text: Financial technology, or fintech, has been one of the fastest-growing tech areas in Southeast Asia\u2014the largest venture capital investment category by number of backed startups. With applications such as personalised access to robo-advisors, mobile payment systems, and instant cross-border transactions, it has the capacity to touch and transform millions of lives in a region with 570 million people and 360 million internet users, plus 22 million people joining the mobile internet every year.\nAccording to Dealroom, a data platform for investors and business developers, the combined value of Southeast Asia\u2019s fintech startups is US$108 billion, with Vietnam\u2019s VNPay, Indonesia\u2019s Akulaku, Ovo, and Payfazz, and Singapore\u2019s FinAccel being amongst the region\u2019s most valued fintech startups, with a valuation more than US$250 million each. Within this ecosystem, Indonesia and Singapore are the most valuable countries, with tech ecosystems worth US$60 billion and US$35 billion respectively. Each country is home to six US$1 billion startups, a.k.a. \u2018unicorns\u2019.\n\n[ Cut through hype to find out which blockchain pilots are showing enterprise promise and where blockchain is poised for a big-business breakout. | Get the latest on emerging technologies and digital transformation by signing up for our CIO newsletters. ]\n\nIn the region, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam have emerged as top hot spots of fintech providers. Singapore, with more than 490 fintechs, has cemented its leadership in this space owing to favourable factors such as the presence of a strong financial industry and investor ecosystem, friendly government regulations, and superior physical and digital infrastructure.\nIn Indonesia, the region\u2019s largest economy, the adoption of alternative lending and e-money are driven by a young generation. E-money transactions jumped 173% from January 2019 to January 2020, Dealco estimated. Vietnam has also seen rapid growth in this sector, backed by government support and a booming e-commerce sector.\nSoutheast Asian fintechs have continued to attract funding despite the COVID-19 pandemic. According to financial analyst firm S&P Global, Asia-Pacific fintech firms scooped up $3.1 billion across 113 deals in the fourth quarter of 2020\u2014the highest quarterly funding activity for the year. Total fintech investments in the region were $6.8 billion in 2020.\nSoutheast Asian fintechs netted 28% of Asia-Pacific deal activity and 17% of the region\u2019s funding value, up 2% and 3%, respectively, from 2019. This figure does not include capital raised by the two regional e-commerce and delivery giants: Singapore\u2019s Grab Holdings and Indonesia\u2019s GoTo Group, the recent merger between Tokopedia and Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa, better known as Gojek.\nBeyond the two giants, these fintechs that are based in Southeast Asia or serve Southeast Asia from other APAC locations are worth CIOs keeping an eye on as possible providers for their technology-based offerings.\nAirwallex\nYear founded: 2015Headquarters: Hong KongFounders: Jack Zhang, Jacob Dai, Lucy Yueting Liu, Max Li\nWhat it does: Founded in Melbourne in 2015 before moving its headquarters to Hong Kong in 2018, Airwallex offer products for cross-border businesses like foreign currency accounts and multicurrency debit cards with Visa, international money transfers, and a suite of APIs to manage international payments.\nCompetitors: Amazon Pay, GoCardless, Thryv, Venmo for Business\nWhy it is a hot fintech: Airwallex raised US$100 million in March 2021, pushing its valuation to US$2.6 billion. So far, it has raised US$300 million. The company is aiming to increase its footprint and services across the world.\nAkulaku\nYear founded: 2014Headquarters: JakartaCEO: William Li\nWhat it does: Akulaku is a consumer finance platform. It started with offering installment payment facilities for goods on e-commerce platforms, then diversified into personal loans across Indonesia, providing unsecured loans on everything from salary advances to vehicle loans. Its wealth management platform has more than 100,000 monthly active users in Indonesia.\nCompetitors: Bizplay, Dynamic Mind, Quant Edge, SnapnSave\nWhy it is a hot fintech: Akulaku has expanded from Indonesia into the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia, where it serves more than 6 million users and has an annual transaction value of more than US$1.5 billion. It raised US$40 million in funding from Ant Financial in 2019. It aims to serve 50 million customers by 2025 and expand its business to 10 countries or regions.\nDistributed Ledger Technologies\nYear founded: 2017Headquarters: SingaporeCEO: Samir Neji\nWhat it does: Distributed Ledger Technologies, known as DTLedgers, is a Singaporean blockchain platform for cross-border trade, trade finance, and supply chain digitalisation. It offers a SaaS-based enterprise blockchain platform for trade digitalisation in various industries including banks, traders, commodities, and logistics.\nCompetitors: eToro, MetaTrader, Thinkorswim\nWhy it is a hot fintech: DTLedgers raised US$7 million in March 2021 and has commenced expanding its 70-member team by 120% across the Asia-Pacific region, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, and the Middle East. It is also reportedly migrating its blockchain-based systems from Hyperledger Fabric to Corda, R3\u2019s enterprise blockchain platform.\nEndowus\nYear founded: 2019Headquarters: SingaporeCEO: Gregory Van\nWhat it does: Singapore-based investment platform Endowus is the first and only digital advisor for Central Provident Fund (CPF\u00a0), Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS), and cash savings.\nCompetitors: StashAway, Syfe\nWhy it is a hot fintech: Endowus raised S$23 million (US$17 million) in April 2021. It wants to expand in Asia, starting with Hong Kong.\nMoneyMatch\nYear founded: 2015Headquarters: Kuala LumpurCEO: Adrian Yap\nWhat it does: MoneyMatch enables cross-border international payments and remittances which are cheaper, faster, and more convenient than traditional banks.\nCompetitors: BPC Banking Technologies, Coda Payments, dLocal, Melio\nWhy it is a hot fintech: MoneyMatch was amongst the first batch of fintech startups enrolled into Bank Negara Malaysia\u2019s Financial Technology Regulatory Sandbox, in 2017. It became a full licensee under the Money Services Business Act in 2019. In a short time, MoneyMatch has scaled to serve more than 20,000 individuals and more than 3,000 small and medium enterprises in Malaysia. It has also expanded operations to Australia and Brunei, and it has already transacted more than US$550 million in sending money from Malaysia to over 70 countries worldwide.\nIn July 2021, MoneyMatch raised US$4.4 billion, which it said it will use to expand its presence to Singapore and Hong Kong by 2022. It will also allocate additional resources to Malaysia\u2019s northern and southern regions as it looks to ramp up its presence both nationally and internationally.\nM_Service\nYear founded: 2007Headquarters: Ho Chi Minh CityFounders: Diep Nguyen, Tuong Nguyen\nWhat it does: M_Service\u2019s Momo is Vietnam\u2019s largest e-wallet by number of users. It began as a SIM-card-based application that allowed people to transfer money and buy mobile top-up and game scratch cards, then became a mobile e-wallet app in 2014 which developed into a superapp offering an array of services ranging from insurance payments to digital marketing for merchants and charity donations.\nCompetitors: Payoo, VNPay, ZaloPay\nWhy it is a hot fintech: M_Service raised more than US$100 million in January 2021. It intends to use the funding to upgrade its app with biometrics technology and for strategic acquisitions, aiming to double its user base to 50 million in the next two years.\nMynt\nYear founded: 2015Headquarters: Taguig, PhilippinesCEO: Martha Sazon\nWhat it does: Mynt is a fintech startup wholly owned by Globe Telecom that offers services such as payments, remittance, loans, business solutions, and platforms. It operates two fintech companies: GCash, a mobile payments service, and Fuse, a lending platform for Filipinos to get microloans and business loans. GCash is the biggest digital wallet in the Philippines, serving more than 33 million users.\nCompetitors: Dream Payments, Finzsoft Solutions, Vyze\nWhy it is a hot fintech: Mynt raised US$175 million in January 2021 in fresh capital from ASP Philippines, pushing its valuation close to US$1 billion. The company said it intends to use the new investment to further spur the growth of financial inclusion and the digitalization of payments and financial services in the Philippines.\nOvo\nYear founded: 2017Headquarters: JakartaCEO: Jason Thompson\nWhat it does: Ovo, officially Visionet Internasional, is a digital payment service that provides simple payment and financial services to affiliated merchants, business partners, and members in its ecosystem.\nCompetitors: Dana, GoPay, LinkAja\nWhy it is a hot fintech: A recent survey by global payments network Rapyd showed that e-wallet Ovo is the most preferred payment method in Indonesia. Ovo is the leading digital payment service in Indonesia based on transaction value, and it is valued at US$2.9 billion as of October 2019. Ovo serves more than 110 million people across 300 Indonesian cities. Both Grab and GoTo Group\u2019s Tokopedia have adopted Ovo as their e-wallet in Indonesia.\nPayfazz\nYear founded: 2016Headquarters: JakartaFounder: Hendra Kwik, Jefriyanto Winata, Ricky Winata\nWhat it does: Payfazz, the largest agent-driven banking network in Indonesia, offers innovative ways to give more Indonesians access to financial services, including bill payments and loans, even if they live in rural areas without banks. It currently serves 10 million monthly active users and plans to expand its offerings to include more digital financial products. Payfazz\u2019s network currently includes about 250,000 agents located in small stores across the country.\nCompetitors: GoTo Group, Grab, KoinWorks, Kredivo, Modalku\nWhy it is a hot fintech: In July 2020, Payfazz raised US$53 million, achieving a total of more than US$74 million to date. Payfazz has recently launched loans and payments for offline retailers. It made a strategic investment of US$30 million in Singapore\u2019s Xfers, to form Fazz Financial Group.\nShopeePay\nYear founded: 2018Headquarters: SingaporeCEO: Chris Feng\nWhat it does: ShopeePay is an e-wallet service offered by e-commerce company Shopee that can be used to pay for online transactions within Shopee and also for offline transactions with merchants who accept ShopeePay. Available in Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia, ShopeePay allows users to make online payments, top up their wallet, transfer and withdraw funds, and make payments offline at thousands of merchant locations. It is part of SeaMoney (owned by Sea Group, a global consumer internet company) which has payment offerings such as AirPay, ShopeePay, and SPayLater.\nCompetitors: Dana, GoPay, LinkAja, Ovo\nWhy it is a hot fintech: ShopeePay is a fairly new provider of digital payments but has become a market leader amid the e-commerce boom during the pandemic in Southeast Asia\u2019s biggest market, Indonesia. With the highest user penetration (at 68%), it has outperformed its competition such as Ovo (62%), Dana (54%), GoPay (53%), and LinkAja (23%), according to a survey by a market research firm NeuroSensum.\nSunday\nYear founded: 2017Headquarters: BangkokCEO: Cindy Kua\nWhat it does: Sunday is a Thailand-based insurance technology group that offers multiple insurance products and services. The company provides auto insurance, health insurance, and travel insurance.\nCompetitors: AppMan, Gettgo, Muang Thai Broker\nWhy it is a hot fintech: Sunday raised US$10 million in 2018, and has been aiming to expand into Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In September 2020, it raised US$9 million in preparation to expand into Indonesia. It differentiates itself from other insurance tech startups on the basis of a \u201crisk-prediction model driven by AI and machine learning\u201d and claims to use more variables than any insurer in Southeast Asia.\nTranSwap\nYear founded: 2017Headquarters: SingaporeCEO: Benjamin Wong\nWhat it does: TranSwap offer an integrated system for payments, collections, conversions, and multicurrency accounts.\nCompetitors: Azimo, bKash, Chipper Cash, CurrencyFair\nWhy it is a hot fintech: In addition to TranSwap\u2019s online transaction portal, cross-border payments provided by TranSwap are also available on the Networked Trade Platform (NTP) Value-Added Service (VAS) provider listing, a Singapore government initiative.\nTranSwap is regulated and licensed in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Customers include 99.co, GeTS, and Global Tax Free & Prime Credit.\nThis startup has won multiple awards, including the\u00a0 2019 Outstanding SME Cross-Border FX Platform award from ETNet, 2019 Excellence of Innovation for Retailing award from Asia\u2019s Best Etailing Awards, and 2020 HK Impetus Award by Metro and KPMG. It has a development centre at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom,and it was amongst five innovative fintech companies to receive AMTD\u2019s first batch of investments. TranSwap has raised US$2.5M in funding.


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Finnish manufacturer, Nokia, officially announced its second-quarter financial performance today. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the performance of the Chinese market, Nokia’s second-quarter revenue hit 5.092 billion euros. This is an 11% year-on-year decrease. However, its net profit shows strong growth, reaching 99 million euros ($116.5 million). This is quite impressive relative to its 193 million euros ($227.2 million) loss in the same period last year. Furthermore, Nokia’s shipment in Q2 2020 continues to increase. By the end of the year, Nokia’s growth could be over 35%.
Rajeev Suri, President and CEO of Nokia said: “Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Nokia achieved strong growth in the second quarter. Profitability was better than expected, cash flow improved significantly, mobile business strength increased significantly, and earnings per share is good. We also have year-on-year growth.”
Since profitability is significantly better than market expectations, Nokia will have stronger financial strength by the end of the year. Its better cash flow will also boost its overall financial strength. Nokia raised its 2020 full-year adjusted earnings per share forecast to 0.25 euros ($0.29). Also, it increased its full-year adjusted operating interest rate to 9.5%.
Gizchina News of the week
Nokia to focus on its smartphone business
At the beginning of this year, Nokia said it will focus on mobile business and improve cash generation. The company believes that it will make good progress in these areas. According to Rajeev Suri, Nokia’s free cash flow for the quarter is 265 million euros ($312 million), this is better than its 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) loss a year ago. At the end of the second quarter, Nokia had 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in net cash and 7.5 billion euros ($8.8 billion) in total cash. Taking into account the strong growth in the first half of the year, we expect its full-year free cash flow in 2020 to perform better than previous predictions.
“In the second quarter, Nokia’s wireless product portfolio continues to evolve. The roadmap is constantly improving, costs are falling, and product performance is constantly improving.” Rajeev Suri said that Nokia has a particularly strong product portfolio in 5G mid-band and has helped 55 customers deploy proven products”. Rajeev Suri particularly emphasized that Nokia’s 5G product shipments will continue to increase in Q2. Nokia now has 83 5G contracts.”
Nokia’s “excellent” performance in the Q2 quarter will also probably continue. The company’s software plans to accelerate its leadership in Open RAN in the next step. Nokia is the only global supplier dedicated to O-RAN and commercial 5G Cloud-RAN networks. In addition, Nokia’s IP routing business has also expanded to the data center market.

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Trucking companies looking to hire as gas and product prices rise
When you see empty shelves or shelves restocked, that's all with the help of a truck driver, and a local company here says they're looking for more to fill their fleet.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — When you see empty shelves or shelves restocked, that’s all with the help of a truck driver, and a local company here says they’re looking for more to fill their fleet.
“It’s just extremely difficult right now in this labor market to find great drivers,” said Tonn Ostergard, CEO of Crete Carrier.
Gas is one of the products that are becoming more expensive as fewer drivers are available to carry fuel and products across the U.S.
Crete Carrier remained busy through COVID and the CEO says they have plenty of loads and trucks, but fewer drivers, as the labor force is tough in many sectors.
“We can never have enough and maybe that’s a simplistic answer as I said, we’re down 536 from just a year ago,” said Ostergard. So, we would certainly like to be at least at the same level we were last year but even more.”
Scott Kelly has been driving for six years and trucking school took five to six weeks. He learned things like,
“Observing what’s around you, bridge height, trees, what the curbs look like, where cars are at, at all times,” said and backing up took some practice,” said Scott Kelly, a truck driver.
He is a Navy veteran and likes driving because it gives him independence. Kelly hopes to save for a home as he proposed to his fiancé last year.
Though he travels cross country he hopes to find a more local trucking gig. For those interested, he says research if it’s right for you.
“It’s a good stable job you’ll always have, since its such a high need and high demand you’ll have plenty of options,” said Kelly.
Ostergard knows it’s a demanding job with long hours, but the company has raised their pay, a top driver averaging about 90 thousand dollars in salary a year.
He says they are working to get more local options for truckers as well as hire more.
“They are truly the people that keep the food on the shelves and all the products, not only we depended on through the pandemic, but that we depend upon every day,” said Ostergard.
Ostergard says they want to hire as many truck drivers as possible to keep America moving.
If you’re interested in truck driving, click here.


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Microsoft has denied the claims of the so-called hacktivists “Anonymous Sudan” that they breached the company’s servers and stole credentials for 30 million customer accounts.
Anonymous Sudan is known for debilitating distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against Western entities in recent months. The group has confirmed their affiliation with pro-Russian hacktivists like Killnet.
Last month, Microsoft admitted that Anonymous Sudan was responsible for service disruptions and outages at the beginning of June that impacting several of its services, including Azure, Outlook, and OneDrive.
Yesterday, the hacktivists alleged that they had “successfully hacked Microsoft” and “accessed a large database containing more than 30 million Microsoft accounts, emails, and passwords.”
Anonymous Sudan offered to sell this database to interested parties for $50,000 and urged interested buyers to engage in contact with their Telegram bot to arrange the purchase of the data.
AS post on Telegram
The post even includes a sample of the data they offered (allegedly stolen from Microsoft) as proof of the breach and warned that Microsoft would deny those claims.
The group provided 100 credential pairs but their origin could not be verified (old data, the result of a breach at third-party service provider, stolen from Microsoft’s systems).
BleepingComputer has contacted Microsoft to request a comment on the validity of Anonymous Sudan’s saying and a company spokesperson flatly denied any data breach claims.
“At this time, our analysis of the data shows that this is not a legitimate claim and an aggregation of data,” a company representative told BleepingComputer.
“We have seen no evidence that our customer data has been accessed or compromised” – Microsoft spokesperson
It is unclear at the moment if Microsoft’s investigation is complete or it’s ongoing. Also, the company’s reaction to the potential public release of the data remains to be seen.


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The famous fast food chain KFC closed the doors of about half of its 900 UK outlets temporarily due to delivery problems. The KFC outlets in UK ran out of chicken so severely that they had to shut half of their outlets all across UK.
About 562 out of their total outlets remained shut after a weekend of disruption which peaked at the night of Sunday at 646 closures. Only 338 stores remained opened on Monday night and the situation in some of them was so bad that they offered a very limited menu following restricted opening hours.
This massive shortage of chicken created an uproar over the entire United Kingdom. The representatives of the company said that they are not sure when will the operations be back to normal but they assured the KFC fanatics that ‘the colonel is working on it’ referring to the US founder of KFC, Mr Colonel Sanders. They also said that they are trying ‘flat out’ to get the crisis resolved as soon as possible.
To make sure their fans don’t get deprived of munching on their favorite burger, the company has set up a web page where the KFC lovers can find the nearest outlet which is ‘open’.


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Our customers are retailers, and the SPACED brand will help them create sales in a very rapidly growing category
Widget UK Ltd and Airsound Technologies Limited (formerly Orbitsound Limited) have today announced the signing of a new distribution agreement which makes Widget the exclusive distribution partner for the exciting new Spaced360 wireless speaker in the UK retail market.
Like its sister brand Orbitsound, Spaced360 is powered by the company’s unique airSOUNDTM technology that delivers a spatial sound image from only one speaker. Based on this innovative technology Airsound Technologies have created a new market for consumer electronics retailers.
The new distribution agreement will lead to increased levels of co-operation between Widget, the CE retailers, and Airsound Technologies.
Airsound Technologies will continue to be responsible for marketing and merchandising functions in all territories. Widget will be selling Airsound Technology’s products to retailers in the UK, Ireland and other EMEA territories.
David Elder, Managing Director of Widget UK commented “Our customers are retailers, and the SPACED brand will help them create sales in a very rapidly growing category. We bring Airsound the logistics, distribution and sales capacity to take this exciting product to retailers in the territories we cover.”
Peter Eckhardt, CEO of Airsound Technologies Ltd commented: ”Together with Widget as part of our extended team we are now bringing our unique airSOUND technology to the market with two outstanding brands, Orbitsound aimed at the home and Spaced360 as the portable way of enjoying fully immersive, natural sound”
About Airsound Technologies Ltd (formerly Orbitsound Limited)
Airsound Technologies Ltd is a British manufacturer with a unique spatial stereo technology (airSOUNDTM,) first designed and realised in 2005 by Ted Fletcher, a former musician and renowned audio electronics designer.
About Widget UK Ltd
Widget UK Ltd distributes a tightly focussed range of consumer electronics products. Widget UK Ltd sells only to trade, and not directly to the public. Its customers are retailers and resellers including Dixons, Argos, Maplin, Amazon.co.uk, John Lewis, QVC, Ideal Shopping Direct, Tesco and Asda in the UK and Elkjop, Fona, Expert and Verkkokauppa in Scandinavia.
Press contact: firstname.lastname@example.org
This press release was distributed by ResponseSource Press Release Wire on behalf of Widget UK in the following categories: Entertainment & Arts, Consumer Technology, Retail & Fashion, for more information visit https://pressreleasewire.responsesource.com/about.


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The idea that nothing is free in London is disproved withGiveMeTap’s rebooted campaign, MindTheTap. Commuters and tourists alike will be able to stay hydrated with ease this summer thanks to this drinking water campaign. With the hot weather that is currently taking over England, nothing is more crucial than the availability of clean drinking water.
A GiveMeTap user benefits from saving money, staying hydrated for free, and also having a social conscience…The Café benefits from have a social conscience and also the increase in footfall from people coming into their premises…The environment benefits from not having to deal with tons of plastic bottle waste….and the Developing World benefits from having money ‘pumped’ in to local Water projects.
Simple. But Brilliant.
A student has created a re-usable water bottle to raise money to irrigate drought-stricken African countries.
Edwin Broni-Mensah has launched "Give Me Tap", a business that enables people to fill a special aluminium bottle with water at eateries across Manchester.


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A cabin crew member has launched a campaign to have Ryanair’s advertising campaign banned on the grounds that is it “sexist”. The series of ads launched by Michael O’Leary’s company feature members of the “red hot” flight staff wearing underwear.
So far the campaign leader, identified only as Ghada, has attracted over 7,000 supporters on the website Chang.org.
Ghada asks that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ban these ads which have the tagline “Red Hot Fares & Crew”.
As part of her “Ryanair: stop selling your staff” campaign she says “I'm a member of cabin crew. I love my job and take it seriously, so I was disgusted to see this Ryanair ad which basically portrays cabin crew as glamour models.
Ryanair 2012 Calendar slideshow
More news on Ryanair from IrishCentral
Richard Dormer believes Shannan Gilbert’s Long Island death was an accident – VIDEO
"My work colleagues, many of whom are male, work hard with me to ensure the safety of our passengers. Safety is our number-one priority, not the brand of our underwear."
“Ryanair need to have these types of adverts banned.
“We have come a long way from seeing women purely in a sexual way as opposed to a professional way. No other profession would get away with depicting women in this way.
“In the new Pan Am series, Christina Ricci says to a customer with wandering hands, "I'm not included in the price of your ticket". Too right!”
Speaking to the Irish Independent Brie Rogers Lowey, the UK campaigns director for Change.org, said “This campaign shows that Ryanair cannot get away with objectifying female staff in their adverts.
"With no budget and only a computer at her disposal, Ghada has managed to recruit thousands of supporters."
Ryanair’s “Girls of Ryanair” calendar is also being protested. Members of the Tyrius association, in Spain, have reported the calendar to the Valencia Sexist Advertising Observatory. They are demanding that sales on that grounds that the calendar exploits women and the Ryanair staff.
In response Ryanair said all staff members posed voluntarily. They also announced that €10,000 of the proceeds from the calendar will go to the charity Debra.
Already the calendar has sold 7,000 copies and earned €100,000.


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Over the last couple of years, we have seen many examples of vending machines used on sampling campaigns. As one of the first brands that started this trend, Coca-Cola is constantly bringing new experiments into their happiness campaign.
To spread some love on the recent Valentine’s Day, Coca-Cola found another way to surprise consumers with their mighty happiness spreading machines. This time they created the Invisible Vending Machine, which only reveals itself to passing couples.
The video below shows how the machine detected the couples walking by, and after a short wait with some visual entertainment, it produced a pair of cans with their names on it.


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Dan River Inc., Danville, Va., has filed a voluntary petition for protection in the US Bankruptcy
Court for the District of Delaware — the second such filing for the company in four years.
Dan River emerged from its previous bankruptcy in February 2005. Late that year, India-based
soda ash and textiles manufacturer Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd. (GHCL) acquired the company and
ultimately closed all of the Dan River manufacturing facilities, retaining the Dan River brand and
its global marketing platform, and expanding GHCL’s home-textile manufacturing capacity in India.
Dan River has continued to maintain its corporate offices and several distribution facilities in
Danville, as well as sales offices in New York City, Atlanta and several other locations, according
to Calvin Barnhardt, the company’s vice president of human resources.
GHCL recently announced its own restructuring and is splitting its textile business from the
soda ash business, according to Barnhardt. He added that GHCL is looking into setting up a separate
company to handle all of the sourcing globally for its textile businesses, which also include
retail operations in the United Kingdom.
April 22, 2008


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The new Tiffany’s campaign teaser has the billionaire couple in the hot seat.
On Monday, the jewelry company released a teaser for their upcoming ad titled “About Love,” showing the celebrity power house couple together with Beyoncé dawning a 30-million-dollar, 128-carat, yellow diamond Tiffany necklace.
In doing so, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to rock the iconic 128-carat gem stone that Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. This is also the first time we’ve seen Hov and Beyoncé appear in an ad together.
The billionaire couple is seen posed in front of a rare painting, Equals Pi by Jay-Z’s favorite artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat [[ Zhohn Mee-shell Baa-skee-ah ]]. The 1982 piece was sold in a private collection over thirty years ago and has never been seen before in public. Ironically the paining’s canvas primary color is Tiffany’s signature robin’s egg blue.
Shortly after the ad teaser dropped, Basquiat became a trending Twitter topic with many speculating how the famously anti-capitalist Brooklyn-born artist would likely feel about his artwork being used to sell jewelry.
However according to reports, Alexandre Arnault, the executive vice president of products and communications at Tiffany & Co. confirmed the artwork belongs to Tiffany’s. In the ad it visibly states the usage was licensed with permission “© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.”
The company acquired the painting earlier this year and maybe the only luxury campaign in history to include the purchase of a Basquiat in its budget. Not to mention including a $2 million donation to HBCU’s for scholarships and internships. That has to be Twitter worthy, no?
Despite the backlash, Tiffany & Co. is on the books with a ton of money for their yearlong campaign with the Carters. The new faces of the “ABOUT LOVE” campaign will be featured in a short film with Beyoncé singing “Moon River” to Jay-Z.
The full Tiffany’s ad will be unveiled on September 3rd.
It’s seemingly very easy for people to point the finger at Jay-Z and Beyoncé. What are your thoughts on the couple receiving backlash for their new commercial for Tiffany & Co.? Share your comments below.


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2ND UPDATE 2:16 PM: The NPD Group today issued a “data clarification” about its Monday press release that said its study found that streaming services are gaining while premium cable channels are losing subscribers. A day after Showtime refuted those findings, NPD Group said it should not have called our declines for HBO and Showtime.”Upon further examination of the results,” the group said in the release, “there is data supporting the conclusion that individual subscribers are either subscribing to more channels, or adding channels over time.” Here’s the full statement: “A recent press announcement from The NPD Group that was released on Monday, January 20, 2014 (‘Cord Shaving? SVOD Subscribers Increase, as Premium TV Subscribers Decline, According to The NPD Group’) should not have called out declines in subscribers for specific premium TV channels, HBO and Showtime. The data used for the press release pertains to aggregate results for all premium TV channels and does indicate that the overall number of subscribers has declined, based on a representative sample of the U.S. population. However, upon further examination of the results, there is data supporting the conclusion that individual subscribers are either subscribing to more channels, or adding channels over time. In that case, faithful premium channel subscribers are becoming more so – which would be consistent with the subscription increases being reported by individual channels.”
UPDATED 3:14 PM Tuesday: Not so fast, Showtime says. The premium channel issued a release today saying the “NPD Group ‘study’ does not accurately reflect actual subscriber counts.” Showtime says that not only has it added 1M subs in six of the past seven years, but premium rivals HBO, Cinemax and Starz also have increased subs during that period. Here’s the full statement: “Contrary to erroneous reports published this week, Showtime and every other premium network have increased both subscribers and penetrations over the last two years. A study released by the NPD Group claimed the opposite, comparing gains made by video services like Netflix to the performance of premium cable. The study does not accurately reflect actual subscriber counts. According to SNL Kagan, from March 2012 through September 2013 – the timeframe the NPD Group allegedly measured — Showtime penetration grew from 21.1 percent to 22.8 percent; HBO penetration rose from 28.2 percent to 29.2 percent; Cinemax penetration climbed from 11.2 percent to 13.6 percent and Starz penetration jumped from 19.9 percent to 22 percent. While it is true that video services like Netflix have gained, so too have premium cable channels.”
PREVIOUS, Monday PM: The NPD Group doesn’t know, but suspects there is based on responses to the consumer surveys that went into its report today on The State Of SVOD. “Potentially people are making trade-offs, and I underline the word ‘potentially’,” SVP of Industry Analysis Russ Crupnick tells me. The research firm observes that over the last two years the number of households subscribing to premium channels including HBO, Showtime, and Starz fell six percentage points to 32%. Over the same period, the share of homes with a streaming service such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu Plus rose four percentage points, to 27%.
“As SVOD increasingly strives to become a channel itself, viewers might consider it to be an adequate substitution for other premium channels, or perhaps they are switching to economize on their time and money spent,” Crupnick says. Netflix dominates the online business, of course. Still, NPD notes that its two top streaming rivals are inching ahead. Netflix’s share of shows and movies watched by online viewers declined 3 percentage points to 90% last year. Over the same period Hulu Plus was up 2 points to 8% and Amazon Prime was up 1 point to 2%. The data come from NPD’s VideoWatch Digital consumer tracker and Video Omnibus Study which regularly surveys 7,500 people who represent people aged 13 and older.
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The CFP Board's new TV ads are costing registrants an extra $12 a month, but many planners feel that the added expense is just not worth it.
Even a fairly innocent review of the new ads is triggering a backlash that would surprise the upper-middle-class target audience of the commercials themselves. (Read the comments.)
Are these commercials supposed to help CFP practitioners increase their business as the expense of other industry professionals? Definitely.
Will they work? Who knows.
Could the CFP Board have handled the added fee -- no matter how small it might appear in dollar terms -- a little better? Definitely.
Planners feel that the ad campaign and the fees to pay for it were pushed through without their consent. A more transparent process might've gone a long way toward eliminating that perception.
Interestingly, the CFP Board says it's sharing the cost of the $9 million ad campaign by dipping into its reserves.
But if there are 62,000 registrants out there paying an extra $144 a year, that provides $8.92 million a year in added revenue right there. So the cost-sharing aspect of this may be a little overstated.
Either way, if the ads work, the controversy may go away.


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BILOXI, Miss. – The Biloxi Boat and RV Show, which normally draws about 15,000 people, ended yesterday with organizers believing the turnout this year will be approximately 18,000, according to a story in today’s Biloxi Sun Herald.
Dan Miller, president of Gulf Coast Boat Show in Mobile, Ala., told the newspaper it was a near-record year for the 35th-annual show, which featured 25 dealers from across the Southeast.
“I think the numbers will top what we usually have,” Miller said. “It has been a great show, probably the finest we’ve had. The good thing is that every segment is showing record sales.”
Miller said boat sales were up compared to last year, and he expects the total attendance, which is normally 15,000, to reach the 18,000 mark, based on good weather and an improving economy.


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Friday, September 16, 2011
By James Lomuscio
Westporter Mathew Mandell, whose brainchild “Slice of Saugatuck Festival” kicks off Saturday at noon, says the genesis of the event was “Saugatuck revitalizing itself.”
“I got tired of people talking about how the downtown wasn’t working and needed to be revitalized,” he said about town government efforts to reinvigorate Main Street. “And I thought Saugatuck was revitalizing itself.”
So Mandell, a Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member who represents Saugatuck, decided this spring to showcase his own district’s strengths. After all, the new retail and apartment complex Saugatuck Center had just been completed, he said.
Tarry Lodge run by celebrity chef Mario Batali recently opened. On top of that, there were a number of time honored restaurants such as Mario’s Place, Mansion Clam House and Black Duck, eateries that withstood the test of time while forging a sense of community.
“The next step was going door to door at every establishment in Saugatuck in June and circling around until it gathered momentum,” he said.
To date, 35 retail outlets and restaurants have signed on to his “Saugatuck only” venture from noon to 3 p.m, he said, adding that it was designed as a walking and free food sampling tour of the town’s historically Italian-American section.
It was Saugatuck where Italian immigrants who had built the railroad a century ago decided to lay down their own tracks toward the American Dream.
“The term Slice of Wesport is multi-layered,” Mandell said. “First, Saugatuck is essentially a triangle.”
The triangle is formed where Riverside and Saugatuck avenues separate.
“And it’s represents a slice of pizza, which does two things,” he added. “It tells that this festival is about food, and it harkens back to the Italian heritage of the area.”
He admits that Saugatuck “has taken its lumps over the years,” first when I-95 cut through the area in the mid-1950s, razing many of the wood framed homes, and most recently when the Sons of Italy announced the annual Festival Italiano would be discontinued.
“I like to call it a hiatus because I’m sure the Italian Festival will be back,” he said. “But this was never intended to compete with the Italian Festival. It was designed as a parallel event that would run in the fall.”
Actually, the inaugural festival is running late summer. Mandell said festival goers, while strolling the sidewalks where five bands will be playing, will be able to sample, for example, free sausage and peppers at Mario’s, pizza at Tarry Lodge and sliders at Black Duck.
There will also be wine tastings at local package stores and free demonstrations at the kayak store DownUnder, to name a few.
“The point is to walk the neighborhood and see what it is,” Mandell said. “And they’ll be no parking problems because they can use the railroad parking lot, and it will be free. Everything about the festival is free. Have a nice time.”
Click here for a map of the festival
Posted 09/16/11 at 02:00 PM
Congratulations to you Matt for an impressive start to an exciting event which I am sure will be a great success!!
Wonderful idea - applause, applause for Saugatuck and Matt!


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Cambridge Mobile Telematics launches free app to help consumers save money on gas
Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) announced the official launch of FuelStar, a new app that helps consumers save up to 40% on gas by showing them how to drive more efficiently.
Mazda selects Telenav as navigation partner in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand
Telenav, Inc., a leading provider of connected-car and location-based services, proudly announces that the Mazda Motor Corporation has chosen Telenav’s Navigation SDK and Cloud Search products for its in-vehicle navigation in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Argo AI introduces complete line of autonomous vehicle products and services to serve rideshare and delivery
Argo AI unveiled its comprehensive suite of products and services designed to enable businesses of any size to use autonomous vehicles to enhance ridesharing or goods delivery operations.
Garrett Motion highlights importance of advanced cybersecurity software for commercial vehicle fleets
Garrett Motion Inc., a leading differentiated automotive technology provider, will be showcasing its Connected Vehicle software solutions that help automakers effectively secure, optimize, and maintain their fleets at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Hannover.
Elektrobit and Argus Cyber Security announce automotive switch firmware pre-integrated with cyber security functionality
Elektrobit, a visionary global vendor of software products for the automotive industry, and Argus Cyber Security, a world leader in cyber security products and services for mobility platforms, announced the launch of EB zoneo SwitchCore Shield, an industry-first pre-integrated solution of embedded intrusion detection and prevention (IDPS) functionality within advanced network management systems for next-generation vehicles.


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India’s largest Realty company, DLF is all set to sign a fracnhisee deal with Italy’s Luxottica to establish Sunglass Hut stores in India. SunGlass hut globally retails brands such as Oakley, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Prada, Versace etc.
DLF plans to open 100 SunGlass Hut stores across India over the next 5 years. The first store will come up in Delhi within a month said sources in DLF. Luxottica has been in India by the purchase of Baush & Lomb. However, DLF will noe takeover the the entire sales and retail distribution business in a 7 year agreement it has reached with Luxottica.
Congratulations to DLF over the Luxottica deal as it was desperately looking to join hands with foreign retailer and in the past Reliance Retail had pipped most of its ambitions.


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The Mobile-Shop Company, creator of the award winning Mobile-Shop Cart System, is proud to announce the launch of its new website http://www.mobile-shop.com.
As the creator of a mobile tool cart system developed to be a seamless productivity boost for engineering and maintenance departments in every industry, ease of use is a core principle for the Mobile-Shop Company. With this in mind, the new Mobile-Shop.com was designed to reflect the company’s approach to simple, logical, and effective organization. The site includes numerous new features and new content to make the most of available technologies and to better serve businesses across North America.
Created with the latest ecommerce and mobile-responsive technologies, the new Mobile-Shop.com serves as an easy-to-use point of sale for online ordering on virtually any device, including phones and tablets.
In addition to new content that showcases the many benefits of the company’s award winning rolling tool-cart system, the website also includes a Return on Investment (ROI) calculator to assist business owners who hope to gain a better understanding of the positive financial impact the Mobile-Shop System will deliver to their facility or portfolio of properties.
Mobile-Shop Company CEO Angelo Mazzella shared, “We are very pleased to share our new website. Our company is entering an exciting new phase of growth and our revamped website will enhance our interaction with customers and distributors. The live sales demo feature in particular allows customers to learn about- and distributors to present- the system at any time that is convenient - without downtime for travel. We are eager to hear what customers have to say about the improvements we’ve made.”
The new Mobile-Shop.com means the company can more effectively share information about the noticeable impact the Mobile-Shop System has for businesses in a wide variety of industries ranging from hospitality, property management, education, healthcare and senior living communities, to the industrial sector, amusement industry, and beyond.
For more information, contact the Mobile Shop Company at (866) 771-8665.


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February 4, 2021 – The Zigbee Alliance—an organization of companies creating, maintaining, and delivering open, global IoT standards—announced they have been joined by Michelle Mindala-Freeman and Krista Ingram as as head of Marketing and director of Marketing Programs, respectively.
Michelle will help promote the alliance’s mission, standards and solutions. She comes into role from Microsoft, where she was a digital advisor for the North America CTO office.
Krista is actually re-joining Zigbee. She was instrumental during the first 12 years of the alliance, says Zigbee, helping it expand from a small collection of companies and a single standard to several hundred members, leading alliance events and marketing.
“I have known and worked alongside both Michelle and Krista for many years now,” said Tobin Richardson, Zigbee president & CEO. “I am elated to welcome them into the alliance, and to have our staff and members tap into the trove of expertise and energy they bring.”
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Danish fashion retailer Bestseller has paused the placement of new orders in Myanmar and is urging the EU to develop clear guidelines on how companies should conduct themselves when economic sanctions are imposed on sourcing regions.
Its concerns have been triggered by EU moves on Monday (19 April) to impose sanctions on ten individuals and two military-controlled companies in Myanmar, following the military coup in February and subsequent repression. Among those sanctioned are Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL), which is said to have links to the garment manufacturing sector.
Bestseller had already imposed a complete ban on suppliers, factories, sub-suppliers, and suppliers of materials owned by or affiliated with the military of Myanmar.
While it remains concerned about the escalation of violence and the unpredictability of the situation, Bestseller noted it intends to re-engage when operationally and ethically possible, and would work diligently with suppliers to deliver on existing orders. “Where this is not possible, the necessary steps will be taken to secure flow of goods,” it said.
“We cannot imagine anything worse than if our company, in any way possible, should contribute to the situation Myanmar now finds itself in. In fact, our work in the country to date has been about the exact opposite – contributing positively to the country’s development, both economically and politically,” Anders Holch Povlsen, CEO and owner of Bestseller, said in a statement on Monday.
“The situation in Myanmar has taken a turn that we can never support. We haven’t ordered goods from the country since 19 March and we will not resume business there until the country is on the right track again.
“We urge the European Union’s foreign ministers to draw up guidelines for how European companies should respond and – not least – how we, in the most ethical and responsible way, can withdraw from locations where sanctions require it.
“Our biggest concern is the 48,000 factory workers that work at the 36 factories that we and other companies have business with. Their livelihoods rely upon a stable democracy that can secure jobs and development through trade.”
Povlsen added: “We feel that we have a societal responsibility towards the many workers in Myanmar and hope that the country gets back on track as quickly as possible, and we stand ready to help the country and resume trade there as soon as it is possible.
“By 10 May, we will present a report that describes the extent of our work in and contribution to Myanmar. There should be no doubt that we in Bestseller always seek out the most responsible path.”
Garment manufacturers, most of whom are located in the country’s commercial capital Yangon, are a major employer and a significant source of foreign currency for Myanmar. The sector employs more than half a million jobs and generates over US$6bn in sales annually, according to the European Union (EU) embassy to Myanmar.
Textile and garment exports to the European Union (EU) were valued at more than US$1.4bn in 2020, with clothing accounting for 80% of Myanmar’s total exports to the EU.
At the end of last month, the US suspended all engagement with Myanmar under a trade and investment agreement until the return of a democratically elected government.


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Chinese steelmaker Baosteel has announced that it has been awarded the title of Excellent Supplier for the 14th time.
The title was bestowed on the steel company by Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co.
“Baosteel has established a co-operative friendship with Dongfeng,” claims the company in an official on-line press release, adding that its relationship with the motor company has ‘deepened’ over recent years.
Last year, Baosteel set up a service team for Dongfeng to help the company progress with projects designed to reduce costs through technological innovation.
Baosteel claims that it is constantly improving its quick-response supply chain system and is creating greater awareness of flexibile manufacturing among its customer base.


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Fb will ship notifications on to customers who like, share, or touch upon COVID-19 posts that violate the corporate’s phrases of service, in accordance with a report from Fast Company.
This new characteristic works like this: if a consumer interacts with a put up that’s later eliminated, Fb sends a notification to the consumer telling them that the put up was taken down. If the consumer clicks the notification, they’ll be taken to a touchdown web page with a screenshot of the put up and a brief rationalization for why it was eliminated. The touchdown web page can even characteristic hyperlinks to COVID-19 instructional sources and actions, like unfollowing the group that posted it.
That is an enlargement of Fb’s earlier makes an attempt to combat misinformation. Earlier than this, the corporate displayed a banner on the information feed, urging customers who had engaged with content material that had been eliminated, to “Help Friends and Family Avoid False Information About Covid-19.” However customers had been typically confused at what the banner was referring to, a Fb product supervisor informed Quick Firm. The hope is that new strategy is extra direct than the banner, whereas nonetheless avoiding scolding customers or re-exposing them to misinformation.
Fb’s modified strategy is arriving virtually a yr into the pandemic — just a little late. The notifications don’t debunk claims in eliminated posts. Additionally they don’t apply to posts that later have fact-checking labels placed on them, Quick Firm writes. Which means less-dangerous misinformation nonetheless has the chance to unfold.
Fb has been gradual to behave on misinformation that the corporate doesn’t take into account harmful. Although conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines have unfold for months, Fb solely started removing COVID-19 vaccine misinformation in December. The query now could be: is that this too little, and too late?


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Whitbread PLC has unveiled a economic impact report analysing the contributions of Premier Inn hotels to the UK economy.
The research found that Premier Inn guests typically spend £137 externally on items such as entertainment, with £79/night (56% of the total spending) being spent in the local area within which their chosen Premier Inn is located. This spending figure relates to the average external spend per bedroom per night and excludes accommodation costs.
Applying this logic on a national basis, Whitbread calculates that spending by its guests on food, drinks, entertainment, shopping, and local transportation could be contributing £1.6 billion annually to those catchments that have a Premier Inn.
This is equivalent to an average annual benefit of £3.3 million in visitor expenditure for local businesses in each Premier Inn hotel location.
The research, which was undertaken by IPSOS and Turley Economics, was commissioned as part of Whitbread’s Force for Good initiative – an important part of which is making a meaningful contribution to the customers and communities served by the Group.
The comprehensive study involved surveying over 12,600 Premier Inn guests staying in 357 Premier Inn hotels across the UK within 24-hours of check-out. These hotels were chosen to help Whitbread understand the visitor preferences and spending habits of its guests across unique settings, encompassing Adventure, Coastal, Cultural, City Centre, Central London, and Inner London destinations.
Food and drink and entertainment were the top categories of spending for Premier Inn guests followed by non-food shopping and travel. The amount spent by guests also varied across the six categories of locations surveyed, with Premier Inn customers staying in city centre locations spending the most during their stay.
Alex Flach, UK Development Director in the UK & Ireland for Whitbread, said:
“From shopping to sight-seeing, local dining to local drinks, this analysis shows the positive economic impact of Premier Inn hotels on local economies across the nations and regions of the UK.
“As a business, we are committed to using our scale and national footprint to make a positive difference to people’s lives and to create long-term value. We are delighted that, for the first time, we can demonstrate clear evidence of the economic impact our hotels have on the communities they serve.”


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Google TV expands its free streaming lineup to over 800 live TV channels including Tubi, Plex, Haystack and moreReading Time: 3 minutes
Google TV, the company’s smart TV operating system that powers Chromecast devices and various TVs, is today getting a significant update aimed at expanding access to free, streaming TV. The company announced today Google TV will now integrate access to free streaming channels like Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News directly in its redesigned Live tab, alongside its existing lineup of channels from free streamer Pluto TV. In this tab, it’s also organizing its own set of now over 800 free live TV channels, including news channels from NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, and others featuring shows like ‘Westworld,’ ‘Law & Order: SVU’ and ‘The Walking Dead.’
The company claims this expansion will make Google TV the platform offering the most free TV channels within one electronic programming guide.
FAST channels, or free ad-supported television, have seen increased consumer adoption in recent months, in part triggered by inflation and the channels’ relative ease of access. Unlike ad-supported video, FAST channels offer a more traditional cable TV-like experience where content is streaming live when you tune in, which may appeal to new cord cutters. Many FAST channel providers also don’t require accounts to begin watching, which makes it easy to get started.
Today, a number of services have adopted FAST channels as a way to reach price-sensitive viewers while still generating ad revenue for the service provider.
These types of FAST experiences can also be a selling point for smart TV platform makers, like Roku or Amazon Fire TV. For instance, Roku’s popular free streaming hub, The Roku Channel, hosts over 300 free live TV channels, in addition to its 80,000+ free movies and TV shows. A TiVo survey last year ranked Roku’s hub as the most popular ad-supported streaming service, with a 21.5% market share among consumers. Amazon’s Fire TV, meanwhile, offers a similar experience with Freevee, a free-streaming hub that also includes free live TV channels. Pluto TV, Xumo, Plex, Crackle Plus, Xperi and others have also long offered FAST content to viewers.
In Google TV’s case, the company will introduce a redesigned Live tab that will make it easier for users to browse through the various channels without having to jump around from app to app. Here, users will also be able to favorite channels they like for a more personalized experience as well as browse recommendations.
While a sizable number of free channels are now being offered, it’s worth noting that’s because Google has prioritized offering channels in a variety of different languages. The company says its new experience will include programming in over 10 languages, including Spanish, Hindi, and Japanese. The channels will offer a wide range of content, including news, blockbuster movies, true crime, classic TV reruns, cooking shows, and more.
Some of the new premium content, like ‘Westworld,’ comes from licensing deals. Warner Bros. Discovery this year reached deals with Roku and Tubi to license thousands of hours of its programming, which the companies then used to create free, ad-supported channels on their respective services. ‘Westworld,’ which had been removed from HBO Max’s library, had been among the licensed content.
It seems Google snagged a similar deal.
In addition to organizing the free channels, Google says viewers who subscribe to paid services like YouTube TV or Sling TV will be able to watch those channels in the new Live tab as well. And if you use an antenna to capture over-the-air channels, those will also be fed into this new experience.
Google says the new live TV experience launches starting today to all Google TV devices in the U.S., including its Chromecast with Google TV and TVs with Google TV built-in from Sony, TCL, Hisense and Philips. The company later this year plans to bring the new TV guide and free channels to Android TV devices.
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The V90 was the third model from the so-called new generation Volvos launched a few years ago. More precisely, the big wagon was introduced after the XC90 and S90 in March 2016 and this means soon it will have to be refreshed. The brand’s stylish long roof doesn’t look dated and these first spy photos of the facelifted model suggest the visual revisions will be almost invisible to the eye. But they still exist.
If you take a closer look at the front fascia, you’ll notice parts of the lower half of the bumper are covered with black tape and this most likely means we’ll see some new design elements there. It’s the same story at the back, where the inner parts of the taillights are taped, as well as the lower bumper diffuser.
Gallery: Volvo V90 facelift spy photos
In February this year, Volvo unveiled the refreshed XC90 with very minor exterior revisions. Judging by this facelift, the V90 should also carry over with almost no visual updates but at least we can expect new taillights graphics and probably different fog lamps.
The XC90, however, introduced a way more important upgrade for the brand’s 90 series. The SUV is now available with a new kinetic energy recovery braking system, for which Volvo claims can save up to 15 percent fuel in real-world driving. Under a new B badge, the system is coupled to the SUV’s existing internal combustion engines to create “a new integrated electrified powertrain.”
We expect the stylish wagon to receive the same hybridized powertrains, which should bring healthy benefits in terms of performance and fuel consumption. In addition, the V90 should also get an updated suite of safety and assist systems, including Oncoming Lane Mitigation, City Safety with Autobrake, and Cross Traffic Alert systems.


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Inflation rises again in October with PCE index climbing 5 percent
A key measure of inflation showed consumer prices rising at the fastest pace in three decades, as energy prices and demand for goods and services rose, posing a challenge to both the White House and the Federal Reserve.
According to data from the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index released on Wednesday, prices rose 5 per cent in the 12 months to October. This was the fastest pace of growth since 1990.
The gauge was dropped by a 30.2 percent annual increase in the price of energy and a 4.8 percent increase in the price of food. Prices rose 0.6 per cent from September to October, as supply chain disruptions continued over the availability of certain products and components.
The increase was in line with analysts’ expectations, but an increase in the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge will only add to pressure on the central bank to act quickly to keep prices stable.
Price hikes have shown some signs of fading, as some officials in the Biden administration and the Fed argued they would do earlier this year. The central bank is facing growing calls to end its stimulating bond-buying program and accelerate plans to begin raising interest rates, a process that could slow job gains and risk economic growth. Is.
While inflation has soured consumer sentiment and weighed on Mr Biden’s approval rating, those price increases have come in part from a stronger economic recovery. Separate data released by the Labor Department on Wednesday found that initial jobless claims fell to their lowest level since 1969, falling from 71,000 the previous week to 199,000.
Mr Biden on Wednesday lauded the drop in unemployment claims, but acknowledged the country is still far from a full recovery and has to address rising inflation.
“We have more work to do before our economy returns to normal,” Mr Biden said in a statement on Wednesday, including raising prices that hurt Americans’ pocketbooks and eroding gains in wages and disposable income. “
In an effort to lower gas prices, the United States and five other world powers on Tuesday announced a coordinated effort to tap into their national oil reserves. Mr Biden has ordered the Energy Department to release 50 million barrels of crude into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is more than traders had expected from emergency reserves, the largest in the world with 620 million barrels.
Consumers are worried about the rise in prices. A University of Michigan survey released Wednesday found consumers expressed less optimism about their finances and the economy’s overall growth prospects in November than at any other time in the past decade. According to the report, the decline in consumer sentiment was the result of a rapid rise in inflation and lack of federal policies that would hurt the household budget.
#Inflation #rises #October #PCE #index #climbing #percent


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African operator 22BET has entered into a new Paris Saint-Germain sponsorship deal, which will see the betting business becoming the first official African betting partner of the club.
The deal, mediated by the ad: s division of Sportradar, which offers marketing strategies to bookmakers through digital, programmatic and sponsorship services, will offer increased brand awareness for 22BET as well as exclusive marketing rights for its users.
The Director of Sportradar, Global Sponsorship Sales, Hampus Lofkvist said: “This is a significant strategic move to tap into the popularity of PSG in Africa. Through one marquee partnership, the use of digital and virtual advertising technology, 22BET will benefit from exposure and engagement opportunities with fans in some 30 plus countries.
“We congratulate our client on their official partnership with Paris Saint-Germain. This is a great fit between two ambitious brands who share exciting plans for the future. We look forward to supporting 22BET leverage this opportunity and achieve growth throughout a continent that has a deep passion for football.”
Under the terms of the deal, 22BET will benefit from the introduction of the Parc des Princes Digital Overlay technology – which uses geo-localised advertising on LED screens around the pitch by tailoring messages to the broadcaster’s audiences.
Paris Saint-Germain Chief Partnerships Officer Marc Armstrong said: “We are delighted to welcome 22BET to the Paris Saint-Germain family, as the club’s first ever Official African Betting Partner.
“We believe that 22BET will be an ideal partner for the club, and together we will be able to reach and further engage with our fast-growing fan base in Africa. The unique appeal of the Paris Saint-Germain in the region makes it the perfect platform for 22BET to grow its brand. The partnership is a testament to the club’s long-term commitment to Africa.”
In addition, 22BET will deliver both ‘club legend meet-and-greet session’ and home matching VIP seats. This will be complemented by exclusive opportunities for 22BET members and staff, as well as branding across the channels of the club to advertise the operator’s special offers.
The Director of 22BET Africa, Olatunji Idowu, concluded: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with one of the most premium and sought-after sport brands in the world, which combines on-pitch success with innovation off the pitch. The fast-growing presence of the club worldwide will help us further promote our brand in the African region.
“Like Paris Saint-Germain who works hard as a club to innovate to give the best experiences to its fans, we are providing the best gaming experience to our users. Our two organizations are in search of excellence and leadership in their field. So this partnership is a perfect match.”
22BET becomes Paris Saint-Germain’s official online betting partner in Africa.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 21, 2020


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In a flurry of activity, the Chinese State Micro Technology Corporation (SMiT), a leading global conditional access module (CAM) manufacturer, has revealed more details of its extended partnerships.
Specifically, the company announced that it has joined Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Philips, SmarDTV and Neotion as the seventh partner of the CI Plus LLP and has shed more detail on its operations with DTH pay-TV operator Digiturk.
“SMiT is extremely honoured to become the 7th partner of CI Plus LLP,” said Stephen He, SMiT’s VP of Sales and Marketing. “We are committed to upholding the high standard of the CI Plus LLP founders and other licensees, working together to define the next generation of advanced security and rich user experience capabilities.”
With Digiturk, SMIT has initiated a new promotional campaign in which interactive digital (iDTV) TV functionality will be bundled with SMiT-provided Digiturk CAMs with a smartcard. “Through working with SMIT and iDTV vendor to bundle our subscription package with iDTV, we can attract more users directly by transforming those TV set buyers as our subscribers. We are also planning to work with even more TV vendors once they launch their satellite tuner embedded iDTVs that are compatible,” commented Digiturk COO Hatice Memiguven.


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The e-commerce space in Nigeria just accommodated ‘YANDI’ joining the likes of Jumia, Kaymu, Konga et al. Yandi, the new online shopping platform is set for online retailing in Nigeria come November 25th, 2016. Yandi according to its initiators, represents the phrase YOU AND I (Y-AND-I), with the theme “connecting U and I to everything”. … Continue reading [DIGITAL]#ECOMMERCE: YANDI IS THE NEWEST ONLINE RETAIL STORE IN NIGERIA.
It’s a special bottle with a built-in camera that, when tilted at 70 degrees, automatically takes a picture and posts it to the user’s Snapchat, as well as Coca-Cola Israel’s Facebook page and Instagram. The special bottle was developed by Gefen Team in Israel for Coca Cola’s big “Summer Love” event in Israel. The same… Continue reading [BRAND GENIUS]#COKESELFIE: COCA-COLA ISRAEL DEVELOPS ‘SELFIE-SNAP’ BOTTLE. TAKE A LOOK:
Via Adweek: In this changing TV landscape, marketers are still unsure how people are seeing their messages, at least until Nielsen completes its total audience measurement rollout in March, but they now have a way to track all visual and verbal mentions of their brands on television. Media measurement company iQ Media has released a… Continue reading [ADVERTISING]#INSIGHT:VIDEO ANALYTICS IS NOW ON TV, IQ MEDIA CAN NOW TRACK EACH TIME A BRAND IS SHOWN OR MENTIONED. TAKE A LOOK:
ICYMI here is a roundup of all the behavioral science behind the movement that elected Donald Trump president… Nostalgia bias: humans have an innate bias of remembering the past as having been better than it truly was. There are several neuroscience studies that link the same parts of the brain that remember the past… Continue reading [EXCERPTS]#ARTICLE: THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND DONALD TRUMP’S WINNING STRATEGY BY CHRISTOPHER GRAVES; OGLIVY & MATHERS PR.
American Apparel is seeking bankruptcy protection for the second time in just over a year, unable to find its footing in a shifting retail landscape and after a contentious fight for control with company founder Dov Charney. Canada’s Gildan Activewear is buying the American Apparel brand, notorious for sexually provocative ad campaigns, for $66 million.… Continue reading [BRANDS]#ACQUISITION: AMERICAN APPAREL JUST FILED FOR BANKRUPCY AND GILDAN ACTIVEWEAR CANADA WANTS TO BUY IT.
YBNL CEO, Olamide Baddo has successfully fulfilled his 3 years obligation to telecommunications giant, Etisalat. The TELECOMMS Brand took to Instagram yesterday to announce this. @etisalatnigeria: It’s been 3 amazing years of working with you @baddosneh. All of us at @etisalatnigeria wish you the best in your future endeavours 🙌🙌🙌 #BaddoRocks The rapper also took… Continue reading [BRANDS] #ENDORSEMENTS: ETISALAT BIDS OLAMIDE FAREWELL AFTER A SUCCESSFUL 3 YEAR AMBASSADORIAL CONTRACT.
Tomisin Jasmin Ogunnubi, a 12 year old pupil of Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, Oregun, Lagos, under the tutelage of an ICT partnership between the school and New Horizons Computer Learning Centre, has developed an Android mobile tracking application called My Locator. The app helps a user to know his geographic location, view it… Continue reading [SMART KIDS]#TECH: 12 YEAR OLD VIVIAN FOWLER SCHOOL GIRL DEVELOPED A MOBILE APP. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE APP DOES:
Pepsi Max has kicked off a multi-million dollar summer campaign which will roll out over the next three months. Anchored with an ad by Clemenger BBDO Sydney featuring a giant slip and slide down a suburban street which ends on the beach, the campaign will develop along multiple streams. Part of the work will feature… Continue reading [BREAKING!]#ADNEWS: PEPSI MAX ROLLS OUT MAKE SUMMER CAMPAIGN TODAY BY CLEMENGER BBDO SYDNEY.
If USA was Nigeria, yesterday’s headlines would have read: · DON’T CELEBRATE YET, HILLARY TELLS TRUMP (TELL magazine) · CONCEDE DEFEAT, TRUMP URGES HILLARY (Punch newspaper) · 20 OPPOSITION CADRES RIOT (The Sun newspaper) · Hillary Demands Vote Recount (Vanguard newspaper) · Elections rigged (Guardian newspaper) · No evidence of manipulation (NTA news) · The… Continue reading [PROMOTED]#COPYWRITING: 19 HILARIOUS AND CLICHÉ HEADLINES IF DONALD TRUMP’S UNITED STATES ELECTION WAS CONDUCTED AND WON IN NIGERIA. PLEASE LAUGH IT OFF GENTLY:
To say the Ponzi scheme (as it’s popularly called or should we say labelled) has gone viral would be an understatement. However, moved by curiosity about how the scheme worked, we took to the streets and here is what a verified guider has to say about the scheme. Watch Trending MMM Nigeria promo Ad: Chima:… Continue reading [AD OF THE WEEK]#MAVRO: MMM NIGERIA PROMO | MMM PAYS TV COMMERCIAL 2016. WATCH AD:
Do you remember the flying Aladdin carpet Halloween prank last year October 30th which won Streamy Awards best prank? Well the prankster comedian Vlogger Jesse Wellen is back with a fresh idea this year, probably our best Halloween prank and costume for 2016. The Philly born prankster took to the streets of Manhattan in New… Continue reading [TRENDING]#VIRALVIDEO: HALLOWEEN SILVER SURFER PRANK 2016 BY JESSE WELLENS. WATCH VIDEO | DOWNLOAD COOKIE DANCE (CHIP CHOCOLATE) MP3:
Konga, one of Nigeria’s online shopping mall, is rolling out an extensive warehouse infrastructure project across Nigeria to service thousands more online merchants. ‘Fulfilled by Konga’ will enable thousands of Nigerian online sellers, who currently sell through Konga, to store their merchandise in Konga warehouses and subsequently have the orders delivered by Konga’s in-house fulfilment… Continue reading [DIGITAL]#MARKETING: KONGA ROLLS OUT WAREHOUSING INFRASTRUCTE ACROSS AFRICA.


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Yoshi provides a mobile one-stop-shop vehicle care service, bringing fuel-ups, oil changes and car washes direct to the consumer. Customers can schedule gas deliveries and other services directly from their smartphones or computers. The subscription-based service is currently available to customers in Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.
With the new $13.7 million in funding from the two lead investors and contributions from Y Combinator, the Durant Company, Arab Angel and others, Yoshi said it plans to expand to a further 25 metropolitan areas this year.Yoshi is also planning to expand to 25 major U.S. cities with support from investors.
General Motors Ventures took an interest in the startup due to the possibility of adding service ordering directly onboard the vehicle instead of just through the app.
“Investing in Yoshi’s fuel delivery service allows us to pilot an innovative, premium experience for our customers while integrating with the latest connected vehicle technology already onboard Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles,” said GM CTO Jon Lauckner.
Fuel delivery rates vary by region, but the average price is around $7 for the service, plus the cost of the gas. Vehicle owners also have to option to pay on a subscription basis of $20 a month, which includes weekly free deliveries.
“The on-demand economy is changing nearly every aspect of our everyday lives, including consumer expectations about the way fuels and lubricants are purchased, delivered and used,” said Adam Wariner, fuels and lubricants innovation manager. “We believe the simplicity and convenience of this direct-to-vehicle care service will attract new customers to Exxon and Mobil branded products.”
Customers will receive Exxon or Mobil Regular or Supreme+ Synergy Fuel and Mobil 1 and Mobil Super lubricants, depending on the vehicle’s specification or driver preference.
“We believe Yoshi has a big opportunity to be part of the transformation underway in the automotive industry relating to how vehicles get fueled and serviced, which can more than double a vehicle’s cost over its lifetime,” said Yoshi CEO Nick Alexander. “We could not have a better syndicate of investors supporting us, including the leading U.S. automaker and oil and gas company.”


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Microsoft announced that it will stop requiring its business partners to exclusively promote Microsoft’s Internet Explorer on their World Wide Web sites. The concession came as Microsoft lawyers were preparing to meet with Justice Department officials today in an attempt to stave off a new government antitrust suit over the company’s business practices.
The software giant said it would allow news and entertainment companies that advertise their Internet sites on the “desktop” of Microsoft’s Windows software to promote Internet-browsing software made by other firms, specifically rival Netscape Communications Corp. The companies’ Internet sites are listed in a “Channel Bar” that is added to a user’s desktop when they install version 4.0 of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser.
Under contracts Microsoft has with the “content provider” companies, they have had to tpromote Microsoft’s browser exclusively on the Internet sites.


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The alliance means the companies will work together on “relationships with global suppliers” and on the “joint purchasing of own brand products” as both look to reduce costs.
The deal is set to improve the buying power of both retailers, enabling them to reduce prices for customers in the competitive market.
This may raise concerns for many suppliers already worried by the pricing implications of the Sainsburys and Asda merger proposed in April.
Tesco and Carrefour’s proposed alliance would “enable both companies to improve the quality and choice of products available to their customers” it said in a statement.
Each retailer will continue to work with suppliers on local and national levels, they said, but added that it will “strengthen” relationships with suppliers and create new opportunities for them.
The companies anticipate the partnership will be formally agreed in the next two months.
The partnership comes only months after Tesco completed its £3.7bn mega-merger with wholesaler Booker.
Tesco will be able to serve customers better by “improving choice, quality and value” as a result of the partnership, said Dave Lewis, Tesco Group chief executive.
“I’m delighted to be entering into a strategic alliance with Carrefour,” he commented.
“By working together and making the most of our collective product expertise and sourcing capability, we will be able to serve our customers even better, further improving choice, quality and value.”
Alexandre Bompard, Chairman and CEO of Carrefour Group, said: “This strategic alliance between Carrefour and Tesco is a major agreement as it combines the purchasing expertise of two world leaders, complementary in their geographies, with common strategies.
“This agreement is a great opportunity to develop our two brands at the service of our customers. This international alliance further strengthens Carrefour allowing it to reach a key milestone in the implementation of its strategy.”
The board at Premier Foods (PFD) has again hit back at a campaign by activist investor Oasis Management against re-election of CEO Gavin Darby.
In a message to shareholders, the company board at Mr Kipling maker reiterated its support for Darby and said it “rejects the various statements made by Darby”.
“The Board has confidence in Gavin Darby and firmly believes that he and the Management Team are best placed to run the business and execute the Company’s strategy,” it said.
The Hong-Kong based hedge fund, which owns a 9.3% stake in the company, has appealed for shareholder support ahead of Premier’s AGM later this month.
Last month, the investment group announced plans to oppose the CEO’s re-election, with debate becoming more heated after the group issued a 14-page document titled “five years of failure under Gavin Darby”.
Darby “successfully transformed” the company despite a Herculean task after taking over in 2013, Premier said in its shareholder note today.
The company which also manufactures British staples including Oxo, Ambrosia and Bisto, heralded its “strongest annual performance in five years” last month, after sales grew 3.6%, as it continued to reduce its large company debts.
The performance was supported by partnerships with Mondelez and Nissin Foods, the largest shareholder of the company, with a 20% stake.
This weekend, the chairmen of Premier’s three main pension schemes wrote a joint letter to the company and the Pensions Regulator expressing “significant concern” over the campaign to oust Darby.
Keith Hamill, Premier Foods’ chairman, said: “The Board believes that Gavin Darby is running the Company well. In contrast, the Oasis proposal offers no constructive solution to the challenges being addressed and involves the risk of creating instability at a time when continuity is important in completing the work being done.
“The Board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote in favour of Gavin Darby’s re-election as CEO at the AGM on 18 July 2018.”
Continuing international fears about Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariffs have pulled the markets down, with the FTSE 100 slumping 1.2% to 7,545pts in early trading.
This week in the City
It is a quiet start to the week in the city, but the highlight of the week is the announcemnet of first quarter results for Sainsbury’s (SBRY) on Wednesday.
Last week’s Kantar retail report highlighted Sainsburys as the only one of the big four supermarkets to see negative growth over the last three months.
The state of affairs at the UK’s second biggest supermarket will become much clearer when it reveals its Q1 trading report on Wednesday.
Ahead of its proposed merger with Asda it will be keen to show improved revenue growth and profits.
Wednesday will also see the release of the British Retail Constortium and Neilsen retail shop price index, highlighting the rate of inflation currently facing consumers.
Spirits group Distil will also hold its Annual General meeting on the Wednesday.
On Thursday, Associated British Foods (ABF) will be posting its third quarter figures, when it will hope to show improvements in its sugar division, where profits dived on the back of cost increases when it revealed its first half figures.


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We already knew 1D Day was going to be the BEST
SONG DAY EVER!
And even though Midnight Memories has leaked, the boys of One Direction are still celebrating the upcoming official release by taking over our lives and hearts with an online event streamed on YouTube and Google+ that will go on from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. on November 23rd.
While we'd be plenty happy just to watch those five cuties do all sorts of cute things like gyrating and kissing each other, they're treating their Directioners to even more goodness!
They have apparently lined up Robbie Williams, Celine Dion, Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan, and The Muppets to all appear during the broadcast!
And we have a feeling even more treats will be in store for fans because the boys of 1D are grateful for this chance. Liam Payne revealed:
"1D Day is all about giving back to our amazing fans for supporting us for the past three years. When we suggested it we never thought anyone would let us loose live all day – we cannot wait!"
More Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Liam this month??
Yup, that's the best kind of giving back!
Tags: celine dion, music minute, one direction, piers morgan, robbie williams, simon cowell, the muppets


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FunLPro, a unique approach that incorporates a funnel into a closure for liquid packaging, is attracting outside investment that’s expected to help boost both production and marketing.
Bryan Crosby, CEO of FunLPro owner Southeastern Packaging Technologies LLC, sees the $700,000 from Mollenhour Gross LLC as a way to accelerate development of the FunLPro brand beyond what the small company could do on its own.
“FunLPro is essentially a closure system with an extendable lengthy pouring spout built directly into the closure itself. It eliminates spills and messes for the consumer when transferring liquid products from container to destination and eliminates the need for other pouring devices such as funnels,” Crosby explained.
KenJo Markets, a regional chain of convenience stores and gas stations, has experienced a 10-fold increase in private label motor oil sales thanks to the use of FunLPro, Crosby said.
That kind of growth has Knoxville, Tenn.-based Southeastern Packaging planning for a much larger roll-out of the closure and dispensing system.
“The investment really allows us to invest in the type of machinery as well as the sales and marketing to support those products and the retailer outlets that they will be at,” Crosby said.
A portion of the money, estimated at 10 to 15 percent by the CEO, will be used to purchase two 8-cavity molds that will allow the company to produce more product. The firm currently is using a 2-cavity mold in China to launch the concept and provide initial production. The balance of the cash will be used for marketing.
FunLPro is out to prove the reliability and popularity of its closure and dispensing system with the ultimate goal of attracting attention from larger companies.
“The closure technology in our portfolio of patents is really what we’re trying to drive and create awareness with the big boys, the major CPGs and major automotive lubricant brands,” Crosby said.
“Our private labels that we’re launching are really just the vessel to get our closure out in the market and validate the consumer preference for it over and above current commodity closures,” he said.
Mollenhour Gross is taking a 25-percent stake in FunLPro for $550,000 and providing a $150,000 line of credit.
“We are confident in the continued proliferation of FunLPro technology, and we believe it solves a problem experienced around the globe on a daily basis,” said Jordan Mollenhour in a statement. “Consumers will benefit from reduced spills and less waste when using everyday items such as motor oils, household cleaner products, medical fluids and industrial compounds. This is a huge market.”
The idea for FunLPro was developed by Gary Crosby, who finally got sick and tired of all the spills he encountered while filling up fluids on his car hauler and his work truck. Bryan Crosby’s father figured there had to be a better way than using a conventional funnel that does not always work well considering the tight spaces sometimes found in engines.
FunLPro takes what can be a messy 10-minute job and turns it into a 30-second job, the CEO
Bryan Crosby was able to develop a business plan for FunLPro as part of his MBA work at the University of Tennessee, and the fledgling firm continued to develop thanks to business plan competitions the firm won once he graduated.
Attracting outside funding, Crosby said, is “huge.”
“It’s the difference between us being able to dink and dunk along and play it as more of a lifestyle business vs. us looking at it as more of an exponential growth type of product,” he said.
The cash will allow the company to expand more quickly without having to look at debt financing and allow the firm to jump into wider markets more quickly than would otherwise be possible. This will also give FunLPro, which has patented its technology, a lead on any competition.
Crosby also said he is able to tap Mollenhour Gross’s business experience to help growth the company.
Crosby sees FunLPro being used on both rigid and flexible packaging sold in both retail and direct-to-consumer channels. Along with automotive he sees a major market in marine applications.
FunLPro currently manufactures in China, and Crosby sees an initial production expansion also taking place there. The system still requires some hand assembly to create the final product, and labor costs play a factor at this point. The CEO anticipates a future opportunity to automate production and bring it to the United States, but that step will need higher sales volumes.
Crosby and his father are not shy about the market they anticipate for FunLPro, envisioning global adoption of the company’s patented approach.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to grow the business in a major way,” he said.


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Dr. Phil's Classic '57 Chevy Stolen
TV psychologist Dr. Phil has had one of his beloved classic cars stolen from a repair shop in Burbank, California.
The doctor, full name Dr. Phil McGraw, had the 1957 Chevy towed from his home to a local garage after experiencing engine trouble, but robbers broke into the store late on Sunday night and made off with the pricey vehicle, which is worth an estimated.
Police have launched an investigation into the robbery, reports TMZ.com.
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Westin hotel in Tempe set to open in August after years of construction
PHOENIX — The Westin Tempe is nearing completion after years of construction and is expected to open in August in the city’s downtown district on Seventh Street between Mill Avenue and Myrtle Street.
It will mark the city’s largest new hotel opening in nearly four decades, according to a press release, featuring 18 stories with 290 guest rooms and suites.
The full-service hotel has 21,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, along with three dining concepts including a restaurant offering a contemporary take on Southwestern cuisine, the Valley’s highest open-air rooftop bar and lounge as well as a relaxed, quick-service bistro with grab-and-go options and retail merchandise.
Guests can pre-book their stay from August 29 and beyond online.
“Our brand-new hotel will fill a niche in the market for travelers who are looking not only for an elevated experience, but a premium wellness hotel brand that will empower them to control and enhance their well-being while traveling,” Patti Hunt, the hotel’s general manager, said in the release.
“With The Westin Tempe’s gorgeous biophilic design, numerous dining destinations including the highest rooftop bar in the Valley, first-class meeting and event spaces and direct access to all that downtown Tempe has to offer, we look forward to being the optimal retreat for leisure guests and business professionals alike.”
Groundbreaking for the hotel took place back in February 2018.


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After a last-minute delay for NVIDIA's risky SHIELD gaming device, the company has just sent out an email to those who pre-ordered it. The delayed launch date is next Wednesday, July 31st, just barely making the company's revised commitment to a July launch. Pre-order hardware will be shipped out to customers on Wednesday, and NVIDIA's retail partners will have at least some units that day as well, at the new $299 price tag.
Bad news for would-be Shield buyers, or those who pre-ordered: NVIDIA's first Android device (first consumer electronic, really) has been delayed. The reason? An unspecified "mechanical issue" with early units that was spotted during the quality assurance process. NVIDIA claims to be working with the vendor responsible for the issue, but at this point the most they're willing to promise is a revised ship date some time in July.
The official statement, if you're curious, is below.
NVIDIA doesn't want to take any chances with its first portable gaming product. After receiving feedback from prospective customers when the initial $349 price for SHIELD was revealed, the MSRP has been lowered to $299 - a big deal for cash-scrapped gamers and hardware junkies alike. Those who have already pre-ordered the hardware will be charged the new price (with whatever funding source they specified) when it ships. NVIDIA has also officially set next Thursday, June 27th as the launch date for SHIELD.
NVIDIA SHIELD, the company's first in-house built device, is officially available for pre-order for $350. And no sooner than the announcement was made, the "this is too expensive!" comments started showing up. I want to explain why I think that line of thinking is not only unfair, but also illogical.
The issue with SHIELD, in my opinion, isn't actually with SHIELD itself but rather the way people are perceiving it.
The time has come, ladies and gents – NVIDIA's Project SHIELD (henceforth known only as SHIELD) is ready for pre-order for users who previously signed up to receive SHIELD updates via email. Everyone else will have to wait until May 20th to secure their own directly from NVIDIA or from NewEgg, Gamestop, Micro Center, or Canada Computers, which teaches us one thing: always sign up to be notified of device updates.
Just in case you slept through the first week of January, take a peek back at our coverage of Project Shield, NVIDIA's attempt to inject the Android gaming market with a Tegra 4-powered supersoldier serum. There's still no word on exactly when shield will hit the market, but the boys in green want to make sure it stays in your mind. To that end, they've just posted a short run-down of a year's worth of Shield development on their blog, including the frantic construction of show-ready units less than two weeks before NVIDIA's CES presentation.
After about 45 minutes of casual sexism and awkward pauses, NVIDIA's Jen-Hsun Huang dropped the bomb. Project Shield is a handheld gaming console running pure, unmodified Android (Jelly Bean). At its core is the newly-announced Tegra 4 ARM chip, but that's not all.
Update: Official video of Project Shield:
The device looks like a standard wireless controller with a flip-up screen. Around the back are I/O ports, and there's no proprietary nonsense here.
Android Police is live at NVIDIA's 2013 CES press conference at the Palms Hotel, primed and ready for what we can only assume will include the announcement of the next generation of Tegra mobile processors. Check out the ScribbeLive widget below for our coverage as it happens, starting at 7:45PM PST (that's 10:45PM EST).


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At just over a year since Outriders originally released, the team at People Can Fly have shared a digital presentation revealing the games first major expansion, “Worldslayer”. Worldslayer aims to bring a new campaign taking place directly after the events of the base game, involving some familiar faces and new fiery antagonist. Additionally Worldslayer will include some new gear to chase, endgame progression improvements and new endgame modes. The latter of which was only teased in the reveal, with People Can Fly mentioning more will be revealed in future presentations. Take a look at some word’s from the developers and the full presentation below.
“We can’t wait for players to experience WORLDSLAYER. In addition to a whole new story, we’ve introduced a number of new features that really expands and improves on everything players loved about the original game,” said Bartek Kmita, Creative Director at People Can Fly. “WORLDSLAYER includes nearly a hundred new legendary items, higher gear level caps, Apocalypse tier difficulty, Apocalypse gear, and new ways to progress your Outrider with the all-new PAX tree and Ascension levels. Not to mention the Trial of Tarya Gratar, a new endgame experience that’s different from anything we’ve done in OUTRIDERS before”.
While Outriders did not exactly blow us away with its launch, steady updates from the developers and some free DLC have certainly helped polish what I personally consider to be a diamond in the rough. The expansion will be sold in a bundle with the base game for $59.99 USD or as a upgrade for people who already own the base game at $39.99 USD. Keep in mind that since Outriders is on Gamepass, members will get an additional 10% off. New players will have the option to jump right into Worldslayer with free level 30 boosts, and pre-ordering Worldslayer will also grant you 48-hour early access to the content. See you on Enoch, June 30th 2022!


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eMarketer, September 13th 2010
Mobile platforms and location-based networks could take social marketing to the next level.
As the increase in smart device ownership helps put the mobile web in the pocket of more and more Americans, mobile will play a greater role in all forms of content consumption—including social media.
US marketers surveyed in June 2010 by PRWeek and MS&L Group believed mobile social would have important consequences for their brand. Asked which social media efforts would have the greatest effect on their company, 17% said more usage of social media on mobile platforms and a further 12% cited uptake of mobile location-based social networking.
Another 4% said investing more in Twitter would be their most important effort. While a majority of users access Twitter from their desktop, the microblogging service is a major example of greater use of social media from mobile platforms. According to the company’s blog, mobile usage of the site rose 62% in about four months, and mobile sign-ups increased from 5% of the total earlier in 2010 to 16%.
Currently, PRWeek and MS&L Group found that few US marketers were using specifically mobile-based social media tools, but the sophistication of smart devices has narrowed the distance between the desktop and mobile for many users.
Much of the marketing opportunity in going mobile lies with the ability to use location data to bring consumers timely messages when they are already nearby and possibly considering a purchase. Social media could prove a smart avenue for such efforts; while pure location-based services like foursquare remain relatively niche, Facebook has picked up location-based check-in services, and social networking has been the single biggest driver of mobile app usage and browsing over the past year.


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A group of researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have devised a new way for machines and humans to coexist, and it comes in the form of a pedestrian detection system that is much more precise than those being used today. Developed at the university’s Statistical Visual Computing Lab, the technology has a variety of applications, the most notable of which is helping self-driving cars see more clearly.
While conventional pedestrian detection systems scan everything in the vehicle’s path for people, the UCSD team’s design leans on cascade detection, which automatically cuts out areas that it can easily recognize as empty — the sky, for example. Then, a unique algorithm scans person-like shapes such as trees, using deep learning and complex pattern recognition to eliminate false alerts.
Because the system only has to focus on small detection windows, it can spot people at a rate of 2 to 4 frames per second (near real-time), resulting in much greater accuracy and response time overall. According to the engineers behind the project, their versions make half as many mistakes as are made on the road right now.
As of now, the system can only recognize one type of object at a time, so there’s a long way to go before it’s ready for production. That being said, the groundwork has been laid, and eventually, the UCSD team could revolutionize pedestrian detection in cars.
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