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TikTok is a social media platform that has been a huge success in recent years. TikTok is now integrating with Shopify, which will allow TikTok users to sell their products without leaving the app. This means that TikKik can be used as an all-in-one marketing and sales platform for businesses.
This blog post discusses TikTok's new Shop Tab feature, what it offers, and how it can benefit you!
Shopify merchants with a TikTok For Business account will be able to add a new “Shopping” tab to their TikTok profiles and sync their product catalogs to create mini-storefronts on their profile pages that links directly to their online store for checkout.
Store owners will also be able to tag their products in their videos, when TikTok users tap the tag, they will be directed to the Shopify website for online checkout. This is a great opportunity to bring new buyers to Shopify stores. Users can see new styles, outfits, makeup looks or other product collections without leaving the app by clicking on a TikTok shop tab built right into their profiles.
Shopify announced that there’s a growing demand among merchants for working with TikTok, noting installs across Shopify’s social commerce channels increased by 76% from February 2020 to February 2021.
TikTok has skyrocketed over the last year and captured around 500 million daily active users (DAU). In a recent study, 88% of TikTok users said that they discover new content that they enjoy while using the app, and about half of users said they discover new products through advertisements posted by a product or brand.* Through this partnership TikTok is making it easier for Shopify merchants to tap into the creativity of the TikTok community, be discovered, and optimise their marketing campaigns.
The TikTok Shopping pilot is currently available to Shopify merchants in the US and UK. A select group of merchants in Canada will participate in the pilot in the coming weeks, and the feature will roll out to additional regions in the coming months.
If you need help with understanding how TikTok can benefit your e-commerce business or need help with your TikTok marketing strategy and advertising, just get in touch.
TikTok has quickly taken over the internet since it was first launched in October 2018 and has become one of the most popular apps out there today. If you are unsure about how to use TikTok for your business, this blog post will provide you with some valuable information to help get started!
1)With 689 million global active users as of January 2021, TikTok ranks as the 7th most used social network in the world. The number of UK TikTok users rose from 4.9 million in 2019 to over 6 million, at the beginning of 2020. In fact, 2020 was TikTok's year. It was the most downloaded app of the year. TikTok has proved that it's here to stay.
2)Is it for teenagers only? Not at all, Gen Z has embraced TikTok in 2019 and over the lockdowns its reach expanded massively. In 2020, 62% of TikTok users in the US were aged between 10 and 29 (Statista, 2020).
As of March 2021, teenagers accounted for only 25% of the total users while those between 20 and 29 accounted for 22.4%. This means that only 47.4% of the total users in the US are aged between 10 and 29 (Statista, 2021).
In the UK, 45% of TikTok users are aged 24 and above. One in four are mums and one in two are actively looking for brands on TikTok.
For many businesses that are looking at their marketing mix and wondering what platforms they should be on this year, the answer might just be TikTok. TikTok is still expanding in popularity by attracting more users every day. If your target audience is in these groups, you should definitely test TikTok for your business.
3)TikTok’s audience is far more engaged and loyal compared to Facebook and Instagram. Jennifer Lopez recently posted the same video on Twitter and TikTok. She has 45 million followers on Twitter and 5 million followers on TikTok. The video on Twitter got 2 million views. The video on TikTok got 71 million views.
4)TikTok social commerce is on the rise: E-commerce brands that leverage the visual experiences that TikTok offers are able to get the most out of this platform. Once dominated by viral dance trends, TikTok now has videos from every vertical. Social issues, educational content, beauty tutorials, home hacks, styling tips, and fitness videos are now commonplace.
Social media platforms are now increasingly becoming places of commerce. TikTok has been one of the most popular social networks for this in recent years and is only growing more rapidly by the day.
Shopify merchants can now integrate their stores with TikTok to sell products through the social media app. This is a great way for small businesses to reach new customers via this popular medium that many people are using every day.
It is the perfect platform to share your brand's story and engage with customers. In a world of short attention spans, TikTok has proven that it can hold people’s attention for hours on end, all while generating millions in revenue for brands.
With the right strategy, a brand can become part of TikTok culture and connect with an audience that spends hours every day on this platform. Making your own content can be a powerful TikTok marketing strategy. However, if you feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start from, just get in touch.


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- Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
China’s upscale restaurants and hotels are feeling the pain as the government pulls back on public funding for fine dining amid efforts to project an image of increasing official austerity.
Upwards of 60% of restaurants have faced cancellations since the austerity push began, according a report released on Thursday by the China Cuisine Association, which surveyed 100 restaurants and hotels across the country to determine the economic impact of the government’s belt tightening.
One five-star hotel in Beijing saw roughly 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) in reservations cancelled, according to the report. Read More »

domain: news


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Magic Mike, male Viera announced for FFXIV, Marcus and Anne are mad at BOTH Apple and eBay… It’s going to be a rowdy one! Marcus has also been busy with new Collector’s Cabinet and Checking the Score pieces, plus he checks out early access for that hot new Konami game, GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon! Note that Anne says the all-new bunny race in FFXIV is for player characters in the news segment, but they’re NPCs only. Sorry about that!
15:00 – Media Minutes: New Pokemon Snap, Resident Evil 8, Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet, Fried Barry, RetroTink, Giant Bomb
44:00 – Notable News: Apple says Itch.io has “unspeakable games,” eBay banning “sexually oriented materials,” male Viera coming to FFXIV, Famicom Detective Club out now, Game Builder Garage announced, Bustafellows release date
♫ “Willie Lomans,” “5 minutes pleasure,” and “6 pence and moon” from Alphabet Planet by Hiroki Kikuta


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Snapchat founder, Evan Spiegel denied “metaverse” on Facebook ambitions as “mysterious and virtual” as he announced a host of new augmented reality features coming to phones and Snap’s experimental augmented reality glasses over the next year.
Speaking ahead of the Snap Partner Summit, the company’s flagship annual event, Spiegel said Snapchat is uniquely positioned to guide the next decade of technology thanks to the company’s broad portfolio Augmented Reality ServicesLike the “lenses” that millions of people use every day.
With 332m daily users and a market capitalization of $46.95bn (£38bn), Snap is comfortably bigger than Twitter, even after Elon Musk’s latest takeover bid, but it gets a fraction of the attention. “This is something that comes along with them being a ‘public city square,’” Spiegel says. “We are thrilled with the value we bring to our community — and to our community.”
He cites statistics that “more than 90% of Snapchat users say they feel relaxed, happy, and connected when they use Snapchat,” which is “ranked as the happiest platform in comparison to other apps.”
“There are now nearly 250 million people interacting with augmented reality daily on a smartphone alone,” Spiegel said. “And it’s on this small screen that you look through and use your thumb. So we think trying to break some of these limitations and get into a truly immersive and interactive augmented reality experience, is going to be really important in the future.”
Snap’s latest Spectacles have only been shipped in prototype form to creators around the world: With a battery life of 15-30 minutes and a severely restricted screen, they aim to inspire creators with the potential for future versions of the same device. But Spiegel says the next generation is already under development.
“It just changes the way you interact when you can walk around and use your hands, and see computing come to life. The strength of AR glasses lies in the AR platform behind them, meeting hundreds of thousands of developers and millions of truly cutting-edge lenses and tools that continue to evolve rapidly” .
The core of this development is an update called Lens Cloud that allows developers for both Snapchat and Spectacles to build AR experiences that are placed firmly in the real world. One set of tools allows Lenses to be attached anywhere around the world: Lego used them to build virtual Ferris wheels, roller coasters and slides around the streets of central London.
Another feature allows two users from the same augmented reality lens to interact with each other for the first time, occupying the same virtual spaces and playing the same games.
It looks like the updates may be the basis for a shared virtual universe of the kind that Facebook recently decided is so central to its future that it Renamed the company to Meta. But Spiegel says the word “metaverse” is never uttered in Snap’s offices.
“The reason we don’t use that word is because it’s so vague and hypothetical. Just ask a room of people how you define it, and everyone’s definition is completely different.”
“But one of the biggest overarching concepts people have is that a lot of these tools are designed to replace reality. Whereas when we talk about augmented reality, we’re trying to augment the real world around you. So our main bet is that people really like the real world: they want to be together. Face to face with their friends.
“And of course, our vision is real today, with glasses that you can use today, and a platform that works at scale today. So we try to move away from those assumptions, because we focus on what we’re building now.”
Spiegel also revealed Pixy, the “world’s friendliest flying camera” – a palm-sized, autonomous drone that can be used to capture outdoor activities. With a single button to control it, users hold the Pixy in their hand and choose one of five modes, including ‘follow’ – the drone will recognize and track its owner as they take a video on the way – and ‘reveal’ – the drone will fly as far as Rise to it and photograph the reverse pan as it travels.
“Everything you need to capture the spontaneity and joy of the moment from new perspectives is in the palm of your hand,” Spiegel said. “No controllers. No complicated setup. Just select the flight path and let Pixy take it from there, and it floats on top of you while taking photos and videos. And it knows when and where to come back, it lands gently in the palm of your hand.”
The device is available to buy from Thursday for $229.99 for customers in the United States and France.


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Winter iPhone X shipments forecasts still split
The investment sector is pulling its hair on iPhone X shipment forecasts for the early part of 2018 after what many consider to be a lackluster holiday season.
On the one hand, Piper Jaffray has an overweight (positive) rating on Apple’s stock after finding that a majority of respondents to its survey bought an iPhone X over an iPhone 8 — it expects an average sales price of $720.
The other side of things comes out of CLSA’s Nicolas Baratte. CNBC reports that the firm has a forecast of 30 to 35 million shipments for the iPhone X in the first quarter.
“This does not reconcile with the expectation of pent-up demand or push-out to the first quarter of 2018 in our opinion: consumers who wanted to get an iPhone X in December 2017 already have it,” Baratte wrote.
Digitimes recently reported that Apple had internally cut shipment goals for the quarter from 50 million to 30 million units.
Both firms also see one possibility to for Apple that the company has not taken for an iPhone before: a mid-cycle price cut.
“We expect a lower priced X-gen option (likely the current iPhone X with a price cut) and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a ‘plus’ X-gen model in 2018,” wrote Piper analyst Michael Olson.


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Titan Shops, at Cal State University – Fullerton, always seems to be doing something to get new customers into their store. Whether it’s putting on an open house or traditional sales to coincide with holidays like National Student Day, Titan Shops Marketing Coordinator Katie Cover is usually busy planning something new and exciting. The most recent special event was a “secret sale,” something that the store likes to do a few times each semester.
“We started these back in December 2012,” said Cover. “We attempted to do them online and in-store but product sold too fast in-store for our system to keep inventory current, and we oversold to 100 customers before we could cut it off. We resolved this issue by providing coupons for the inconvenience and error.”
The events usually involve for-sale items like $5 t-shirts or $20 t-shirt/hoodie combo, and those items are almost always quick to sell out. "Most of our secret sale items are gone within the hour, or we have very few pieces and sizes left by then," Cover said. The store also likes to keep quantities low, so as to retain the limited availability and exclusivity appeal of the event.
Obviously, the sales have been extremely successful thus far. At the secret sale the store held in February, all items were gone in just 45 minutes, and they did 699 transactions between 1 and 2 p.m. alone. "I believe we have this type of event pretty nailed down on how to make it effective," said Cover. "The biggest factor is the item and how to correctly feature it."
Although Titan Shops doesn't receive a ton of feedback from students on their events, that obviously doesn't mean that customers are unhappy, and the numbers reflect that. But in order to maximize their turnout, Cover and her staff have begun trying new ideas. "We always have students who can't make it because of class, so we have shuffled the day of the week throughout the semester to allow better availability, and not always exclude those same students."
But despite those small obstacles, there is one general rule that Cover has for stores that are looking to put on similar events. "Start small and with a low-priced item and keep it in-store. Keep the prices low and students and faculty will be there."


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There has been a little confusion as of late about TERA's open beta. A new trailer that surfaced from Hangame, TERA's Korean publisher, which hinted at an open beta launch for January 11th, but En Masse Entertainment recently posted a clarification about the date revealed in the trailer. The open beta date as many might expect, does not apply to En Masse and the North American version of TERA. TERA fans will have to wait a bit longer to find out when En Masse will be ready to launch its open beta.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our TERA: Rising Game Page.


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The Apple Watch isn't just one of the best smartwatches around – it's also a potential life saver.
Just ask James Prudenciano, who's recent hike in the New Jersey woods nearly cost him his life.
While Paige emerged largely unscathed, James fractured his back in three places and feared for the worst.
“I was screaming that I’m going to die because I really felt I was going to die. There was no way out of this for me. I literally said my last goodbyes," he told News 12.
Enter his Apple Watch Series 4, which detected his fall and dialled 911 on behalf of the couple. They were then rescued by local emergency services and taken to hospital.
- Read our Apple Watch review
How to enable Apple Watch fall detection
As Mr Prudenciano is just 28 year old, the Apple Watch's fall detection feature would have been turned off by default – so manually enabling it may well have saved his life.
If his cautionary tale has inspired you to do the same, here's how to activate fall detection on your Apple Watch.
- On your iPhone, launch the Watch app
- Find the My Watch icon, located in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen
- Tap it
- Now, tap Emergency SOS
- Scroll down to Fall Detection and enable it
- Double-check the toggle button – it will be pushed to the right when Fall Detection is turned on
While the best fall detection sensors are hard to beat as standalone devices, the integration of the feature into mainstream gadgets like the Apple Watch has helped countless people like Mr Prudenciano get medical attention when they need it most.
The latest version of the product, the Apple Watch Series 5, was unveiled in September and is available now.
More health tech guides:


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General Motors Mercosur will start selling its first electric vehicle (EV), the Chevrolet Bolt, in Argentina this year, the company's president, Carlos Zarlenga, told Télam, an Argentine news agency, on February 13th. Mr Zarlenga said that the automaker plans to sell 20 EVs in Argentina by 2022. It also plans to launch its first self-driving car in the country in 2019.
In addition, the South American subsidiary of General Motors Co is mulling plans to manufacture EVs in the Mercosur region—a trade bloc which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay—by the end of this decade. Argentina boasts of 128m tonnes of lithium carbonate deposits, making it an attractive destination for manufacturing EVs. Lithium is a key component of the lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles.
General Motors also said that it was confident of selling more than 1m vehicles in Argentina this year. The automaker sold over 883,000 vehicles in the country in 2017, according to Adepa, the automotive association of Argentina. The Economist Intelligence Unit expects overall car sales in the Latin American country to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3% in 2018-22.
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit


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While 2020 saw the summer of sport we all know and love paused indefinitely, 2021 paints a much different picture – both for sports fans and UK businesses alike. And with Wimbledon, the Euros, the Champions League, Lions Rugby Tour and Olympics all back with a bang, certain industries are already ready seeing a well-overdue increase in sales.
However, to make the most of sporting events, businesses should be prepared to pivot their typical offering to adapt to the ever-changing coronavirus requirements. Along with the companies benefitting from the return of sport this year, here’s how some businesses have adapted to make the most of these major events.
Strawberries and Pimm’s flowing freely at Wimbledon
In 2019, nearly 2 million strawberries were sold at Wimbledon alone at £2.50 for a portion of 10 berries with cream. When the tournament was cancelled in 2020, this was a huge loss for growers and sellers of this fruity favourite.
To help make sure as little of the crop went to waste as possible, the AELTEC (All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Limited) donated 26,000 strawberries to NHS staff and frontline workers as a gesture of appreciation for their help during the peak of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
This year, despite the government postponing lockdown lifting, Wimbledon welcomed a full capacity crowd on its final weekend on centre court, with 50% capacity across the rest of the courts. According to FMC, the company which caters for the thirsty tennis fans at Wimbledon, they supplied around 150,000 glasses of Pimm’s and 17,000 bottles of fizz across the fortnight, which was fantastic news for the official sponsors, Pimm’s and Lanson.
Making the most of tennis fever
Supermarkets also saw the benefit of the highly anticipated tennis event, with a spokesperson from supermarket chain Asda revealing they expected to sell over 50,000 bottles of Pimm’s, over 120,000 packs of scones and 2.4mn punnets of strawberries over the fortnight.
Morrisons launched their online food boxes at the start of the pandemic. The pre-prepared boxes filled with ‘essentials’ to help ease the demand for online delivery slots when shoppers were encouraged to stay home.
Showing that same innovative spirit, the return of Wimbledon in 2021 saw Morrisons launch the ultimate Tennis Treats box, which included everything tennis fans needed to enjoy the final from the comfort of their own home, such as Pimm’s pitcher ingredients, strawberries and clotted cream. They also included a branded Robinson’s water bottle and a tournament chart of the games, all for just £28.
The supermarket also launched the Mega BBQ Box, the Aperol Spritz Box and a Big Match Bundle created especially for the Euro fans ahead of the England v Italy final.
Euros bringing home profits for pubs
On big match days, like the Euros final, sales in pubs and bars showing sports are usually 200-300% higher than normal, and despite the limits in capacity, pubs showing the matches this year have still seen around a 60% uplift.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) estimated that nearly 13mn pints would be sold on the day of the final, with 7.1 million of those being sold during the actual game.
Star Bars & Pubs, which has 2,900 sites across the country, have seen an increase of 150% against the equivalent day two years ago as the semi-finals saw them enjoy their biggest day of sales since the Saturday before Christmas 2019.
A change of licensing laws during the Euros tournament
A temporary relaxation of licensing laws meant premises could stay open an extra 45 minutes during the Euro 2020 final in England and Wales.
This saved pubs and bars from having to apply to their local authority 10 days in advance to extend their opening hours in order for it to be processed and gave them an extra boost by allowing them to keep serving throughout the match.
Lost sales for Wetherspoons
Despite recovering well from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Euros saw a dent in sales for pub chain giant Wetherspoons, largely due to its longstanding policy of not screening most football matches.
In the month leading up to the football championships, Wetherspoon’s like-for-like sales were just 8.1% lower during the same period in 2019. But from 10th June to 4th July, as the Euros began, sales dropped by 20.8%.
With much of the crowds going elsewhere to get their football fix, Wetherspoons told pub managers they would be allowed to show the football if they wished, however, some sites have no televisions, and most only have one or two small screens.
Lockdown challenges for pubs during Euros
Although the football brought welcome trade to these businesses who have faced significant financial hardship throughout the pandemic, many pubs were still struggling, with lockdown restrictions and table service proving challenging and costly.
Some pubs had to take a loss by shutting due to members of staff testing positive for coronavirus, whereas others that did open at a limited capacity could only cater for a few.
To get around capacity restrictions, some pubs that have space for it have set up outdoor areas under marquees with screens. The chef and owner of House of Feasts in Peterborough, Damian Wawrzyniak, shared with the BBC how his venue set up a massive six-metre screen in a marquee and two large screens under a pergola to offer plenty of room to fans.
Wawrzyniak showed tenacity throughout 2020 too as he kept the business afloat during lockdown by opening a delicatessen shop in the pub, selling boxes of goods online across the country.
Likewise, landlady Jackie Fairburn from the Hare & Hounds in West Yorkshire has managed to pay off all of the debt she accumulated due to trading restrictions in lockdown, with England’s success providing vital income when she needed it most.
To accommodate local footie fans, Ms Fairburn borrowed money to maximise space in the premise’s garden to build five marquees, allowing her to accommodate up to 150 customers.
Looking forward to a brighter future
With bookings for tables in pubs selling out in no time at all, it’s safe to say that the hunger for making a night out of watching sports at the local bar is still raging on. According to a report from KAM Media and MatchPint, 43% said that watching sports is what they’re looking forward to most about returning to pubs this summer.
And it’s not just the football fans! 73% of UK adults intend to watch some of the Olympics on TV, with 9% intending to watch it in a pub or bar – that’s equivalent to 4.7m of the population!
Plus, with restrictions easing on the 19th of July, this gives businesses like pubs and bars the opportunity to operate at full capacity and generate pre-COVID levels of revenue.
After pressing the pause button on sport last summer due to the pandemic, there’s still plenty to come. And as a nation, we’re ready to make the most of it.
In terms of which sports pubs and bars are planning on showing, according to the aforementioned report, 83% will show the UEFA Champions League Final, 75% will show the Lions rugby tour, and 73% intend to show at least some events during the Olympic games.
If you’re planning on showing any of the upcoming sporting action in your venue, make sure you spread the word early to get ahead of the competition with posters and posts on social media.
Non-hospitality industries can also take advantage by hosting relevant, themed sales, events and promotions. The Morrisons Tennis Treats box is a fantastic example of how to pivot your product offering and marketing messaging to appeal to customers during this team.
Just as thinking outside the box was important during the pandemic, it’s equally as important as we manoeuvre our way out to it too!


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Gearbox Software added crossplay to Borderland 3 last year, but Sony’s platforms didn’t support the feature initially. That will soon change as the company announced at PAX East that full crossplay support – including with PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 – will arrive sometime in the spring, GameSpot reports. When the feature is available, PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Stadia players will all be able to play the game with each other.
Sony has been resistant to enabling crossplay in some games in the past, originally blocking support for it in titles like Fortnite and Rocket League before finally coming around. However, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsa border areas spin-off, launched in March with crossplay support on all platforms, including PlayStation. At the time of that announcement, Gearbox Entertainment president Randy Pitchford hinted that PlayStation crossplay support for Borderland 3 maybe close, that tweet the feature was “what I would consider inevitable.”
We asked Gearbox if it can provide a more specific timeline for when Borderlands 3s full crossplay support will be available. On Thursday, Gearbox also announced a “completely new” Stories from the borderlands Adventure” to be released in 2022.


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Seedstars World, the biggest startup competition focusing on emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes, held its grand finale with the sixth edition of the Global Seedstars Summit. Over 1000 people attended the event in Lausanne, Switzerland, together with startups, investors, mentors, and corporates, from all over the globe.
Blended, the leading school platform in Latin America, improves communication between schools and families with a simple technology. Federico Hernandez won the most prestigious prize dedicated to emerging economies’ startups: up to $500,000 in equity investment and unique growth opportunities.
After covering 80+ countries throughout 2018 with local and regional competitions, Seedstars invited all winners to Switzerland. They had the chance to compete for different prizes, including up to $500K in equity investment and the title of Seedstars Global Winner.
The Seedstars Summit is not only a conference but an opportunity for stakeholders active in impact investment, tech and entrepreneurship to network and benefit from a unique hands-on growth experience.
During April 2nd and 3rd, startups participated in a two-day bootcamp with more than 60 experts supporting them in achieving their next milestones. During the private Investor Forum on April 4th, 12 finalists were selected to compete on the main stage.
the Summit Day – April 5th – the startups delivered 3-minute pitches on the main stage in front of more than 1,000 hand-picked ecosystem builders, corporates, investors, startup enthusiasts representing some of the most prominent names of tech and entrepreneurship in emerging markets.
“The Seedstars experience, I believe, is very important for entrepreneurs. More than the money, I have received so much and taken in so many great ideas from entrepreneurs all over the world. Seedstars work is fundamental in showcasing that great companies exist everywhere.” says Hernandez, CFO & Founder of Blended: a mobile communication platform connecting schools with families in Latin America.
With a user-friendly collaborative interface, they optimize communication, and improve learning results with state-of-the-art technology at an affordable cost.
According to Pierre-Alain Masson, co-founder at Seedstars, “We are very proud to be supporting all these entrepreneurs and we’ll continue to expand our activities with the launch of new acceleration and training programs across the world. We’ll also be announcing more funding to these unbelievable entrepreneurs that we have seen on stage all week.”
On top of the $500,000 investment prize for the Seedstars Global Winner, Seedstars and its partners awarded 7 additional prizes:
In order to have true impact Seedstars can count on the support of great partners: SPEI, School of Management Fribourg, TRECC, TAG Heuer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rising Tide Foundation, EPFL, CVCI, Lausanne Région and Ville de Lausanne, Nespresso.
Additionally, 8 startups from developed markets looking to expand or solve problems in emerging markets pitched on the Breakout Stage. Tag Heuer crowned DOT Glasses winner and Noisypeak runner-up. hiLyte came out third and was supported by our partner Logitech.
Moreover, Seedstars is proud to announce its partnership with First Growth Ventures’ founders Tamim El Zein and Maxime Bouan to launch a $100mn sub-Saharan Africa venture fund.
The fund will focus on early-stage investments from USD 250 thousand to USD 5 million in the most promising innovative ventures across sectors and countries. The fund is the first of a series of regional funds Seedstars will launch in the coming years to continue the mission of accelerating and supporting entrepreneurs at all stages.
Seedstars is a Swiss-based group with a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Through a variety of worldwide events, acceleration programs and competitions, including the largest startup competition in emerging markets (Seedstars World Competition), Seedstars aims at fostering impact investing and impact entrepreneurship over the world.


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Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale: Flipkart is bringing Big Billion Days Sale again. However, Flipkart has not yet announced the date of this mega sale. However, the date of this upcoming mega sale has been leaked. Tipster Abhishek Yadav has revealed that the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale is going to start from September 23 and will continue till September 30. Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale is starting right before the festive season in India. According to reports, this cell is going to offer a variety of amazing offers. In this sale, customers will get attractive discounts on Realme, Redmi, Poco, even iPhone.
But it is not yet known exactly how much discount will be available on this type of phone.
Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale is expected to offer attractive discounts on bank cards as well. It is believed that customers who have ICICI Bank and Axis Bank credit cards can get around 10% discount on any purchase. Apart from this, customers can also get benefits like no-cost EMI and exchange offers during this Big Billion Days sale on Flipkart.
Customers can avail up to 80 percent discount in the Electronics and Accessories section of the Upgrade Sale. 40 percent off on gaming laptops in this sale. At the same time, 80 percent discount is being given on products like printers, monitors. 75 percent off on popular trimmers. Phone cases and screen guards are available starting at Rs.
It is known that the price of TV and various types of electronic products in this cell starts from 199 taka. At this price customers can buy products like fan, geyser. Apart from this, amazing offers are being given on air condition. Customers can get air conditioners in this sale at a discount of around 55 percent. Apart from this, top brand TVs are available starting from Tk 8,999.


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Apparently, BIGBANG‘s Taeyang smells like CK ONE as he has just been chosen as the face of this unisex perfume by Calvin Klein.
This special global campaign with Taeyang will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the launching of the perfume. The advertisement was shot in New York by Mario Sorrenti who has previously worked with Kate Moss for Calvin Klein Obsession. This new campaign shows rookie models, artists, and musicians such as singer-songwriter Dev Hynes, singer Samantha Urbani, sister singer Sya Lou Lou, electric-pop singer Kelela, electronic artist-cum-producer Evian Christ, singer-cum-actress Soko, artist Ally Marzella, fashion photographer Michael Bailey Gates, photographer-cum-fashion designer Petra Collins, and model Edie Campbell. Taeyang is the only K-Pop start that was chosen for the campaign.
Calvin Klein’s CEO Steven Shiffman commented, “The new ad campaign suggests a new horizon of our symbolic CK ONE franchise. The campaign celebrates the tradition of the original campaign, while displaying a wide variety of personalities of the young generation today.”
Edited by: Angelspatience
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The Happiest Baby Snoo is a crib that soothes a baby to sleep with a push of the button. The bassinet uses sensors and artificial intelligence to respond to a baby's cries. It rocks and plays white noise, adjusting the levels based on the volume of the crying. Parents can control it with an app that alerts them if their infant is inconsolable.
The crib also straps the baby in with a specially designed swaddle, lowering the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
It's so effective at helping babies (and parents) get more sleep, that some companies even offer it as a benefit.
But for those that pay full price, it costs $1,295. The company is now renting it out for $4.90 a day, or close to $150 a month.
The crib is built for newborns and most outgrow it by the time they're about six months old. The Snoo is the brainchild of Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician. His book "Happiest Baby on the Block" has been a bestseller since 2002.


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JLG promises new super-boom
By Euan Youdale21 May 2013
JLG will add another super-boom to its Ultra Boom range, possibly to rival Terex AWP’s new 54.9 m (180 ft) SX-180.
The manufacturer, hitherto the leader in the big boom segment, said earlier this year that it aimed to maintain its ‘leadership’ in that segment. Since bauma Karel Huijser, JLG general manager and vice president EAME access equipment, confirmed to AI that it will add another model to that range. JLG’s biggest booms at present are the 150 ft 1500SJ telescopic model and the veteran 150HAX.
“JLG has and will continue to be the leader in big boom development. Later this year we will announce an expansion to our Ultra Boom range. We will unveil more details soon and expect to take orders at the upcoming ConExpo show, with shipments of the new model in 2014,” said Mr Huijser.
We can only presume that it will compete directly with the Genie SX-180, launched at bauma. Concerning that machine, Ron DeFeo, Terex chairman and chief executive officer, said at bauma, “This is a technological leap; this is a real advancement that the industry has not seen. The market is trending towards big booms and these machines will eat into the truck-mount market.”
See the Self-propelled booms feature in the forthcoming May-June issue of AI for more information.


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Oct 08, 2007There's been a tremendous amount of misinformation surrounding the pace of RFID adoption in the mainstream press. So for EPC Connection 2007—the fourth annual EPCglobal North America conference and exhibition, held last week in Chicago—we gathered the prime movers in four key industries to tell the audience directly how their rollouts are proceeding and what their adoption plans are. On stage were:
• Carolyn Walton, VP of information technology at Wal-Mart Stores
• Kenneth Porad, an associate technical fellow at Boeing
• Bradley Cougher, a senior consultant at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
• Didier Chenneveau, VP and general manager of Americas operations for Hewlett-Packard (HP)
Walton countered claims that Wal-Mart's RFID efforts are fizzling, affirming that the company is moving ahead with its rollout. She also revealed three new initiatives not previously reported on. One involved "hot spots," or high-traffic locations in the stores. Wal-Mart has asked suppliers to tag goods or promotions bound for these hot spots, to improve its ability to ensure goods are in these locations when they are supposed to be. That increases sales for Wal-Mart, and for the supplier as well.
According to Walton, Wal-Mart has initiated a trial involving air fresheners, in which cases from all suppliers are tagged, rather than just one or two. That will enable the retailer to determine if RFID can provide a sales lift across an entire category, benefiting all suppliers. The University of Arkansas's RFID Research Center, she said, is conducting an independent analysis of the trial results, which will be released later this month. The anecdotal evidence gathered so far, she added, has seemed positive. What's more, she said, Wal-Mart has asked 700 suppliers to tag cases and pallets bound for Texas-area Sam's Clubs. Currently, only 73 companies are tagging goods bound for the stores.
Porad, meanwhile, admitted Boeing has not moved as quickly as it had originally planned, explaining that the company would never deploy any technology unless it was completely satisfied it would work as it was supposed to. Boeing needed a special EPC tag that could carry 64 KB of data to store parts histories, Porad said, but the chip for such a tag was not yet ready. He noted that the company would begin implementing its plans as soon as it was satisfied the tags available on the market could meet its needs.
I asked Cougher why the DOD purchased 3,000 RFID printers if it expected suppliers to tag goods. Some have speculated the department might be tagging goods as well, which would explain why it hasn't been pushing suppliers to move more quickly. Cougher answered that the DOD bought the printers for internal use because it has cases of goods currently in inventory that are not tagged and would like to track those goods with RFID. No doubt, the Defense Logistics Agency, which ships goods to the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, also breaks down pallets and reconstitutes them, so it might want to place tags on mixed pallets.
HP has not been accused of backing off its RFID effort, but many have pointed out that it is among the few electronics manufacturers to embrace RFID and EPC technologies. Chenneveau said he was very bullish on Wal-Mart's efforts, in fact, and that HP was continuing to work with the retailer. He also said he wasn't sure why other electronics manufacturers aren't using RFID in their manufacturing and supply chain operations, but predicted they soon would be.
Some claim HP's big RFID project in Brazil, which won the first-ever RFID Journal Award for Best Implementation (see Keeping Tabs on Printers), was a demonstration project intended to show HP's services customers that it has RFID expertise. I asked Chenneveau if that was true, and he replied, "I'm not running a charity. There have to be business benefits."
I honestly didn't get the sense anyone on the panel was spinning. They discussed some of the issues affecting their deployments, but indicated they've been making significant progress, which was encouraging. And after the session ended, I joked to the audience that the next day they would wake up and read that Wal-Mart was backing off its RFID efforts. Sure enough, I received a Google Alert with a link to this story: Cover Story: Wal-Mart's Faltering RFID Initiative. Hey, what are you going to do?
Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below.


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Calls have been made for Northern Ireland to change its alcohol licensing laws, with the hospitality sector expecting to take a financial hit over the Easter weekend.
Ulster Unionist MLA Andy Allen has called for a change in legislation, and criticised Northern Ireland's collapsed Executive for failing to update the law over the past decade.
This year will be the first pubs, restaurants and off licences in the Republic of Ireland are permitted to sell alcohol - with new legislation passed through the Dail in January of this year scrapping the 90-year-old rule.
In Northern Ireland licensed premises are prohibited from selling alcohol after midnight on Easter Thursday and Sunday, and can only serve between 5pm and 11pm on Good Friday.
Off licenses are allowed to sell alcohol from 8am in the morning on Good Friday.
On Easter Saturday licensed premises are permitted to sell alcohol from 11.30am until 11pm and those with a late license are allowed to sell until midnight, while off-licences are allowed to sell alcohol from 8am until 11pm.
"Whilst issues around alcohol licensing laws are not just restricted to Easter opening hours, it is at this time of year when Northern Ireland’s archaic rules are most evident," Mr Allen said.
"Just as the Assembly collapsed in January 2017, an important Bill – the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill – was making its way through the legislative process and was just about to be further amended and improved by the Communities Committee.
"The last 15 months, and the subsequent policy and legislative vacuum at Stormont, however have instead simply represented yet another lost opportunity for our local tourism and hospitality sectors."
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Colin Neill from Hospitality Ulster said most hospitality businesses operate on a 20% profit margin - with lost trade over the Easter weekend wiping this out for the month.
"This isn't about religion verse alcohol," he said.
"It’s an anomaly in the licensing laws. On Good Friday I can go and buy a carry out in a supermarket at 8am in the morning and go to an unlicensed restaurant or cafe, and sit in the window and drink wine all day looking across the road at the place that can't sell you alcohol."
He estimates that the drop in trade across the Easter weekend works out at a loss of around £20m across the hospitality industry.
What do you think?


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Distribution of City AM, the free financial newspaper, will overtake full-price sales of the Financial Times before the end of the year, its executives claim.
The freesheet, founded by former executives of Metro International, is set to give away 100,000 copies each day, surpassing the FT, which last month sold 92,599 copies at full price in Britain and Ireland.
City AM's advertising is exceeding expectations and the paper will break even in its second year of operation, which starts in September, according to Jens Torpe and Lawson Muncaster, who launched the paper last year.
The two former executives of Swedish freesheet giant Metro International began the paper last year with a £10m investment, including financing from Dutch investor Boudewijn Poelmann.
"I think we will probably be at 100,000 copies [at the end of the year]," Mr Torpe said.
City AM intends to increase its distribution slowly and mainly through companies distributing copies to staff in their offices, so that readership remained targeted.
"We know that we are the most read newspaper in the City and the Square Mile," claimed Mr Muncaster, pointing to internal research.
"That was what we wanted to achieve at launch and we have now done that."
Recent online research by the paper found that its average reader was 36 and earned £77,000.
The paper launched on September 5 last year and its official audit was 69,035. Its last audited distribution in May was 82,459, nearly a 20% increase.
Last month the Financial Times' full-rate sale in Britain and Ireland was 92,599 copies and the paper circulated 35,498 bulk sales. Its headline sale around the world is 451,153.
Ten months after its launch last year, City AM was doing business with only about 40% of the media buying and planning agencies, Mr Muncaster said.
"Our challenge is to become an integral part of the advertising schedule, not the icing on the cake," he added.
Mr Torpe said the newspaper hoped to increase the rates it charges media agencies to book advertising.
"They trust what we are doing so we see no reason why we cannot increase our prices as our circulation grows."
He said the launch of a free afternoon newspaper should not affect City AM's distribution but acknowledged it could affect advertising rates
"If there is a very fierce battle and the advertising prices drop, all the ad agencies will know how to use that."
· To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email firstname.lastname@example.org or phone 020 7239 9857
· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".


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Power to the people – ethical 4G for all with The People’s Operator
New charitable UK network goes live – and could bring with it cheaper 4G for on-the-go speed demons
A new UK mobile network – The People’s Operator – has launched in the UK, and could pave the way for cheaper 4G tariffs in the not-too-distant future.
Piggy-backing on EE’s network, TPO will donate 25 per cent of your money to charity and will allow you to donate another 10 per cent to a worthy cause of your choice.
With texts and calls free to other TPO users, and a competitive PAYG price plan, we’re looking forward to next year when pay monthly SIMS and 4G will be available.
We’re also keeping our fingers crossed for cheaper 4G tariffs offered by TPO thanks to its lack of brick and mortar stores, which should cut costs significantly – especially in comparison to EE’s current 4G prices, which many have complained are a little on the high side.
Head on over here to order your free SIM and check out the tariffs.
Apple to axe Messages on OS X Lion from December 14th
20m drop test sends Nexus 7 to tablet heaven
1.5 tonne laser tanks are the solution to your bird problems


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In its debut, Pearse Lyons Reserve captured the bronze medal in the single malt whiskey category at the American Distilling Institute’s Craft Distilling Conference in Portland, Oregon, held April 4-8.
“Pearse Lyons Reserve is a personal passion of mine. I’d always dreamt of having my own whiskey after growing up under generations of coopers,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “I am thrilled that Pearse Lyons Reserve is being so well-received by critics even in its first year.”
Distilled in dual copper pot stills from Scotland, Pearse Lyons Reserve received a rating of 90 from WhiskyCast. “The nose is sweet with notes of molasses and brown sugar, a touch of nutmeg, and vanilla. The taste is smooth and spicy with hot chili peppers that fade slowly to reveal slightly tart notes of lemon crème and molasses. The finish is dry and long with a subtle touch of oak and a hint of brown sugar,” noted WhiskyCast.
Alltech, a global leader in the animal health and nutrition industry, has established itself as an innovator in the burgeoning craft distillery business with brands including Pearse Lyons Reserve malt whiskey and the unique Bluegrass Sundown, a Bourbon-infused coffee beverage.
Both products are produced at Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, which has been crafting award-winning beers – Kentucky Ale, Kentucky Light, and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale – since 2000. It is believed to be one of the few sites in the world to house both brewing and distilling in one location. Tours are available at 401 Cross Street, Lexington, Ky., on Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.
From an ancestral line including more than five generations of coopers, Lyons vowed as a young man that he would one day have his own whiskey. Pearse Lyons Reserve was unveiled to the world on his birthday in 2010, just before the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
For more information, visit www.LyonsSpirits.com.


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The U.K. has begun probing the cloud market to see whether Amazon, Microsoft and Google are stifling competition and innovation.
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google are referred to as “hyperscalers” because of the size of the data centers they use to process and store data. The three services make up around 81% of the revenues in the £15 billion ($15.8 billion) U.K. cloud market, a Financial Times report says.
Communications regulator Ofcom said the cloud sector was still evolving and it would “look at how the market is working today and how we expect it to develop in the future — aiming to identify any potential competition concerns early to prevent them becoming embedded as the market matures.”
Microsoft said it looked “forward to contributing” to the study. Amazon and Google didn’t respond to a request for comment from PYMNTS.
This probe comes as European authorities are looking more into Big Tech and various streaming companies and the effects these corporations are having on domestic markets.
Cloud computing makes it so individuals and companies can process and store data remotely without using any of their own server and computing equipment. The services have increasingly been outsourced to hyperscaler cloud providers in the last few years.
There have been a multitude of calls to rein in Big Tech’s influence on things in general, with over a dozen tech companies whose products offer alternatives to those provided by the tech giants coming out in favor of more regulations.
PYMNTS wrote that several companies signed a letter to that effect, including DuckDuckGo, which offers a privacy-focused search engine to compete with Google, and Mozilla, which has competed with Microsoft’s internet browsers for years.
“Massive tech platforms can exert influence over society and the digital economy because they ultimately have the power to collect, analyze, and monetize exorbitant amounts of personal information,” the letter says.
For all PYMNTS TechREG and EMEA coverage, subscribe to the daily TechREG and EMEA Newsletters.


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NEW YORK — NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks rose to record highs yesterday for a second day as technology shares gained and optimism grew that the economy won't slow enough to squelch profit growth.
The economy will rebound later this year, even though consumers are spending less now, because lower borrowing costs for mortgages and auto loans will get people to start buying again, said Jack Shaughnessy, director of research at Advest Inc.
"The fact that we'll see an acceleration means profits will remain fairly robust," Mr. Shaughnessy said.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 5.19, at a record 4,496.27, after rising as high as 4,510.45 -- the first time the 30-stock average broke 4,500. It took about 3 1/2 months for the average to gain 500 points from the 4,000 mark, compared with 21 months to move from 3,500 to 4,000.
Among the Dow industrials, gains in Philip Morris Cos., DuPont Co. and Texaco Inc. offset losses in International Paper Co., AlliedSignal Inc. and Caterpillar Inc. Shares of Merck gained 25 -- cents, to $48.375, after rising as high as $49 amid optimism that the company's osteoporosis drug, Fosamax, will receive a positive recommendation from a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee next month and be ready for sale by late 1995.
Broader market indexes also reached records. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 0.65, to an all-time high of 537.12, its second straight record. The technology-laden Nasdaq composite index rose 6.96, to a record 902.68, its first move above 900 and the index's 10th gain in the last 12 days. Shares of Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Tele-Communications Inc., Comcast Corp. and Applied Materials Inc. rose the most.
Computer, semiconductor and software company shares rose as investors searched out companies that are exhibiting the greatest profit growth.
The drive by businesses and consumers to boost their productivity won't stop no matter how the economy fares, technology-stock backers said.
"High-tech shares are still growth stocks," Mr. Shaughnessy said. "Investors want to own strong-growing companies because they are the best antidote in a declining economy."
That said, the stocks are also benefiting from an aura of invincibility, the research director said. "Imagination drives these stocks. People don't see the problems, just the upside potential."
About six stocks rose for every five that fell on the New York Stock Exchange, where more than 335 million shares traded hands. The three-month daily average is 337.34 million.
Among the biggest decliners on the day were paper stocks, which fell on concern that an economic slowdown will cut demand for goods of all sorts and the boxes used to ship them. Wausau Paper Mills Co. said Wednesday that profit in the third quarter ended May 31 fell to 30 cents a share from 42 cents a year ago.
"Clearly, the decline in box shipments reflects the lack of GDP growth we are apparently experiencing in the second quarter," said Richard Schneider, an analyst at PaineWebber Inc., in a report to clients yesterday.
Shares of International Paper dropped $1.125, to $79.375; Weyerhaeuser Co. slid $1.11, to to $44.64; Georgia-Pacific Corp. gave up $1.875, to $79.125; and Kimberly-Clark Corp. slid $1.25, to $58.875.
The Russell 2,000 index of small capitalization stocks rose 1.44, to a record 280.29; the Wilshire 5,000 index, comprising stocks on the New York, American and Nasdaq stock exchanges, rose 12.65, to an all-time high of 5,268.69; the Amex market value index fell 2.47, to 494.72; and the S&P; 400 midcap index rose 0.80, to a record 194.86.
Yesterday's most active stocks in U.S. composite trading were Vodafone Group PLC, Computer Concepts Corp., Tele- Communications, Intel and LTX Corp.


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The word “cake” took on dual meaning on Thursday night.
There was CaKe, the clunky media-generated acronym for sometimes besties Cara Delevingne and Kendall Jenner. The two were reunited for the evening, Delevingne showing up the opening of Longchamp’s gleaming new Fifth Avenue store in support of Jenner, who was hosting the store’s celebratory cocktail party.
Then there was cake in the actual, tangible baked good sense. “I’m totally obsessed with baking,” Jenner said, splayed across a leather armchair in the store’s sprawling basement. A mild melee was unfurling around her with hundreds of iPhones craning in to get a shot of the model. Jenner was, of course, unfazed. “I have a total sweet tooth,” she purred. “So I’ve got the baking down — I make pumpkin bread, blueberry cupcakes, normal upcakes, cookies, everything. Her husband,” Jenner continued, motioning to Jen Atkin next to her. “Her husband makes bread all the time and that inspired me to make bread from scratch, so that’s the next thing I want to get on.” Jenner was on a gastronomical tangent after being asked about her upcoming summer plans, which includes a planned pivot from baking to cooking. “I just started this thing, I hired a chef to come over once or twice a week to teach me a new dish when I’m in town. That’s my new thing.”
Her not-so-new thing is demonstratively proving the the whole cool-by-association thing valid through her various brand partnerships. Longchamp tapped Kendall not only to host the party but to front it’s upcoming fall campaign. “I’ve always been a Longchamp girl,” Jenner said. “When I was younger, I had their bags.”
After speaking to press, Jenner danced in her cordoned off section while customers took breaks from iPhone documenting to actually buy Longchamp merchandise. “This one is very Kendall, I can see her wearing it,” an Italian customer said before heading to the register with a blush-colored tote in the brand’s signature shape. “It even matches her lipstick!”
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Dutch bike sharing venture Swapfiets doubles number of customers in one year
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Swapfiets, the Dutch bicycle concept known for its recognisable blue front-tired rental bikes and e-bikes, has reached a new milestone of 200,000 customers in four countries, doubling the number of customers in a year. Popularity outside of the Netherlands is driving the accelerated growth.
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Another one of Alcatel’s new specialized mid-rangers has been leaked in full detail on Twitter. Contents include an 80-second video that’s likely intended to be part of a media loop for a store demonstration mode.
Alcatel 3V: Seen at CES, launching at MWC. Here’s a promo vid. pic.twitter.com/hHTczPsdLK
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) February 1, 2018
The materials come from WinFuture editor-in-chief Roland Quandt and they describe the Alcatel 3v. The upcoming Alcatel 3-series devices are the middle options in the budget-focused portfolio the TCL subsidiary wants to introduce at MWC 2018 — we know that an Alcatel 3c also exists from a previous leak that also detailed a fair bit about the 3v.
But the 3v that’s described here seems to be getting a different, more powerful MediaTek processor than what was last reported with a “2K” display in the trendy aspect ratio of 2:1. It touts the bog standard features of Android Oreo as well as software-adjustable bokeh editing for photos taken with the rearside dual-camera system. Besides a rear-mounted fingerprint key, there’s also Face Key — a self-explanatory facial scanning authentication system.
The phone is expected to come in Spectrum Black, Spectrum Blue and Spectrum Gold colors. No pricing has been disclosed.


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After a four-month break since ESI Digital Winter, day one of ESI Digital Spring saw the return of many friendly faces both on the virtual stage and in the audience.
The event kicked off with everything China. We then saw the return of ESI Brand Showcases, covered gambling and payment processing, Valve’s attitude towards its esports products, and more. View the entire agenda and get your last-minute tickets here, which will include VOD panel content from both days.
ESI staff have put together a recap of some of the great moments, quotes and controversial opinions from the conference. Read more below!
ESI Digital Spring heads to China
Kicking off day one, ESI Digital Spring discussed the blossoming esports ecosystem in China. Topics ranged from how Chinese teams and brands have developed, both internationally and locally, to how overseas organisations are faring in the region.
Regarding esports’ popularity in the country, Bo Shen, RNG Esports’ VP of International Expansion and Innovation, said: “Traditional sports in China is very weak compared to other countries, but China developed esports so quickly to fill this void.”
This sentiment was echoed by the other panelists, with Trinity Wu, LGD Gaming’s Head of Overseas Marketing, also expressing that China’s esports growth is also due to the population’s passion towards gaming, particularly within its Gen-Z demographic.
Stijn Jacobs, Head of Strategy at Insightful Consulting, also mentioned that from this growing popularity, Chinese organisations have started to gain traction internationally. As a result, more brands are looking towards sponsoring esports teams in the region.
Jacobs said: “What we see in the figures is that viewership is huge in China. Teams dominate the preferences of the Chinese population. If you look at every LoL competition, the Chinese audience is dominating. They dominate every other audience. So for brands entering the Chinese market, it’s a way for them to reach teams outside of China as well.”
Speaking of overseas markets: global sports digital agency Mailman detailed the most successful foreign teams to break into China’s market.
The ‘Overseas esports teams in China’ presentation, delivered by the firm’s Senior Business Director, Tom Elsden, included the likes of T1 topping Mailman’s China Digital Performance Index, followed by Team Liquid, G2 Esports, then Fnatic.
Elsden explained the reasoning behind T1 topping the table: “Their star player Faker, who is arguably the most popular overseas player in China, has been crucial to their growth to number one. They have built a huge amount of content, and they’ve positioned him at the front of promotions.”
ESI Brand Showcases
Kicking off ESI Digital Spring’s Brand Showcases, G2 Esports and Pringles gave a presentation detailing the motivation for their partnership, specifically on the collaborative ‘Making the Squad’ content series.
Sabrina Ratih, Commercial Director of G2 Esports, said: “We always put a lot of love and heart into making the squad, especially the last two editions. But then we wanted to elevate what we had for ‘Making the Squad’ going forward. We wanted to have a premium partner that really understands us.”
This partnership made perfect sense for Andreas Billker, Senior Marketing Activation Manager of Kellogg Deutschland GmbH, who said: “Gamers love Pringles, as they are perfectly designed for gaming. Thanks to the unique — and always the same — shape, it’s easy to grab them.”
Billker detailed that the Pringles brand’s first priority for activation has always been football and second is gaming, and with G2 they found a perfect match for their goals. Ratih said, “At the end of the day, partnerships and collaborations is a people business.”
Next up was the iconic ESL Gaming GmbH and DHL Brand Spotlight, which has long been the shining example of non-endemic activations in the industry. ESL Gaming’s Stephan Schröder, Senior Vice President Global Brand Partnerships EMEA led the panel with questions touching on activations, partnerships, and marketing potential in esports.
Christine Schröder-Schönberg, Head of Global Sponsorships for DHL said that “We very much listened to what ESL as a partner told us. With our traditional marketing approach, I think we would have failed.”
She later said that when approaching brands, the people within marketing departments are of an older generation that don’t ’get’ esports, perhaps a call for brands to acquire younger talent to avoid missing out on opportunities in esports.
Publishers and Tournaments
Officially titled ‘Is Valve’s laissez-faire approach to its esports products more help or hinderance?’, the ‘Valve panel’ might be one of the best discussions we’ve hosted digitally.
Panelists included executives from Team Vitality, Alliance, ESL Gaming and OG Esports, and were led by expert moderator, Founder and Director of Swipe Right PR, Kirsty Endfield.
“The role of the publisher is to do as little as they can get away with, while delivering a good-enough platform for third parties to come in and generate value and stimulate competition at the same time. Plus, regulate a little bit.”
With so many great talking points, controversial takes and lively discussion, the panel certainly deserves its own feature-length piece; it’d be a disservice to continue summarising in this recap.
Later, Bayes Esports’s panel, ‘The fairest tournament’, addressed organising competitive structures, regardless of the title from a logical, statistical standpoint. Bayes Esports panelists Dr Darina Goldin, Director Data Science, and Ben ‘Noxville’ Steenhuisen, Senior Software Architect, provided in-depth analysis of different tournament structures and how ‘fair’ they are.
Goldin put simply: “The downsides of single elimination are enormous! If two top teams are drawn in the first round, then you’re left with just one for the rest of the tournament.” She explained that 50 percent of the talent pool goes home after the first round and another 25 percent goes home after the second round.
Noxville said: “[For any tournament] there are certain competitive principles that make sense to include at all times. There should never be a situation where it is optimal to lose.” Both panelists agreed that having tournament formats that adapt to bad seedings are highly necessary.
Wellness, payments and wagers
Other topics discussed at ESI Digital Spring during day one included health and wellbeing and its growing importance in esports, featuring CS:GO professional Martin ‘STYKO’ Styk and Michal Noga, MADMONQ’s CEO and Co-founder.
Plus, a virtual conference dove in the the world of payments to discuss e-commerce opportunities and prize-money challenges. This panel featured Han Park, the CEO of Payment Labs, and Starladder’s CPO Gene Hladki, with Nuvei’s Head of Esports and Gaming, Dan Houl, moderating.
Concluding day one, ESI Digital Spring hosted a discussion about esports gambling. The panel of experts explored a range of topics including compliance, how the growth of esports has affected the betting sector, and how blockchain can impact esports betting.
Adam Kling, CEO of FYX Gaming, outlined the potential blockchain in esports: “I think the big value that blockchain offers is that all of these games can utilise what is essentially a shared database of truth.
“When we think about the future of esports and gambling there’s an incredible incentive to cheat, and blockchain is going to keep people honest.”
With over eight hours of live content under its belt, ESI Digital Spring has been a tremendous success so far and we’re bringing the momentum into day two. There’s still time to buy a last-minute ticket and get access to all of the VOD content from both days.


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Argos are to launch some massive price drops today in the store's latest toy sale.
The popular retailer is making it a little too easy for parents to fork out on kids favourite toys- especially with Christmas just around the corner.
Discounted items include popular brands V Tech, Lego LOL Surprise and Barbie- and plenty more.
This comes at perfect timing- with stores already releasing the toys they predict will be the top for 2019- so keep an eye out for the biggest brand price drops to make the most of the deals.
Shoppers will be able pick up deals across the toy section for seven days, with up to half price off selected products.
Deals will be available from September 25, 2019 to October 1, 2019.
There will be tonnes of toys reduced in the in store and online offer - with some of the most popular, top choices for Christmas 2019.
Here are just some of the deals you will find online:


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Augusta-area Black Friday starts slow, picks up speed by afternoon
Many shoppers hear Black Friday and often think of chaos, crowds, and packed parking lots. For Natalie Thigpen and Kristie Nix of Evans, that was not the case this year.
“It’s nice, it’s really nice,” Thigpen said at Kohl’s in Mullins Crossing.
“There’s been no long lines, no fighting crowds. You don’t have to try to work around people,” Nix added.
The lack of typical Black Friday mayhem was apparent at many locations. There was still a healthy stream of customers at Augusta Mall and the parking lots were not empty, but the day early on looked much more like a standard weekday and less like the biggest shopping event of the year.
However, by around noon large groups of customers began filling stores , looking more like a standard Black Friday rush.
Traditionally, businesses open very early for Black Friday sales. This year, many opened a few hours early, but not nearly as early as is custom. The new hours have required flexibility for both customers and store workers.
Shoppers including J’rel Ruckei and Samoine Kimble of Augusta loved the morning’s slower pace.
“It’s a lot better,” Ruckei said. “You don’t see as many people out here fighting over stuff.”
“I went to Walmart this morning, and I thought it was going to be like a lot of people, no no no,” Kimble said. “I guess everybody’s doing everything online.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised people to shop online or use contactless services to prevent COVID-19 spread, labeling the practice of indoor crowded shopping as a high-risk activity.
However, repeat Black Friday shopper Michelle Williams of Aiken enjoyed getting out and looking for great deals.
“We like to actually come out and touch things and see it,” Williams said.
Businesses have been implementing changes this year to invite patrons in while also trying to keep them safe. Many have been offering Black Friday deals all month long to give people more time to get their shopping done.
Some businesses had staff wear masks, and stores including Best Buy, Kohl’s, and Marshalls have stations set up at entrances where masks, hand sanitizer, cleaning spray and even sometimes gloves are provided.
According to a survey from the International Council of Shopping Centers cited in USA TODAY, deals and promotions were not the top factor for shoppers in choosing where to shop over the Thanksgiving weekend. COVID-19 precautions were at the top of the list for 36% of survey respondents.


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Bleaching or chemically relaxing hair can damage it, but scientists have developed a way to fortify it.
Bleaching or chemically relaxing hair can damage it, but scientists have developed a way to fortify it. Researchers found that bleaching blonde hair caused it to become up to 60 percent weaker, and straightening black women's hair with lye caused it to become about 30 percent weaker. Subsequent treatment with a peptide that mimics a fragment of natural hair protein partially restored strength and elasticity in both types of hair. The peptide is able to permeate hair fibers, where it adds support, and it washes out gradually, says Artur Cavaco-Paulo, a research professor at the University of Minho, Azurém, in Guimarães, Portugal. The ingredient is expected to become available in a hair mask and serum named KhairPep by the end of the year.


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Telpo is excited to announce its participation in the NRF 2024 exhibition, the world’s largest retail conference and expo held from January 14th to 16th in 2024. Telpo’s booth is set up at Booth 833, Level 1. On-site, Telpo will be showcasing our latest innovations in the retail field.
The Telpo OS 1.0 has won lots of praise from Telpo users. Now Telpo is proud to announce the launch of Telpo OS 2.0, a revolutionary operating system that brings innovation and efficiency to the forefront. With 5 major breakthroughs, Telpo is confident that the Telpo OS 2.0 will deliver a more user-friendly user experience and reshape the landscape of smart terminal technology.
We have seen the evolution of payment methods in the public transport sector over the years. From cash to paper tickets, from smart cards to mobile wallets, the way people pay for their bus rides has changed significantly. But what is the next step in this journey? Is it open loop payment systems?
The fourth quarter of each year is the essential sales period for retailers and is called the Golden Quarter. This period includes some important festivals and promotions, such as Halloween, Double 11, Black Friday, Christmas, etc. It is a time when retailers can make a majority of their yearly profits if they prepare. Read and know how Telpo POS helps you win in the Retail Golden Quarter.
The renowned INA SHOP EXPO 2023 was held in the bustling city of Jakarta from November 8th to 11th. With its wide array of innovative retail technology solutions, Telpo captured the attention of industry professionals, showcased cutting-edge devices, and left an indelible mark on the Indonesian retail landscape.
Customers are seeking an efficient and positive interactive experiences than ever. To enhance customer satisfaction, large supermarkets have deployed self-service kiosks. However, most small shops are still hesitant because of limited space. Luckily, Telpo’s latest-launched compact kiosk, Telpo K13, can be their perfect choice.


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As far as handbags go, an Hermès Birkin bag is one of the most expensive in the world. And that’s before you add detailing like crocodile leather and diamond-encrusted hardware — both of which were included on the rare piece that sold at auction overnight.
Christie’s held an auction last night that included a 2008 Himalaya Niloticus that was finished with 18k white gold and diamond-encrusted hardware. It was estimated to sell for between Dhs491,000 and Dhs737,000 but instead sold for a whopping Dhs798,771.
Its hefty price tag makes it the most expensive handbag ever sold at an auction in Europe.
According to the BBC, the piece is 10 years old and is categorised as being in “grade 2 condition” which means it has no obvious flaws. The Himalaya is one of the rarest Birkin designs, with only one or two pieces made each year due to the time-consuming nature of its production.
Another Birkin holds the record for the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction, having sold for an astonishing Dhs1.2 million in Hong Kong last year.
There’s a reason experts say the bag is better investment than the stock market…


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When Greg Heikens and Jolene Heikens wanted to grow their Iowa meat processing business, they found they had to switch from having state inspectors to federal inspectors.
Meat and poultry processors can’t legally ship their products out of state unless federal inspectors regulate their plants, and that discourages supermarket chains from selling state-inspected products, said Jolene Heikens.
Those products often come from small processors that cater to family-run farms and ranches.
“We ended up going federal because we felt we had no choice,” she said.
But becoming federally inspected is too expensive and time-consuming, processors say.
That would no longer be necessary under a provision farm state Democrats inserted in the House-passed farm bill. The legislation would allow state-inspected meat processors to start selling their products out of state. Twenty-seven states have their own state inspection programs.
“State-inspected facilities are every bit as safe as the federally inspected facilities,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey.
Consumer activists aren’t so sure, and they say allowing interstate shipment of state-inspected products could encourage plants to drop out of the federal system operated by the U.S. Agriculture Department.
The consumer groups say it’s also not clear how a state inspection agency would enforce a recall of a product that has been sold in another state.
The legislation “would lower food safety standards and increase the risk of food poisoning in the U.S.,” the Consumer Federation of America and other consumer groups said in a letter to members of Congress.
The letter also was signed by trade unions that represent meat processing workers and USDA inspectors.
New Mexico disbanded its state inspection system this year after the USDA challenged the adequacy of its regulation.
The USDA also found problems in several other states – including Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri and Wisconsin – during a review of state programs, according to the department’s inspector general.
USDA officials checked 11 state-inspected plants in Mississippi and reported a number of sanitation problems, including sootlike matter on hog carcasses, the inspector general said.
Eventually, the USDA certified all the state programs, except for New Mexico, as being “equal to” the federal inspection program.
Still, the inspector general’s report “painted a picture of a lot of state systems that weren’t up to speed,” said Chris Waldrop of Consumer Federation of America.
Small mom-and-pop processors such as Triple T Specialty Meats, which the Heikens started in Wellsburg, Iowa, in 1996, say state officials often are more responsive to their needs than the USDA.
Now that Triple T has federal inspection, its sausages, meat jerky and other products are now sold in at least 10 states and through the Hy-Vee supermarket chain, Heikens said.
The Senate agriculture committee doesn’t start work on its version of the farm bill until September. The committee’s chairman, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, hasn’t decided whether to support interstate sales of state-inspected meat, said spokeswoman Kate Cyrul.
Organizations that represent federally inspected processors agreed not to fight the interstate shipment provisions only if state inspection programs were required to have the same rules the USDA has.
“If someone wants to ship across state lines, we just feel like everybody should be playing – by the same set of rules,” said Mark Dopp, senior vice president of regulatory affairs for the American Meat Institute.
Philip Brasher is a reporter for The Des Moines Register. E-mail: email@example.com.


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The jobs are there, but where are the developers?
Demand for developers is skyrocketing, creating both a skills gap and jobs role discontent for many. When it comes to embarking on digitization journeys, it’s time for organizations to take some responsibility for this issue by taking the first step for these developers, rather than making them do all of the legwork themselves.
Much has been made about what it takes for companies to enact a successful digital transformation. The general consensus: it requires more than just tech. The role of people and processes to guide and inform new solutions has thankfully begun to hit home for a lot of organizations. But when it comes to the people element, are we already asking too much of what’s – or who’s – available?
The pandemic impacted businesses of all sizes, and being digitally adept is now a truly all-encompassing trait. Naturally, this revelation has led to increased demand for software engineers and developers to manage new innovations, and to help organizations navigate this rapid transition. In fact, a recent survey suggested that 64% of companies were looking to hire up to 50 developers this year.
However, as the availability of jobs for developers continues to rise, it is becoming increasingly apparent that there is a burgeoning talent shortage in this area. And by ‘burgeoning’, it’s a trend that has actually been simmering under the surface since 2018, as reported by Gartner. Even then, talent shortage was among the top five emerging risks for organizations. In reaction to the report, 63% of senior executives admitted the shortage of developers was an area of concern.
When the competition for such expertise is so fierce, finding this balance is now just as important as the tech investments themselves. These developers need an olive branch – a sign that you’re doing what you can to make their roles more efficient and achievable. Low-code and RPA may well be that olive branch; when combined, they enable organizations to automate processes quickly and easily, through new applications and process flows.
The chain of influence affecting jobs for developers
The reason why businesses have to address this human element is twofold. On the one hand, the relationship between person and machine fostered within a company culture is now a prime factor as to whether a developer will work for you in the first place. According to Forrester’s Digital Transformation Requires Development Transformation report, “Languages, frameworks and other technologies I’d be working with” was listed as the most important job factor; even ahead of buzzwords like flexible or remote working.
The second element is the transformation itself. Innovation at this level, that connects siloes and dazzles customers, is no simple feat. Advanced software delivery capability is the catalyst for digital innovation, and that digital innovation is the portal for business security, resilience, robustness, and revenue.
A cost-effective and customer-centric solution
And this is where low-code comes in. While decision-makers in the c-suite may not have the knowledge to carry out a digital transformation within existing frameworks – hence the need for a developer – they can prepare a digital environment that will alleviate some of the burden from said developer.
Low-code tools use prebuilt libraries and functions to remove some of the infrastructure building elements that require so much time and skill. From an initial investment standpoint, according to a Forrester Research survey around 70% of IT leaders have found that low-code platforms are more affordable in comparison to traditional development platforms. 80% confirmed that low-code enabled them to meet their requirements within budget.
In terms of customer benefits, around 90% of IT leaders also reported that ‘the flexible design of low-code platforms helps to significantly improve customer experience compared to traditional development platforms’.
A collaborative journey
And then comes the developer benefits. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) tools such as low-code are increasingly being seen as a key solution to this issue of developer attraction, satisfaction, and retention. That’s because low-code, due to its ease of use, can be utilized by other members of the business – including those with lower levels of technical skill – to create solutions and drive change, fast.
Digital transformation is nothing without people, and when it comes to developers, rather than a jobs shortfall there is a people shortage. Rather than luring a developer in, locking them away, and forcing them to start at step one alone, it’s time to actually attract them with a proposition of a more collaborative and integrated journey, at step two. Low-code will have already taken care of step one, and you can complete the rest of the journey together.
This article contributed by Richard Billington, CTO at Netcall
22 February 2024
22 February 2024
21 February 2024


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British retailers have renewed their threat to stop buying products from Brazil as the South American country considers a new law, which conservationists say opens the Amazon to accelerated deforestation.
An open letter to politicians in the Brazilian National Congress, led by supermarket chains including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, urges them to reject the proposal to allow private occupation of public land.
The plan was first attempted a year ago, but abandoned due to international backlash.
Critics argue that such a law would legitimize previous illegal land grabs and pave the way for more forests to be burned and cleared for agriculture – nefarious efforts to fight climate change and the rights of indigenous communities.
Research in the country published in December showed that Brazil’s Amazon rainforest had suffered from worst deforestation in 12 years during the 12 months until July 2020.
According to the data, an area seven times the size of London has been lost, while the process is said to continue at a brisk pace under President Bolsonaro’s tenure.
The letter, signed by nearly 40 major grocery chains and other food producers, including Greggs, pledged support for sustainable agriculture and the wider Brazilian economy if the country rejects the plan.
But he said, “Over the past year we have seen a series of circumstances result in extremely high levels of Forest fires and deforestation in Brazil.
“At the same time, we have found that the targets for reducing these levels, as well as the application budgets available to achieve them, are increasingly inadequate.
“It is therefore extremely worrying that the same measure we responded to last year is again presented as the legislative proposal … with potentially even greater threats to the Amazon than before.”
The letter warned: “If this or others that undermine these existing protections become law, we will have no choice but to reconsider our support and use of the Brazilian agricultural supply chain.”
A vote is expected in the coming days.
Mike Barrett, Executive Director of Science and Conservation at WWF-UK, said: “We can’t tackle the climate crisis without the Amazon, but its future is at stake as deforestation pushes it closer. from the point of collapse.
“If passed, this vote in the Brazilian Congress will fuel further destruction and put more risk to the lives of the people and wildlife that live there.
“As global efforts to protect the Amazon threaten to be undermined, it is encouraging to see large companies sounding the alarm bells.”


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Scientists begin with a biopsy of animal muscle tissue. Technicians collect stem cells from the tissue, multiply them dramatically and allow them to differentiate into fibers that eventually bulk up and form muscle tissue.
Voila! Sirloin without a slaughterhouse.
Well, not yet.
For now, companies focus on ground products like chicken nuggets, sausages and hamburger. This first line of offerings will likely include fillers, flavors and additives to help lab grown meat look, taste and feel the way people expect it to. Before scientists can create pork chops and filet mignon, they must learn how to design and replicate blood vessels.
From Yuck...to Yum!?!
Customers' aversion to genetic engineering and artificial flavors in food could make it tricky to market lab-grown meat. Cultured meat companies are quick to point out that labs allow much more control over flavor and food safety than farms do. Also, their products could save farm animals from enormous suffering and help the planet by reducing the number of methane-producing cattle and other livestock.
Farms generate a hefty carbon footprint. Raising animals in California emits 8 percent of the state's total greenhouse gases. That's more than all the state's oil refineries combined.
In theory, lab-grown meat is a sensible solution because it removes the need for vast acres of land to grow cattle, chickens and pigs. Not to mention chemical fertilizers that pollute air and water. That said, the environmental reality is much less certain.
A new study suggests lab-grown meat could accelerate climate change more than regular beef does. The claims, pro and con, are based on theoretical models. We won't know what cultured meat on a commercial scale requires until labs are able to feed large populations.
When Can I Order a Lab-Grown Burger?
Bay Area CEOs promise their products will be ready for public consumption in a year or two. Industry buzz suggests that'll happen in Asia first. In countries like Singapore and Japan - where land is limited and meat imports are very expensive - excitement is brewing. Asian cultures tend to embrace, instead of scoff, novel foods.
But the industry faces significant scientific, regulatory, manufacturing, economic and cultural hurdles before it catches on in the U.S.
There's no proof that producing meat in labs could endanger human health, but the federal Food and Drug Administration would need to regulate an entirely new industry. There's also pushback from traditional farmers and ranchers who argue vehemently against labeling these products as meat. Marketers will have to coax consumers past the gross-out factor.
Finally, companies need to create a commercially viable product. Mark Post, the co-founder of Mosa Meat, developed the first lab-grown burger in 2013. That patty cost $300,000. Prices have dropped a lot since then, but not to a level that can compete with U.S. beef on the hoof. For all these reasons, food industry skeptics suggest it will be at least a decade or even two before diners can order cultured meat on local menus.


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The Samsung Galaxy S5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update has been rolling out since December. Despite making significant progress, Android 4.4 KitKat still has a lot of devices and a lot of people. With details and swirling questions, we’d like to take a look at what we can expect going forward from the Samsung Galaxy S5 Lollipop update and its release.
When Google announced Android 5.0 Lollipop at Google I/O 2014, it did not say when it would be available to the public. Back in November, Google finally approved the Android 5.0 Lollipop version and shortly after, Samsung started rolling out the first Android 5.0 Lollipop update to the Samsung Galaxy S5.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 started with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, and then some carriers upgraded to Android 4.4.4 KitKat. As a flagship, many believed it would be a first in line with the Android 5.0 Lollipop update, and Samsung responded to those expectations with an Android 5.0 Lollipop release in December.
The Galaxy S5 Lollipop update started out extremely slow, but it’s been months since its initial release, and it’s finally starting to pick up speed in the United States and countries around the world. Still, there is still a lot of work to be done and many questions to be answered. Many Galaxy S5 models are still waiting for Google’s Android 4.4.2 and Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates.
Naturally, tons of questions continue to be asked about the Galaxy S5 Lollipop update. Today, a few days before the end of March, we want to take a look at what we can expect from the Galaxy S5 Lollipop update and its forward release. Our goal here is to help you set your expectations before the start of April, which could be an important month for many Galaxy S5 users around the world.
Galaxy S5 Lollipop Released To Go Quietly
Believe it or not, Galaxy S5 Lollipop update continues to make progress worldwide. Maybe you don’t hear it, you don’t see it in your area, but Samsung has come a long way since December. We expect the company to continue to make progress with its international launch in April, but there is a caveat here. Don’t expect this presentation to end anytime soon.
We’ve seen updates for a number of different Galaxy S5 models in many different countries, including the United States. That said, there are tons of Galaxy S5 models still running Android 4.4 KitKat in tons of different regions. And most of these devices probably won’t see their upgrades anytime soon.
Australian carriers Optus, Vodafone and Telstra haven’t even announced their plans to roll out Android 5.0 Lollipop updates. They usually approve presentations a month or two in advance and keep quiet until now. Other carriers are in the same boat.
We’ve said many times that this rollout will take months, maybe a whole year, to complete, and none of the problems Samsung has had with the update have helped.
US Cellular Galaxy S5 Lollipop Edition
US carriers aren’t making it easy for those trying to build expectations, but we’ll try anyway. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Lollipop update is currently available on Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and C Spire. We haven’t seen the remaining Galaxy S5 carriers announce anything specific, but with a very old US Galaxy S5 version in the past and a minor player like the C Spire in the mix, we can’t see the remaining carriers taking much longer.
We expect the US Cellular Galaxy S5 release to happen before the end of April. Anything beyond that would be extremely shocking. We haven’t seen any leaks, and the carrier remains silent about its plans, but it would be strange to see the carrier roll out its update three months after launch. It’s already late.
Don’t wait for US Cellular to announce details ahead of time. Just like Sprint’s update, just like Verizon’s update, just like T-Mobile’s update, expect the rollout to pop up.
AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop Edition
At least AT&T has confirmed a Galaxy S5 Lollipop update. Although the carrier has not specified a specific release date, it continues to confirm the Galaxy S5 Lollipop version on Twitter.
While the AT&T Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates are rolling out, we should consider that AT&T is making progress on the Galaxy S5 Lollipop release. We’d be surprised if AT&T didn’t get it out by the end of April.
Smaller Carriers Approaching
Smaller carriers like MetroPCS and Cricket Wireless also owe Android 5.0 Lollipop to Galaxy S5 users. And now that a regional US carrier has received the C Spire update, we’re pretty sure these little carriers are making progress behind the scenes. We expect the remaining updates to be available within weeks. It would be sad to see a smaller carrier punch AT&T again, but at this speed anything is possible.
Galaxy S5 Active and Galaxy S5 mini Lollipop Edition
The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active Lollipop update started rolling out in early March. It usually takes a few weeks for Samsung to get everything in order before we see a bigger push. Therefore, we expect the Galaxy S5 Active Lollipop update to start becoming more active in April and May. owner hit several different areas but still not close to completion.
While we’d expect AT&T to upgrade the regular Galaxy S5 to Android 5.0 Lollipop before rolling out the Galaxy S5 Active Lollipop update, everything is still up to the test, so anything could happen.
This Galaxy S5 mini Lollipop update rumored for Q2. We expect it to be released in Q2. The second quarter runs from April to June.
Galaxy S5 Android 5.1 Lollipop Update
Earlier this month, we saw a partial leak of the Samsung Galaxy Lollipop update roadmap. inbound roadmap SamMobilestated that Samsung has not yet started development on Android 5.1 Lollipop. Android 5.1 is the new Lollipop update from Google and it offers feature enhancements and a list of bug fixes for Android 5.0 Lollipop issues.
Although this is the case, a user reddit He outlined Samsung’s potential plans for the Galaxy Android 5.1 Lollipop update. User information excerpts Compiled from a Samsung representative in Europe. We are not familiar with the source, but it seems armed with reliable information about the Galaxy S6 Active and Android 5.1 Lollipop.
It says Samsung could use Android 5.1 Lollipop to deliver a TouchWiz experience similar to the one found on the Samsung Galaxy S6. Galaxy S6 comes with less bloatware and also users uninstall Samsung apps to free up space. Samsung is known for bringing new features to older devices, and Android 5.1 could be the update that brings some Galaxy S6 features to older devices like the Galaxy S5.
Android 5.1 or not, we expect Samsung to bring at least some of the Galaxy S6 experience to the Galaxy S5. We see it bringing new features to old devices all the time, and the Galaxy S5 is the prime candidate.
Galaxy S5 Android 5.1 Lollipop Release Date
SamMobile We believe it when he says that Samsung hasn’t started working on the update because Samsung is stuck with their Android update plans. With that in mind, we expect the Android 5.1 Lollipop update, or whatever Samsung is using to introduce new features, to be far away. Months and months went by.
Source reddit It claims the weakening of TouchWiz will come to other devices “in the long run,” but doesn’t give any specific release details for specific devices. For us, in the long run, it means it may take some time for Samsung to roll out these features. After all, there’s a Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge to sell.
Galaxy S5 Lollipop Problems
We expect the Samsung Galaxy S5 Lollipop issues to persist. We’ve seen tons of complaints about the update, and we don’t expect AT&T or US Cellular users to be exempt from it. With or without the rigorous testing process, bugs and issues are always overlooked, and we expect more Galaxy S5 users to network with Android 5.0.
Those of you who prepped your device before the Android 5.0 Lollipop release date will reduce the chances of Galaxy S5 Lollipop issues, but you always run the risk of installing a major Android update like Android 5.0.
Bug Fix Updates
We expect Samsung and its carriers to release bug fix updates for Android 5.0 Lollipop issues. Samsung has released an update that brings back Silent Mode, and we expect carriers to make smaller updates in the future aimed at fixing Lollipop issues. When? This is hard to predict, although US carriers aren’t always the quickest in bugfix updates for Android devices.
a bright future
In addition to bug fixes and Galaxy S6 features, we expect the Galaxy S5 to get everything Google has prepared for its annual Android release. The Galaxy S5 isn’t even a year old, which means it still has tons of life ahead of it. We don’t expect support to end anytime soon. When the device turns two years old in April of next year, you can start to worry. Samsung usually keeps devices updated for 24 months.