in the midst of the economic downturn
New Zealand software as a service (SaaS) startups have experienced great export success, but how are inflation and soft economic conditions impacting the SaaS market in general?
After all, subscription-based services paid monthly or annually are vulnerable to being cut at the behest of cost-conscious management looking to tighten the belt in hard times. There’s certainly been a lot of that in the SaaS market leading to slower growth for these companies. But a new study suggests the industry may be seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
The inaugural SaaS Growth Report, published by ChartMogul, a subscription analytics platform used by software startups around the world, found that growth is stabilising for most SaaS businesses.
“Year-over-year growth rates for the top quartile of SaaS companies with US$1-30M annual recurring revenue (ARR) have stabilised in the last three quarters. While the data doesn’t show any gain, it’s clear that growth is not deteriorating,” ChartMogul reports.
For early-stage startups, growth rates peaked in 2021, and have more than halved since then.
“The slowdown is broad-based. It’s a tough market for companies just starting out,” the ChartMogul study suggests.
While the annual growth rates of 30 - 40% seem spectacular, they are well down from the 60 - 80% media growth SaaS companies were enjoying two years ago as the pandemic pushed people to add subscription-based software to their toolset.
Early-stage SaaS companies are typically fast-growing, with a limited amount of funding to get them to a point where they can sustain themselves with recurring subscription revenue.
It’s not surprising that retaining customers is proving more challenging in 2023 than in the previous couple of years.
“With the crisis persisting, SaaS businesses challenge their tech stack more often. This results in lower overall retention. This drop is very visible at seed stage where companies now need to be frugal in order to reach their Series A,” Enzo Avigo, CEO & Co-founder at June.so, told ChartMogul.
“It is also significant for mature businesses that decide to build tools internally in order to save some cash which costs a lot these days,” he added.
And for those in the SaaS space looking wistfully to a time when you are out of the woods, with solid revenue, and even a lucrative exit on the horizon, this graph will put things in perspective.
ChartMogul’s study featured data from 2,200 SaaS startups and covered the 12 months to June 30, 2023.
Some other highlights from the report:
- SaaS growth rates have stabilized in the last 3 quarters. While the data doesn’t show any gain, it’s clear that growth is not deteriorating. There are pockets of optimism. Growth for best-in-class SaaS startups is accelerating and new business activity is picking up.
- Best-in-class SaaS businesses grow over 100% each year. The top decile of SaaS businesses with annual recurring revenue (ARR) in the range of US$1-3M grow at 192% annually. Those in the $3-8M ARR segment, grow at 121%. And those, in the $8-15M ARR segment grow at 110%.
- Top-tier SaaS startups reach $1M ARR within 9 months. The median startup takes approximately 2 years and 9 months. On average, SaaS startups reach $10M ARR in slightly over 5 years. Even after 10 years in business, only 13% of SaaS startups are able to hit the $10M ARR mark.
- The majority of SaaS startups grow from $1M to $10M ARR by growing their subscriber base. Only a small subset (<5%) of startups grow predominantly by increasing their ARPA.
- SaaS is mildly seasonal. Q1 is usually the best quarter of growth, and Q4 is the slowest. March is the best month and July and December are usually slower (due to holidays).
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Kitchen table heroes taking on the food giants by selling their own ketchup, crisps and cereal, so could YOU join them?
- Sarah Rainey met the innovators of a selection of new small British food brands
- FEMAIL gave their verdict in a taste test of creations from the entrepreneurs
- élise Daly, 43, and her husband Karl, 54, have created a ketchup to rival Heinz
- Lise Madsen, 50, sells a variety of biscuits free from artificial ingredients
- Annie Morris, 30, was able to boost the success of her business on Dragons' Den
For years the supermarket shelves have been dominated by the same old big-budget brands. Kellogg’s cereal, Heinz ketchup, Walkers crisps — so ubiquitous are the Goliaths of the industry that no other brand has dared compete . . . until now.
A new and innovative wave of British companies are pitting themselves against the major players.
Each of these small brands has a family story behind it — from the ‘mumpreneur’ taking on Heinz with a healthier ketchup to the best friends whose recyclable and resealable canned water is a hit in Hollywood.
Here, Sarah Rainey meets some of the foodie fighters shaking things up — and Femail taste tests their creations.
FEMAIL gave their verdict in a taste test of new British products. élise Daly, 43, and her husband Karl, 54, (pictured) created their sugar-free ketchup in 2014 and have begun selling them on Amazon
MUM WHOSE HEALTHY KETCHUP RIVALS HEINZ
Whether for dunking chips in or squirting over fish fingers, we are a nation of ketchup-lovers, with UK consumers spending £200 million a year on Heinz and Stokes versions.
But for élise Daly, 43, the sugary red sauce was a no-go. élise has heart disease, and her son, now 11, was born with two holes in his heart. So, together with husband Karl, 54, and their 13-year-old daughter, the Daly family focus on healthy eating to keep their conditions in check.
‘In 2014, I started to notice all the fast food available to children,’ explains élise. ‘We had several bereavements and my husband’s sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I became conscious of sugar and its role in our health.’
She started by making a batch of sugar-free ketchup for a family BBQ.
‘I used Isle of Wight tomatoes as they’re so sweet, roasted peppers as they’re my son’s favourite, fennel, garlic, onion, rosemary, apple cider vinegar and rapeseed oil,’ says élise. ‘The kids loved it.’
A designer by trade, élise — and Karl, a solicitor — had no experience in food manufacturing, but took the idea to a development chef.
élise located a company producing lycopene, the health-boosting antioxidant in tomatoes, near her home in Kent, and added extra vitamins. The bottles are made in Sussex and every ingredient (bar cinnamon) is grown in Britain.
Wonderchup launched on Amazon this summer and has attracted fans in Australia, the U.S., Peru and Japan.
élise says: ‘It’s still just Karl and me, juggling the business with our other jobs. But it’s all worth it.’
Taste Test: You can really smell the fennel and rosemary in this. Wonderchup has a herby, complex flavour that is far more sophisticated than Heinz. We’re not sure it would pass the chip test for some young children at first, but it gets a thumbs-up from the adults. 4/5
Lise Madsen, 50, (pictured) always dreamed of opening her own bakery and now sells a variety of biscuits to rival McVitie's at Harrods, Whole Foods and online at Ocado
BISCUIT WHIZZ WHO TOOK ON McVITIE’S
Lise Madsen always dreamed of opening her own bakery. In her 20s, she left her native Denmark and trained as a pastry chef in Paris before moving to the UK in 1992 and working for restaurateur Albert Roux in marketing.
Eight years later, having met husband Adrian, she decided to pursue her dream — and Honeyrose Bakery was born.
Lise, 50, said: ‘I decided to make my bakery organic, so everything is made with good, clean ingredients; nothing artificial.’
Based in a warehouse in North-West London, Honeyrose employs 45 staff, batch-baking 25 artisan products including shortbread and chocolate-chip cookies that are taking on McVitie’s.
They’re available online at Ocado, in Whole Foods and Harrods and were recently picked up by Sainsbury’s. Every product is rigorously taste-tested by Lise herself. ‘We went through 49 versions of a recent brownie recipe before I was happy,’ she laughs.
Several years ago, Honeyrose was approached by a TV production company looking for a host for a new programme: a baking show in a tent.
The taste test revealed Lisa's vegan brownies have a winning flavour and pleasing squidyness
‘We passed, as we’d just had our babies and we thought the idea nuts,’ says husband Adrian, with a wry grin about what became the juggernaut success that is The Great British Bake Off.
Still, Lise doesn’t dwell on what might have been.
‘I never feel as though I’m enough to anyone — mum, wife, businesswoman,’ she says. ‘But I suppose I must be a good role model. Recently, my youngest said: “I know what you do, Mummy. You’re the king of the bakery.” That made my day.’
Taste test: We loved the flavour and big chunks of chocolate in the Triple Chocolate Cookies, but they were on the crunchy side, so more biscuit than cookie, which needs some chewiness. The vegan brownies had a very slight sandy texture but a winning flavour and pleasing squidgyness.4/5
CANNED WATER THAT WENT TO THE OSCARS
When Ariel Booker, Josh White and Perry Alexander-Fielding got a call from Vanity Fair last February, asking for 2,000 of their resealable water cans for Hollywood’s A-listers at its Oscars after-party, they nearly dropped the phone.
The friends started eco-friendly brand CanO Water in 2015, after Ariel, 26 — whose brother Eyal found fame on Love Island — was shocked by the rubbish he saw strewn across beaches while travelling around Thailand. ‘We wanted to do something that would help with this huge global plastic problem,’ he says.
Combining their expertise — Ariel worked in the City as a headhunter, Josh was in the nightlife industry and Perry had a decade’s experience in graphic design — the trio set to work.
Annie Morris, 30, (pictured) began her breakfast brand Spoon Cereals after discussing business ideas with a friend in 2013
They found a company producing resealable and recyclable cans, ordered 500 of them, spray-painted them white and sent them to Selfridges pitching their idea. The next day they got an order for 300,000.
They each contributed £3,000 of their own money, and begged family and friends for the extra investment needed.
Their resealable cans are produced in the Alps, while the water is sourced from natural springs in Austria. The 99p CanO Water tins are now available at Tesco, Ocado and Whole Foods.
Of taking on the major players in the bottled water world, Ariel says: ‘Thankfully, we live in a generation where a tiny start-up can take on big businesses — and, hopefully, win.’
Taste Test: A great way to avoid the guilt of buying a plastic bottle of water. We like the matt white can and cool black typography. Available with a standard ring pull or a handy re-sealable lid so you don’t have to drink it all at once (although it’s worth noting that this is plastic). The water tastes, well, like water.3/5
SUGAR-FREE CEREAL TO BEAT KELLOGG’S
Annie Morris is a ‘breakfast fanatic’. So when at a family party in 2013 she got talking to her sister’s partner Jonny Shimmin about business ideas, cereal cropped up.
‘I was working in advertising at the time,’ says Annie, 30, ‘and I wanted a change. Jonny, who was a food and drink analyst, was also looking for a new project.’ Their business Spoon Cereals — a range of healthy, sugar-free granolas and mueslis — started life as a pop-up, with the duo selling breakfast pots (combining cereal and yoghurt) at markets and festivals.
‘In the beginning we were making everything in my kitchen in West London,’ explains Jonny, 43. ‘We came up with the recipes and tweaked them repeatedly for the first 18 months.’
The taste test revealed Annie's products have great flavour however they lose a point for the texture of the Cherry Bomb granola
In 2014, they applied to the TV show Dragons’ Den and scooped £50,000 from Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden, kick-starting deals with Ocado and Waitrose. ‘It was incredibly tough,’ recalls Jonny. ‘We weren’t a fully formed business, so it took 12 months to get manufacturing ramped up.’
They outsourced to producers in London and Peterborough, with a focus on keeping high-quality, British suppliers for their oats, nuts and seeds.
Today, based in South London, Spoon Cereals still employs just six staff, but is worth an estimated £2.1 million.
‘It’s a really exciting time to be part of the start-up movement,’ says Annie. ‘We’re not competing with one another, but against the big boys. The food industry’s changing from the ground up.’
Taste test: We liked the sour cherry hit and the pumpkin seed crunch in the Cherry Bomb flavour, as well as the subtle cinnamon and nutmeg spice. The texture was the only thing that lost it a point — the oats were mostly separated, not in the ‘clusters’ you usually find in granola. 4/5
FAMILY FARM BEHIND A £10.5m CRISP BUSINESS
Best friends Rod Garnham and Ross Taylor were skiing in Austria in 2007 when, after eating a rubbish packet of crisps on holiday, they were inspired to come up with something better.
Rod was in aircraft engineering and Ross in logistics, but back home in Cambridgeshire both had grown up around Ross’s family farm, from which his father, Basil, was about to retire. ‘He had this brilliant crop of potatoes, grown in peaty black soil dating from the 1830s,’ explains Rod, 40.
‘We washed a ton of potatoes in Ross’s bath and sent them to a factory in London to be turned into crisps. They said they were the best they’d made in 20 years.’
In 2009, they got a stand at a London food fair and Harvey Nichols made its first order for the duo’s Corkers Crisps.
‘It was terrifying,’ admits Rod. ‘We had to find £70,000 to fulfil the order. We put it all on credit cards.
‘The next step was getting equipment, which we bought on eBay from a factory in Cyprus, and shipping it to the farm, where we still make the crisps today.’
Their hand-cooked crisps specialise in patriotic flavours — from sausage and mustard to cheddar and chive — and are sold at National Trust properties, farm shops, airports and other outlets. Their new olive oil range has just launched on Ocado.
‘Today we employ 100 people and have a turnover of £10.5 million,’ says Rod. ‘If you’d told me that ten years ago, I would’ve thought you were mad. And if you’d told me how much work it would take, I might have run in the other direction.’
Taste Test: Super-crunchy, we like that they are unpeeled (unlike Walkers) so you can see the skin, making them more natural. The Pork Sausage flavour came in second place to the Simply Sea Salt which lets the flavour of the potatoes shine through. 4/5
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- Mother runs for her life as hitman shoots her with silenced pistol


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On Thursday, February 27, at 11:00 a.m. ET, the American Booksellers Association will present a Marketing Meetup on Edelweiss360.
Edelweiss360 is a new service that allows booksellers to efficiently craft and send store-branded, personalized emails to customers based on individual purchase behavior and staff knowledge of customers. In addition to driving foot traffic to stores, this new service aims to expand a store’s online ordering and pre-ordering capabilities to better compete with large online retailers.
ABA offers two opportunities for live online education: a twice-monthly Marketing Meetup and a monthly Technology Meetup. All member booksellers are invited to participate in these online discussions; subscribe to the Meetup mailing list here to receive invitations for the Technology Meetups, Marketing Meetups, or both.


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At a Fire Safety and Security Expo, Faruque Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), cited the Bangladesh apparel sector as a role model for others to follow.
Speaking at the 9th International Fire Safety and Security Expo, Hassan said the garment industry is a shining example of workplace safety in the world, due to which it has gained global recognition.
He further added that the clothing manufacturing sector has also emerged as a leader in environmental sustainability.
Hassan pointed out the fact that Bangladesh has 207 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) garment factories; the highest number of LEED-certified apparel factories in any country in the world.
The BGMEA President underlined the need to invest in safety equipment production within the country, to make safety equipment available at competitive prices.
He also stressed the significance of extending safety measures to workers in other industrial sectors.


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Are you sure you want to leave ?
Reply To: UAS Management – Case #2
DeletedUserMemberApril 29, 2021 at 4:04 pm
1. Is the paywall working?
The numbers presented in the case study seem to indicate that the paywall is indeed working, at least for the New York Times. For the past several years of data that was available, there was a steady decline in print subscribers, and a steady increase in online readership. More importantly, there’s a steady increase in the amount of subscribed readers for the online content. However, the most recent data for net income/loss shows the newest data (2011) in the red. Now that it’s 2021 and the New York Times is still in business and still has a paywall, then it must be working out for them. In the age of the Internet when you can piece together a story by reading half a dozen articles from publications with half a dozen different takes on the same story all for free, it is a silly proposition to pay a monthly subscription to a single news company for their “premium” articles. There are many other reputable news sources out there that will offer similar coverage. With many more news companies on the Internet adopting paywalls, it has also become possible to kite around between news sites that feature a paywall without paying for any one of them, as long as they offer a certain number of articles for free.
1. Why are newspapers in trouble? What is the goal of the Times in creating the paywall?
Newspapers are in trouble because of the rise of the Internet. Not only is an enormous physical piece of paper less convenient and portable to potential readers than a tablet or a smartphone, but the content of that newspaper itself has been divided up in to different services. For instance, the most popular classified ad service on the Internet is not operated by a newspaper, and neither are job listings. The downfall of printed media is due to the disruption to their platform that the advent of the Internet brought to the world. News organizations now have to become focused solely on their articles now, because many of the other services that were offered in the papers previously have moved online to a different platform. There is still advertising in online news articles, but the revenue from that alone is not enough to keep newspapers afloat in their current form. The New York Times created their paywall in order to recapture a monthly subscription fee from readers in order to keep their business model profitable while they are hemorrhaging print subscribers and other revenue associated with a printed newspaper.
4. Should the Times actively manage to transition from print to digital?
The New York Times should manage to successfully transition from a printed format to a digital format. Today their website is still going strong. It is also highly unlikely that a news organization would succeed in 2021 with a print-only format. However, until the subscribers who still appreciate a printed newspaper have all died out, it will likely make sense to continue publishing the newspaper in a printed format , as it’s likely still profitable. The printing equipment by this point should have all been paid for long ago, and they’re printing less papers as time goes on, which should decrease their overhead costs. In order to have staying power, the Times will have to re-evaluate their subscription fee on a yearly basis in order to fine-tune and optimize their number of paying readers. It makes sense to continue with a certain number of free articles per reader per month, because otherwise it would be difficult to generate interest in a “premium product” without first giving out “free samples”. Additionally, these free page views are not entirely a loss for the Times. Each page view generates ad revenue for them. In my opinion, online news stories should be free, and the publisher should re-structure its organization in order to adapt to an ad-revenue only model. This would guarantee longevity in the current climate, but there is always the temptation of greater profits by implementing a well-balanced paywall. The question that remains in my mind is whether the majority of online subscribers were previously print subscribers who bought an iPad, or if they are first-time Times subscribers. If it is the former, then the Times will inevitably be forced to ditch their paywall.


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It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly eight years since jQuery was released. Web development... more »
Building the data lake in the cloud - Part1
Matt Heusser explores where design patterns came from, shows why they matter, and argues that... more »
The fourth community technology preview was released by Microsoft earlier this week for the... more »
In this article I will talk about PostgreSQL and pagination.
IN and OUT's of Apple's iPad Event, Apple News, Apple iPad Event News | Techebizz


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The Everything Bubble
Technology Unicorns Expose the Malinvestment Bubble
What businesses & investors can take away from WeWork’s fiasco
Only a month ago, Adam Neumann, CEO of WeWork, had it all: a top job, luxury lifestyle, even a Gulfstream G650 private jet. But now, it’s all gone, including hopes of becoming the world’s first trillionaire.


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According to Forrester Research, customer experience (CX) and revenue growth have been top drivers of digital transformation for the financial services industry since 2017. However, the transformation is a journey, not a destination for many organizations.
While financial services firms are definitely in the throes of digital transformation,
- 26% acknowledge that transformation is never-ending
- 19% still are still considering what to do
- 14% mistakenly think they’ve already transformed
Download the full infographic to see why digital transformation within financial organizations today need a balance between ongoing tech innovation and development of new skills.


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Mumbai Coworking launches quirky marketing campaign featuring Shark Tank India judges
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 23: Mumbai Coworking, the city’s most affordable and creative coworking space, has announced the launch of a new campaign featuring the judges of Shark Tank India. The quirky campaign is set to promote Mumbai Coworking’s top-notch amenities and encourage entrepreneurs and startups to join their workspace.
Mumbai Coworking offers affordable desk space starting at just Rs. 6,000 per month. Their workspaces are creative and quirky, offering a perfect environment for startups to brainstorm and develop their ideas. In addition to the workspace, Mumbai Coworking provides a range of amenities, including high-speed internet, conference rooms, a gaming room, a terrace lounge, and more. Mumbai Coworking has a long-standing history of being the first office space for many of the top startups in India, including Practo, Unacademy, Coupondunia, and Filmygyan.
With over 100+ startups currently operating from their workspace, Mumbai Coworking has become a hub for entrepreneurs and startups in Mumbai. The workspace has recently relaunched its Moroccan lounge and gaming zone, which is available for filming Reels, web series, brand films, corporate films, music videos, TVCs, and more. The Moroccan lounge and gaming zone have already been used by celebrities such as Krystal Dsouza, Avneet Kaur, Bhuvan Bam, and others for shooting.
One can rent the Moroccan lounge for Rs 2000 per hour. Mumbai Coworking is proud to provide an affordable, creative, and dynamic workspace for startups and entrepreneurs,” said Waqar Azmi, Founder & CEO of Mumbai Coworking. “We are excited to showcase our unique amenities, including the Moroccan lounge and gaming zone, which provide the perfect setting for young businesses to thrive.”
Mumbai Coworking is situated in the heart of Mumbai and is just one minute away from the Oshiwara metro station, making it easily accessible for startups and entrepreneurs from all corners of the city. The judges of Shark Tank India have gained popularity for their keen sense of business and their ability to spot emerging trends and potential startups. The campaign plans to leverage the same.The promotion will be rolled out across various social media platforms, and interested entrepreneurs can contact Mumbai Coworking for more information.
About Mumbai Coworking: Mumbai Coworking was founded in the year 2015 by Waqar Azmi. Being a startup ourselves, we realized the biggest issue faced by bootstrapped startups is finding a coworking space in Mumbai for rent to grow their business. Freelancers, stock brokers, entrepreneurs, or even companies sending employees to another city would need an office to work out of. And that’s why Mumbai Coworking was initiated.
Our mission is to foster a vibrant and supportive community of like-minded professionals where creativity, innovation, and collaboration thrive. Our state-of-the-art facilities are designed to provide a comfortable and inspiring work environment, equipped with high-speed internet, printing facilities, and other essential amenities.
Email: email@example.com Phone: +91 92222 13191
If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact firstname.lastname@example.org to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours.
The post Mumbai Coworking launches a quirky marketing campaign featuring judges from Shark Tank India appeared first on City Lights.


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Smartwatches. Health monitors. Pedometers. Activity trackers. We've collected the best products in t
The Pebble and Pebble Steel get true background fitness tracking and support for apps, along with lower prices: at last, could we have a smartwatch end up being a serious fitness band replacement?
The BackBeat Fit may not be perfect, but it's one of the best wireless sports headphones available.
The Samsung Gear Fit is a great-looking wearable, but doesn't successfully reconcile its dual roles as activity tracker and smartwatch.
Skipping over Windows 9, Microsoft will combine elements of Windows 7 and 8 into the next operating system. In the world of smartwatches, Pebble drops prices, Basis beefs up its fitness watch and Pavlok shocks you into going to the gym.
Adidas doubles down on its MiCoach wearable devices, and releases the a heart-rate and fitness tracker known as the Fit Smart.
Pricing not available
Once again, feudal Japan crosses over into the realm of "Star Wars" with a "Man at Arms: Reforged" creation that combines a lightsaber with a samurai sword.
Starting Thursday, developers can get an early look at the software development kit for the search giant's fitness software platform and start building out new apps.
Hackable location tracking, poor password management, and a lack of privacy policies: Symantec has a number of concerns about the fitness tracking boom.
Get out of your comfort zone and discover three new ways your smartphone can make your workouts a lot more exciting.
The sportswear giant has a new no-frills activity tracker more practical than it is powerful. The goal is to succeed not on the merits of what it can do, but on the clarity of what it's not.


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The days of electronics repair are over! Plus, Microsoft's aggressive Surface ads, the true value of an ebook, and a visit to the land of Chromebooks. With guests Jason Cross and Melissa Riofrio.
Network Radar has a robust set of tools for troubleshooting your local area network.
Apple's CEO took to Twitter to greet the new acquisition, and both companies have posted messages on their websites.
Amazon and Apple make comic-book fans sad, Yelp lets reviewers add video clips, tablet and smartphone fans let "app rot" set in, and how many tech fans does it take to install a smart bulb? With guests Leah Yamshon and Blake Stimac.
The company acquired services BookLamp and Swell, both of which focus on analyzing and recommending different kinds of content for readers and listeners.
Apple's set-top box now gives users live access to programming from two major U.S. networks, as well as a couple of content providers in specific countries.
The update to the company's professional laptop line brings faster chips to the whole category, and a few more modest changes.
Apple denies it's made a backdoor for spies, one of our panelists brings a 3D TV into his house, the Yosemite public beta arrives, and people seem to dislike their social networks. With guests Philip Michaels and Dan Frakes.
The company's explained the purposes of three diagnostic tools that a security researcher claimed provided 'backdoor' access to users' information.
As we await the opening of OS X Yosemite's public beta program, Dan Moren thinks back to the last time Apple publicly offered a major version of the Mac OS.
The Yosemite public beta marks the first time a major new version of OS X has been available to users before it’s formally released. We've got answers to your questions about the beta program.
Macworld's live coverage of Apple's financial results for the third quarter. How many iPads, iPhones, and Macs did the company sell? How healthy were its profits? We'll have all the details.
A security researcher's claim to have found a 'backdoor' in iOS has raised eyebrows, but Apple says there's a reasonable explanation.
As Apple prepares for its latest quarterly conference call, Dan Moren runs down the list of what to expect in the company's results.
The festival, taking place at London's Roundhouse, will feature Maroon 5, Pharrell Williams, Beck, and more.


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BlackBerry are due to report Fiscal Year 2020 Q1 results Wednesday, and the company today announced that its QNX software is now embedded in more than 150 million cars on the road today.
This is an increase of 30 million cars since the company reported its automotive footprint in 2018.
“As this milestone proves, BlackBerry’s footprint in the automotive industry has never been stronger,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry.
“The world’s leading automakers, tier ones, and chip manufacturers continue to seek out BlackBerry’s safety-certified and highly-secure software for their next-generation vehicles. Together with our customers we will help to ensure that the future of mobility is safe, secure and built on trust.”
BlackBerry engaged with research and industry analyst firm, Strategy Analytics to verify the volume of QNX deployments based on the number of QNX products that are shipped in the automotive market and the number of cars that contain QNX products and technology.
The vast majority of QNX software products that are integrated and used in automotive ECUs are licensed on a per-unit royalty basis.
BlackBerry QNX technology includes QNX Neutrino OS, QNX Platform for ADAS, QNX OS for Safety, QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment, QNX Platform for Digital Cockpits, QNX Hypervisor 2.0 and QNX acoustics middleware.


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InFocus will make new models of its large touch-screen computers in Tigard instead of overseas.
The new manufacturing facility employs six now and InFocus said it's in the process of expanding to 10 people. Prior models are still made in higher volumes in Asia, but the company -- headquartered at a separate site near Tigard -- said it didn't make sense to produce the new, 70-inch version overseas given shipping costs on a specialty product.
The new Tigard facility will be InFocus' first production facility in a decade. The company said it will add a service center to the facility in the near future.
Read more at OregonLive.com.


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The theme this week is all entertainment. As summer begins, people get lazy, the kids are home from school and things generally slow down. While we stay inside and soak up the air conditioning, we're going to need stuff to watch and listen to, because who wants to talk to family?
Here now are the picks of the week.
Sony Brings Live Events to Movie Theaters
In an effort to combat flat movie ticket sales, Sony has announced that it is starting a division to bring new digital content to traditional movie theaters. For the first time, the company will show screenings of live plays, sporting events and concerts in theaters around the country, starting in August with "Delirium," a music and dance program from Cirque de Soleil, and the closing night performance of the Broadway musical "Rent."
Box-office sales are down 12 percent from their peak in 2002, and there are a bunch of reasons for this decline, from home theater to video games. This could be a way to get a few more dollars out of the cinemas that would be empty anyway, and the new digital projection in many theaters is going to be better than any home entertainment center.
Time to Buy a Blu-Ray Player
Months ago, a new Blu-ray player might have cost you an arm and a leg or at least a grand. But now that Blu-ray has won the next-generation DVD format war, there are several units available for less than $500. It might be time to stop holding out and embrace the new format, especially if you have a 1080p TV.
The Sony BDP-S300 is not a top-of-the-line player, but it's a solid unit for $399.99. If you want to spend a bit more money you can pick up the Samsung BD-P1400 ($449.99), which has a bit better playback and more audio options. The Panasonic DMP-BD30 ($499.99) is a great player with pristine picture quality, and there is very little delay in the loading times with this player.
But the best deal out there if you're going to buy a Blu-ray player has to be the PlayStation 3 ($399.99). The Blu-ray player works well and, oh by the way, it's a great next-generation gaming console. If you have kids and are thinking about a Blu-ray player, this could make you father of the year.
Napster: Same as It Ever Was
There's news about one of the Web's old favorites: It looks like the new Napster is the same as the old Napster.
The music service announced it will start selling essentially the entire commercial music archive from the four major record labels -- 6 million songs -- DRM-free and for the reasonable price of 99 cents per track. Just the way young Shawn Fanning imagined it would be 10 years ago.
We've always been amazed that copyright holders cannot get out of their own way when it comes to finding their way in the digital age. But the mishandling of Napster as a brand needs to be covered as probably the single biggest business mistake of the last decade and maybe the last century.
Let us consider what the music industry has done. In Napster, the record labels were effectively handed a fully functioning online content destination of unparalleled popularity. They did not have to spend a penny developing this brand. Logo, marketing, sales -- everything was turnkey and ready to go.
Fanning, in his college dorm, did all the work for them. All the record industry needed to do was buy the service, co-opt the brand to start selling content commercially and sit back and become something that might have been bigger than Google and iTunes combined.
But it wasn't to be.
Instead, the industry attempted to muscle the consumer into its dumb vision. It pushed to pass an illogical law called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that took away private property on the Web and forced judges to rule Napster illegal. And now the industry has no choice but to roll out the same product it could have had 10 years ago. But this time it's trying to sell it to a market that could care less.
For this alone, every regulator, consumer and artist should wonder why we are protecting this simply ridiculous industry.


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DHL Express last week made two unusual additions to its roster of contract carriers that bring with them extra aircraft to help the parcel carrier meet escalating growth in e-commerce shipments.
The express delivery arm of postal and logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL Group (DIX: DPW) arranged for German leisure airline Condor and a start-up cargo division of Latvian carrier SmartLynx to fly packages in its European air network.
The first cargo flights under the Condor partnership began last week. Condor, a charter carrier for tourists, will operate four of its Boeing 767 medium-size jets for DHL until the end of May. The Condor planes will be based at DHL Express’ largest European hub in Leipzig, Germany and cover three routes – to Shannon, Ireland; Milan-Malpensa, Italy; and Cologne, Germany. DHL suggested the initial contract could be extended.
It’s the latest example of smaller passenger airlines diversifying business amid a severe downturn in travel demand and establishing full cargo divisions for the first time. The Condor deal resembles what DHL has done in the U.S. where regional carrier Mesa Air Group in October began flying converted Boeing 737-400s, an aircraft it never operated before, on DHL’s behalf.
Air Belgium is scheduled to begin operating four Airbus A-330 owned by ocean carrier CMA CGM – taking the concept of diversification to another level. And U.S. low-cost travel airline Sun Country last year began operating 737-800 freighters for Amazon Air.
“This partnership between cargo and passenger carriers is unique,” said Markus Otto, senior vice president aviation Europe at DHL Express, in a statement. “It allows us to react even faster and more flexibly to the continued high demand for international express service. The additional capacity through Condor allows us to further improve service quality and transit times, and maintain our growth trajectory.”
Since April of last year, Condor, like many passenger airlines, has emphasized cargo flights, transporting primarily medical protective equipment and e-commerce goods. At one point, 14 of Condor’s 16 Boeing 767 aircraft were being used solely for cargo. Condor has also trained and deployed a team of cargo supervisors to oversee cargo operations and ensure quality execution.
In-house airline DHL Aviation also hired SmartLynx Malta, a new cargo subsidiary of Riga, Latvia-based SmartLynx Airlines, that is one of the earliest adopters of the new Airbus A321 converted freighter.
SmartLynx Malta has leased two of the narrowbody planes and will begin operating the first one for DHL at the end of March, DHL spokesman Tim Rehkopf said. The second aircraft is still being retrofitted and will join the DHL fleet by mid-July.
SmartLynx is moving aggressively to establish its cargo division, with plans to add eight more of the well-regarded A321 freighters by 2023.
The first two A321 passenger-to-freighter conversions so far are seeing duty with Qantas/Australia Post and Titan Airways.
Aviation experts say the A321 is an excellent choice for regional and express delivery operators because it has more cargo space for containers than the 737-800, its main competition, and its fuel efficiency over older aircraft.
The A321 is “going to be a great freighter,” said Stan Wraight, CEO a;nd co-founder of Strategic Aviation Solutions, in a video chat for Global Supply Chain Week at FreightWaves.
Founded in 1992, SmartLynx is part of Avia Solutions Group, a large aerospace services company with businesses ranging from aircraft leasing to maintenance and repair. One of Avia’s cargo subsidiaries is charter airline Magma Aviation. SmartLynx has extensive experience operating the A320 and A321 as a passenger charter operator and provider of air transport for airline customers.
Smartlynx Malta says it plans to add two more A321 freighters this year and up to four units during 2022, with the goal of becoming one of the largest narrow-body cargo freight carriers within the next three years.
In January, DHL Express ordered eight 777 freighters from Boeing as part of its effort to keep up with growing cargo volumes.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
Why the A321 freighter looks like a hot ticket
Titan to operate world’s second A321 converted freighter
AEI receives large order for 737-800 converted freighters
Shipping line CMA CGM’s first air cargo destination: Chicago
Ocean carrier CMA CGM buys jets for new air cargo unit
Mesa Airlines makes first cargo flight for DHL
Future of Supply Chain
JUNE 21-22, 2023 • CLEVELAND, OH • IN-PERSON EVENT
The greatest minds in the transportation, logistics and supply chain industries will share insights, predict future trends and showcase emerging technology the FreightWaves way–with engaging discussions, rapid-fire demos, interactive sponsor kiosks and more.


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2018 Mazda6 Gets a New Turbo Engine
To keep up with the much improved Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, Mazda has given the 6 an update for 2018, as well as a more powerful engine option.
Mazda Kai Concept Previews Next-Generation Mazda3 in Tokyo
The Mazda Kai Concept previews the fourth-generation Mazda3 hatchback, which will use the upcoming Skyactiv-X engine family.
Widebody Pandem Kit Now For RX-8
TRA Kyoto targets the Mazda RX-8 for its latest widebody Pandem kit
The Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Invitational Will Be Back for 2017
Japanese automaker announces the race is back, this time called the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Challenge
Mazda Will Make Old NA Miata Brand New Again
Mazda has just announced two new programs that will make it possible to drive a first-generation Miata forever


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must be quaking in their boots! Obviously once the ultrabooks are out, sales of MBAs and iPads will drop like a stone and investors will dump Apple stock and the price of Apple stock will fall to $10 per share. People now owning MBAs and iPads will sell them and buy Ultrabooks!
why streaming video is not going to work that well; it's not a technological issue, it's the cost of the streaming. With low caps, streaming is simply too expensive unless you are on wi-fi.
This is also going to hit people trying to use iCloud type services - too expensive to download.
the multitude of other companies that get rid of American workers in favor of workers in other countries that earn much much less and have much worse working conditions.
So why are they talking about expanding their headquarters if they are moving the jobs out of the country?
Who knows what other data they may have managed to extract from users' phones? bank info? credit card info? SS info?
about the data they stole from users' phones - have they sold it to any 3rd parties yet?
Anyone in his right mind will dump the app and never deal with the company again. Apple should do the same, but likely will not.


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ACCORDING TO an annual report compiled by Javelin Strategy & Research, 15.4 million Americans were victims of identification fraud in 2016, an increase of 2 million from the previous year. That’s more than 6 percent of the nation’s consumers, who lost more than $16 billion as a result of fraud.
Those figures underscore the challenges of security in a hostile digital world and should emphasize the importance of taking all reasonable precautions to deter hackers and protect against identify theft and fraud.
The study found that the perpetrators increasingly exploited online vulnerabilities to steal funds, with so-called “card-not-present” attacks and account takeovers both dramatically more prevalent in 2016 than in 2015.
The Javelin report called account takeovers — in which a criminal uses an email address or other personal information to violate online banking sites — the most challenging type of fraud and also the method most likely to result in costs to consumers.
This is a natural progression of identification fraud, since credit card chips make them more difficult to clone and because more Americans do their banking online. Generally, people who use banking websites to manage their money have their accounts linked for ease of use — something that is irresistible to thieves.
Banks and credit companies are much more progressive and aggressive about trying to deter this type of threat. Many have “zero liability” protections for customers so that victims don’t shoulder the financial burden of these crimes, and most have protections in place to assist in account security.
Far too few Americans utilize these resources, or take simple measures to protect themselves, which is baffling in this day and age. People need to take responsibility for their own security and can do so easily with a few relatively simple steps.
For instance, anyone who still uses weak or obvious passwords needs to change them at once.
In January, password management company Keeper Security released its list of the most common passwords, and it’s almost unbelievable to read. Among the most frequently used were “123456,” “111111,” “123123” and, of course, “password.”
The company suggests using passwords that are at least six characters long and include a variety of characters, including numbers and symbols as well as upper and lower case letters. Do not use the same passwords for multiple accounts, and consider using a password manager if remembering so many different passwords proves too challenging.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the defense of civil liberties, encourages the use of passphrases — a string of words and numbers, or complete sentences — which are almost impossible to crack. It’s another option that offers enhanced security.
Another easy and essential measure is to use two-factor authentication wherever possible. Many sites offer that option, whereby a user name and password must be accompanied by a PIN number transmitted to a cell phone or email address. It’s an added layer of protection than can prove helpful.
Additional resources are available online. The EFF offers some good advice about online security, as does the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information website at consumer.ftc.gov.
Also keep in mind that the Federal Trade Commission’s website IdentityTheft.gov features a bevy of useful tips for victims of identity theft or online fraud.
Understand that determined hackers can and will probe every entry point to exploit security loopholes and that even a resolute defense can be defeated.
In an increasingly connected, online world, complete security may be a mirage, but there’s no reason to avoid the simple steps that can provide more protection and peace of mind.


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The NBA ALL-STAR Game is in Toronto and the city will be celebrating all things basketball all weekend long!
They are even opening up a Jordan Brand pop up store on the Young and Dundas streets. The store open up at 6:23pm Friday and will be open 24 hours a day throughout all-star weekend.
There’s the first air Jordan’s to be put on skates, THE SIX clothing and Drakes OVO collection. If you can’t get to Toronto this weekend don’t sweat it, they are working on getting a permanent location in THE SIX.


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Guatemala has a long history of traceability and differentiation on the basis of quality. This is partly because individual farms in Guatemala traditionally processed their own coffee and partly thanks to Anacafé’s highly successful strategy of marketing Guatemalan coffee, highlighting regional differences. Nevertheless, Guatemalan coffee producers are among some of the poorest in the world (Haye 2019), and more than 30% of coffee farmers in the country live in poverty.
Marta Dalton, Guatemalan Green Buyer and Sixth Generation Coffee Farmer. Image courtesy of Coffee Bird (@thecoffeebird).
We spoke with Marta Dalton, the founder of the Guatemalan coffee sourcing company Coffee Bird, to discuss some of the challenges that farmers face and the complex issues involved in buying coffee ethically in Guatemala.
The biggest challenge for Guatemalan farmers during 2020 has been COVID-19. Dalton says, ‘For a farm that requires pickers from other areas or regions, the cost of picking coffee is going to be a lot more expensive because of COVID.’
‘Some farms have foreseen that. One farm in particular hired a permanent group of people from October full time through the harvest, but that’s kind of unusual,’ she explains. ‘Usually, farms hire people from a certain region and bring in a busful of people, but now, because of social distancing, they can only bring half that number.’ This situation is exacerbated by the fact that pickers invariably travel with their entire family in tow. ‘No one is leaving their kids behind, because there is no one to care for them. If you’re going, you’re going with your whole family.’
To make matters worse, Guatemala was hit by two major hurricanes in 2020, causing landslides and creating widespread damage in some communities.
Coffee prices have increased this year. According to Dalton, farmers are hoping for higher prices. ‘Given the global impact of the pandemic on coffee roasteries and cafes,


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An Iranian couple has created a website to introduce and sell various Iranian handicrafts after years of travelling to different provinces of Iran and exploring different crafts in different parts of the country.
Managers of the Aranick Crafts website – Narges Shayeq and Reza Qiami – are a couple with MA degrees in handicrafts.
“We travelled to different provinces and examined the handicrafts in different places. It was a field research work on Iranian handicrafts and we were not after economic gains. We had one or two trips to different provinces each month,” the couple said.
“We toured the remote villages and identified their crafts, purchased their works, and prepared a database. On these trips, we found about 40 handicraft fields that were being destroyed in Iran because of the lack of sales. Many of them did not speak Farsi and had no access to major cities to sell their products. They could not attend the exhibitions. So they could not sell their products,” they said.
The couple also talked about launching their website saying they came to the conclusion that the only way to save these handicrafts is to have a sales market.
“So we thought about starting a business that would make money for these people. We decided to introduce and sell handicrafts that even people in Iran were not familiar with. We wanted to profit from the results of our many years of research as well.”
“In 2013, we launched a website to introduce and sell all of Iran’s handicraft products, which was unprecedented till then. Many opposed the idea saying that one would not buy handicrafts without touching them. But at the same time, similar Indian sites were selling their products well around the world,” they noted.
“We corresponded with the managers of those websites and they were happy with their sales. The variety and scope of handicraft production in Iran is much higher than in India so we became sure we could succeed. Therefore, we launched Aranick website.”
Reza and Narges say their focus is on the handicrafts of the nomadic villages and they are trying to create a market for them which, of course, requires a specific buyer and is a difficult task.
“We knew that its profit does not cover the costs of the company, so we tried to cover modern urban crafts as well. That has thrived our economy and so we can support even more forgotten handicrafts,” they underlined.
Handicraft is an environment-friendly product since all its raw materials come from natural sources. Unfortunately, due to the large population and droughts, the country is faced with a shortage of natural resources and a lack of producers in many areas. This couple has tried to help the nomadic crafts with the proceeds we receive through selling urban and routine crafts.
Aranik is ready to export a wide range of Iranian handicraft products with the best quality and reasonable price to many countries.
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TiVo has been one of the mainstays of the TV DVR market but has unfortunately somewhat lagged behind, especially when keeping up with the times and trends. While many of its competitors, especially the myriad set-top boxes available today, have embraced wireless completely, TiVo has come up short. While TiVo seems to have a new Mini model with wireless capability, it might still disappoint those wishing for good old WiFi connections.
A still unannounced TiVo Mini, with a model number TGN-TCDA93000, has been spotted at the FCC. The documents found there reveal some form of wireless connectivity, but not exactly WiFi. Instead, it uses the Zigbee protocol which is based on the IEEE 802.15 standard (WiFi is based on IEEE 802.11). It is a low-power wireless communications protocol that has a shorter range than WiFi and TiVo could very well be planning to use it to connect with other smart appliances within the same room.
Quite a far cry from the wireless freedom desired by those who want to use WiFi to get access content stored on the TiVo DVR but also for installing popular streaming apps. That said, there have always been ways around this limitation, ranging for the usual wired Ethernet to employing adapters and bridges.
When the TGN-TCDA93000 will arrive is still unknown as a sighting at FCC isn’t any assurance of a forthcoming launch. That said, TiVo already mentions the model in its publicly viewable Safety Compliance page, so the best we can guess is “sometime really soon.”


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Officials busted an illegal synthetic marijuana business in Cranberry Township.
More than 360 pounds of synthetic marijuana was seized, which has a street value of over $1.5 million. The owner of the Glass Gone Wow store, 71-year-old Richard Sallade and his 67-year-old girlfriend, Patricia Quinn, (both of Cranberry) are now both facing drug sale and conspiracy charges.
Two other men associated with the business have been accused of being drug couriers, including a Prospect man.
Pennsylvania passed a law making synthetic drugs illegal in 2013. The use of synthetics spiked massively due to the price per gram of synthetic cannabis compared to the natural flower. Synthetic cannabis derivatives have caused many major illnesses and deaths over the globe whereas natural marijuana has not, within its thousand or so years of recorded use. Synthetic cannabis use is still prevalent due to the fact marijuana may not be easily accessible, and also still due to the prices, but those that wish to purchase it cheaper have the option in using these coupon codes here.
Some argue that synthetic cannabis use and deaths are the results of the failed drug war on natural cannabis. In fact, several states are in the process of legalizing cannabis, with the dangers of either synthetic or contaminated cannabis being much higher than that of cannabis itself. In states where it is legal, there has been a growth in new businesses and jobs. Almost anyone can start a business selling cannabis, especially if they follow the advice of this cannabis consulting firm, for example. Apart from the legalities of the business, it is always wise to take into account the various aspects of setting up a business such as this. The financial side of the venture, the farming, and the ecological aspect of the venture, all have to be understood well before treading into this territory. For the monetary side of things, one could look at getting in touch with services like Easy Pay Direct (https://www.easypaydirect.com/cbd-hemp-online-merchant-accounts/) and the likes, to set up a secure system of payment. However, it must be noted that although cannabis is not legal in this state, the potential benefits may outweigh the known risks, and thus, setting up a business such as this won’t necessarily be a bad idea.


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Many online retailers will have to start adding a new line to their Georgia customers’ bills — one for sales taxes.
As of Tuesday, online retailers are supposed to charge taxes on their sales to Georgians, something some big companies, such as Amazon, have done for years. That will add the 4 percent state sales tax and any local sales taxes to the cost of online purchases made from companies not currently charging the levies.
Lawmakers approved legislation during the 2018 session supporting a universal sales tax on online sales, and the U.S. Supreme Court in June backed internet sales taxes, knocking down a 1990s decision that limited states in collecting such duties.
President Donald Trump praised the ruling, as did brick-and-mortar store owners who felt they were at a disadvantage against online retailers who could sell products without the tax. They said that allowed internet retailers to undercut them on pricing products.
The change could mean an extra $500 million to $600 million a year in sales-tax collections for state and local governments, according to state estimates.
Under the previous Supreme Court ruling, Georgia and other states could only force online retailers to charge sales taxes if the company had a physical presence within their boundaries, such as Amazon, which has warehouse/distribution centers in Georgia.
NetChoice — a trade group that represents the Chinese internet retail mammoth Alibaba, Overstock.com, eBay, PayPal and others — has said that Georgia’s new law raises privacy concerns. Other critics say it will stifle innovation and hurt small retailers.
Under Georgia's new law, online retailers that make at least $250,000 in sales or 200 individual sales a year in Georgia must either collect and remit to the state sales taxes on purchases or send "tax due" notices each year to customers who spend at least $500 on their sites. If the second option is used, the customer would be obligated to send the taxes to the state Department of Revenue, and retailers would have to send the state copies of the notices to customers.
The Department of Revenue put out a policy bulletin alerting retailers to the provisions of the new law in October.
Georgia House Ways and Means Chairman Jay Powell, R-Camilla, the sponsor of the internet legislation, said the taxes are already owed, but many online retailers without a physical presence in the state haven't collected them.
Powell said his committee will probably make changes to the law during the 2019 General Assembly session — which begins Jan. 14 — based on the Supreme Court ruling.
“We are going to amend what we did last year to reflect some of the new certainties,” Powell said.
That probably means lawmakers will look to eliminate the portion of the law that allows online retailers to send customers “tax due” notices and just force the businesses to collect and remit the levy directly to the state. Based on the Supreme Court ruling, the state could also lower the threshold for online retailers to collect the taxes from at least $250,000 in sales to $100,000. That could mean more Georgians would pay the sales taxes, and state and local governments would receive more money.
Brian Mayfield, who runs Woodstock-based Techquidation, which sells technology to retailers, said he understands what a pain it is for companies to have to charge differing sales taxes based on the location of their customers.
“But I am totally supportive of charging some type of sales tax on internet sales,” he said. “I would think it would help the brick-and-mortar businesses, and it would help them stay competitive in an environment where it’s so easy for online merchants to reach consumers.”
INTERNET SALES FIGURES
- $1 trillion-plus: estimated U.S. online retail sales by the next decade.
- $500 million to $600 million: what the state estimates state government and local governments could take in annually from an internet sales tax the Georgia Legislature approved this year.
WHAT IT MEANS
The new law means online retailers who don’t currently charge sales taxes but make at least $250,000 in sales or 200 individual sales a year in Georgia must either collect and remit to the state sales taxes on purchases or send “tax due” notices each year to customers who spend at least $500 on their sites. Some online retailers, such as Amazon, have been charging sales taxes for purchases in Georgia for a few years.
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SAN FRANCISCO, July 24- Amazon.com Inc's new "Fire" smartphone contains chips from Qualcomm Inc, NXP Semiconductors NV, and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, according to repair and teardown specialists iFixit, which pried one open on Thursday.» Read More
Chip maker LSI Corp. said Wednesday it will acquire a silicon and software maker for $85 million in cash to enhance its position in producing security software applications.
Intel Corp. plans to respond quickly to a U.S. Federal Trade Commission request for more information on a plan to merge its flash memory chip business with that of Switzerland's STMicroelectronics NV.
Semiconductor company Sigma Designs said fiscal second-quarter profit surged as sales more than double doubled. The company said it earned $8.6 million, or 32 cents per share, compared with a profit of $216,000, or a penny a share, during the same period a year prior.
One of Advanced Micro Devices's most visible executives, sales chief Henri Richard, is preparing to leave the microprocessor company, CNET said on Wednesday.
LSI rose 4% after the company said it would sell its mobile phone chip business to Germany's Infineon Technologies for $450 million in cash with potential performance-based incentives of up to $50 million, payable in the first quarter of 2009.
Sprint Nextel stands to lose a $2 billion investment in a new phone feature if a court bars Qualcomm from making the necessary chips, Qualcomm executives told the court on Thursday.
Qualcomm, hoping to rebound from a string of legal setbacks, urged a federal judge Tuesday to reject a competitor's request to stop it from selling cell phone chips that infringe on patents.
Global semiconductor sales in the second quarter fell 2% from the previous quarter to $59.9 billion, as falling prices outweighed a 7% rise in total unit shipments, an industry group said on Friday.1st paragraph of story should go here
Swiss chipmaker STMicroelectronics said Wednesday it fell to a loss in the second-quarter as restrucuring charges weighed on results.
Shares in Europe's largest chipmaker STMicroelectronics fell 4.6% following disappointing quarterly results and a cut in its growth expectations for the industry.
Texas Instruments posted a lower quarterly profit on weak demand for its calculators and other products, and gave a disappointing revenue forecast for the third quarter, sending shares down 3% on Monday.
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn does not hold shares in Korea's Samsung Electronics and has no plans to bid for the company, contrary to press speculation in the last week, an Icahn representative said on Tuesday.


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05 February 2004 | Simon Binns
Enterprise spend management solutions provider Ariba has bought global supply management software firm FreeMarkets for $493 million.
The integrated company will keep the Ariba name and combine the leadership teams of both companies.
Bob Calderoni, Ariba's chairman and chief executive, will lead the new company, while Dave McCormack, FreeMarkets' president and chief executive, will become president and join Ariba's board of directors.
FreeMarkets' shareholders own 28 per cent of the outstanding capital stock of the combined firm.
Both organisations will continue with all committed product deliveries until the deal is completed. The companies' applications will be merged into one platform at a later stage.
Calderoni said: "This deal brings together two leading companies focused on providing customers with innovative ways to make an impact on their bottom lines. I am excited by what this means for our customers, stockholders and employees."
Neither company has yet said what it will do with the auction services of automotive e-marketplace Covisint, which FreeMarkets bought before the merger.
At the time of the deal, FreeMarkets said that taking over the marketplace's customer contracts for auction services would provide three years' worth of revenues.


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Transitions Announces December Style Contest Promotion in Canada
To celebrate the holiday season, Transitions Optical Canada is announcing a new promotion, ‘December Style Contest’ which will run from Dec. 3 – Dec. 20. The contest encourages optical industry professionals to show off their winter “eye style” by posting photos of themselves pairing their favorite Transitions® lenses with their go-to December outfits. Participants will be entered for each photo they post on the Transitions Optical’s Canada PRO Facebook page. Every photo shared (up to 17 total) will be counted as one entry in the contest for a chance to win a $1000 CAD gift card.
“With the year coming to a close, we wanted to find a fun and interactive way to get our community engaged,” said Arnaud Rajchenbach, marketing & sales manager, Transitions Optical in Canada. “The ‘December Style Contest’ promotion is the perfect way for our industry friends and partners to connect with us and with each other by sharing their unique style, engage in fun conversations, and celebrate the variety of style options of Transitions lenses.”
More information on the Transitions Canada pro Facebook page. The winner will be announced early January 2022.
Click HERE for the full press release.


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Why India is a big market?
To begin with, India is the world’s fifth-largest economy.
It is the world’s second-largest consumer of mobile phones and also the second-largest importer of arms.
It has the biggest consumer base of internet-based Apps.
The country is the world’s third-largest consumer of oil and also for solar power equipment..
Is India a good market to invest?
India to remain one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. For the first time, India has crossed the $70 Bn mark in FY 2019-20 and recorded total FDI inflow of $73.45 Bn. Leading investors ranked India as the most attractive market.
Is India a big market?
India’s market size is a weapon waiting to be used. … That is in part because its middle-class market wasn’t quite so big earlier; it is only the other day that India became the world’s fifth-largest economy.
How helpful has retail been in support of India’s GDP?
Total consumption expenditure is expected to reach nearly US$ 3,600 billion by 2020 from US$ 1,824 billion in 2017. It accounts for over 10% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and around eight% of the employment. India is the world’s fifth-largest global destination in the retail space.
Why India is the most attractive retail market in the world?
A spike in GDP growth, improved ease of doing business environment, and better clarity regarding foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations are among the key factors behind India being named as the second most attractive destination for retail investments in the world.


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It wants to boost network numbers by 16 this year, taking it to 180: that’s on top of adding 29 dealers in 2003. And it wants to “enrich the quality of the network”, according to UK managing director David Walker. “We want dealers who are ambitious and there’s a lot of interest in the franchise,” he adds.
Hyundai is looking to hit 37,000 sales this year (2003: 32,238) and has quickly identified the revised block exemption regulations as a way to bring on board larger businesses.
“We need to move forward the professionalism of the network and that tends to come from experience with other franchises,” says Walker. “We have many owner-drivers who do an excellent job: we need to complement them with dealers who can sell 250 new cars a year. At present our dealers average 173 each, so they need to increase their capacity to realise our growth ambitions. Inevitably that will mean looking at regional and larger dealer groups and we are in talks with several that have shown an interest.”
Werner Frey, Hyundai Motor European vice-president, outlines the potential with even greater clarity. “By 2010 we want to have 500,000-600,000 sales in Europe. The UK’s contribution could be 60,000 units. To achieve that we need bigger groups and better quality – we must challenge them to meet our ambitions.”
And that means investment. Hyundai has been developing its network to keep pace with growth in order to minimise the burden on its retailers. It intends to stick with that policy, although accepting that investment in larger facilities – six-car showrooms will be a minimum requirement – will be essential for many dealers.
“But we haven’t set over-onerous standards under the block exemption regulations,” adds Walker. “Our existing retailers need to see a return on their investment.”
So what of the Slovakian factory being built to produce only Kias by 2006? Can Hyundai meet its ambitious growth plans in Europe without slotting in production alongside its smaller sibling? “The plant is designed to build Kias, but we share platforms and it is logical that Hyundai will have to have a plant in Europe at some point – either in Slovakia or building our own in another country,” says Frey.
He believes the two brands do need clearer differentiation and says this is a view taken at senior management level in Korea. “A Hyundai needs to look and feel like a Hyundai and a Kia like a Kia: we will have a clear market position and that will guide everyone in the business, from designers to engineers to dealers. At that point we might consider dual-franchised dealers, but not before.”
And Frey does not see any reason to follow in Kia’s footsteps by taking distribution in-house. “For the time being we see no reason to change this. The current setup works for everyone: we make money, our UK distributor makes money and our dealers make money.”


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FOR years, Americans have been told to place their hopes for a better standard of living in the huge investments in automation and computers and in the tens of millions of layoffs intended to make the nation more efficient and productive. And now there is a growing acknowledgment among economists and others that this strategy has not worked.
What this means, if that conclusion in fact solidifies as a broad consensus, is that many of the layoffs might have been in vain. After nearly 25 years of only minor increases in what economists call productivity, the great hope of an economy vigorous enough to raise just about everyone's income level is still just a hope.
Without rising productivity, an economy cannot really boom. Productivity is the amount, valued in dollars, that a worker produces in a given hour, using computers, or complicated machinery, or a telephone, or a hammer and wrench, or simply one's head and hands, working alone or in teams or on an assembly line. From the late 19th century until the early 1970's, productivity rose smartly most of the time, helped along by technological innovations. That made possible annual raises that, in effect, allowed millions of Americans to pocket ever-growing shares of their own rising output.
But since the early '70's, the improvements have been small: 1 percent annually compared with nearly 2 percent or more in many earlier years. As a result, incomes for most people have stagnated. Achieving a breakthrough in productivity has become a national obsession. How-to books proliferate on the subject. Chief executives proclaim that at their own companies productivity is rising, and that is often true. But the nation as a whole has not made the leap, although both Bob Dole and Bill Clinton promise that their policies will do the trick.Continue reading the main story
"The hype about productivity has been much greater than the performance," said Robert M. Solow, a Nobel laureate in economics, reflecting a view widely held in his profession. "Maybe we have gotten so good at hype that the information revolution seems bigger to us than the electric motor seemed when it was invented. But the electric motor had a big impact on how many shirts you could sew in a day."
Many individual companies, of course, have become more productive. The formula of cutting staff and investing heavily in computerized equipment has paid off particularly in manufacturing, which enjoys a much greater productivity growth rate -- more than 3 percent a year on average in the 1990's -- than business as a whole. General Electric is a winner. So is the Chrysler Corporation. But what has happened at Chrysler sheds light on why innovative technology and downsizing, now or in the past, is probably not enough to make productivity rise for the entire nation.
Chrysler last year made 1.72 million cars in the United States, the same as in 1988, but with 9,000 fewer workers. The departure of those workers meant that the remaining 93,700 produced more cars per hour than in 1988. The rub is in what happened to the departed workers. Many apparently shifted to less productive jobs -- in restaurants, perhaps, or offices or small companies now doing tasks as subcontractors that Chrysler no longer wants to bother with. Preparing the payroll is an example.
Cancel the New Car
These new, less productive jobs drag down the nation's productivity rate as a whole. And the workers draw lower wages, which makes them less likely to buy new Chrysler cars. Chrysler, for that reason, will be less likely to increase production. But if it could somehow sell 300,000 more cars, it might rehire the laid-off workers to staff a new factory or two.
That would put pressure on, say, restaurants that had been employing some of them. Rather than pay more to get enough workers, the restaurants might automate so that they, too, could function with smaller staffs. A modern-day version might emerge of Horn & Hardart, where customers inserted coins and small glass doors popped open, allowing the customers to withdraw hot baked beans or pie or a meat dish.
That was a form of automation dreamed up earlier in the century when rising wages for restaurant workers encouraged early fast-food restaurants to rely on labor-saving devices. Horn & Hardart needed only a handful of people to resupply the cubbyholes behind the glass doors, not the hordes at fast-food counters today.
But that raises a question. Was rising demand in this rapidly expanding nation the mother of innovations like the nationwide railroad system, the electric motor, the internal combustion engine, jet engines or plastics -- innovations needed to help production keep pace with what people wanted to buy? Or does innovation come first, creating in supply-side fashion a demand for the things that some new invention like the computer can make possible?
Economists say they don't really know, although Alan Blinder of Princeton University notes that America's greatest period of productivity growth, from the mid-1940's through the 1960's, came after two decades in which consumer demand had been deferred, first by the Depression and then World War II. Invention, however, didn't slow during those years, Mr. Blinder says, and when demand was unleashed, the technology was there to help meet it.
What is certain is that productivity improvements have been minuscule for nearly 25 years, the longest such plateau since 1870. Many explanations are surfacing, with mass layoffs rising toward the top of the list, the explanation being that they destroy loyalty, job stability and continuity, increasingly recognized as ingredients of productivity. The American Management Association, in its surveys, finds that a majority of companies that cut staff have failed to increase productivity a year or two later.
Others, like Stephen D. Oliner, a Federal Reserve economist, note that despite the national love affair with computers, they represent only 2 percent of the net investment by business, and an even smaller percentage of all the machinery, equipment and buildings business owns. That is too small a percentage to make a difference in productivity. By comparison, early in the century railroads represented 18 percent of the capital stock.
Global competition and imports play a role, of course, in suppressing production by a company like Chrysler. More broadly, argues Jeffrey Madrick, an economics writer, in the recent book "The End of Affluence," America's great skill at mass production gave it an edge over other industrial nations, an edge now lost in an era of smaller production runs and open markets.
Such talk raises the possibility that the era of rapidly rising productivity may be over, not only here but in other major industrial nations. Mr. Dole and Mr. Clinton reject that proposition, insisting instead that their particular prescriptions will restore the patient; Mr. Dole urges lower taxes and less regulation, Mr. Clinton training, education and public investment.
Most economists are similarly unwilling to throw in the towel. Some argue that demand would rise, and with it productivity, if only the Federal Reserve would lower interest rates to stimulate the economy. Others call for more public investment. And Paul David, a Stanford economist, believes that in time, computers will be as much a source of rising productivity as the electric motor in its day, and patience is in order until computers begin to pay off.
After all, Mr. David notes, a quarter century elapsed before the electric motor transformed the workplace. Perhaps something like that will be the case for computers. And perhaps not.Continue reading the main story