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Cyclicals boost European shares while Dixons Carphone plummets
[LONDON] Gains by cyclical sectors helped push European stocks higher on Thursday while heavy losses in Dixons Carphone after a profit warning dominated trading.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up 0.2 per cent at its close, in line with euro zone stocks and blue chips.
Dixons Carphone shares plummeted as much as 29 per cent after the mobile phone retailer downgraded expectations for full-year profit, reflecting tougher conditions in the mobile market as customers hold on to handsets for longer.
"With the December results some way off and Black Friday week (of retail discounts) looming, Dixons will be under pressure to provide additional detail on today's complex variables in coming weeks," said Stifel analysts.
Dixons Carphone was the worst-performing among European retail stocks so far this year, even before Thursday's decline wiped nearly a quarter off its market value. The index was down 0.2 per cent on the day as Dixons weighed.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch European equity strategist Ronan Carr said he didn't favour Europe's retail sector, partly because of its heavy skew towards British companies.
In general results this quarter have seen investors punish companies that missed expectations particularly harshly, a trend which analysts put down to slowing macroeconomic momentum.
"Expectations caught up with what have been solid fundamentals and we are at a juncture now where some macro indicators have shown signs of topping out," Mr Carr said, pointing to US dollar weakness as another headwind to European earnings.
"The fundamentals are supportive of continued earnings recovery but there's a challenge from the currency," Mr Carr added.
Among individual stocks, shares in Danish biotech firm Genmab jumped more than 11 per cent after it announced positive topline results in its phase III Alcyone trial.
British sub-prime lender Provident Financial added to a recovery from its sharp falls earlier in the week, jumping 13.2 per cent.
Sunrise Communications gained 7.3 per cent after its second-quarter net income more than doubled and Berenberg raised the stock to a "buy".
Danish software firm Simcorp dropped 9.8 per cent after its second-quarter results missed expectations, with order intake down 22 per cent year-on-year.
"There's a risk that the tech sector could be a little over-owned," said Mr Carr, pointing to tech stocks consistently being an overweight in BAML's monthly fund manager surveys.
"And if we start to get negative results, in line with the theme that misses get punished more, I think we could see share price reactions being more severe."
The company earnings season in Europe was drawing to a close, with almost 90 per cent of MSCI Europe firms having reported. So far, 55 per cent have beaten forecasts and 39 per cent have missed.
By comparison, more than two-thirds of companies reporting in the United States topped expectations.


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To optimise the user experience of their frequent flyer programme, Cathay Pacific airline and its partner Asia Miles have opted for blockchain technology by Accenture.
Cathay Pacific airline has set up a partnership with technology giant Accenture to use blockchain as part of its frequent flyer programme, according to its partner Asia Miles. With a new platform and an application for smartphones, Asia Miles now allows its members to benefit from a new programme called Unlock More Miles, according to reports on the Tom Travel website.
More transparent and efficient operations
Via this new programme, Asia Miles members will get miles and further benefits, all of which is being highlighted by a publicity campaign. "We are delighted with the marketing campaign resulting from our collaboration with Asia Miles," said Lawrence Fong, General Manager IT Solutions for Cathay Pacific. "We believe that the offer will be very well received."
The integration of blockchain will also bring about a technological improvement in the customer experience for Asia Miles members who will be able to manage their miles via the mobile app both chronologically and also on the move, while getting rewards will become a more fun process. The main advantage is that the various operations will be more transparent and efficient thanks to the automation of data transfer processes.
Data transfer simplified by blockchain
While the design of the new mobile app has been managed by Cathay Pacific and Asia Miles, Accenture was in charge of the entire development that is based on blockchain technology and which takes into account the technical limitations linked to airline travel and the Cathay Pacific loyalty programmes.
Using a securitised database, the application optimises the efficiency of the Asia Miles programme by enabling miles to be managed almost in real time for each third party, i.e. both the beneficiary and the Asia Miles partners. The miles on offer should also now appear in the accounts of the Asia Miles programme members the day after the launch of the marketing operation.
According to Lawrence Fong, the technology developed by Accenture is set to enable Cathay Pacific to offer new services. "We are excited by the idea of being able to allow all our members and partners the chance to benefit from this technological innovation, in particular in the scope of the new marketing operations," said Stephen Sy Wong, Chief Executive Officer of Asia Miles.
Contact Allianz Partners
Jun 9, 2018
Blockchain can now decentralise the financing of international trade and make it more secure. Banks HSBC and ING have successfully executed their first letter of credit using this techn [...]
May 28, 2018
Blockchain has been the talk of the town for the past few quarters and is no longer the sole province of the nerds and geeks. Website Forbes has ranked the countries which have already [...]
Feb 6, 2017
"Securing the future and embodying trust: insurers put to the test with the blockchain revolution" by Dan Assouline, Allianz Worldwide Partners
Securing the future and embodying trust: insurers put to the test with the blockchain revolution

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The average client who walks into the offices of the non-profit Consumer Credit Counseling Services has nine credit cards totaling $18,000 of debt.
Obviously, some folks are not very good at telling themselves "no."
"It will be better. That's our mind-set," said Johnny Cantrell, chief operating officer at CCCS in Lexington, a subsidiary of Apprisen Financial Advocates. "We've gravitated too much to social status and instant gratification. We are spending way above our means.
"We are good people who use bad judgement," he said.
This down economy has not changed that scenario much at all. Even with employment worries and an uncertain future, some parents will spend $5,000 on two children for Christmas.
When Cantrell asks those clients why they spent so much using credit cards, they say they want their children to have the sought-after gifts that their classmates have.
Cantrell said January and February are his two busiest months, as clients seek help for mounting credit card debt. November and December are two of the slowest months because future clients are out spending.
Telling people not to spend this time of year can be a waste of breath. "Consumers consume," Cantrell said.
But there are some things you can do to prevent Christmas-spending hangovers, Cantrell said. For example: Use layaway plans, stick to a budget, make fewer shopping trips, and shop with cash, checks or debit cards.
Or, Cantrell said, set up Christmas Club accounts with your banks, just as our parents did, so you can have a set amount of money to spend during the holidays.
Definitely avoid taking cash advances from credit cards, he said, because the interest rates are so high.
But if you don't follow that advice, Cantrell said, you need to pay off the credit card charges as soon as possible, starting with the card with the highest interest rates.
You can dedicate your "extra" paychecks to that debt, he said. Normally, if you get paid weekly, you get four "extra" paychecks a year, and if you get paid biweekly, you get two.
But because of a quirk in the calendar, those of us who get paid weekly will see a fifth "extra" paycheck, either in 2009 or in 2010, and those of us who get paid biweekly will see a third "extra" paycheck. It will depend on whether you get paid before or after Jan. 1.
Those "extra" paychecks could put a dent in your debt.
If you find yourself in trouble, Cantrell said, you can call his office at (859) 259-9999 and set up a free consultation.
Or, he said, if you aren't sure about coming to his office, there is Web visor, an online, non-human survey that will provide a complete advice booklet at the end, customized to their personal financial situation. Go to http://apprisen.com.
Webvisor started two weeks ago.
"I would love to say this economy makes us more prudent, but I haven't seen that," Cantrell said.
So take advantage of the bargains on Black Friday and during the holiday shopping period, but don't cave in to social pressure or overspending.
Make this a frugal Christmas, and life will be much merrier next year.


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Pittsburgh, January 7, 2000 - Brother's
Brother Foundation is making an appeal for ongoing financial support of
it's effort to provide requested, vital medical supplies, food, and rescue
equipment for the reclamation efforts in Venezuela.
BBF and Heinz USA have united to ship 93 tons of food to the devastated region. MSA has also donated and covered the cost of shipping over 21 tons of safety equipment. BBF to date has received $52,000 in private cash donations designated for the Venezuelan relief project.
Brother's Brother Foundation identifies critically needed and requested goods, and uses donated funds to purchase materials or ship products that are donated by corporations.
The resettlement of 400,000 people has just begun. Brother's Brother will continue to assist in immediate and long-term reclamation efforts, forwarding additional food and medical supplies to relief workers on an ongoing basis.
The needs of the people of northern Venezuela will remain long after the media coverage ends. Please help us with a donation to:
Brother's Brother Foundation/Venezuela
1501 Reedsdale Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15233-2341
Brother's Brother is NOT accepting clothing or canned goods from individuals for this relief effort. Donations of money will be used to send or purchase specific, vital supplies requested by BBF's partner agencies in Venezuela.


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“Mantic Games is pleased to announce it is working with Dark Horse Comics and visionary comic creator Mike Mignola to help raise money for charity with the release of Giant Robot Hellboy–a new playable character for Hellboy: The Board Game. What’s more, players of Hellboy: The Board Game will soon be able to create their own missions with the release of the B.P.R.D. Archives expansion.”
Continue Reading on manticgames.com
Our PREVIEWS Comic & Manga Picks For June 2023!
The April issue of PREVIEWS has arrived so here are our picks from what’s arriving in June! We’ve separated our Marvel Previews Picks as well


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Tag / bluewater cleone water purifier
News • Oct 23, 2016 22:28 EDT
Sweden's Bluewater, which manufacturers and commercializes innovative second-generation water purifiers, successfully debuted its full range of water purifiers at the PWQA trade show in Los Angeles, California, where the education theme developed around "Doing it right" when it comes to improving water and doing better business.
Press releases • Jun 09, 2016 12:56 EDT
Sweden’s Bluewater water purification brand debuted at the annual Housewares Summer Show in New York City today, revealing its award winning Spirit and Pro water purifiers that have won acclaim for their sleek design and state-of-the-art contamination-removing performance.
Press releases • May 20, 2016 06:12 EDT
High levels of nitrates, atrazine and arsenic in drinking water linked in a new U.S. study to birth defects such as cleft palate, cleft lip and limb deficiencies underlines urgent need for more research into tap water quality around the world, says Bluewater, a global leader in residential water purifying technologies and solutions.
Press releases • Nov 04, 2015 07:51 EST
Bluewater, an international leader in point-of-use reverse osmosis water purification technologies and solutions, today announced it will expand its global manufacturing capacity by starting production in China at the end of this year to meet increasing demand across Asia. Bluewater will continue production at it manufacturing site in Åtvidaberg, Sweden, as sales grow in Europe and North America.
Bluewater wows water industry professionals at China International Industry Fair with new water purifier designs
Press releases • Nov 04, 2015 04:37 EST
Bluewater, a world leader in point-of-use residential water purification appliances, revealed sleek new designs for its innovative Spirit and Pro residential water purifier models at the China International Industry Fair 2015 (CIIF), running November 3 – 7 in the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. More than 2,000 exhibitors and 100,000 trade professionals will visit the show.
Bluewater To Showcase New Water Purifier Designs And Initiatives To Move Residential Water Purification Into The Internet Of Things At The Aquatech Amsterdam 2015 Trade Show
Press releases • Oct 27, 2015 13:21 EDT
Bluewater will demonstrate its leadership role in delivering transformational point-of-use water delivery solutions for home and commercial use at the Aquatech Amsterdam 2015 trade show running November 3 – 6.
News • Sep 11, 2015 08:19 EDT
American consumers are more worried than ever about their tap drinking water and are resorting increasingly to drinking more bottled water and home filtration devices, says a new survey by the U.S. Water Quality Association, WQA. Commenting, Bluewater Managing Director Niclas Wullt says consumers globally should consider taking increased responsibility themselves for their own water safety.
Bluewater Showcases Three New Water Purifiers At Milan World Fair Designed To Combat Contaminated Tap Drinking Water
Press releases • Jun 22, 2015 15:13 EDT
Bluewater is exhibiting three newly-designed water purifiers as part of an exhibition at Expo Milan, a non-commercial global exposition formerly known as the World's Fair. An estimated 20 million attendees from around the world will visit Italy's second-largest city between May 1 and Oct. 31, 2015, to explore collaborative solutions feeding the world.
Bluewater Begins China Rollout Of Latest Water Purifier Series and Optimized Pre-filters With Fresh Looks, More Benefits
Press releases • Jun 09, 2015 10:04 EDT
Bluewater is launching new residential and light commercial water purifiers with patented second-generation reverse osmosis in China that offer a harmonized balance of design personality, performance and price to give Chinese consumers a choice of devices enhancing health, wellness and lifestyle needs.
News • Apr 20, 2015 19:03 EDT
Swedish water purifying brand Bluewater, which sells its products in Europe, the USA and China, has published a new White Paper highlighting the difference between filtered tap drinking water and purified tap water. The paper is the second in a series geared to stimulate public awareness about the drinking water coming out of their taps.
Press releases • Nov 25, 2014 08:38 EST
Bluewater™, a global industry leader in water purifying technologies sold in the USA, Europe and Asia, has debuted the brand’s flagship ‘Blue House’ store-in-store presence in Beijing, the Chinese capital. The Blue House is the first Bluewater flagship retail environment in Asia, which the brand will share with its air-purifying sister company, Blueair.
Press releases • Nov 19, 2014 23:16 EST
Bluewater's excellence in brand development and rebranding was honoured at the Transform magazine’s inaugural Asia-Pacific awards with gold, silver and bronze awards in the ‘best use of copy’, 'best external stakeholder relations’, 'best corporate rebrand’ and ‘best implementation of brand development across multiple markets’ categories.
Bluewater launches video training library to help installation and maintenance of its premium water purifiers
Press releases • Oct 27, 2014 11:48 EDT
Sweden’s Bluewater, a world leading premium residential and light commercial water purification brand, has launched a comprehensive library of instructional videos to help customers maximize the performance of their appliances.
Press releases • Oct 20, 2014 12:25 EDT
La société suédoise Bluewater, leader mondial des systèmes hauts de gamme d’osmoseur pour applications résidentielles et commerciales, présente en France son produit vedette, l’osmoseur Pro.
Press releases • Oct 20, 2014 10:58 EDT
Sweden’s Bluewater, world leader in premium residential and light commercial water purifying systems, has unveiled its flagship Pro water purifier in France for the first time. The Bluewater Pro offers professionals in the catering, restaurant, hotel, medical and other industries breakthrough performance in delivering on-demand water cleansed of most known pollutants.
Bluewater Shortlisted For Four Transform Awards Asia Pacific, Acknowledging Its Transition From New Kid On The Block To Key Player In Under 12 Months
Press releases • Oct 08, 2014 10:54 EDT
Sweden’s residential water purification brand Bluewater™ has been shortlisted for four prestigious Transform Awards Asia Pacific prizes for its successful launch of its brand and products across multiple markets in Europe, North American and Asia.
Press releases • Sep 24, 2014 06:30 EDT
The one-day UN Climate Change Summit in New York, the largest of its kind since the 2009 meeting in Copenhagen, has ended with a general consensus from government leaders to commit to action on tacking the impact of global warming. But Sweden's international Bluewater™ water purifying company says there is an urgent need to put increasing contamination of tap water on the climate change agenda.


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Salted Caramel Ice Cream
1/28/2Richmondmondd, VA.) – The Dairy Alliance teamed up with Cracker Barrel to feature a limited-time ice cream for the holiday season. Cracker Barrel featured the salted caramel ice cream at all 653 locations nationwide from November 1 to December 24, 2018. During that time, 12,000 gallons of salted caramel ice cream were sold which equates to 17,280 pounds of milk in just under two months!
Federation of Virginia Food Banks to Launch Milk for Good
12/5/2018 (Verona, VA.) – On Dec. 5 at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring and Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Dr. Jewel Bronaugh announced the launch of the Milk for Good campaign, the first statewide milk purchase program to benefit food insecure families. Milk for Good is an initiative of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks in partnership with The Dairy Alliance, the American Dairy Association North East, and the Virginia Dairymen’s Association. Each of the seven food banks that comprise the Federation, kicked off 2019 by receiving their first 200 half-gallons of milk! The food banks will continue to receive 200 half-gallons each week through the end of June. To accommodate the milk, The Dairy Alliance granted $49,000 in new refrigeration units to eighteen pantries throughout the Commonwealth. The new refrigeration units will enable the Federation to consistently provide milk for families in need. Read more.
Virginia Association for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance Convention
11/9/2018 (Virginia Beach, Va.) – The Dairy Alliance hosted a Fuel Up to Play 60 themed exhibit at the Virginia Association for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance Convention. Fuel Up to Play 60 program advisors and student ambassador, volunteered at the exhibit leading a “toss and tell” activity with attendees. Additionally, The Dairy Alliance staffer, Roseann Liberatore, talked with teachers about the importance of dairy in our diets and provided nutrition education materials, including bulletin board kits and beverage cards with nutrition facts.
Carolina Panthers Dairy Appreciation Game
11/4/2018 (Charlotte, N.C.) – Dairy families from both Carolinas and Virginia made their way to Bank of America stadium to be our honored guests at the 2018 Dairy Appreciation Carolina Panthers game. Virginia’s Fuel Up To Play 60 Student Ambassador, Nicholas Liberatore, led pre-game physical activity and nutrition challenges at the farmer sponsored Fuel Up To Play 60 Combine in Bearden Park. PET Dairy was on hand with free TruMoo milk for park goers. As farm families enjoyed a tailgate luncheon they heard from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools sports registered dietitians, trained as dairy advocates in 2018. Our new advocates expressed their appreciation for our farm families and how valuable the dairy trainings have been when promoting healthy nutrition to 10,000 student-athletes that call Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools home.
Donna Martin on Coffee with America
10/15/2018 (Richmond, Va.) – Donna Martin, Registered Dietitian and dairy advocate, appeared on Coffee with America to support The Dairy Alliance’s Eat Together, Eat Better campaign. Donna talked about the three tips to help families eat together: plan, prep and pack the pantry. She also discussed the health benefits children receive from eating with their families. Her video has over 2.5 million views so far! Watch the full segment here.
Virginia Board Members
Virginia Farmer Relations Manager


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The Apple Watch is expected to take stage on Monday ahead of its aniticipated debut next month, and with it will come a whole new class of apps based on the iPhone that present information on the wrist. Today we got the first look at what Numerous, my favorite number tracking app for iOS, has planned for the Apple Watch as soon as it starts shipping. expand full story
Numerous Stories March 4, 2015
Numerous Stories February 25, 2015
Numerous, a dashboard app for tracking a wide range of numbers, is an iOS app gem in terms of taking advantage of Apple technologies and one of my favorite lesser known apps for that reason. Today a new version of Numerous is being released adding new channels including a Tesla channel for Model S owners as well as a Google Sheets channel for tracking numbers from spreadsheets… expand full story
Sylvania HomeKit Light Strip
Numerous Stories October 1, 2014
iPhone app Numerous adds iCloud sign-in, Today widget, more
Numerous, the number tracking app for iPhone, previewed a new version of the app over the summer with several features that take advantage of iOS 8. Today the update is live and includes support for HealthKit to read data from Apple’s Health app, a Today widget in Notification Center for glancing at numbers you track, and added AirPlay support for displaying an optimized version of your numbers on Apple TV.
The update also includes iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus enhancements and landscape support, but iCloud sign-in support is probably my favorite addition. Introduced earlier this year at WWDC, iCloud sign-in support allows developers to offer app users an alternative to easy log-ins through social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
Numerous Stories July 18, 2014
We’ve already seen a few developers preview how new technologies introduced in iOS 8 make new features possible. Last month we saw 1Password’s iPhone app take advantage of the new access developers have to Touch ID and systemwide Extensions with their iOS 8 beta, and a number of health and fitness app developers have discussed their excitement for Apple’s new HealthKit tool. Today the developers of the fairly new iPhone app Numerous have previewed in a blog post their plans to include an app widget for presenting numbers from the app in the new Today view in Notification Center coming to the iPhone and iPad in iOS 8… expand full story


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SACRAMENTO — A scam targeting users of craigslist continues to be reported to the Better Business Bureau of Northeast California.
The scam, first reported months ago, involves the intended target getting an email shortly after posting an ad with craigslist, the online classified advertisement website.
The person sending the email claims to be the CEO of craigslist and states the consumer has won a computer.
The scammer asks the target to go to a website, where personal financial information is required before the free computer can be claimed.
Officials said the emails are a blatant and somewhat clumsy attempt to commit identity theft.
Names usually associated with the emails, Amy Sanders and Angel Thompson, have no connection with craigslist.
People who feel they are being targeted by fraud should contact the BBB at 1-916-443-6668.


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Week 14 has ended and a lot of interesting things happened throughout this period. We’ve got some fascinating news for you. First, we cover the topic of Twitter’s newest feature called ’Unmention’. Later on, we mention that BeReal, a new social app, could be a big hit in 2022. Google has also just launched new text search and visual options, so we summarized the key points. Moreover, Nextdoor is continuously updating its ads platform to help local communities. Lastly, we provide a few insights on how and why Instagram has permanently removed in-stream video ad placements on its app.
Be sure to read on.


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Update 9.10pm: Opel Ireland has released a statement asking people with any concerns to contact their local Opel dealers and arrange to have their vehicle inspected.
Opel Ireland Statement on Opel Zafira fires
Opel is currently carrying out an investigation following reports of fire in the area of the heating and ventilation system in an extremely low number of Opel Zafiras (Zafira B model launched in 2005, not current Zafira Tourer). While the number of incidents is extremely low in proportion to the number of vehicles on the road, we take this issue very seriously and will take further action. There have been reports of a fire today (29th October 2015) in an Opel Zafira in Passage West, Co Cork. While it is too early to say the cause of the fire, or its relation to other cases, Opel will be working with the local authorities to identify the root cause as part of its overall ongoing investigation.The safety of our customers is the number one priority. Our investigations to date have found that a number of incidents have occurred due to previous repairs being performed improperly or using certain non-genuine parts. If you are concerned about operating your vehicle or if you notice any unusual characteristics with the heating and ventilation system (for example a squeaking noise from the dashboard) you should contact your Opel dealer and arrange for your vehicle to be inspected. This will be done at no cost. Opel will consider further actions as appropriate.For further information customers should call Opel Customer Assistance.Telephone: 01 533 9818Email: firstname.lastname@example.org, or visit: http://www.opel.ie/zafira-customer-advice.html
Opel Zafira owners may not be facing a recall and could have to pay to have their car fixed, after one caught fire in Cork yesterday.
In a statement released today Opel have said "Opel Zafira B model customers with manual air conditioning or no air conditioning from 2005-2014 can go to their Opel dealership for a free inspection."
"If any of the parts in the heating and ventilation system need replacing, Opel will do so at no cost to the customer."
The company said it had complaints of issues with the heating and ventilation system of some of its Zafira B models, which were launched in 2005.
It is now investigating what caused the fire yesterday.
In yesterday's incident and as reported in today's
Reports in Britain suggest there have been up to 130 similar incidents affecting the Vauxhall equivalent and a recall there is also being considered.
A Facebook page, entitled ‘Vauxhall zafira car fires’, has been set up by concerned owners in Britain. By yesterday evening, it had 10,580 members.
“While the number of incidents is very low in proportion to the number of vehicles on the road, we take this issue very seriously and will take further action,” the company said.
The manufacturer also said it will be working with local authorities in Cork to identify the cause of the “thermal incident” reported in the Zafira in Passage West, as part of its investigation.
“The safety of our customers is the number one priority,” it said.
“Our investigations to date have found that a number of incidents have occurred due to previous repairs being performed improperly or using certain non-genuine parts.”
If it is established that the use of non-Opel parts led to the incidents, Opel may not be obliged to issue a recall notice.
Opel said that any Zafira owners concerned about driving their car because of the incidents, or who notice any unusual characteristics with the heating and ventilation system, such as a squeaking noise from the dashboard, should contact their Opel dealer and arrange for the vehicle to be inspected.
“This will be done at no cost,” it said. “Opel will consider further actions as appropriate. For further information customers should call Opel Customer Assistance on 01 5339818.”


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Debt collectors using Facebook to harass borrowers
Atlanta readers may not be surprised to see that aggressive debt collectors have found a new way to pursue overdue borrowers, now intruding into every communication platform they can find and employing social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
In some instances, debt collectors are using Facebook to continue to harass borrowers that are already in contact with them, not just those who they have been unable to reach. This is a new low for debt collectors, who are known for their aggressive tactics to coerce distressed borrowers into paying, or at the very least to cause them serious distress over their inability to pay.
Regulators at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission are questioning this tactic as well, looking into exactly how debt collectors are using Facebook and other social media sites to harass borrowers. Almost one out of every ten people in the United States have accounts that are currently in collection and the amount averages about $1,500. As a result, the CFPB is considering a variety of actions aimed specifically at debt collection practices.
The new regulations would be aimed primarily at heavier government oversight of debt collection practices, which many agree have gotten out of hand. Government oversight has already started for several debt buying companies. A spokesperson for one national debt collection company told reporters that they instruct employees to avoid social media, but that they do not have hard and fast rules about the proper conduct.
What do you think – is Facebook an acceptable way for debt collectors to contact borrowers? Or should these tactics be considered too aggressive and be banned?
Source: Bloomberg, “Debt collectors are going after people on social media” Carter Dougherty, Jan. 24, 2013
Information how to stop collection calls can be found on our Atlanta bankruptcy page.


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David Beckham's son Brooklyn poses in Arsenal kit for first time
And aspiring footballer Brooklyn Beckham was reminiscent of a young David Beckham as he shared the first image of himself dressed in his official kit on Wednesday. The 15-year-old hopeful can be seen sitting on a changing room bench alongside his ...
Victoria Beckham jokes a FOOTBALL BACKPACK is her latest design
So even now after her husband David has retired from the sport, the 40-year-old continues to pave a path for fellow wifes and girlfriends to follow. However we can't imagine that her latest fashion accessory is going to be a popular feature in the ...
Victoria Beckham teases fans about her new collection
She might be part of a football-crazed family and feel inspired to create a football inspired bag for her next fashion collection, but Victoria Beckham always hits the back of the net when it comes to creating timeless outerwear. Score! And we can't ...
ELLE Collections meets Victoria Beckham
Elle UK Magazine
If you want the serious, unvarnished truth about Victoria Beckham's life in fashion, buy the new issue of ELLE Collections. In the meantime, read some fun stuff we asked her… The full story appears in the new issue of ELLE Collections, out now. 1 ...


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Labour conditions in India are a major social issue that the more the people talk about is, the less. India has had a history and is presently facing multiple challenges related to the conditions of the labourers. Out of all the challenges, the inequality in wage, health, and safety of labourers, child labour, ill-treatment of labourers, etc., is most prevalent. Paychecks are distributed unequally amongst the majority of the labourers in India. They are not given adequate and required health facilities like paid leaves or any health benefits employees get. Labourers play a vital role in all sectors, especially with the competition in the market; skilled, productive, and motivated labour is in demand.
This year due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the labourers had to fight for survival, and their rights needed to be protected more than ever. Workers have very little social security in society. CMIE data shows that more than half a million workers, mostly from the unorganized sector, have been unemployed. The pandemic has brought out the real conditions of the labourers out in the open. With COVID-19, there has been a reduction in security state after state that is provided to the workers. Labourers have been living in fear because if they happen to get the virus, they do not have the money to treat it. All big businesses are demanding the lifting of the lockdown without making provisions for the labourers and workers’ safety.
“Most of the clothes are made in a place where workers’ rights are non-existent. Fast fashion industries are growing at a tremendous rate as they produce and manufacture goods at an extremely affordable price and create a vast consumer base. This increase is because these fast fashion industries exploit their labour. The fast-fashion brands have built a kingdom based on poor and penurious women and children. These fast fashion companies provide the goods and garments from factories that employ women and children at a low wage rate accompanied by pathetic working conditions. In the top manufacturing countries like India, Bangladesh, and China, the minimum working wage is between half to a fifth of the living wage. A survey by Clean Clothes Campaign shows that in India, between the period of 2001 and 2011, the minimum wage in 2001 was $150.20, and in 2011 it was $168.67, which is less than 2% gain; in Bangladesh, there was a fall in wage in this period in 2001 it was $96.67, and in 2011 it was $91.45. In most manufacturing countries, 14-16 hours is the average working hours per day, and 7 days a week is the normal working schedule for a labourer. In India, the standard hours of working are 9 hours a day and 48 hours a week in most countries. Labourers work in an environment with no ventilation and inhale toxic substances. The infrastructure of the factories is poor, which leads to accidents and injuries; a few examples are 1,134 workers who lost their lives in a building collapse in Dhaka in 2013, 114 people were killed in a fire at a Bangladeshi firm called Tarzeen Fashion. Most garment workers are victims of sexual abuse in the workplace. According to a report by UNICEF, 170 million children are employees in the garment industry. Furthermore, countries do not have policies to protect laborers from being exploited by colossal fashion industries.
Global Justice Labour published a detailed report of a vast and well-known fast fashion company H&M. India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Columbia reported allegations of workplace harassment and gender-based violence. A female employee in Bangalore, India, working for the supplier’s factory, reported physical abuse pressuring to meet the production target. For women, violence and abuse are confined to the workplace, commutes, and recruiters providing housing and health and safety. Workplace harassment is prevalent in India, but also in Asia; women make up a vast majority of garment workers. The New York Times revealed that the fast-fashion company Fashion Nova was endlessly exploiting Los Angeles bases sweatshops. A sweatshop is a clothing or garment factory or workshop where labourers are employed at low wages for long hours. Global Justice Labour published another report on GAP, which also depicts gender-based violence in the workplace. The report interviewed more than 251 women who worked in factories supplied to GAP; they concluded that women are victims of daily workplace harassment.
What we can do as consumers of these top fast fashion companies is sign petitions to change the moral ethics of such companies. As moral consumers, we should refute from buying garments from these companies that engage in unethical labour practices. Consumers should raise their voices and demand transparency over production and labour conditions inside these companies and brands. Help the labourers by spreading awareness about issues like sweatshops, child labour, harassment, and more. Pressure brands to fulfill their social responsibilities.
India has multiple labour laws for the protection of labourers, like “the payment of wage act 1936”, “Employee State Insurance Act, 1948”, “Factories Act,” “Shops and Commercial Establishments Act,” and many more. Having these laws in place and what it aims to achieve is much needed, but the equal implementation of these laws is the most important. The benefits of these laws and policies are taken by well-privileged employees of giant firms and organizations. The labour laws are necessary and made to provide good conditions in the workplace, to monitor and keep a check on equal distribution of wage and a reasonable rate, ensure that there is no discrimination on the basis of gender in the workplace, provide health and safety to the labourers. Despite there being roughly around 200 state laws and 50 central laws on labour, there is no definition of Indian labour law in India. There are too many labour laws that create unnecessary complications and are not enforced the way they essentially should have. This lays a foundation and leaves room for corruption and rent-making. I believe that there should be a single labour law with subdivisions in them for the pressing labour issues. These will make the labour law less complicated and stop any corruption that builds from these laws. Implementation of any law is of utmost importance, and the needy should benefit from it and not the privileged who take advantage of the law.
There is a need for a fundamental change in the law that will improve the status of laborers and make the workplace environment more approachable and safer. These fundamental changes should involve a humane number of paid leaves, the minimum wage rate should be increased, change in the working standards, the safety of women in the workplace, banishing child labour, and child abuse for work in factories. Laws for the majority of these problems do exist, but the implementation of the law is not at all up to the mark. The laws need to be made stringent for the well-being of society. According to the ILO report on TCFL industries, to save the cost of the TCLF, companies shift from formal labourers to informal labourers; while these formal works are included in the National wage legislation, informal workers are often not. So, the informal workers need to be covered by the national wage legislation.
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
If you are interested in participating in the same, do let me know.
The copyright of this Article belongs exclusively to Ms. Aishwarya Sandeep. Reproduction of the same, without permission will amount to Copyright Infringement. Appropriate Legal Action under the Indian Laws will be taken.
If you would also like to contribute to my website, then do share your articles or poems at email@example.com
We also have a Facebook Group Restarter Moms for Mothers or Women who would like to rejoin their careers post a career break or women who are enterpreneurs.
We are also running a series Inspirational Women from January 2021 to March 31,2021, featuring around 1000 stories about Indian Women, who changed the world. #choosetochallenge


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The Florida Gators football program has taken a step towards sustainability with the introduction of environmentally friendly jerseys. The team, in collaboration with Nike, has developed jerseys made from recycled materials to reduce their carbon footprint and promote eco-conscious practices.
The new Florida Gators Football Jersey are made from a blend of recycled polyester and other sustainable materials. By utilizing recycled materials, the team is helping to minimize waste and lessen the impact on the environment. These jerseys are not only a symbol of the Gators’ commitment to the game but also their dedication to preserving the planet.
The design of the jerseys remains true to the Gators’ iconic color scheme of orange and blue. The striking orange color represents the vibrancy and energy associated with the team, while the blue accents signify their consistency and determination to succeed.
Not only do the new jerseys have sustainability benefits, but they also incorporate advanced technology to enhance on-field performance. The lightweight and breathable fabric allows for maximum comfort and flexibility, ensuring that the players can perform at their best while also staying cool and dry.
“We want to be leaders both on and off the field,” said Athletic Director Scott Stricklin. “Our sustainable jerseys are a reflection of our commitment to making a positive impact on the environment.”
The introduction of these environmentally friendly jerseys reflects the Gators’ dedication to sustainability and inspires other teams and organizations to follow suit. By wearing these jerseys, the Florida Gators football team is demonstrating that high-level athletic performance and responsible environmental practices can go hand in hand.


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The role of towage, salvage and heavy-lift within the shipping industry is not large, but its importance far outweighs its size and it embraces an impressive and diverse range of expertise. The individual markets have undergone major upheavals
Ultra Dynamics has agreed to supply FBM Babcock Marine with 14 UltraJet 305 waterjets for a new military project According to Mike Lane, managing director, "The UltraJet 305 is the highest selling unit in the UltraJet range of marine jet drives
Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc. recently delivered Belle Watling, a 72-ft. (21.9 m) Z-drive tug to Dixie Towing of Jacksonville, Fla. The first azimuthing tug to be built at the Bayou La Batre shipyard, Belle Watling was delivered 30 days ahead of its contractual delivery date.
Since January 2000 there has been a decrease in the total number of inland tank barges listed for sale. Prices for inland tank barges have increased an average of 10 percent over last year for barges under 10,000 bbl capacity. Barges over 10,000 bbl have increased about 14 percent.
Tim O'Leary, formerly with Foss Launch & Tug Co., has been promoted to manager, market development and research for Dillingham Maritime's Ocean Division, Seattle, Wash. According to Tom Van Dawark, president of the Dillingham Maritime Ocean Division, Mr.
Newpark Resources, Inc., has announced their purchase of a 50 percent interest in Bulkfleet Marine Corporation for an undisclosed cash amount. Bulkfleet was organized to design, construct and operate Dedicated Deep Notch Tug Barge Units (DDNTBU) in charter service along the U.
The effects of a continued worldwide s h i p p i n g depression, rising ship repair costs, and the instability in international currency relationships have all played a part in stalling the long-awaited recovery of the world hull insurance markets.
Lake Shore, Inc., Iron Mountain/ Kingsford, Mich., prominent manufacturer of marine cranes, winches, windlasses and mooring systems, has opened a Gulf Coast sales office to expand its services to the offshore oil industry. The facility is located at Lake View of Cypress Station,
Nathaniel Robbins Jr. has been named president of the Grafton Boat Co., a company which was recently acquired by a group of Minneapolis investors. Grafton Boat Co. is a designer and builder of commercial and Government towboats and workboats. The


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This summer the UK government will bring into action the ‘Right to Repair’ law. This could be a huge help to consumers who have long complained that appliances don’t last long enough. We look at the new law’s financial and environmental benefits, and how it will impact property managers.
What is the ‘Right to Repair’ law?
Under the new rules, manufacturers will be legally obligated to provide spare parts and manuals for the first time. This could extend the lifespan of products by up to ten years, significantly reducing CO2 emissions and electrical waste.
Increased energy efficiency could also save the average UK resident up to £75 a year on their utility bills. Not to mention the money saved by being able to repair broken or faulty appliances as opposed to throwing them away.
This point was emphasised by the BEIS Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, who said:
“Our plans to tighten product standards will ensure more of our electrical goods can be fixed rather than thrown on the scrap heap, putting more money back in the pockets of consumers whilst protecting the environment,”
Why we need a ‘Right to Repair’ law
The ’Take, Make, Use, Discard’ cycle has become all too common. E-waste researchers, Material Focus, estimate the average UK resident disposes of 23.9kg of electrical goods every year. This puts the cost of electrical waste at £370m a year. Reducing this is a crucial part of plans to lower global greenhouse gas emissions.
What will this mean for property owners?
The ‘Right to Repair’ law aims to extend the lifespan of your appliances by making it easier to repair faulty goods. For property managers, this means lower costs and more options. For example, any appliances provided to tenants should last longer, be easier and cheaper to repair and lower the property’s carbon footprint.
This means less electric waste ending up in landfills and officials have estimated the average household will save £75 a year under the new legislation. Those with a larger property portfolio stand to see considerable savings.
What appliances will the law cover?
The ‘Right to repair’ will include:
- Washing machines
- TV’s and computer screens
- Light sources
- External power supplies
- Electric motors
- Vending machines
- Power transformers
- Welding equipment
Due to liability concerns, manufacturers will only be obligated to provide certain replacement parts and manuals to professional repair businesses. Campaigners have pushed back against this, encouraging the government to allow buyers to conduct their own repairs.
What about phones and tablets?
Unfortunately, these products are not included in the summer legislative changes. However, the European Commission is hoping to extend the measures to include smartphones and tablets by the end of the year.
Research from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) indicates that extending the life of smart devices by a year would save around 2 Mt CO2 annually by 2030. That is the equivalent of taking over a million cars off the roads for a year.
New label guidelines
While appliances currently include an efficiency rating label, the standards are somewhat out of date. 90% of appliances rate above an A with most appliances currently rated A++ or higher. This has allowed a lot of appliances to appear more ‘green’ than they may actually be.
Good progress has been made in product efficiency over the last decade and with that comes the need for a new rating system. In March, updated labelling was introduced in the UK. This includes the new A-G ranking system which better reflects new standards for efficiency and general reliability.
How can Monarch help?
At Monarch we work with over 200 housing associations, helping them to navigate the ever-changing energy landscape. Our holistic energy management services provide end-to-end coordination of complex admin such as procurement, metering and carbon compliance.
By finding you the most efficient and cost effective solutions, our team of energy specialists can help guide your organisation towards a sustainable future.
To find out how we can help make your property as energy and cost efficient as it can be get in touch today.


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The mass-market beauty company had $96.8 million in sales for the first half of 2016.
Rights groups applaud the decision as a victory for individual and religious freedom.
J.C. Penney and Oscar de la Renta are said to be in talks about bringing the designer’s cachet to the chain through the launch of a new label.
HOME RUN: GUS plc, the retail and business services group that owns a majority stake in Burberry, has announced plans to sell its home shopping and home delivery division for approximately $968 million to March U.K. Limited, a newly incorporated…
SHOP TALK: Talk about pent-up demand. The John Galliano boutique in Paris, under construction for more than a year on Rue Saint Honoré, quietly opened for business on Tuesday — and had a crowd of shoppers waiting at the door by 11 a.m….


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"We are reviewing all of our available options, including bringing a legal action seeking damages", Fujifilm added.
Earlier in January, IBM and Fujifilm announced the conclusion of the transaction, which involves the joining Xerox in the joint venture of the two companies, Fuji Xerox created more than half a century ago.
But Carl Icahn and another major Xerox shareholder opposed the transaction, claiming Fujifilm had undervalued the American company.
The activist investors have also said they are unhappy with the current structure of the joint venture, and settlement creates uncertainty concerning potential changes to a business that accounts for almost half of Fujifilm's revenue.
As part of the settlement, Xerox and Icahn agreed to withdraw their board candidates from the upcoming shareholder meeting, and said the meeting would be postponed.More news: Seann William Scott to star in 'Lethal Weapon' Season 3
Five brand new board administrators have been appointed, " that the united states printer and photocopier manufacturer said in a statement.
"It wouldn't be good if it goes elsewhere".
Icahn said he was happy with the decision.
Separately, Fujifilm said it's acquiring the stakes it doesn't already own in drugmaker and distributor Toyama Chemical from Taisho Pharmaceutical (taisf). Moreover, Xerox no longer builds its own office copiers, instead relying mostly on Fuji Xerox.
Xerox said the board would immediately convene to "evaluate all strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value".More news: Legendary Premier League striker urged to join Steven Gerrard at Rangers
Icahn and Deason have said they would consider an all-cash bid of at least $40 per share.
The company also confirmed in a statement that chief executive officer (CEO) Jeff Jacobson will step down as part of the settlement, along with several other board members. "We are therefore also pleased that John Visentin, a tried and true veteran in this area, will be taking the helm".
On May 1, Xerox announced Jacobson was resigning and would be replaced by Visentin. The first settlement agreement was allowed to expire as Xerox came to believe it had flexibility to renegotiate a deal with Fujifilm and also took into account a stock dive that followed the agreement.
"We do not believe that Xerox has a legal right to terminate our agreement", Fujifilm said in a statement.
Xerox XRX announced that it notified Fujifilm that the previously announced transaction agreement to combine Xerox with Fuji Xerox is being terminated in accordance with its terms due to the failure by Fujifilm to deliver the audited financials of Fuji Xerox by April 15, 2018 and the material deviations reflected in the audited financials of Fuji Xerox.More news: Gun battle between security forces & militants in Afghanistan


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Germany Ups Efforts to Try Aging Nazis Who Served at Auschwitz
Lower-level functionaries of the Final Solution 'were swallowed up in German society and lived wonderful lives,' says Prof. Gideon Greif, a historian at the Shem Olam Institute. Now, dozens of cases against aging suspects are on desks of German prosecutors.
Reinhold Henning made a living selling milk products before he retired. Hans Lipschis made guitars and Hubert Zafke sold agricultural equipment. Nothing about the ordinary lives of these men, whose average age...
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Round-Up - The Trials and Tribulations of Belvédère
France-based Belvédère Group has spent the last year juggling its debt, while looking for a suitor to buy its Marie Brizard unit. Here's the back-story and the latest
Belvédère needs to wrap up the sale of Marie Brizard, and soon, or market jitters could spell serious problems.
Belvédère has suffered a potentially serious setback to its financial recovery plan after a court confirmed that the French drinks group must pay back debt more quickly than previously expected.
Belvédère has announced the signature of an agreement with Global Emerging Markets Group (GEMG) with the US firm set to invest up to EUR70m (US$89m) in the drinks group over the next three years.
Troubled French drinks group Belvédère has seen net losses for 2009 plunge to EUR177.6m (US$234m).
French drinks group Belvédère is in negotiations with several potential candidates over the sale of its Marie Brizard business, which produces William Peel Scotch whisky.
A commercial court in Dijon, eastern France, has approved a relaunch plan presented by embattled French drinks group Belvédère that will reschedule the group's debt over 10 years.
- Interview - Bacardi global marketing boss, whisky
- Comment - Hybrid Spirits: Innovation or Laziness?
- Has Coca-Cola Jumped From Frying Pan to Fire?
- Constellation grapples with glass as reality bites
- Brewers Feel Prolonged Russian Winter
- Mast-Jägermeister targets UK off-trade boost
- Diageo doubles intake for spirits start-ups scheme
- Second senior exec to depart Bacardi
- Portman finds against Diageo "mix it up" tagline
- Bacardi sees North America president step down


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Friday, October 13, 2006
Internap Acquires VitalStream For $217M
Internap Network Services Corp. said yesterday that it is acquiring Irvine-based VitalStream Holding, a provider of content delivery services and streaming media. The deal is worth approximately $217M. Both of the companies provide CDN services to online media properties. The firms said that the transaction is expected to close in Q1 of 2007.


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Location-based VR, or LBVR, is the talk of the virtual reality industry, with hundreds of VR arcades and free-roam “warehouse-scale” experiences popping up across North America, Europe and Asia in a matter of months. They’ve surged ahead of nearly every other VR sector, and yet they all have one thing in common that continues to hold them back:
How do you share a virtual experience with your friends outside of the headset? What about the people who weren’t even there to watch?
Enter Mixcast VR Photobooth
The LBVR industry is offering amazing moments to their patrons. With our newest full-service solution, they’ll be able to turn those moments into tangible memories with mixed reality pictures and video that they can take home and share.
MixCast VR Photobooth is designed to cover the mixed reality experience end-to-end, with hardware and software coming together for the ultimate turnkey solution for LBVR and FECs. Once set up, arcade owners will be able to stream players in mixed reality and offer instant mixed reality takeaways to their patrons, increasing exposure through social sharing, and opening a whole new revenue stream.
Get in touch today for more information, and be the first to bring this game-changing advantage to your VR arcade!
Previewing To The World
This week, we are debuting MixCast VR Photobooth at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando. Celebrating its 100th year, this show is the largest international trade show for the amusements industry, and its massive expo floor will feature over a thousand exhibitors representing aquariums, theme parks, zoos, LBVR establishments, and everything in between.
We’re so pleased to announce we’ve teamed up with LBVR management and hardware company, Private Label VR, to demonstrate exactly how important mixed reality is for VR arcades and FECs in real time. Our joint demonstration in booth E7025 will invite expo attendees to defy gravity and walk the virtual plank in Richie’s Plank Experience, by Toast VR. If you’re attending the massive show floor at the IAAPA Expo this year, be sure to come by and experience the height of virtual experience!


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Volkswagen group doesn’t have an official mission statement the closest statement that could be called vw group’s mission is expressed as company’s goal: “the group’s goal is to offer attractive, safe and environmentally sound vehicles which can compete in an increasingly tough market and. Volkswagen ag (further volkswagen) is the world’s leading automotive manufacturer based in wolfsburg, germany the company is producing over 10 million vehicles annually and often shares 1-2 place with toyota motor corporation. Drive home your favorite volkswagen car check out the latest models from the volkswagen stable. Chennai:german auto major volkswagen group has drawn up an india 20 strategy to capture the massive demand arising from the domestic market through addition of a new line to its pune factory, a. The case examines the marketing strategies of volkswagen group india, the indian subsidiary of german automobile manufacturer, volkswagen ag (volkswagen) volkswagen entered the indian passenger car market in 2001 by launching its car brand - skoda.
Strategy the volkswagen group a company comprising 12 international automobile brands, has set up a new company called the “volkswagen it services india pvt ltd (vwits)” in india, pune the idea behind the initiative is to establish professional regional competency centre as a strategic extended workbench for vw group it, offering mature delivery capabilities through availability of. India could be a key part of volkswagen’s strategy 2025 that will be unveiled in the coming months this vision statement, which is the brainchild of ceo matthias mueller, will focus on a host. Strategic management: volkswagen introduction volkswagen is an automobile manufacturing company from germany it has three cars in the top ten best selling cars of world: volkswagen golf, volkswagen passat and volkswagen beetle.
-formulation and implementation of regional sourcing strategy -business analysis and planning -project management , suppliers financial evaluation & risk management purchasing at volkswagen india private limited amar desai manager - qa- purchase parts at volkswagen india prajyot pise manager at jaguar land rover india. The company, recently announced its india 20 project along with skoda auto through which it plans to invest around rs 8,000 crore as part of its strategy to strengthen indian operations. This report is a depiction of the brand strategy adopted by an automobile company volkswagen this primarily covers the brand management by the company including the critical evaluation of the brand strategy adopted with context to its brand value, brand image and brand positioning the report. India business news: according to top vw officials, the company is working with sister firm skoda to crank out its future product development strategy and is also in talks.
The man entrusted with executing this strategy for the vw group is the ceo and chairman of the skoda board, bernhard maier and its localisation here in india will benefit volkswagen, skoda. With strategy 2018, volkswagen has brought its values to the forefront – making itself “the most successful, fascinating and sustainable automaker in the world” – and imposed an 1 this example case analysis draws heavily on the various pages of volkswagen group’s official. Volkswagen to decide on skoda india’s €1 billion fdi plan the volkswagen board is expected to evaluate skoda’s strategy and take a decision within two months.
As the indian automotive market returns to positive growth, we look at key trends and volkswagen’s strategy in india, and if it could translate into higher volumes for the automaker in the country. Volkswagen india strategy harvard case study solution and analysis of harvard business case studies solutions – assignment helpin most courses studied at harvard business schools, students are provided with a case study. Mumbai: europe's largest car maker volkswagen is completely revamping its india strategy, after a big splash entry about five years ago initially, it posed a major challenge to market leader maruti suzuki but lack of new products and an inability to price products competitively pushed it to the. Volkswagen is the best performing car manufacturer in europe why india india is a rapidly developing country, with a rising middle class demand for passenger vehicles is rising rapidly india country profile fabia laura superb time figure.
Volkswagen india- marketing strategy in india essay case facts entered indian market in 2001 with launch of skoda audi and volkswagen brands launched in 2007 two group companies – volkswagen india & vgsipl volkswagen india – volkswagen branded cars vgsipl – audi and skoda. But interestingly it is the czech automaker skoda (part of the vw group) which is likely to be forcing the india 20 strategy for the volkswagen group in india with this evolution, the possibilities of the vw group developing a venture with tata motors have also been ruled out, officially. Volkswagen is one of the largest car makers in the world and has some fantastic brands under its umbrella here is the swot analysis of volkswagen one of the strengths of volkswagen is that it is a very well structured umbrella brands most people know that it produces high engineered super cars. The official page for volkswagen india choose from the best line of hatches, sedans and premium cars that we have to offer.
With a diverse culture india presents a challenge for effective development of volkswagen’s marketing strategy (volkswagen, “driving ideas” 26) aspects of culture such as time planning have for instance been noted to differ significantly from those in germany (volkswagen, “driving ideas” 26. Volkswagen india strategy for all the talk about companies coming to an emerging market like india and setting up shop, no one has been more passive aggressive then the volkswagen group vw is most famously known for its beetle – one of the best selling cars of all time at over 21 million units. Marketing solutions volkswagen india case study innovative campaign inspires 2,700 car recommendations in 4 weeks volkswagen (vw) is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in europe as volkswagen pursues its goal of becoming the number one automaker in the world by 2018, india has become a key component of its strategy.


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Starbucks ending distribution deal with Kraft Foods
Starbucks is discontinuing its distribution arrangement with Kraft Foods, the famous coffee company announced last week. No details have been provided about why the decision was made or who will replace Kraft, which has distributed Starbucks packaged coffee to grocery stores and other outlets since 1998.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz made the announcement in a conference call with analysts. Starbucks products are now sold in grocery stores in 11 countries. It sells its packaged coffee through Kraft in Canada and the U.S. and its single-serve coffee containers in countries including Canada, the U.S., Austria and Ireland.
A November 4 release by Starbucks states the company informed Kraft a month ago of its intention to end the distribution arrangement and also says the “details and timing around any transition will be subject to further private dialogue.” Starbucks noted that their mutual customers would be well served throughout the transition.


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Team Vitality has made an impressive start to IEM Cologne as they have secured themselves a spot in the group stage after defeating both Renegades and Team Spirit.
Something that fans would have likely noted during their appearance in the competition was their outfit choices. The team rocked up to the competition wearing jerseys that were selected by fans through an online poll on the engagement app Socios.com. Ahead of the game, fans were given the chance to select between three separate designs and they ended up settling for the one that can be seen within the image below. Perhaps this could have let to the team's success? We're not exactly sure.
"At Team Vitality we are so proud of the success of our first fan token thanks to the support of our dedicated fans. With 350,000 sold at launch, $VIT marks the most successful esports FTO on Socios platform, we are honoured to share this milestone with our fans and partners at Socios and Chiliz. To see the fan selected jersey design on our CS:GO players on stage at such a major tournament like IEM Cologne was an exciting moment for us, and altogether represents how connected our players are with fans," said Nicolas Maurer, CEO, Team Vitality.


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Apple has started to prepare iPhone 6 pre-orders for shipping in Canada.
Category “iPhone News”
Apple has launched a new page on the company’s website which details their commitment to your privacy.
Meet the person behind the software running on Apple Watch: Kevin Lynch.
Apple pulls HealthKit related applications from the App Store due to a last-minute bug.
A bunch of iPhone 6 resellers are systematically hiring people to wait in line to buy unlocked units.
Apple’s iOS 8 User Guide for iPhone users is now available for download.
Take advantage of iOS 8′s cool new feature to save storage space on your iPhone.
Facebook has announced its iOS 8 app is still a few more weeks away, which will support the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus display sizes.
Apple reportedly held discussions to acquire or partner with Discover Financial Services.
Smaller iPhone 4S display and A4 chip may not be enough to run iOS 8 at full potential.
In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg, Apple CEO and other senior executives talk about the Apple Watch, Apple Pay and more.
The first iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus benchmarks released.


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It's not a mystery why YouTube is considering offering an ad-free version of its site to paying subscribers. Thanks to ad blocking software, there already are millions of potential viewers who pay nothing for an ad-free experience, and it makes sense to test whether these digital freeloaders would be willing to pay if they had a subscription-based option.
Ad blocking is a growing concern in advertising—right up there with viewability, fraud and piracy. The number of people using ad-blocking software, including Adblock Plus, AdGuard and uBlock, is rising. And some industry watchers say the phenomenon is related to an increase in video advertising.
"A lot of people blame YouTube for ad-block usage," said Zack Sinclair, CEO of FairBlocker, an ad-blocking software firm. "Display ads are easy to ignore. On YouTube, you see exactly how much time is being wasted."
Ad-blocking consumers can also avoid commercials on news and entertainment websites and on digital TV platforms like Hulu, killing banner and pre-roll video ads alike.
Spending on digital video advertising increased almost 60 percent in 2014 from the previous year. During the same period, the number of Internet users using ad blockers rose from 54 million to 121 million. Today, almost 150 million people have downloaded ad-blocking software, according to a frequently cited report from PageFair and Adobe.
Digital advertising is a $60 billion a year business in the U.S., where more than 25 percent of the Internet population has ad blockers, according to some estimates. Now, the industry is trying to persuade consumers to pay for content or convince them that advertising is necessary.
YouTube has its subscription model in the works, according to reports. YouTube did not return a request for comment. Google also is developing a contributor network, currently in the test phase, which lets users pay for an ad-free experience with participating publishers.
FairBlocker, which launched in February, allows subscribers to pay to see the content they want without ads. Sinclair said the company has about 50 customers who pay up to $15 for every 1,000 views on websites they visit.
Frederic Montagnon, CEO of Secret Media, a tech firm that helps publishers circumvent ad blockers, is unconvinced that user payments could make up for lost ad revenue.
"What I don't understand, actually, is that today, for someone using ad blocking, they don't see any ads, so they won't see any reason to pay YouTube—or anyone—to prevent being exposed to them," Montagnon said.
Only 2 percent of Internet users would be willing to pay the cost covered by advertising to access information online, Secret Media says.
Each U.S. Internet user is worth more than $215 a year in digital ad revenue, according to eMarketer stats. However, ad-blocking users are likely much more valuable because they are typically heavy Internet consumers, Montagnon said.
He estimated that the average user would have to pay Google about $60 a year to make up for lost revenue if they opted out of seeing ads. Some ad-blocking users could be worth 10 times more than that, he said.
The blocker software works by either preventing networks from serving ads or simply hiding the ads after they've been served. Ad-free advocates often know they are stifling the business of the sites they frequent, but the temptation is great.
"I first began using AdBlock primarily because of YouTube. Before every movie trailer, every music video, every episode of Crash Course and every 90-second cat video, I had to watch a minute-long advertisement," wrote ad-block user Ian Evans in a recent blog post. "Sometimes I could click past it after 30 seconds, but increasingly, I couldn't. Sometimes it was longer than the video itself."


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EV Charging Station security demonstrator
TeskaLabs is proud to announce the availability of EV Charging Station security demonstrator. This is a result of our research project. The Meili project was part of the UK Government and its partners Zenzic and InnovateUK 1.2 million British pounds programme to develop a cohesive understanding of the challenges and potential solutions to addressing digital resilience and cyber security within Connected and Automated Mobility.
With the number of electric vehicles and charging stations growing rapidly, possible attacks on charging infrastructure have become a growing threat to energy suppliers and traffic infrastructure.
Charging infrastructure is particularly vulnerable becasue there many entry areas for potential attacks. In general, charging points are unmanned and often located in remote areas, leaving their physical protections compromised. Moreover, connection to back-end servers that store sensitive customer data introduces even more severe threats and challenges into cybersecurity protection.
Specifically, the EV Charging Station security demonstrator extends C-ITS, which is a wireless (ETSI G5-ITS or LTE/5G) communication between vehicles and road-side infrastructure, into the intra-vehicle wired communication; the well-known CAN bus. The Demonstrator illustrates the communication between an electric vehicle and the charger, that happens over the CAN bus.
In response to recent Covid-19 restrictions, TeskaLabs extended the Demonstrator with user interface accessible over Internet (Web UI) to enable remote access to the demonstrator installation.
TeskaLabs has demonstrated that C-ITS security standards can be applied on a much broader spectrum of vehicle communication technologies and use cases, e.g. securing communication between the electric vehicle and the charger.
For more information on the EV Charging Station security demonstrator, please contact us at email@example.com
Are you interested in security for connected vehicles? Visit this page
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TeskaLabs delivers cybersecurity for C-Roads pilot in Slovenia
We are proud to announce that in cooperation with DARS d.d., Motorway Company in the Republic of Slovenia, TeskaLabs recently launched a cyber security solution – known as PKI – as a service for C-ROADS pilot in Slovenia. This service is operated from a datacenter in Prague and includes Root Certificate Authority, Enrolment Authority and Authorization Authority.
Published on April 14, 2020
Connected Vehicles: Are we ready?
Connected vehicles that talk to each other, increase road safety, and rely on automation all seem like a plot from a sci-fi movie. When does the robot takeover come in? As outlandish as all of this might seem, we’re closer than ever to connected vehicles being the new normal on our roadways. In fact, by 2025, every car on the road is expected to be connected in some way, shape, or form.
Published on June 15, 2019
Making Automated Mobility Safe
Autonomous vehicles are still working their way into the modern automotive marketplace. However, they are growing more common each year. Many agree, this is an innovative change, and it’s estimated that there will be more autonomous vehicles on the road in the coming years.
Published on July 15, 2019


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Almost every venture capitalist will say they support startups based on the strength of the founding team. But what about the rest of a startup’s employees? New VC store ensemble thinks you have to look beyond the founders to see if a team will actually make a startup successful.
Collin West, co-founder and managing partner at Ensemble, told gotechbusiness.com that unlike other VCs, his new venture capital outlet determines whether a startup is a good investment based on the depth of its whole team. The company uses an in-house, data-driven algorithm to narrow down potential investments based on all of a startup’s employees. The Texas-based company has raised $100 million for its debut fund to try and prove this idea.
West said that when Ensemble’s founding team — which also included Conrad Shang, a former venture LP at UTIMCO, and Gopinath Sundaramurthy, formerly a data scientist at IBM — tried to identify what it was about startups that set them apart from others in same industry, they all agreed that it was the companies that could attract the best talent.
“Even when you meet the company, you only meet the founder and not the rest of the team,” said West. “Often the founders are not the most interesting people in the team. Companies are buckets full of people – people who decide to work together on a specific mission.”
Looking for startups that are good at recruiting isn’t exactly a new approach, but West said it’s quite hard to actually pull it off: Picking an industry and then going through each company’s entire team is labor intensive, largely a waste of time, and essentially impossible to scale.
To combat this, West said the Ensemble team built a data algorithm that tracks employees at a company and helps narrow down companies with investment potential based on the depth of their team. From there, the human members of the Ensemble team start diving in. West pointed out that this data-driven approach is not a panacea, however, which is why the team still performs regular due diligence; Ensemble gets a smaller curated list as a starting point.
“With the help of software, we can track all the people at all the startups,” said West. “That ultimately yields much more information than any human brain can handle, especially any venture venture. [We] Effectively sort the industry by team quality in a very objective way, know which companies to focus on and spend a lot more time on a lot less companies.
Because the algorithm focuses on teams and not metrics that may be more or less relevant to specific industries, it enables Ensemble to be industry agnostic. West said an example of that would be the company’s investment in 3D home printing startup ICON Technologies.
“It’s an incredible company to work with, but it’s a big mission and changes the way housing was done. For many VCs, it was too much of a risk,” said West. “The great thing about using data is that it helps you get rid of your bias and step forward with curiosity.”
The data doesn’t stop with due diligence either. West said one of the added value of the company for their portfolio companies is that they release a full report on a company’s team after their investment. The report aims to find the bright spots, or areas for improvement, to give the startup the best idea of how to recruit in a way that can directly impact growth.
The company’s focus on teams comes at an interesting time in the market as the industry grapples with both layoffs and a war for talent. While every company tries to keep track of where the best laid-off professionals end up, Ensemble’s data-driven approach can help it maintain a better overview than traditional VCs. But that is no guarantee for a stronger portfolio.
“We just want to be where the big teams are, period,” said West. “That’s the beauty of a data-driven team approach. Every company has a team.”


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Photos: 85 Degrees bakery opening in West Covina
Posted by Watchara Phomicinda on 12/19/2012 5:15pm PDT
Grand opening of 85 Degrees bakery in West Covina on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. This popular Taiwanese bakery is the third to open in the country.
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Amazon’s net sales increased 22% to $15.70 billion in the second quarter of 2013, as compared to $12.83 billion which the company earned in net sales during the second quarter 2012. Today, the company reported its financial results for its second quarter which ended June 30, 2013.
Kindle sales is helping drive the company’s growth. “This past quarter, our top 10 selling items worldwide were all digital products – Kindles, Kindle Fire HDs, accessories and digital content,” Jeff Bezos, founder/CEO of Amazon, explained in a statement.
Amazon pointed out a number of highlights during the quarter including expanding its digital content libraries for books, films and apps. In addition, during the quarter Amazon expanded the Amazon Appstore globally, making it available to millions of customers in almost 200 countries. Amazon also introduced Amazon Coins, a digital currency that consumers can purchase in bulk at a discount and then use them to purchase apps, games and in-apps.


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Virgin Atlantic has urged the government to consider “reversing course” after the mini-budget, with the collapsing pound massively driving up costs for airlines.
The chief executive, Shai Weiss, said the economic situation was “hurting consumers” and the airline was deeply concerned, even though it believed its own bookings would hold up.
The problems from the plunging pound will be the latest to beset the UK’s beleaguered airline and travel industry, which has battled back from Covid travel restrictions and through a year of disruption when labour shortages at airports have played havoc with flights.
Weiss said the prime minister, Liz Truss, should take a “difficult decision” to boost the pound, after the slump from Friday’s tax cuts – to be financed by additional government borrowing – announced by the chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng.
Speaking at a press conference in London, he said: “The weakness of the pound is hurting, not Virgin Atlantic, it’s hurting the economy and it’s hurting consumers because it’s actually fulfilling or fuelling the inflation vicious cycle that we’re in.
“The message to government is pretty clear in my mind. You need to take a more difficult decision to reverse the declining pound and ensure that this country is not left with unsustainable perceived weakness in international markets, which of course then impact interest rates, impact consumers, impact mortgage rates, impact the entire economy.”
He added: “If this is the response to your decisions … considering what to do includes reversing.”
The comments were backed by an old rival of Virgin’s, the former British Airways boss Willie Walsh, now secretary general of global airline body Iata.
Walsh said Weiss’s “criticism is well-founded”. He said: “When you get volatility like you have seen in recent days, it definitely makes it much more challenging for airlines based in the UK with sterling revenues and dollar cost bases – for all of the airlines there.”
He added: “It’s going to be a challenging time there. It’s very frustrating when you see these kneejerk government responses in an effort to make themselves popular with the electorate, taking decisions that have massive economic impact on companies. I’m not sure all these policies were thought through carefully.”
Virgin had converted its sterling holding into dollars several months ago, Weiss said, a “smart financial position” that was now worth a considerable amount of money and was protecting it from the currency shock. About 60% of its outgoings are in dollars, mainly aircraft purchases and jet fuel.
However, he warned the government: “They need to stabilise the economic affairs of this country – we have the worst-performing currency in the G7; we don’t have to be at the bottom of the pile.”
Sales to US-based customers have grown to about 30-35% of Virgin Atlantic’s overall revenues since its joint venture with Atlanta-based Delta, Weiss said, and he anticipated that increased bookings from the US would cushion the airline.
With the pound almost at parity with the dollar, Weiss said the UK was in effect “on sale” for inbound tourists. “If you want to come and see the new King for half price, fly Virgin Atlantic,” he added.
However, Weiss insisted that Virgin Atlantic’s “fundamentals were sound”, although Sir Richard Branson’s carrier teetered on the financial brink during the pandemic, before being rescued by a huge cash injection from its shareholders.
Virgin and BA withdrew their largest planes, while Norwegian shrank away from the transatlantic market, from which 70% of Virgin’s revenues come. It plans to launch a new route, to Tampa from Heathrow next month, using its new A330neo plane.
Virgin has announced it was joining the SkyTeam airline alliance, after years of speculation. The airline said it would open more routes, benefits and lounges for its customers.


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A LISTERIA outbreak involving Dole Caesar salad kits has left two people dead and at least 17 others sick, prompting a mass recall.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 13 of 17 people affected were hospitalized across 13 states.
The recall began in late December and is for products that say “Best if used first” between November 30, 2021, and January 9, 2022.
More to follow…
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/4605068/listeria-outbreak-dole-caesar-salad-kit/ Listeria outbreak linked to Dole Caesar salad kits kills 2 and sickens at least 17 others prompting mass recall


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On todays episode of what?!
Did you know Jeff bezos made $13 billion in a day during this pandemic?
Jeff bezos saw his estimate net wealth surge by $13billion to $189.3 billion on monday.
,Jeff Bezos saw his estimated net wealth surge by $13 billion to $189.3 billion on Monday. That’s the largest single-day increase in the history of the news agency’s eight-year-old Billionaires Index. Much of that increase was simply the reversal of a sudden decline in tech company stock last week (Microsoft rose on Monday, while Tesla rose 9.5 percent). However, Amazon stock is up around 73 percent year to date—fueled by increased online shopping and demand for cloud services, i.e. the pandemic—and Bezos’s personal hoard has surged $74.4 bill
Tbh, all I see is billion and $ everywhere. Well, this is proof that money is still being made during these times.


text: A STOCKTON car parts maker will create 127 new jobs after securing a government cash transfer. Nifco UK won £ 1.65m Regional Growth Fund cash last year, a move that also maintain 168 existing jobs and facilitate the transition of the company to market electric vehicle batteries. The company, a newly built factory state-of-the-art facilities and offices in Eaglescliffe, went from strength to strength after it was forced to lay off a third of the labor force in 2008, following a severe decline in the automotive industry. The company has struggled with strong sales campaigns, which last year saw them secure an unprecedented £ 18m in new business, including millions of pounds worth of work on the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle and a Honda Civic and CRV models. Nifco UK is also looking forward to working with Jaguar Land Rover in India and China. A further £ 11m was spent on new plant investment company takes almost £ 20m last year. Rapid expansion means Nifco UK has taken on new staff - including many of the original workers redundant during the 2008 crisis. Mike Matthews, managing director of Nifco UK, said: "We have successfully cleared due diligence for the Regional Growth Fund. "We want to send a thank you to Tees Valley Unlimited, Stockton Council, and again, all useful in helping us secure funding. "If not for TVU, we can not move fast enough to secure the funds. "I would encourage every director of the company to participate in these organizations. "We also have a strong management team that has helped us achieve cost £ 18m unprecedented out of business last year, the years before 2008 the highest recorded. "We have won new contracts in recent years, including working with Jaguar Landrover. "We hope to build on that and work on it in India and China." The company also won the award last year clutch, including the nebusiness Company of the Year award.


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Apple iPhone 13 series; price cuts for older iPhones; TCS touches $200bn market cap, cheapest 50MP phone and more top tech news of the week
Gadgets Now Bureau19 Sep, 2021, 09:27AM IST
Apple iPhone 13 series goes on pre-order; new iPads, Apple Watch Series 7 unveiled
Apple iPhone 13 series are up for pre-orders. For the first time ever, the latest-generation iPhones went on pre-order in the first phase itself, along with US and UK. Apple iPhone 13 series comprises four phones -- iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. All iPhone 13 models come with 128GB base storage and are priced at Rs 69,900, Rs 79,900, Rs 119900 and Rs 129900 respectively. Along with the iPhones, Apple also unveiled the new iPad mini, 9th-generation iPad and Apple Watch Series 7. The all new iPhone 13 series runs on Apple’s own A15 Bionic chipset.
Apple Watch Series 7 has the most crack-resistant glass with IP6X certification for dust resistance and the same water resistance rating, says Apple. One of the biggest gripes for Watch users has been the charging speed. Apple says that with the Watch Series 7, it has improved it by 33%. Clickhere to read the complete story.
Reliance Jio launches its cheapest prepaid plan
Reliance Jio introduced its cheapest prepaid plan in India this week. The telco has rolled out the all-in-one JioPhone plan of Rs 75 with 26 days validity. This new prepaid plan offers unlimited local and national calling, 50 free SMS and total 3GB data. The JioPhone users will also get complimentary access to the Jio Suite apps which include JioTV, JioCinema and more. Clickhere to read the complete story.
Apple cuts prices of its current iPhone lineup, iPhone 12 gets the maximum price cut
Like every year, Apple announced price cuts of its existing lineup hours after it unveiled iPhone 13 series at California Streaming event. Out of all models, iPhone 12 has received a maximum price drop of Rs 15,000 and is now priced at Rs 65,900 onwards. Click here to read the complete story.
TCS goes from $100 billion to $200 billion in 3.5 years
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest software exporter crossed $200 billion in market capitalisation. TCS, which completes 50 years, listed on the stock exchanges in 2004. It took 13.5 years to get to $100 billion market cap, while the next $ 100 billion took 3.5 years, or a third of the time, a company executive said. The company is bullish on faster growth as customers across sectors invest in technology to transform their business. TCS's global rivals Accenture has a market cap of $216 billion and IBM of $122 billion, while Infosys has market value of $99 billion. Click here to read the complete story.
Nokia G10 smartphone launched at Rs 12,419; runs on Android 11 and packs 5030 mAh battery
HMD Global launched its budget Nokia branded smartphone in India this week. Nokia G10 is priced at Rs 12,149 and comes with an HD+ display and is backed by a 5050mAh battery. The smartphone runs Android 11 operating system and the company promises two years of guaranteed software updates and three years of security patches for the smartphone. The smartphone comes in Night and Dusk colour options and can be purchased online from Nokia.com. Click here to read the complete story.
Realme launches cheapest smartphone with 50MP camera
Realme launched its cheapest 50MP camera smartphone in India this week. The company launched Realme C25Y at Rs 11,999. The smartphone comes equipped with a 6.5-inch HD+ display and is powered by Unisoc T610 octa-core processor. It runs Android 11 and is backed by a 5000 mAh battery. Click here to read the complete story.
HMD Global launches another sub-Rs 10,000 phone, Nokia C01 Plus
HMD Global, the company which holds the licence to manufacture Nokia branded smartphones, has launched the company's latest entry-level smartphone in the country. Expanding the Nokia C-series, the company has launched Nokia C01 Plus smartphone at Rs 5,999. The company claims that the smartphone is designed for users who want to upgrade from a feature phone to a smartphone. Nokia C01 Plus runs the Android Go edition and sports an HD+ display. The affordable smartphone is powered by an octa-core processor and houses a 3,000 mAh removable battery. Clickhere to read the complete story.
Realme Dizo expands budget smartwatch lineup with Dizo Watch 2 and Dizo Watch Pro
Dizo has launched two new smartwatches in the Indian market, Dizo Watch 2 and Dizo Watch Pro. The budget smartwatches are priced at Rs 1,999 and Rs 4,499 respectively. The new smartwatches are available on e-commerce site Flipkart and come with features like up to 14-days battery life, SpO2 and heart rate monitor, and 100+ watch faces. Clickhere to read the complete story.
Infinix expands budget smartphone lineup with Hot 11 and Hot 11S, priced at Rs 8,999 and Rs 10,999
Infinix has expanded its smartphone lineup in India with the launch of Hot 11 smartphone series. The company has launched two handsets — Infinix Hot 11 and Infinix Hot 11S in this series. The Infinix Hot 11 is priced at Rs 8,999, while the Hot 11S comes with a price tag of Rs 10,999. Both the smartphones run Android 11 operating system and sport full HD+ display. Click here to read the complete story.
Kent smart security camera launched at Rs 4,990
The week also saw the launch of a new security camera from Kent. The company launched a new AI-based smart Wi-Fi camera CamEye HomeCam 360 at Rs 4,990. The camera can be controlled through a smartphone application. Artificial intelligence on the camera detects motion and follows the moving object. The AI can also be enabled to detect only humans which helps in avoiding unnecessary alerts whenever an animal passes by. Click here to read the complete story.
Noise launches Buds VS303 TWS earbuds at Rs 1799
Noise has launched its latest pair of true wireless earbuds. Noise Buds VS303 are priced at Rs 1,799 and can be purchased in Black and Blue colour options. Noise Buds VS303 offer easy touch controls and a Bluetooth range of 10 meters. The earbuds promise to offer 6 hours of battery backup on a single charge. The company also claims that the earbuds can charge completely within 1.5 hours. Click here to read the complete story.
Huawei launches rival to Samsung and Fitbit smartwatches, Huawei GT 2 Pro
Huawei launched the Watch GT 2 Pro smartwatch in India this week. Already up for sale, the smartwatch comes in two variants -- Sports and Classic priced at Rs 22,990 and Rs 24,990 respectively. The watch face is made of sapphire for the 1.39-inch AMOLED display and gives options of 200 watch faces. The watch enables its users to track their heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, sleep quality and stress level 24/7. The company claims that the battery on the watch will last for 2 weeks under normal use. The Watch GT 2 Pro comes with over 100 sports modes. Click here to read the complete story.


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Like a fine wine, romance gets better with age!
General Hospital star Donna Mills, 74, tells Closer Weekly that her boyfriend of 14 years, Larry Gilman, 65, gave her the most sensationally romantic of gifts — her very own vineyard!
“Larry planted a vineyard for me last year,” Donna reveals to Closer. “He’s really such a good guy.”
Donna and Larry in their vineyard.
Of their cozy vineyard in LA’s Brentwood neighborhood, Donna says: “It’s only a year old, so while we have grapes, we don’t have any wine grapes yet. But another year or so and we will.”
The pair plans to bottle their own wine in the coming years, made from their California grapes. “It’s called Ethereal,” reveals Donna.
For more on your favorite stars’ love lives, pick up the new issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now.


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Vietnam retail giant Masan says investor tolerance for losses is fading
Photo by Lien Hoang.
Backed by Bain Capital and Alibaba, retailer Masan says it is willing to bear some losses in the short term, but -- at a time when the "cost of capital is high" -- investors have only "medium patience."
"The days of being a loss-making company, [for] a multi-billion dollar company, are probably over," CEO Danny Le said at a technology event hosted by the company this week.
The conglomerate, founded by Vietnam's fifth-richest man and known for its fish sauce, now includes dozens of businesses, from a Tesla tungsten supplier to a grocery chain acquired from fellow Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup.
Group earnings fell 6% in the first three quarters of 2023 year-on-year. This was led by declines at affiliate Techcombank -- chaired by Vietnam's third-richest man -- and larger drops at supermarket and ministop chain operator WinCommerce as well as at Masan High-Tech Materials (MHT).
The latter two represent more recent expansions by Masan. Le said the company would give some of its newer businesses time to reach healthy margin levels in the medium term.
"You will have a holiday from investors to see if you can develop into a profitable business," he said at the event. But, he added, "The days of being heavily patient are over."
TPG, SK Group, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Seatown Holdings have invested in Masan. The company is listed in Ho Chi Minh City and has agreed with investors to float its subsidiary, CrownX, by 2026, potentially abroad.
Analysts have said the company risks becoming overstretched across disparate industries. Its business lines include a tea shop chain, credit ratings, mobile internet and logistics, as well as production of meat, noodles, drinks and other goods.
Russia's war in Ukraine has hit its mining arm, MHT, which faces higher costs for energy and raw materials and lower sales prices for tungsten, Masan said in its third-quarter report. This quarter, it is looking to sell down copper inventory, cut debt and reduce costs for blasting and procurement.
The food and retail businesses have been hurt by higher costs and "the slow recovery of consumer sentiment," the report said.
Le's comments echo a trend in the tech sector, with investors losing tolerance for red ink and pushing startups from Grab to Shopee to turn a profit. The cost of money is rising as governments hike interest rates around the world.
Sentiment is down across Vietnam due to mass layoffs, declines in factory and trade demand, and a corruption crackdown hurting the property and financial sectors.
Oxford Economics economist Theng Theng Tan expects higher-for-longer rates to keep foreign demand muted for Vietnamese products, especially from the U.S., while China's reopening is tepid.
"All told, a subdued external environment will likely become a renewed headwind to Vietnam's trade-oriented economy," Tan wrote in a research note on Wednesday.
Le shared a similar sentiment. "The cycle we're in right now is quite tough," he said.
Source: Nikkei Asia
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