text:
John Lewis Moz the Monster Christmas ad accused of plagiarism
Children’s author and illustrator Chris Riddell has accused John Lewis of ripping off his 1986 book Mr Underbed for its Moz the Monster Christmas ad.
He said he was “struck by the similarity of the concept” and has taken to social media to share his grievance and show the likeness of the two characters, declaring “John Lewis helps themselves to my picture book”. So far the video has been watched more than 50,000 times.
John Lewis helps themselves to my picture book. https://t.co/mrVHmalTwh
— chris riddell (@chrisriddell50) November 16, 2017
Riddell told the Guardian: “The idea of a monster under the bed is by no means new but the ad does seem to bear a close resemblance to my creation – a big blue unthreatening monster who rocks the bed and snores loudly. Needless to say, I think Mr Underbed is a lot more appealing than Moz, but of course, I’m biased. I’ll be fascinated to hear John Lewis’s thoughts on the matter.”
John Lewis unveiled Moz the Monster to much fanfare last week, but not all the feedback has been positive. Senior marketers told Marketing Week its ads are “starting to feel repetitive” and feel the brand needs to be “braver and bolder”.
Asda’s sales growth slows
Asda has posted a second consecutive quarter of sales growth for the three months to 30 September 2017, but outgoing CEO Sean Clarke admits the market will continue to be challenging next year.
The ‘big four’ supermarket saw like-for-like sales rise by 1.1%, as customers responded well to improvements to the in-store experience and price investments. However, it’s a slower rate of growth than it posted in August when sales grew by 1.8%.
“It’s great to see that we have now delivered our second consecutive quarter of positive like-for-like growth, and the fifth consecutive quarter of continued sales improvement. Right now, we are focused on delivering value for our customers across all of our ranges this Christmas and ensuring everyone gets a great experience, both in-store or online,” Clarke said.
“The market environment will continue to be challenging into next year but we’re well placed with clear plans and a renewed level of confidence.”
Clarke is due to step down from his role at the beginning of next year, when chief operating officer and deputy CEO Roger Burnley replaces him.
Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Asda’s owner Walmart, said on a call yesterday (16 November): “I’d like to thank Sean Clarke for the tremendous work that he has done over the past year to stabilise the business and position it for growth. Sean has done a lot for our company living in five countries over his 21-year career with Walmart.”
Just Eat gets go-ahead for Hungryhouse merger thanks to the rise of Deliveroo and UberEats
Just Eat’s £200m acquisition of rival Hungryhouse has been cleared by the competition authority thanks to the rise in prominence of UberEats and Deliveroo.
Given their different business models, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had previously questioned whether Deliveroo and UberEats could be considered rivals to Just Eat but it has changed its mind, stating that the services they offer are “sufficiently close substitutes” to the that provided by the merged Just Eat and Hungryhouse business.
While customers order food from Just Eat and Hungryhouse, it is delivered by staff from each individual restaurant, whereas Deliveroo and UberEats deliver the food ordered from its member restaurants.
Virgin Money takes on big banks with small business account
Virgin Money is looking to take on the major players in banking with the launch of a new digital account for small businesses.
It will unveil a savings account for SMEs in January before launching a business current account later in the 2018 through which it aims to attract £5bn of deposits over the next five years.
Virgin Money said it believes the time is right for a “customer-focused disruptor” to take on the more established players in the market.
The bank had planned to launch something similar sooner but put plans for a business account on hold following the Brexit vote.
It also faces competition from app-based star-ups like Atom Bank and Monzo, but CEO Jayne-Anne Gadhia believes the brand is in a good position. She said: “Traditional banks are investing in digital transformation but are burdened by legacy systems; whilst digital startups currently lack the customer base to disrupt the sector on any significant scale.”
Sky Bet extends English Football league sponsorship to 2024
Sky Bet has extended its sponsorship agreement with the English Football League until the summer of 2024, in a deal worth tens of millions of pounds.
The gambling firm has been the headline sponsor for the Championship, League One and League Two football divisions since 2013 and said it would be paying 20% more than it is currently to extend the deal for an additional five years from 2019 to 2024.
As part of the deal the brand gets its logo on shirts, and rights for ‘Bet and Watch’ for some matches. It has said it will continue to discourage problem gambling through messaging on shirts.
Thursday, 16 November
YouTube teams up with Ticketmaster for ecommerce first
Music fans will now be able to buy tickets to gigs of artists while watching their music videos on YouTube.
In the US, YouTube has teamed up with Ticketmaster so that acts can add a list of tour dates and ticket links during relevant moments in videos.
In a blog post, a YouTube spokesperson said: “Our massive fan base paired with Ticketmaster’s global roster of concerts and security of verified tickets means we can easily connect a fan’s discovery of music on YouTube to their ability to purchase concert tickets.
“This is another way for an artist to build a deeper connection with their fans.”
Although this feature is currently only available in North America, YouTube has plans to expand it globally. Ticketmaster already promotes ticket sales on both Spotify and Facebook.
WPP ‘deliberately stalling payments’ as Christmas draws closer
According to reports, advertising giant WPP is purposely delaying payments to hundreds of suppliers. The move suggests WPP could be struggling in the crucial fourth quarter.
Frontline staff at Kantar, a major subsidiary of WPP, this week received an email instructing them to wait until next year before paying outstanding invoices.
The email reads: “Cash balances are one of the most important indicators there are of the health of a business and so every year WPP looks to maximise its cash position reported in the year-end accounts. We need to slow down payments to our creditors.”
This could potentially be a breach of the government’s Prompt Payment Code (PPC). The world’s largest advertising firm, which is led by Sir Martin Sorrell, has experienced a difficult year having suffered three revenue downgrades.
BBC prepares a £500m bid to take full control of UKTV
The BBC wants to take full control of UKTV, the broadcaster behind the Dave and Gold TV channels, according to city sources.
It already owns half of UKTV and a £500m bid is thought to be enough to take full control. The move would be funded should its joint venture partner, the American broadcaster Scripps, complete a $14.6bn takeover by Discovery, the owner of Eurosport.
UKTV remains highly valuable to the BBC, providing an annual dividend as well as fees for repeats of BBC programmes such as Top Gear. And by taking control of it, the BBC could increase its commercial revenues to supplement the licence fee while competing with the production firepower of streaming giants Netflix and Amazon.
Pressure mounts on Twitter amid Russian interference during Brexit
Social media giant has been urged by MPs to reveal the extend of Russian interference in Britain’s European referendum vote.
It comes as research found more than 150,000 accounts on Twitter posted around 45,000 messages about Brexit during a 48 hour period during the days leading up to the Brexit vote. The researchers at the University of Edinburgh identified more than 400 accounts operated directly by an agency linked to the Russian government.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Theresa May has accused the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of “sowing discord in the West”.
Damian Collins, chair of the commons select committee for digital, culture, media and sport, has appealed directly to Twitter boss Jack Dorsey, stating: “What is at stake is whether Russia has constructed an architecture which means they have thousands of accounts with which they can bombard [us] with fake news and hyper-partisan content. We need to understand how widespread it is and what the impact is on the democratic process.”
Volkswagen invests $12bn in new-energy vehicles
Car giant Volkswagen AG has revealed it will invest over $12bn to develop a new range of low-energy vehicles for the Chinese market. It is part of a plan to lower emissions in what is the world’s largest car market.
Volkswagen says it will make the investments by 2025 and introduce 40 locally produced vehicles, with production of electric vehicles staring n the first half of next year.
Back in May, it received a green light from the Chinese government. The car brand plans to sell 400,000 units of new-energy vehicles a year by 2020 and increase that number to 1.5 million by 2025.
It isn’t the only auto maker looking to build more energy-focused cars in China. Ford recently revealed it will invest $753 million (with partner Anhui Zotye Automobile Co.) to make and sell small electric cars in Asia.
Wednesday 15 November
Disney reveals brand sponsors for Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Disney’s Lucasfilm, which produces the Star Wars films, has announced the first raft of sponsors it will be working with to promote the new film coming out later this year.
The 10 brands are: EDF Energy, Santander, ComparetheMarket.com, O2 Priority, Philips, Wilkinson Sword, Duracell, Volvic, Cereal Partners Worldwide and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.
Each brand will launch a promotional campaign in support of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, opening in UK cinemas on 14 December.
“This film will be blazing new ground in the Star Wars saga, and we feel our partners have designed some truly compelling experiences to match,” says Lynwen Brennan, general manager of Lucasfilm.
For example, EDF Energy has teamed up with Lucasfilm and Disney for its Pretty Curious campaign, designed to encourage young girls aged 11 to 13 to think about aa career in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Deliveroo drivers “are self employed”
Food delivery app Deliveroo is one of the biggest “gig economy” companies in the UK, and like Uber, has faced a backlash with its workers demanding more rights and rejecting the ‘self employed’ label.
However, yesterday (14 November) it has successfully fended off a demand from London couriers for union recognition and workers’ rights. The decision will come as a relief for Deliveroo, as Uber failed to overturn a UK employment ruling that it must give drivers workers’ rights such as minimum wage and holiday pay.
Deliveroo’s legal battle did not involve an employment tribunal, but a group of north London couriers had requested their union be recognised for the purposes of collective bargaining.
The case was widely seen as a test of whether the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), the tribunal that oversees collective bargaining law, would disagree with Deliveroo’s claim that its couriers are self-employed. However, the CAC backed Deliveroo’s argument on Tuesday, saying the couriers have the right to “substitution”, or the ability to ask someone else to deliver food on their behalf.
Twitter told to release ‘Russian troll’ tweets
A senior British MP has called on Twitter to release examples of UK-related postings linked to a Russian “troll factory”, citing concern at possible “interference by foreign actors in the democratic process of the United Kingdom”.
Damian Collins, the chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, said he wanted to see examples of posts about British politics after Twitter handed a list of 2,752 accounts to the US intelligence committee, all of which it had suspended for being linked to Russia.
For example, one tweeter called @SouthLoneStar posted a picture of a woman in a headscarf passing the scene of the attack with the caption: “Muslim woman pays no mind to the terror attack, casually walks by a dying man while checking phone #PrayForLondon #Westminster #BanIslam.”
Collins said it was clear the deleted accounts were linked to the St-Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, where, the Guardian has previously reported, hundreds of paid bloggers work round the clock to flood Russian internet forums, social networks and the comments sections of western publications with remarks praising the president, Vladimir Putin, and raging at the depravity and injustice of the west.
ASA gets tough on universities claiming to be ‘in the top 1%’
Today’s ASA rulings show one remarkable trend – six universities have had their ads banned, all for claiming to be more prestigious than others without being able to substantiate those claims.
For example, the University of Leicester got into trouble for claiming to be “a top 1% world university” and “a world ranked university” in a paid-for Facebook post. But the ASA slammed this claim, saying it was “exaggerated” and “misleading”.
Other universities that got into trouble were the University of East Anglia, University of Strathclyde, University of West London, Teesside University and Falmouth University.
But this is not the first time this has happened. Earlier this summer Reading University landed itself in hot water over its claims of being a “top 1%” world ranking university. After more complaints were submitted following that ruling, the ASA decided to launch a broader investigation, with multiple rulings coming out today. New advertising guidelines should also come into force.
A spokesman tells Marketing Week: “The rulings will be followed by updated guidance for all universities (via CAP) that will be published later this week.”
PM to double tech talent visas after Brexit
Theresa May is seeking to reassure the UK’s flourishing tech industry amid ongoing concerns over the impact of Brexit on hiring top talent.
The Prime Minister and chancellor Philip Hammond will meet with top entrepreneurs and investors today and is promising a flurry of measures to support startups across the country.
The home office will double the number of visas available for tech experts from outside the EU to come and work in the UK to 2,000. And the home secretary Amber Rudd will meet with the industry for input on making the visa process more efficient.
Access to talent has been cited by the majority of entrepreneurs as their biggest concern since the vote to leave the EU in the referendum nearly 18 months ago.
Tuesday 14 November
Tesco’s £3.7bn Booker deal approved
Tesco’s £3.7bn takeover of food wholesaler Booker, owner of convenience store brands Londis and Budgens, has been provisionally cleared by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The competition regulator said the deal, which will make Tesco the UK’s largest food business, could actually increase competition in the wholesale market and reduce prices for shoppers.
Booker, which has 441,000 catering customers and 641,000 small businesses, also supplies restaurants including Byron Burger and Prezzo. The CMA said the two businesses did not directly compete in most of their activities, particularly as Tesco does not supply goods to the catering sector.
Simon Polito, chair of the CMA’s inquiry group, said: “Our investigation has found that existing competition is sufficiently strong in both the wholesale and retail grocery sectors to ensure that the merger between Tesco and Booker will not lead to higher prices or a reduced service for supermarket and convenience shoppers.”
Nisa shareholders narrowly approve Co-op takeover bid
Members of convenience chain Nisa have voted in favour of The Co-operative’s £137.5m takeover bid for the business.
The Co-op needed 75% of shareholders to agree to the acquisition in order for the offer to be accepted, which it achieved – just – after securing 75.79% of the vote.
The deal is now subject to regulatory approval, but if all goes well it will go through next March.
Nisa chairman Peter Hartley described the convenience store market as “unrecognisable” from when the chain launched 40 years ago.
He added: “Co-op will add buying power and product range to our offering, while respecting our culture of independence.”
Sainsbury’s expressed an interest in buying the Nisa business earlier this year, shortly after Tesco acquired Booker but put its talks on hold in August.
British Gas eyes European roll out for Hive
British Gas is set to expand its Hive smart home offer to European customers early next year after securing a major deal with one of Italy’s largest household suppliers Eni.
Hive will be offered to the Italian gas giant’s 8 million retail customers in a move that British Gas owner Centrica hopes will see it fight off competition in the connected home market from rival such as Google’s Nest thermostat and German company Tado. Hive smart home devices are currently installed in 660,000 homes in the UK and US.
British Gas is looking to forge relationships with other European suppliers to push the expansion of Hive further into the European market.
Hive products will be available in Italy during the first quarter of 2018, with other markets due to open throughout the rest of the year.
Channel 4 to offer ‘100% targeted’ advertising on All 4
Channel 4 will be upping the level of ad personalisation it offers All 4 viewers, across all platforms in 2018. That’s because from next year mandatory registration will be required across all platforms, including mobile, tablet and games consoles, as well as TV services such as YourView, meaning it will have first party data on all viewers of the on-demand service.
That means it will be able to target all advertising based on viewers’ age, gender, location, interests and behaviour.
Given the level of first party data it will have, Channel 4 is also looking at opportunities to enhance its targeted advertising offer on linear TV. It is currently talking to a range of potential partners including Sorenson Media, YouView and Sky AdSmart .
Jonathan Lewis, head of digital and partnership innovation said: “From next year every All 4 advertising opportunity will be personalised or targeted which has proven a success for brands reflected in our double-digit year-on-year revenue growth for the last several years.”
Ikea UK sales hit £1.8bn
Ikea, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the UK this year, achieved sales of £1.8bn for the year ending 31 August 2017. The Swedish retailer’s UK sales increased 5.8% during that period, its sixth consecutive year of UK growth.
The company opened stores in Reading and Sheffield recently, with two more planned in Exeter and Greenwich, which will add another 850 jobs. It has also revamped its website, with online now accounting for 15% of sales.
Monday, 13 November
Alibaba breaks own Singles’ Day sales record
Alibaba has hit record sales for China Singles’ Day of $25.4bn (£19.2bn), surpassing last year’s high within just 13 hours. Some $1bn (£758m) alone was spent in the first two minutes after midnight on 11 November, with customers spending 40% more on Alibaba than last year.
Held annually on 11 November, Singles’ Day is now the world’s largest online shopping event, exceeding the combined sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the US. More than 1.5 billion parcels are expected to be delivered over the next six days to hundreds of millions of Chinese shoppers who took advantage of the discount online shopping event.
To publicise the count down to Singles’ Day Alibaba flew celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Pharrell Williams and Maria Sharapova to Shanghai to perform on stage at a televised gala.
Going forward it is expected that retailers outside China will ramp up their efforts to tap into this shopping festival, as data from PCA Predict shows that 27% of purchases made in China on Single’s Day 2016 were from international brands.
Co-op takeover of Nisa faces resistance
The Co-op’s £143m takeover of convenience chain Nisa is facing resistance from shareholders, causing fears that the supermarket giant might not secure the necessary 75% share of votes.
The 60,000 shares in question are owned by Nisa members, who each hold between one and 250 shares. Last month the 1,190 shopkeepers who own the business were advised by the Nisa board to accept the deal, which includes £20,000 up front as well as deferred payments worth more than £410,000 for those who own a maximum 250 shares.
Some of Nisa’s 1,190 members are entrepreneurs running small chains, giving the business a network of 2,400 stores. The issue of independence is a sticking point for some, as according to reports in the Guardian, Nisa members are divided into those fiercely protective of the business’s independence and others who feel the chain needs more scale given Tesco’s recent acquisition of convenience wholesaler Booker.
Ex-Asda boss Andy Clarke joins food tech startup
Former Asda CEO Andy Clarke has joined the board of food tech startup Spoon Guru, a year after leaving the supermarket retailer.
Clarke will become non-executive chairman at the London-based start-up, whose technology allows consumers to search retailers’ produce according to their specific dietary needs. Since launching in 2015, Spoon Guru has worked with Tesco to integrate its search tools into the retailer’s online site.
According to reports in The Telegraph, since leaving Asda in June 2016 after 20 years at the supermarket, Clarke has been working on building a “portfolio career”.
Trouva secures $10m investment
Fast growing startup Trouva has secured $10m (£7.6m) in funding from the backers of Farfetch, Asos, Etsy and Secret Escapes.
The ecommerce platform for independent bricks-and-mortar retailers received investment from BGF Ventures, the UK’s largest venture fund, alongside Index Ventures (investors in Farfetch, ASOS and Etsy) and Octopus Investments (backers of Secret Escapes and Graze).
Named as one of Marketing Week’s 100 Disruptive Brands in 2017, Trouva has grown by 1,509% over the past 18 months alone.
The startup debuted its first TV advertising campaign on 1 November on Sky, after beating off stiff competition from 200 fellow startups to win a fully funded campaign created by media agency All Response Media. Running until the end of the month, the ‘Trouva Street’ ad concept showcases a selection of the 350 boutiques signed up to the platform.
Turnover up 4% at UK’s top 50 pubs and bars
The UK’s top 50 bars and pubs saw turnover rise by 4% to £11.7bn in the 12 months to October.
Data from commercial lender Ortus Secured Finance shows turnover amongst the top 50 has grown by £1.6bn over the past six years, due in part to the growing popularity of craft beer, record prices for pints and the cost cutting efficiencies driven by mergers and acquisitions in the sector.
However as the top 50 chains prosper, fears are that smaller pubs could be hit by staff shortages post-Brexit and a possible rise in business rates following the Autumn Budget.
Pubs and bars will also need to invest in the real life experience if they are to take on the growing popularity of food delivery services such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo, which are encouraging consumers to entertain at home.


text:
A new Oregon startup is promising relief from the wriggling horrors of retail fitting rooms.
Qcut is advertising a line of blue jeans in 400 sizes.
I zipped up in the fitting room of the company’s pop-up storefront in downtown Portland this spring.
I came in and spent two minutes on a tablet with company founder Crystal Beasley answering some basic questions: height, weight, shoe size, bra size. I hit send, and Qcut’s website whisked away the info.
“Our fit clerk, Kate, is going to see you pop up on her iPad,” Beasley told me. “The system is going to choose the first jean you try on based on the algorithm we’ve been working on.”
Kate disappeared for a minute and returned with one of the 50 or so pairs of Qcut try-on jeans.
This is where it got spooky. They fit — at least, they fit in the waist and the seat. The inseam was too long, and the crotch wasn’t quite right. I ended up trying on two more pairs. But it was pretty close.
“I fall in love with problems that users really care about,” said Beasley, a former Mozilla software developer with no prior experience in the apparel business. “If I could just give other women this catharsis of knowing it wasn’t them, it wasn’t their fault that clothes don’t fit, that I knew I’d have something that resonated with people.”
Beasley’s Kickstarter campaign generated $90,000 from 729 backers.
“We used some of those funds to purchase a data set of body scans,” she said.
Qcut crunched the measurements of thousands of people to develop an algorithm for how jeans could fit different bodies.
Scientists developed body scanning technology in the post-9/11 age. You’ve seen it in airport security systems. Now body scanning is becoming a consumer tool. Some retail chains have used scanners as a special in-store feature to steer customers to the right size. But there are also brands, such as Qcut, using scans at a much earlier stage in the design process.
“If customer can tell us height weight, age, and shoe size, for women we can predict 50 different body measurements,” said Morgan Linton, co-founded of the Austin-based firm Fashion Metric.
Like Qcut, Linton’s company also buys body scan data, harvested off scanners in malls across the country. Fashion Metric develops algorithms derived from the data sets. Linton says they’re in demand among some brands — especially those that sell online.
“Right now when a brand makes a shirt or pants, they’re using a fit model,” he said. The model is intended to reflect a generalized form for what brands think their average shoppers look like.
“The challenge is …. as you get further away from that mean, you get things that don’t fit people the way they would like,” he said.
Professor Susan Ashdown takes this a step further: “I’ve got a surprise for you: the average does not exist.”
Ashdown runs a body scan project at Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. She says the sizing system most of the apparel industry uses is a product of the industrial age.
“The concept,” she said, “is that the population will fit into a discreet number of sizes. That’s actually not true. There’s so much variation in body size, shape, you can only fit 50% of the population into standard sizing.”
Ashdown believes body scans represent a huge step forward in fit technology and a chance to redeem the ills of industrialized fast fashion.
But re-visioning sizes is only the first step. Qcut still faced a huge problem getting very small batches of jeans made.
“Everybody was very excited about what we were doing,” Beasley said. “But manufacturing a jean one at a time for a specific customer is a completely different means of manufacturing then the way that everything else you see on the shelves is made.”
After months of travel and trial, Beasley found the right fabric in Italy and a willing factory in Los Angeles. The test will be whether Qcut’s price point can support the jeans of the future:
They’re are on sale now for $235 a pair, hemmed on demand.

domain: news


text:
The Magic of Leap Motion Is Now at Developers' Fingertips
Being able to control a computer screen with your finger is no longer just a mediocre superpower. Its what over 26,000 developers are dying to be a part of.
Today, the San Francisco based Leap Motion is releasing its developer application numbers to the world. They have "developers in 143 countries and all 50 US states," the company says, and the variety doesn't stop there. CEO Michael Buckwald is impressed by the the sheer diversity of applications. They have an astounding range of "use ideas from developers [including] translating sign language, driving a car or airplane, supporting physical rehabilitation and special needs, manipulating photos and videos, and creating new art forms and thousands more," says the company.
The technology's potential is endless, and the company is looking for the highest quality developers to fulfill that potential. Leap Motion has been very selective in choosing people building applications "true to to the spirit of what [they're] trying to do," says Buckwald. The company would pick quality over quantity any day (although that doesn't mean applications aren't rolling in with quantity).
With each new application, it's amazing to see them move from "emulating the touch screen" into "trying to take advantage of 10-finger interaction as well as the three dimensional nature of the device tracking," says Buckwald. For consumers it will be a refreshing change of pace, using a new product built to work in the same way we interact with the real world.
"We have always been very clear that we are not trying to build technology that seems cool, we are trying to build technology that is a better way of using a computer," says Buckwald.
n a field dominated by software, this hardware company is looking to create true innovation, which gives them a far better chance of changing the world than the next "hot an flashy social network for my cats pajamas*." Unfortunately, this cutting-edge 3D motion-control technology will not be shipping to us non-developers until February 2013.
"Applications poured in at an average rate of 1.55 every minute" their first week of accepting applications for their free software development units, and by the end of the week they had received 15,000, says the company. To put this number into perspective, Buckwald estimates that "there are about 400,000 iPhone developers right now," which is a product that has been around since 2007.
With the "tremendous excitement to build for a platform that has 100th mm tracking...that is extremely small...that has a lot of enthusiasm" Buckwald predicts that the rate Leap Motion is accumulating new applications does not look like it's going to slow down any time soon.
- This is not a real social network, although it'd be interesting if it was.
[Image courtesy of Leap Motion]


text:
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and Bulgaria should promote co-operation in trade and investment, especially in hi-tech agriculture, enabling Vietnamese products to access the Bulgarian market, said Deputy Prime Minister Vương Đình Huệ in Hà Nội on Tuesday.
Speaking at a meeting with Bulgarian Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov, who is on a working visit to Việt Nam from Monday to Friday, Huệ said the two countries’ trade co-operation was developing but two-way trade had only reached about US$100 million a year.
Huệ also asked Bulgaria to support the implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and organise the 24th session of the Việt Nam-Bulgaria Inter-Government Committee on Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, working on specific measures on trade and industry policies in order to boost economic co-operation in the future.
Minister Emil Karanikolov said the Bulgarian Government attached great importance to the socio-economic achievements made by Việt Nam over the past 30 years (1986-2016), the period of Việt Nam’s đổi mới (renewal).
With the co-operation mechanism between the two countries, the minister said Bulgaria wanted to be a gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter Europe.
On the same day, Karanikolov also attended the Việt Nam – Bulgaria Business Forum in the capital. More than 20 Bulgarian businesses and Vietnamese enterprises attended the event to exchange experiences and seek co-operation opportunities to develop businesses in the two countries.
At the meeting, Karanikolov said Bulgaria was willing to support specific initiatives for business and co-operation with Vietnamese enterprises to promote trade and investment between the two countries.
He said Bulgaria was positioned as a strategic gateway connecting the European market to the Mediterranean and Asian countries. Therefore, it would create best conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to open warehouses and develop exports in Bulgaria before reaching out to the EU market.
Bulgaria is considered one of the most attractive destinations for trade and investment in Europe, with tax rates and operating costs at the lowest level in the EU. Vietnamese businesses should take advantage of these opportunities, said the minister.
According to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quốc Hưng, 2017 trade turnover between the two countries reached $109.16 million, of which Việt Nam’s exports to Bulgaria reached $38.36 million.
In the first eight months of 2018, two-way trade turnover reached over $55 million, of which Việt Nam’s exports to Bulgaria reached $21.6 million.
In investment co-operation, Bulgaria ranks 65th out of 129 countries and territories investing directly in Việt Nam, with nine FDI projects in operation and total registered capital of $30.99 million.
“These results in trade and investment are modest and do not match the potential and expectations of the two sides,” said Hưng.
Karanikolov said Bulgaria would help Vietnamese businesses to invest in information technology, agriculture, services, transportation and tourism, especially in the country’s industrial parks and high-tech zones.
On the day same, the Bulgarian delegation worked with the Minister of Industry and Trade Trần Tuấn Anh and leaders from Hà Nội’s People’s Committee and the Việt Nam Oil and Gas Group and achieved many positive results to develop co-operation and investment. — VNS


text:
Earlier this month we hosted a brewing day that was pretty unique, even for us. Our brewer Alex Nowell, generally the sole source of estrogen round the brewery invited the Northern California Chapter of the Pink Boots Society to brew the very first Pink Boots Scholarship Beer. What’s that, you ask? Let’s go back to the beginning…
Alex, long a member of the Pink Boots Society, a global non-profit organization dedicated to promoting women in the beer industry, came up with the idea earlier this year to brew a special batch of beer and use the proceeds to fund a scholarship that will give one woman the means to gain the education necessary to begin a beer career.
Alex approached John Martin with the idea and quickly got approval to host the brew at Drake’s. The next step—pick a beer style and find the ingredients. Alex chose to brew a Saison, a Drake’s first. Then, using her endless charm and persuasion abilities Alex got nearly all the ingredients for the beer donated.
Jon Graber, from Country Malt out of Vancouver, Wash. donated over 1200 lbs of malt including California Select 2-row and White Wheat and Lisa White of White Labs offered up the Belgian yeast strain necessary for making this brew. Overall these gifts amount to nearly $1800. Now, when the beer is ready, every penny of the proceeds from the sales will go directly to fund a Pink Boots Scholarship thanks to these gifts.
When all the ingredients were in house all that was left was to brew the beer. On Sunday, Sept. 4, eight women filled the brew-house: milling, mashing, boiling and laughing as they brewed up a beer that will hopefully help one woman pursue a career in craft beer. The brewers of the day included April Anderson from Moylan’s, Dee Alcala from Dying Vines, and several other Pink Boots members including Gail Ann Williams from BeerByBart.com. Who made this awesome video.
The batch brewed that day, what Alex describes as a classic Saison with a California edge, is yet to be named officially, but will be released on October 12 with a release event at Beer Revolution in downtown Oakland. Other events will follow in mid-October and the beer will be available throughout the Bay Area.


text:
Motorists can save a whopping £20 on their next petrol visit by choosing the right place to fill up.
According to research by PetrolPrices.com, some motorway petrol stations are charging up to 37p per litre more than local stops.
Why is why drivers can essentially save themselves up to £20 per tank of fuel just by filling up at the right place.
The study found that the Bridgewater services on the M5 in Somerset is charging up to 29p per litre more than Sainsbury’s Bridgewater, which is 2.5 miles away.
This price difference equates to £16.38 and £12.18 more per tank, when filling up the 42L tank of a Ford Fiesta.
Other stations which hike prices are Cherwell Valley, Exeter and Lancaster that charge more than their nearest stations.
Meanwhile, Heston services on the M4 charge a whopping 24p more than the Tesco Hayes Bulls Bridge Extra branch.
And Medway services on the M2 in Kent also charges 24p more than the Sainsbury’s in Hempstead.
Kitty Bates, consumer spokesperson at fuel pricing information app, PetrolPrices.com: “Our research shows that many motorway service stations are pricing their fuel well over the odds with some stations charging up to 37p per litre more than their nearest forecourt operator.
“Motorway Service Areas have long been overpriced because operators know that motorists have to fill up there, and they have a captive audience, so they charge a similar rate year round, regardless of the fluctuations in the wholesale industry.
“Their argument is the costs are higher, which is something the government has been saying that it wants to investigate for quite a few years now.
“However, until this takes place, we would encourage drivers to find the best fuel deal local to them, or along their intended route, before they set off using an such as PetrolPrices.com which will help them to avoid being ripped off on the motorway.
“For too long millions of UK motorists have been stung by extortionate motorway service area fuel prices.”
1. Fill up at busy petrol stations
These stations buy more fuel and tend to take advantage of falling prices.
2. Choose a big station
Stations buy their fuel on the wholesale market, so the big buyers are better at slashing prices.
3. Look for a cluster of stations
When several stations are close together, they’re more likely to drop prices in a bid to lure drivers in.
4. Do your research
If you’re looking for the best deals on fuel, PetrolPrices.com allows motorists to compare costs in your area.
It also lists the average prices, so you know if you’re being ripped off.


text:
WASHINGTON–Street thieves who typically specialize in cashing out stolen credit and debit cards are now hedging their chances against being caught by carrying multiple counterfeit cards by relying on Fuze Cards, a smartcard technology that allows users to store dozens of cards on a single device, according to a warning by
the U.S. Secret Service and as first reported by Brian Krebs on his blog, KrebsOnSecurity.com.
Launched in May 2017, the Fuze Card is a data storage device that looks like a regular credit card but can hold account data for up to 30 credit cards, noted Krebs. The Fuze Card displays no credit card number on either side, instead relying on a small display screen on the front that cardholders can use to change which stored card is to be used to complete a transaction.
Krebs explained that after the user chooses the card data to be used, the card data is made available in the dynamic magnetic stripe on the back of the card or via the embedded smart chip. Fuze cards also can be used at ATMs to withdraw funds.
Warning from Secret Service
On his website, Krebs reported an internal memo the U.S. Secret Service shared with financial industry partners states Secret Service field offices in New York and St. Louis are currently working criminal investigations where Fuze Cards have been used by fraud rings. The memo, a copy of which was obtained by KrebsOnSecurity, states that card theft rings are using Fuze Cards to avoid raising suspicions that may arise when shuffling through multiple counterfeit cards at the register.
“The transaction may also appear as a declined transaction but the fraudster, with the push of a button, is changing the card numbers being used,” the memo notes, according to Krebs.
Krebs noted fraud rings often purchase data on thousands of credit and debit cards stolen from hacked POS devices or via skimmers, with that data then encoded onto any card with a magnetic stripe, and then used to buy high-priced items at retail outlets — or to withdraw funds from ATMs (if the fraudsters also have the cardholder’s PIN).
‘Tough to Explain, So…’
“But getting caught holding dozens of counterfeit or stolen cards is tough to explain to authorities. Hence, the allure of the Fuze Card, which may appear to the casual observer to be just another credit card in one’s wallet,” said Krebs
The Secret Service memo concludes, “While this smart card technology makes up a small portion of fraudulent credit cards currently, investigators should be aware of the potential for significant increases in fraud loss amounts with the emergence of this smart card technology.”


text:
The Co-operative Group has seen profits surge as it attracted thousands of bank account customers disillusioned with Britain's big banks.
The acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket chain and the merger of its financial services arm with Britannia Building Society have also boosted Britain's biggest mutual retailer.
The Co-op is paying its 5 million members - up 1.5 million over the last year - a dividend of £55m, 16% higher than in 2008. The "divi" was re-introduced by the group in 2006 after 30 years.
The group, which traces its roots to the founding of the co-operative movement in Rochdale in 1844, today reported a 38% jump in new current accounts as consumers deserted the bigger banks in droves in the wake of the financial crisis. It gained 140,000 new customers, taking the total to 1.2 million, and doubled its share of the current account market to 4%.
"We're already seeing a flight to trust," said Peter Marks, the chief executive. "People are weary of big business, especially in the financial services sector. They want to feel confident about where they're putting their hard-earned savings."
Operating profits at the financial arm, which owns brands such as the online bank Smile, rose 21% to £177m. The Co-op, which now has 330 bank branches and customer deposits of £32.5bn following the merger with Britannia, is hoping to make further inroads into the mortgage market, of which it has 3-4%, with the launch of new products starting with a three-year tracker mortgage at 2.49% tomorrow.
In the grocery business, like-for-like sales were flat in the first three months of the year - hit by the VAT increase and January's heavy snow - but in line with the rest of the market. "I think we will get a lift in the summer - if we have a summer - and England make progress in the World Cup. We could have a decent summer," said Marks.
Overall profits before payments to members soared 85% to £402m in the year to 2 January, with sales up 31% to £13.7bn, the third consecutive year of double-digit growth. Underlying profits are 20% ahead, in line with recent years.
Like-for-like food sales were up 5.5% on 2008. The Co-op, the UK's fifth-largest grocer with 3,000 stores and 21 million customers every week, extended its Simply Value range which enjoyed 85% growth last year while its premium range, Truly Irrestistible, also did well, with sales up 10%.
"These are record results in what has been an historic year for the Co-operative Group," said Marks. "Our business has continued to thrive in spite of economic pressure, and we are on track with the integration of both Somerfield and Britannia. And, it seems, our business model has never been quite so relevant. Our Financial Services business has continued to flourish in spite of the global recession."
He was cautious in his assessment of the months ahead, saying "2010 is going to be a very tough year". "We're not seeing an awful lot of feelgood factor around." This echoed comments from other retailers who fear that consumer confidence will be hit by post-election tax hikes and spending cuts needed to bring the government's massive budget deficit under control.
The Co-op also runs Britain's third-largest retail pharmacy chain as well as the number one provider of funeral services.


text:
- The Apple iphone 12 launch day might be delayed for particular versions, a new report from a acknowledged insider suggests.
- Mini-Chi Kuo claimed in a new take note that the Apple iphone 12 is finding “high-end” digital camera lenses from Largan, but the supply has been delayed.
- The shipping hold off could have an effect on the creation of certain Iphone 12 versions, which are already rumored to launch later than typical.
Apple is anticipated to launch at minimum four new Apple iphone 12 this slide in what will be a 12 months of firsts for its iconic item. The Iphone 12 will be the to start with to start in the course of a pandemic, which could lead to start delays and availability concerns. Not to point out that the novel coronavirus crisis could have an impact on profits, as the economic system continues to battle. The Apple iphone 12 will be the first collection to aspect 4 versions, with measurements ranging from 5.4-inch to 6.7-inch. All of them will have OLED screens, also a very first for a new Apple iphone line, and they’ll be the initial Iphone styles to aid 5G connectivity. The Iphone 12 will be the to start with Iphone due to the fact the Apple iphone X to rock a new style and design that’s supposedly motivated by the Apple iphone 4 and iPad Pro. The Iphone 12 will also be the initially Apple iphone to characteristic a 5nm processor in what will be a first for the industry. And it is likely to be the first Apple iphone that will ship devoid of absolutely free EarPods and a charger in the box. Last but not least, the Iphone 12 will get started at $649, according to rumors. Which is a cost for a new Apple iphone we have not observed in a number of a long time. And the most inexpensive Apple iphone will rock 128GB of storage, also a first for Apple. That’s the basic thought of the plethora of existing Iphone 12 rumors and leaks out there. Even with out all these independent that inform the similar story, we’d know two points for sure about the next Iphone: It’ll rock a a lot more effective chip than the preceding line and upgraded digicam working experience.
A new observe to buyers from analyst Mini-Chi Kuo (through MacRumors) elaborates on the camera upgrades coming to the Iphone. Kuo has a great observe record at predicting Apple’s moves, thanks to entry to within resources from Apple’s offer chains for several items.
Kuo says that Largan will provide high quality camera lenses to Apple for the iPhones, while deliveries have been delayed in comparison to preceding decades. Largan has supplied digital camera lenses for earlier Apple iphone types as effectively.
Production has been delayed by 4 to 6 weeks in the 2nd 50 percent of the 12 months, the report notes. Kuo did not point out the coronavirus pandemic as a bring about, but the pandemic is likely to have afflicted operations. Peak Iphone shipments will slide amongst August and Oct as a end result of the Largan delays. This could reveal studies that say some of the Iphone 12 products will be released afterwards than predicted.
Kuo’s new observe does not specify the character of the “high end” lenses the Iphone 12 is finding. Nevertheless, he stated in a previous report that the 6.7-inch Apple iphone will function numerous rear digital camera improvements, which include larger sized sensors that can capture far better light-weight.
Not all Apple iphone 12 variations will rock the exact rear camera set up. The least expensive products will feature two cameras, whilst the Iphone 12 Professional versions will get 3 lenses, just like the Apple iphone 11 Execs. On major of that, the new Execs will also receive a fourth LiDAR sensor, very similar to the 2020 iPad Pro’s AR digicam. That, by the way, will be an additional initial for the Iphone 12.
Kuo explained in preceding stories that the 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch Apple iphone 12 styles will hit output in September, while the 6.7-inch Professional will be delayed to October.


text:
NORFOLK, Neb. (July 26) – Renner Wraps switches gears in its second season as an IMCA sponsor, giving product awards to rookies of the year in three divisions.
IMCA Modified, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod rookies of the year all receive complete race car wraps from the Norfolk, Neb., graphics and promotional products supplier.
New to the Renner Wraps program are $300 gift certificates, good toward the purchase of a wrap, for each of the other four Modified regional rookies of the year, and $500 in cash to be paid to the lap leader(s) in the upcoming BSB Manufacturing-sponsored Northern SportMod race of champions at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
More information is available at the www.rennerwrapsandgraphics.com website or by calling 402 860-1147.
“Renner Wraps has been a very steadfast supporter over the past few years and they are always looking for an opportunity to serve IMCA racers,” said Kevin Yoder, director of marketing for IMCA. “That passion is contagious and I believe our racers contacting them will experience that first-hand.”


text:
» Url Sk Pencairan Tunjangan Fungsional
Url Sk Pencairan Tunjangan Fungsional
Url Sk Pencairan Tunjangan Fungsional on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Sunday, April 20, 2014
One of the advantages of this device is able to work without a hitch with Apple Time Machine
The company Western Digital announced a new version of an external hard drive My Book Studio.
USB 3.0 capability is now added to the family hard drive My Book [...]
Inspired by the MacBook Air.
Google seems to be more serious about growing its business into hardware, not only playing in mobile platforms, search engines, and internet advertising. The proof is in cooperation with Samsung, Google launched its Chromebook [...]
Want to buy the BlackBerry 10 but doubt whether it can be better than Android or iPhone? There are ways to overcome these doubts.
Quoted from Cnet, Tuesday (2/4), you can try this new OS directly either on Android or iOS devices via the browser.
Basically, do not use the lights too bright at night.
Using iPad or watching TV late at night can make you depressed, according to a study showing that exposure to bright light during the hours of sleep can affect levels of stress and behavioral disorders.
Smartphone Sony Yuga is estimated by some analysts will be the mainstay.
A number of people have stated that Sony was preparing his most recent flagship smartphone, which is rumored to be a major competitor iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S III.
According to [...]
Sony showed off its latest ultrabook Windows 8 operating system, Vaio T13 “Touch Screen”, Indocomtech exhibition in 2012 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC).
With a 13.3-inch wide screen, users can enjoy a new experience with Windows 8 [...]
Already know about Oz the Great and Powerful movie from Disney? If you like it, maybe you should glance at this one game.
Temple Run Oz is an endless running game Temple Run combination that has been popular with Oz movie.
Quoted from Cnet, Friday (3/8), [...]
PT. Samsung Electronics will soon bring the Samsung Galaxy S4 in the Indonesian market.
And starting Thursday, pre-orders already open. Read Samsung Galaxy S4 Can Ordered Today.
Yesterday (18/04), in Publico, Senopati, Jakarta, the features found on [...]
News of the warm coming from two future Samsung products mentioned in this release, the Galaxy Tab 3 and Galaxy Note 3.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Thursday (21/3), both rumored to appear first on IT exhibition IFA 2013 in Berlin, Germany.
This event is scheduled [...]
The design is minimalist.
Leaked photo of the latest BlackBerry smart phone cellular seemed talkative use touch screen technology, rated following the design of the iPhone from Apple.
The photos leaked to tech site Vietnam, Tinhte.vn it, believed to [...]
Jobs family have not paid off a fee designer.
Venus, ships super sophisticated and minimalist late founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, was confiscated because the ship designers claim the Jobs family have not paid off a fee.
Philippe Starck, designer of the [...]


text:
The largest electronics chain in the United States will reportedly cut its ties with Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, and stop selling its smartphones.
It has also apparently ceased to order in new stock from the Chinese firm. The move comes amid growing concern in the United States about the use of technology from foreign countries deemed hostile to America.
Last month the heads of major American intelligence agencies including the CIA, FBI and NSA urged the general public not to buy products or services from Huawei.
The US has long held a deep distrust of Chinese (and indeed Russian) products. Back in 2012 for example, Huawei and ZTE strongly denied they posed a security threat to the United States’ infrastructure.
But the fresh warning from US intelligence bosses about using any products from Chinese telecoms maker ZTE as well, could well deal a fatal blow to Huawei’s ambitions in the United States.
To this end Best Buy will cut ties with China’s Huawei Technologies Reuters reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Indeed, CNET also reported that Best Buy will stop selling Huawei’s devices over the next few weeks, amid other media reports that the electronics chain has already stopped ordering in new stock.
A Best Buy spokesman told Reuters the firm could not comment on specific contracts with vendors. “We make decisions to change what we sell for a variety of reasons,” he said.
Huawei meanwhile told Reuters in emailed comments that it valued its relationship with Best Buy but could not discuss details of its partnership with the US firm.
“Huawei currently sells its products through a range of leading consumer electronics retailers in the US,” the firm said, adding its products met the “highest security, privacy and engineering standards in the industry”.
But there are signs that the US market is slowly being closed down for Chinese firms.
American carrier AT&T earlier this year apparently scrapped a plan to offer Huawei handsets after some members of Congress lobbied against the idea with federal regulators, sources told Reuters. Verizon Communications also ended its plans to sell Huawei phones last year.
This means that Huawei doesn’t have any of its phones being sold by any US carriers, where a majority of Americans typically purchase their phones.
It is worth remembering that Huawei is the world’s third-largest smartphone vendor behind Apple and Samsung, but this move could spell the end for Huawei’s hopes of expansion in the US, as it is understood that Best Buy was one of Huawei’s biggest retail partner in that country.
The move will also leave Amazon.com as one of the few remaining retail outlets for Huawei’s smartphones in the United States.
In 2012 Huawei was also banned from supplying kit for a national broadband infrastructure deployment in Australia.
Do you know all about security? Try our quiz!
Climate and tax bill worth $430bn passed by US Congress last week could immediately eliminate…
Mercedes-Benz and world's biggest EV battery maker CATL to build 7.3bn euro battery plant in…
European Space Agency confirms it is in talks with SpaceX over using Falcon 9 as…
Disney to introduce ad-supported version of Disney+ in December along with price hikes, as it…
Facebook parent Meta gathers data from user interactions with latest chatbot as BlenderBot 3 criticises…


text:
on april 6th, at the 2023 china refrigeration exhibition "innovative products" award ceremony, 61 annual "innovative products" won awards. among the seven award-winning products in the "heat exchangers, valves, and other auxiliary components" category, three products come from sanhua. they are: sanhua intelligent control electric switching water valve, sanhua microchannel high corrosion resistant microchannel heat exchanger, and sanhua microchannel data center microchannel heat exchanger.
as a professional exhibition in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, the china refrigeration exhibition organizing committee and industry authoritative experts encourage and promote technological innovation in the industry by selecting innovative refrigeration products from china. in the "innovative products" selection of the 2023 china refrigeration exhibition, a total of 65 enterprises applied for 108 products, both in terms of quantity and quality, which are the highest in recent years. the influence of the event continues to rise. after two rounds of objective and rigorous evaluation and competition, 61 products were ultimately awarded the title of "innovative product".
the three award-winning products of sanhua have all passed two rounds of evaluation by the expert committee of china refrigeration exhibition, standing out from over a hundred declared products and receiving unanimous recognition, earning the title of "innovative product". this honor reflects that sanhua products follow the green and low-carbon principle, have high quality innovation and progressiveness, and play a leading role in the industry. meanwhile, sanhua products have long been active on the stage of "innovative products" at the china refrigeration exhibition.
click to view the award-winning products of sanhua in previous years
→ 2022, 2021, 2019
as the soul and connotation of sanhua, "technology flower" continuously helps sanhua become a leading enterprise in the industry. as of march 2023, sanhua has successfully applied for 8557 patents, including 5297 invention patents and 963 international patents. the number of innovative talents is constantly increasing, and the proportion of research and development investment is increasing year by year. sanhua will firmly promote comprehensive innovation with technology as its core, provide hard core support for sanhua's high-quality development, and provide quality assurance for enhancing customer competitiveness.
this award-winning product will be available in the
exciting appearance at the 2023 china refrigeration exhibition
there will also be many exhibitions at that time
sanhua innovative products and solutions
shanghai new international expo center
let's chat about
great products together


text:
A Brandon Walmart that closed this spring under suspicious circumstances is back open.
Company officials say the East Brandon Boulevard store had big plumbing problems, so it was shut down while comprehensive repairs were made.
But the 430 workers laid off believed the store would never be back.
Now, the store, with its new plumbing and expanded floor space, is back open.
Some of the employees laid off in the spring are returning to the Brandon store from nearby Walmarts they were transferred to. Others will stay where they are now. Still others may re-apply if they took the severance option.


text:
It has been reported that charging an electric vehicle (EV) costs a third per kilometre than buying petrol for the same car. In the same breathe, because EVs are made up of fewer moving parts than an internal combustion engine, it is a lot less costly to service them. With many benefits in mind, South Africans should consider investing in EVs, or other forms of smarter mobility, in order to save money whilst minimising carbon emissions now and for the future.
In light of Savings Month taking place in July, Ben Pullen, CEO of Generation.e says that investing in smarter mobility on a personal and public level will save billions of rands which can be redirected to sustainable investments. “For example, according to GreenCape, if only 1-million EVs are sold in South Africa – which on current levels of economic activity is around two to three years’ new vehicle sales – the cost of oil imports will be reduced by roughly R8bn.
“On a national scale, if these billions saved from oil imports are directed towards investments in renewable energy and smarter, and most-likely electrified, public transport models, the job creation potential and economic boost possible becomes a highly attractive proposition. Subsequently those that buy EVs will be saving costs on fuel and the upkeep of their cars as previously mentioned.”
Bringing the savings mentality into the equation is where the excitement lies, says Pullen. “What we need to work towards as a society, is understanding that as technology improves, and electric vehicle solutions become cheaper and more attractive, he says. “Therefore the wide scale investment over the long term is exponential.”
Looking to the future, this means that scooters, preferably electric, and vehicles that are hybrid or electric make up the roads, he says. “However, the ultimate goal would be a move towards shared and smarter mobility, which will happen with a shift from asset ownership to mobility as a service.”
One global trend which may be heading to South Africa in the near future is car sharing solutions. “This is a great way to reduce car ownership, but to give people a car when they need it,” adds Pullen.
Today, however, the shift is already starting to happen, with South African taxi service companies offering green options, he says. “For example, Mellowcabs offers fully electric minicabs designed to provide an efficient on-demand taxi service in urban areas for commuters needing micro transport within a three mile radius. Another example is Greencabs, an eco-innovation company that provides South Africa’s first cost-effective, aggressively green transport solution.”
South Africa is also enjoying the growth and expansion of public transport offerings such as the Gautrain, which has just announced that it will be acquiring between 18 and 35 coaches to meet demand during peak travel times on popular routes. “This is a great form of cost effective, smarter mobility that can service a large amount of people whilst minimising congestion on the roads as well as greenhouse emissions.”
“With this in mind, it is now more important than ever for South African’s to start investing in smarter mobility solutions in order to not only remain competitive globally, but to look out for our own prosperity. As such, investment into research and development of smart mobility is non-negotiable. Every small saving we make today will no doubt add up to an exponentially better, and greener, future.”


text:
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Apple acquired Topsy Labs for $200M. The acquisition represents a serious jump into big data analytics in social media for Apple.
The scandal around the National Security Agency could work to the benefit of Canadian firm BlackBerry, especially among foreign governments.
Quick takes on mobile IT news for Monday, 11/25 including: the short attention span of mobile shoppers when it comes to retailer mobile apps, the results of the Apple/Samsung patent case, offloading data capacity onto Wi-Fi networks by mobile operators, reported benefits of BYOD and the major success of Windows 8.1.
Apple's enterprise offerings with iOS 7 are "not terribly innovative" compared with services currently offered by enterprise mobility management firms, opening the enterprise door to Microsoft and its Windows Phone platform, judges ABI Research senior analyst Jason McNicol.
Quick takes on mobile IT news for Monday, 11/18 including: Oracle's new acquisition of startup Bitzer Mobile, the state of the U.K. in BYOD world, Ford's mobile app development program growth, billionaire investor Carl Icahn's beef with Apple and more disappointment stemming from iPhone 5C.
Quick takes on mobile IT news for Wednesday, 11/13 including: China's Keen Team breaching iPhone security, a far more intelligent smartphone than the user in the coming years, an increasing correlation between mobile device usage and DPI, China's telematics market and the fate of smartglasses.
Apple's smartphone OS market share declined again in the third quarter, while Android and Windows Phone grabbed more market share, according to the latest stats from IDC.
Quick takes on mobile IT news for Tuesday, 11/12 including: the increase of enterprise-relevant apps in app stores, Apple's Maps victory over Google, a second chance for Nokia by way of HERE, the real truth behind Heins resignation at BlackBerry and the area of the world most economically affected by mobile industry.
Quick takes on mobile IT news for Friday, 11/8 including: mobile communications spending in the enterprise, Sephora's attempt to make mobile customers first priority, the newest innovation from Office, a halt in Qualcomm's Toq smartwatch shipments and the continuing legal battle between Apple and Samsung.
Quick takes on mobile IT news for Thursday, 11/7 including: the fate of the global telematics market, Gatwick Aiport's switch from BlackBerry to BYOD, Apple's use of Bluetooth over Wi-Fi, the unveiling of the Google barge mystery and stats on the leaders in mobile IT for the month of September.


text:
The cost of business travel has been steadily increasing held down only by the low airfare as the airline industry was in transition and the battle for market share. Now that Southwest has raised their airfares, it seems that all sectors of business travel are increasing. Higher gas prices have pushed up car rentals, and high demand coupled with increased building costs has led to higher hotel costs.
This all combined to tell business travelers will be paying a fair bit more in 2006.
“For 2006, however, the pricing trend lines indicate that corporate travel buyers will face a tough negotiating environment across the board,” American Express Business Travel North America General Manager Andy McGraw said.
The past year has been especially good to U.S. hoteliers, who have been able to steadily increase room rates as business travel increased in a growing economy and supply growth slowed due to high construction costs.
Domestic airlines, on the other hand, have not been able to increase fares enough despite high fuel costs because of competition from discount carriers.
The study, which tracked 329 domestic city pairs, said the annual average air fare paid for business travel had declined since the end of 2000 to a low of $216 last year. via MSNBC.com.


text:
Chanel Bond Street store for sale, will be test of West End retail property market
The strength of the London retail property market will be tested as the flagship Chanel store on Bond Street is being prepared for sale. The street has traditionally been one of the most expensive retail destinations globally but that was pre-pandemic and investor confidence in the future of London’s West End and its luxury retail sector will be seen by the outcome of the sale.
The Times reported that the property is currently owned by a Swedish pension fund that has appointed advisory company JLL “to seek offers of more than £240 million” for the three-storey retail space.
Sales volumes of West End retail properties have plunged since the health crisis began as the tourists and office workers on which the area depends have been absent. Only this week, Springboard said footfall to Central London is still down more than 60% year-on-year.
But West End property deals are still happening with Balenciaga agreeing a New Bond Street lease in June and Brunello Cucinelli having opened on the street at almost the same time. Celine and Versace have also taken Bond Street space.
There has been speculation that Chanel could buy the property itself, the newspaper reported, echoing Prada that also owns its Bond Street store. A raft of private international buyers could also show an interest.
Bond Street’s appeal to property investors rests in the fact that it had the third highest rental rates in the world as of 2019. The proliferation of luxury labels have made its rents more reliable than those in nearby Oxford Street.
Chanel’s boutique was the brand’s largest globally when it opened in 2013, although the NYC shop that opened since then is larger.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


text:
In a letter to GameStop's board of directors, Ryan Cohen, one of the biggest investors in the company, is calling for greater changes to the video game retailer, including the closing of more store locations. Cohen's venture capital firm RC Ventures owns a 9.8% share in GameStop. The Wall Street Journal obtained Cohen's letter, in which the investor claims that GameStop is not doing enough to evolve alongside the video game industry, including keeping up with evolving trends, such as digital sales and streaming. The investor argued that closures should be made and that GameStop needs to "identify duplicative, underperforming stores and plan to forgo lease renewals."
In addition to store closures, Cohen also believes that operations in Europe and Australia need to be revamped or abandoned altogether. "While the Australian market has shown signs of life, it is not nearly big or strong enough to offset the losses linked to the Company's hundreds of stores across European nations," said Cohen.
GameStop executives blamed the company's dismal performance during the 2019 holiday season on lack of interest in the PS4 and Xbox One. Following the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it seems that GameStop is positioned to have a much stronger finish in 2020. However, Cohen claims that "the next console cycle's temporary sales bump is not a justification for complacency and glacial transformation."
Cohen apparently wrote the letter after finding that his discussions with GameStop management had proven fruitless. Time will tell whether or not his letter to the board of directors will have any sort of impact, but it's clear that GameStop has made several moves over the last year to shift direction. The company has already closed more than 400 stores, and entered a strategic partnership with Microsoft, which will gives store locations upgraded technology, and a cut of lifetime revenue from Xbox All Access subscriptions.
It remains to be seen whether or not GameStop's changes will be enough to keep the company afloat. The growth of digital gaming and subscription services like Xbox Game Pass could have a major impact on the retailer. Still, there is a very large segment of gamers that prefer physical releases to digital, and it seems unlikely that will change. As the video game industry continues to grow, GameStop's place in its future remains in question.
Do you hope to see GameStop turn things around? Should the company close more stores? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!


text:
Volvo isn’t exactly known for being a style setter but the automaker hopes to change all that. At the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show next month, Volvo will present a new concept it bills as the embodiment of an upcoming “transformation.”
That transformation has been instigated by the automaker’s design chief Thomas Ingenlath, who in the video above explains that he’s putting an end to Volvo’s “vanilla days.”
We also get a glimpse at Volvo’s new concept, which appears to be a coupe inspired by the lines of the automaker’s P1800 launched in the 1960s. The side of the greenhouse shares a similar shape to that found on the P1800 and the front winglets resemble the strips of chrome found on the P1800’s front bumper. The portion of the concept’s grille also looks familiar to what’s found on the classic Volvo coupe.
The good news is that we don’t have long to wait until Volvo’s new concept is revealed. The first photos and details will be posted up on Thursday. Stay tuned for an update.


text:
Zynga is bolstering its brand advertising efforts by bringing on Julie Shumaker from RockYou as the company’s new vice president of North American sales. She’ll report to Jeff Karp, Zynga’s chief marketing and revenue officer.
The move should help cover at least one recent vacancy. The company’s global director of brand advertising, Manny Anekal, recently defected to mobile advertising startup Kiip to serve as chief operating officer.
Shumaker comes with several years of experience. She was a senior vice president and general manager at RockYou, one of the Facebook platform’s very earliest and notable social gaming companies. Before that, Shumaker ran sales and marketing for 4INFO and she was a general manager at Double Fusion, a gaming advertising startup. She also handled ad sales for EA in consumer products, automobiles, entertainment and beverages.
Even though RockYou was successful very early on, it was later eclipsed by Zynga and oscillated between being a social game developer and an ad platform. Despite RockYou’s shortcomings, Shumaker hopefully will be able to put her seven years of working in gaming and advertising to use at Zynga.
It’s a key time as Zynga is putting its weight behind a gaming destination off Facebook. With its own gaming platform, Zynga should be able to earn a greater revenue share from ads than it has historically. Last year, Zynga earned just $47.1 million or 5.7 percent of its total revenues from advertising. The lion’s share came from virtual currency sales.


text:
Inside Secure has announced its NFC chip technology has been chosen to power “a next-generation smartphone from a leading mobile phone manufacturer.” The new phone is scheduled to be introduced by mid-year, “will run on one of the most widely used mobile operating systems under license” and will use Inside’s MicroRead NFC controller chip and Open NFC protocol stack software.
- UK consumers eye up iris scanning for banking biometrics
- LG to develop its own MST technology?
- Samsung Pay set to go live in Canada?
- NXP to be bought by Qualcomm in US$47bn deal
- NFC to lead sharp rise in global smart packaging market


text:
Read the posts of our digital analytics agency regarding Adobe Analytics and Google Analytics, Web analytics, digital marketing, artificial intelligence, data science, and more!
We have a team of Multi-disciplinary Adobe Analytics consultant and Google Analytics consultant at the forefront of technology who is whiling to share their digital analytics experience. Improve your knowledge with Devrun, your .Web analytics agency.
We are at a time that Internet users are increasingly worried about their personal data and their online privacy, especially
Following the fallout on Facebook data scandal involving Cambridge Analytica which is accused of collecting the personal data of 90
Join Adobe Summit conference in Las Vegas next March. The event this year holds a record 13,000 leaders in the
Becoming an experience maker was one of the main topics of the Adobe Summit conference in Las Vegas. On the
Following the partnership between Google Analytics 360, Salesforce Sales Cloud and Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Google Analytics announced a few days
You’ll be happy to know that Google Analytics for Firebase is more related to the Google Analytics experience. New reports
It’s in San Francisco this May 23rd that Google Marketing event will welcome more than 1 000 marketers, unveiling new
The prestigious Digital Marketing event Adobe Summit EMEA will be held in London this may 3rd and 4th. Its two


text:
Grounds for more hope that the global economy can avoid a major slump may emerge in the coming week in business surveys showing gradual improvement across much of the advanced world.
Purchasing manager indexes for both the US and the euro zone are anticipated by economists to tick higher. While several gauges will still suggest contraction, the upward direction of travel could add to a growing narrative that a soft landing is achievable.
At the same time, the full effects of concerted policy tightening by central banks have yet to be felt.
Global PMI Activity
Bolstering such prospects are China’s reopening after pandemic lockdowns, evidence of slowing inflation, and the assured views of some senior European officials that their economies won’t suffer recessions. The International Monetary Fund may even soon raise its outlook for the year, its chief hinted on Friday.
“We have, demonstrably, strength of labor markets translating into consumers spending and keeping the economy up,” Kristalina Georgieva said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “With the reopening of China, we expect growth this year to again exceed the global average.”
How the US fares will also be crucial, however, and the first estimate of fourth-quarter gross domestic product there, due on Thursday, may prove instructive. The economy is seen expanding at a 2.7% annualized rate in the final three months of 2022 after a 3.2% pace in the third quarter.
While such a print suggests solid growth, recent data — including retail sales, home construction and industrial production — showed momentum starting to peter out in late 2022.
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg see GDP in the US declining over consecutive quarters in the middle of this year as steep interest-rate hikes from the Federal Reserve take a bigger bite out of demand.
While Asian momentum could provide a fillip to that outlook, the IMF chief suggested there’s a risk its contribution to the world economy might yet go awry.
“What if the good news of China growing faster translates into oil and gas prices jumping up, putting pressure on inflation?” she said.
What Bloomberg Economics Says:
“Fourth-quarter GDP to a large extent will be boosted by robust consumer spending on services, even as they pulled back on goods. Households continued to tap into excess savings brought on by stimulus and to benefit from solid wage gains. Tighter monetary policy means 2023 will see significantly weaker demand.”
—Anna Wong, Eliza Winger and Niraj Shah, economists. For full analysis, click here
Elsewhere, multiple rate decisions may include a potential final Bank of Canada hike for the cycle, and a 12th consecutive increase in Colombia. Australia and New Zealand may report slowing consumer-price gains, while euro-zone policy makers have a final chance to speak out before their own meeting the following week.
Click here for what happened in the past week and below is our wrap of what’s coming up in the global economy.
US and Canada
Aside from the PMI and GDP reports in the US, the government is projected to report on Friday that inflation-adjusted personal spending on goods and services fell in December for the first time in a year. The data are also expected to show inflation cooled on an annual basis, while remaining elevated.
Fed officials, who are observing a blackout period ahead of their Jan. 31-Feb. 1 policy meeting, will take into account indications of a slowing economy and moderating inflation.
Other reports are expected to show declines in new-home sales and core capital goods.
Read more: Fed Set to Slow Hikes Again and Debate How Much Further to Go
Looking north, the Bank of Canada appears set to cap one of the most aggressive tightening campaigns in its history with what economists and markets expect to be a final 25-basis point increase in borrowing costs on Wednesday.
Policy makers led by Governor Tiff Macklem will probably stop short of declaring an outright halt to hikes, opting instead to hold the benchmark overnight night rate 4.5% while keeping a hawkish tone as they monitor how quickly the economy gears down.
The decision is complicated by conflicting data. Canada’s ultra-tight labor market continues to add jobs with unemployment near a record low, and economic output is set to expand in the final quarter of 2022 at about twice the pace of the central bank’s previous forecasts.
Annual inflation is still uncomfortably high at 6.3%, but underlying pressures show clear signs of abating. Canada’s heavily indebted households, meanwhile, are feeling the pinch of higher rates and starting to curb their spending.


text:
Fosun Group isn't as famous as Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet's exemplary investment company, but one day it might be. China's biggest private-sector conglomerate has spent 20 years successfully spotting trends in China's economy, taking strategic stak
Its recent investment focus on consumer brands and insurance reflects China’s shift to domestic consumption rather than export-led growth, and also the rapid ageing of the country’s population.
Fosun was founded in 1992 by four graduates of Shanghai’s Fudan University, who started by applying their quantitative skills to market research.
In its early years, it was more of an industrial company than an investment firm.
Its first big venture was in the health sector, starting with diagnostic kits and then moving into pharmaceutical wholesaling when the market was opened to private firms.
When private firms were allowed into the property business, Fosun established one of China’s biggest developers, Forte. And in the 2000s, when there was a boom in heavy industry, Fosun started one of China’s largest steelmakers, and one of its largest miners of gold and iron ore.
Now, Fosun is determined to transform itself into an insurance-oriented financial firm, following Berkshire Hathaway’s example of using “float” money generated from premiums to pay for long-term investments.
Already Fosun has formed a joint venture in China with US company Prudential Financial, and is pursuing LIG, a South Korean insurer.
Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Fosun is also investing heavily in consumer brands, riding the swelling tide of middle-class Chinese consumers.
It has taken stakes in international companies and introduced them to the Chinese market. These include Club Med of France; South Africa’s water-themed amusement park, Atlantis; fashion brands from Greece, Italy and the US; an Israeli cosmetic-surgery company; and Secret Recipe, a Southeast Asian lifestyle restaurant chain. In July alone, Fosun announced investments in a Spanish ham, wine and spirits company; a Shanghai film producer; and a German fashion brand.
Company co-founder and chairman Guo Guangchang makes no bones about his desire to emulate Warren Buffett.
In large part, this involves taking stakes in long-term stable businesses. The challenge is finding the right ones.
Given China’s growing middle class and elderly population, Fosun’s latest focus might persist for some time.


text:
August 11, 2022
August 5, 2022
The weekly event, held this year on the South Green, runs through October 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- He lost 5 loved ones to cancer. 17 years later, he helped 20,000 farmers in the Punjab go organic
- Organic farming in Anand – Business news
- Nigerian farmers should address the high demand for organic agricultural products in Europe – Turoni
- Organic food is not healthier for you or for animals and nature – just much more expensive


text:
“If it’s not an actual printed ticket then don’t pay for it it’s not a ticket from Rio.”
With the ball just over a week away, a warning from the Krewe of Carnivale en Rio about a scam.
The party is set for Saturday, January 8th, and will mark the return of Mardi Gras balls after last year’s cancellations but some are looking to capitalize on the excitement.
The ball is just over a week away, and the party is sold out, but tickets have popped up for sale online.
The krewe is out with a warning to watch out for the scam.
“Everybody wants to go of course. The scammers are going to be able to kind of latch onto something and try to make some money.”
Seth Aymond, with the Krewe of Carnivale en Rio, says a friend was approached to buy tickets for the Rio Ball online.
Aymond says he knew immediately that was a scam.
“They didn’t see the actual tickets. She just said in the span of the text messaging back-and-forth she was going to email the tickets to them once they receive the PayPal transaction. This year all of our guest tickets were printed so there are no electronic copies,” Aymond added.
If you do see tickets for sale, “Definitely check with a Krewe member, somebody that knows what’s happening before sending a wire transaction and make sure you have the tickets in hand,” said Aymond.
Again keep in mind any guest tickets for next week’s ball cannot be emailed, they are printed, physical tickets.
As for krewe members, those tickets are non-transferable and will be given to krewe…


text:
By: Justicia Shipena
Local dealerships still have large backlogs of orders from customers as a result of a limited supply of new vehicles coming to Namibia, according to the financial experts at Simonis Storm in its vehicle sales report for November 2022.
This comes as vehicle sales broke a two consecutive month decline in November 2022, rising by 38.4% year on year last month.
Simonis Storms said they are cautiously positive on vehicle sales in 2023.
“On a monthly basis, vehicle sales increased by 4.9% month on month in November 2022, compared to -2.2% month-on-month in October 2022,” said the report.
In our previous report, Simonis Storms had indicated that new vehicle prices might start showing signs of moderation in early 2023 due to declining commodity prices.
“A trend we expect to persist into mid-2023,” Simonis Storm said.
The company said lower commodity for metal prices together with a stronger rand exchange rate might lead to a slowdown in new vehicle price hikes by local dealerships in 2023.
A total of 1 045 units were sold in November 2022, higher than the long-run average of 840 units.
Of these, medium and light commercial vehicles recorded the largest annual increases in units sold, while the extra-heavy commercial vehicle was the only category that recorded a decline in units sold.
“Passenger vehicle sales have surpassed sales levels of 2019 however, commercial vehicle sales have only reached 90.0% of 2019’s sales levels,” the report stated.
After having peaked with 2 150 units sold in March 2015, the report stated that vehicle sales have trended lower and now average 906 units per month year to dater from January to November.
With the government commencing its fiscal consolidation plans in 2015, Simonis Storm said this could explain a portion of the major decline in vehicle sales since then.
Meanwhile, global car production totaled 57 billion units in 2021, compared to 73 billion in 2017.
“While we do not have monthly data for 2022, various news articles and reports from listed car manufacturers indicate that car production across most key manufacturers have declined in recent months.”
Simonis Storm concluded that lower global car production would further constrain Namibia’s imports of motor vehicles which still remain below pre-pandemic levels.


text:
Filmplace raises US$220,000 to help influencers, media houses shoot content in unique rented spaces
Investors: New York’s Admiralty Holdings.
What the funding will be used for: Bolster infrastructure, marketing capabilities and tech solutions to expand further into Southeast Asia.
About Filmplace: Based in Singapore, Filmplace is a platform that connects brands and the media production industry with unique locations to shoot. It helps film companies and influencers secure a location within a short period of time at an affordable rate.
More about the story: Lincoln Lin founded the company when he experienced the difficulty of sourcing for locations while working as a director in the film industry.
“Currently, production companies need to hire a location manager which costs US$300-US$500 per day to nail down a couple of locations. The companies will then need to receive the locations, so it is very labor-intensive and manual,” Lin said.
“Traditionally, the location manager takes four to seven days to scout a location. On top of that, there is no fixed price, the catalogs are outdated, and multiple risks such as unsecured payment transactions are involved,” he added.
Filmplace has branch offices in Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and India.
Rephrase.ai, a mail-chimp like startup for videos, nets US$1.5M seed funding
The story: Rephrase.ai, a synthetic media production platform, has raised US$1.5 million in seed funding
Investors: Lightspeed Ventures and AV8 Ventures.
What the funding will be used for: To scale its platform, strengthen its presence in North America, and hire across engineering and research roles.
About Rephrase.ai: An AI-powered platform that helps businesses create personalised, customisable video content for sales and marketing.
More about the story: Rephrase.ai was founded in 2018 by three Indian Institution of Technology graduates — Ashray Malhotra, Shivam Mangla, and Nisheeth Lahoti.
“Our goal at Rephrase.ai is to reimagine how we communicate to better match our visual culture,” Malhotra said.
Also Read: Ecosystem Roundup: Philippines set to take rare top spot for IPOs in SEA; Why Robert Downey invested in a Singapore startup
“Now, enterprises can create high-quality video content for targeted sales and marketing initiatives while saving time and money. This technology will change the way we think about video production, both for business communication today and filmmaking in the future,” he added.
Line Financial, Mizuho Bank invest US$112M into their online bank
The story: Line Financial and Mizuho Bank have invested US$112 million into their planned internet bank, Line Bank.
The aim: The companies said in a joint statement that the necessary steps are being taken as they proceed to establish a user-friendly online bank connected to the LINE app in Japan by 2022.
More about the story: To further strengthen cooperation between LINE Financial and Mizuho Bank, a co-CEO management structure will also be introduced.
As opposed to the current CEO headed by LINE Financial, a co-CEO will now be appointed by Mizuho Bank.
Image Credit: Filmplace
The post In brief: India’s Rephrase.ai, Singapore’s Filmplace raise capital appeared first on e27.


text:
The Super Bowl is one of the most highly anticipated annual events in popular culture. But for many people tuning in, the advertising breaks are every bit as compelling and competitive as the game itself. This year, ads from Tide, Amazon and the NFL won the day and gave their brands a lift, while Dodge Ram shot itself in the foot with a tone-deaf spot.
Twitter announced its first ever #BrandBowl, a competition that will award prizes to brands whose commercials are most often referenced on the platform during the game. But the awards aren’t dedicated only to those who can afford the astronomically priced ad space: One award category gives every brand a fighting chance.
Facebook Users Receive More, Give Less; Robust Sites Lift In-Store Sales; Social Media and Software IndustryMarch 9th, 2012 by PR News
▶ Facebook Users Receiveth More, Giveth Less: A Feb. 2012 Pew Internet study that combines server logs of Facebook activity with survey data finds that over one month, 40% of average Facebook users made a
Companies often claim that their greatest asset is their employees. PepsiCo is sending the opposite message with its Feb. 9 announcement that it is cutting 8,700 jobs globally and increasing its investment in advertising and… Continued
Clint Eastwood’s Super Bowl ad for Chrysler did not make some Republicans’ day, but his no-nonsense rebuttal to criticism is a marvel of concision and emphatic message control. The political impartiality of Eastwood’s two-minute tome… Continued
Once upon a time, one week separated the NFC and AFC Conference championship games and the Super Bowl. There's nothing really in it for the fans to have to wait two weeks for big game,… Continued


text:
Franke accquires stake in Duravit
Both companies will develop a series of products for the bathroom and kitchen
Franke Group has acquired a 25% stake in Duravit, the German manufacturer that specialises in designer bathrooms and "wellbeing systems".
The previous minority shareholder of Duravit, Roca Corporación Empresarial SA, sold its stake last December, which was a prerequisite for the investment from Franke. Subject to approval by the antitrust agencies, Franke will acquire the previously held shares.
The Supervisory Board chairman of Duravit, Gregor Greinert says: “We thank Roca for the excellent, always fair and constructive cooperation over the last two decades. We positively look into the future, which we intend to shape with Franke.”
Duravit CEO Dr. Frank Richter said: “We see a lot of advantages for both parties. Together we can realise additional national and international growth potentials in the bathroom and kitchen sector, both in the showroom as well as in the project related business.”
Alexander Zschokke, CEO of Franke Group, said: “Partnering with Duravit is an important milestone in the strategic development of the Franke Group. Both companies have excellent expertise, more than 100 years of experience and a high level of design competence. Together we will set new standards in the bathroom and kitchen sector and experience a major upswing in growth.”


text:
Innovation in the smartphone industry keeps on growing. Gone is the era when we thought that the beautiful and significant features were for only high end devices. Today, you can get a mid-range smartphone with all your dream features and even more. On that note, Infinix Mobility is set to launch its first phone model with an Infinity O-Display – what we’ve easily known as the punch-hole camera.
The Infinix S5, the next in line of the S-series, is set to launch on Wednesday 20th November 2019 is coming with the Infinity O-Display and exclusive front camera features.
One key thing we have learnt about the Infinix “S” series over time is the time that the manufacturer spends on the front selfie camera. Right from the very first “S” series, which was launched in 2016, every new release in this line comes with a new development in line with the latest trends in the smartphone industry.
What to expect of the Infinix S5 in Uganda
Sources reveal that the new Infinix s5 will come in two major versions, S5 with 64GB ROM/4GB RAM memory combo and the S5 Lite with 32GB ROM/3GB RAM.
Infinix says that the key O-Display 6.6-inch screen is “designed to leave more space for a wider display experience housing its front camera at the upper left corner to make it easier to take selfies.”
Also, the Infinix S5 is rumored to have four cameras on the rear – taking mobile photography to a whole new level in just a click even in the dark. The phone is likely to be the first model that offers Quad Camera at its price range. We anticipate this to be between UGX 600,000/= and UGX 700,000/=.
The device will also have a 3D curved surface, equipped with a 4000mAh battery that can last 2 days for an average user without charge supported by 2A fast charging technology.
We await on its launch for more information in regards to price, available colors and other key specifications.


text:
'Final Assault' will be the fourth and final DLC collection for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 players before the focus switches to Black Ops 2, and we have a new video of the new maps in action below.
The pack will bring five new Multiplayer maps to the fray; Decommission, Off Shore, Gulch, Boardwalk and Parish.
Xbox 360 Elite members will get access on September 5, and everyone else on that platform a day later. PS3 and PC gamers can expect a month's wait before their turn.
The video below shows each level in action with some typically chaotic shootouts.
Activision has confirmed a Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 release date of November 13.


text:
The President of the Federation of Bakers is outraged, declaring that “the last twenty days, what has been happening to the electricity bills of the suppliers, this is sheer robbery.” In other words, cheap bread will become a thing of the past, as its selling price will rise significantly.
Federation President Michalis Musios spoke about the rise in prices, stressing that since the beginning of the year this has affected all types of raw materials, up to almost 30%. “The worst situation is with the increase in electricity tariffs, in connection with which producers have to increase the prices of the final product,” he says. It is clear that the people will have to pay for everything, and the cost of living will rise sharply…
Despite the fact that in Greece, and so the situation is “awful”, a large number of citizens live either below the poverty line, or on the line (somehow making ends meet), now their number will increase dramatically, since even bread will rise in price!
In the city of Volos, they have already noticed a tendency to rise in prices for bakery products, as a result of which people began to protest, according to the publication www.newsbreak.gr. “The price of bread and each product is set freely, under the responsibility of the manufacturer. No one can determine (“freeze”) the price, not even the state, ”the president of the Federation of Bakers said, adding that“ in the past few days, the price increase has begun smoothly. ”
The specialist explains that, judging by Eurostat data, we are in the twelfth position in the price of bread among European countries. However, it should be noted that ELSTAT and Eurostat compare prices in supermarkets and not in bakeries in Greece and other countries.
According to Mr. Mousios, the price per kilogram in supermarkets is 4.40 € / kg, and in bakeries – 2.20 € / kg. “As a federation, we bill bakeries twice a year. Don’t compare different things, ”the expert says.


text: Honda today announced that its 2012 Pilot had been awarded “Family Car of the Year” by Cars.com. This is the second consecutive winning for the Honda brand. Last year the award was given to Honda Odyssey. For 2012, the Honda Pilot receives a wide range of upgrades, including sleeker exterior and refined interior. Using the same V-6 250 horsepower engine as the 2011 model year, the 2012 Honda Pilot however has better fuel efficiency thanks to additional measures for friction reduction. It has estimated city/highway/combined fuel economy rated at 17/24/20 mpg on 4WD models and 18/25/21 mpg on 2WD models.