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|By PR Newswire||
|December 10, 2012 05:01 AM EST||
TEL AVIV, Israel, December 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
ISPRA (Israel Public Relations Association) announces that Michael Pranikoff, Global Director of Emerging Media at PR Newswire, will be the guest of honour and key note speaker at its forthcoming conference "Will Content Marketing be the next growth area for Public Relations agencies."
Pranikoff is a vastly experienced, respected and much followed media commentator and educator, and has been spotting trends, shaping events and guiding people through the ever changing media landscape for over 20 years. He has recently been recognised by Cloud Spark as one of the top 52 PR professionals shaping the conversation on Twitter. http://www.cloudspark.com/2012/07/30/top-pr-pros-on-twitter.
His presentation will discuss Search, Social & Syndication - The Key Elements to Successful Content Marketing for PR Agencies. Pranikoff commented: "Over the last two years, marketing & public relations executives all over the world have been flirting with ideas around content marketing. As we see the convergences of Paid, Earned & Owned media, the power of content created by brands is more and more reaching its audience directly." He continued: "Marketing and communications professionals have found that mixing the elements of Search, Social, and Syndication with their content is creating a more cohesive and connected way to tell their stories to their audiences; I look forward to sharing my experiences with the audience in Tel Aviv."
The conference will be held at Tel Aviv University Hall on Wednesday December 12th and will look at the latest trends and best practices as well as discussing the regulatory and ethical principles affecting content creation and distribution.
Pupi Arieli, Chairwoman of ISPRA, commented: "Ongoing changes in communication practice has seen a dramatic increase in the use of content marketing by commercial brands, government agencies and NGOs both globally and locally here in Israel. In many cases content marketing is ahead of regulation and legislation, with extensive use by broadcast and media owners both traditional and online." She continued: "This anomaly raises complex questions such as 'How to and if to regulate', 'Who develops marketing content - advertising agencies, public relations agencies?' and 'Why do we need marketing content at all?' We will address all of these fundamental questions and are honoured to have one of the most influential of today's commentators on the subject in Michael to kick off the debate."
Israeli Association of Public Relations and Media (http://www.ispra.org.il), is the union of the public relations industry and speaking, Israel, under which about 400 members of this profession private offices, speakers and public relations in business and public service offices.
The goals of the Association are to work on the existence of professional ethics at a high level and public service properly by engaging in propaganda and public relations, increase, improve and promote the level of professionalism of its members through courses, training courses, seminars, symposia, tours and meetings with professional content, and the existence of social and cultural activities among the members.
About PR Newswire
PR Newswire (http://www.prnewswire.co.il) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 56 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimise and target content - from rich media to online video to multimedia - and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimisation network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices across the EMEA region, Israel the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region, and is part of UBM PLC.
Garry Durston, Marketing Communications Director EMEAi, [email protected] +44(0)207-454-5115
Pupi Arieli, Chairwoman ISPRA [email protected] +972-3-6122130
Containers are not new, but renewed commitments to performance, flexibility, and agility have propelled them to the top of the agenda today. By working without the need for virtualization and its overhead, containers are seen as the perfect way to deploy apps and services across multiple clouds. Containers can handle anything from file types to operating systems and services, including microservices. What are microservices? Unlike what the name implies, microservices are not necessarily small, but are focused on specific tasks. The ability for developers to deploy multiple containers – thous...
Sep. 5, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 233
Contrary to mainstream media attention, the multiple possibilities of how consumer IoT will transform our everyday lives aren’t the only angle of this headline-gaining trend. There’s a huge opportunity for “industrial IoT” and “Smart Cities” to impact the world in the same capacity – especially during critical situations. For example, a community water dam that needs to release water can leverage embedded critical communications logic to alert the appropriate individuals, on the right device, as soon as they are needed to take action.
Sep. 5, 2015 09:15 AM EDT Reads: 192
Manufacturing connected IoT versions of traditional products requires more than multiple deep technology skills. It also requires a shift in mindset, to realize that connected, sensor-enabled “things” act more like services than what we usually think of as products. In his session at @ThingsExpo, David Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Ayla Networks, will discuss how when sensors start generating detailed real-world data about products and how they’re being used, smart manufacturers can use the data to create additional revenue streams, such as improved warranties or premium features. Or slash...
Sep. 5, 2015 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 131
The Internet of Things is in the early stages of mainstream deployment but it promises to unlock value and rapidly transform how organizations manage, operationalize, and monetize their assets. IoT is a complex structure of hardware, sensors, applications, analytics and devices that need to be able to communicate geographically and across all functions. Once the data is collected from numerous endpoints, the challenge then becomes converting it into actionable insight.
Sep. 5, 2015 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 162
While many app developers are comfortable building apps for the smartphone, there is a whole new world out there. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Narayan Sainaney, Co-founder and CTO of Mojio, will discuss how the business case for connected car apps is growing and, with open platform companies having already done the heavy lifting, there really is no barrier to entry.
Sep. 5, 2015 08:45 AM EDT Reads: 245
As more intelligent IoT applications shift into gear, they’re merging into the ever-increasing traffic flow of the Internet. It won’t be long before we experience bottlenecks, as IoT traffic peaks during rush hours. Organizations that are unprepared will find themselves by the side of the road unable to cross back into the fast lane. As billions of new devices begin to communicate and exchange data – will your infrastructure be scalable enough to handle this new interconnected world?
Sep. 5, 2015 08:30 AM EDT Reads: 301
Consumer IoT applications provide data about the user that just doesn’t exist in traditional PC or mobile web applications. This rich data, or “context,” enables the highly personalized consumer experiences that characterize many consumer IoT apps. This same data is also providing brands with unprecedented insight into how their connected products are being used, while, at the same time, powering highly targeted engagement and marketing opportunities. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Nathan Treloar, President and COO of Bebaio, will explore examples of brands transforming their businesses by t...
Sep. 5, 2015 08:00 AM EDT Reads: 324
Through WebRTC, audio and video communications are being embedded more easily than ever into applications, helping carriers, enterprises and independent software vendors deliver greater functionality to their end users. With today’s business world increasingly focused on outcomes, users’ growing calls for ease of use, and businesses craving smarter, tighter integration, what’s the next step in delivering a richer, more immersive experience? That richer, more fully integrated experience comes about through a Communications Platform as a Service which allows for messaging, screen sharing, video...
Sep. 5, 2015 08:00 AM EDT Reads: 773
The 3rd International WebRTC Summit, to be held Nov. 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, announces that its Call for Papers is now open. Topics include all aspects of improving IT delivery by eliminating waste through automated business models leveraging cloud technologies. WebRTC Summit is co-located with 15th International Cloud Expo, 6th International Big Data Expo, 3rd International DevOps Summit and 2nd Internet of @ThingsExpo. WebRTC (Web-based Real-Time Communication) is an open source project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera that aims to enable bro...
Sep. 5, 2015 07:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,656
SYS-CON Events announced today the Containers & Microservices Bootcamp, being held November 3-4, 2015, in conjunction with 17th Cloud Expo, @ThingsExpo, and @DevOpsSummit at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. This is your chance to get started with the latest technology in the industry. Combined with real-world scenarios and use cases, the Containers and Microservices Bootcamp, led by Janakiram MSV, a Microsoft Regional Director, will include presentations as well as hands-on demos and comprehensive walkthroughs.
Sep. 5, 2015 07:00 AM EDT Reads: 456
WebRTC has had a real tough three or four years, and so have those working with it. Only a few short years ago, the development world were excited about WebRTC and proclaiming how awesome it was. You might have played with the technology a couple of years ago, only to find the extra infrastructure requirements were painful to implement and poorly documented. This probably left a bitter taste in your mouth, especially when things went wrong.
Sep. 5, 2015 07:00 AM EDT Reads: 522
The 17th International Cloud Expo has announced that its Call for Papers is open. 17th International Cloud Expo, to be held November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, brings together Cloud Computing, APM, APIs, Microservices, Security, Big Data, Internet of Things, DevOps and WebRTC to one location. With cloud computing driving a higher percentage of enterprise IT budgets every year, it becomes increasingly important to plant your flag in this fast-expanding business opportunity. Submit your speaking proposal today!
Sep. 5, 2015 06:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,734
With the Apple Watch making its way onto wrists all over the world, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a staple in the workplace. In fact, Forrester reported that 68 percent of technology and business decision-makers characterize wearables as a top priority for 2015. Recognizing their business value early on, FinancialForce.com was the first to bring ERP to wearables, helping streamline communication across front and back office functions. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Kevin Roberts, GM of Platform at FinancialForce.com, will discuss the value of business applications on wearable ...
Sep. 5, 2015 06:00 AM EDT Reads: 163
In his session at @ThingsExpo, Lee Williams, a producer of the first smartphones and tablets, will talk about how he is now applying his experience in mobile technology to the design and development of the next generation of Environmental and Sustainability Services at ETwater. He will explain how M2M controllers work through wirelessly connected remote controls; and specifically delve into a retrofit option that reverse-engineers control codes of existing conventional controller systems so they don't have to be replaced and are instantly converted to become smart, connected devices.
Sep. 5, 2015 05:00 AM EDT Reads: 302
SYS-CON Events announced today that HPM Networks will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. For 20 years, HPM Networks has been integrating technology solutions that solve complex business challenges. HPM Networks has designed solutions for both SMB and enterprise customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sep. 5, 2015 01:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,012
All major researchers estimate there will be tens of billions devices - computers, smartphones, tablets, and sensors - connected to the Internet by 2020. This number will continue to grow at a rapid pace for the next several decades. With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo, November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is as "IoT-Ready" as it can be.
Sep. 5, 2015 01:00 AM EDT Reads: 271
SYS-CON Events announced today that Pythian, a global IT services company specializing in helping companies leverage disruptive technologies to optimize revenue-generating systems, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 17th Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Founded in 1997, Pythian is a global IT services company that helps companies compete by adopting disruptive technologies such as cloud, Big Data, advanced analytics, and DevOps to advance innovation and increase agility. Specializing in designing, imple...
Sep. 5, 2015 01:00 AM EDT Reads: 425
Too often with compelling new technologies market participants become overly enamored with that attractiveness of the technology and neglect underlying business drivers. This tendency, what some call the “newest shiny object syndrome,” is understandable given that virtually all of us are heavily engaged in technology. But it is also mistaken. Without concrete business cases driving its deployment, IoT, like many other technologies before it, will fade into obscurity.
Sep. 4, 2015 06:45 PM EDT Reads: 461
With the proliferation of connected devices underpinning new Internet of Things systems, Brandon Schulz, Director of Luxoft IoT – Retail, will be looking at the transformation of the retail customer experience in brick and mortar stores in his session at @ThingsExpo. Questions he will address include: Will beacons drop to the wayside like QR codes, or be a proximity-based profit driver? How will the customer experience change in stores of all types when everything can be instrumented and analyzed? As an area of investment, how might a retail company move towards an innovation methodolo...
Sep. 4, 2015 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 539
WebRTC services have already permeated corporate communications in the form of videoconferencing solutions. However, WebRTC has the potential of going beyond and catalyzing a new class of services providing more than calls with capabilities such as mass-scale real-time media broadcasting, enriched and augmented video, person-to-machine and machine-to-machine communications. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Luis Lopez, CEO of Kurento, will introduce the technologies required for implementing these ideas and some early experiments performed in the Kurento open source software community in areas ...
Sep. 4, 2015 03:45 PM EDT Reads: 155


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The group's annual report reveals that the inventor awarded himself a £30m dividend on top of his £29m salary following a 9% rise in annual sales and 19% pre-tax profits boost, to £115m.
Sir James - the company's sole shareholder - also announced today that he has signed up former DSG International chief executive John Clare as a non-executive director.
News of the corporate heavyweight's appointment comes as Dyson is said to be poised to launch in China as it looks to further expand its international footprint.
Dyson has enjoyed a surge in profits since launching overseas, cracking markets such as America, Japan and Australia.
While profits growth has slowed marginally on the 32% hike seen in 2005 and the 139% rise the previous year, they have almost trebled in four years, when the group made pre-tax profits of £43m.
Turnover has rocketed from £2.4m in 1993 to £515m last year.
Its exports have increased three-fold in the past three years, now accounting for 80% of turnover, according to the group.
Dyson also launched in Canada last February bringing its global presence to 45 countries.
Dyson said it had become the top selling vacuum in the country just 12 months after launch, bagging a 25% market share.
The group also put last year's sales success down to the launch of new products, such as the Airblade hand dryer and a hand-held vacuum cleaner.
Dyson upped its spend on research and development by 40% to £70m and increased its Wiltshire-based engineer workforce by a third to 500.
Sir James said Mr Clare's appointment will help the firm with its ambitions for further global growth.
"John's been selling our vacuum cleaners for years and we'll benefit from his business acumen as we continue to develop new technology and grow internationally," he added.
Mr Clare was one of the City's longest-serving chief executives until his departure from Currys parent DSG in the summer after 13 years at the helm of the electricals giant.
He oversaw DSG's international growth, taking the group to 27 countries under a number of different brands.
Mr Clare joins the Dyson board, headed by chief executive Martin McCourt.
Sir James has so far kept the company private and has retained sole ownership of the group, created on the back of his idea nearly 30 years ago to invent a bagless vacuum cleaner.
He and the Dyson family are listed in 59th place in this year's Sunday Times Rich List, with a £1.08bn fortune and assets including a £3m French chateau.
The company is headquartered in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, where it employs more than 1,200 staff.
The firm manufactures all its products in Malaysia since a decision in 2002 to offshore the operation - a move which caused outcry, with 500 UK jobs axed under the switch abroad.

domain: news


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OSI Group CEO David McDonald Reveals Company’s Secrets In Doing Business In China
The OSI Group has a solid heritage of service and quality. It is one of the largest companies in the world producing processed meats used by retail and food service businesses in the US and in other parts of the world. Its product range includes fish, meat patties, hotdogs, bacon, pizza, vegetables, and poultry. The successful holding company has been in the industry since 1909 and has undergone several name changes. In those many years of providing excellent service and high-quality products, the company is led by David McDonald, who spent more than three decades serving the global holding firm.
At present, David is the president of the OSI Group. In one of his interviews, David was asked several questions on the company’s operation in the fastest growing and most powerful country in the Southeast Asia-China. The leader revealed some of the company’s secret on how they operate the business in a foreign country like China. According to David McDonald, one of the catalysts in the company’s presence in China is the team’s ability to be one with the locals. He revealed that becoming one with the Chinese allowed them to forge long-term relationships, which have been very crucial in comprehensively understanding and addressing the needs of the Chinese customers. David also disclosed that being flexible is another catalyst that spelled out the company’s ability to flourish in China.
The company’s flexibility is manifested in its ability to sustain the principles of the company, continue to provide high-quality products and understand the culture of a different kind of market. They were also able to establish long-term relationships in China, which entail so much time, effort, and investment. The company’s presence in China spans more than three decades and it is now enjoying the trust of the customers while listening to their needs and meeting their demands. David McDonald also disclosed during the interview, that like any other foreign countries, the OSI Group also struggled with several setbacks and difficulties in China. However, he said that they partnered with government agencies, local suppliers, and customers to be able to surpass the challenges. David also shared that in all their dealings, the leading global food processing company is very patient.
Tags: Financial Guru


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Sony has surprised everyone with the announcement of a new PlayStation console which isn't the PlayStation 4: a tiny box dubbed the PlayStation Vita TV.
Apparently deciding that small, low-power home gaming consoles - like the Ouya, the Kickstarter record-smashing but ill-received device based on a low-end smartphone chip and a customised Android installation - have a real place in the market alongside the multi-hundreds-of-pounds high-end console it plans to launch later this year, the company announced the new device in Japan this morning.
Measuring just 6cm x 10cm - significantly smaller than the DualShock 3 controller with which it will be bundled - the console is designed to compete both with Android-based microconsoles and with the Apple TV, offering as it does both gaming and entertainment functionality.
First, the gaming features: the console lacks an optical drive, as you might imagine from its size, and is designed to play content purchased from the PlayStation Network (PSN) Store. This includes emulated games from the original PlayStation, games for the PlayStation Portable and even selected games from the company's latest hand-held console the PlayStation Vita - although not, we'd imagine, those that rely on the console's touch-screen or rear-facing touch control surface.
Those planning on picking up a PlayStation 4 in November will be interested to learn that the PS Vita TV can also be used as an extender: if your main TV is in use, you can fire up a PS4 game and stream it to the PS Vita TV over your home network.
The device is also set to include various entertainment functionality including access to video and music streaming services, eReader software and even a Twitter client for those who for some reason would rather post 140-character messages from their TV rather than a smartphone, tablet or PC.
Sony has confirmed plans to launch the PS Vita TV in Japan this November, possibly as an apology for the delay to getting the PS4 released in that country, priced at ¥9,480 console-only or ¥14,280 bundled with an 8GB memory card and DualShock 3 controller - around £61 and £92 respectively, excluding taxes. International availability has yet to be announced, but the company has provided the teaser video below to whet your appetite.


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May 12, 2022 (MLN): Pakistan Aluminium Beverage Cans Limited (PABC), Pakistan’s first solo Aluminium beverage can manufacturer, is exploring new customers in the regions of South Asia, Central Asian states, Africa and the Middle East to increase exports growth, management said while holding a corporate briefing session with investors.
“The overall exports outlook is positive and management is eying new customers, one more international market will be added in the next quarter,” the company said.
According to the key takeaways by AHL, the management expects that CY22 volumes can exceed sales of CY21 as the Afghanistan situation has improved and payment issues have largely been dealt with (cash payments now). 1Q sales have already shown growth on a YoY basis (sales were made to Afghanistan as well as Bangladesh).
Growth in the local market is expected at 7-8% whereas exports growth remains robust too as new customers are being added. Sales to Afghanistan will be majorly supported by sales to new client ‘Alokozay’. The management forecasts demand from the regional market at nearly 1bn cans per annum.
Pakistan demand includes can size of 250ml and 300ml, 250ml is the main pack size which contributes 91% to the local sales. In Afghanistan, though 250ml has the major market share but 300ml is also a sizeable pack which contributes around 47%. Overall total demand for 250ml makes the biggest pie (76.9%) followed by 300ml size (22.2%), 330ml (0.2%) and 355ml (0.6%; to USA/Canada).
The company’s local sales form 60% of total offtake and the remaining 40% is that of exports. Of exports, 35% of sales are made to Afghanistan and the remaining 5% to other international markets. Moreover, a price hike in aluminium is usually passed on easily as per contracts. Management did highlight that aluminium did come down a little in the past few days. The company procures 5000-6000 tons per annum.
On the production front, management apprised that cans production climbed up from 434mn in CY20 to 545mn in CY21. Sales in the last quarter of the outgoing year were down due to peak winter in the North region of Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan. 40% of the offtake is made to Afghanistan where sales went up despite the change in regime (+5.4% YoY), while the company also managed to increase overall offtake as it diversified the risk and added two more markets (Tajikistan and Bangladesh).
GP margins improved to 35.5% from 30.3% last year amid improved efficiency and pricing during the year, the management said, quoted AHL.
Management said that improvement was also witnessed in the leverage position compared to previous years as the debt-to-equity ratio increased by 1.16x compared to 1.45x last year, AHL reported.
The company has invested $8mn which will augment capacity from 700mn cans to 950mn cans. This should come online by Jun’22, the management believes. Utilization of the plant went up from 74% to 91% hence showing that the expansion was taken on a timely basis.
Copyright Mettis Link News


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WA boosts tourism budget by $12m to lure Asian visitors to State
The State Government has upped the ante in its bid to attract overseas visitors to WA.
Today it will commit an extra $12 million to promote WA across the world, including in the key markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
The 2019-20 funding includes $9 million in new money and $3 million from Tourism WA’s existing budget.
It is more than twice the amount traditionally spent on international marketing each year.
Premier Mark McGowan said the money would boost marketing efforts “in countries where we know it will have an immediate impact”.
International tourism to WA has been in the doldrums for several years.
While the latest figures showed a one per cent increase in overseas visitors in the year to the end of September, they paled in comparison to a 15 per cent increase in Tasmania and a 6 per cent rise in NSW.
Over the same period, international tourist spending in WA fell 7 per cent to $2.2 billion as Tasmania recorded a 13 per cent increase, Queensland jumped 12 per cent and NSW grew 9 per cent.
Tourism Minister Paul Papalia confirmed the extra funding yesterday and said it would allow marketing efforts to be ramped up in countries where people can book a trip and travel to WA in a relatively short time frame. They include Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
Malaysia (102,500 visitors a year) and Singapore (96,900) are already WA’s second and third biggest source of overseas visitors, behind Britain (149,000).
Mr Papalia said long-haul destinations including Britain, Germany and the US would also be targeted by the additional funding through a promotional push “to address the declines we’ve seen in the number of working-holidaymakers visiting WA from these markets”.
The funding will be used in a variety of marketing activities — including marketing partnerships with key airlines, travel companies, online travel agencies and tour operators.
With tourism generating 104,000 jobs and delivering $9.9 billion to the economy through visitor expenditure, Mr McGowan said he was confident the new money would create more jobs and bring dollars to the State.
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New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday called the win of vote on FDI in multi-brand retail in Lok Sabha by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as a shame and reiterated that the government is indeed a minority government as proved in the voting.
"It is a shame! The mandate today proves that the UPA-II is a minority Government. As against the majority figure of 271, based on the total strength of the House, the support was only 253, despite all attempts made by the selfish people," she posted on Facebook soon after the FDI vote win by UPA.
"This Government has lost its credibility. They must take fresh verdict from the people," she said.
After a heated two-day long debate, the UPA led by the Congress won the vote on allowing 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, defeating an Opposition motion against it.
While the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) abstained making it easier for the UPA to win, the ruling coalition got 253 votes in their favour of FDI in multi-brand retail. They needed only 236 after the walkout as the half way mark came down.
A total of 218 members cast their votes against FDI in multi-brand retail after the motion brought by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj was put to vote.
A total of 471 lawmakers were in House during the voting.
The last to debate on the FDI in multi-brand retail was Trinamool Congress, which in September walked out of the UPA government over the issue and other clutch of bigh bang economic reforms announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said there is no harm if someone wants to go Swarovski and buy crystal, but FDI in multi-brand retail sector would ruin traders and farmers.
"Babalogs and Bibilogs [Westernized urban rich] can go and buy from Sarovski and Omega," he said, adding that FDI in multi-brand retail would be harmful for the nation.
Roy said there was no consensus on the issue though Congress claimed there is.
While Congress led UPA bailed itself out in Lok Sabha, in Rajya Sabha it stands a crucial test since the Congress lacks adequate numbers in the upper house.
The FDI debate under Rule 168, which entails voting, is set to take place in the Rajya Sabha on Dec 6 and 7.
The support of Mayawati and the SP are crucial for the government in Rajya Sabha.


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As California prepares to launch the largest recreational cannabis market in the United States, a number of celebrities, including Willie Nelson and Whoopi Goldberg, along their respective brands, are hoping to be some of the first to take possession of a license once they are issued.
Related Story: 8 Ways to Enjoy Marijuana Without Smoking It
However, those in control of the way the industry will play out are still trying to hash out all of the details surrounding this particular aspect of the new legal marketplace in an attempt to get licenses into the hands of cultivation centers and retail pot shops in 2018. The primary snag, at least at this point, is determining who should be the first to receive a license – and should the state’s medical marijuana businesses have first dibs?
A recent report from the Associated Press suggests that celebrity brands already being distributed in the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries will have an advantage when the time comes to distribute licenses. This means the market will most likely see more pot products branded with the images of Bob Marley, Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson before new products from those showing up late to the game.
Related Story: Virginia Governor Poses for Photo With Willie Nelson’s Weed
Regardless of which companies are first to sell recreational reefer in California, analysts predict the state will be a determining factor in catapulting the industry into a $50 billion market within the next decade.
It is for this reason that Wall Street is starting to pay more attention to all of this legal weed business, the AP reports. Even with cannabis still being illegal at the federal level, alcohol companies are reportedly cautioning investors on what legalization could mean for their bottom line.
This is somewhat humorous, especially considering that the cannabis industry does not have most of the same freedoms as products like alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana companies are not even given the legal right to protect their brand names with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office.
The whole of the cannabis industry, despite is predicted mega buoy to the American economy, is simply not handled in the same manner as other legitimate pieces of national commence – at least not yet.
Leaders of the California cannabis movement credit celebrities for bringing normalization to the cannabis industry. Not only do these famous faces have the finances to properly market pot products in a way that instills a sense of legitimacy, but they also have a larger platform to promote the issue to more of the average citizen.
“They’re helping to legitimize marijuana,” Cheryl Shuman, founder of the Beverly Hills Cannabis Club, told the AP. “Marijuana is fast becoming cool and glamorous.”


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Company executives have observed Target, JPMorgan Chase, Home Depot, Anthem, and other major companies suffer devastating data breaches - and understand they need stronger cybersecurity protocols - but actually deploying new methods has been rather slow.
Seventy eight percent of company tech executives have not been briefed regarding internal security strategies within the past 12 months, according to a Raytheon survey. In addition, 75 percent said cybersecurity is a necessary cost, but only 25 percent of survey respondents said security is a strategic priority.
"The Target hack was very interesting," said Jack Harrington, VP of cybersecurity and special missions of Raytheon, in a statement published by the Christian Science Monitor. "It raised awareness across the entire retail industry certainly," but demand for chief information security officer (CISO) positions wasn't' a priority. "That tells you they felt they didn't even need that position. They just didn't feel at risk."
More companies will suffer crippling cyberattacks, and potential data breaches, especially if executives are unwilling to take security more seriously.


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The BMW Group, a pioneer in electromobility, is rapidly expanding its range of electrified vehicles. Within two years, the company will offer five fully-electric series-production vehicles: Alongside the BMW i3, with more than 150,000 units built to date, this year will see the start of production of the fully electric MINI at Plant Oxford (UK). This will be followed in 2020 by the fully-electric BMW iX3 from Shenyang (China) and in 2021 by the BMW iNEXT, which will be produced in Dingolfing (Germany), and the BMW i4 from Plant Munich (Germany).
The 2018/19 ‘Super Season’ in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) draws to a close on 15th/16th June with the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA). BMW M Motorsport has now announced the six drivers who will race the two BMW M8 GTE for BMW Team MTEK on the Sarthe region track. The team’s regular drivers Martin Tomczyk (GER), Nick Catsburg (NED), António Félix da Costa (POR) and Augusto Farfus (BRA) will be joined by BMW works drivers Philipp Eng (AUT) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) at Le Mans.
Ericsson, SK Telecom and BMW Group Korea have broken a world record for 5G speeds in a follow-up to the 5G trials announced in November 2016. On a racetrack in Yeonjong-do, South Korea, a high-performance network connection supported data transmission from point-to-point from a car driving more than 160 kilometers per hour.
The three companies have been focused on high driving speeds while ensuring a stable and high performance network connection in order to provide a concrete example of seamless mobility.
This Monday, 20th April, the 24th edition of the Tour Auto was launched under the nave of the Grand Palais in Paris. It was a day dedicated to official unveiling and last-minute technical testing before the tarmac and dust of the road in this highly anticipated competition, departing from Paris on the 21st and set to arrive in Biarritz on the 25th.
December 2014 - BMW has a long tradition of combining high-tech innovation with stunning, emotional design. This combination also comes to the fore in the new BMW Lifestyle Collections. The four different product families – sophisticated, classic, sporty and elegant – catch the eye with their distinct styles. They make the perfect travel companion and also cut a fine figure at home. What makes the sporty yet timeless design of BMW’s luggage creations particularly attractive are the clean lines. The accessories exude elegance and meticulous attention to detail.
Mercedes, BMW, Audi receive top honors in prestigious gala awards night
Public voting commences with launch of specially designed Facebook application


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What Is US Ad Spending
Total US digital ad spending is forecasted to grow just 1.7% this year, a steep decline from the rapid expansion of recent years. However, within this generally stagnant growth picture lies a variety of industry-level outcomes. Several verticals we track will still produce relatively standout increases in spending, while others will contract at unprecedented rates.
While nearly every industry in the US will experience slowdowns in digital ad spend this year, the retail industry will stay above water thanks to its accelerated embrace of ecommerce. eMarketer expects it to remain the largest spender on digital ads among all verticals, despite a huge deceleration in growth. The industry will increase spending by 3.1% to $28.23 billion.


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World Bulletin / News Desk
Annualized consumer inflation saw a mild rebound to nearly 9 percent in June, indicating that meeting the year-end target of 5 percent will be a difficult task for the Central Bank of Turkey, even as crude prices remained much lower for the sixth month than they were at the beginning of the year.
The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) announced the monthly inflation figures on Tuesday.
According to its data, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) actually decreased by 0.9 percent from May to June, but was 8.87 percent higher than in the same month a year ago, representing a minor increase in the annualized rate, which was 8.2 percent a month earlier.
Among consumer goods in June, non-alcoholic beverages (3.42 percent), transportation (1.39 percent) and clothing and shoes (0.82 percent) saw a price reduction. At the other end of the scale, communication prices took the lead with a 1.92 percent hike in the sixth month over the fifth.
The June Producer Price Index (PPI) likewise dropped by 1.49 percent compared to May, and was 6.44 percent higher year-on-year. The annualized increase in PPI was 8.06 percent in May. Production costs increased for communication equipment (2.97 percent), potable water (2.13 percent) and furniture (1.89 percent) in June over May. Producers, however, paid notably fewer input cost in the fields of crude oil and natural gas extraction (8.63 percent), charcoal and refined petroleum products (7.04 percent).
Inflation in Turkey is dependent on multiple variables, but among them energy prices are generally game-changers. A barrel of crude was at nearly $80 for the month of June, compared to some $100 in January.
The major factor behind Turkey's intractably high consumer inflation is the rapid expansion of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the past decade. The national economy expanded by 5.4 percent on average each year between 2002 and 2011. Last year's 8.5 percent GDP growth, on top of the 8.9 percent increase recorded a year earlier, made Turkey the fastest-growing economy in all of Europe and within the larger Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). For the first quarter of this year, however, the economic growth rate slowed to 3.2 percent, extending a helping hand to the policymakers as they try to beat inflation.
Central Bank Governor Erdem Başçı had predicted in April that people would see decreasing inflation in the country in the second half of 2012, and that the pace of decline would peak particularly in the last three months of the year.
Borsa Istanbul releases integrated annual report for first time
Turkey has served as main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe
Turkish Central Bank fixes foreign exchange rates for rediscount credits repayments
Indices for service, retail trade, construction sectors fall in current month compared with April: Official data
Thanks to advances in shale gas production, notably in the northeast, America has been the world's largest natural gas producer since 2009 and extracted two billion cubic meters per day in 2017.
BIST 100 climbs 0.64 pct while USD/TRY exchange rate stands at 4.7805
Ankara vows to reach 2018 budget targets, says finance minister
American Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced Wednesday he had initiated a so-called Section 232 investigation on auto trade after speaking with President Donald Trump on the matter.
BIST 100 climbs more than 1,100 points; foreign currency exchange rates drop against lira
BIST 100 index goes down 1.39 percent at close; Turkish lira continues to decline against other currencies
Salt Lake storage facility aims to have capacity of 5.4 billion cubic meters by 2023
BIST 100 falls 0.50 percent; US dollar/Turkish lira exchange rate stands at 4.7560
Treasury reports central government debt stock in April rises 15.8 pct year-on-year, reaching $226.8 billion
Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom spoke ahead of talks of the EU's 28 trade ministers to discuss an attempt to woo the US away from punishing steel and aluminium tariffs and win Europe a similar break as handed China.


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Nominations are now closed
Posted: March 31, 2010
Nominations for the 2010 ETO Adult Industry Awards closed on April 8th and the finalists will be revealed in the May issue of ETO.
There are 21 award categories for 2010, encompassing adult products, brands, distributors, retailers, online resources and people. As in previous years, all winners will be chosen by readers of ETO and visitors to this site.


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LG has launched a new mid-range smartphone, the LG X5 (2018) in its home country. It’s the successor of LG X5 which was launched in 2016. The new LG X5 is now available in South Korea through major carriers such as SKT, KT and LG U+.
The highlight feature of LG X5 (2018) is the massive 4,500 mAh battery equipped with Fast Charging technology.
Specifications, Features of LG X5 (2018)
Talking about other specifications, the LG X500 runs on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and features a 1.5 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6750 chipset paired with 2 GB of RAM. The internal storage is 32 GB out of which 24.31 GB is available to the user. There is a microSD card support to expand the storage.
The handset sports a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels with 18:9 aspect ratio. Regarding the optics, the LG X500 comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel super wide-angle selfie cam.
The smartphone packs standard connectivity options like 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, NFC and support for LTE UE CAT 4.0, for higher download speeds.
Price and Availability of New LG X5
In South Korea, the new LG X5 will be available via three major mobile operators SKT, KT and LG U+ with a price tag of 3,63,000 KRW (INR 22,368 approximately). However, right now there is no word on the global availability of the handset.


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Claims have emerged on X, the microblogging platform, saying the popular rapper, Olamide Adedeji (a.k.a Badoo) is the owner of Rain Oil Limited—owners of Rain Oil filling stations across the country.
Also, TipsyTalkShow @Tipsytalkshow claimed under a thread titled “Some Nigerian Artists side hustles” that “Olamide Adedeji known as Olamide Badoo owns a petrol station at Bariga, Lagos State. Aside from music and owning a record label, YBNL boss, Olamide’s filling station called Rain Oil”.
These two posts are already generating a lot of reactions among Nigerians on the platform and may become a piece of viral fake news.
We also noticed that the news was published three years ago by Opera News but without a valid claim, as the media outlet used it reportedly in the story.
DailyAgent Check deployed a keyword search on Rain Oil Ltd and we found out that it was registered and incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on November 16, 1994. The company’s directors listed include Gabriel Ogbechie, Godfrey Ogbechie and Chukwudiebele Ogbechie, according to NG-Check.com.
According to the company website, it was founded by Gabriel Ogbechie, who is an engineer.
Ogbechie started the company at the age of 30 years after working as a factory engineer between 1989 and 1991 and subsequently joined PricewaterhouseCoopers, a leading firm of Chartered Accountants and Management Consultants. He also spent four years at Ascon Oil, heading the sales and operations unit.
However, Rain Oil operates a franchise model that allows other smaller independent fuel marketers to freely join the Rainoil brand and enjoy some of the strengths that come as a result of affiliating with Rainoil.
The model was launched in 2021 according to a statement by the company and published by BusinessDay.
The statement reads, “Smaller independent fuel stations that join the Rainoil brand through the franchise model stand to benefit a lot from Rainoil’s offering, top of which is the deployment of Epump automation technology provided by Rainoil’s technology partner Fuelmetrics Limited.
Olamide Badoo might actually own a filling station affiliated with Rain Oil Company. Therefore, it is half true but is completely false to say he is the owner of Rain Oil Limited.


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– For accessing sport related content, smartphone was device of choice- News.com.au retains top position in news rankings
Sydney, Australia – 20 February 2018: Nielsen Digital Ratings (Monthly) for January 2018 reported that 10.9 million adult Australians consumed online sport content, an increase of 3.7% when compared with the previous year. Despite more people, the average time per person decreased by 2.8% compared to last year to 1 hour and 38 minutes per person in January 2018.
For sport-related content, smartphone was the device of choice for 6.2 million adult Australians (up 15.8% compared with the previous year), followed by desktop with almost 5.9 million adult Australians. However, desktop saw a decline in usage by 7.5% when compared with the prior year. Tablet devices were used by a unique audience of 2.9 million, up 6.3% when compared with prior year.
Digital News Rankings
Nielsen digital news rankings for January 2018 revealed that news.com.au (5.4 million) remained the top news entity and grew 2% when compared with the prior year. In second place was ABC News Websites (4.8 million, +11%), who moved up from third place when compared to January 2017, switching places with nine.com.au (4.6 million, +4%) who secured the third spot. Smh.com.au (3.9 million, -3%) remained in fourth place.
In comparison with January 2017, there were changes in the ranking order for the next six news entity rankings. Yahoo7 News Websites (3.3 million, +25%) moved from seventh to fifth place, followed by Daily Mail (2.6 million, -17%), which dropped from fifth place to sixth place. The Guardian (2.6 million, -5) which had previously held sixth place in January 2017, moved back to seventh place. Next was Herald Sun (2.5 million, +8%) which jumped up from ninth to eighth. Ninth and tenth place were tied by MSN News (2.3 million, +6%), which has previously held eleventh place and BBC (2.3 million, -4%), which had previous held eighth place.
Media Relations Contact:
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide. Our approach marries proprietary Nielsen data with other data sources to help clients around the world understand what’s happening now, what’s happening next, and how to best act on this knowledge. For more than 90 years Nielsen has provided data and analytics based on scientific rigor and innovation, continually developing new ways to answer the most important questions facing the media, advertising, retail and fast-moving consumer goods industries. An S&P 500 company, Nielsen has operations in over 100 countries, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.


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Binance Users in Hong Kong will no longer be able to have access to the derivatives trading feature. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange has announced sweeping restrictions on its derivatives products for users in Hong Kong.
In its official statement, announcing the restrictions Binance said: “Users from Hong Kong will have a 90 days grace period to close their open positions. During the grace period, no new positions may be opened.”
The new announcement is ambiguous and doesn’t clarify when exactly the restrictions will be fully imposed. CEO Changpeng Zhao, Binance CEO explained that it’s a “proactive measure” and is in line with the company’s policy to ensure compliance.
Commenting on the Hong Kong centric announcement Zhao said: “New Binance users from Hong Kong can no longer open futures accounts and we will wind down access for existing users.”
Binance Facing Heat From Regulators
Recently, Binance has been in hot waters with several regulators including the British HMRC. The top regulator in the country had charged Binance for non-compliance and had asked users to stay away from it. Just about a week ago, the Malaysian SC issued a notice warning Binance to shut operations in the country.
Responding to the new and upcoming regulatory mandates, Binance has started trimming the limits for future and derivative trading for its new and existing customers. The global cryptocurrency exchange is also rolling back several services it offered in certain countries like the Netherlands, Germany and Italy.


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Nigeria and Chelsea Midfielder John Mikel Obi’ has established a Record Label joining the likes of Emmanuel Babayaro in floating a record label.
Sure Mikel Obi is a business man, this record label is an addition to his chain of businesses, like we all know he owns a Car Shop, a transportation company and other businesses in Jos, Nigeria
The record Label is called MMM (Matured Money Minds) he has signed S artistes already named
The Charass, Kido, Edgar,Splash.


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The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), has proved to be extremely beneficial to numerous businesses across the UK. Launched earlier this year, CBILS was designed to provide financial support to SMEs that have been impacted by COVID-19 and seen their cashflow disrupted. The effects of the pandemic continue to present challenges to businesses and the future still looks uncertain, however, the scheme is due to end on 30th September, and any applications for finance need to have been made by that date. Read more
Loans of up to £250,000 with 12-months capital and interest free are now available via Compass Business Finance, as part of the government’s CBIL scheme. The loan terms are between 2-5 years, with no upfront or early settlement fees, they are delivered via a faster and simplified application process, enabling loan decisions to typically be made within 24 hours. Read more
Since the launch of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) last month, it has already seen a significant number of changes as it evolves and develops to deliver timely and targeted support to SMEs across the UK. Read more
Businesses will be able to access government support via Compass Business Finance from today (Monday 23 March), helping them to continue operating through the global economic emergency brought on by coronavirus. As a specialist lender to the manufacturing sector, this is where Compass will continue to focus their support.
Compass Business Finance has announced that it will be exhibiting at The Print Show as part of the IPIA Village this September. As a specialist lender to the industry, Compass will have their team on hand throughout the show to explore, with visitors, the financial options available to them.
Compass Business Finance is delighted to announce that they have become members of FESPA UK. Having met with the UK team at FESPA Global Print Expo in Munich this week, Compass sees this as a move to build stronger relationships with the wide format print, packaging and converting markets in the UK.
Compass Business Finance have announced the appointment of David Bunker as a new company director from 1 April 2019. David has taken an equity stake in the business and will be working alongside brothers Mark and Jamie Nelson, who founded the business in 2005.
Compass Business Finance are pleased to announce that they have just become associate members of the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA). This is part of a commitment to further support and grow their supply of asset-based finance to the manufacturing and engineering sectors.
Compass Business Finance has become an accredited lender under the British Business Bank’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) programme. EFG accreditation will enable Compass to increase its supply of asset finance to smaller businesses, primarily in the print, packaging and engineering sectors.


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The search found 6 results in 0.077 seconds.
Australia’s media landscape is experiencing a period of tremendous change. The process of transformation has largely been driven by great advances in communications technology that are redefining how we produce and consume media – from home grown entertainment to news clips from the frontline of...
Speech by ACCC chair, Graeme Samuel, to the National Press Club, Canberra.
We are in the midst of a technological revolution which threatens to make the introduction of television look like a mere blip in the evolution of distribution of news, information and entertainment....
Coping with change will require flexibility from both the media and regulators and that change will only continue to accelerate, argues the ACCC chair. But the legacy of that change is that technology and the growing swell of community input is placing the future of...
In this speech at the University of South Australia Trade Practices Workshop, the ACCC chair Graeme Samuel argues that a culture of compliance with the Trade Practices Act is be an optional extra, but an essential element of doing business.
We are at a point in time where technological change and convergence could once again change the way consumers access news, information and entertainment, argues the ACCC chair, Graeme Samuel, in this address to the Melbourne Press Club Journalism 2005 Conference.
With convergence potentially opening up a vast array of new channels for the distribution of audio visual and print entertainment, news, information and opinion, the challenge for the ACCC will be to promote competition and not allow incumbents to impede the development of competitive choices...


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Maltese gaming regulator, The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has announced the launch of a new user-friendly ‘Licensee Relationship Management System’, which aims to improve the efficiency and quality of its communications with current and prospective licensees.
Its new service, which has been developed in partnership with worldwide software giant Microsoft comprises a secure dedicated web portal, which digitises existing land-based licensing processes.
The first phase of the project encompasses three main online services: applications for remote gaming licences, Dynamic Seal URL requests and lastly the option of online submission of players liability and gaming tax reports.
Upon completion of the first phase the MGA will look to extend the system to land-based operations including but not limited to; casinos, gaming parlours, the national lottery and commercial bingo, with the eventual aim of becoming the one-stop shop for gaming licensing in Malta.
At a press conference announcing the launch, The MGA’s Executive Chairman, Joseph Cuschieri stated that; “The Malta Gaming Authority is taking another step towards achieving efficiency and innovation in the way it conducts its function as a regulator by applying information technology in regulatory processes. “
“This project further aids the Authority in providing a top end service to its licensees and practitioners alike. Our main objective remains; that of exceeding the expectations of all our stakeholders at large. This portal goes a long way in achieving that”.
These words were echoed by Malta’s Parliamentary Secretary Silvio Schembri who added “Today, the MGA is launching a new system by which it will be facilitating the communication with clients applying for a gaming licence on our shores. This system will function via an online portal improving the efficiency of the Authority’s regulatory process.”
“This project forms part of the government’s vision for the improvement of our gaming jurisdiction. With similar initiatives, the Authority is excelling in the service given to those wishing to invest in our country, whereby said service always exceeds the expectations of the vast majority of operators.”


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African Cocoa trading centre opened on Wednesday in central China. It was established in Changsha, provincial capital of Hunan, it will start by selling cocoa mainly from Ghana before bringing in products from more African countries.
The centre has been hailed as the first for African cocoa in China, a rising market for the continent’s products from coffee to tea.
Edward Boateng, Ghana’s ambassador to China, said “I am confident that every tasty chocolate enjoyed in China has some quantity of Ghana’s premium cocoa as part of its ingredients.”
“He added that the West African country is working with the Asian nation to further increase supply.
Xu Xiangping, the Head of Hunan Commerce Department, said the province aims to build a major trading and processing centre for Africa’s farming products including cashew nuts, coffee, cotton and rubber.
The cocoa centre is among the first “sub-centres” to be established, Xu said.
Officials and traders say Hunan is at the centre of China’s sprawling transportation network and close to booming consumer markets across the country, which will facilitate the entry of African commodities.
Changsha on Tuesday hosted a conference to promote trade cooperation between China’s Hunan and Ghana, Tanzania and Ethiopia, and witnessed the inking of several agreements on cocoa import and industrial cooperation.
Source: Voice of Nigeria


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RememberFantasian? I wouldn’t blame you if you forgot about it!
Mistwalker, the studio behind Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey — two absolute classics — is releasing a new RPG on mobile devices soon. Wait, don’t go! Fantasian looks like a legit JRPG romp, one that will free them from their Terra Battle routine they’ve been in for the last seven years or so. If you want to see some footage, check out the below video at the 1:16 mark.
It’s is going to be released on Apple Arcade, mind, so it’s not going to be microtransactioned to hell and back. So when is it coming out? Well, thanks to a new end of year interview with Japanese outlet Famitsu, we know it’s coming relatively soon.
Speaking on 2021, Mistwalker founder and gaming legendHironobu Sakaguchi muses: “Fantasian, which we’ve been developing for three years, is finally near completion. It’ll release for Apple Arcade in 2021.” So whether you’ve been waiting for it or not, it’s almost ready.
I wish them luck with SEO, because Googling this game is a Lovecraftian nightmare when Disney has the phrase “Fantasia” on lockdown.


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Etsy Might Actually Be the Perfect Platform for QAnon
Etsy has a QAnon problem. The craft marketplace, like many other retailers that allow third-party sellers, lists products promoting the far-right conspiracy theory. QAnon’s core beliefs—that a global cult of Satan-worshipping child traffickers exist and President Trump is fighting to take them down—sounds implausible enough to almost be harmless to those on the outside. But Q believers have been tolerated, if not outright promoted, within the Republican party and by Trump. QAnon believers are running for state and local office and have been tied to violent crimes. But companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Etsy have been slow to crack down on groups and individuals spreading QAnon theories.
Etsy’s announcement that it will remove Q-related merch from its site feels, like many responses, too little, too late: After all, if you believe in a deep state conspiracy to protect a massive child trafficking ring, wouldn’t actions like Etsy’s merely confirm just how far those in power will go to hide the truth? At this point, any mainstream attempts to debunk Q can, for the Q believer, just be further confirmation of their views.
For many of us, however, Etsy’s move raises a question we’d never thought to ask: What kind of Q merchandise exists on a site that prides itself on selling handmade, one-of-a-kind objects? If you’re picturing cross-stitches of white rabbits or ceramic mugs with Q insignia on it, think again. The majority of QAnon merch disposable stuff that can be made by simply uploading a graphic to a website that can print it onto products for you.
While stores do not list where they get their products from, it’s not hard to see that few of these sellers are hard at work crafting. Many listings have a stock photo feel, with logos and designs edited onto the same images over and over again.
Q-branded items are not the only mass-produced goods being sold on Etsy. The company is associated with one-of-a-kind goods. But, if you peek beyond the hand-lathed wooden candlesticks, there are lots of stores making their money off of generic designs printed onto shirts, masks, and bags by third-party companies.
Sellers, whether they market to brides or conspiracy theorists, can quickly make a design and superimpose it onto blank shirts or bags or yard signs in seconds. If and when the order is placed, they can either actually make it or outsource the creation to companies like Printful, which offers an Etsy integration and will create and ship orders once they’re placed.
It’s possible with a little sleuthing to track stock models and size charts to companies like Printful.
Q sellers aren’t just mimicking a tried-and-true Etsy business model. They’re also using Etsy aesthetics to sell their merch. Many stores sell otherwise innocuous-seeming products, like a shirt referencing Hocus Pocus. Stores that sell Q merch also use common product images, like stock photos of flat-lays with canvas sneakers.
Some of QAnon’s rallying cries, like “Save the children,” could also easily appeal to and draw in people who otherwise have no idea what QAnon is. A lot of Q merch is sold in stores that list, in the same generic stock image format, more general pro-Trump sentiments. Browsing QAnon merch that has not yet been removed, it’s easy to see how closely knit Q and Trump are.
As Etsy attempts to cut off the many-headed hydra of Q merch, even a quick search shows how hard it will be. Etsy cannot review every product listed on site, and sellers can be nimble and create, at almost zero cost, new products with new QAnon codes and symbols. Etsy has made money off allowing sellers to sell generic or stolen designs on merch that a third party will mass-produce. QAnon, by using that classic playbook, has made itself nearly impossible to fully root out from the site. At this point, stores like this are in Etsy’s DNA.


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EVERYONE'S GOT AN OPINION ABOUT MARKETING affiliates. In the natural gas industry, a fierce debate has emerged, as rules are proposed to govern the relationship between utility and affiliate.
Affiliate transactions are already among the most regulated activities in the gas industry. According to the 1995-96 Compilation of Utility Regulatory Policy produced by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, every state, except Nebraska, has jurisdiction over affiliate transactions involving a private- or investor-owned gas utility. Moreover, every state prescribes special accounting and reporting requirements for utility transactions with affiliates. Some states, such as Virginia and Pennsylvania, require specific state approval of transactions between a utility and its affiliates. In addition to this state regulation, certain affiliate transactions are subject to regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Registered holding companies also must deal with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Retail competition has sparked a new regulatory wave. In the last 18 months, 17 states have adopted or are considering adopting new standards to govern transactions between a utility and its marketing affiliate. And it appears that this new wave has not yet crested - indications are that other states will join this effort over the next several months.
Companies that compete against the marketing affiliates of utilities are among the leading advocates of these codes of conduct. It is therefore not surprising that many of the provisions that are being proposed for such codes have more to do with protecting these companies from undesired competitors than with promoting the development of true retail competition in the gas industry.


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Ayana Navigation Solutions (ANS) and NNG LLC on 27th February 2014 announced their partnership with the Indian branch of German car infotainment giant Blaupunkt launching the San Diego 530 which comes fully equipped with integrated navigation system by NNG and ANS.
NNG and ANS have got a tremendous response from India with almost 30 percent market share ownership in the line-fit industry in 2013. NNG is aiming for 40 percent this year. In the last 3 months, NNG and ANS have started working with four more Tier-1 suppliers and car makers.
The San Diego 530 which was launched as a result of the partnership also includes an inbuilt high end multimedia video playback, powerful 4x45w sound output, easy connectivity for all types of portable media and a DSP tuner providing good output supporting weak signal processing and noise suppression.
NNG will be providing one free update per year to users for two years. Map updates, as well as additional content purchases and service subscriptions can be handled in a simple and user-friendly way through the unique online portal: www.ans.naviextras.com.


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Read the latest company and industry news.
The Scottish Rum Festival goes live and in-person for the very first time
Following on from two highly successful virtual events during the pandemic, The Scottish Rum Festival is excited to announce its first live in-person event in Edinburgh on Saturday 2nd September 2023.
Loch Lomond Whiskies signs new agreement with The R&A for The Open and AIG Women’s Open
Ben Lomond Gin Becomes Official Gin Partner of The Open and AIG Women’s Open for the First Time. Loch Lomond Whiskies announced as The Spirit of The Open and AIG Women’s Open until 2028.
Sowing the Seeds of Sustainable Growth: The Scottish Seed Potato Sector Sets out its Strategy for the Future
This week sees the launch of Sowing the Seeds of Sustainable Growth – a strategy for Scottish seed potato sector.
Loch Duart Salmon pioneers sustainability & health advancements with new feed
Loch Duart, the small-scale, low-impact salmon farm has furthered their commitment to raising the best-tasting salmon with the lowest possible impact on the environment by switching to global aqua feed producer BioMar’s new Blue Impact diet.
Innovation fund drives healthier products
A new fund aimed at supporting food and drink companies make healthier products has awarded £75K of funding to eight collaborations between businesses and universities in Scotland.
Crisp brand hungry for growth as it secures regional listings
Leading supermarkets bite down on new Scottish crisp brand.
Tayside and Fife food and drink producers to meet buyers at regional event
More than 30 of the finest food and drink producers across Angus, Dundee, Perthshire, and Fife will attend Tasting Tayside and Fife, an event allowing buyers to sample the regions’ best produce and connect with suppliers.
Panther M*lk Pounces onto Asda shelves in Scotland
Award-winning Panther M*lk has worked with Asda to secure its first retail listing as the world’s first oat milk based alcoholic cocktail, which will be stocked in 42 of the retailer’s stores across Scotland.
Scottish Young Chef of the Year brings Monaco experience to Perthshire
Since being crowned Scottish Young Chef of the Year a few months ago, Cliodhna Reid, Commis Chef at the Strathearn Restaurant, Gleneagles has been plating up dishes at one of Europe’s most exclusive restaurants.
Isle Of Harris Distillery To Release Its Historic First Whisky
Isle of Harris Distillers Ltd. is proud to announce the release date for its long-awaited Single Malt Scotch Whisky, The Hearach, named after the Scottish Gaelic name for a native of Harris.
Scottish Highlands ready to welcome food and drink enthusiasts this summer
Visitors to the Scottish Highlands now have direct access to over 250 food and drink experiences, thanks to a new directory platform that can help them plan their trip.


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Disc Dynamics, a once-promising medical device start-up that raised about $65 million from investors, has shut down and is selling off its assets.
The Eden Prairie company, which developed a minimally invasive technique to treat low back pain, failed to win a go-ahead from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a pivotal clinical trial. The company hoped to use the study to gain FDA approval to market the device in the United States.
"The FDA kept asking us for more data and more data, and more and more time would pass," said Keith Eastman, the company's chief financial officer. "We just ran out of money."
Stung by a series of drug and medical device recalls and criticism that it had grown too close to industry, the FDA has become more cautious about approving new products.
Many small medical device companies now complain that the agency has grown too conservative in approving new medical products. These firms, typically funded by angel investors and venture capitalists, claim FDA approval and clinical trials have often become cost-prohibitive.
"If you don't approve anything, you don't get in trouble," said an exasperated Eastman.
An FDA spokeswoman said she could not comment on specific applications.
The company, which employed as many as 32 people at its peak, laid off most of its remaining employees at the end of 2009. Now, a skeleton crew of three is in the process of selling assets and, perhaps, the company's Dascor Disc Arthroplasty intellectual property, Eastman said. The basic idea behind the Dascor technology was originally developed at SpineTech, an Edina company that pioneered several devices commonly used in back surgery.
Founded in 2000, Disc Dynamics attracted former St. Jude Medical Inc. executive Steven Healy as CEO and became a popular pick among venture capital investors, including firms with local ties -- Split Rock Partners, Affinity Capital Management and St. Paul Venture Capital. Fridley-based medical technology giant Medtronic Inc. was also an investor. Healy left the firm last July to become CEO of Lumen Biomedical in Maple Grove.
The company's Dascor system treated low back pain associated with degenerative disc disease, a condition that afflicts more than 65 million Americans. Using a minimally invasive surgical method as an alternative to spine fusion surgery, about 400 to 500 patients outside the United States have been treated with the system, which was approved for use in Europe in 2005.
Disc Dynamics isn't the only venture-based firm to close in recent months. In December, Arden Hills-based Transoma Medical Inc. closed after raising about $44 million in venture funding. The maker of a cardiac monitoring device had filed to go public, but subsequently withdrew the offer.
Janet Moore • 612-673-7752


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Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Chinese tech giant OnePlus' flagship killer smartphone –the OnePlus 3 is now available in India.
The company has tweeted:
— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) June 14, 2016
The OnePlus 3 has been priced at Rs 27,999 and is available exclusively on Amazon from Wednesday onwards.
One good thing about the product is that it is an invite free device.
The company in its forum had written, “We’re releasing the OnePlus 3 invite-free, right from launch day. In addition, invites are gone forever from future OnePlus product launches.”
Meanwhile, a lot of fun and excitement was spoiled a day before the official launch of the phone in India by a leading newspaper. The paper had printed an advertisement, thereby revealing everything about the phone, the most crucial being its price factor.
The OnePlus 3 was launched in the US yesterday. It comes with 5.5-inch 1080x1920-pixel screen display that has a pixel density of 401ppi.
The phone has an Optic AMOLED display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC clocked at 2.15 Ghz coupled with a giant 6GB of RAM.
The OnePlus 3 comes with an inbuilt memory of 64GB but there are no option for expansion.
It will also come with a fingerprint sensor that can unlock the screen in 0.2 seconds.
The camera will be of 16MP back and an 8MP fronnt with Smart Capture feature.
AS for the battery, the OnePlus 3 comes with a 3,650 mAh battery that can easily last for over a day. Besides, it comes with a DASH Charge which can charge the battery up to 60 percent in just 30 minutes.


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While OnePlus CEO Pete Lau already confirmed that the company’s next major phones — presumably the OnePlus 8 — will feature screens with a refresh rate of 120Hz, the Nubia gaming team is on their own prepping a strong device – the unnamed Nubia Red Magic 5G that could take gaming to the next level.
Apparently teasing its next Nubia Red Magic 5G smartphone ( Red Magic 4 or Red Magic 5), Nubia CEO Ni Fei confirmed via a Weibo post that the upcoming smartphone will support a 144Hz refresh rate, up from the 90Hz and 120Hz supported by the Red Magic 3, Oneplus 7 and ROG phone 2. Similar to the Oneplus 7, users will be able to switch between refresh rate options such as 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and a maximum of 144Hz.
It is not exactly clear when the firm will unveil said smartphone, however, it does confirm it will come with support for the blazing 5G connectivity. The Ceo had earlier confirmed that the Nubia Red Magic 4 or Red Magic 5 will come with a trio of cameras on the back and will be powered by a Snapdragon 865 chipset, perhaps, with a Snapdragon X55 modem.
Nubia Red Magic 5G/ Nubia Red Magic 4 / Red Magic 5 gaming phone release date
The firm has yet to release any definite launch date for the next Nubia Red Magic gaming phone, but that should be far off, given that the teasers are already flying in.


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Uber and Safaricom have today, August 2, 2023, teamed up to introduce M-Pesa as a seamless payment solution for riders across Kenya. Uber now have the option to pay for their trips through M-PESA. The partnership will allow these drivers to embrace mobile money as a convenient and accessible payment method for their rides.
The collaboration is especially set to benefit drivers who lack bank accounts. Uber’s data shows that about 20% of drivers on the platform do not have bank accounts. Therefore, they lack the opportunity to fully leverage digital trips.
To bridge this gap, Uber and Safaricom have integrated M-PESA into their platform. Drivers without bank accounts will receive their payments. Additionally, as a rider, you will be able to pay for your trip via Mpesa. This move aims to empower thousands of drivers with greater financial inclusivity and convenience.
This collaboration follows a successful venture with UberEats, allowing customers to make payments and delivery personnel to receive earnings via M-PESA. With this latest initiative, Uber and Safaricom aim to enhance financial inclusion. They aim to do this by providing access to digital trips for drivers who previously lacked bank accounts.
Empowering the UberEats Ecosystem
The partnership between Safaricom and UberEats is another aspect of this innovative collaboration. This development is set to redefine the experience of both delivery personnel and customers. Uber notes that their aim is to bring greater efficiency to the food delivery industry.
Transforming Lives Through Collaboration
Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom, emphasizes the company’s commitment to working with strategic partners like Uber. Together, they plan to deliver more value and opportunities to their customers. The collaboration with Uber will provide faster, more secure, affordable, and convenient payments for drivers, delivery personnel, and riders alike.
The partnership between Uber and Safaricom represents a significant milestone in Kenya’s digital payment landscape. Hopefully, this is also a green light for other services to implement M-Pesa into their businesses.


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Harrison Weber is TNW's Features Editor in NYC. Part writer, part designer. Stay in touch: Twitter @harrisonweber, Google+ and Email. Harrison Weber is TNW's Features Editor in NYC. Part writer, part designer. Stay in touch: Twitter @harrisonweber, Google+ and Email.
Connecticut state officials are reporting that Amazon has agreed to begin collecting a 6.35 percent sales tax on products bought within the state, starting November 2013.
As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, this news follows Amazon’s previously stern insistence that it is “not obligated to abide by the state’s Internet tax law because it does not have a physical presence in Connecticut.” Amazon is known for its skillful system of avoiding state taxes — the company currently pays such taxes in just a handful of states.
Clearly a hot topic for debate, supporters of the tax believe that Amazon has an unfair advantage over brick and mortar stores. Conversely, Amazon argues that there is no federal law that requires it to pay taxes in states in which it doesn’t physically operate. Instead, consumers in these states who buy items from Amazon are supposed to pay these taxes themselves when they file annually — obviously, that doesn’t actually happen.
According to a statement from Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, Amazon is now planning to invest $50 million in Connecticut over the next two years; Amazon plans to build a physical facility in the state and plans to create “hundreds of new full-time jobs.”
With this struggle lost, Amazon may face similar situations in other US states.
Image credit: Thinkstock
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Welcome to Equity, the podcast about the business of startups. This week, we had Theory Ventures founder Tomasz Tunguz on the show.
Back in 2014, Stan Garber and Alex Yakubovich set out to reinvent the request for proposals (RFP) process with the launch of Scout RFP, which provides a cloud-based sourcing solution designed to help
It's hard to win on social media, but Redpoint's head of content Rashad Assir thinks the potential rewards make it totally worth the grind.
Jordan Tigani — a founding engineer at Google BigQuery, Google’s fully managed data analysis platform — was working as the chief product officer at SingleStore when he noticed that t
There’s been an explosion of business intelligence (BI) tools in recent years, or tools that analyze and convert raw data into info for use in decision making. Investments in them are on the ris
For venture investors, noise is ironically important. Wading through constant streams of capital-seeking founders and startup pitches may be the hardest part of the job, but it’s also imperative to
Will a change to the U.S. carried interest loophole have a material impact on how capital is invested into startups?
Only a handful of “whales,” or big spenders, still own the majority of NFTs. While the digital assets have piqued widespread consumer interest, the user experience associated with actually
The company raised a Series B earlier this year, a $25 million round led by GGV and Redpoint. Both Series B lead investors participated in Monte Carlo's Series C.
Guild Education, which pairs employees with employer-sponsored learning opportunities, has raised $150 million in a Series E round. The financing event, funded by Bessemer Venture Partners, Cowboy Ven
This quarter, strong earnings results from public cloud companies were overshadowed by a seemingly endless IPO cycle. Another moment we somewhat missed over the last few weeks was the stock market pus
For startups not selling tier-one software, the next few quarters could be rough. For startups selling must-have delivered code, it's going to be a damn hot year.
The Creamery was not a place you went for the memories. It was located firmly at the apex of convenience and comfort -- which is why it was the perfect place for the SF technorati to see and be seen.
You might have missed it, but amidst the current political-M&A-pandemic-election-disinformation news cycle we find ourselves in this week, SaaS and cloud companies reached new public market record
While you may mostly think about Twilio in the context of its voice and text messaging platform, the company has recently made a number of moves to bolster its IoT platform, which is already one of it
Hello and welcome back to our regular morning look at private companies, public markets and the gray space in between. The resilience of the American stock market in the face of near-record unemployme
Education is a $4 trillion market globally in urgent need of an overhaul — so where within education are top venture capitalists optimistic about startups building large businesses by providing new
Growing D2C brands face an interesting challenge. While they’ve eliminated much of the hassle of a physical storefront, they must still deal with all the complications involved in managing inven
It’s that time again, folks, time to say goodbye to a social media service from days past. Following the shuttering of Klout earlier this year, now Path, the one-time rival to Facebook, is closi
When Redpoint’s partners handed hims CEO Andrew Dudum the term sheet for the company’s early financing round, one of the most surprising part of that whole process was that the investment


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TV Pro Gear Builds 3D Flypack for WealthTV
COW Library : Field Production : Debra Kaufman : TV Pro Gear Builds 3D Flypack for WealthTV
TV Gear Pro President Andrew Maisner was at the NABA Heavyweight Title Fight between Franklin Lawrese and Mike Molo at the Dover Downs Hotel, Casino and Racetrack. But he wasn't a spectator. Maisner was on location with WealthTV overseeing the live 3D broadcast of the Friday boxing bout, using his newly built six-camera 3D flypack.
Building a production flypack is no easy job - it's everything required for an entire production condensed into a shippable crate - and building one in 3D doubles the challenge. Maisner, whose company has been building flypacks for 14 years for companies like Time Warner, Comcast and NBC, says that as far as he knows, his is the first-ever 3D flypack. "No one else has a package like this," he says. "If you need to do 3D in London tomorrow, you can put this in a plane along with the box that holds the cameras and tripods and you'll have a complete six camera production for 2D and 3D."
This flypack, however, is not for rent. That's because WealthTV commissioned TV Gear Pro to build it for use with its ambitious 3D programming plan. The cable network, which launched in June 2004 and is distributed worldwide via cable and satellite, is a 24/7 HD cable network "devoted to taking viewers on a journey of how wealth is achieved, used and enjoyed."
In January 2012, WealthTV launched its linear 3D lifestyle and entertainment channel, WealthTV 3D, after a ramp-up of a two-and-a-half year production effort. WealthTV co-owner Charles Herring (who owns the network with his father Robert Herring, Sr. and brother Robert Herring) notes the rationale for launching a 3D channel. "When we launched the HD channel in 2004, there were just a few HD channels deployed at that point," he says. "We thought the enhanced viewing experience would be something that would take off. We think the same of 3D."
The privately held company first geared up to creating 3D content. "We produce a lot of our own content and have production shows traveling the world," Herring says. "To equip them with 3D gear wasn't heavy lifting. We purchased a lot of new cameras and retrofitted our edit bays. Today, every time a crew leaves for a shoot, we shoot in HD and 3D." WealthTV 3D content documentaries in Machu Picchu, the Seychelle Islands, Cambodia, Dubai and a 20th anniversary special on Chernobyl.
Although WealthTV's 3D production set-up was ideal for these kinds of documentaries, it wasn't the right set-up for the sporting events the Herrings want to cover. "For boxing events, everyone wants to see them live," he says. "That's where the flypack comes in." When the company tried and failed to find a 3D flypack to rent, they contacted Maisner at TV Pro Gear.
WealthTV: The Dover Downs fight
What's in the flypack? Maisner says he worked closely with his WealthTV 3D counterparts to pick the best and most reliable gear: Six Sony PMW-TD300 cameras with fiber, a Panasonic AV-HS450 3D 20-input switcher, two Panasonic AG-HDP24 P2 recorders (left eye, right eye), a Chyron Lex-3 title generator and a Newtek 3Play424 4-channel Instant Replay/Slo-motion unit modified to do 3D. A two-channel Clearcom system with 4 channels of IFB and 4 wireless belt packs provides high quality intercom. The entire system is battery backed-up by a 1650w Middle Atlantic Uninterruptible Power Supply. Sound is handled by a Mackie 16-input mixer, four Sennheiser Wireless Microphones and 4 dbx limiters. Audio monitoring is by Genelec and Marshall Electronics. "We also have a Telos phone link via Bluetooth that is integrated with the Clearcomm system," Maisner says. "They're doing live events and this gives them communication with WealthTV's studio in San Diego."
Finishing out the mix is an ESE timecode generator, a Leader LV7380 Multi SDI rasterizer and a Blackmagic Design 40 x 40 HD router. "The whole thing is in our shock-mounted, American Transit Association-certified flypack case," says Maisner, who was also the design engineer on the project.
The rationale behind some of the gear went beyond intrinsic quality. "Panasonic has put a lot of effort in 3D and their switchers and recorders integrate well into a 3D workflow," he says. "Chyron of course is the No. 1 title generator. We went with Chyron because everywhere you go in the world, you can find people who know how to operate a Chyron."
To maximize flexibility, Maisner made sure that the 3D system can shoot a wide range of formats - 720P, 1080i and 1080P - as well as switch between 110-volt and 220-volt electricity. "It's ready to shoot worldwide," he says.
After the 3D Flypak's debut at the NABA Heavyweight Fight in Dover, it's next stop is another boxing match in July: a Millennium Events boxing match on July 14 in Vegas that Herring says will be carried "on every single cable system in the U.S. and Canada."
WealthTV's flyback ensures high quality reliable tools to produce to on-air sporting events, at an economical price. Economical, of course, is relative when you're talking about 3D, but Maisner notes that the $500,000 it cost to build the 3D flypack is a fraction of the $10 to $16 million it can cost to outfit a mobile 3D truck. (In fact, the Herrings just bought a mobile truck, and TV Pro Gear is working on outfitting it with the best 3D gear.)
Herring estimates that the 3D flypack will be used 15 times per year over the next 24 months. That kind of limited use doesn't amortize the 3D flypack, but Herring isn't fazed. "First, we intend to increase the number of live events that we do," he says. "As a company, we take a pretty long-term view. We think that getting into 3D early and establishing WealthTV as a 3D and pay-per-view provider in 3D is very important. We realize the payback may be several years down the road. We did the same thing with HD, and it paid off."
In the meantime, at TV Pro Gear, Maisner hesitates to think about creating a 3D flypack for rent. "I've had lots of calls from people wanting to rent it, but not enough to part with $500,000 for the rental market," he says.
The Herrings have cast their vote with 3D TV programming by launching WealthTV 3D and not sparing the expense of programming it properly. They rightly assess that good programming is what will draw audiences to 3D TV programming. If their efforts, along with others', tip the balance to make 3D TV a viable business, a 3D flypack sounds like the best solution for any number of production challenges. TV Pro Gear's 3D FlyPak may be the first one, but it is almost certainly not the last.
Title image: WealthTV Dover Downs -- over the shoulder camera pack


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Meat and dairy-free diets have gone so mainstream, that even that bastion of the beefburger, McDonald's, has launched a vegan Happy Meal for children with a pesto goujon wrap now available as an alternative to the usual chicken nuggets and burger meals.
And now it has been joined by the supermarket giants. Marks & Spencer also launched its first large-scale vegan range with options including a vegan coleslaw and potato salad, as well as macaroni cheese and the first vegan-friendly Sourdough Pizza with BBQ Pulled Jackfruit - a relatively unknown fruit in Ireland which has the texture of pulled pork.
Product developer Claire Richardson said: "Some people think meat-free food is dull but this couldn't be further from the truth, it's experimental and it's delicious. We've created a collection that will appeal, whether you're a long-standing vegan, or want to lead a more flexitarian lifestyle." Aldi is promoting a 'Veganuary' range in store from last week and Lidl will be including vegan ice-cream and vegan cheeses in its vegetarian week, starting on February 4.
SuperValu has recently increased its vegan range to 340 products, including vegan chocolates and snacks, and plans to "roll out vegan zones across our store network".
A spokesman said: "We've witnessed the emergence of the health-conscious consumer over the past couple of years, with a surge in momentum during 2018 as veganism became mainstream, shoppers made more informed decisions about the health and nutritional benefits of what they buy, coupled with growing concern for the environment and the sustainability of the food ecosystem.
"We have seen sales of plant-based milk alternatives rise in 2018 with products like oat milk growing rapidly."
While Go Vegan World Ireland acknowledges the health and environmental benefits of a vegan diet, Sandra Higgins, founder of Go Vegan World's Irish branch, argues that to be truly vegan involves regarding animals differently.
She said: "There is no such thing as going vegan for health reasons. People may adopt a plant diet for health reasons but that is not veganism.
"The only reason for going vegan is acceptance of the fact that other animals can feel and, as a result, acknowledging that they share our fundamental right not to be bred, owned, used or killed. Veganism is a moral issue.
"It is not something that can be reduced to a temporary trial to see if it suits.
"How to be vegan is far easier when we understand why we need to be vegan in the first place."
Most people who decided to give Veganuary a try give caring for animals as their number one reason at 43pc, while 39pc say they are doing it for the good of their health and 10pc list environmental concerns.
Veganism has become impossible to ignore in 2019 with 600 prominent ads across the country urging us to give up meat and dairy - not just for January but for life.
The campaign, which kicked off over Christmas, will run for another two weeks with emotive billboard posters featuring calves being taken from their mothers, pictures of pigs on buses asking to be recognised as "someone not something" and turkeys branded "defenceless" on video ads in train stations. Large-screen video ads promoting veganism were shown for the first time at Busaras and at Connolly and Heuston train stations as part of the Go Vegan World campaign.
All the animals in the ads are Irish and were photographed at Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary, Co Meath, where they are cared for by Sandra Higgins, founder of Go Vegan World's Irish branch.
Ms Higgins said: "The ads challenge the public to see that humans are not the only beings who experience physical and emotional feelings and value their lives. The 'Dairy Takes Babies' ad is one of our most successful. We get regular messages from members of the public informing us that this ad prompted them to research animal rights and go vegan.
"Veganism has gone mainstream and people are much more aware that using other animals is unethical, unacceptable and something to be avoided."
Veganuary, a UK-registered charity, has seen 250,000 people in 193 countries sign up to its online pledge.


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UK companies lost £32bn in 2003 as a result of fraud, embezzlement, corruption and money laundering and spent a further £8bn trying to deal with it, the survey of over 100 businesses showed.
'The £40bn cost to business is staggering and could be just the tip of the iceberg,' said Bill Cleghorn, forensic partner at RSM Robson Rhodes.
Six out of 10 respondents said they thought the threat of economic crime will worsen over the next three years. The three main areas of corporate concern were embezzlement, cheque fraud and money laundering.
The survey also found that while 93% of businesses agree that the board has the ultimate responsibility, only 57% of UK directors believe they have an understanding of the financial cost of economic crime.Reuse content