USA - Was it the "Year of the Frustrated Customer?" Here are a few highlights: Airline passenger complaints to the US Department of Transportation were up 70%, as last summer saw the worst delays in 13 years of record-keeping; Verizon was ordered to pay US$1 million to customers the company terminated for "excessive use" on a plan that was advertised as "unlimited"; and the state of Minnesota is body slamming Sprint with a lawsuit on behalf of hundreds of its residents who claimed the carrier extended its contracts without their informed consent. 8 Jan 2008
A first for South African retailers, Woolworths has launched its own-label imported bubbly for lovers of the finer things in life, enabling them to enjoy a real French champagne for less than R200 per bottle. 8 Jan 2008
Record ethanol production, competition for acreage with soybeans, and wheat, high oil futures prices, the weak US Dollar and global demand might push corn and cotton futures prices to record highs in 2008, predicts T & K Futures and Options Inc. 8 Jan 2008
USA - The year begins on a high note for thousands of animal shelters nationwide that will receive donations from the 2007 Tree of Hope fundraiser, hosted by Petco and the Petco Foundation. The 36-day campaign generated more than US$2.5 million from donations given by the company's customers, vendors and associates. 8 Jan 2008
USA - Apple may or may not be planning to announce a Macintosh tablet computer at the Macworld Conference & Expo later this month, but in the meantime hardware vendor Axiotron announced last week that it has begun shipping its own Apple-authorised Mac tablet. 8 Jan 2008
French automaker Renault says it expected global sales growth of more than 10% this year after a 2007 gain of 2.2% to some 2.49 million vehicles. 7 Jan 2008
Retailers feel the pinch after interest rate hikes. 7 Jan 2008
The International Trade Exhibition for Food and Beverage Industries takes place at the Swami Vivekananda International Exhibition Centre Port Louis, Mauritius, September 25-28, 2008. 7 Jan 2008
The current turmoil in Kenya is redolent of its history. In spite of a largely ineffective guerrilla war waged largely on white farmers in the Aberdare's and an equally barbaric response from the British to the Mau-Mau rebellion, independence passed generally quietly into the hands of Jomo Kenyatta. But it has been far from plain sailing since then. 4 Jan 2008
Mobile has found its market, but the pioneers have lost their opportunity and it will take a far-seeing executive to challenge for the position again. 4 Jan 2008
Toyota Motor overtook struggling Ford Motor Company for the number-two spot in the US market in 2007. 4 Jan 2008
According to a new study from GroupM, Advertising spending in US measured media is expected to increase almost 4% in 2008 compared with 2007, when spending was up about 3%. Worldwide spending is expected to go up 7% in 2008, after an anticipated 6% increase in 2007. 4 Jan 2008
"For years, [the e-scrap and e-waste problem] was a dirty little secret, both on the production and disposal side -- it's an energy and materials intensive industry, many of which are extremely toxic," said Robin Schneider, vice chair of the Electronics Take-Back Coalition and executive director of the Texas Campaign for the Environment. 4 Jan 2008
Lenovo has thrown its IdeaPad line of laptops into the no-holds-barred cage match that is the U.S. consumer PC market. The Chinese brand, which purchased its ThinkPad and ThinkCentre lines from IBM in 2005, has already made a mark in the business market; now it aims to distinguish itself in the consumer realm on looks and features. 4 Jan 2008
Companies that are able to create an "experience gap" between their offering and competitors' offerings will reap rewards for many years to come. Take, for instance, Apple's iPod. Apple created and delivered a compelling and positive customer experience, one that Microsoft and others could not quickly match. 4 Jan 2008
A recent survey conducted by Outlaw Consulting, a San Francisco research firm, concluded that Generation Y trendsetters are more drawn to brands that speak to them in a "straightforward and stripped-down way, use plain packaging, and avoid excess," says Holly Brickley, an Outlaw strategic analyst. 4 Jan 2008
Counterfeit DVDs to the value of R200 million were discovered at OR Tambo airport on Wednesday, said police. 3 Jan 2008
Recent increases in the interest rate and fuel price have had little impact on the Eastern and Southern Cape restaurants and hotels reporting a bumper season. 3 Jan 2008
As senior marketers face an increasingly complex world, sticking to the basics is going to be crucial. 3 Jan 2008
"Scraping" is the practice of taking data from other online firms and reorganizing or improving on it. The article's lead anecdote shows that scraping is risky business--you can either have an instant Web business or an instant lawsuit, depending on the case. 3 Jan 2008
