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Two of the UK’s greatest on line stores, Boohoo and Asos, have moved to invest in makes from collapsed significant road giants in deals underlining how the pandemic has accelerated dramatic shifts in the retail sector.
Boohoo has secured a £55 million offer to buy the makes and internet site of Debenhams, confirming the demise of the 242-12 months-previous retailer’s historical past on the substantial street.
The section store firm is now winding down operations at its 118 stores, which are anticipated to shut for excellent by March.
In a individual go, Asos advised traders that it is in special talks to invest in the Topshop, Topman, Miss out on Selfridge and HIIT brands and on the web organizations from administrators for Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia empire.
The deal would consequence in the closure of all retailers under these brands, with thousands of positions anticipated to be impacted.
Both of those specials paint a dismal image for the long run of the Uk high avenue but implies numerous troubled companies could confront rosier futures on the web.
Here we response essential queries about what this all means.
Why do on line-only shops want to purchase high avenue names?
Today’s two moves come amid a period of robust activity by on the internet companies searching to snap up troubled higher road manufacturers on the low-cost.
Boohoo has been significantly intense in this regard, shopping for significant street manufacturers Karen Millen, Oasis and Warehouse in the previous two a long time to get them on the web-only and shut shops.
Guy Elliott at Publicis Sapient mentioned the on line firm’s deal for Debenhams is comparable, in that it will open up up Boohoo to a unique demographic to its core teenage and millennial shopper foundation.
“Debenhams is a effectively-recognized brand, the web page has a massive volume of visitors and an older demographic than Boohoo’s latest territory,” he claimed.
“It is also very likely they are hunting to capitalise on some of the core territories in which Debenhams is robust, this sort of as natural beauty or lingerie, alternatively than its current broad-brush section shop historical past.”
Getting substantial road vendors with powerful models gives the likes of Asos and Boohoo with superior foundations to go into slightly unique spots of the current market.
Topshop and other Arcadia makes have also been qualified by high road merchants these kinds of as Up coming, but unprofitable rental agreements have proved an impediment to securing very good price deals for possible suitors, this means administrators may have uncovered on the web-only sales to be much more rewarding.
Does this suggest the large street is dead?
The pandemic has sparked a raft of administrations and restructurings between superior street retailers, causing the reduction of thousands of employment.
The superior road had already been in turmoil prior to Covid-19, but retail analyst Richard Hyman informed PA that it nonetheless has a potential, even though it will glance “quite different”.
“The significant avenue is not dead but it is at the moment sleeping,” he stated.
“When it is permitted to wake up correctly I feel you will see a massive volume of the populace go out searching because it is some thing individuals pass up.
“But definitely it will be scaled-down and we continue on to see a great deal of improvements as stores react to what buyers want and expect from the experience.
“These organizations, like Topman and Debenhams, were being usually going to fade from the superior street but there are loads like Primark who have been hit by the pandemic but need to rebound speedily when they reopen”.
Analysts have also pressured that a slump in retail house valuations next the pandemic could deliver an prospect for innovation.
Leisure firms had viewed unique expansion prior to the pandemic, with huge models previously taken by big vendors or department stores turning out to be trampoline parks and blended-use venues.
How possible are makes to endure if they shift on line-only?
The shift from some significant street stalwarts to turn out to be on the internet-only operations has largely been a latest phenomenon.
On the other hand, Littlewoods was a single of the first brand names to go completely on the web after the brand name was offered to The Incredibly Group, less than its earlier identify Shop Direct.
The team has continued to work productively by means of Littlewoods.com though the model has been mainly dwarfed by its flagship Quite brand name.
Thankfully for Boohoo, Debenhams will have by now have a larger on the internet enterprise when the alter in possession is completed.
Even so, some retail analysts have claimed it could confront a challenge maintain some key manufacturer partners on board as part of the transform in possession.
Greg Lawless, retail analyst at Shore Capital, reported: “The large dilemma in splendor is regardless of whether the large beauty manufacturers – Clinique and Chanel – will stay with Boohoo for a longer period time period.
“The Debenhams selection 1 placement in top quality beauty was predicated on counter revenue, which will not type portion of this acquisition.”
It continues to be to be witnessed how the acquisition will influence Debenhams partnership with their huge selection of model partners.
Will on the internet-only merchants open up bricks and mortar stores?
In excess of the previous ten years, a lot of large avenue firms have fully commited major power to acquiring an on line existence, but now some on the web shops have created the reverse temper.
In 2019, Amazon launched its 1st British isles pop-up merchants and prepared to open up far more in metropolitan areas throughout the United kingdom right before designs had been impacted by the pandemic.
The team also ordered the Complete Foods grocery chain, whilst this has proved a obstacle, with Complete Foodstuff British isles putting up widening losses past year.
Other on line corporations these types of as The Hut Team, Glossier and Gymshark have also focused on pop-up shops and showrooms to use actual physical significant road configurations to assistance them demonstrate new consumers their on line supplying.
Richard Hyman mentioned customers should assume more on the internet firms to make this go, with buyers keen for actual physical encounters.
“I am assured you see far more on the net shops wanting to open physical areas mainly because it is a wholly distinct expertise,” he said.
“Online is not the silver bullet and we have observed customers queue to get their palms on products which had been beforehand only offered on-line.”
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M1 Legal clients celebrate most successful ever year as December victories bring 2022 to a roaring finish, easily exceeding the most optimistic projections
Traditionally the Christmas period is a quieter month for timeshare claims related businesses as families focus on entertaining, gifts and travelling to celebrate with loved ones.
Practical financial planning can sometimes take a back seat as we spend our way through parties and other (admittedly enjoyable) overindulgence.
This wasn’t the case for M1 Legal clients.
“Our team was still incredibly busy even at the end of the year,” says Fernando Sansegundo, head of M1 Legal. “This December M1 lawyers achieved nearly a third of a million pounds worth of compensation victories, shared between 24 grateful clients.
“Wonderful news for these families at Christmas time.”
One overjoyed Chelmsford family received confirmation that they had been awarded a staggering £50,152 for their mis-sold Club La Costa fractional membership.
The 2022 success story
In 2022, the timeshare compensation experts at M1 racked up victories totalling £9,013,250. A stunning 50.9% increase on the previous 12 months.
“This nine million pounds was shared between 440 successful claimants,” explains Sansegundo. “The average award worked out as £20,485 per person which most people would agree is a significant sum of money.
“For most clients the primary concern is to become free from the ever increasing costs of timeshare ownership,” says Fernando. “The award itself is seen as a welcome bonus.
“The contract can often be nullified relatively quickly, whereas the claim can take over a year. The client is observably relieved and grateful when informed that the financial burden of their membership has been relinquished.
“Of course it is then a very enjoyable part of our work when we get to make the next phone call, telling them about the money they have been awarded.”
Every year since inception, M1 Legal have convincingly improved on their previous best performances and 2022 was no exception.
“Any business is pleased when they improve year-on-year performance,” acknowledges Sansegundo. “M1’s figures are not just improvements, they are giant leaps forward.
“Revenue increases of 30%, 50%, 80% and even 100% do not happen in a marketplace approaching saturation. They are testament to the vast untapped potential in this space.
“Courts are no longer dragging their feet over punishing lawless timeshare companies. These resorts have made sickening amounts of money through illegal activity, and their victims are finally being awarded the compensation they deserve.”
Want to know more about compensation?
Timeshare is a complicated business and every case is different. Generally memberships can be relinquished with expert help, and in cases where certain criteria apply, an owner can be due compensation.
M1 Legal works together with leading claims firm European Consumer Claims (ECC). ECC assess and filter out the strongest claims which they then recommend to M1 Legal.
The consultation with ECC is free and without obligation. Get in touch with their team for expert advice.
- European Consumer Claims
- M1 Legal
- M1 Legal continues to smash timeshare compensation records
- Can timeshare owners in Spain really claim compensation?
- Timeshare owners scramble to escape before 2023 maintenance payment demands
- M1 Legal secures life changing £133,600 timeshare compensation victory for North London couple
- M1 Lawyer Sofia Solano Diaz explains what happens when a Club La Costa claim is submitted to the UK administration/liquidation
- Timeshare free and loving life
- Out of control timeshare maintenance fee hikes: A case study interview
- Ayrshire couple Douglas and Linda share their timeshare claim experience
- ECC contact page
- M1 Legal shatters record for most money awarded in a week, only 2 months after record was set
ECC provides timeshare claims services, expert advice and help
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First published on MyNewsDesk January 2023


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ePHOTOzine brings you a daily round up of all the latest photography news including camera news, exhibitions, events, special offers, industry news, digital photography news, announcements and launches.
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LOKI have created a 4-in-1 modular camera rig and they're looking for backers to bring it into production.
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Wrangler has inked a new licensing agreement with sustainable footwear maker Twisted X to design and distribute Wrangler Footwear for men’s, women’s, and children across the western, casual/modern, outdoor, work, and work/casual categories.
The first collection is slated for spring 2021, and will be available across the United States, Canada, and U.S. Territories like Puerto Rico.
“This collection will advance Wrangler into the footwear category, and we could not be more excited to bring these products to life with the help of Twisted X,” said Allen Montgomery, vice president of Wrangler NAM Western & Workwear. “Wrangler has always placed a priority on respecting our environment, and with Twisted X’s remarkable sustainability efforts, we’re optimistic our inaugural venture into the category will be a huge milestone, not only for the brand, but for the entire western community.”
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Wrangler to create the new Wrangler Footwear line,” added Prasad Reddy, CEO at Twisted X. “Wrangler is an iconic brand in the western industry and Twisted X is honored to be the company chosen to assist in expanding their product lines into the footwear industry. The line will focus on quality, comfort, and sustainability, the three pillars of both companies.”


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Responsible for the Australian business of Japanese brand Subaru for more than 40 years, Inchcape revealed in May that it had won the contract to take over management and distribution of the Peugeot and Citroen brands from Sime Darby.
Dutch-born Poelmann (above, left) will join Inchcape Australia's executive team in late July, relocating from Luxembourg to Sydney.
“We are very pleased to welcome Anouk to the company”, said Nick Senior, former Subaru Australia managing director and now CEO of Inchcape Australasia.
“She joins us at a crucial moment as we expand our Australian distribution platform partnering with ‘Groupe PSA’ to complement our current operations, creating an even stronger platform for growth.
"We are fully committed to grow the presence of the Peugeot and Citroën brands in Australia. Anouk’s strong track record and recognised leadership capabilities will be a major asset in this new phase of our organisation.”
Although the press release issued today does not identify Poelmann's previous employers by name, she will come to the PSA Groupe brands from high-level management roles with Volvo through the 2000s, along with an automotive consultancy role since 2014.
Much of the Peugeot Citroen business is likely to be run through the broader Inchcape organisation, although one other major appointment has been confirmed for the French brands: Jemma White (above, right), who will come on in July as corporate communications and events manager.
White will move over from Inchcape's Trivett Bespoke business - including Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and McLaren - where she has worked for the past two years as Group Marketing Manager.
For more on the developing Peugeot and Citroen 'rebirth' in Australia, see our coverage below.
MORE: New Australian Peugeot, Citroen distributor hints at plans
MORE: PSA Peugeot Citroen shifts Australian distribution
MORE: Peugeot news, reviews, comparisons and videos
MORE: Citroen news, reviews, comparisons and videos


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Am Fam Physician. 2006 Dec 15;74(12):2015.
Forget the lemonade stand—bring on the orange juice! Research published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology suggests that orange juice helps prevent the formation of kidney stones better than other citrus fruit juices such as lemonade. Four patients with a history of kidney stones and nine healthy control patients were given orange juice, lemonade, or distilled water while on a low-calcium, low-oxalate diet. After analyzing the participants’ urine samples, researchers found that orange juice had greater alkalinizing and citraturic effects than lemonade, despite comparable citrate content. Orange juice also raised the levels of citrate in the urine and reduced the crystallization of calcium oxalate and uric acid. (J Am Soc Nephrol, October 26, 2006)
You may have a few uninvited guests in your room the next time you stay in a hotel, says a news release from Reuters Health. Researchers from the University of Virginia asked 15 patients with colds who tested positive for rhinovirus to stay in a hotel for one night. The volunteers had to stay awake for five hours before going to bed and they had to remain in the room for two hours before checking out the next day. They also made an inventory of all the objects they touched in the room. Of the 150 surfaces tested, 35 percent had detectable traces of rhinovirus. Contamination was found on light switches, door handles, telephones, faucets, and television remote controls. The researchers note that the virus can be transmitted via dry mucus for one day or longer. (Reuters Health news release, October 2, 2006)
Celebrities are narcissistic? No, say it isn’t so! A study in the Journal of Research in Personality, which was conducted in part by television and radio personality Dr. Drew Pinksy, suggests that M.B.A. students and the “average” American are significantly less narcissistic than celebrities. Before the beginning of Pinsky’s radio show, “Loveline,” randomly selected guests answered questions from the Narcissistic Personality Inventory test, which evaluates feelings such as superiority, exhibitionism, entitlement, vanity, and authority. The data showed that female celebrities were significantly more narcissistic than male celebrities, but reality television celebrities were the most narcissistic of the 200 study participants. There was no association between time spent in the entertainment industry and narcissism, which may mean that being a celebrity doesn’t cause narcissism, but rather people are drawn to the industry because they exhibit features of narcissism. (J Res Pers, October 2006)
Let them eat carrots? According to the Chicago Tribune, some California schools have limited unhealthy classroom treats, such as cupcakes on birthdays and holidays, to only three times a year out of concern about childhood obesity. Some school districts have banned celebratory snacks altogether. Texas, however, passed the “Safe Cupcake” amendment, which guarantees parents the right to bring in non-nutritious treats on special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween, or their child’s birthday. Other schools have opted for nonfood items such as special clothing or seat covers to help celebrate birthdays. Experts warn, however, that moderation—not elimination—is key, because the more these sugary sweets are restricted, the more desirable they become to children. (Chicago Tribune, October 1, 2006)
Put down that “compulsive buy” and step away from the counter! A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry describes compulsive shopping as the frequent, uncontrollable urge to buy, leading to the accumulation of large quantities of unnecessary, unwanted items. These shopping binges can result in significant adverse consequences, including depression, bankruptcy, divorce, and even suicide attempts. The researchers found that 6 percent of women and 5.5 percent of men are compulsive spenders. Persons 40 years or younger and with incomes of less than $50,000 a year are more likely than older persons to be compulsive buyers. Also, compulsive shoppers are four times less likely to pay off their credit card balances. Compulsive buying is likely to be an emotional problem, so the authors recommend treatment and social interventions for those who are compulsive shoppers. Although compulsive buying is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., criteria have been proposed. (Am J Psych, October 2006)
Copyright © 2006 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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Inland waterways to hire disaster management consultant
Kolkata, Nov 6 (IANS) Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has planned to engage a global consultant to prepare a disaster management plan for the development of National Waterways one (NW1) on the Ganga river under the Jal Marg Vikas project, a top official said on Sunday.
“Large number of vessels will move up and down on the Ganga river when the project gets ready. The authority has to take care of the risk associated with development of the waterways,” the authority’s Vice Chairman Pravir Pandey, who is also Project Director of Jal Marg Vikas, told IANS.
“We are going to engage a consultant agency through a worldwide procurement process. The agency will prepare the disaster management plan,” Pandey said.
The idea is to gauge what could be the disaster that may occur in future and what would be the best response to tackle such problem, he said.
“The terms of reference are being prepared. The tender will be floated in two months time,” Pandey said.
The government is developing National Waterway 1 (NW-1) under the Jal Marg Vikas Project, with assistance from the World Bank.
The estimated project cost has been revised upward to Rs 5,369 crore from the initial estimation of Rs 4,200 crore.
With its objective of providing safe, environment friendly and economical mode of transportation through NW-1, the authority signed a contract with Germany-based vessel design company — DST, Germany, to design vessels, especially suited to navigate the 1,620 km stretch of NW-1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly stretch).
He said along with the cargo vessels, there was a huge demand too for passenger transportation.
Based on the demand, the authority has analysed ferry services linking the cities on the bank of the river, he said.
“Ferry services will be introduced at Allahabad, Varanashi, Patna, Kolkata and Haldia. For that purpose, we will engage a joint venture between Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Thompson Design Group for doing a study and prepare a detailed project report,” he said.
“The joint venture is expected to be on board in December to start the study,” Pandey said.
Regarding the cargo movement, he said automobile manufacturers could save up to Rs 5,000 per car on logistics cost if they use the river to transport vehicles.
“DST (the German firm) will be coming up with a design on shallow draft vessels that can carry up to 300 cars at one go. A road trailer can only carry six cars. So effectively, 50 trailers could be put off the road. This can result in an estimated savings of up to Rs 5,000 a car,” he said.
Maruti Suzuki has successfully transported cars using waterways and companies such as Honda and Mahindra have expressed their interest, he added.


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Industry body Nasscom that represents the Indian IT industry has sent a long list of demands to the government which it says is essential for its members to overcome the crisis precipitated by the coronavirus, as per a report in the Economic Times. The lockdown has meant that many companies may not receive their payments from customers across the world as this is a worldwide phenomenon. Two strong markets for the Indian IT companies, the US and Europe, are both the worst affected now with the number of people affected by the virus and the number of deaths reported spiralling out of control.
Now, Nasscom wants the following concessions from the government:
> For units operating in the Special Economic Zones, it wants the sunset clause to be extended by one year.
> If IT and ITES companies are incurring expenses due to the work from home arrangement, such expenses should be allowed as regular business expenses.
> IT companies should be allowed to set off past unutilised Minimum Alternative Tax (MAT) credit, even if companies opt to move to the lower tax regime of 22%.
> Government departments and public sector companies must release payments owed to small and medium sized companies offering mundane IT services within the next fortnight.
> Defer the requirement to deposit advance tax in the first quarter.
> Nasscom wants the government to absorb the rent payments of small and medium enterprises for three months.
> The industry body has also mooted a suggestion that the information technology companies be permitted to âbenchâ their surplus employees who will be paid certain minimum wages and they will be entitled to statutory dues only.
> A furlough scheme is also being suggested, where those employees currently idle can be rested for three months without any salary but their employment can remain secure.


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Cost of living pressures are increasing in the UK and faster than estimated. The annual inflation rate breached the 10 per cent barrier in July for the first time in 40 years. The consumer price index accelerated to 10.1 per cent last month from 9.4 per cent in June, driven largely by higher food and fuel costs.
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A Wimbledon barber shop is celebrating being at the cutting edge of the hairdressing industry after reaching the HJ British
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Detectives are appealing for help in tracing a man they believe may be responsible for a series of sexual assaults in Clapham. Police released
Wimbledon Village will be getting a touch of Spanish culture on Thursday evening thanks to a new hands-on cookery evening.
Pawsitively heartwarming! Stolen dog reunited with owner – but can we collar the criminal behind the theft?
A Kingston musician was finally reunited with his four-legged best friend this week after she was stolen from outside Wholefoods
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eBay Inc. (Nasdaq:EBAY) today announced that Devin Wenig is joining the company as President of its global eBay Marketplaces business unit, which includes eBay, the world's leading online marketplace; eBay classifieds sites in more than 1,000 cities worldwide; and StubHub, the world's largest online tickets marketplace. Wenig will report to eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe.
Wenig, 44, most recently was Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Reuters Markets, a division of Thomson Reuters, where he led the company's global financial services and media businesses. Wenig also led the integration of Reuters and Thomson following the merger of the two companies. In a highly successful 18-year career with Reuters and Thomson Reuters, Wenig had extensive global operating and leadership experience in rapidly changing, disruptive competitive environments, giving him a deep understanding of how to develop and grow innovative global technology platforms to serve changing customer needs.
"Devin's deep global operating and leadership experience, combined with his record of delivering innovation and of understanding global technology platforms and communities, makes him uniquely qualified to lead our eBay Marketplaces business," Donahoe said. "We are focused on shaping the future of commerce with retailers and sellers of all sizes across multiple formats, including mobile, local and social commerce. Devin will be a strong leader to drive our vision of enabling retailers of all sizes to grow their businesses and enabling consumers to shop anytime, anywhere for whatever they want."
Wenig joins eBay at a time of dramatic change across global retail and in how consumers worldwide shop and pay. Online and offline are blending into a multichannel commerce environment, with technology driving innovation and influencing how retailers of all sizes compete and how consumers shop.
Against this backdrop, eBay is a leader in trends such as mobile commerce. As it announced as part of its second quarter 2011 earnings release on July 20, 2011, eBay expects to generate more than $4 billion of merchandise volume through its eBay mobile applications in 2011 - more than double the prior year. Consumers worldwide have driven more than 50 million downloads of the company's mobile applications.
eBay has dramatically improved the shopping experience on its global marketplace platform, with tailored visual browsing and shopping experiences in categories such as fashion. eBay also is driving innovation in areas such as local commerce, enabling retailers to feature their local inventory within eBay search results. Other innovations such as eBay's Instant Sale feature enables consumers to easily get money for their old electronics devices and purchase new models. Increasingly, brands and retailers are opening stores on eBay as a complementary sales channel and leveraging features such as eBay's flash sale format to deliver great deals for shoppers on a range of merchandise.
In 2010, eBay Marketplaces net revenues were more than $5.7 billion, representing about 62 percent of total eBay Inc. net revenue. More than half of eBay's revenue is generated outside of the US. Worldwide, more than $60 billion of merchandise volume is transacted annually on eBay, with the majority sold at fixed price. eBay has nearly 100 million active users.


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Spree Interactive, manufacturer of VR attractions for the location-based entertainment market, has partnered with ASI to unveil the VR Playground and kid-friendly shooter, Splish Splash, at the DEAL Expo show.
The company say the latest version of its award-winning multiplayer free-roam VR Arenas and tropical island shooter game captured the attention of attendees, receiving a great reception at the show.
The VR Playground is designed to maximise revenue while fitting in a compact space. It is aimed at FECs looking to tap into the lucrative six-12 demographic. Packed with a library of family-friendly games, the VR Playground utilises high-quality HTC Vive Focus 3 headsets, being designed for repeat play and maximum fun.
Available in 10-player, six-player, and now four-player configurations, the VR Playground is more compatible than ever, with options for footprints as small as 30sqm.
"We are excited to see such an amazing reception for the launch of the VR Playground and Splish Splash at the DEAL Expo show," said Jonathan Nowak Delgado, CEO of Spree Interactive. "Our team has worked tirelessly to design a product that meets the demands of FEC owners and delivers an unparalleled experience for players. The VR Playground is an exciting addition to any venue and we are confident that it will be young and old."


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With Malaysians being the top five Waze users in the world and the highest in Asia, it's expected that the GPS navigation app will have more in store for the Southeast Asian country in 2019.
Having acquired a brand new country manager in the form of Kelvin Sim in October, Waze is already in gear and revving its engines for new challenges for the new year.
Previously with Society Malaysia, Kelvin comes in with 18 years of experience spanning various industries with a huge chunk of his expertise are from the telecommunication and digital marketing sphere.
Yes, more awesome improvements for Waze is coming your way soon, Malaysia!
To understand what exactly Kelvin would be doing in the Southeast Asian country, we need to recap some of the awesome initiatives Waze has introduced for Malaysians in 2018.
Waze Local for Malaysia's economic growth
Now as more and more small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are blooming, the GPS navigation app launched Waze Local in August 2018 to assist in the growth of Malaysian entrepreneurs.
It's a brilliant way for drivers to discover places, services and products of interest nearby and a great initiative for local businesses to flourish!
Waze Carpool for convenience
Did you know that Waze has its own ride-hailing and sharing app? It's called Carpool and it lives up to its name.
Through this brilliant app, ride-hailing is taken to the next level where not only do you make new friends, but save money and time in the process of commuting to your locations together.
It is currently available in the US and Brazil. Here's keeping our fingers crossed that this awesome initiative is brought to Malaysia real soon!
Utilising Waze safely through Apple CarPlay
When Apple revealed CarPlay, many tech geeks went gaga. The future has arrived!
Not only will you be able to make phone calls, reply to messages, listen to music and even get directions while driving, you'll be doing in a more safer and cooler way.
All you got to do is connect your iPhone to CarPlay - Apple's infotainment interface on select models of cars - and you'll no longer need to type that bloody address to find your bearings.
Heck, Waze is also building its own full-featured audio player for cars too!
Inclusion of diverse Malaysian cultures
Waze is well received for the plethora of choices it has for its voice navigating system.
From famous personalities to pop culture icons to over 50 language options to choose from, the Cantonese dialect became the recent addition into the GPS navigation app's growing library of voice options.
And now, Kelvin aims to build upon these initiatives for 2019.
"Waze has had built a lot of momentum this year having implemented some great initiatives, I would like to take inspiration on some of the projects we have done and build upon them," he says to Mashable Southeast Asia through email.
We simply couldn't resist the opportunity to reach out to him to find his vision and direction for Waze.
"As the new country manager, I’m looking to facilitate more projects that will positively impact our users by leveraging technology and collaborations with governments and local communities to build smarter, more efficient cities where traffic can one day be history," Kelvin says, alluding to Waze's ride-hailing app, Carpool.
Kelvin aims to expand the brand by collaborating with Waze users, local SMEs to government bodies to solve one of Malaysia's biggest problem; transportation woes.
Here's where Waze's Connected Citizen Program (CCP) comes in, Kelvin says.
"Through partnerships with hundreds of municipalities, Waze users and transportation departments worldwide, the goal is to improve infrastructure, alleviate traffic congestion, and help people make better informed planning decisions to keep the cities moving," he explains.
To understand what CCP is, check this video out!
"Locally, we used potholes alerts submitted by our users in Selangor to identify where to physically improve Malaysian roads throughout the country," Kelvin says.
With traffic congestion becoming worst each year in Malaysia, Kelvin is rolling up his sleeves to make things more convenient and easier for Waze users here.
He however believes that these negative traffic trends can be reversed if Malaysians work together as a community.
Kelvin wants Malaysians to understand that Waze is more than just a navigational application.
"I believe the community-building aspect of Waze can bring together drivers, riders, citizens, government officials, advocacy groups and rideshare companies to offer insights on how to improve road and driving conditions."
Not wanting to ruin the excitement for Malaysian Waze users, Kelvin is being tight lipped on the awesome stuff which are on the way.
Damn it, Kelvin!


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Global demand for traditional British tea, biscuits and sausages has seen food and non-alcoholic drink exports rise last year to top £12bn for the first time.
Forget builders' brew - fancy an infusion of jasmine green tea flowers? Britons are demanding a classier cuppa
It's not always obvious why an ad agency loses an account. But often it is. A glance at the ads they're producing is often evidence enough of the client's rationale.


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In a move to capitalise on Nigeria’s economic resurgence, Oppenheimer Partners, a global investment firm, has acquired full control of GZ Industries Limited, Nigeria’s top beverage can manufacturer.
The firm is owned by the Oppenheimer family, a top billionaire family in South Africa.
According to a statement on Thursday from Affirma who didn’t disclose further details, the firm bought the shares it didn’t own in GZ Industries from Affirma Capital, a private equity formerly known as Standard Chartered Private Equity.
“We are proud of the work we have done to build a market-leading, multinational packaging business in Africa. When we first invested in GZI, the business was a single-plant, single-country operation,” said Ronald Tamale, founding partner and sub-Saharan Africa head at Affirma Capital.
The private equity firm had a 37.5 percent stake in the supplier of cans to companies including Coca-Cola Co.
With this acquisition, the firm has expanded its presence in Africa’s largest economy, taking over a company that produces three billion aluminium cans annually.
The move is also seen as a strategic play to tap into the region’s growing demand for sugary drinks, with urban, educated adults in sub-Saharan Africa consuming the most sugary drinks globally, according to a Nature Communications study.
“During our investment period, we have navigated complex macroeconomic headwinds including fx illiquidity challenges in Nigeria, supply chain disruptions, commodity price volatility, and an uncertain economic outlook in GZI’s core markets.
“Despite this, we’ve remained disciplined by focusing on delivering growth, margin expansion, and the protection of shareholder value. The sale of our stake to Oppenheimer Partners demonstrates the robustness of our partnership since 2018,” Tamale said.
The acquisition of GZ Industries aligns with Oppenheimer Partners’ long-standing track record of successful investments in Africa. Since 2008, the firm has invested in 11 companies across the continent, completing exits from eight of them and generating over $800 million in returns for investors.


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‘Mueller Report’ On Trump-Russia Collusion Up For Pre-Order On Amazon, To Be Released On March 26
While many debate the time of the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s much-anticipated report, it appears that Amazon may have beaten the political analysts and pundits to the punch. The Mueller Report: The Final Report of the Special Counsel into Donald Trump, Russia, and Collusion is now available for pre-order on the retail giant’s website, with a delivery date of March 26. The best-selling edition boasts a foreword penned by former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, per Money, and is listed as being a massive 960 pages in size.
While special counsel Robert Mueller has not given a firm date as to the release of his report, this best-selling product — one which claims to compile the findings of the report — seems to indicate that the information will be made public before the conclusion of March. A competing edition of the Mueller report is also up for pre-order on Amazon, one endorsed by The Washington Post, but this particular version has not attained the same sales numbers as the one featuring Dershowitz’s preface.
Unfortunately for critics of the current American president, the findings produced by the years-long Mueller probe may be less satisfying than they might hope, per Reuters.
“Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s impending report on the findings of his investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 U.S. election may far fall short of the searing and voluminous Starr report, legal experts said, in part due to constraints on Mueller that did not exist when Starr produced his report.”
— Los Angeles Magazine (@LAmag) March 5, 2019
President Trump has long been critical of the Mueller probe into alleged Russian interference in 2016, having criticized the investigation over 1,100 times — per The Hill — and often categorizing the proceedings as a “witch hunt.”
According to Politico, Trump has also frequently questioned the legitimacy of the Mueller investigation, often indicating a posited double standard when it comes to the lack of scrutiny afforded the widely-disputed “p*ss tape” dossier circulated by former British spy Christopher Steel.
Claiming that the alleged Russian operatives conducting a number of social media campaigns were far more “systematic, [and] deceptive” than those involved with promoting the Steele dossier, Mueller’s office rejected any notions that they were acting hypocritically by ignoring unearthed evidence which indicated that Steele was financially contracted to produce the dossier as a hit-piece, the money coming from the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign law firm of Perkins-Coie.
Whether or not the Mueller report being sold on Amazon actually ends up containing the verbatim documentation collated by the special counsel’s office remains unclear as yet.


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Whether you like Wal-Mart or not, this is good news. Any time you have a retailer with as much influence as Wal-Mart doing something, it’s bound to have an impact. Despite what people like Sarah Palin believe, there’s obviously a problem in the US with poor eating and even if it’s just a small step, this will help. Good job.
Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, will announce a five-year plan on Thursday to make thousands of its packaged foods lower in unhealthy salts, fats and sugars, and to drop prices on fruits and vegetables.
The initiative came out of discussions the company has been having with Michelle Obama, the first lady, who will attend the announcement in Washington and has made healthy eating and reducing childhood obesity the centerpiece of her agenda. Aides say it is the first time Mrs. Obama has thrown her support behind the work of a single company.
The plan, similar to efforts by other companies and to public health initiatives by New York City, sets specific targets for lowering sodium, trans fats and added sugars in a broad array of foods — including rice, soups, canned beans, salad dressings and snacks like potato chips — packaged under the company’s house brand, Great Value.


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In a global market dominated by China, France shows good results and is still the world’s fourth largest exporter.
The Economic Observatory of the Conseil National du Cuir (CNC) is publishing its 2014 report on World Trade in the Leather Industry*
France is the world’s fourth largest exporter, taking all sectors into account
In a difficult international context, France has managed to hold its fourth place in the list of leading exporters, taking the entire leather sector into account. Globally, over the last five years, France’s market share has remained stable and the country has produced excellent export performances in the raw leather and hides, leather goods and leather garments sectors. French creativity and savoir-faire continue to attract international consumers. France is the world’s third largest exporter of raw leathers and hides (after the United States and Australia), the third largest exporter of leather goods (after China and Italy) and the fifth largest exporter of leather clothing and accessories (after China, Italy, India and Pakistan). In the tannery and footwear sectors, France lies in 14th and 12th place, respectively.
China is the world leader but is losing market share
Taking all sectors into account, China is still the world's leading exporter in the leather industry, ahead of Italy, Vietnam, France and India. Chinese exports represent 37.4% of total world exports in 2014, compared with 44.8% in 2010. Between 2010 and 2014, China lost 7.4 points of market share.
This drop is even more pronounced if only finished products are taken into consideration. The country has lost 9.2 percentage points of market share for leather goods, 8.8 percentage points for leather garments and 8.3 percentage points for footwear.
The slight reduction experienced by China is partly related to the current economic situation in the country and also due to the progression of countries like Vietnam and India. Although their exports are still minimal compared to those of China, these two countries are seeing uninterrupted expansion of their exports. Over the 2004-2014, period, the market share of Vietnam and India respectively grew from 4% to 7.7% and from 2.5% to 3.3 %.
Imports have fallen for some major importers
The rankings of the largest importers in the leather sector changes little year on year. However, the market share of certain countries in worldwide imports has started to shrink. This is the case of Hong Kong, the United States and Japan.
Five years ago, Hong Kong’s imports represented 9% of global imports. Today they represent just 6%. For a long time, Hong Kong was the second largest importer in the world. But it has fallen two places in the rankings and in 2014 lay in fourth place, behind the United States, Germany and Italy.
The same applies to Japan which was the fifth largest importer in the world until 2013 and has just been overtaken by France and China. The United States are still the world’s leading importers, far ahead of any other country. Nevertheless, their share of global imports has fallen from 20% to 17.8% in five years. Italy has also experienced a slight fall. The market share of France and of Germany can be considered to be stable.
Among the main importers, China is gaining the most ground. China has traditionally been a large importer of raw materials, but in recent years it has also developed its imports of finished luxury goods, which has benefited countries like France and Italy.
Singapore does not yet appear in the rankings of the largest importers but it is making regular progress in imports of luxury goods.
*This document refers to trade in 2014. All statistics are calculated according to the value of the trade. This report can be downloaded from conseilnationalducuir.org/en/global-trade


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Bosses at the Wolverhampton-based group said like-for-like sales had been rising and were up 1.3 per cent in the eight weeks to November 27, but they fell sharply in the following eight weeks to January 22 as the virus spread – falling 8.8 per cent compared with the same period two years ago.
In total, like-for-like sales for the 16-week period were down 3.9 per cent, the group said ahead of its annual general meeting.
Bosses said the falls reflected "the impact of the Omicron variant and consumer sentiment related to the new variant... as a result of Government messaging including guidance to work from home and the call to limit social distancing", with pubs in London suffering worse than those elsewhere in England.
The falls were more pronounced in Wales and Scotland, which faced stricter restrictions than England, although the company said it remains confident for the future.
During the five weeks of December, like-for-like sales compared with the market outside the M25 were one per cent ahead and total sales were five per cent ahead.
Chief executive Andrew Andrea said: "Whilst the emergence of the Omicron variant and subsequent Government guidance temporarily impacted consumer sentiment, we remain confident that the strong trading momentum which we were experiencing prior to that will resume.
"We welcome the various plans under way to gradually ease trading restrictions in Scotland and Wales.
"These, together with the reduction in the required self-isolation period and anticipation of an imminent end to the work-from-home directive, should enable some semblance of normalised trading patterns to return.
"Indeed, there is growing evidence over the most recent of weeks of the new year that consumer confidence is rebuilding, and guests are returning to our pubs in greater numbers, which is encouraging.
"Importantly, Marston’s has a well invested, predominantly community pub estate which is well placed to benefit from the pent-up consumer demand which we are confident remains.”
At the start of the year Marstons' bank borrowings were £199 million against the Group’s £280 million bank facility, which is in place until March 2024.


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As we keenly await the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S5 later on this month, new reports out of the company’s native Korea have implied that as well as the imminent flagship, Samsung plans on releasing a handset with a wraparound display later on this year. Although the TouchWiz maker likes to keep the flow of handsets constant throughout every year, only two – the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note – tend to stand out among the also-rans. However, the prospect of a first Samsung smartphone packing this unorthodox display would certainly grab the headlines, and if it is in line for a launch at some point in 2014, would likely upstage both of the current flagship ranges.
Samsung has never been afraid to buck market trends, and has already released a device featuring a curved display in the form of the Galaxy Round. Purporting better viewing angles when watching video and using apps, it’s fair to say that the Galaxy Round – like similarly-rounded devices from other vendors – has yet to really take off, but the idea of a wraparound display has us even more excited.
As demonstrated by the concept images, the flexible OLED display would wrap around each side of the device. The additional real-estate along the edges of the handset would would potentially offer extra space for notifications or touch-based controls, and having first been showcased at last year’s CES, The Korea Herald believes that Samsung will bring the new technology to the mainstream.
The report suggests that the device will hit the market in "late 2014," but gives no specific details beyond that. Considering that the S5 will probably drop earlier in the year than its predecessor did last year, Samsung could also bring the launch of the Note 4 forward to July/August time, which would, in theory, leave the fall / holiday release bracket for this mysterious new entry.
Then again, The Korea Herald goes on to say that Samsung will likely only manufacture a small number of units, using the first device of its kind as something of a guinea pig to test the waters without throwing too much capital into the idea.
Still, we’ll be eagerly awaiting more news, and even though we can’t wait for the grand unveiling of the Galaxy S5 at the start of MWC on Feb. 24th, this report already has us hyped for what might be around the corner.
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the Web.


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Luxury furniture and home goods retailer RH remains bullish that strong consumer spending will continue despite serious supply chain issues, as the company tries to position itself beyond curating and selling products and into conceptualizing and selling spaces.
Gary Friedman, chairman and CEO of RH, said on a conference call with analysts and investors that the world is changing quickly, which is forcing the company to adapt and improvise “at a whole new level,” but the California-based retailer has a strong base of high-end consumers.
“When you’re furnishing a home, it’s not a big impulse buy,” he said. “You’re planning it, you’re shopping, you’re working with designers. Our time with a consumer is weeks and months to do an order.”
Officially, RH’s net revenue in the second quarter was $989 million, up 39% compared to last year and 40% compared to the second quarter of 2019.
Looking at the data and current trends, RH expects consumer spending on the home to remain sustainable over the long term. Important to consider, Friedman said, is the migration of consumers to larger suburban and second homes, which results in “substantial square footage growth that is driving increased furniture and furnishings demand.”
Taking that alongside historically low interest rates, the continued reopening of the economy and a record stock market, “and elevated spending on the home could have a very long tail,” he predicted.
RH isn’t counting on increased furniture and furnishings demand to grow the business, though — in the coming years, the company intends to enter the hospitality space with RH Guesthouses and bespoke experiences, as well as the residential real estate market with the launch of RH Residences, which will be fully furnished luxury homes, condominiums and apartments.
“Our ecosystem of products, places, services and spaces inspires customers to dream, design, dine, travel and live in a world thoughtfully curated by RH, creating an emotional connection unlike any other brand in the world,” Friedman said.
Supply chain headaches continue to plague RH, though, with the Vietnamese government ordering a shutdown of manufacturing facilities in July because of COVID-19. The company expects to restart manufacturing in the country in October, with production ramping to full capacity by the end of the year.
Suppliers are also still struggling to source some raw materials, leading to price increases in most of RH’s product categories. And the California-based home furnishings company said that shipping continues to be a headwind, with longer transit times and higher transportation costs.
Because of these issues, RH is delaying the launch of its RH Contemporary collection until the spring, and the mailing of its Fall Source Books has been delayed to allow manufacturers to focus on reducing their backlog.
The supply challenges, as well as uncertainty over how COVID-19 will impact the hospitality industry this year, have also caused RH to delay the opening of its first RH Guesthouse in New York City until the spring. Plans to open new Design Galleries in Chicago, Jacksonville, Florida and San Francisco this fall, however, remain intact.
Despite these issues, Friedman tried to reassure investors that the underlying business remains healthy and that order cancellations won’t be an issue. “If we were selling cheap goods, it would be a lot easier to bring cheap goods into the market right now,” he said. “We’re selling the highest quality goods at scale in the world in the home business. … You don’t rush quality. You wait for it.”
Based on the strength of the business, RH now expects its full-year revenue to grow by between 31% and 33%, up from previous projections between 25% and 30%.
So far in the third quarter, which began Aug. 1, Friedman said demand growth has accelerated on a two-year basis, “and has continued to build momentum despite cycling through the most difficult comparisons from a year ago and the continued supply chain challenges that have been amplified by the spread of the delta variant.”
Looking ahead into 2022, Friedman said RH is set to capitalize on changing consumer preferences with the largest new product cycle in its history, its entrance into the $200 billion North American hotel market with the opening of the RH Guesthouse in New York, and the launch of The World of RH, a digital portal that provides customers with an integrated ecosystem of products, places, spaces and services.
“Our goal to position RH as the arbiter of taste for the home has proven to be both disruptive and lucrative, as we continue our quest to build one of the most admired brands in the world,” Friedman said.


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The Government’s latest report on out-of-town planning has raised more questions than it has answered, but if anything is certain it is that the sector must up its game, says Ben Cooper
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Developer Yacht Club Games premieres the first trailer for Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment at The Game Awards, revealing it to be a prequel to the original game.
The long awaited Nearby Pokemon feature for Pokemon Go is slowly rolling out to new regions, including the rest of the continental United States and sections of Europe.
Final Fantasy 15 players will find themselves hoofing it often, and that’s why having access to a chocobo is invaluable. Here’s how to unlock and ride these plucky bipedal mounts.
Nintendo releases a video that gives some insight into the attractions being developed for Universal Studios, pledging to offer an immersive and interactive experience.
The crafty folks at Man at Arms are at it again, this time forging the futuristic katana wielded by Overwatch’s Genji and using a variety of techniques to do it.
GameStop is the latest company to believe in the potential of the Nintendo Switch, calling the console a ‘game-changer’ at an earnings briefing today.
Those who want to try Overwatch without ponying up the cash can play the popular hero shooter free this weekend on either PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC.
According to eBay, the bidding site sold one NES Classic Console every 18 seconds on the device’s launch day after U.S. retailers completely ran out of stock.
Nintendo and Scrap are partnering up to create a real-world Legend of Zelda escape room puzzle game so fans can finally live out their Hyrule fantasies.
Blizzard will soon release an update for Overwatch that will overhaul the current leveling system, but some players fear this is merely a cash grab to sell more loot boxes.
In an interview with Kotaku, when discussing gay characters in Overwatch, lead hero designer Geoff Goodman and artist Rachel Day confirm an LGBT character will be revealed shortly.
The Pokemon Go bonus update went live on Monday and, in addition to extra experience and quests, Niantic has now increased item drops and the spawn rate of Pokemon.
Frank West is back for another zombie caper in Dead Rising 4 and IGN has released the first 33 minutes of the game, which reveals why the aging photojournalist is battling the undead once again.
The PlayStation 4 Pro is hitting store shelves next week with over thirty titles that will be available at launch, and many more scheduled by the end of the year.
Those who pre-ordered Pokemon Sun & Moon are now able to digitally pre-download the role-playing game from the 3DS eShop ahead of its release later this month.
Inspired by the success of Netflix’s Skylanders show, co-president of Activision Blizzard Studios suggests other franchises, such as Overwatch, could get the TV treatment.
Square Enix reveals three different mini-crystal stands that fans in Japan will receive for pre-ordering Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.


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It’s for the kids. It’s a simple, but meaningful sentiment that is echoed throughout Akron Children’s Hospital’s volunteer department, and it’s a sentiment that unites Keith Baker, Mark Geschke and Nora Houser despite their different volunteer roles. Keith Baker started his volunteer experience at Akron Children’s about 13 years ago. On Wednesdays, he helps at […]
The “Force” was clearly with Bobby Ina on a recent morning as he and a group of friends and clients gathered at the Montrose Toys R Us store to drop $6,000 on toys for patients of Akron Children, including Star Wars Legos and the other items expected to top wish lists this holiday season.
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store, a major underwriter of the Holiday Tree Festival, and its Inspiration Elves have been hard at work this year creating their own creative and icy version of a Frozen Winter Wonderland, which is a part of this year’s special raffle.
In the 33rd annual Holiday Tree Festival, Just B Design and Abshire and Haylan’s, a jewelry store in Stow, Ohio, wanted to do something unique with their tree, which they named Just B Hopeful.
Twinkling lights, beautifully-decorated trees and dazzling displays are set to shine at the 33rd annual Holiday Tree Festival, which for many, kicks off the holiday season on Nov. 22. The festival, which is presented by the volunteers of Akron Children’s Hospital, is expected to draw more than 250,000 visitors during its 9-day run.
Smiles with Style, a non-profit makeover organization, began at Akron Children’s Hospital with a little luck and a whole lot of good timing.
Jen Koch, executive director and creator of Smiles with Style, began volunteering at Akron Children’s more than two years ago and turned something as simple as braiding patients’ hair into a full-scale non-profit organization.


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Flagstaff House Restaurant
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Boulder's Flagstaff House has been named one of nation's 50 best restaurants for American cuisine by OpenTable.
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The owners of a Colorado restaurant, Flagstaff House, said they are opening a restaurant and bar on the Big Island.
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The owners of Boulder's venerable mountainside Flagstaff House restaurant said Wednesday they are opening a restaurant and bar at a Hawaii beach hotel.


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As Counterpoint reported today, MediaTek has become the world’s largest smartphone chip maker in the third quarter of 2020. Its market share reached 31%. MediaTek’s strong performance of smartphones in the US$100-250 price range and growth in key regions such as China and India have helped the manufacturer become the largest smartphone chipset vendor.
Also Read: IDC: 5G Smartphones Demand Drives The Growth Of Smartphones
At the same time, Qualcomm is the largest 5G chipset manufacturer in the third quarter of 2020. Among the 5G smartphones sold globally, 39% use their chips. In the third quarter of 2020, the demand for 5G smartphones doubled. And 17% of all smartphones sold in the third quarter of 2020 were 5G phones. Of all smartphones shipped in the fourth quarter of 2020, one third is expected to support 5G. Qualcomm still has a chance to regain the top position in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Gizchina News of the week
The US ban on Huawei was in benefit of other major OEMs like Samsung, Xiaomi and others. For example, the share of MediaTek chipsets in Xiaomi has increased by more than three times since the same period last year. MediaTek was also able to leverage the gap created due to the US ban on Huawei.
MediaTek vs Qualcomm: Battle Of Two Chip Makers
When talking about the development strategies of Qualcomm and MediaTek, research analyst Ankit Malhotra said: ‘Qualcomm and MediaTek have both reshuffled their portfolios, and consumer focus has played a key role here. Last year, MediaTek launched a new gaming-based G-series, while Dimensity chipsets have helped in bringing 5G to affordable categories. The world’s cheapest 5G device, the Realme V3, is powered by MediaTek.’
When talking about the prospects of chipset manufacturers, Malhotra said: ‘The immediate focus of chipset vendors will be to bring 5G to the masses, which will then unlock the potential of consumer 5G use cases like cloud gaming, which in turn will lead to higher demand for higher clocked GPUs and more powerful processors. Qualcomm and MediaTek will continue to contend for the top position.’


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DFFRNT Media, with more than 20 years of experience in the digital, media and entertainment field has developed an unique app with Beekse Bergen.
Shell has placed four WPP agencies on its eight-strong global "Creative Agency of the Future" roster.
Starting today, KLM is making it easier for KLM app users to purchase airline seats and store boarding passes with the Google Pay app.
Dutch dance music superheroes Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano present something truly special this summer: a superb 4-track EP released over the course of four weeks.
Facebook growth beginning to stall, the future lies in Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, says GlobalData
Following recent news of Facebook's lower-than-expected Q2 earnings, Lynnette Luna, Principal Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view on Facebook's current challenges.
Tech startup 3DAbout.me has launched a 3D foot scanning app dubbed iDfits.
Media and learning company Sanoma has released its half year report for the period between January 1st and 30th June 2018 recording good performance in the second quarter supported by phasing of business in Learning
European Ad sales specialist Sellbranch has announced the strategic partnership with Widespace, the Swedish supplier of an AI driven technology to build brands and reach audiences in a brand safe mobile environment.
Ternio, a blockchain business bringing transparency to programmatic digital advertising, today named Keith Johnson as Vice President of Product
SpotX, the video advertising and monetisation platform, today announced the appointment of Marco Ruivenkamp to the role of Managing Director of SpotX and smartclip, Benelux.
New York Interconnect (NYI) announced the appointment of Charlie Holmes to Senior Vice President of Sales, Bill Little to Chief Financial Officer, Karen Au Claro to Chief Legal Counsel, and Betsy Rella to Vice President of Research and Data
WPP's GroupM, and Zer, a Koç Group Company, have formed a partnership to launch digital media agency Ingage
Speculation surrounding the first potential acquisition for Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital is reaching fever pitch with attention focused on Dutch digital production specialists MediaMonks
Interpublic Group announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Acxiom Corporation under which IPG will acquire the Acxiom Marketing Solutions business unit in a cash transaction valued at 2.3 billion dollar
Cinekid welcomes sixteen writers for the fifth edition of Cinekid Script LAB, a six-month project-driven initiative that focuses on the development of scripts for children's films
A Report Of Connected Events is a branded content film written and directed by Mischa Rozema and produced by PostPanic. Celebrating the power of storytelling, it was commissioned by Nuna9 on behalf of their client, Liberty Global
VidMob has been selected to join the Pinterest Marketing Partner program in the newly launched Creative specialty. Pinterest launched this program to help companies maximize opportunities
Ipsos analyzed almost 75,000 US user reviews of the first generation Echo to determine to what extent voice technology should improve in order to conquer the Western European market
A Guide to Progressive Gender Portrayals in Advertising; the Case for Unstereotyping Ads has been unveiled at the WFA’s Global Marketer Week in Tokyo.
In the first four months of 2018, the Group’s like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs was up marginally.
Ayuda Media Systems (Ayuda) announced today at the 2018 FEPE conference that Hillenaar Outdoor has selected Ayuda’s platform as the backbone for all ad operations
Publicis Groupe announced in June 2017 that it would shift its promotional budget away from industry events and awards shows until July 1, 2018 in order to focus on the development of its Marcel platform.
The supervisory board of V2_Lab for the Unstable Media is proud to announce that Michel van Dartel will take over as the organization's director
The Ad Cost Impact Analysis report released by SQAD LLC, an advertising research, analytics, and media planning software company, shows how networks like NBC and Fox News can be protected from revenue fluctuations
Publicis Groupe unveils Marcel: the AI-powered engine that will transform Publicis Groupe from a holding company into an enterprise platform
Publicis Groupe unveiled Marcel, named after Publicis Groupe founder Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, AI-powered innovation that will accelerate transforming the organization from a holding company to a platform
Daniel Salzer joins Total Design as Strategy Director. Salzer has a background in consumer and trend analysis and has over the years crafted brand strategies and creative concepts
Unilever and WPP have launched a on-site collaboration with Unilever Foundry and its startup community. The initiative sees the creation of a flexible new Team Unilever model, with specialist expertise from various WPP agencies
Omidyar Network is granting The Correspondent 950,000 dollar in runway funding, bringing our total funding to 1.8 million dollar. And Blue State Digital will team up with our creative partner Momkai to build our global campaign
Vangardist Magazine collaborate with Mauthausen Memorial to call for; an alliance against contemporary violations of LGBTQI+ rights all around the world; to reclaim the Pink Triangle as a symbol opposing homophobia
Adobe today announced it has been named a Leader by Gartner, Inc. in the 2018 Magic Quadrant for Multichannel Marketing Hubs research report. Adobe placed furthest to the right in completeness of vision
Sixteen projects were selected to participate in the IDFAcademy Summer School 2018 with eight projects for Editing consultancy and eight for Script development.
VIRTUE, the creative agency by VICE, presents Publisher's View: a consultancy trajectory during which VIRTUE's creatives and strategists help brands think and act as publishers.
OneFit, a health & fitness aggregator in the Netherlands, has announced the closing of a € 4.25 Million Series A round led by venture capital firm INKEF Capital.
WPP has acquired full ownership of Y&R and Wunderman joint venture agency assets across Southeast Asia and Taiwan, and Dentsu Sudler & Hennessey in Japan, following a share swap transaction with Dentsu Inc
Adweek, the leading source of news and analysis covering the advertising and marketing industry, announced today the launch of its new membership offering, Adweek Pro


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SOC TRANG — The People's Committee of southern Soc Trang Province has approved a plan worth over VND2.1 trillion (US$101 million) to build a market system by 2020.
|A woman buys poultry at a traditional market in the southern province of Soc Trang. The province will invest over $101 million to upgrade its market system through 2020. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hai
The move aims to better meet demand for production and consumption in the province. Under the plan signed by the committee's chairman Nguyen Trung Hieu, investment capital includes VND250 billion ($12 million) funded by both national and provincial budgets. Local companies would provide the rest of the necessary capital.
The province will have two wholesale farm-produce markets in Ke Sach District; two wholesale fruit markets in Soc Trang City and Vinh Chau Township, and 23 markets in all districts of the province.
In addition, 14 trade centres and five supermarkets will be built. The retail and service turnover is set to reach VND117 trillion ($5.6 billion) each year since 2020, three times higher than now. — VNS


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GalleryPlayer said it has reached a deal with Mitsubishi Digital Electric America to make select 2008 Mitsubishi televisions compatible with its galleries of still-image content.
GalleryPlayer said Mitsubishi has “fully implemented” its spec, even enabling viewing image credit and background data with each image.
Mitsubishi has built into select LCD TV and DLP rear-projection sets a codec that will enable set users to unlock and display protected images and credits.
Interested users can call up the GalleryPlayer Web site on their computers and select, purchase and download imagery to a USB thumb drive, which will plug into the television set to access images. GalleryPlayer said it offers tens of thousands of images to choose from.
GalleryPlayer images feature galleries of classic art, famous photos and unique images in full 1080p high-definition resolution. Images can be displayed on TV screens when not in use, to turn the set into a virtual picture frame.
GalleryPlayer will supply each compatible Mitsubishi set with a set of seven sample images, featuring the classic artworks “The Mona Lisa” and “Girl With A Pearl Earring,” and various photos. GalleryPlayer sells additional images for $0.99 apiece or as part of packs, which typically run $15 to $20 for 30 images or starter packages with 1,500 images starting at around $50. Collections can be sold by themes, such as exotic beaches, extreme sports, travel shots, classic art and others.
Last year, GalleryPlayer reached a similar deal with Panasonic, which offers GalleryPlayer compatibility in its Viera product line. Mitsubishi will be the second TV line with GalleryPlayer in the market, the company said.
At International CES, Sharp and Samsung were also announced as future partners, but exact launch plans for those lines have not been disclosed.
GalleryPlayer also offers its content as video-on-demand offerings through Comcast cable systems, where it ranks in the top 25 percent of video-on-demand purchases, GalleryPlayer said.


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Rapid Action Battalion and the Directorate General of Drug Administration in a joint drive seized huge illegal, expired and sub-standard medicines from the Kakrail outlet of Lazz Pharma in Dhaka on Monday.
The RAB mobile court, led by executive magistrate Palash Kumar Basu, fined Tk 29 lakh to seven officials of Lazz Pharma for selling these illegal and expired medicines.
The magistrate said that they seized 76 types of illegal and expired medicines and injections worth about Tk 50 lakh.
Five officials of the drug store were fined Tk 5 lakh each in default to suffer imprisonment for three months and the 2 other officials were fined Tk 2 lakh each in default to suffer imprisonment for two months.
Few consumers, who were cheated by expired drugs, also helped the law enforcement agency members to find out spurious and expired drugs.
RAB-3 assistant police superintendent Farzana Haque said that the outlet of Lazz Pharma, one of the largest retail drug sellers in the country, was importing unauthorised medicines and often selling sub-standard drugs.
Lazz Pharma has 40 outlets in Dhaka and 10 in other districts.
Public health expert Lenin Chaudhury told New Age that marketing and selling of spurious and expired medicines were jeopardising the country’s health sector.
He further said that the Director General of Drug Administration should be more efficient in controlling the market of spurious and expired drugs.
Earlier, detectives and DGDA jointly raided different large drug stores in Uttara on Thursday and found that they were selling counterfeit medicines.
At least 18 were arrested at different drug stores while as detectives at first raided SB Corporation which was selling counterfeit drugs and detained some officials there.
Then, DB and DGDA jointly raided Lazz Pharma and Tamanna Pharmacy in Uttara from where they also seized huge fake medicines
When approached, Lazz Pharma general manager Anwar Hossain told New Age that they had some medicines which were imported as many consumers ask for those items with doctors’ prescriptions.
He, however, said that they never tried to sell expired medicines. He said that they would be more careful about selling medicines after such drives.
Detectives have earlier found that some medicines were originally manufactured in Uttara, Fakirarpool, Chawkbazar and Tongi and then were supplied to different drug stores, including Lazz Pharma, Al-Madina Pharma, Tamanna Pharmacy and Islamia Pharma, in Dhaka.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University pharmacology department chairman Sayedur Rahman told New Age that the drive had revealed the poor monitoring and serious lack of discipline in the medicine market.
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Four decades after Paul McCartney crooned “send me a postcard, drop me a line,” the British rock icon is inviting fans to send him original works of art, in a bid to cultivate new ways to interact with audiences.
In a contest set to begin Wednesday and created by tech start-up Talenthouse, the promotion calls for competitors to design a work inspired by McCartney’s music (any of it, not necessarily “When I’m Sixty Four”). The winner will receive $1,000, merchandise and a high-end design software package. Idea Generation, a London art gallery, will display the winning work of art, and sponsor Saatchionline.com will feature the artwork of 10 runners-up on its online gallery.
In a telephone interview, Talenthouse CEO Roman Scharf said he first came to the U.S. from his native Austria in 2005, as he was launching JaJah, a voice-over-IP company. He started Talenthouse in 2009, along with with Culture Club drummer Amos Pizzey, who now serves as the company’s creative director.
Scharf’s envisions Talenthouse as a place on the Internet where “young, aspiring artists can collaborate with established artists.” Clients for the company’s previous crowd-sourcing projects have included Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart, Naomi Campbell, Stan Lee and Florence and the Machine. Another current Talenthouse project has gives fans a chance to redesign the signature mouse-head mask worn in concert by electronic-music star Deadmau5.
Thanks to a system that lets users cast their votes via Facebook, Scharf says that 60 million votes were cast in the company’s contest to design a dress for Florence and the Machine singer Florence Welsh.
For his part, McCartney likely is hoping that even with his 64th birthday a distant memory, fans still have an affirmative answer to his famous question: “Will you still need me?”
[Note: An earlier version of this post misspelled the last name of Talenthouse CEO Roman Scharf.]


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Radwood, the celebration of 1980s and 1990s vehicles, costumes, and culture, has grown in popularity from a single show to a series spreading all over the US. Saturday, October 12, marked the first time Radwood has visited the Boston area, taking over the lawn at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts. While the vast majority of rad rides on display are cars, Radwood welcomes motorcycles from this era as well. as Bryan showed us last winter. My wife and I hopped on my Rad-worthy Honda Pacific Coast 800 and went to check it out.
It was dry when we left home, but as we approached the coast the mist turned into a steady light rain. We figured this would put a serious damper on attendance. I'm happy to have been proven wrong. Only seven motorcycles showed up, and half of those were trailered in due to the weather, but the Radwood team found themselves stashing cars in every corner of the facility they could find. I had a blast checking out many cars I haven't seen since my youth, as well as some I've never seen outside a game of Gran Turismo 2. But since this is a bike website, I'll focus on those.
We were the first bike to arrive, and with the rain, I was wondering if we'd end up being the only one— a shoo-in for the Raddest Motorcycle award. Fortunately a few others showed up, a pair of Honda Interceptors of the VFR and smaller VTR variety. Later I saw a tiny Honda moped rolling in, who I invited to join us in our little Honda parking area.
Gallery: The Motorcycles Of Radwood Boston
On the other side of the V12 Mercedes parked next to us, another group of bikes rolled in, consisting of a Honda Magna, a Kawasaki Concours, and a Yamaha I couldn't identify. I enjoyed checking out the Magna, which looked just like one I almost bought once, except that it wasn't all smashed up on the left side—the reason I didn't buy that Magna and got a CB750 Custom instead. I also liked checking out a Concours of similar vintage to my own PC800. It was the Concours that drew most buyers away from the Pacific Coast, being both more normal looking and less expensive than my bike at the time.
We wandered around all day and stuck around until the awards. The rain stopped mid-morning, making the rest of the day a pleasant if slightly chilly experience. The Raddest Motorcycle award went to the little Honda VTR250 parked in front of me, no doubt due to its totally rad white, baby blue, and hot pink color scheme. It's certainly worthy of the award, both for its looks as well as what it is, the quintessential entry-level sportbike of the time.
After the awards, we took off and enjoyed a much more dry ride home. It was a great time, particularly for someone like me who grew up in the 80s and 90s (though I was amused to see many people there just as into it as we were who hadn't even been born yet at the time). Radwood assures us that it will return to the Boston area next year. Whether I still have a totally rad bike to show or not, I plan to be there.


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After state legislators clarified the legal limbo of CBD oil during their recent session, businesses across the county are now cashing in on the renewed legal status. Some are new to the CBD oil business while others have been selling it for years.
The legal status of CBD — also known as cannabidiol — oil in Indiana was in question late last year after Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill wrote a legal opinion in November that stated the product was considered illegal, since it’s a derivative of marijuana, which is illegal under federal law.
CBD supporters, however, argued that the substance was legal so long as it had a minute percentage of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana that gives users their high.
During this year’s General Assembly, state lawmakers sought to clarify the legal position of CBD oil and its sales. In March, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Bill 52 into law, legalizing CBD oil with less than 0.3 percent of THC, so long as it met certain labeling requirements.
Since the passage of the bill, CBD oil is now becoming increasingly popular in Morgan County with more than half a dozen sellers and counting.
One such Morgan County resident is Jennifer Western of Camby. Western sells CBD oil online through a Las Vegas-based company — Hempworx CBD Oil. Western said that she began selling CBD after seeing positive results for herself and her family.
Western has been selling CBD since June 2017, before the legal controversy last year began. She said that using Hempworx CBD allowed her husband to return to work much sooner than normal following surgery, and served as an effective supplement for helping her daughter manage attention-deficit, hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). After seeing how helpful it could be for others, Western wanted to spread the word.
“I was for looking how I could give back to other people,” Western said. “I’m trying to get the word out to people in Mooresville and Plainfield.”
Western is one of many in Morgan County selling CBD after seeing success from personal use.
Shawn Broyer, owner of Wood and Cotton Co. in Martinsville, has been selling a brand of CBD oil called 7 Full Spectrum Hemp Oil for about a week, and said that not only has she seen a strong consumer interest, but she’s seen benefits from the product in her own life.
“My husband has chronic back pain, gets injections every three months,” said Broyer. “We started the CBD oil for that reason. He’s had no back injections since.”
She stated that the CBD oil was also very effective in treating her anxiety and worked well enough to replace her daughter’s Concerta, a medication for ADHD.
Like Broyer, Brani Dean, owner of Bronze and Bling in Martinsville, takes CBD oil personally in addition to selling it. Dean said that she has been selling two kinds of CBD for about four weeks, the 7 Full Spectrum Hemp Oil and the Ultra Cell CBD Oil, the latter of which is pet-friendly.
“People are giving it to their pets for seizures, arthritis and anxiety,” said Dean.
Dean also noted that another benefit of the product was that CBD contains no known side effects and has zero medication interaction, allowing individuals to take it as a supplement alongside their regular medication.
Naptown Vapors, with a location in Martinsville as well as Indianapolis, has been one of the longest sellers of CBD oil in Morgan County, only temporarily removing it from shelves last year amid the legal limbo.
“It was never actually illegal,” said Naptown owner Todd Scott.
It’s Scott’s contention that the legal issues surrounding CBD were only around because Eli Lilly, an Indiana-based pharmaceutical company, would lose money due to the benefits of CBD drawing more people away from pharmaceutical drugs.
Naptown employee Bailey Inabnitt agreed that CBD oil would directly compete with prescription drug companies like Eli Lilly, noting that using CBD oil has helped him stop using prescription drugs in his own life.
“I used prescription anxiety medication for years and ever since I’ve started using CBD, I don’t take those any more,” Inabnitt said. “We’ve had a lot of people come in and get off prescription painkillers for back pain.”
Inabnitt touted the many versatile uses of CBD, which the body produces naturally.
“It’s really good for anxiety, depression, pain management. You can use it for all sorts of things,” he said. “Your body naturally creates it in small quantities, but adding an external to it promotes the body to use it more.”
For CBD purveyors, the product’s popularity is only growing, and rightly so — the benefits are clear.
“It helps people not only in Indiana, but across the world,” Western said.


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Today is the seventh anniversary of the very first iPhone. Take a look back at how far this game-changing smartphone has come.
Two senior citizens are confronted by a gunman in a Walmart parking lot and told to hand over their purses.


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With demand in the ridesharing industry getting broadly crushed due to lockdowns and other coronavirus containment efforts, Lyft (LYFT 2.47%) has at long last decided that it's time to expand beyond that core offering. The company yesterday announced a new service called Essential Deliveries, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. As part of a new pilot program, the company will tap its army of drivers to help deliver essentials like meals, groceries, medical supplies, and other staples like hygiene products or other basic necessities.
Larger rival Uber (UBER 1.58%) has long offered services outside of just ridesharing; it's about time Lyft did likewise.
Giving drivers more work
Initially, the program will only offer delivery of essential items to certain organizations like government agencies, local nonprofits, and healthcare providers. Early partners include Dole Packaged Foods, which is working to have food delivered to senior facilities; and Army of Angels, which is trying to get school lunches delivered to low-income families. Lyft says it plans to develop more partnerships to expand the program's availability around the country.
This isn't a consumer-oriented service like getting food delivered to your house from a local restaurant (at least not yet). Those types of services require more back-end integration and development, which would take longer, but Lyft could potentially be exploring that avenue as well. Besides, major food delivery platforms including Uber Eats are now getting hit with an antitrust lawsuit.
Both of the dominant ride-hailing tech platforms -- namely, Lyft and Uber -- have seen revenue plunge by around half, according to The Information. Much like other workers within the service industry, contract drivers' ability to make ends meet has been annihilated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Lyft is framing Essential Deliveries as a way for drivers in select markets to get more work.
"As communities shelter in place, the need for items to be delivered to the doorstep is at an all-time high," Lyft's director of social impact, Lisa Boyd, said in a statement. "Whether it's meals for high-risk seniors or medical supplies for individuals with a medical condition, Lyft's community of drivers is ready to help meet the needs of our communities while earning additional income."
The news comes after Lyft last month tried to gauge interest among drivers to join LyftUp, a broader effort to meet transportation needs around essential supplies.
Diversifying the business
Uber first expanded into food delivery back in 2014 with UberFRESH, which was subsequently rebranded as Uber Eats year later. Lyft has long resisted calls to follow suit -- until now.
The larger ridesharing company had hosted a call last month to reassure investors that it had enough financial fortitude to "weather this crisis," and RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney asked whether Uber had considered other services where "a series of consumer staples and medical supplies are actually delivered to" vulnerable consumers like senior citizens.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was very receptive to alternative models, and Lyft appears to be finally appreciating the benefits of a diversified business.


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Unknown attackers downed the largest recorder of Web site defacements on Sunday, the same day that vandals had been thought to be planning an online graffiti contest. The attack left the security site...
...of Windows phone frenzy, Marshmallow 'progress' and a Ninja Monkey
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In the UK, companies are responsible for the health and safety of their employees while they are at work and as such are required by law to hold employers’ liability insurance to protect their staff. When it comes to hearing loss, some industries are more susceptible than others – businesses classed as heavy industry, where you’d expect to find high levels of noise, like factories or ship building yards, for example – and this is where we've traditionally seen most of claims come from.
However, this trend has changed in recent years with light industries like textiles, food production, logistics and small manufacturers now generating the majority of claims. Claims volumes have also increased – rising from 3,000 a month in 2011 to over 10,000 a month in 2013 across the industry.
Insurers have seen a similar proportional increase and while they remain committed to paying compensation to support genuinely impacted workers and their families, there is increasing evidence of fraud which insurers are now activity combating. So what’s causing the rise?
In July 2013, the Ministry of Justice introduced fixed costs for many types of personal injury claims with a value up to £25,000 (the Pre-Action Protocol for Low Value Personal Injury Claims in Road Traffic Accidents and the Pre-Action Protocol for Low Value Personal Injury (Employers’ Liability and Public Liability) Claims). As a direct result, a typical claimant’s solicitor fee for an employer’s liability claim governed by the protocols dropped to around £1,500.
Industrial deafness claims, however, are not governed by the protocols and can therefore still be processed on an 'hourly rate' basis, up to 10 times the fixed fee amount. It is this potential to generate additional revenue that is fueling increasingly aggressive claims farming – where unscrupulous firms encourage people to make speculative ad often unsubstantiated claims.


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Hideo Kojima has tweeted out a screenshot from his upcoming game, Death Stranding, and the Internet is going crazy searching for hidden meaning in the picture.
The screenshot in Kojima’s tweet shows off the effects of the Decima Engine, something that Kojima has been proud to show off before. In late 2016, Kojima revealed that he had chosen Guerrilla Games’ engine to power Death Stranding, and showed off a glimpse of some of the tech in 2017 via a video of fog rolling in. This latest screenshot is a still image, showing a rocky landscape covered in greenery.
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) May 22, 2018
Of course, fans aren’t content to just look at the foliage, and have been desperately—and somewhat jokingly—trying to find some kind of hidden meaning in the shape of the hill or angle of the greenery.
Sanke in stealth camo?????!!! Mgs0 confirmed! pic.twitter.com/70fITAMXqr
— Dale Gribble (@RealDaleGribb) May 22, 2018
Found it! pic.twitter.com/6rdocibUrq
— Mídia Sonysta #E32018 (@midiasonysta) May 22, 2018
We know that Death Stranding will be on show at the PlayStation showcase just ahead of E3. It will be one of four major games Sony is bringing to its presentation on June 11th, so if there’s any hidden meaning to Kojima’s tweet, we’re bound to find out soon.
E3 itself runs from June 12th to June 14th.