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Cargo crime is a multi-billion dollar problem that affects trucking companies and the general public. But the true impacts likely reach even further.
One of the more problematic side effects of cargo theft for trucking companies and shippers is the issue of “brand damage,” says Don Hsieh, director of commercial and industrial marketing for Tyco Integrated Security, in an interview with Fleet Owner magazine.
When stolen goods, namely perishables, are resold to consumers they may be made unsafe.
“If pharmaceuticals and foods are stolen but are not kept at the correct temperatures, then resold back into the market and make consumers sick, that can come back and damage the brands not only of the shippers but of the carriers as well,” Hsieh told Fleet Owner.
There are also potentially significant monetary impacts:
“Take pharmaceuticals, for example, as most drugs are tracked by lot number,” Hsieh pointed out. “If a load is stolen and the manufacturer fears it may be resold into the market, it may be forced to recall the entire lot of that particular drug – and that may cost multiples of the value of that single stolen load.”
According to consulting firm FreightWatch, food and beverages top the list of most stolen cargo type in the U.S.
Then there’s the “reputational risk” for carriers to consider:
“If a carrier is hit multiple times with cargo theft, that’s going to threaten their brand with shippers looking for not only reliable and dependable transportation but security as well,” Hsieh said. “Carriers need to ensure they have the right security processes and technologies in place to prevent theft so they can better position themselves to win the high value loads that offer the best rates.”


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Most Popular Halloween Costumes 2017: Google Frightgeist Data Offers Most-Searched Costumes National or Local
Halloween 2017 is almost here and folks are in high-gear getting their costumes ready for the parties, parades, and contests that are the venues for Halloween celebrations this weekend across the nation. While every Halloween has their share of ghosts, witches, and goblins, this Halloween is no different. But what is a bit special about the 2017 Halloween costume search is the pop culture costumes that are searched on Google, which reflect today’s recent events.
According to Fortune Magazine, the top 10 most-searched Halloween costumes this year range from the traditional to the ones that mirror current events or current popular icons in the headlines today. Google offers Frightgeist, which is a website with all types of tools to help you find that popular or not-so-popular Halloween costume this year. Frightgeist tracks the search for Halloween costumes in real time. It also offers various ways to track those costumes, such as offering the data for the popularity of a costume by the areas in the different states.
With the Google Frightgeist, you can find the top Halloween costumes for your area just by clicking on “Local” and it magically shows you what the folks in your area are searching for in Halloween costumes. As Forbes reports, many of the lists will resemble the national list, as Wonder Woman is a hot button search all over the nation today. Although, you still might be surprised and find a pop-out costume for just your area only.
The Google Frightgeist offers a costume map mode in Frightgeist, this map lets you see what costumes are trending at any given spot you pick on this map. Some of the data offered shows trends locally like the clown costume being very big in the state of Maine, where Stephen King hails from. King’s movie It has made Pennywise the Clown a very popular costume this year, along with clowns in general.
Pirates are a top costume found in the data for Naples, Florida, which is a coastal community and a place that Jack Sparrow the pirate would find plenty of room to dock his pirate ship. Then in Glendive Montana, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are showing up in numbers on the Halloween costume search, but it is a phenomenon that seemingly has no origin. Donald Trump shows up as number 69 on the most-searched Halloween costume national list, as real-life characters don’t seem as popular as fictional characters when it comes to costume searches this year. According to Refinery 29, last year’s Google Frightgeist had Harley Quinn and the Joker ruling Halloween for 2016. Both costumes are up there in the numbers for popular searches again this year.
Google also offers a Costume Wizard that allows you to pick a costume using the variety of factors that you enter into your search, like classic, modern, spookiness, level of uniqueness, and more, according to Refinery 29. So with Halloween creeping up on you, Googles’ Frightgeist offers a treasure trove of data to help pick out that Halloween Costume for 2017 in just this one-stop along the worldwide web.
Frightgeist offers the top 100 most popular Google-searched Halloween costumes for 2017. Below is a glance at the top-10 most-searched-for Halloween costumes so far this year.
The National 10 Top Google-Searched Costumes From Frightgeist:
- 10. Dinosaur
- 9. Zombie
- 8. Pirate
- 7. Mouse
- 6. Witch
- 5. Rabbit
- 4. Unicorn
- 3. Clown
- 2. Harley Quinn
- And the #1 most-searched Halloween costume on Google Search is Wonder Woman
[Featured Image by Jordan Strauss/AP Images]

domain: news


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1 DBS Group Holdings has priced US$500 million (S$684 million) floating-rate green bonds due in 2022. They are expected to be issued next Tuesday with net proceeds to be used for finance and treasury activities.
2 Koh Brothers Development and Heeton Land have sold their respective 50 per cent stakes in Buildhome to Central Core for $41.6 million. Buildhome built and owned The Lumos at 9 Leonie Hill, where 36 homes are unsold.
3 SP Corporation is expected to report a loss for the second quarter and half-year ended June 30, mainly due to lower contributions from commodity trading and higher losses by the tyre distribution business.
4 Japan's government maintained its view that the economy is recovering gradually due to a pick-up in consumer spending and exports.
5 Thakral Corporation intends to sell a warehouse property in Hong Kong. The tender process and invitation for bids will start today and is expected to take approximately five weeks.


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It’s clear there is a seismic shift happening in retail right now. Once steadfast department stores and high-profile retail chains are announcing massive store closures and bankruptcies, while billions of pounds in sales are moving from in store to online. While this evolving retail climate is creating issues for some, many are successfully shifting their strategy in order to meet the needs of consumers; this includes establishing relaxed return policies to remain competitive and, beyond that, implementing ongoing programmes to effectively deal with those returns.
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Quick Bites: Fresh Access for Families
Helping low-income families buy healthier food while benefiting local food producers – that’s a win-win. Getting federal money to support those causes in our state? That’s a win-win-win.
Earlier this year, United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that Florida Organic Growers (FOG), a non-profit organization that works to inform producers and consumers in the state about the benefits of organic and sustainable agriculture, was a recipient of a Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant. Part of the 2014 Farm Bill, FINI will provide $100 million over five years to help increase access to fruits and vegetables for low-income consumers.
At the ceremony announcing the award, Vilsack said the purpose of the grants is to encourage participants in SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) to buy more fruits and vegetables.
The initiative is “part of USDA’s ongoing commitment to improving the diet and health of all Americans,” Vilsack said at the event. “These creative community partnerships also benefit regional food producers and local economies along with SNAP participants.”
FOG received funding from the program for its Fresh Access Bucks program, which enables SNAP users to double their food dollars at participating farmers markets.
Among the 50 markets across the state
benefiting from the grant are three in
the Tampa Bay area: the Lakeland Downtown
Farmers Curb Market in Polk County,
St. Petersburg’s Saturday Morning Market
and Sweetwater Organic Community
Farm and Market in Tampa.
“Families eat more fruits and vegetables when they’re accessible and affordable and simply taste better than food shipped long distances,” said Carmen Franz, FOG Community Food Project Coordinator and manager of the FAB program.
“Shopping at farmers’ markets also strengthens the local economy as it keeps more money circulating in the community.”
FOG says that since the Fresh Access program’s inception in 2013 more than $200,000 has been generated in revenue for Florida-grown fruits and vegetables, with more than 150 Florida farmers participating and more than 3,000 new consumers shopping at markets.
For more information about Fresh Access Bucks and Florida Organic Growers, please visit foginfo.org.
Nature’s Food Patch bills itself as a “community grocery store” with a vision to “serve and inspire our community in order to build a healthier world.” So it’s no surprise the Clearwater grocer does more than sell food – it serves up classes and seminars to educate patrons on healthy eating as well. With the addition of its Patch Works Community Room approximately a year ago, the classes and seminars have a home that doesn’t crowd participants or interfere with the busy store’s shoppers.
There are regular classes – on healthy cooking and permaculture gardening, for example – as well as special sessions. The August lineup included a lesson from Brad Myers (vegabondchef.com) on how to make raw tacos, a discussion, demonstration and tasting of fermented foods, and a knife skills workshop, as well as non-food related events like a kids’ clothes swap just in time for back-to-school.
It’s an extension of the store’s mission that also serves them well … after all, you’ll need to get the ingredients for those newly learned recipes somewhere!
Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com. The Patch Works Community Room is also available for private rentals for up to 50 people; application on the Nature’s Food Patch website.
BE A PART OF A MOVEMENT IN THE MAKING
The second annual Florida Local Food Summit is slated for September 18 through 20 in Gainesville.
The summit – hosted by Florida Organic Growers, East End Market and Local Roots Distribution – is an opportunity for the state’s farmers, food entrepreneurs, consumers and policy makers to come together to grow Florida’s local food movement. Coursework and hands-on educational workshops on topics such as how to acquire organic certification, humane animal husbandry, and marketing and sales for small producers are planned, with Dr. David Shields, author of Southern
Provisions: the Creation and Revival of a Cuisine serving as the keynote speaker.
Visit floridafoodsummit.com for more information and to register to attend.
Florida Local Food Summit, September 18-20, Gainesville, floridafoodsummit.com.


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Bitcoin has attracted the interest of many investors from various parts of the world. This year, the value of Bitcoin reached its highest point. The price of one of the most popular crypto commodities in the world, bitcoin hit a new high in early January, its price nearly hit U $$ 42,000 or the equivalent of IDR 588 million per coin. This time we will discuss the behavior and psychology of the market towards this Bitcoin hype.
1. Bitcoin becomes part of the buyer’s identity.
Launching from Forbes, Billionaire Mark Cuban reveals that bitcoin is more than religion in terms of solutions to any problem. Cuban is a US businessman, owner of the NBA club Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theaters and Magnolia Pictures.
“The culture around bitcoin is part of the attraction,” said Finn Breton, professor of science and technology at the University of California Davis and author of “Digital Cash: The Unknown History of the Anarchists, Utopians, and Technologists Who Created Cryptocurrency.”
“When you buy bitcoin, you are really buying the whole scene,” said Breton. “And that is a sight that can become part of your identity.”
Even though bitcoin is getting more attention from some serious investors and mainstream financial institutions, it’s still a somewhat subversive concept, so that people investing in it can see themselves as radical or participating in a counterculture, said Breton.
2. Social media plays a role in it
From celebrities investing in bitcoin, to the very active bitcoin community on Twitter, TikTok, and Reddit. Thus, social media is driving bitcoin’s popularity.
According to Rice University professor of marketing Utpal Dholakia, who studies consumer financial decision making, these social platforms can also drive behavior.
Research has shown that when people talk about their investments in social settings online, they tend to be more risk-seeking in the types of investments they make.
Other reasons will be discussed in the next article.


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Although home builders are hard-pressed to find good skilled labor in most areas of the country – and although the cost of construction materials continues to rise – most continue to have confidence in the market for new, residential homes. That's because the inventory of new homes is currently tight, yet demand from home shoppers for new construction remains high.
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes was unchanged in November compared to October.
For six consecutive months, a majority of home builders surveyed view market conditions as ‘good,’ as opposed ‘fair’ or ‘poor,’ the NAHB reports.
‘Given the current interest rate and pricing environment, consumers continue to show interest in purchasing new homes, but are holding back because Congress keeps pushing critical decisions on budget, tax and government spending issues down the road,’ says Rick Judson, chairman of the NAHB, in a release. ‘Meanwhile, builders continue to face challenges related to rising construction costs and low appraisals.’
‘Policy and economic uncertainty is undermining consumer confidence,’ adds David Crowe, chief economist for the NAHB. ‘The fact that builder confidence remains above 50 [on the index] is an encouraging sign, considering the unresolved debt and federal budget issues cause builders and consumers to remain on the sideline.’
The NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as ‘good,’ ‘fair’ or ‘poor.’
The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as ‘high to very high,’ ‘average’ or ‘low to very low.’ Scores from each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.
So far in November, the index gauging current sales conditions has held steady at 58. The component measuring expectations for future sales fell one point to 60, and the component gauging traffic of prospective buyers dropped one point to 42.
For more, click here.


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Nigeria has been rated as the leader in real-time digital payments, with a forecasted additional GDP growth of US$6 billion by 2026.
An expert in digital economy and financial technology and author of a book titled ‘Exploring the Prospects of Fintech in Nigeria’, Dipo Fisho gave the indication in the book scheduled to be launched on Saturday, February 10, 2024, in Abuja.
According to the organisers of the book launch, the groundbreaking book seeks to address the benefits of recent innovations in the financial industry and delve into the challenges of the digital economy in Nigeria.
“The book is a Festschrift for Dipo Fisho, with 25 chapters that have been thoroughly researched and reviewed by scholars, technocrats, and professionals in different fields.
“These chapters are tailored to provide solutions and more insight into the challenges of fintech in Nigeria.
“It highlights the transformative impact of Fintech and digital payments on Nigeria’s economy, emphasising the country’s leadership in real-time digital payments, the government’s support for the digital economy, and the potential for further growth and development in the financial technology industry.
“The rise of fintech and digital payments is revolutionising Nigeria’s economy, driving economic growth and financial inclusion.
“Government reforms, technological innovations, and investment in the financial sector have created fertile ground for Nigeria’s digital economy, with a growing fintech space and increasing traction in the payments industry.
“The country’s information and communications technology sector continues to play a pivotal role, with Nigeria being Africa’s largest ICT market and significant potential in the digital financial services and fintech sectors.
“Nigeria’s fast-rising tech-savvy population has embraced Fintech solutions with enthusiasm, propelling the industry towards new heights. Mobile banking and payment apps are gaining traction, contributing to a dynamic and inclusive digital ecosystem.
The book provides valuable insights into Fintech evolution, challenges, and the impact on the broader financial landscape.
“It would be of interest to entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and anyone keen to understand the dynamic intersection of finance and technology in Nigeria.”
According to the organisers, the book launch would be graced by eminent personalities, including Chief Host, Professor Ezekiel Asemah; Acting Vice Chancellor, Glorious University, Ogwa; Chairman of the Occasion, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida; Chief Launcher, High Chief Eniola Fayose; and the book reviewer, Omoniyi Ibietan.


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has collapsed the company’s shares ahead of Battery Day, the day of the presentation of new technologies related to batteries, which will be held on September 22. Writes about this CNBC.
While Tesla buys batteries for its electric cars from third-party manufacturers, for example, Panasonic. Analysts hoped the company would unveil its own battery pack on September 22, which would allow Tesla to maintain an edge over its competitors in the electric car market.
However, on the eve of Musk allayed the hopes of investors. The head of the company said that the technology unveiled on Tuesday will have a long-term impact on the production of the Tesla Semi electric truck, Cybertruck pickup truck, and Roadster sports car. “But what we show will not go into mass production until 2022,” Musk wrote on Twitter.
He added that while Tesla is increasing its purchases of batteries from Panasonic, LG, and CATL, and is also considering the possibility of purchasing them from other partners. However, even with the growth of battery purchases, the company still predicts its shortage by 2022, if Tesla does not establish its own production.
As a result of Musk’s statement on Tuesday after the opening of trading in the US, Tesla shares fell 6 percent, according to Nasdaq data. At the time of this writing, the cost of one paper was $424. Despite the drop, the securities still cost four times more than at the beginning of the year.
The Italian authorities wanted to sell a controlling stake in the troubled Banca Monte Dei Paschi di Siena, which is the oldest operating credit institution in the world. About this writes Bloomberg with reference to sources.
The Italian authorities from 2017 own 68 percent of the shares of the credit institution. According to the interlocutors of the agency, the Ministry of Finance is considering selling its stake in UniCredit. The parties have already held preliminary discussions on the idea, but the sale of UniCredit is only one of the possible scenarios. According to Reuters, the Italian authorities want to close the sale deal by the end of 2020.
To make Banca Monte Dei Paschi more attractive to the buyer, the Ministry of Finance is going to transfer 8.1 billion euros of problem debts of the state-controlled asset management company AMCO. In this case, the problem debt of Monte Dei Paschi will be reduced from the current 12 percent to 4.
The Italian government saved the world’s oldest credit institution in 2017 by buying 68 percent of its shares for 5.4 billion euros. The bank faced a capital hole of more than 8 billion amid low-interest rates in Europe, poor profitability, weak economic growth in Italy, and mistakes by top management.
Bank Monte Dei Paschi was founded in 1472 in Siena. It issued cheap loans to the least wealthy sections of the population of the city-state.
A number of major banks, including Deutsche Bank and the Swiss branch of the British bank HSBC, appear to have entered into questionable transactions with customers already convicted of money laundering. This is evidenced by documents of the U.S. Agency for Financial Crimes FinCEN, which became public thanks to publications of journalists from ICIJ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists). What measures can prevent vicious practices in which banks are complicit in concealing criminal fraud and corruption?
We need a European Finance Sheriff!
According to the newspaper Taz, such a practice should be fought against at the European level:
“We need European financial policy, the creation of which is insisted on by a group of MEPs headed by Green Sven Gingold — and harsher penalties! Anyone who, figuratively speaking, carries suitcases of money to criminals is guilty of obstructing justice and aiding and abetting. And if these charges cannot be brought against individuals, then the entire organization must be punished, and so severely that money laundering as a business model is no longer possible. But to deprive banks of their licenses, as required by the SPD, is just a populist chatter, because criminal banks, operating on a global scale, due to their influence and confusion of the device are protected from this.
Obstacle — bank secrecy
Gazeta Wyborcza notes with regret that little is known about this practice in Poland — and it is unlikely to be made public:
“A great many reports have already been written about why Russian oligarchs are trying to legalize their dirty deals in Latvia or Estonia. All these reports emphasize that the Baltic states are such an attractive place for such machinations precisely because they have a well-developed banking system, stable economy, and — most importantly — a powerful Russian diaspora… The problem is that the first two signs are also evident in Poland. So, is there any reason to believe that this practice is not implemented in Poland either? One of the FinCEN documents, available to our editorial office, confirms that money from the former USSR countries is also laundered on the banks of the Vistula. We just don’t know much about it: everything is under a reliable cover of financial and bank secrecy.


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Food and beverages targeting microbiome health and personalised solutions offer significant potential for innovation. However technical, commercial and regulatory challenges remain and product formulators need to be aware of these hurdles as they navigate...
Innovation (technological solution) and financial support may not be the most crucial factors in creating a profitable Personalised Nutrition (PN) business model, according to a position paper published by Foodvalley NL.
Findings from the Food4Me trial reveals that personalised nutrition advice achieves greater reductions in foods high in fat, sugars and salt as global initiatives target these foods to address the obesity crisis.
Consumers’ attitudes, priorities and behaviours are shifting significantly, thanks to the coronavirus, providing unique prospects for forward-looking bakery and snack producers to bring a suite of trailblazing new products to market.


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Reverse Medical secured European CE Mark approval for its UNO neurovascular embolization system, for obstructing blood flow in the blood vessels of the brain. The device also notched initial clinical use for intracranial specification.
Carestream Health said it landed 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its new Vue Motion mobile app for Apple and Samsung mobile device platforms.
The app gives physicians mobile access to X-ray exams using Apple’s iPhone 4 and iPad 2 devices, as well as the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S III devices made by Samsung.
A Mayo Clinic team and a group of seasoned technology entrepreneurs launched a new company called Ambient Clinical Analytics, aiming to provide real-time data and analyses for intensive care units and operating rooms.
The Medical Device Manufacturers Assn. and the Medical Imaging Technology Alliance tapped a pair of Capitol Hill veterans to lead their government affairs departments.
Clayton Hall, a former chief of staff for 3 representatives with 12 years on The Hill, was named vice president of government affairs at MDMA, the association said.
Pursuit Vascular is close to reaching a $1.6 million funding goal, having raised $1.57 million, according to a regulatory filing.
Minneapolis-based Pursuit Vascular is devleoping technology for reducing catheter infections, including the ClearGuard platform that’s designed to cut infections associated with hemodialysis catheters.
Evena Medical said it landed $5 million in a Series B funding round and inked a distribution deal in the Middle East and North Africa.
Silicon Valley-based Evena said it hopes the financing round will eventually reach $15 million. This tranche of the round comes from its new, unnamed distribution partner in 15 Middle Eastern and North African countries.
MedTech Idol is expanding its reach across the pond, opening up a competition for European medical device makers.
The contest, launched stateside last year, is produced by venture capital shop RCT Ventures. The competition exposes start-ups to a group of highly focused medical device investors, allowing the audience to choose the winner.
Paradigm Spine said it inked a $75 million credit agreement with PDL BioPharma.
Paradigm Spine, which makes spinal implants, said it will take the 1st $50 million in at closing, with another $25 million in milestone-based payments on the table.


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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- An Albuquerque man went to a meeting with his probation officer by driving a stolen electric shopping cart, court papers say.
So now he's in some more trouble.
KOAT-TV reports documents say that when 18-year-old Michael Johnson showed up, naturally the probation officer asked where he got the electric cart, and that Johnson admitted taking it from a local Walmart.
Whereupon he was arrested and charged with larceny and receiving stolen property. Not to mention that the arrest violated his probation in a previous case. He was ordered held on a $500 bond.
Albuquerque police say Johnson's chosen means of transportation - the electric Walmart cart - is worth more than $1,800.


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After a strong rally on daily charts the previous week, domestic benchmark indices witnessed volatile trade this week amid companies announcing their Q2 results. ET BFSI takes a look at how banks and other financial institutions performed.
HDFC Life's after-tax profit fell 26%. According to MD Padalkar, that was because the company had reserved for higher claims, warranted by the second wave. The company's management is optimistic on the second half of FY22. Below are the key highlights of the insurer's Q2 results.
A few of the new-age FinTech companies are taking the Ladies First approach. There are several reports which highlight that the women numbers in financial investments and businesses are very low. FinTechs are finding this as a problem and building products accordingly. From investment to credit there are many such offers on cards specifically for women customers.
With the pandemic subsiding and vaccinations gathering pace, there has been an 86% increase in deals in Jul-Sep, compared with a year ago, with M&A deals, PE deals, and IPOs witnessing robust growth.
Mudra loan disbursals stood at Rs 1.17 lakh crore in the first half of the financial year, which is higher than the lending for the corresponding period last year.
Raamdeo Agrawal, chairman of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, is bullish on India's startup sector. He believes that the pandemic has infused a digital revolution, and it will be key in changing the tide for India.
Offline merchant payments grew 65% quarter on quarter during Jul-Sep as digital payments have been fully accepted by users, and they are unlikely to go back to using physical modes or cash for certain payments after the pandemic.
Young India seems to be faring well in the credit space post the second wave of COVID-19. Here’s a survey throwing light on the numbers, indicating a pent up demand for credit products.
The Reserve Bank remains laser-focused to bring back retail inflation to 4 per cent over a period of time in a non-disruptive manner, governor Shaktikanta Das stressed while voting for status quo in interest rates, as per minutes of the October policy meeting released on Friday. The retail inflation, which was above 6 per cent during May and June, stood at 4.35 per cent in September.
GDR manipulation: Sebi passes directions against Southern Ispat and Energy, its officials, other entities
Markets regulator Sebi on Friday passed directions against Southern Ispat and Energy, its officials and certain other individuals and entities in a matter pertaining to manipulation in issuance of global depository receipts (GDR).


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Microsoft Office 14 may not be scheduled for release until next year, but tech news site Neowin has already got their hands on leaked screenshots of the Office 14 alpha builds.
Above you can see the Office 14 About page, which sports an attractive little sidebar for opening, saving, or creating new documents. Below is a look at Microsoft Word 14.
As you can see, the ribbon is sporting a new, slightly tweaked look, but off the bat we didn't notice any surprises.
The article also says that the Office 14 beta will begin in May, so it may not be too long before we're able to try it out ourselves. Be sure to head over to Neowin for the full scoop and way more leaked shots, which include a look at Excel, Publisher, Access, Visio, and SharePoint. Updated attribution to Neowin from this Ars Technica post.
Office 14 Alpha screenshots leak [Neowin]


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60 years in the biz is nothing to snigger at, which is why Fred Perry is celebrating the milestone in style. The brand has enlisted the help of no less than […]
Post Tagged with: "fred perry"
Yes, a brand and a band can totally team up for a clothing collection! After the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for H&M launched earlier this year, anything is possible. […]
Fred Perry has decided to launch some select pieces from Amy Winehouse’s latest collection – the last one she fully designed before her tragic death earlier this year.


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Powered by brackets
However, unlike Donovan’s goal,
this release won’t be replayed 500 times with 70 different camera angles
with commentators from 10 different countries by ESPN. I mean really?
Anyway, here’s your stuff. Onidere will be released soon and expect
a slew of Bamboo Blade by the end of next week.


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According to a new report, Volkswagen is set to unveil a new GTI Convertible (Cabriolet to our European readers) at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.
This new addition to the Golf family is thought to be a last hurrah before the entire MkVI Golf is replaced by the MkVII at the end of the year. Its arrival would also mark just the second time that a GTI convertible has been offered--the last was the MKk1 version sold during the 1980s.
An output of 200 horsepower should come from the GTI’s familiar 2.0-liter turbo four matched to either a six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch. The concept version featured Volkswagen’s XDS electronic transverse differential lock for the limited-slip differential, 19-inch alloy wheels, and stiffened suspension, and many of these would likely appear on any production version.
Unfortunately, with Volkswagen choosing not to offer the latest Golf Convertible in the U.S., it’s highly unlikely that a limited run of GTI Convertibles would be.
Stay tuned for an update once press days for the 2012 Geneva Motor Show commence on March 6. In the meantime, follow our complete coverage of the event via our dedicated show page.


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The massive Equifax data breach has the information of 143 million people. Hackers gained access to credit card numbers for roughly 209,000 people.
Now officials we spoke with say everyone should check if their personal information is compromised.
However, a lot of people don't know where to go from there and whether to freeze or not freeze their accounts.
44% of American's personal information up for grabs through Equifax. One man in Downtown Norfolk, Wayne Espinoza said he checked if he was twice on Equifax’s website twice.
“This kind of alarmed me," said Espinoza. He said on the second time he checked, "They said that I may have been affected."
Now he’s just one of millions who are left questioning what to do after checking the Equifax website.
Old Dominion University's Department of Economics Chair, Chip Filer said there’s "A lot of information right now."
For now, he suggests people who are worried about their information being hacked to check the Federal Trade Commission website.
"They have a website dedicated to the Equifax breach," said Professor Filer.
The Federal Trade Commission website has tips including checking your credit reports for the big three credit agencies. Those are Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian.
The commission also recommends monitoring your credit cards and bank accounts, or placing a fraud alert on your files.
However, Professor Filer said "That in and of itself is a problem because some of those are also scams on the web."
Finally, you can put a credit freeze on your files. With a credit freeze, new accounts cannot be opened in your name.
"It is pretty inconvenient. So, if you're one of those that knows you're going to be buying a car, you're going to be buying a house, the credit freeze might not be the way you want to go," said Filer.
Before you do that though, freezing your credit could cost you depending on where you live. It is free in 7 states, including North Carolina, but in Virginia it costs ten dollars.
Another option, to prevent hackers attacking your credit, is to stop each credit card separately. However, hackers are most likely looking to open accounts in your name or starting false tax returns.
"If you miss catching that early, it could be pretty ugly trying to get that fixed," said Filer.
Equifax said a typical freeze fee is now waived through Equifax, if you've been affected. To avoid paying though, you must act before November 21st.
Of course, the Equifax website lets you check if the hacking impacts you by interring your name and social security number. If you're going to use identity theft protection, go to the Better Business Bureau website.That way you can make sure it's a legitimate identity protection program.


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According to Mark Hamill in an interview with Yahoo, BB-8 aka ” the Ball Droid”, the small droid is not CGI (computer generated imagery)* but “a live prop”. All the more reason to like the little guy/girl. Head on over to read more including his reaction to the teaser and is thought on the sequel in general.
There’s no doubt that there will be a CGI version at some point in the film(s) but having a physical model will surely help “ground” the actors in the scenes.
Our friends at DorksideToys alert us to a few new product announcements (via ToyArk) from Funko. In the works for next year are Star Wars themed Wacky Wobblers for The Force Awakens and also a series of Hikari Star Wars figures that include Greedo, Clone Trooper, Wampa, Boba Fett, Bossk and more. Head over to DorksideToys blog to check out the news.
StarWarsUnderworld.com has and exclusive report that Star Tours is currently working on expansion that will include elements from The Force Awakens. Head on over and listen to their podcast for the exclusives details!
Entertainment Weekly has just posted info many of us have been waiting for – the official (partial) names of new characters from The Force Awakens! Head on over to check out cool introductory trading cards that give a little background for each character.
3DPrint.com posts this great article about a customizer/modeler offering a FREE file for a printable, 1:1 3D version of the “ball droid” from The Force Awakens. Those with access to a 3D printer can get the file here.
Good Morning America offered up a tweet this evening teasing exclusive details for Star Wars: The Force Awakens tomorrow. Check local listings for air times.
Good Morning America is aired on ABC, a division of The Walt Disney Company.
UPDATE: GMA confirms the rumor that the voiceover in the teaser was indeed given by Andy Serkis and they also state the source of that other lightsaber (not the cross blade one) you hear in the trailer. Head over to ClubJade for the details, spoiler warnings apply.
After a day that is surely to be long-remembered, Yakface and Flyguy are back this week to discuss the new teaser trailer for The Force Awakens! But before we get to that, we run down the latest in collecting news from Hasbro, Hot Toys, Anovos and more while we also touch on some of the new customs and artwork spawned by The Force Awakens trailer. All this and more on Episode 42 of The Realm Recap.
Click on through to check out the latest episode and feel free to subscribe to our channel and leave suggestions on what you’d like to see covered on the show.
Also, if you prefer an audio-only version, a downloadable MP3 is available as well.
Continue reading Episode 42: The Fandom Awakens
On this episode of WolfPack Roundtables join Corey, Marco, Logan, Curto, Nabil, Flyguy and myself for a very special episode as we review the monumental Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens teaser trailer!
Amidst the excitement of The Force Awakens teaser release, Hot Toys has announced their 1:6 Scale Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi figures. Look for details on their individual and bundle releases soon.
Now available to watch on Apple Trailers and YouTube. What did you think? Discuss here in our comments section or in the forums.
We at Yakface.com would like to wish all of you, our awesome readers, followers, friends and sponsors, a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Without you, this site would have little reason to exist so we appreciate your continued patronage. Enjoy your family, food and football today as we prepare for The Force Awakens trailer tomorrow.
Exclusive for The Force Awakens will be posted this Friday on iTunes Trailers
StarWars.com has posted the official list of 30 TOTAL theaters in the US and Canada where you can catch the first trailer for The Force Awakens.


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Li & Fung to sell Asia distribution assets to Dah Chong Hong for US$350m
[HONG KONG] Global exporter Li & Fung is selling its Asia consumer and healthcare distribution business to motor vehicle distributor Dah Chong Hong Holdings for US$350 million in cash, as it refocuses on core trading and logistics operations.
The supplier to US retailers including Wal-Mart and Kohl's Corp is selling the LF Asia Distribution business to Dah Chong in a deal that is expected to close by the end of June, Li & Fung said on Tuesday. The deal does not cover Li & Fung's logistics and beauty businesses.
The LF Asia Distribution business came into Li & Fung's fold when it bought Integrated Distribution Services Group in 2010. The Hong Kong-based group has changed its strategy since 2014 to focus on its core asset-light supply-chain business.
For Dah Chong Hong, the deal represents expansion of its consumer-focused operations.
"The company believes that the acquisition will expand the company's consumer business, creating a better balance between motor and consumer products," Dah Chong Hong Chairman Zhang Jijing said in a statement, adding the enlarged consumer products portfolio will boast a broad range of food, personal care and healthcare brands.
Li & Fung had said in April it was in talks with independent third parties regarding a "possible transaction" involving the consumer and healthcare distribution business.
Li & Fung shares fell 1.3 per cent on Tuesday, while Dah Chong Hong stocks rose 2.2 per cent. The moves compared to a 1.9 per cent fall in the benchmark Hang Seng Index.


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LG has showcased its OLED display innovations at CES 2021. These include a 55-inch transparent OLED Smart Bed, a rail and pivot OLED, a transparent OLED as well as a bendable display. The LG OLED Smart Bed is an OLED screen with adjustable height that can be placed at the foot of a bed. The company says it can achieve up to 40 percent transparency and you can see through it even when it is displaying an image. The 55-inch OLED Smart Bed can also analyze your sleep patterns and act as an alarm clock. It also comes with built-in speakers as well.
The company has also introduced a 55-inch Rail & Pivot OLED, as reported by Android Authority. Essentially, the display rests on a rail system and can slide itself out from a ‘hidden’ position to multiple angles. There is also a 55-inch transparent OLED display, which could be used for public utility. It was shown being used on a subway, displaying information about routes along with the time and weather. LG aims to let commuters enjoy an uninterrupted view of a city while receiving information from the screen.
The company also revealed the 48-inch LG Bendable Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) Gaming TV. It has a paper-thin display that bends and unfolds with a curvature radius of up to 1,000R. It comes with cinematic sound OLED (CSO) technology as can be made out from the name.
LG also showcased a demo where customers were seen sitting in a restaurant in front of a 55-inch transparent LED that displayed the menu as well as things like a sports game. It could allow customers to talk to people such as the chef, through the display. It has a 23.1-inch in-Touch stretch display below the 55-inch OLED that allowed the customers to select entertainment, make purchases, or call the chef.
Apart from these, the 88-inch 8K Cinematic Sound OLED was also showcased that is aimed at home theatre setups. According to the company, the Cinematic Sound OLED accurately produces all the sound effects directly from the screen without any additional speakers.


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KT&G said Thursday it signed a 2.2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) contract with Dubai-based consumer giant Alokozay for a period of seven years and four months.
This is the South Korean tobacco company’s second global collaboration this year following the supply deal signed with Philip Morris International on Jan. 29 to export the firm’s e-cigarettes globally for the next three years.
KT&G said through the deal, it “cleared uncertainties in major overseas markets, which have stalled over the past two years due to an unstable situation in the Middle East and soaring foreign exchange rates.”
The company noted that having a clause that requires a minimum purchase quantity allows for long-term stable revenue and minimizes risks in the main market.
KT&G is targeting overseas markets to create a balanced business portfolio in Korea and abroad, with the aim of becoming a global “Big Four” company by 2025. The firm plans to expand overseas, from the current 80 countries to 100 countries, this year.
By Shin Ji-hye (email@example.com


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Ferrari Plans to Open a Theme Park in America
Get excited for “Ferrari World.”
Ferrari is known for its luxury sports cars, but at the end of the day, it’s a luxury brand looking to sell you a high-class lifestyle. It’s been doing so by licensing and branding — think of its line of clothing and various products aside from motor vehicles. However, Ferrari’s efforts in becoming a full-fledged luxury brand have largely fallen flat — its merchandising generated around €21 million EUR (approximately $24 million USD), accounting for less than one percent of the company’s total revenue.
Surprisingly, Ferrari has found success in licensing the brand to amusement parks. It has Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, which features theme park rides centered around (what else?) racing. Bloomberg has reported that the company will be opening Ferrari Land near Barcelona next year, while a third park is being developed in China. There are plans to enter the North American market as well, which will undoubtedly feature attractions such as high-speed roller coasters and virtual reality test tracks, all of which can already be found in its Abu Dhabi location. Will you be planning a trip to Ferrari World when the time comes?


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With its first diagnostic products scheduled to launch next year, Israel's Rosetta Genomics has opted to expand its U.S. operations and export CEO Amir Avniel stateside. Rosetta says the move signifies an interest in beefing up its U.S. presence while striking new collaborations and partnerships. Avniel is taking over the work done by Michael French, the president of the U.S. division who is leaving the company.
- see the release
- read the report from Globes


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Be Wary of Pet Adoptions Scams
As Americans adapted and stayed at home at the beginning of COVID-19, a wave of pet adoptions also rose to provide companions. However, this also paved the way for scammers to make fraudulent schemes. Please beware of the recent Pet Adoption Scams!
Recently, a scammer pretended as a cat breeder and swindled and deceived a lot of consumers.
A victim from Arizona confirmed that paid $2,000 for adoption, vaccines, shipping, city permit, and an additional request for $1,000 for COVID-related fees.
Fraud.org said that pet adoption scams increased 42% this year. Scammers created websites, posing as breeders or adoption agencies. Moreover, they are utilizing stock photos of adorable pets to attract consumers.
In most cases, the victim doesn’t live in the area, thus, being unable to see the pet in person. This is a very grave mistake because in almost every case, the animal is inexistent. However, the money that the consumers paid was finally given to the scammers.
Reports revealed that these pet scams fall in a consistent pattern. Once the victim picked a particular dog or cat, they will be informed about how much it costs to possess the pet. A victim revealed this pricing:
- To pay $500 to ship the puppy via American Airlines;
- To pay $970 for a crate to ship the puppy safely;
- To pay $1,500 for insurance to make sure the puppy arrived safely;
- To pay $760 for the puppy’s shots.
According to reports, the fake breeder asked the victim to issue the first payment through a Reloadit money card and the following payments through Western Union. These two payments are red flags that you’re falling into a scammer scheme. Scammers will not opt for a payment from a credit card because of its fraud protection.
The best way for consumers to prevent from falling into these scams is to only adopt a pet they’ve personally seen. Take note that it’s not wrong to ask questions.
Lastly, consumers can opt to adopt a pet from a local animal shelter. The animals there are well taken care of and costs lower.
Editor’s note on The Rise of Pet Adoption Scams Amid the Covid Pandemic:
This piece is to inform you about The Rise of Pet Adoption Scams Amidst the Pandemic.
For further information and more recent COVID updates, don’t hesitate to send an email to Outreach@ConsiderTheConsumer.com, find us on Twitter or Facebook, or even connect with us directly on our website! We look forward to hearing from you all.
Similarly, please check out our current list of Class Actions and Class Action Investigations, here.
Interested in articles like these? Become a subscriber below!


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The midrange Google Pixel lineup has turned out to be a safer and a better bet than some of the flagships from other brands. Google shipped the first midrange Pixel, i.e. the Pixel 3a, back in 2019. The Pixel 3a was powered by a Snapdragon 670 SoC and a 3000mAh then. It was not the hardware that impressed consumers but the single-camera that could produce pictures that even some flagships couldn't pull off.
The Pixel 3a also got a successor in the form of Pixel 4a last year. This device packed in decent hardware with the same but improved camera single camera.
It's 2021, and rumours around the upcoming Pixel 5a are popping up at a greater pace. A few leaked renders have surfaced online to give us the first look at the upcoming Pixel mid-range smartphone.
The renders available hint towards the Pixel 5a to feature a similar design to Pixel 4a. This means the device will get a plastic back, but there's one change in the camera setup. The image reveals a dual-camera setup on the rear with a flash housed in the square module.
Much like the Pixel 4a, even the upcoming smartphone will have a punch-hole cutout on the top left corner, a distinct looking power button and a capacitive fingerprint print scanner on the rear of the device.
As far as the specs of the Pixel 5a are concerned, the device is expected to feature a 6.2-inch FHD+ OLED display. We expect that the device will have similar dimensions to the Pixel 4a 5G measuring 156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8mm from the leaked image.
The device is also expected to retain the 3.5mm jack, as suggested by the leaked render.
The Pixel 4a shipped with a Snapdragon 730G chipset which was a decent bump from the Snapdragon 670 SoC that powered the Pixel 3a. Keeping that in mind, we can predict the Pixel 5a to ship with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 750G chipset.
Further, the device is expected to ship with 6GB of RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage.
We might also see a small upgrade in terms of battery life with Pixel 5a shipping with a 3840 mAh battery with 20W fast charging support.
As far as the software is concerned, the device should ship with the latest Android 12 as the first developer preview is out now and might soon roll out for consumers.


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Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 is expected to be unveiled in under two weeks during the company’s MWC 2015 press conference and ahead of the launch, Samsung has been teasing it’s new smartphone. The first teaser promised excellent camera performance and today’s teaser is all about the speed.
Last week the Galaxy S6 Edge apparently made a visit to reputable benchmarking applications AnTuTu and Geekbench 3 and as we covered, it rocked the house in the first test by recording the highest ever ranking in AnTuTu’s history. This led to numerous reports that the Galaxy S6 would be the fastest smartphone ever made and Samsung’s new teaser (seen in the tweet below) suggests this may well be the case.
With less than stellar sales of its current Galaxy S5 flagship coupled with poor performance by its mobile division, Samsung needs the Galaxy S6 to sell, and sell very well. The current rumoured specs of the handset include a 5.1 inch Quad HD display, powerful octa-core Exynos 64-bit processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, a 20MP camera and 5MP front facing camera.
The Galaxy S6 will run on the Android Lollipop operating system – which brings support for 64 bit processors – with Samsung’s own TouchWiz flavour on top. Latest reports suggest that instead of preloading the handset with lots of its own bloatware, Samsung may adopt a much more streamlined interface and also bundle Microsoft’s apps and services on its new flagship.
Samsung’s press conference at Mobile World Congress 2015 takes place on March 1st at 18:30 CET (23:00 IST / 17:30 GMT) and we’ll be live from Barcelona with coverage of everything Samsung – and others – announce during the show. Stay tuned as it promises to be great.


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Jeep India to increase dealership network
Coimbatore: Automaker Jeep India has strengthened its retail footprint with the inauguration of a new dealership -- SGA Jeep, here, as it plans to increase its dealership network to 80 by the end of the year, the company said on Sunday. Currently, Jeep India is present in 64 cities across the country and has over 72 touch points. The SGA Jeep, in the city, is spread across 2,100 sq ft and would offer the full range of JEEP — Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, Meridian and Compass in the region. Besides, it would also serve neighbouring districts including Erode, Nigiris and Tirupur. “Tamil Nadu is an economic powerhouse and an important market for Jeep India. Our partnership with SGA in the strategic market of Coimbatore is a testimony for the growing demand for the Jeep brand in the region.


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Uppsala Monitoring Centre has teamed up with the medicine regulatory authorities and National Pharmacovigilance centres of 20 countries to launch a social media campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of over-the-counter medicines.
From 20-24 November, all 20 countries will be running a social media campaign to promote recognition and reporting of suspected side effects from over-the-counter medicines (OTC), as part of an EU-wide awareness week.
While medicines are safe and effective, side effects can happen, even with over-the-counter medicines. It is important the risks associated with all medicines are understood and communicated to health professionals and patients.
Potential side effects may range from a headache or sore stomach, to flu-like symptoms or just ‘feeling a bit off’ and reporting these can help regulators monitor medicines on the market and take action as appropriate.
Regulators rely on the reporting of suspected side effects to make sure medicines on the market are acceptably safe. Unfortunately, all reporting systems suffer from under reporting – this is why our campaign is important to both raise awareness and help strengthen the system.
All 20 countries have worked with the Uppsala Monitoring Centre and combined their diverse and unique experiences of medicines safety and online communications in a light-hearted and amusing series of animations aimed at promoting the safer use of non-prescription medicines.
One in five people in the UK may have misused over the counter medicines during their lifetime, according to research published in the Journal of Public Health. Misuse covers everything from taking a higher dose or using it more frequently than recommended on the product information leaflet, to using a medicine for longer than advised, or for a different purpose than it was intended for. One of the most common misuses of OTC medicines, is as a sleeping or relaxation aid.
The short animations feature cute cartoon characters whose unfortunate misuse of non-prescription medicines leads to comical calamities. It is hoped that the memorable character designs and simple visual gags will reinforce a very serious message for patients across Europe.


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The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) aims to showcase and position the different sectors of the Philippines creative industry as a key driver for economic growth by establishing the country’s first international creative industry trade show. The DTI, through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), will hold CREATE Philippines 2017 from October 20-22 concurrently with the 66th Manila FAME at the Philippine Trade and Training Center and HallONE, Pasay City.
CREATE Philippines will serve as an idea hub, pitching event, masterclass venue, and trade fair, highlighting four high-potential creative sectors: advertising content and production, digital games and apps, film and animation, and performing arts.
The event will have three components. The Creative Hub and Talks (CHAT) will be a forum for creative professionals for knowledge sharing. The ARTALIVE exhibition will showcase the Philippines’ creative heritage featuring pre-conquest artistic expressions, contemporary products of creativity, and modern global influences in design, visual communication, music, animation, and film. Lastly, Music Fest will feature performances from homegrown independent and mainstream artists.
Driver of Economic Growth
In the Philippines, the creative industry, which includes sectors like advertising, digital art/graphic design, animation, game development, film, and performing arts, contributed P661B, comprising 7.34% of the country’s total GDP and employed 14.4% of the labor force.
Meanwhile, the creative industry produced 3% of the world’s GDP in 2015, amounting to $2,250B in value.
In a statement, CITEM Executive Director Clayton Tugonon said, “the creative industry has the potential to be an export sector that can support, or even drive the country’s economic growth and sustainability of our creative talents.”
Collaboration for the Philippine creative economy
In a statement, DTI Undersecretary for Trade and Investments Promotion Group Nora Terrado said, “CREATE Philippines will streamline the nation’s long-term goal of developing creative cities in the Philippines under the UNESCO creative cities network. It will accelerate the roadmap for the development of the country’s creative industry as we introduce the Creative Economy Council of the Philippines as the new generation of industry champions.”
The event will also be a collaborative effort between the private and public sectors with institutional partners National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Board of Investments (BOI), the Design of the Center of the Philippines (DCP), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the Philippine Trade and Training Center (PTTC); industry partner Creative Economy Council of the Philippines (CECP); and supporting organisations Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP), Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI), Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies Philippines (4As), Filscap, Philippine Association of the Record Industry, Inc. (PARI), and PhilPop.
For DCP Executive Director Rhea Matute, CREATE Philippines can be a venue for Filipino designers to collaborate with other artists and making their products viable for business. “We’re hoping with our partnership with CREATE Philippines, as an agency under the government and as a sister agency of CITEM, we want to consolidate efforts and connect the dots with industries, within sectors, and creative industries in general,” she added.
CECP founder Paolo Mercado wants the Philippine creative economy to be 5th in Asia-Pacific and first in the ASEAN region by 2030. The council brings together different creative industry organisations to share ideas on how the Philippines can be an international creative powerhouse. For the CREATE Philippines event, the council is bringing in Filipinos who have been successful outside the country. “There’s not enough perspective of what we can do internationally. What we would like to bring in are people who have succeeded in the international scene,” he said. Yet, Mercado added, the talks should go beyond individual success stories and discuss scalable business models the country’s creative industry can emulate.
The CECP, along with the BOI, has already been working on a roadmap for the Philippine creative economy. BOI’s Paul Edward Tajon has emphasized the BOI’s enabling role in the creation of the roadmap, and that both organisations have identified which sectors have most potential for international growth.
Usec. Terrado added, “as government, we want to provide an environment where the industry will thrive. I’m not saying this is all about money, but there is a soul around building an industry — the soul of helping communities, creating jobs, creating new entrepreneurs, creating the next brand the Philippines will be known for.”
“If we can do it in the IT and BPO sector, we can do it in the services sector,” Terrado rallied.


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With flexible screens being all the rage nowadays, more and more companies are building products touting the technology. But there's an unexpected one joining the craze: Louis Vuitton. The luxury brand has introduced a set of handbags that feature built-in flexible displays, which Louis Vuitton tells Engadget are AMOLED and have a 1,920 x 1,440 resolution. There were two prototype handbags shown off during LV's Cruise 2020 runway show in New York City this week: One with a single screen and another with two, and both displayed videos of random city views and what appeared to be a demo of an internet browser.
Louis Vuitton says these are "the basis for reconsidering the digital Canvas of the Future," adding that it is "always in search of the fusion of savoir-faire and innovation." The company didn't say if it made the screens in-house or if they were outsourced, and there's no word on whether these high fashion-meets-emerging tech handbags will ever make it past their prototype stage. If they do, however, don't expect them to be cheap -- just remember that Louis Vuitton has wireless earbuds that cost nearly $1,000.
While they may not be for everyone, chances are someone out there is willing to pay whatever they may end up costing to have one. At least that's what LV is hoping. "The idea is to think of the handbag as an extension of the smartphone," a spokesperson for Louis Vuitton told Engadget.
A post shared by Louis Vuitton Official (@louisvuitton) on May 9, 2019 at 12:31am PDT


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Sweet dreams are made of cheese...and meat...all piled onto boards for the perfect feast. And that's exactly what's on the table from Charcuterie Vancouver, a local indie business that has recently announced it will move into a permanent Kitsilano storefront space.
Situated at 2766 West 4th Ave, Charcuterie will be a go-to spot for buying charcuterie spreads, or building your own board, featuring cheese, meat, jam, olives, and more from local suppliers.
Charcuterie Vancouver is owned and operated by Sadaf Rahimi, who launched the biz in 2019.
Rahimi was recently named the Best Immigrant Entrepreneur in the 2021 Small Business BC awards.
"Rahimi is recognized as an outstanding new Canadian who has started a successful business in B.C. She has overcome adversity, exhibits leadership both in her community and within her business, and has [a] strong track record of business growth," notes the awards.
That growth now includes the permanent space, which is being renovated and will be open, ideally, sometime this summer.
"What was just a dream two years ago, is now a reality and I can’t wait to see what is in store for us," said Rahimi on the Charcuterie Vancouver Instagram account.
Charcuterie is moving into what had previously been Nusa, an independent coffee shop; Nusa had been there four years and says on its website the business is relocating.
For West 4th locals worrying that Nusa's departure will make it harder to grab a reliable cup of coffee, Rahimi assures: "Kitsilano, we will continue to serve coffee, baked goods, and add on smoothies, brunch boxes and so much more. Your old coffee shop isn’t going anywhere!"
Ultimately, Rahimi also hopes to use the retail space to host in-person charcuterie workshops.
In the meantime, anyone looking to checkout what Charcuterie Vancouver is all about, the business takes online orders for "grazing tables" and boards. Delivery is available in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey.


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Tesla is an American EV, electric vehicle, and clean energy company (1). It is initiating talks with the Karnataka government to set up its research and innovation hub in Bengaluru. The Elon Musk-led firm held a discussion with the Karnataka government officials on 10 September to set up the facility, as per the sources. The talks are at introductory phase.
There are expectations that a follow up meeting will be held later this month. The government officials may give a detailed proposal to the executives of Tesla. India will be the following country to operate the research hub of Tesla outside the US.
In July 2020, Elon Musk indicated that it’s luxury electric cars will soon come to India, hopefully. He also revealed his intentions to launch Tesla cars on India’s roads by 2020, during his interaction with IIT Madras students. Our honorable Prime Minister has also shown interest in the company. Meanwhile, Nitin Gadkari, the Transport Minister, has also offered land to Tesla near the port for ease in the technology import.
Several Attempts Made By Tesla to Enter Indian Market
For a long time, Tesla has been trying to enter the Indian market. However, their attempts have been extensively unsuccessful because of the lack of policies, markets, and infrastructure for electric vehicles. The Indian government has taken several actions to promote e-mobility in India via taxation and budgetary guidelines. However, there are several obstacles in the pathway.
In 2019, India’s government had reduced the customs duty for components and parts of EV to 5%. A pre-assembled EV will get 15% taxation in India. On the other hand, the one assembled in India will get 10% taxation. The CBIT, Central Board of Indirect Taxes, has dissolved exemption of EV batteries customs duty. The move aims to increase the production of EV batteries in India, in the long, it will help the EV ecosystem of India and initiatives for Make in India.
However, there has been no significant development in India regarding the manufacturing of EV and its parts, especially for Tesla’s technology. Several startups in India are increasing the pace of getting EV in the Indian market, there is a lack of infrastructure to accommodate EV on the country’s road.


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Daily March 1
In these early stages of blockchain development, brands aren’t realizing that the move to Web3 doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing transition and can be taken gradually and thoughtfully. Read more below in our Digiday Podcast interview.
- Brands don’t need to become fully Web3-based companies, but Amanda Cassatt, of marketing agency Serotonin, believes starting the experimentation now will benefit the bottom line down the road.
- Due to the war’s violence, carnage and human suffering flooding into the media space, marketers are concerned about the tone of their creative messaging as well as the context of where their ad appears. More in this Digiday+ Marketing Briefing.
- Two years after the murder of George Floyd sparked calls for diversity across the industry, chief diversity officers say the work must continue.
- With traditional ad formats embedded alongside a competitive gaming experience, FACEIT Ads represents a middle ground between traditional and in-game advertising.
From our sister site, WorkLife:
- While video interviews have become the norm, some argue that they simply are not the equivalent of a more intimate and revealing face-to-face interaction.
- Throughout the pandemic, millions of women lost or had to quit their jobs to focus on child care and homeschooling. But groups dedicated to helping women re-enter the workforce are now flourishing.


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Online shopping has pretty much matured in Singapore as most of us are familiar with it. We shop for clothes from blogshops or online fashion shopping sites like Zalora, FaveChic, Qoo10 or Taobao. We shop for groceries on Redmart or GoFresh. There’s also a shopping site for Japanese products in Singapore too.
According to a recent survey by PayPal, one of the main online payment gateways in Singapore, more Singaporeans are shopping online, with more than three-quarters saying they do so at least once a month.
Specifically, the survey, which collected responses from over 1,000 Singaporeans, found that 78% of respondents shop online at least once a month, with more than half (55%), shop via mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets.
Here are some interesting findings from the survey too:
- Two-thirds of the respondents said that they spend more than S$100 online over the past three months.
- The top concerns among online shoppers were having their financial details being stolen by cybercriminals and falling victim to fraud (57 per cent)
- 20% of the respondents are wary about sharing credit card details with a website they had not visited before.
- Majority of the online shoppers have not fallen victim to fraud or cybercrime. Instead, most respondents (36 per cent) identified with not receiving their items or receiving damaged physical goods.
The survey also had a segment on cross border shipments. While shopping cross border is common and becoming increasingly popular among shoppers, 89% of the respondents who shop cross border are concerned about online risks when shopping from overseas websites compared with local sites.
PayPal provided the following tips to help e-shoppers avoid becoming victims of cybercrime:
- A “https” at the beginning of an URL means it’s a lot more secure. Never enter your financial information on a website’s checkout page without it.
- Do not click on links in suspicious emails, and do not give out your personal and financial details over email.
- Only download apps from companies you trust and check reviews, as some apps contain malware designed to steal your financial data.
- Whichever app or browser you’re buying from, always check that you have the latest version installed to ensure your security protection is up-to-date.
This is a timely advise from the company with the recent case of online frauds in Singapore involving online payments. Earlier last week, Singapore police were investigating at least 27 cases of an online scam in which victims were duped of around $33,000 after receiving fake e-mail notifications. The tricksters posed as PayPal and sent the e-mails to sellers on various e-commerce sites such as Gumtree and eBay, pretending that payments had been made for fake transactions.
The online sellers would then send the ‘purchased’ items to addresses overseas. Police say the scammers would also send fictitious emails from ‘Paypal’ requesting for admin payments such as account activation fees to be made via local bank account transfers or through remittance to overseas accounts.


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Dat Bike, a startup brainchild of Nguyen Ba Canh Son, a former Silicon Valley developer, got a shot in its arm in 2018 by raising $2.6 million in seed funding from a group of investors led by Singapore venture capital firm Jungle Ventures.
Jungle Ventures rarely invests in premature projects like Dat Bike, so the decision was described as "exceptional." This is true, considering that Son and his Dat Bike were firmly rejected until then.
"You should never dive into electric bike making," an investor told Son bluntly a few years ago.
"You are gifted, but you sell what no one wants. This is not the right time for electric bikes in the market. I will consider an investment if you come up with another project," the investor added.
Son also believed then that the market was not ready for him. He saw that the way brands advertised electric bikes usually disappointed the customers as the real life performance failed to match the marketing hype.
Electric bikes these days can only cover just half the range and power of their petrol-fueled rivals. Currently, the electric bike owners are mostly young students, who are not allowed to ride powerful motorcycles.
The rejections did not deter Son, who constantly kept in mind the motivation that made him take the plunge. When Son was a developer in Silicon Valley, he became bored with the job at a property management agency. The workload was heavy but meaningless and the handsome remuneration did not stop him from quitting his job and looking for a new path that would deliver value and convenience to people.
Around this time, the production of electric vehicles was an emerging, attractive business in the U.S. However, startups often failed due because they were premature for the market. Son believed he had a better chance making electric bikes for Vietnam.
He returned to Vietnam in 2018 with all his money and loans, pouring everything into his dream project, Dat Bike.
Son wanted his bikes to have the ability to replace petrol-fueled ones that were polluting the local air. He wanted that buyers not have to compromise neither power nor convenience when using the greener alternatives.
Starting with roughly $1 million, Son invested in a factory and then opened a flagship store in HCMC. The number of buyers was relatively modest at a few hundred, a month, but since November 2020, things have been looking up with revenues rising 35 percent a month since November 2020.
Dat Bike has been recognized by the Ministry of Transport as Vietnam’s first domestic electric bike manufacturer that sources parts locally. Standing out from other competitors was a factor that influenced Jungle Ventures to invest in Dat Bike.
Dat Bike’s flagship electric motorbike Weaver. Photo courtery of Dat Bike.
Amit Anand, founding partner with Jungle Ventures, said it was noteworthy that public awareness of the need to preserve and protect the natural environment has been rising.
Consumers are more and more likely to switch to greener products, but they are not ready to compromise the convenience of regular vehicles.
"It is just something most brands don’t pursue right now. They mostly import finished units or assemble parts. This lack of core development and control results in the market lagging behind in power and design, making it difficult for people to make the switch. Dat Bike offers the customer a better option," Anand said.
A Dat Bike representative affirmed Anand’s statement, saying they believe that they are a game changer in the market. Dat Bike is focused on high-end quality, which is expected to help the startup convince bike buyers to switch to greener alternatives.
Dat Bike claims that its first generation products rival petrol bikes in power and range. Its 5,000W motor helps accelerate from 0-50 km/h in just three seconds, three times more powerful than other electric bikes in the market. One full charge can help maintain the power enough for 100km, roughly double the capacity of other competitors.
Dat Bike currently uses the lithium-ion batteries, the same one used by the latest Tesla models. The battery has a life expectancy of 10 years.
Lithium-ion is one of the safest battery chemistries available and can be dumped at recycling yards.
The startup claims that its batteries get fully charged in roughly three hours, 100 percent faster than other contenders in the Vietnam market. It aims to shorten the charging time to just one hour in near future.
"I heard doubts expressed when people first saw our latest model, but I’m not worried at all," said Son. "The design is not one size fits all. And this is the just the first step of many to come."
He said the design can be easily tailored to a variety of customer tastes. Developing new designs is much less challenging than ensuring the electric engines will rival or even surpass that of petrol engines, which is Dat Bike’s focus right now.
Since its entry into the market, Dat Bike’s supply has fallen short of demand due to limited budget and small production capacity. The investment from Jungle Ventures is slated to help the startup complete orders from Vietnam and other countries in the region.
Dat Bike plans to expand by building its supply chain in Southeast Asia, where the vast majority of households own two-wheeled vehicles. Trade within Southeast Asia is tariff-free, compared to huge taxes for imported bikes in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The tariff scheme grants local companies huge advantages compared to outsiders and that may help Vietnam’s electric bike makers become a regional powerhouse.
China, India and Southeast Asia are the three largest bike markets in the world. While the first two have been almost occupied by domestic manufacturers, Dat Bike is probably the first local maker in the region. The startup’s pioneering position is another main factor that has influenced Jungle Ventures.
"Dat Bike is exceptional among our projects, one of the few that we decided to invest in at a very early stage. We want to back Son and help him make his dream to be the ‘Elon Musk’ of bike industry come true," said Anand.
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Business and consumer electronics giant Hewlett-Packard has unveiled the prices and shipping date of the very first webOS TouchPad tablet, with costs starting from £399 and an arrival date of mid-July.
HP’s TouchPad was launched back in early February, along with the two new handsets in the HP Veer and HP Pre 3 – all of which run from the infamous Palm webOS platform.
Hewlett-Packard first tablet device with that very operating system arrives with a 9.7-inch 1024x786 touch screen display, 16 or 32GB of storage, a dual-core 1.2Ghz processor, a 1.3 megapixel camera, whilst weighing in at 740grams and measuring only 13.7mm in thickness.
The webOS on theTouchPad still has a similar look to the past Palm mobile phones, with a fast multitasking OS that effortlessly displays multiple running applications with the ability to switch between over 200 apps simultaneously with no lag whatsoever.
HP’s tablet also has a range of accessories; a keyboard and stand that effectively turns the TouchPad into a laptop whilst the wireless TouchStone charging device is available too.
HP’s WIFI only webOS tablet will be available on July 1st , with pre-ordering starting on June 19th and at a cost of £399 for the 16GB version and £479 with 32GB of internal storage.
One Mobile Ring caught up with HP at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year, where we published a hands-on walkthrough in pictures here of the tablet and caught on video a demonstration of the TouchPad here.
Originally published at OneMobileRing.com