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GLOBAL: World's largest retailers see revenue grow despite downturn
The revenues of the world's 250 largest retailers grew by 5% to reach US$4trn during the fiscal year ended June 2012, despite the global economic downturn, research has found.
Revenues rose significantly for companies based in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia Pacific, according to the 2013 Global Powers of Retailing report from Deloitte and Stores Media.
The report found that emerging markets counted for almost half (24) of the fastest growing 50 companies over the 2006-2011 period. Chinese and Russian retailers were well represented among the fastest growing 50, as well as retailers from Africa/Middle East and Latin America.
"The growth in large emerging markets such as China is projected to add at least 70m new consumers to the global middle class per year, which is an additional 500m new middle-class consumers by 2020," said Vicky Eng, global retail lead, Deloitte US.
"This new wave of consumption represents a huge opportunity for consumer businesses.
"A significant investment by a company is required to successfully expand and operate in emerging markets, including gaining a deep understanding of local consumers' tastes and preferences, forging a strong cultural fit with local partners, and attracting and retaining local talent."
Retail revenue for the fastest-growing 50 retailers rose 22% on a compound annual basis between 2006-2011, more than four times faster than the top 250 as a whole.
However, fashion retail did not fare as well, with revenue growth slowing to 5% in 2011 from 7% in 2010.
The report said fashion retailers were the most global of the product groups, with almost 80% operating outside their home countries, operating an average of 21.3 countries.
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While the last few weeks haven’t been good news for anyone not selling bleach, toilet paper, N95 masks or canned soup, the entertainment industry has been hit hard as television shows and films have fallen out of production, theatrical releases have been delayed and movie theaters nationwide have shut down. Last week, the nation’s two largest theater chains, AMC and Regal Cinemas, both announced they were shutting their doors as part of efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. — for the next 12 weeks and indefinitely respectively.
The situation is severe enough that the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is asking Congress to provide relief measures for its 150,000 employees.
“The business model of the movie theater industry is uniquely vulnerable in the present crisis,” NATO noted in a statement last week.
But while theaters have shut down nationwide, Americans’ enthusiasm for going to the movies seems relatively undimmed — even if one has to use the phrase “going” loosely. While some releases have been delayed — notably Disney’s “Mulan” and the ninth installment in the “Fast & Furious” franchise — many others have simply been sent straight to the stream. In some cases they can be rented, in some they are heading early all-inclusive services like Disney+ or Netflix. Some are a hybrid — Disney’s “Onward” has been released for paid download and will be moving to Disney+ for members as of April 3.
And while it has been widely speculated that the availability of brand new, or at least newish releases, may be leading to a future when movies are all dual-released to streaming services and theaters at the same time, another less noted and perhaps more surprising emerging trend makes us wonder about that assumption. Because while the surge in home streaming certainly indicates consumers are willing to watch at home, another unexpected surge popping up in pockets nationwide indicates that customers don’t want to just see new releases. They actually want to go to them.
At a drive-in theater if necessary. Because that is what’s open right now.
The box office take for all U.S. titles last weekend was $260,000 — a roughly 98 percent decline from this time a year ago. All in, according to recent estimates, there are fewer than 500 movie theaters open for business, and roughly 60 percent of them are drive-ins, which have remained mostly exempt from local bans on opening affecting movie theaters.
Back to the Drive-In
Though once popular in the United States — in the 1950s and ’60s there were around 4,000 drive-ins operating — their popularity dropped steadily from the 1970s though the early 2000s such that as of 2020 there are only 305 drive-in theaters operating in the U.S., mostly in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York.
“Obviously this isn’t the way you’d want it to occur, but I’m excited for the idea that there may be a new generation of people that will get to experience going to a drive-in theater and — I was going to say catch the bug,” Andrew Thomas, the owner of Showboat Drive-In Theater in Hockley, Texas told the Associated Press. “Maybe some other turn of phrase.”
And Thomas is not the only drive-in owner experiencing an unexpectedly good run of late. Beau Bianchi, owner-operator of the two-screen Paramount Drive-In, told the L.A. Times that ticket sales last week were “at least double” what they typically would be.
“It has been a welcome relief for families and adults looking for a little getaway from the house,” Bianchi said. “We’ve been trying to let people know that we have a safe environment and [offer] a little escape.”
Some drive-ins have notably closed or delayed season openings, and according to John Vincent, president of the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association, a nonprofit industry advocacy group, the drive-ins doing well are in areas not as yet heavily affected by the outbreak. Closures could and will likely expand as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
However, the relieved and enraptured tone of drive-in visitors from the last few days indicate that our viewing habits may change in a post-COVID-19 world, though perhaps not quite as drastically as some have forecast. As it turns out, people really like going to the movies — the operative word in that sentence being “going.”
“So, Day Two of homeschool, we are all cooped up in the house, and this was a way to go out and still be distant from other people but not at our house,” parent Brenna Coogle told the L.A. Times of her recent sojourn to a drive-in to see a double-feature with her 9-year-old son.
And that is just two days. We imagine after the weeks or even months experts forecast this stay-in period will last, that feeling of needing to go out might be somewhat more acute. The wait times between theatrical releases may be forever shortened, streaming will almost certainly be a strengthened competitor to the physical experience as a result of the next several weeks.
But consumers don’t just want to see a movie, they also still want to go to a movie, together if possible, with popcorn made by someone else.

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Facebook and Instagram clamp down on gun sellers
Although it may seem all fun and games and dollar bills, working at Facebook must be tough when it comes to deciding the difference between freedom of speech and just being plain wrong, offensive or even illegal.
Over the years numerous groups have asked that content be taken off the site, but only a few times has Zuckerberg and the team acted.
Well this week a press release on the Facebook Newsroom reveals that the social network (as well as Instagram) will begin clamping down on items that are being sold on the platforms.
People selling things on Facebook and Instagram will be monitored closely, asked to clarify things, change the wording of their ads and (if they don’t comply) even be told to take content down.
Although the press release speaks of the sale of “items”, all of the examples explicitly mention firearms, the sale of which on both Facebook and Instagram has been an extremely contentious issue and has brought about criticism as well as justification from both sides.


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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The parts manager of a Wichita auto dealership was sentenced in a kickback scheme involving out-of-state parts vendors.
James Frame, 43-years-old of Augusta, pled guilty in September to one count of felony theft from Donovan Truck and Auto Center, 5800 W. Kellogg in Wichita.
An audit showed that Frame ordered significantly more parts than he was authorized to purchase in order to get personal benefits from out-of-state parts vendors.
The investigation showed Frame was responsible for ordering parts for the dealership until he was terminated in 2017.
Some of the benefits were in the form of VISA gift cards that were sent directly to Frame.
District Judge Kevin O’Connor sentenced Frame Wednesday to five years of probation and ordered him to repay the dealership $30,000 in restitution. If he violates his probation, Frame could spend 12 months in prison.
Judge O’Connor ordered Frame to pay $500 a month for the next 60 months to satisfy the restitution amount.
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Roku plans to be a billion-dollar firm in 2019, the corporate stated on Thursday as a part of its announcement of sturdy earnings. The corporate beat analyst estimates and reported sturdy progress in lively customers and streaming hours with earnings of $zero.05 per share, in contrast with the $zero.03 analysts had estimated, and revenues of $276 million, in contrast with the anticipated $262 million.
Roku additionally reported 40 p.c year-over-year lively consumer progress, with 27.1 million lively customers by year-end, and a 69 p.c year-over-year improve in streaming hours, which reached 7.three billion.
The corporate stated it plans this 12 months to put money into worldwide growth, its ad-supported service The Roku Channel, promoting, and its Roku TV platform.
Whereas wire slicing is driving a few of Roku’s progress, solely round half of Roku’s prospects match this description, CEO Anthony Wooden identified. The opposite half are extra like “wire shavers” – those that are nonetheless pay TV subscribers, however are shifting extra of their TV viewing to streaming companies.
Roku’s means to additionally entice pay TV prospects mixed with the truth that 1 in 4 sensible TVs bought within the U.S. now runs its software program, helps the corporate’s market share develop.
Roku estimates that 1 in 5 U.S. TV households now makes use of the Roku platform for a minimum of a portion of their TV viewing. Within the 12 months forward, Roku goals to raised capitalize on its traction by growing the monetization per consumer and scaling the variety of households utilizing Roku.
As well as, the corporate sees an enormous alternative in worldwide.
“Worldwide is among the prime 4 areas we’re investing in,” Wooden famous.
“Roku has greater than 27 million lively accounts globally as we speak. Most of these are in america. However we imagine lots of the property we constructed for the U.S. market will assist us develop into different markets. And clearly streaming is a worldwide alternative with one billion households worldwide,” he stated.
The corporate start investing extra considerably in worldwide in 2018, and has now reached 20 nations. It has added extra native content material and is increasing its relationships with worldwide resellers, stated Wooden. “We predict you’ll begin to see the outcomes of this elevated funding bearing fruit in 2020,” he added.
Roku additionally has excessive hopes for The Roku Channel.
The channel is now one of many prime 5 hottest on the platform and grew from round 1,000 free films and TV episodes in 2017 to now round 10,000. Final 12 months, it added extra streaming companions like ABC, Cheddar and Folks TV and even expanded into subscriptions, with add-ons like Showtime, Starz, and Epix.
The corporate believes the channel will proceed to turn into a primary vacation spot on its platform, which helps Roku to monetize by way of promoting and its lower of subscription income, when buyer decide so as to add on additional packages. However as we speak the channel continues to be missing lots of the main subscription companies, in contrast with the extra sturdy lineup provided by Amazon Channels. For instance, HBO just isn’t provided by way of The Roku Channel as we speak, neither is CBS All Entry.
Nevertheless, the corporate believes its monetary efficiency will enhance this 12 months – reaching the billion in income mark, with platform revenues accounting for two-thirds of that. This, partially, shall be as a result of rising its put in base and extracting extra income from every buyer, together with by way of The Roku Channel.
It’s price noting that Roku not too long ago made it potential to stream from The Roku Channel straight on cell gadgets, which is able to doubtless play a task right here.
Roku has been rising at a speedy tempo alongside the bigger wire slicing and streaming TV pattern.
Up to now three years, it elevated lively accounts by four million, 6 million after which practically eight million, respectively, it stated. And it quadrupled the scale of its platform income from simply over $100 million in 2016 to over $400 million in 2018. Within the U.S., its lively account base of 27+ million would make it equal to the No. 2 conventional pay TV supplier.
Along with worldwide expansions in 2019 and investments in The Roku Channel, Roku goals to extend its Roku TV market share, and roll out new advert merchandise in areas like market, programmatic, and self-serve.
Roku’s investments in its platform led to 77 p.c year-over-year progress to succeed in 151.four million in income in This autumn. However the participant enterprise continues to be rising too – 21 p.c year-over-year to succeed in 124.three million in income, Roku stated.
Nevertheless, loads will altering within the streaming panorama this 12 months, as new choices from AT&T (WarnerMedia streaming service), Apple, Disney, Viacom (which simply purchased Pluto TV), and NBC hit the market.
However Roku believes it can climate these modifications, too.
“I based this firm on the assumption that every one tv was going to be streamed,” Wooden advised buyers. “And it wasn’t that a few years in the past when there was no streaming, after which the one streaming was Netflix. It took a very long time for the incumbents to embrace streaming. However they’ve. And that’s very gratifying to see each main media firm on this planet growing streaming methods, which is nice — it’s nice for us, as a result of we’re the main streaming platform,” he stated.


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T-Mobile Giving Fee Netflix To Its Smartphone Customers Starting September 12
T-Mobile is giving free Netflix subscriptions to its customers. Buying two lines of T-Mobile One entitles you to a Netflix subscription.
Nokia 6 Is Coming To Amazon USA In July For Only $229
The Nokia 6 will be available exclusively through Amazon USA sometime in early July in matte black and silver variant. An additional tempered blue and copper colors of the handset will be offered later in the summer.
T-Mobile Resolves Data Outage Issues Across The Country
The data outage issues affected T-Mobile customers in areas of Texas, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Florida, Missouri, Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, Maryland, Ohio and Massachusetts.
2017‘s Fastest Mobile Networks
The true measure of a good mobile network is its overall speed and AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon are neck and neck in the race for the fastest mobile network in 2017.
Sprint Has A New Offer That Verizon And T-Mobile Customers Cannot Refuse
AT&T and Verizon early in 2017 reintroduced unlimited data plans amid market share gains by T-Mobile and Sprint, which aggressively pushed promotions in late 2016. But Verizon took issue with Sprint's new promotion.
T-Mobile Plans To Launch The First Nationwide 5G Network By 2020
Neville Ray said: T-Mobile is the first company to commit to building a nationwide 5G network. And yes that’s real 5G, not fake 5G! And that’s nationwide Mobile 5G, not Fixed 5G!
Verizon Is Losing Huge Number Of Customers Before It Launched Unlimited Data Plan
From the beginning of the year until the unlimited plan was unveiled on Feb. 12, Verizon lost a net 398,000 regular monthly phone customers, by far the most it had ever lost in an entire quarter.
Samsung Galaxy S8's Gigabit LTE Speeds Is An Envy Of Every US Carrier
The new Samsung Galaxy S8 will be the first smartphone capable of hitting the latest chipsets that are compatible with gigabit speeds on 4G LTE.
Tech Pranks The World: The Best Of April Fool's Day 2017
Google Gnome and the T-Mobile ONEsie are just two of the best ways the tech industry is celebrating April Fool's Day 2017.
T-Mobile Can Block Scam Callers, Releases New Feature For Free
For years now, mobile owners have struggled with receiving calls from unknown numbers in fear that it could be spam. T-Mobile subscribers can now rest easier as the telecom company’s new feature minimizes this frustration.
Buy An LG G6 And Get Free Google Home For A Limited Time Only
Carriers such as T-Mobile, AT&T, U.S. Cellular and Sprint will throw in a Google Home if customers will buy the LG G6 early.
T-Mobile Announces 5GHz LTE Technology Roll Out In Spring
T-Mobile plans to launch LTE-U technology this spring.
Google's Project Fi Rolled Out Voice Over LTE Service
Google did not announce a time frame as to when VoLTE would roll out to all Project Fi users but said it would update as the testing progresses.
Sprint And T-Mobile Merger Now Possible With Softbank Willing To Cede Control
SoftBank has indicated its willingness to cede control of Sprint in its effort to merge the carrier with rival T-Mobile.


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DSG Global (OTCQB: DSGT), an emerging global technology company with interconnecting businesses in fast-growing market sectors, has announced that it will host a grand opening for Imperium Motors. The event, scheduled for June 18–19, 2021, is designed to launch an exciting, affordable line of electric vehicle (“EV”) products, including cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, E-bikes and scooters. The in-person event will be held at the Experience Center in Fairfield, California. The event will showcase many of the EV models that were already shown; another 43 vehicles are en route for the event. Anyone can attend, but space is limited because of COVID-19 restrictions. Interested individuals can register by calling the Imperium Motors Experience Center. “While we are confident that potential customers will be impressed with the quality and value of our vehicles, they may be surprised by the diversity of our product offering and some of the new vehicle models we will unveil in the near future,” said Imperium Motor Corp. president Rick Curtis in the press release. “We look forward to providing an educational and rewarding experience for all visitors.”
In addition, the company was featured in a recent research report by Goldman Small Cap Research. Among other highlights, the report reads, “In our view, DSGT’s shares are set to enjoy outsized growth ahead of and following their up-list to NASDAQ, which we believe will occur sometime in June 2021. Our thesis is based upon typical up-list catalysts and re-valuations.”
To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/CmW4o
About DSG Global Inc.
DSG Global is an emerging global technology company with an array of interconnecting businesses in some of the fastest-growing market sectors. With roots in the golf industry in which it specializes in fleet management with patented analytics, mobile touch screen engagement and electric golf carts under the Vantage Tag Systems (“VTS”) brand, the company is moving quickly with road-ready electric vehicles for sale in the first quarter of 2021 through its Imperium Motor Company subsidiary. For more information about the company, please visit www.DSGTGlobal.com.
QualityStocksNewsBreaks provide a rapid summary of corporate news that catch the attention of QualityStocks. QualityStocksBreaks are designed to keep investors up to date on important and breaking news in the small-cap and micro-cap markets. Spanning all industries, including energy, entertainment, telecommunications, healthcare, retail and more, these news breaks deliver opportunities the investment community may have missed. Whether it is earnings results, mergers and acquisitions, or any other market-moving news, our news breaks keep you in the know. QualityStocks is committed to connecting subscribers with companies that have huge potential to succeed in the short and long-term future. It is part of our mission statement to help the investment community discover emerging companies that offer excellent growth potential.


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Abu Dhabi Prepares for Muscle and Fitness Expo
Several of the world’s strongest men, known for super-powered feats such as lifting cars or pulling trucks, will show off their talents at the Abu Dhabi Muscle and Fitness Expo on May 11 and 12, reports Gulf News.
Headliners included in the Strongman Champions League (SCL) will be Dainis Zageris of Latvia, Krzysztof Radzikowski of Poland, Matjaz Belsak of Slovenia and Sean O’Hagan of Ireland.
On top of hosting a lineup of fitness celebrities, the expo will feature regional fitness companies showcasing their trendiest products and technology.
The schedule will include health talks by experts, nutrition and fitness workshops, seminars on wellness, demonstrations, conversations with professional athletes and product sampling.
“This event is reflective of UAE’s outstanding leadership within the national health and fitness community,” says Universal Muscle Fitness and Fashion CEO Bassim El Jawhari.
The expo will mark the first time the Strongest-Man World Championships by SCL will be held in the UAE. The competition will be covered by 95 television stations across the globe.
Additionally, the International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) will host an Elite Pro International event with 12 PRO cards.
Les Mills group fitness classes, boxing, Muay Thai and MMA fights will also take place at the expo.
“The best part is the giveaways we are going to be offering,” says El Jawhari. “It is the perfect incentive to get the maximum number of attendees to the event, because some of the information our exhibitors and sponsors will share may change lives.
The expo will be held at Du Forum, Abu Dhabi. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.ae or at the door.


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This is So Cool
Drone-like ‘quad copter’ flown into White House is Amazon ‘Top 10’ toy
From the article:
A type of toy drone flown over the White House gate that crashed on the lawn is a huge seller, making Amazon’s Top 10 list of best-selling toys.
So-called “quad drones” are growing in popularity and can be purchased for under $100, even those with cameras. Larger drones can cost up to $1,000. White House officials said the “quad copter” flown into the facility was about two feet across. It is being described as a DJI Phantom 1 which costs about $450.
I was just thinking of another use for a drone and that is checking that your kids made it to the bus stop safely. I would have loved this when my youngest was in middle school. Though he probably wouldn’t have appreciated it, lol.


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ANDERSONVILLE – Clothing retailer Akira has closed its Clark Street store in Andersonville after 10 years, the latest in a series of businesses to close in the neighborhood.
The chain announced that its last day of operation at 5228 N. Clark St. was Sunday. A note in the store window thanked customers and asked them to patronize other Akira stores in the area.
The company made significant sales in the last few weeks of operation before announcing the close. An Akira spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
Akira debuted with a Wicker Park storefront in 2002. It has since expanded to 32 stores, according to its website. The sign on its Andersonville door asked customers to visit its stores in Bucktown and Skokie’s Old Orchard Mall.
Akira opened its Andersonville location in 2011 and has been a staple of the main stretch of the Clark Street Commercial Corridor ever since. But a number of highly visible Andersonville businesses have closed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Other businesses to close in Andersonville over the past year include: Candyality, Crossroads, Martha Mae Art Supply Shop, Upmarket Passerotto Restaurant, Hamburgery Mary’s, Mary’s Attic, and Hair Cuttery .
Since the closures a number of new businesses have opened in closed storefronts including: Sweetgreen taking the place of Hamburger Mary, Evoke Tattoos in Mary’s Attic space, Land & Lake Andersonville in former Passerotto’s, G&L Home Decor in the old storefront Candyality and La Cuttery in the former Hair Cuttery space.
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Renault is working towards introducing the electric version of the Kwid in India. The Renault Kwid has been one of the best-selling cars for the French automaker in the country. Although there is no specific timeline, Renault is expected to bring the Electric Kwid to India in a few years time.
The Renault Kwid electric once introduced in the Indian market is expected to be priced around the Rs 6 lakh, ex-showroom range. The car will then compete directly with the Mahindra E2O.
The team of engineers who developed the Kwid in Indiahave already gone to China to aid the development of the hatchback's electric version. The Chinese engineersare expected to offer their expertise in the battery and battery-management system for the new electric Kwid.
The Renault Kwid is currently one of the cheapest cars in the Indian market. The Kwid hatchback is currently offered with two petrol engine options: an 800cc and a 1.0-litre power unit. Both the engines come mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. While the 1.0-litre variant also comes with the option of an AMT transmission.
ET Auto sources confirmed the news, stating, "The basic architecture - the CMF-A (platform), has been developed in India; the Chinese counterparts are going to bring in their battery and battery-management system expertise into the project. The vehicle is likely to hit the Chinese market in 12-18 months. So, it is only a matter of time before the electric Kwid comes to India."
They further added, "Once the Kwid electric is made in China, there was no reason why it should not be exported to India, Brazil and the Middle East".
Sumit Sawhney, MD, Renault India, stated, "You have to bring the right product to the market. Today, 40% of the cost of an electric vehicle is the battery. Localisation is the key factor if one has to make the value proposition for the consumer attractive.
Thoughts On The Renault Kwid Electric
Renault has already announced its 2022 global roadmap, which will see the company bring their electric vehicles to India. Globally, the Renault-Nissan alliance is also working on launching a number of electric vehicles in international markets. The French carmaker, though, is waiting on clarity on the Indian government's policy to bring in electric vehicles into the country.


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Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has entered into a partnership with China Sinoma International Engineering to build a six million tons per annum cement plant in Itori, Ogun State, Nigeria.
The agreement was signed by Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc, and Devakumar Edwin, Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects & Portfolio Development, DIL. China Sinoma Engineering was represented by its Group President, Yin Zhisong, and Chairman, Liu Renyue.
During the signing ceremony, Dangote stated that the completion of the new cement plant will strengthen the local production capacity of Dangote Cement and increase the company’s total African capacity to 57.6 million tons per annum.
He added that the new facility will also increase Nigeria’s capacity to export cement, boosting the country’s foreign exchange inflows and economic diversification.
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Dangote highlighted that the project will drive economic development in the Itori axis through the creation of direct and indirect jobs and attract ancillary businesses seeking to provide goods and services to staff, contractors, and other stakeholders.
He emphasized that constructing the new cement plant is in line with the Dangote Group’s vision of producing locally goods that were previously imported, despite the abundance of raw materials.
Dangote described China Sinoma Engineering as a strategic partner who has contributed to the success of previous key projects within the Dangote Group.
He expressed confidence in the company, stating, “We are comfortable working with your company. You have handled some of our key projects and I am positive that this project will be completed as scheduled.”
Group President of China Sinoma Engineering, Yin Zhisong, expressed satisfaction with Dangote Group’s commitment to building cement plants across Africa.
He said, “It is an honor for us to build another cement plant for Dangote Group. We are proud and happy to be on this journey with the company again.”
The new plant, when operational, is expected to have two lines with a combined daily clinker production capacity of 12,000 TPD.
The facility is expected to be completed within 27 months and will be equipped with best-in-class equipment sourced from Europe’s major equipment suppliers.
The plant will have its own captive power plant to generate electricity for use in the cement kilns and other production processes.
The Itori Cement Plant will be Dangote Cement’s fourth greenfield project in Nigeria, after the Obajana, Ibese, and Okpella Plants.
Dangote Cement is Africa’s leading cement producer, with a production capacity of 51.6 million tons per annum across the continent, with Nigeria accounting for 35.25 million tons.


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Vegan burger restaurant The Vurger Co. has secured a seven-figure investment, as it continues its mission to revolutionise fast food through plants.
Having opened its first site in Shoreditch in March 2018 and its second in Canary Wharf in November 2018, The Vurger Co. has two more sites opening in the first quarter of 2020 – the first of which will be in Brighton, launching March 2020.
The Vurger Co. became the fastest restaurant ever to reach its funding goal on Crowdcube when it secured £300,000 in three days in 2017.
Its latest round of investment, which was led by vegan investor Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni and Miray Zaki of Dismatrix Group, comes as The Vurger Co. celebrates almost two years of trading at its Shoreditch site.
‘We are so proud to have reached this huge milestone for our business,” says Rachel Hugh, co-founder of The Vurger Co. “This investment will allow us to expedite our growth plans, open new sites and grow our retail business as we head into 2020.
“It’s an honour to be working with Miray and Sebastiano of Dismatrix Group, who not only believe in our vision but bring a wealth of proven experience and knowledge of the vegan market. They have invested in most of the biggest and best plant-based brands in the world. We are so ready for the next phase of The Vurger Co, so watch this space!”


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Banks wishes be required to build application programming interfaces (APIs) — mise en scenes of code that give third parties secure access to their back-end figures.
Those APIs serve as channels for developers to get to the data and build their own artefacts and services around it. Such information could serve as a tool to see things such as customers’ spending habits or credit history, and could inveigle to the creation of new services.
“In a world of open banking, the customer can choose a provider in each purposes of the value chain. And each bank has to participate in the value chain as an earners’ exactly to be there,” Anne Boden, co-founder and chief executive of U.K. mobile-only bank Starling, told CNBC in an check out earlier this year.
Boden added: “You can’t just assume you’re prevailing to have the end-to-end value chain. Barclays and HSBC and RBS, at the moment own the entirety in that value chain — the app, the back-end, they sell other issues. In a world where everybody earns their right, you could play a joke on the app from HSBC and the back-end from Barclays.”
Some European lenders are hand over early signals as to what a post-PSD2 world will look in the same way as.
Spain’s BBVA, Denmark’s Saxo Bank, Nordic lender Nordea and Ireland’s Ulster Bank sire already published open developer portals ahead of the EU legislation.
HSBC has also prove to bed early moves toward meeting the incoming rules. In October, the bank shot a beta version of an app that lets customers see all of their bank accounts — embracing those from competitors — on one screen.
That development — known as “account aggregation” — is set to be a key component of uncrowded banking, encouraging collaboration rather than competition.
“I am cautiously encouraged by some of the bourgeon we are starting to see around adoption (of) open banking-style principles by both emerging and continuing financial institutions generally — banks or otherwise,” Iain McDougall, U.K. straw boss at fintech firm Stripe, told CNBC.
McDougall said that commentators heralding the end of banks are labouring under a misapprehension. “We certainly don’t see it that way,” he said.
Dozens of fintech firms across Europe are set to sake from the updated EU directive, as banks’ data will let them engender new products.
Several small lenders set up with the aim of competing with bigger institutions are hoping to take advantage of the move toward a more unwrap data infrastructure. U.K. firms Starling and Monzo, for instance, are want to mutate banking more like a “marketplace,” by connecting consumers with a gang of products and services — including those from other providers — within their apps.
“Where we’re thriving longer term is in marketplace banking, where we’re trying to build Monzo into a command center, into a dashboard, a marketplace,” Tom Blomfield, co-founder and chief top banana of Monzo, told CNBC.
“So we do the day-to-day money management, but say for example you need a mortgage, that’s not something we would provide,” he said, “so actually we’ll presentation mortgages from other banks on our platform.”
Another fintech entourage, MarketInvoice, has completely shifted its business model, changing from a digital invoice use into a lender on the back of the EU regulation. Its CEO and co-founder Anil Stocker intended PSD2 would let it access data on small businesses and use tech advances sort artificial intelligence to enhance credit ratings.
“I think the banks are starting to see that this world they’ve had guarded around customer evidence for so long, now it’s starting to open up,” Stocker said in an interview at the time.
Some in that tech giants such as Facebook, Amazon and IBM could be primed to interrupt banking, especially once lenders are forced to open their text vaults to tech firms.
Antony Jenkins, who served as the CEO of Barclays from 2012 until 2015, symbolized it was uncertain as to whether a tech giant or small fintech firm was multitudinous likely to benefit the most from open banking.
“I think it’s well unpredictable,” Jenkins said. “What is certain is there is going to be disruption.”
Jenkins, who is now the be wrecked and CEO of fintech start-up 10x Future Technologies, said that data junkies intent be the biggest beneficiaries.
“All financial services products are just data. So companies that are bleeding good at managing data are advantaged in this space. I would also say that at the same time you get into an open banking world, when you don’t actually have to be a bank and you can rule over a big balance sheet and have all the regulation that goes with it, it switches the game.”
He added: “That disruption could come from a fintech companionship, it could come from a tech company with really adept customer relationships and a really good understanding of how to manage data.”
Some harass that banks will be slow to respond, and that some commitment be reluctant to comply.
“Implementing open banking and making this befall is not something overnight. It’s a tough journey for everybody,” Starling’s Boden imagined.
Indeed, the transition toward PSD2 has not been without friction.
In May, several fintech firms and lobbyists move housed to fend off plans by the European Banking Authority to water down its unsealed banking rules by banning a technique known as “screen scraping” — essentially replication data from one interface over to another.
And in October, European authorities raided the helps of banking groups in multiple EU countries because they allegedly sit oned to prevent fintech firms from gaining access to customers’ account figures.
“In the U.K., France and other markets, we saw the big banks suing start-ups like ours, distressing to block them by any means,” Daniel Kjellen, founder and chief manager of fintech start-up Tink, told CNBC.
“I think that PSD2 is no get-up-and-go force in this; consumer need is the driving force. And rather the insufficiency of regulation has been an obstacle.”
Lenders in the continent pride themselves on fair customer relationships that differentiate them from rising challengers.
Raman Bhatia, European digital chief at HSBC, broadcasted CNBC in an interview earlier this year that the bank gained from its history and that customers trusted the lender.
He said that HSBC was microwave-ready for the regulatory shift in 2018, and that he didn’t fear an “existential omen” from fintech competitors.
“It’s very clear to us at HSBC that we sooner a be wearing to open up our architecture one way or the other,” Bhatia said. “The open banking ukase in the U.K. and PSD2 broadly in Europe is acting as a forcing mechanism and as a catalyst for us to explore our affair data with third parties which we are in the middle of. We are making inevitable the architecture for the program is ready when the banking regulation comes in within the next year.”
But root for Bhatia’s comments, it was revealed that HSBC, along with a several of other British banks including Barclays, RBS and Santander, would yearn for the deadline for the adoption of the CMA’s open banking rules. They were each granted again time by the regulator.
A spokesperson for HSBC U.K. said the financial giant “is allocated to delivering open banking, which is a real opportunity to increase the gamut of financial services available to consumers. The U.K. is the first market in the world to implement these substantive IT and infrastructure changes, and along with other banks, we are working closely with the regulators to uncut the testing necessary for a smooth and secure open banking implementation next year.”
Monzo’s Blomfield ventured it’s still unpredictable how exactly PSD2 will look. On the subject of compiling all of a person’s bank accounts on one app, Blomfield said that he and Monzo’s co-founders were making allowance for integrating the feature, but that they would take a wait-and-see manner.
“I think it’s a huge opportunity and one we’re really reluctant to miss,” he said. “It’s scarcely unclear how PSD2 is going to roll out in January. Is it going to be smooth or bumpy? We don’t from A to Z know yet. So I think we’ll play it by ear.”


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The words of the EBMA President materialize in recent reports published by Bike Europe on new and big e-bike making facilities being opened in Romania and in Bulgaria. Next to complete electric bikes also investments are taking place on a large scale in frame manufacturing; in alloy frames that especially target e-bikes. Bike Europe reported last year on the investments being made in alloy frame making facilities in Poland, Bulgaria as well as in Turkey. Also a new carbon producing facility is now starting in Belgium. Another phenomena taking place now is that former Chinese exporters are settling production in Europe while the same goes for former EU based importers that are transforming into producers.
Other market forces
To attribute these developments and the big investments that go with it, only to last year’s anti-dumping measures goes too far. Other market forces also play a major role here. Rapidly growing online sales for instance, forcing production to take place much faster and more flexibly, which is almost impossible with long supply lines stretching to Asia. Or the fact that much higher valued e-bikes entail limitations with regard to working capital as well as the money that’s tied up in stocks that are transported from Asia taking up months.
All this is an incentive for more, much more production in Europe. It’s not only due to the dumping measures. What can be stated at most is that those measures have given a final push to the fact that ‘insourcing’ in Europe is gaining momentum rapidly.
‘In the next five years, we can grow production in the EU to 7 or 8 million e-bikes annually’
More production and more jobs
In the interview of Spanish trade journal CMD with EBMA president Moreno Fioravanti it is further made clear where the production of e-bikes in absolute numbers in Europe stood in 2019. And where it will continue to grow to over the next five years. Fioravanti says that when comparing the 2017 production of between 1.3 and 1.4 million e-bikes compared to the 2.3 to 2.4 million in 2019, it boils down to which to almost double. And he claims that “For the manufacture of every 1,000 e-bikes more per year, between four and five sustainable and long-term jobs are generated, especially from highly qualified young people and young electronic engineers. This involves the creation of some 5,000 new direct jobs per year.
“Currently, we employ 110,000 skilled workers in the EU in a total of 900 small and medium enterprises capillary distributed in 24 of the 28 member states. These companies and their workers are our best asset. In fact, we are the most innovative bicycle industry in the world.”
Production by 2025
In the CMD interview the EBMA president also expresses his expectations for the next five years regarding the growth of industry in Europe. He says “In the next five or six years, we can grow production in the EU to 7 or 8 million e-bikes annually, with a 50 to -60 percent increase in the number of our “green jobs”, from 110,000 to 160,000 or 170,000. Also smaller and medium-sized companies of bicycles, e-bikes and components will develop more advanced technologies and innovations that can improve safety and prevent accidents.”
Production in EU is more sustainable
Finally the EBMA president points to the fact that manufacturing in the EU means a radical reduction of CO² and other dangerous emissions. He states “Each conventional or electric bicycle imported from China causes 91 to 123 kilos of dangerous extra emissions compared to local production. This means that if all the annual EU sales of (electric) bikes (about 20 million units per year) were imported from China, there would be an increase in emissions of about two million tons of CO² and sulfuric dioxides. Around 50 percent of these emissions would derive from the cheap production of iron, aluminum, chemicals and energy in China, where they can still use coal massively until 2050, while another 50 percent would come from the scandal that the containers of freight ships still use harmful fuels instead of more refined fuels. The emissions of container ships is one of the bigger pollution sources in the European Union.”
Source Paula Alonso, CMD Sports


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Lagos — Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Mr. Boniface Aniebonam, has threatened the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria, CRFFN, Mr. Sam Nwakohu, to either enforce the Act of the Council or face the wrath of the group.
Speaking to the Registrar at the just concluded ‘Digitization of Cargo Import and Export in the Maritime Industry’ workshop organized by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, Aniebonam said that the freight forwarding fraught with unprofessional practitioners because the Council has refused to put its feet on the ground by enforcing the Act and beating people back to line.
He explained that the recent development in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, where some people went to Kano to get judgment is rather unfortunate.
He said; ‘‘This is what has been going on for some time now when are we going to grow and get over these petty issues that are causing division in the industry.
‘You must enforce the law, some people went to Kano and got a Court injunction, how this help, this is what we live with everyday. What is wrong with us and that is why I am telling you that it is time to rise and enforce the law, please go and enforce the law or else I will take action that you may like.
“CRFFN is an agency of the government, what nonsense are you doing.”
Aniebonam also said that the problem of the industry is the non-enforcement of the laws regulating the industry.
He explained that if the CRFFN Act was not enforced, the Council will continue to be irrelevant adding that until this is done the Council will not earn the respect it deserves as an agency of government.
Reacting to the challenge, Sam Nwakohu said that the Council will not rush into taking action against any trade infraction without following due process.
He explained that the Council has a system of dealing with issues as they arise adding that with time freight forwarding practitioners will know that the Council has teeth to bite when the time comes.


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Electra Battery Materials and Three Fires Group are forming a joint venture to recycle lithium-ion battery waste in Ontario, Canada.
Electra and Three Fires Group will collaborate to source and process lithium-ion battery waste generated by electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and battery cells. The two will use Electra’s black mass processing capabilities to recover valuable elements used in the batteries, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite.
The waste will be processed at a facility that will be located in southern Ontario that will produce black mass material. That material will then be further refined at refined using Electra’s hydrometallurgical process at its plant near Toronto to recover valuable materials that can be reused.
As part of the agreement, Electra and Three Fires Group will also work to establish a net-zero industrial facility that can be used to shred and separate lithium-ion batteries and produce black mass material. The agreement calls for them to plan, fund, and build the battery waste recycling facility.
“Ontario is quickly emerging as an important center in the global EV supply chain, potentially providing economic prosperity for generations to come,” said Reggie George, executive director of special projects and partnerships for Three Fires Group. “Critical to this success will be ensuring that all manufacturing activities related to the EV supply chain are carried out sustainably and responsibly.”
Several automobile companies are planning electric vehicle facilities across the treaty areas of the Three Fires Confederacy in southwestern Ontario, including Volkswagen, LG-Stellantis, Toyota, and GM CAMI. Additionally, the region is seeing an increase in grid-connected battery storage systems.
Electra, which also signed a benefits agreement with the Métis Nation of Ontario in 2022, said the joint venture will increase the opportunity for manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries in the region to recover and reuse valuable and scarce materials as well as lower their carbon emissions from production. A report from Markets and Markets estimates the lithium-ion battery recycling market to grow to $35.1 billion by 2031, up from $6.5 billion last year.
Three Fires Group represents several First Nations in Ontario, including Caldwell First Nation and Stony Point First Nation, and supports First Nation investments in non-fossil fuel and clean energy projects generally aligned with the Ontario government’s energy supply acquisition strategy, according to the group. Electra says it operates the only cobalt sulfate refinery in North America, which the company says can produce enough of the material for 1.5 million electric vehicles per year, and also has projects in Quebec and Idaho.


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Ferry operator CalMac is reinforcing the essential travel to islands only message on the back of the latest Scottish Government advice.
List for CalMac Press Releases
Covid-19 forces CalMac to abandon 2020 apprenticeship intake
The Covid-19 emergency has forced ferry operator CalMac to defer its 2020 intake of Modern Apprentices (MAs).
Quiet Easter for CalMac shows public sticking to guidelines
The 'stay at home' message would appear to be working if trips to Scotland's west coast islands are a reflection of wider travel patterns.
CalMac issues Easter travel advice
Ferry operator CalMac has issued a reminder that only essential travel will be allowed over the Easter weekend.
Passengers heed government advice as CalMac traffic down 95%
CalMac has seen passenger numbers drop by 95% since new rules on essential ferry travel were put in place.
CalMac moves to card or phone only payment
West coast ferry operator CalMac is to stop taking cash on its ferries and ports in response to concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Relaxation of rules around passengers in cars
Due to the Covid-19 situation the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have agreed to temporarily relax its rules on passengers being able to stay in their vehicles during some ferry journeys.
CalMac customers urged to go online
25 March 2020 - Ferry operator CalMac is urging customers looking to cancel trips to go online after its contact centres were swamped with almost 5000 phone calls in a single day.
Statement from Transport Scotland on restrictions on non-essential ferry travel
24 March 2020 - In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Scottish Government has made clear the need to avoid all but essential travel by ferry to Scotland's remote and island communities
CalMac state ferry travel across Scotland must be for essential travel only
22 March 2020 - CalMac state ferry travel across Scotland must be for essential travel only
CalMac ceases all on board food and drink as a result of COVID-19 Outbreak
21 March 2020 - CalMac has announced that it is to cease its on board food and drink and retail offering with immediate effect on all routes.
Prioritisation of essential goods for transport
20 March 2020 - As the situation around the Covid:19 outbreak develops, it is critical that essential goods are transported to where they are required.
CalMac changes freight service to ensure lifeline maintained
20 March 2020 - To ensure continued lifeline services are maintained to the Isle of Lewis, ferry operator CalMac is making changes to its overnight freight service.
CalMac to cease advance bookings and hot food offering
CalMac is to stop taking new bookings on all of its services with a travel date of before 15 July as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 - CalMac's arrangements on advance bookings and hot food offering
19 March 2020 - CalMac has now stopped taking new bookings on all of its services up to and including 15 July 2020 as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Bookings can still be made for travel from 16 July and beyond. Bookings that have already been made up to that period will be honoured where services are running. Priority will continue to be given to emergency services and medical emergencies. We will now be operating a turn up and go service on all of our routes.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) statement
We would like to reassure our customers that we are working closely with Transport Scotland's Resilience Team & Health Protection Scotland with regards to the global outbreak of Coronavirus, and have developed #COVID19 contingency plans.


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In August 2021 Finfeed changed from a website that covered ASX listed news to a website
that covered a select range of ASX
listed small cap Biotech stocks that we are personally invested in: find out more.
The old Finfeed website, and all of the old articles are kept here for record keeping purposes.VISIT NEW SITE
Activistic passes 10,000 downloads of Veterans Call app
3 minute read
Micro-donations platform provider Activistic Limited (ASX: ACU) has appointed Jeremy Bassett-Smith as the Company’s Head of Product.
Mr. Bassett Smith will be responsible for the execution of the Company’s first two platforms, Veterans Call and Ralli and would be buoyed by the performance of Veterans Call, which in a short space of time has achieved 10,000 downloads.
Based in Australia, Mr. Bassett Smith brings a wealth of experience to the company and a history of building digital products and services for a variety of companies.
He has significant commercial experience and a background focused on designing and delivering digital solutions in entertainment and news media, financial and telecommunications sectors.
Executive Chairman of Activistic Holdings and Board Director Nigel Lee said: “Jeremy is a huge addition to the team. Reporting directly to me, Jeremy will industrialise our approach to product – for example releasing app upgrades every two weeks, allowing us to learn, improve and grow.”
Mr Lee says the skill set that Mr Bassett-Smith brings is vital at this pivotal time in the Company’s growth and expects that his digital experience will have an immediate impact on the growth of Activistic’s micro donations platforms and developing products.
“Today, the Veterans Call app has already engaged more than 10,000 people downloading the app, and with Jeremy’s talent on-board we can minimise the time to market of any new white-label partnership we sign.”
Mr. Basset-Smith has extensive knowledge of agile development processes and experience in programme managing multiple products to market.
These skills will be critical for Activistic’s next stage of growth and will benefit Activistic’s intention of using social media, financial and news elements of its revolutionary micro-donation technology, to roll-out and grow White-Label platform solutions with partners in the US and beyond.
Mr Basset-Smith joins Activistic from digital services provider, APD (formerly Next Digital) where he was Digital Manager, responsible for delivering digital applications including Wet’n’Wild Sydney theme park e-commerce app.
He also has worked at full service digital agency, ONQ as well as ASX-listed IT services company, DWS, where he was a software consultant.
Founded in 2012, Activistic has developed a revolutionary micro-donation technology that seamlessly connects and engages the world’s ~2 billion smartphone consumers with charities and causes.
Activistic’s technology ensures the lowest possible cost to both the donor and the industry via an efficient collection technology that enables regular payments or contributions utilising a mobile phone network.
Activistic allows subscribers to donate with ease and simplicity to any cause in any region, with no need for credit cards or bank information. It provides significant cost savings to beneficiaries; with the nominated charity receiving 85% of the donated amount as opposed to ~32% in the traditional model, as traditional fundraising costs typically represent ~68% of proceeds raised.


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The round was also backed by Picus Capital, Coatue, Crane Venture Partners, Inkef, and several angel investors, with a valuation significantly exceeding Silverflow’s Series A round in 2021.
Silverflow’s latest funding round follows its recent expansion into the US and Asia Pacific markets earlier this year, which was followed by the acquisition of new customer contracts in these regions.
Javier Perez, former Mastercard Europe CEO and Founder & Managing Director of Global Paytech Ventures, expressed his enthusiasm for leading the investment round:
We are delighted to lead this round, raising €15 million in cash. Silverflow presents a unique opportunity for enabling both legacy and new players to deploy the most modern, secure, and efficient payments processing platform. We would also like to extend our gratitude to our fellow co-investors.
Florian Reichert, Partner and Managing Director at Picus Capital, said Silverflow has built a “best-in-class solution” that is disrupting the payment processing market. He added that Picus Capital is convinced Silverflow will continue to build the clear “category leader” in the space.
While the payments industry has witnessed innovation in the front-end user experience, Silverflow recognized a gap in the back-end payment processing.
The company introduced a novel approach, providing acquirers, Payment Service Providers (PSPs), Payment Facilitators (PayFacs), and large merchants access to a single platform that consolidates card scheme data and innovative functionalities.
“Our biggest challenge has been getting customers to believe this technology is real. They often tell us it’s too good to be true,” said Silverflow’s Anne Willem de Vries.
Silverflow’s cloud-native payment processing platform with a single API to card networks has rapidly gained traction, attracting major clients across Europe, North America, and APAC, including Deutsche Bank, Transaction Services, Buckaroo, PAYABL., and more.
The company plans to build upon its presence in Europe and North America while expanding into the Latin America and APAC markets.


text: Ever since internet has stepped in the domain of markets, the style of conducting commercial transactions has changed. E-Commerce transactions are very different from the everyday buying at the store transactions and they are gaining more significance by the day. Due to the everevolving technology driven nature of these e-markets, regulators across the globe are exploring ways to discipline them without causing much distortions. However, the job is more complicated than it appears. In these circumstances, while India is in the phase of drafting its National ECommerce Policy, its international forefront reflects carefulness in engaging in the ongoing negotiations. This article aims to explore the complexity of e-commerce from the international trade forefront and its implications for developing countries like India.


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Italian luxury fashion house Prada announced it will stop using animal fur in its products from next year.
Prada said it is making the change to meet the demand for ethical products from shoppers. Animal charities are describing the move as one of the most significant fur-free fashion statements yet in their continuing campaign to end the use of all fur worldwide.
The designer brand has sold mink, fox and rabbit pieces throughout the years. Animal charities had been working with Prada after running a public campaign urging the brand to drop fur last September.
Fur will no longer be part of future designs from February 2020 after its spring-summer 2020 women’s collection.
Via Sky News


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Samsung Galaxy S5 could benefit from Design 3.0
Hot on the heels of the recently released Samsung Galaxy S4 comes news that could influence the design for the release of the Samsung Galaxy S5 next year. It’s reported that a whole new Samsung design initiative dubbed Design 3.0 is underway, and while it is unlikely that we’ll see signs of this in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 later this year, it is certainly possible that the Galaxy S5 may benefit.
It seems that top Samsung executives have got together at a meeting in Seoul to discuss the development of this new initiative, which will influence both the interior and external look of the company’s devices. Design 3.0 will mold future designs of Samsung products and the company hopes that it will make Samsung devices stand out from the crowd and also instill “positive values.”
A Korean newspaper has reported that Yoon Boo-keun, the co-CEO and Representative Director of Samsung, said that the meeting involved strategies for the electronics market as well as design trends, although nothing more about Design 3.0 has yet been revealed. It seem the initiative is in the early phases, but the main gist of the idea seems to be that Samsung wants its products to be instantly recognizable to potential customers.
Obviously as Design 3.0 appears to be very much in the developmental stage the possibility of it being implemented in the Galaxy Note 3 seems remote. However the Galaxy S5 will probably not be available until April or May next year, around one year from the launch of the Galaxy S4, so there could certainly be signs of the Design 3.0 influence by then.
We’re really interested to see how Samsung’s Design 3.0 pans out and will be following future progress. We’ll be sure to let you know when we hear more. In the meantime you may enjoy our recent look at a concept Galaxy S5 as well as an opportunity to input your ideas for a dream Galaxy S5.
Be sure to let us know with your comments about your thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S5. What would you like to see for the design? Have you some great ideas for Design 3.0?
Source: The Korea Herald


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Samsung reported its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings performance today, with one highlight being the “weak demand” the company admitted can be seen at present for smartphones and tablets. Of course, not all of Samsung’s rival handset makers necessarily feel the same way at the moment — take Apple, for instance. So many people were apparently clamoring to buy models from its new iPhone 11 series that Apple actually overtook Samsung for once during the fourth quarter, a period of time when Apple beat every Android brand to become the top smartphone vendor in the world.
“While overall demand for smartphones and tablets increased (quarter-over-quarter) as a result of year-end seasonality, revenue for the Mobile Business decreased … as the effect from new flagship model launches faded,” Samsung said today, before going on to add: “Looking ahead to the first quarter, weak demand is seen for smartphones and tablets due to low seasonal demand. In these circumstances, Samsung expects smartphone revenue to rise on improved product mix with the launch of new flagship models and foldable smartphones.”
The master plan for this year, apparently, calls for the Galaxy Z Flip to be the first foldable of … many? The company is expected to unveil this new clamshell foldable on February 11, at the first Unpacked press conference of 2020, following an on-sale date of February 14. Almost everything there is to know about the phone has leaked by now, including its expected $1,400 price tag — making it more affordable than Motorola’s Razr.
Next up would be the true successor to last year’s Galaxy Fold, which everyone has taken to officially calling the Fold 2, at least for now. It will come with ultra-thin and more scratch-resistant glass, as well as S Pen support and an 8-inch foldable display. Other expected features include a 108MP camera, the latest chipsets from Snapdragon and Exynos, as well as 5G support.
As far as what’s still to come after all that, we’ll have to wait and see. But it does look like Samsung is cooking up even more foldable handsets to bring to market this year. For its mobile business over the rest of this year, Samsung said today as part of its earnings release that it expects demand for OLED screens to grow as well as the wider adoption of 5G smartphones. “The Company will make efforts to expand sales and boost utilization with a broader customer base and stronger product competitiveness. Especially, Samsung will seek to actively address demand for new applications such as foldable devices and other IT products.”


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Apple says it will alert users who downloaded apps infected with malware from its App Store, it emerged Tuesday
In an FAQ posted in Chinese and in English on its Chinese website, Apple outlined the steps it is taking with users and developers to both fix the infected apps and keep affected users informed.
"Customers will be receiving more information letting them know if they’ve downloaded an app/apps that could have been compromised," the company wrote, though it did not specify when or how users would be notified.
It’s still unclear exactly how many apps were affected by XcodeGhost, a form of malware revealed last week and acknowledged by Apple on Sunday. Palo Alto Networks, the company that discovered the issue, identified 39 apps, though other reports suggested the number of affected apps could be much higher Read more…
via Mashable http://on.mash.to/1NXPyny


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While BlackBerry has been on the sidelines on the popularity and fan base front, a latest update for the BlackBerry 10 could change its fortune. Globally, all users of the BB 10 will now be able to access a new update for a more interactive and user friendly experience.
If you are wondering what could be so game changing about the rollout, here is a brief look-
- The update enables BlackBerry owners to create customized filters via pinch gesture. Al you need to do is visit Blackberry Hub.
- Automated call reject reverts on non-availability
- More interactive call screen layout
- Direct access to messages from notification screen
- Authentication via picture-based password
- Battery monitor
- Contact sync by choice
We smell too much inspiration from Android. Perhaps insecurity indeed gives rise to better results.
BlackBerry has also been inspired by Android with the latest update, introducing a customizable quick-settings menu, much like Android’s dropdown bar.


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22nd Oct 2015
London, 22 October 2015 - Customers of Britain’s banks and building societies are the most satisfied they have ever been, according to the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI). Figures published today by the Institute of Customer Service also suggest that the UK’s financial houses represent the only sector to witness consistently improving levels of customer satisfaction since 2012.
At a time when other sectors analysed by the UKCSI show flat-lining or decreasing levels of customer satisfaction, the UK’s banks and building societies are the only sector whose satisfaction ratings are higher today (78.6 out of 100), than they were in July 2012 (78.1). The sector’s latest score is also comfortably above the national average (76.2), ensuring that it has climbed from 7th to 4th place out of 13 sectors examined.
The latest UKCSI reveals that just 9 percent of customers are currently experiencing problems with banks and building societies - well below the all-sector average of 13.2 percent. When a problem is registered, these organisations are also increasingly regarded, by customers, as performing well, ranking above average for satisfying customers when they make a complaint.
The sector also boasts the UK’s best performing organisation, first direct, which has displaced the likes of John Lewis and Amazon to top the UKCSI charts for the first time, with a score of 87. Yorkshire Bank and Nationwide are other notable performers, representing the sector in the top 20 of all UK companies.
Only the beginning of a journey
While banks and building societies are showing signs that customer satisfaction is improving, there is still room for progress. The only area in which the sector falls below the national average is the online checkout process it offers customers. Given that almost a third of customers said their last interactions with these organisations were via a website (almost 10 percent higher than the all-sector average) it is critical that this issue is addressed.
“As mobile and online banking increasingly becomes a convenient option, organisations must ensure that customer service online reaches the same standard as the more traditional methods, such as ‘across the counter’ over the phone,” says Jo Causon, CEO of the Institute of Customer Service.
“Now that customers can switch bank accounts within seven days, they are more aware of the options and more likely to consider changing. There is no longer apathy brought about by uncertainty meaning that strong customer service is now a key competitive advantage in the marketplace. In what is becoming a relationship driven economy, if customers are not happy they will vote with their feet and move to the competition.”
Further evidence that the banks must continue striving to improve customer service is that the sector only comes in at number 6 for customer loyalty. Consistent improvements are needed for loyalty to rise and businesses to hold onto customers. Since new account switching regulation has been put in place, there has been a 4 percent increase in customers switching banks across the UK, making the relationship between banks and their customers a more pressing issue.
“Quite simply, customer service needs to be a key strategic focus at the top level of organisations within the banking and building societies sector. Those businesses that do not recognise this will see their customers switch to their competitors and lose market share,” added Causon.
Notes to editors
For further information please contact:
Nathan Field / Michael Creane / Tom Ingoldby (Chameleon PR)
T: 020 7680 5500
About The Institute of Customer Service
The Institute of Customer Service is the professional body for customer service delivering tangible benefit to organisations and individuals so that our customers can improve their customers’ experience and their own business performance. The Institute is a membership body with a community of over 400 organisational members – from the private, public and third sectors – and over 5,000 individual memberships. For more information about the Institute of Customer Service go to www.instituteofcustomerservice.com


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With more time on his hands, Bandara started looking for investment opportunities and came across a conversation on Facebook about bitcoin (BTC, -10.84%). Bandara was soon introduced to an online community of crypto enthusiasts from various parts of the island.
“I didn’t know crypto was that popular in Sri Lanka. But when I joined the Telegram groups and all the communities, I realized that there had been a good amount of people who had been interested in crypto since 2015 or even earlier,” Bandara said.
A steady stream of newcomers like Bandara are joining the island’s veteran bitcoin investors. While many new investors are attracted by the promise of quick gains in an ongoing crypto bull market, others are shaken by the coronavirus pandemic’s economic devastation and are searching for a more promising store of value.
The crypto industry remains unregulated in Sri Lanka, although purchasing virtual assets using credit cards is prohibited under foreign currency exchange laws, making it difficult for prospective investors to purchase cryptocurrencies.
Even so, increasingly more Sri Lankans are turning to peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto trading platforms or closed social media groups to purchase crypto. P2P bitcoin trading platform Paxful saw a 730% rise in trading volume between April 2020 and April 2021, according to data from Useful Tulips.
“The average monthly volume so far in 2021 is three times what we saw in 2020,” said Danny Stagg, director of communications at Paxful.
Stagg said the trading volume recorded on Paxful for Sri Lanka in the first three months of this year alone has already surpassed the total volume traded in 2020. A number of other emerging markets have seen similar trends, particularly in Brazil and Morocco.
Sri Lanka’s interest in crypto has ballooned to such an extent that, in April, the country’s central bank (CBSL) published a warning, alerting the public of the risks involved in virtual currency investments for the second time in the last three years.
“There are no regulatory safeguards relating to the usage, investment or dealing in [virtual currencies] in Sri Lanka. Therefore, investing or using [virtual currencies] in Sri Lanka poses significant risks,” the warning said.
CoinDesk reached out to CBSL for comment on the most recent warning but the institution did not respond by press time.
A struggling economy
For nearly three decades, Sri Lanka was embroiled in an internal conflict that came to a violent end in 2009, with the United Nations later launching a probe into whether war crimes had been committed. Since the end of the war, the country has been attempting to fast-track development, becoming heavily indebted to China in the process.
Nonetheless, Sri Lanka slowly cemented itself as a top tourist destination, and the tourism industry accounted for 12.6% of the country’s GDP in 2019. But the same year a series of ISIS bombings on Easter Sunday claimed 250 lives including 42 foreigners, dealing a heavy blow to the economy.
Now, Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, and the economy as a whole, is struggling to recover from the impact of the prolonged nationwide lockdowns imposed during the pandemic. With COVID-19 cases on the rise again, travel restrictions within and into the country have been reinstated.
The island reported a devastating -3.6% economic growth in 2020, the country’s worst economic downturn in the last 73 years. The Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) fell to record lows against the U.S. dollar last year while the government turned to China for a bailout to avoid defaulting on debt owed to foreign creditors.
Meanwhile, the central bank is holding interest rates down until the economy shows signs of recovery. The rupee fell further in April following a $1.5 billion currency swap deal with China, leading to speculation about a rise in inflation towards the end of 2021.
“With these conversations, people are now trying to see what other avenues, what alternative investments they can get into, rather than putting money into fixed deposits or the other savings in banks,” Bandara said.
Buying into crypto
When Chirath Rajapaksha, an early crypto investor with a background in traditional stock trading, tried to buy bitcoin in 2018, it was difficult for him to find sellers online.
“I had a very hard time finding people. But now when you go on Facebook and just type ‘bitcoin’ you can find 10 or 20 people to buy from. On Binance P2P, you easily have more than 20 or 30 sellers,” Rajapaksha said.
In 2020, Binance added support for the LKR on its peer-to-peer trading platform. According to Dilip Ishara, blockchain community manager and Binance Angel, Sri Lanka’s local Binance community has around 4,000 members.
As crypto trading booms, the number of scams in the local trading industry is also growing.
On a daily basis, Ishara gets hundreds of requests from prospective investors looking to join the closed groups but because of the prevalence of scammers, administrators of various online groups have to vet all requests before making any decisions, Ishara said.
According to Rajapaksha, the pandemic has revealed the “ugly side” of crypto in Sri Lanka: Those who are new to crypto can easily fall victim to the scammers and fraudulent schemes that have permeated the crypto space.
“A lot of people are struggling with their current jobs, especially people from the travel and tourism sectors. They’ve had two very rough years. When the pandemic started, we had more people join our groups. But those who are not knowledgeable about crypto who want to make money quickly end up falling for pyramid schemes and losing their way,” Rajapaksha said.
As veteran crypto enthusiasts, Rajapaksha and Ishara spend a lot of time advising newcomers on how to avoid scams and trade carefully.
“But we can’t stop the scams completely,” Ishara said.
In 2018, Aman, 22, invested the $1,200 he earned while working with his father, a carpenter, on a basket of cryptocurrencies including bitcoin, ethereum (ETH, -10.87%) and chainlink (LINK, -8.15%). In fact, Aman got some help from Rajapaksha in navigating the space when he first started.
“At first crypto was something like a part-time job for me, and then gradually I became a full-time trader and now it is my main source of income,” Aman said.
Aman is eager for the government to step in and regulate the space.
“Maybe proper regulations and awareness programs will be helpful for newbies as well as to avoid scams. Regulating the space in a good way will attract more investors,” Aman said.
While Sri Lanka’s neighbor, India, is contemplating a potential ban on cryptocurrencies, Aman doesn’t think the Sri Lankan government will ban crypto.
According to Dr. W. A. Wijewardena, economist and former deputy governor of CBSL, in Sri Lanka the only currency that is legal tender is the rupee issued by CBSL, making any other means of payment illegal.
“However, if people choose to issue alternative currencies, the central bank cannot stop it,” Wijewardena said, adding that’s why CBSL has issued multiple warnings concerning the use of cryptocurrencies.


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Bitmain Plans to Layoff Over Half its Workforce
December 27, 2018 12:26 pm
Bitmain, the world’s largest manufacturer of cryptocurrency mining hardware is facing a difficult time. Ever since the price drop of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, mining has stopped being profitable for the majority of companies and users.
It is speculated that the mining giant may start laying off employees this week and this can lead to a loss of more than half of its employees. This report was first published by CoinDesk this past Tuesday.
It is speculated that the layoffs will take place across the board, including crypto mining, the company’s core business division. If CoinDesk’s report is to be believed, the employees who are working on artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies will be the worst victims of this downsizing.
The rumors of this downsizing first surfaced on Maimai, China’s version of LinkedIn this past week. A verified Bitmain employee posted,
“It’s affirmative. The layoff will start next week and involves more than 50 percent of the entire Bitmain’s headcount.”
A Bitmain spokesperson did not confirm the 50 percent portion of the rumor, though he said
“There has been some adjustment to our staff this year as we continue to build a long-term, sustainable and scalable business. A part of that is having to really focus on things that are core to that mission and not things that are auxiliary.”
According to an anonymous source, Bitmain had increased its employees from 1,000 to 3,100 in this year alone. A major part of this growth is credited to the company’s interest in investing in blockchain technologies and artificial intelligence.
Bitmain shut down its Israel office earlier this month and laid off all its 23 employees, a move that was a result of the economic downturn in cryptocurrencies globally.
The company is currently valued at billions of dollars. Back in September, it confirmed the strategy to go public on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Since the downturn of the crypto markets, it seems that the plan might not go through.
A growing concern in the market is that if Bitmain topples, the cryptocurrency market will fall further into the abyss. This is because the mining giant holds a significant chunk of various cryptocurrencies which will drop in value in case Bitmain plans to go on a selling spree.


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PARAGOULD, AR (KAIT) - A Paragould woman was shocked to see what was going on in the car next to her in a shopping center parking lot.
Natalie Gray was running some morning errands when she noticed a man staring at her from his car.
Gray said she went into a store in the shopping center behind Dixie Café.
When Gray finished shopping, she was at first relieved to see the car gone.
However, the car had not left, but actually moved to the parking spot right next to her car.
When she approached her car, she saw the man masturbating in his car next to her.
Gray said she quickly got in her car and drove off but tried to get a good description of the car.
She called the police and told them it was a small older maroon vehicle.
The car did not have a license plate on it.
Dispatch said they sent police over to the area but could not find the man or car Gray described.
Since the man is still out there, Gray decided to take to Facebook to warn others.
"I was really frustrated that number one it happened to me and then I was worried about how no one saw him, the police didn't and I am obviously worried it would happen to someone else," Gray said.
After posting to Facebook, Gray received a few personal messages from other women saying the same thing happened to them.
Dispatch said they are on the lookout for any calls similar to Gray's incident so they can help catch the man.
Copyright 2016 KAIT. All rights reserved.


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China Tops the World in Solar Panel Manufacturing
China has long been the world's factory for iPods, cell phones and a host of appliances. Now it can add solar panel manufacturing to the list of industries in dominates.
Five of the top 10 solar panel makers in the world are from China, a trend that took hold last year, according to a report by Massachusetts-based greentech analysts GTM Research.
"More and more consumers in the United States can expect the solar modules placed on their rooftops to be coming from Chinese manufacturers," says Shyam Mehta, a senior market analyst at GTM. "The modules might have an American brand, but they will still be made in China."
Suntech Power (STP) in China ranks No. 2 on the global list. Other Chinese companies in the top 10 are Yingli Green Energy (YGE), Trina Solar (TSL), Solarfun (SOLF) and Canadian Solar (CSIQ), according to GTM Research.
But the individual crown goes to U.S. company First Solar (FSLR), which grabs the laurel for the first time ever. First Solar has factories that can produce more than 1 gigawatt of solar panels from its factories in the U.S., Germany and Malaysia. One gigawatt of solar panels could produce enough power for about 145,000 average homes and save about 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, says company spokeswoman Melanie Friedman.
What Consumers Want
In California, the largest regional market for solar in the U.S., retailers already are showing more love for panels produced by companies such as Suntech Power, Trina Solar, Yingli and Kyocera, wrote Mark Bachman, a financial analyst with Auriga USA, in April.
Perhaps not surprisingly, these manufacturers are getting more orders because they're able to produce less expensive solar panels. Prices for solar electricity systems vary depending on location, equipment models and labor costs. In general, a 2-kilowatt system, suitable for a single-family home, could cost a homeowner nearly $20,000 -- not counting government incentives.
But those government incentives have played a big role in boosting in consumer demand for solar panels, as have financing plans offered by installers. Some cities and counties also have issued bonds to fund the installation of solar electric systems for their residents and businesses. The property owners then repay their local governments over time through special fees on their property tax bills.
Germany Remains the Biggest Market
Although 2009 was gripped by recession, solar panel production actually grew 41% to 8.9 gigawatts, Mehta says. Particularly strong demand in Germany drove the increase. The country installed 1.3 gigawatts in the fourth quarter alone, says the GTM report.
Germany is the largest solar market in the world because of a government policy that requires utilities to buy solar electricity at prices higher than they pay for power from fossil fuel-burning plants. Those prices are set to decrease this year, so many developers have been hurrying to complete projects. This rush began in the second half of last year.
But earlier in 2009, solar panel makers were shutting down production lines and furloughing their workers because the recession had caused banks to slow or even stop loaning money to project developers.


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Fitness specialists get physical
Fitness specialists at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Fitness Center held a Command Fitness Leader Certification Course to qualify sailors as command fitness leaders (CFLs), July 22-26.
CFLs are an essential element in the overall fitness and readiness of sailors, according to the Navy fitness website, and are responsible for conducting bi-annual physical fitness assessment, exercise programming, and guidance to ensure their sailors maintain physical readiness.
"General fitness, nutrition, and CFL administration information is passed to the new CFLs through the CFL course," said David Wald, fitness specialist at the fitness center. "The information is given to them so they can lead in physical readiness back at their commands."
CFLs must be trained and certified through the five-day certification course, which covers the administrative actions and duties of a CFL, and includes daily gym sessions that teach a variety of exercises for a physical training program.
"Becoming a CFL is important because they can help Sailors stay fit and accomplish the mission," said K.J. Johnson, a fitness specialist at the NAS Whidbey fitness center. "A CFL helps the Navy by aiding and motivating Sailors to stay fit, improving goals and reducing injuries."
Johnson said before he became a fitness specialist he was a CFL at two commands prior to his retirement.
"It's a big responsibility to help sailors meet PRT (Physical Readiness Test) standards to maintain their careers and overall health," Johnson said. "I look for someone who is motivated, squared way and in top shape. They have to be able to set the standard and be the example."
According to the Navy fitness website, after completing the course new CFLs will have the skills, education, and motivation to guide in establishing and maintaining fitness for their commands.
Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Cory Hover, assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 69, said after completing the course he hopes to inspire his sailors back at his command.
"I'm hoping my motivation will carry over to my sailors," Hover said. "A healthy sailor is a happy sailor."


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INCOG BioPharma Services, an Indiana-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in sterile injectables and seeking to deliver better customer experiences in the CDMO market, is nearing completion on the construction of its manufacturing facility and global headquarters in Fishers, Indiana.
The 90,000 square foot facility will be the epicenter of INCOG’s manufacturing operations which will support biopharmaceutical companies in advancing and accelerating early phase clinical projects, while also providing commercial scale manufacturing in support of global product launches and routine commercial supply.
Alex Haig, Vice President of Operations at INCOG, said: “This entire facility has been designed to meet or exceed best-in-class industry standards. From our turn-key cleanrooms, designed and installed by AES Cleanroom Technology, to our best-in-class multi-use filling equipment from Optima Pharma, this site enables us to accelerate and scale operations for our customers to supply biopharmaceutical products to patients across vial, syringe and cartridge manufacturing platforms.”
Alongside the new building’s state-of-the-art equipment and a talented technical team, the company is looking to reinvigorate the CDMO customer experience with its approach to customer service.
INCOG was conceived from the simple idea that there is a better way of working in the CDMO industry that puts excellent customer service front and center.
INCOG’s CEO, president and founder, Cory Lewis, explains: “Having worked in the CDMO space for more than 20 years, I’ve seen many companies focused solely on throughput, equipment and processes and less on customer care. At INCOG, we wanted to take the lessons that we have learned in the industry and create something better. We aim to maximize quality and operations while offering a best-in-class customer service experience at each touchpoint in the development, manufacturing, and supply chain process.
“Through fostering a culture of collaboration, honesty, trust, and transparency with our customers and employees, we will set a new standard in the CDMO space that puts customer care as the top priority.”
As the facility construction nears completion, INCOG is actively onboarding new customers. The company will be offering development, analytical testing, stability studies and storage, and cold chain storage starting in H1-2022 and will be fully operational and begin offering CGMP manufacturing in Q3-2022 after completing a robust qualification process and media fill campaign.
To support its growth, INCOG purchased the 16-acre site in December 2020, and 12-months to the day they celebrated occupancy of the office space at their newly constructed site. INCOG plans to create more than 150 jobs by the end of 2024.


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Last Updated on
The next time you boot into your Windows 10 PC just let the thought cross your mind that you are only one of one billion Win 10 users on the planet at the moment. Yes. 1 billion.
It’s taken Microsoft just five years to achieve global OS domination with over half the PCs in existence running the latest version (NetMarketShare). It’s come a long way since they shipped me out to Seattle back in the day for the launch of Windows 95!
Back then, it was all about how DirectX was going to affect the future of PC gaming, and it turns out they weren’t wrong.
Corporate Vice President for Modern Life, Search & Devices at Microsoft Yusuf Mehdi said in a recent blog post:
“Today we’re delighted to announce that over one billion people have chosen Windows 10 across 200 countries resulting in more than one billion active Windows 10 devices. We couldn’t be more grateful to our customers, partners and employees for helping us get here.”
The magical billion number does include Xbox One consoles as well (in case you didn’t know that’s what your favourite gaming device uses in the backend). The only area they failed to dominate in was mobile, with Windows Phone (wow, that seems a long time ago) failing miserably.
With support for Windows 7 ending in January, those keen to keep their PC free of future vulnerabilities perhaps had no real choice but to upgrade. Still, there is no doubting Windows 10 will continue to evolve in the coming years – before eventually turning into Skynet. Happy times.


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Jul 7, 2022
How 'Barbiecore' is bringing gender extremes back to the forefront of fashion
Jul 7, 2022
With the "Barbie" movie currently filming in California, the world's most famous doll is imposing her signature style on the catwalks, red carpets, and even our wardrobes, reinvigorating certain stereotypes thought dead and buried.
Women have decided to move on from the comfort of sweatpants to embrace more extravagant clothing styles, bright colors and mismatched patterns. All things pink, ultra-short, ultra-tight and ultra-kitsch appear to be on a mission to conquer our wardrobes this summer, as part of a trend called "Barbiecore."
"Life in plastic, it's fantastic"
Recently the goth look, hiker style, the 'weird girl' aesthetic, the minimalism of the 'coastal grandmother' and sporty fashion were among the main trends of the season. But "Barbiecore" seems to be the absolute antithesis of all these trends, focusing on a stereotypical wardrobe in the extreme, channeling fun, glamour and ramped up femininity.
Pink is the new Black
This aesthetic, inspired by Barbie's world, above all translates into an explosion of pink, a color already adopted by a host of stars across the Atlantic. Megan Fox didn't miss the opportunity to step out in the shade when attending the premiere of the documentary about her dear and beloved Machine Gun Kelly, aptly titled "Life in Pink." She took to the red carpet in a Barbie-esque outfit. An experience that she repeated the following days on the streets of New York.
But the American actress is far from the only one taking style cues from Barbie. Hailey Bieber posted a picture on Instagram showing her wearing an outfit directly inspired by the world of the famous doll -- a pink skin-tight mini-dress and XXL platform boots.
Similarly, the now blonde Kim Kardashian went as far as accessorizing her metallic pink outfit with a matching handbag adorned with multiple glittering embellishments. It's hard to get more kitsch, and that's probably -- precisely -- the appeal here! Meanwhile her sister Khloe posted pictures of herself looking like Barbie in a pink latex minidress with pink shoes and blonde locks. After two particularly gloomy years, the idea is to show off and have fun, summer being the ideal season to do both.
A lasting trend?
Even if this Barbie fad doesn't last, the fall season could still be tinged with her favorite shade -- pink. The fall-winter 2022 shows proved a real ode to the vibrant color, starting with Valentino, which splashed the shade on dozens of looks, both in women's and men's styles. But the fashion house isn't alone in bringing pink to its collections. Michael Kors, Versace, Act No. 1 and Dolce & Gabbana are among the brands that hope to keep rose-tinted fashion on the agenda for a few more months.
Copyright © 2023 AFP-Relaxnews. All rights reserved.


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The German manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles, Bavarian Motors Works (BMW) recently unveiled a self- balancing motorcycle during its 100th-anniversary celebrations on Wednesday.
This self-balancing motorcycle is a future vision the company has for motorcycles to come in the next years. It has self-balancing wheels that are designed to stand upright even at a stop and it stability allows riders to use without a helmet.
According to the design director of BMW’s motorcycle division, Edgar Heinrich, he said that “Its self-balancing system will help protect the rider at any time. Any late reaction from the driver will trigger and the vehicle will balance out.”
“In the future, motorcycle riders will be able to enjoy riding without protective gear.”
Also, the world’s top maker of luxury vehicles has given it a futuristic year for BMW sports car with a flexible body, as well as a self-driving Rolls-Royce and an electric Mini model.
Many other countries authorised the protective gear and self-balancing technology is still in the developmental stage.
The company concluded that despite its contemporary features the bike will not be fully autonomous.
Heinrich added that “We do not envision autonomy on motorcycles,” because the driverless autopilot system has been studied globally following fatal crashes in northern China in January and in the US state of Florida in May.
BMW aims to commercialize fully autonomous vehicles by 2021, a company spokesman said.


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Google’s Android distribution chart is the object of interest of many smartphone users who have their devices running on Android judging by the fact that just a handful of devices are actually running it. When taking into account that the newest version of the most popular operating system on mobile devices was officially introduced in late August last year, it is only found on 2.8 percent of devices.
People should take into consideration the fact that things are constantly improving in terms of Android OS and they are trying to bring the most popular version which is packed full of interesting features to other handsets as well. The smartphone market is always improving and competition grows more and fiercer as years go buy.
The South Korean tech giant Samsung is constantly trying to improve their handsets and they have started to roll out software update to bring Android 7.0 Nougat to other handsets which have premium status. Another interesting plan to develop their devices is the fact that some older devices are receiving the same update treatment.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 and Edge variant have received their Android Nougat update somewhere in January and they have announced the update of Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to be implemented sometime soon.
According to some reports, the Korean tech giant is going to first update handsets for users who are based in Germany and Switzerland whilst others are going to receive the same treatment the following weeks. A number of markets are going to receive the Nougat update and will also include the security update which was scheduled for February.
The update will be offered over the air automatically and comes at around 1.3GB in size. One has to make sure that he or she has a stable internet connection and enough storage space to accept the update. If the update fails to arrive, it can be manually installed within the about device section and install it without having to encountered any obstacles.