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(WHTM) — At the company’s annual event, Google announced new gadgets like the Pixel Watch, which is Google’s first smartwatch. The watch will have all the usual Google apps and integration with FitBit, so you can track your heart rate and other health metrics. It is out in the fall.
Google has set July for the debut of the Pixel 6a phone. It is slightly smaller than the 6 and 6-pro models with a price of $499. Google is also offering a sneak peek of the Pixel 7 and 7-pro models, which have slightly more-refined designs that are set to launch in the fall.
Google is promising to break down language barriers with its new Smart Glasses. The augmented-reality prototype glasses can translate foreign languages in real-time, then displayed the translated text through the lenses. It is not clear if or when the glasses will hit the market.


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Digital TV News: Tim Green
TiVo signs video metadata and IP license extension with TikiLIVE
Feb 21, 2019 – TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) has announced that TikiLIVE has extended its license agreements for TiVo Video Metadata and intellectual property (IP). TikiLIVE has consolidated its metadata providers and standardized on TiVo to meet its metadata requirements.
News categories: TiVo Corp, TikiLIVE, Jeffrey Glahn, Tim Green, Big Data, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IPTV, OTT, Worldwide
TikiLIVE delivers premium channels to Telergy STBs
Nov 4, 2013 – Eyepartner has announced that its TikiLIVE service is delivering HBO, Showtime, and Sky premium channels to Telergy set-top boxes. TikiLIVE has also been approved to deliver Sky channels to TVs within the US via its middleware platform.
News categories: Eyepartner, TikiLIVE, Telergy, Tim Green, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IPTV, Middleware, OTT, Set Top Box, USA
Eyepartner Releases TikiLIVE HTML5 Set-Top Box
Nov 26, 2012 – Eyepartner has released its TikiLIVE HTML5 Set-Top Box that can be white-labeled for any organization. When combined with the turnkey TikiLIVE, an end-to-end, HTML5-compatible software and hardware solution is created.
News categories: Eyepartner, Digital TV, Middleware, OTT, Set Top Box
Stream Live/VOD Content in HD on Facebook with TikiLIVE
Jan 31, 2012 – Broadcasters can now stream HD LIVE and VOD content on Facebook using TikiLIVE, Eyepartner's flagship HD broadcasting service that provides its users with a comprehensive set of tools for producing and managing live HD streaming content.
News categories: Eyepartner, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Media Player, OTT, Social TV
Eyepartner Releases TikiLIVE iPTV for ROKU Set Top Boxes
Feb 5, 2011 – Eyepartner has developed a low cost iPTV middleware that delivers HD Live, VOD, and Channel Lineups directly to the affordable ROKU set top box. The TikiLIVE iPTV platform requires no proprietary hardware or advanced training to use.
News categories: ROKU, Eyepartner, Middleware, OTT, Set Top Box, USA
- LTN Global launches universal signaling for linear addressable TV advertising
- Worldwide semiconductor revenue grew 10.4% in 2020
- Freeview Australia launches integrated HbbTV platform
- ACCESS licenses Ligada iSuite for NetFront Browser BE HbbTV testing
- PubMatic to integrate Samba TV data for CTV audience targeting
- Chinese suppliers take top three positions in TV panel shipments
- 2021 shaping up to be year of programmatic TV advertising in Europe
- WarnerMedia RIDE app now available for U.S. Toyota and Lexus owners
- discovery+ launches on Xfinity Flex and soon on X1
- CommScope to spin-off Home Networks business
- Disney+ rollout in Southern Asia going strong
- Western Europe pay TV subscribers to fall by 4 million
- Spain gives international travel authorisation for MWC21
- $18 million of Series B funding for IRIS.TV
- 8K TV households to reach 72 million worldwide by 2025
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- Delta Fiber selects Agama video monitoring and analytics
- CTA and NCTA extend STB energy efficiency agreement to 2025
- Altice USA completes acquisition of Morris Broadband
- MediaTek and Samsung introduce Wi-Fi 6E enabled 8K TV

domain: news


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The iPhone XR is probably a pretty popular phone, just like the iPhone XS and XS Max have been for Apple. But at least one analyst has changed their tune as 2018 winds down.
Ming-Chi Kuo has released a new research note today, outlining his expectation that Apple won’t see so many iPhone XR units sold heading into 2019 as previously expected, and the reasons for that are many. The analyst believes that “negative impacts on consumers” due to the trade war between China and the United States will play a role in impacting iPhone XR sales estimates. In addition to that, Kuo believes that customers want smaller bezels on the XR (like you can find on the XS/XS Max), a dual camera setup, or an even more affordable option.
And, finally, Kuo believes that competition will impact iPhone XR sales as well. Specifically, Kuo expects Huawei’s Mate 20 series will play a big role in beating back iPhone XR sales. Of course, that may be the case in some international markets where the Huawei Mate 20 series is available, but that’s not really a concern for Apple in the United States.
As a result of these expectations, Kuo has cut shipment expectation from 100 million units down to “just” 70 million units during the “new product lifecycle”:
“We have reduced our iPhone XR shipment estimation from 100mn units to 70mn during the new product lifecycle (4Q18–3Q19) for the following reasons: 1) Negative impacts on consumer confidence from the trade war, especially in the Chinese market, 2) expectations from more users for more affordable XR or the dual-camera and narrower bezel design to be provided at the current price level, and 3) competition from Huawei’s Mate 20 series. We have reduced our XR shipment estimations for 4Q18, 1Q19, and 2Q19 by 30–35%, 25–30%, and 25–30% to 30–35, 20–25, and 10–15mn units, respectively.”
For those keeping track, this is Kuo changing his expectations in a big way. Back in October, Kuo was expecting the iPhone XR to be in bigger demand than the iPhone 8 was last year. And we may be at the mercy of analyst expectations moving forward, because Apple has already announced that it will no longer be reporting individual sales of the iPhone (or iPad and Mac, for that matter). Apple’s latest quarterly earnings report was massive, and successful for the company, but it didn’t include the iPhone XR. And now we won’t know, officially, just how well Apple’s iPhone XR is doing with Apple’s next quarterly earnings.


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Renault decided to slash its stake in its partner Nissan from 45% to 15%. This new deal was agreed upon after a broad agreement reshaping relations between the firms. The 15% stake is of the same size as Nissan’s stake in its French counterpart.
It is known that Renault holds the larger stake at 43 percent and has voting rights, while Nissan makes more cars while owning a 15 percent stake in the French carmaker with no voting rights according to a report by Bloomberg. The two partners have agreed that this rebalancing of stakes would address a power imbalance as the Japanese automaker lacks voting rights. The Japanese automaker is also likely to invest in Renault’s electric vehicle business named ‘Ampere’. As of now the size of Nissan’s probable stake in Ampere is unknown.
Nissan and Renault will now have a 15% cross-shareholding that will allow Nissan to exercise its voting rights, which it was unable to do previously. “The ability to exercise voting rights is welcome from a corporate governance perspective and acts as a guardrail to keep interests aligned between the two parties,” said Jon Withaar, head of Asia special situations at Pictet Asset Management.
The new structure would also see Renault transfer 28.4% of Nissan shares into a French trust. Voting rights in the trust would be ”‘neutralized’ for most of the decisions, but the economic rights (dividends and shares’ sale proceeds) would still entirely benefit Renault until such shares are sold,” according to the Monday announcement. Renault would instruct the trustee to sell those shares if “commercially reasonable” and as part of a “coordinated and orderly process.”
The carmakers first signed their coalition in March 1999, expanding it to include junior partner Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. The Monday deal comes after months of intense discussions over the restructuring of the Franco-Japanese alliance. As part of the agreement, Nissan would also invest in Ampere, Renault’s electric vehicle arm, while the two companies will embark on “high-value-creation operational projects” in Latin America, India, and Europe. Renault announced in November that it had signed a non-binding framework agreement with China’s Geely to establish a new company producing hybrid powertrains and “highly efficient ICE [internal combustion engine] powertrains.”
It appears that the future shape of the Franco-Japanese alliance has implications for both companies as well as the global auto industry. Also, it highlights how the immense technological upheaval in the auto industry is forcing companies to partner with and compete with a dizzying number of newcomers and tech firms.


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Donut and coffee chain and Baskin-Robbins ice cream owner Dunkin' Brands (DNKN) served up better-than-expected third-quarter earnings on Thursday strong demand for premium breakfast sandwiches and specialty coffees at its U.S.-based Dunkin' Donuts stores, though total sales fell short of analysts' forecasts.
The Canton, Mass.-based company posted adjusted earnings of $75.7 million, or 90 cents a share, vs. $69.9 million, or 83 cents a share, in the comparable year-ago quarter. Analysts polled by FactSet had been expecting per-share earnings of 81 cents.
Sales rang in at $355.9 million, up from $350 million a year ago though below analysts' forecasts of $359 million. Same-store sales within Dunkin' Donuts gained 1.5%, while same-store sales among Baskin-Robbins outlets grew 3.6%, the company said.
CEO David Hoffmann said Dunkin's U.S. performance was led by strength in premium beverages such as espresso and cold brew, along with sales of breakfast sandwiches. Additional features including a new digital loyalty program and mobile ordering also helped drive customer traffic, Hoffmann said.
The company also raised its per-share guidance for the fourth quarter to a range of between $3.10 and $3.12, up its previous guidance range of between $3.02 and $3.05. Analysts polled by FactSet are currently expecting full-year per-share earnings of $3.05. It also said it is now expecting ice cream margin dollars of approximately $16 million vs. its previous forecast of flat.
Separately, Dunkin' Brands said it board has agreed to a cash dividend of 37.5 cents a share, payable on Dec. 11, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Dec. 2.


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In September 2006, the FDA warned U.S. consumers to stop eating fresh spinach. Apparently, Popeye's favorite leafy green vegetable was making people sick with E. coli. The company Natural Selection Foods issued a voluntary recall of their spinach products, and supermarkets pulled the product from their shelves. The outbreak eventually took at least three lives and made hundreds of people sick [source: Sung].
The U.S. spinach industry, meanwhile, took a harsh blow. Recall costs and estimated sales losses amounted to a staggering $350 million [source: Weise]. And the industry was only very slowly able to regain consumer confidence in the product.
Investigators were unable to pin down exactly how the spinach got contaminated with the disease. One suspicion is that farmers used contaminated water to irrigate the crops [source: Sander]. As a preventive measure, the spinach industry came up with stricter rules for growing spinach, including expanding the buffer required between crops and pasture areas [source: Schmit].


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SAN MATEO (03/03/2000) - The professional services firm of a combined Cap Gemini Group and Ernst & Young Consulting casts an imposing shadow, especially on the U.S. market. But many business, technology, and cultural factors conspire to make their union a challenging one.
The $11 billion merger of the European services titan and the Big Five consulting outfit announced this week stands to create a formidable international services company, with strengths in strategic consulting, systems design and integration, and outsourcing.
The deal gives Cap Gemini a long-sought U.S. foothold and frees Ernst & Young LLP from the restrictions of being tied to tax and auditing operations.
However, Cap Gemini and its U.S. counterpart must bridge organizational and cultural differences, technology gaps, and geographic distances to pull together a company that can compete in a frenetic market, according to observers.
"You have a Big Five culture with tax and audit roots and run by partners vs.
[that of] a France-centric IT services company with a background of software development and integration, and a management board directing it," said Marianne Hedin, an analyst at International Data Corp. (IDC) in Framingham, Mass.
"They have a lot of priorities to grapple with -- branding, integration, and expansion, and learning how to cross-sell their services," Hedin added. "The question is, can they handle it all at once."
The companies must also coordinate efforts in the critical e-business market, according to Hedin.
"Cap Gemini was very late in getting on board in the Internet and e-business [arenas], and there has to be a transfer of experience and knowledge from Ernst & Young," she said.
The combined company will focus on growing its e-business efforts both internally and through acquisition, and will announce a major ASP (application service provider) strategy in the first half of the year, according to Mike Meyer, CEO of Cap Gemini America.
"ASP is an interesting business. We couldn't afford to tackle it in the U.S., and Ernst & Young has made a bunch of investments in that area," Meyer said.
The combined entity will also bolster its Asia/Pacific operations which to date have been minor, according to Meyer.
Despite its integration challenges, the company will pose a significant threat to U.S.-based services players, according to IDC's Hedin.
Operations in the United States should represent over one third of its revenues, company officials said.
"It's going to be much tougher for large companies like CSC, IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Andersen. They are now going to have Cap Gemini breathing down their neck. This giant will be in their backyard," she said.
Cap Gemini Group, in Paris, is at www.capgemini.com. Ernst & Young LLP, in New York, is at www.ey.com.
Cap Gemini and Ernst & Young combined have 58,000 employees and the following revenues.
* 1999: 7.8 billion euros ($7.5 million, per exchange rate the day of the deal)* By top vertical industries:
* Financial and insurance - 19%
* Telecom and media - 15%
* Retail and distribution - 14%
* Manufacturing - 13%
* Life sciences - 11%
SERVICES FIRMS PLAN HOSTING
Professional services players are hopping on the ASP (application service provider) bandwagon with force, as the blazing-hot market continues to grow.
Computer services giant Electronic Data Systems (EDS) this week announced it is packaging Web hosting and network management services ranging from bite-sized, fixed-price offerings for small companies to heftier a la carte menus for large businesses jumping into e-commerce in a big way.
The new service packages, called the EDS Web Computing Suite of Services, come in three flavors: application service provisioning, network and security services, and Web hosting. They are being rolled out now.
Also increasing its profile in the ASP space is services giant Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC), which this week announced a Web hosting service for medium and large companies and e-business start-ups.
CSC's offerings will include security, hosting facilities, high-speed network access, and integrated service management and user support. Addressing one of the main sticking points for ASP services, the company is stressing its secure architecture, which benefits from CSC's work for the U.S. government, according to company officials.
CSC's hosting service will employ dual firewalls, continuous intrusion detection, secure operating systems, and virus detection.
Electronic Data Systems Inc., in Plano, Texas, is at www.eds.com. Computer Sciences Corp., in El Segundo, Calif., is at www.csc.com.


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SurveyMonkey, an online survey development company owned by SVMK Inc., has filed documents unveiling its plans to list its initial public offering (“IPO”) on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “SVMK” as detailed in a news release issued on August 29, 2018. In the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filing, the company said it intends to raise $100 million. The filing follows the company’s recently-logged second quarter net losses of $12.5 million on sales of $62.7 million, compared with losses of $14.8 million on revenue of $53.5 million during the same period of the previous year.
To view the full press release, visit http://nnw.fm/Z3f9D
About SurveyMonkey Inc.
SurveyMonkey is an online survey development company. SurveyMonkey offers free, customizable surveys, as well as various paid back-end programs that include data analysis, sample selection, bias elimination, and data representation tools. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.SurveyMonkey.com.
More from NetworkNewsBreaks
NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is a financial news and content distribution company that provides (1) access to a network of wire services via NetworkWire to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible, (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets (3), enhanced press release services to ensure maximum impact, (4) social media distribution via the Investor Brand Network (IBN) to nearly 2 million followers, (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions, and (6) a total news coverage solution with NNW Prime. As a multifaceted organization with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, NNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, NNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NNW is where news, content and information converge.
For more information, please visit https://www.networknewswire.com


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Late in last year, the tech world was surprised by a new vehicle by the popular brand Tesla and that made everyone in love with that, yes I am talking about the Cybertruck. Well, now a new phone is unveiled and that is inspired by the design of Cybertruck and the device is dubbed as Caviar Cyberphone.
The popular luxury gadgets player Caviar has launched a new device which is actually the latest iPhone mod, which means the company has unveiled the new iPhone 11 Pro with the design of Cybertruck.
Speaking about the smartphone, the company has added a titanium plate on the top of the display, and the same can flip down and around to the back to make a kickstand and if you flip it back up then you will get awesome protection for the display of the device. Apart from the designing changes, the company will offer the same specifications which you found on the iPhone 11 Pro as well as Pro Max.
Caviar will only develop 99 Cyberphones and the company will make available the 64GB variant based on the iPhone 11 Pro and it will be priced at $5,265.
So, what’re your thoughts about the Cyberphone? Do let us know in the comments section below and stay tuned with us for more interesting news from the world of tech at your fingertips.


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The simple T-shirt can help entire nations escape from poverty. Or, maybe not.
Displaying a black T-shirt made in Bangladesh that he’d bought that day at Macy’s, economics journalist Adam Davidson presented the widely accepted economic theory about how impoverished nations build a middle class on a foundation of garment manufacturing. Then Davidson turned that theory on its head, offering a vision that’s as ambiguous as it is optimistic.
In his Thursday talk at the Portland-based international relief organization Mercy Corps on the question of why some countries are poor and others are not, the co-founder of National Public Radio’s “Planet Money” was at his storytelling best. His was a big picture topic of the kind that the Planet Money podcast, an insightful source for business and economics analysis, consistently explains so well to those of us trying to understand wage protests by underpaid garment workers in Bangladesh and resistance of clothing manufacturers fighting to save pennies per garment.
The jobs in garment assembly factories are mind-numbing, working conditions are terrible, and wages are just $3 a day. Yet factory workers in Bangladesh — mostly women — are certainly better off than their impoverished fellow citizens without factory jobs, Davidson said.
The lesson of history is that those workers and their nation are on the rise. England, Japan, and the United States rose on the backs of workers who learned skills that opened opportunities.
But it turns out that technology and easy trade are slicing the past from the future. Trade makes it possible to move skilled functions of garment making to more advanced nations, rather than allowing workers in Bangladesh to move up to better, higher-paying jobs. The shirt that Davidson purchased in Portland — $30 for a package of three — traveled to about 20 locations between raw material and the department store shelf, he estimated.
And technology makes it easier to replace low-skilled workers with machinery, further shrinking the potential to build a middle class. While workers in Bangladesh who are now demanding higher wages might have success in gaining modest increases, Davidson said demands for significantly higher wages would be counter-productive, pushing the jobs to some other desperate place.
So, if one theory for economic development is no longer working, what’s next? Davidson now hopes that international economic development is starting to move into a post-big theory era.
The history of medicine offers a possible course, he said.
It wasn’t until the dawn of the 20th century that the medical field began to advance rapidly with new treatments and medications, and since then has created a foundation for building on research from countless sources that bring about ever more rapid improvements.
When it comes to feeding and clothing the world’s poor, Davidson would like to see similar experimentation, based on achieving solutions that don’t necessarily form into one big idea. And that requires, he said, a modesty and humility about the art of the possible in a world where creating even a simple T-shirt is unimaginably complicated.


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- Walmart China has ordered Keytone Dairy’s milk powder for its Sam’s Club stores
- The first order of milk powders is for the sum of NZ$107,000
- Keytone will provide personalised packaging for the membership only retailer
- Sam’s club has 18 superstores in China, making it a strategic partnership
- Keytone’s share price is up 1.27 per cent today, currently sitting at $0.40 apiece
Walmart China has placed an order to stock ASX-listed Keytone Dairy’s milk powder products.
The private label whole milk and skim milk powders will be sold in Sam’s Clubs, Walmart’s membership-only stores, throughout China.
Under the contract terms, there are no specified quantities or dollar amounts with Walmart. Keytone will deliver the personalised packaged products to Sam’s Club upon each order from the retail giant.
The first order of milk powders is for the sum of NZ$107,000.
Sam’s Club has over 50 million members globally and has 18 superstores in China. For the fiscal year ending January 31 2018, Sam’s Club generated US$50 billion in global revenue.
Customers can shop in physical stores and online via WeChat.
Keytone said, based on the size of Sam’s Club in China, partnering with the company is a strategic move.
Going forward, the company plans to work on its strategic partnership with Walmart China and increase its order volume.
Keytone’s share price is up 1.27 per cent today, currently sitting at $0.40 apiece, as of AEST 1:07 pm.


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Eliud Kipchoge, the world’s fastest marathon runner, is hoping to win the 2018 London Marathon this Sunday, April 22, wearing 3D printed “Flyprint” shoes from Nike, inc.. Kipchoge, wearing Nike running shoes, has previously come tantalizingly close to running a marathon in less than two hours, with a time of 2:00:25, the fastest marathon ever run.
The shoe’s upper portion is entirely 3D printed. “We’ve been using 3D printing for a variety of things at Nike for around a decade, but most heavily in prototyping. This is the first upper that will be more mass applicable,” said Nike senior director for global running footwear, Bret Schoolmeester speaking to WIRED.
Shoes for record-breakers, in 30 minutes
The top portion of the shoes are made from 3D printed threads of polyurethane that Nike calls “Flyprint” fabric. Each thread, printed with solid deposit modeling, is less than a millimeter thick and spans the entire length of the shoe.
Roger Cheng, a 3D printing specialist working at Nike says that the shoes can be printed in 30 minutes with precise control over the positioning of threads “We can get down into the specific thread level and control everything: length, curvature, diameter.”
Customised shoes for elite runners
Nike has developed other pairs of 3D printed shoes for elite long-distance runners, each personalized, and six percent, approximately 11 grams, lighter than Nike’s previous shoe designed for marathon runners, the Zoom Vaporfly Elite.
Working with Kipchoge, Nike’s designers implemented the wave pattern on the trainers that you can see below. Using pressure data and 3D scans of Kipchoge’s foot, the waves are specifically formed to the runner’s feet, allowing for a greater degree of movement. Nike was able to apply the modifications, print, assemble and ship the shoes from the U.S. to Kenya, where Kipchoge resides, within nine days.
Limited numbers of the Flyprint shoes will be available before the London Marathon, priced at £499.
“I can go in and manipulate every single thread and how it is going through the entire upper. The level of the precision that a designer has now is amazing” said Cheng.
3D printed footwear contenders
Reebok has released a shoe with 3D printed “laces”, the Liquid Floatride Run shoes. The production process uses “3D drawing” technology, where a single layer of material is deposited, which dried to form the shoe’s laces.
Next season, players from 32 NFL teams will receive custom 3D printed cleat shoes from HP. The shoes will be 3D printed using 3D scans and body data from players.
Advance your career in 3D Printing, or post a vacancy. The 3D Printing Jobs board is live.
Vote in the 2018 3D Printing Industry Awards before it closes.
Featured image shows Eliud Kipchoge’s attempt at running a marathon in less than two hours. Photo via The Drum.


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Both Sides Anticpate Ruling from Federal Judge on Mandatory COOL RuleFri, 06 Sep 2013 02:48:05 CDT
A hearing was held August 27 in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia to hear arguments on the motion filed by plaintiffs asking the court to temporarily enjoin the U.S. country of origin labeling (COOL) rule published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA), together with National Farmers Union (NFU), the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), as defendant-intervenors, filed an opposition to the preliminary injunction motion and presented arguments opposing the preliminary injunction during the hearing.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, American Meat Institute, American Association of Meat Processors, Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Canadian Pork Council, Mexico's National Confederation of Livestock Groups, National Pork Producers Council, North American Meat Association and Southwest Meat Association.
Officials associated with the Plantiffs have indicated to Steve Ditmer with the Agribusiness Freedom Foundation that they believe the oral arguments went well- and they believe that the decision will come from the federal judge on or before September 17.
USDA's revised regulations were prompted by a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that certain aspects of USDA's existing regulations violated the United States' trade obligations. The revised rules modify the 2009 rules by requiring labels to specify the basis of the country of origin information shown.
According to Jon Wooster, Presdident of the US Cattlemen's Association, "NCBA and the other plaintiffs argued during the August 27 hearing, among other things, that the new rules violate the plaintiffs' First Amendment rights, exceed USDA's authority granted under the statute and that the new rules are arbitrary and capricious.
"As defendant-intervenors, USCA, NFU, ASI and CFA argued that the new rules pass constitutional scrutiny and the rules further the very long-standing and judicially recognized governmental interest in assuring that consumers have access to accurate country of origin information and reduce consumer confusion.
"This is a critical juncture in the lawsuit. If the plaintiffs' motion is granted, USDA will be blocked from implementing its revised COOL regulations during the pendency of the litigation. The issuance of the preliminary injunction will have the unfortunate effect of placing the U.S. out of compliance with its trade obligations under the WTO by returning the market situation to the 2009 regulations which were already found to be inconsistent with U.S. obligations. Obviously, USCA and the other defendant intervenors are hopeful that the court will deny the preliminary injunction motion."
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Kenyans spend heavily on Christmas, research shows
Kenyan consumers are spending more than half of their monthly earnings on the upcoming festivities, a new global consumer study has disclosed.
A study by WorldRemit, a leading global payments company, found that majority of households spend a staggering 54 per cent of their monthly income on costs associated with Christmas spending.
It also shows that with holiday season kicking off, families around the world are making plans to celebrate the season with unique traditions, once-a-year meals, gifts and more.
The study says Christmas items were selected based on desk research of typical Christmas meals, gifts, traditions, travel and decorations. “We then researched the average price of each item for an average family on an average income. The prices were researched online in late October 2021 - early November 2021,” reads in part the study released yesterday.
While the majority of shoppers prefer purchases at a physical shop, primarily because they believe it will be easier for recipients to return gifts, the study found that many purchases are being transacted virtually –through online shopping.
The firm conducted a multi-country study to determine the true cost of Christmas in 14 countries, mining data to showcase the average costs of traditional Christmas meals, decorations, and gifts. Kenya was one of the 14 countries observed.
Rwandans are most impacted by the disparity between average household income and holiday costs, spending 708 per cent of monthly income and nearly 60 per cent of annual income on holidays.
Six countries studied - Mexico, Lebanon, Philippines, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Rwanda spend 100 per cent or more of monthly income on Christmas, meaning most households must dip into savings, borrow, or receive support from friends and loved ones abroad through remittances to celebrate Christmas. Without remittances into these countries, celebrating Christmas would be near impossible.
More than 244 million people are classified as immigrants around the world and account for large percentages of populations in countries like the United States about 14.4 per cent of total population, UK 9 per cent and Australia at 30 per cent while Canadians spend 21.5 per cent.Christmas is one of the primary reasons immigrants and migrants send money back to their home country.


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Just 14 months after it successfully emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Gymboree Group is reportedly weighing a major downsizing.
The children’s clothing retailer is considering closing more than half of its approximately 900 stores, reported Reuters, which cited people familiar with the matter. Gymboree has hired consulting firm Berkley Research Group LLC to help it review options, which could include filing for bankruptcy again, the report said. Berkley Research Group will also help the chain help cut costs and analyze its store leases.
Gymboree filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2017, and emerged
later that year, in September, with a reduced footprint (less about 350 stores) and new owners. It also cut its debt by some $1 billion.
The retailer has been under heavy competition from Target and Walmart, both of whom have expanded their kids’ clothing offerings, and a reenergized The Children’s Place. In July, Gymboree announced
it was rebooting its brand with new in-store and digital experiences. The re-boot also included a merchandise update.
In addition to its namesake brand, Gymboree also operates a higher-end brand, Janie & Jack, and value-brand Crazy 8.


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A good yield of potato failed to make the growers of the district delighted for the low market price.
Sources said the potato cultivators of the district made vigorous efforts this season with the hope to earn handsome profit from the sale of the crop but its plummeting price has disheartened them, discouraging them to grow it next season.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Rangpur official sources said around 51,300 hectares of lands were brought under potato cultivation in 8 upazilas of the district this year.
Visiting different areas under the region this correspondent found growers of potato busy harvesting their produce. But they were seen much disappointed owing to falling price of their produce. Many growers who were yet to harvest the crop also expressed their apprehension about huge loss if the present situation continues.
The production cost of potato cultivation has increased this season as farmers had to use pesticides frequently to get rid of fungal diseases like late blight.
Presently, granula variety potato is being sold at Tk 550 per sack (84 Kg) while cardinal variety is sold at Tk 550 to Tk 600 per sack in different markets. Prices of other varieties of potato are also lower, sources added.
Though some big farmers are yet to sell a major portion of their produce but the poor and marginal farmers have no ways but to sell all the harvested crops at throw-away prices, even much below the production cost. In this situation the farmers are failing to recover the production cost of the crop, let alone making any profit, it is alleged.
Hasanur, a farmer of Khansama village at Kawnia upazila told The Financial Express that he cultivated granula variety of potato on one acre of land this season spending more than Tk 40,000. But he earned only Tk 28,000 from the sale of his produce in markets which is much below the production cost.
In this situation the farmers urged the government to take necessary measures immediately so that they can get fair price of their produce.
© 2017 - All Rights with The Financial Express


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Another smart jersey promotion from the Kalamazoo Growlers (summer collegiate; Northwoods League), as the team is seeking fan participation in an emoji jersey this season.
Emojis, of course, are those cute little graphics used as visual shorthand on the Internet, most notably in social-media apps. They’re being used for a variety of purposes, mostly on the promotional side; MLB, for instance, had a contest last year among its team for fans to choose the best player emojis.
The Growlers won best summer-collegiate promo in our 2014 Ballpark Digest Awards for their selfie-based jersey, and this promo is along those lines. Fans of the team have the opportunity to decide emojis to be placed on the team’s official jersey to be worn Saturday, August 13th against the Rockford Rivets. Fans can choose from over 100 emoji’s listed on the team’s website, along with the ability to submit emojis of their choice. The votes will be tallied and the top 25 emojis will be placed on the team’s official jersey that night. One random voter will receive a free Emojersey and 5-game pack along with five (5) voters receiving the team’s 5-game pack that includes tickets to the Emojersey Night.


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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a message of hope for Bangladesh at this time of coronavirus crisis. Bangladesh is going to be the third largest rice producing country thanks to the continued increase in production. For so long, Indonesia was in third place after China and India. According to the USDA report, world rice production could exceed 502 million tonnes in the 2019-20 fiscal year. Of this, 149 million tonnes are expected to be produced in China, 116 million tonnes in India and 36 million tonnes in Bangladesh. It is to be noted that after the independence, the production of rice in Bangladesh has increased three times.
For us this information is comforting. But it is a matter of concern that despite the increase in the production of agricultural produces, including paddy in Bangladesh, the situation of our farmers has not taken the right turn. Just as they are in danger due to floods, droughts, cyclones, they are also affected by not being able to harvest paddy on time and they are not getting fair prices in the market.
Due to the coronavirus crisis this year, the uncertainty over the harvesting of rice in the haor could largely be taken care of. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 75 percent of boro paddy have been harvested. The remaining 35 percent are still left. Hurricane Ampan hit the country on Wednesday. The magnitude of the cyclone is expected to cause severe damage to the crops. The Ministry of Agriculture on an emergency basis has given instructions on how to harvest and store paddy in this situation. If this is not done properly and the impact of Ampan is severe, the target to achieve boro paddy may be hampered and all types of crops may be damaged as well.
Farmers in Bangladesh have always faced problems in marketing their produce, whether it is rice, tomato, onion, potato or watermelon. If the government buys paddy directly from the farmers at the beginning of the paddy season, the farmers are likely to get a fair price. Otherwise, the storekeepers and rice mill owners eat the cream of their profit. This time we have to focus on buying paddy directly from the farmers.
For the last three years farmers have suffered losses due to not getting fair prices. Even then, they have continued to cultivate and have brought Bangladesh to the third position in paddy production. We believe that the farmers will be able to increase the production of paddy with the necessary support and cooperation.
For this, along with ensuring fair price of agricultural products, monitoring of transportation and marketing of agricultural products should be increased at every level. We need to keep in mind that in times of economic crisis, agriculture and farmers are our main refuge. In the wake of the Corona crisis, various international organizations, including the World Food Program, are fearing a global food crisis.
If Bangladesh can stay away from that, it will be our great achievement. Agriculture should be given priority in developing policy and planning. If necessary, the trend of increasing production should be continued by increasing the level of subsidy in agriculture. In an online exchange of views on the marketing of seasonal fruits and agricultural products at the Ministry of Agriculture last Saturday, the policymakers emphasized ensuring uninterrupted transport of agricultural products. Some have also said that they will subsidize the fuel used for transporting agricultural products if necessary. Hopefully, the initiative will not be limited to seminars only.


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By Sky News and Top Gear
Bugatti La Voiture Noire bought for nearly £14.4m – most expensive new car ever sold. That’s the news for all our motoring enthusiasts.
The car’s unique feature is its 1,500 horse power 16-cylinder engine which has never been fitted to a car before. A black Bugatti with a 16-cylinder engine has been bought for nearly £14.4m – making it the most expensive new car ever sold.
La Voiture Noire – French for “The Black Car” – is a low-slung sports car with Bugatti’s trademark front grille. Bugatti unveiled the car at the Geneva car show this week, and organisers and industry experts said it had gone for a record price.
The buyer, whose identity has not been revealed, paid 16.7 million euro (£14.36m). Stephan Winkelmann, president of Volkswagen-owned Bugatti, said: “The true form of luxury is individuality.”
The car’s main feature is its unique 1,500 horse power 16-cylinder engine which has never been fitted to a car before. The car was snapped up as soon as it was launched
Bugatti described the model as a homage to the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic – only four were made between 1936 and 1938.
Bugatti designer Etienne Salome said all the components of the car have been handcrafted.
He said: “This is a material that has been handled perfectly. We worked long and hard on this design until there was nothing we could improve.
“For us, it represents the perfect form with a perfect finish.” “When the team and myself started to design this car,” says Bugatti designer Etienne Salomé, “we really wondered, ‘what if Jean would still be there, how would he translate the timeless elegance of his own private Atlantic onto a modern-day Bugatti?’”
‘La Voiture Noire’ is the result, an extraordinary looking machine that uses the Chiron as its basis, with the familiar – if that’s the word – near-1500bhp, 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged, 16-cylinder underneath that majestically reworked rear end.
There’s one other thing: although the exact figure hasn’t been confirmed, this one-off has apparently set its new owner back £12m, making it the most expensive new car ever. Sheesh.
A bit of history and context is needed if we’re to make sense of this.
Ettore Bugatti was the son of a celebrated art nouveau furniture maker, and his brother Rembrandt was an animal-loving sculptor whose works are now worth millions (the epic late Twenties Bugatti Royale had a rearing elephant on top of its radiator cap as a homage to his most famous work).
Although the Bugatti legend is predicated on fabulous success in the early days of Grand Prix racing, the company also created unbelievably glamorous cars for the world’s wealthiest people.
Comment on this report: Call/text/whatsapp: (+27) 834767918


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Football club AS Roma has agreed a partnership with Konami that will see the team be exclusive to eFootball PES 2021 Season update, and perhaps in future entries as this is a multi-year deal. The deal gives Konami exclusivity to use the AS Roma name, club crest, and kits. eFootball PES 2021 will also feature the club’s stadium Stadio Olimpico. This means the team will not have an official presence in FIFA 21, but will likely get a generic name instead. This is not the first team that Konami managed to gain full exclusivity for. Last year, Juventus signed an exclusivity deal with Konami. That meant Juventus was renamed Piedmont Calcio and that name will stick in FIFA 21 as Juventus will remain exclusive to PES.
In a statement, AS Roma said:
The AS Roma team name, crest and official kits will be fully exclusive to the eFootball PES series, making eFootball PES 2021 Season Update (PES 2021) the only console football video game to feature the Italian heavyweights when it launches on September 15th.
The long-time home of AS Roma, Stadio Olimpico, will also be included in PES 2021, having been passionately recreated in-game by Konami’s talented artists and designers.
Authenticity is central to the franchise and so the company strives to deliver an experience that will make the Giallorossi proud.
Konami and AS Roma intend to take full advantage of their new partnership, promoting Roman football to a global audience through a variety of initiatives, including future involvement in esports projects.
So, if you wanted play as AS Roma in FIFA 21 you will have to make do with generic club representation instead. A few days ago Konami confirmed the cover stars of eFootball PES 2021 Season Update, with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford, Alphonso Davies gracing the box. They might need to change it a bit though since Lionel Messi is likely to be leaving Barcelona soon. eFootball PES 2021 Season update will be released on September 15th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. There will be no next gen version this year.
Source: AS Roma


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The Madison Square Garden Company announced Wednesday that it has hired Geraldine Calpin, a former WeWork and Hilton Worldwide executive, as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately.
According to a press release, Calpin “will be responsible for setting an overall marketing and digital vision for MSG that helps drive growth across the Company’s portfolio of renowned sports and entertainment assets.”
Those assets are formidable. In addition to the venue from which it takes its name, MSG’s portfolio includes New York’s Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theater, Southern California’s Forum, Chicago’s Chicago Theatre and Boston’s Wang Theatre. MSG’s assets also include sports teams such as the New York Knicks and New York Rangers and live properties, most notably the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes.
Calpin will also focus on developing the brand of MSG Sphere, the new Las Vegas and London venues MSG has planned that the company says “will pioneer the next generation of immersive entertainment experiences.”
“I look forward to joining this dedicated, passionate team to support the Company’s vision for its legendary brands,” Calpin said in a statement, “as well as for its next chapter – MSG Sphere, as these groundbreaking music and entertainment venues become part of an unparalleled global portfolio.”
As Chief Marketing Officer, Calpin led WeWork’s marketing strategy as it expanded across Europe. That role followed Calpin’s 16-year tenure at Hilton Worldwide, which culminated in her stint as Chief Marketing and Digital Officer. At Hilton, Calpin set enterprise-wide marketing and digital strategies that encompassed 14 brands and 100-plus countries. She oversaw a team of more than 300 employees and annual revenue of $30 billion.]
“We are pleased to welcome Geraldine to The Madison Square Garden Company,” MSG president Andrew Lustgarten said in a statement. “Her significant expertise in marketing and brand development will be important to our efforts to strengthen our visibility in the marketplace and establish innovative ways to engage with our customers, as well as our ambitious plans to expand the MSG brand to new markets.” Calpin will report to Lustgarten.
Calpin replaces Sharon Otterman, who joined William Hill US in July. Her hiring follows other personnel changes at the Madison Square Garden Company. In Dec. 2017, Lustgarten took over as president after the unexpected resignation of president and CEO David O’Connor. In August, Richard Constable was named Executive Vice President, Global Head of Government Relations and Public Affairs. And in October, executive chairman James Dolan became MSG’s CEO.
The staff changes come as Madison Square Garden Company continues to flourish. In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, the company’s revenue grew 47 percent to $1.56 billion.
Next year will likely be an eventful one for the company. As MSG has continued to push beyond the sports and live businesses — in Aug. 2017 it acquired a controlling stake in esports company Counter Logic Gaming — it has started to explore cleaving its operation into separate companies. According to Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed Oct. 4, MSG is eyeing mid-2019 as a possible target date for completing such a move.


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“GET ME IN! LAUNCHES NEW-LOOK WEBSITE”
London, ENG (GET ME IN!) August 5, 2008 – GET ME IN!, (www.getmein.com), the UK’s largest open marketplace dedicated to tickets for sports, entertainment, music and other live events, have today announced details of their new-look website.
The site – www.getmein.com – aims to ease the ticket buying experience, with an improved web-browser, now with predictive search and a shorter, more simplified purchase process. The site is now also simpler to navigate around, with the addition of thousands of venue/ seating plans too.
Paul Montagne, Operations Director & Founder of getmein.com: “The new GET ME IN! website launched with an improved focus on user experience. Our goal was to make it as easy as possible for fans to buy and sell tickets and we are excited about the result. The website is more accessible, extremely user friendly and has a fan-centric approach. More exciting features will be added in the near future.”
Andrew Blachman, CEO of getmein.com said “The new getmein.com website was designed with input from the thousands of fans who regularly visit our marketplace to buy and sell tickets to events, and we hope they like the results. GET ME IN! continues to invest heavily in product and technology as we grow and expand rapidly.”
GET ME IN! is an online ticket marketplace where fans can buy and sell live entertainment tickets for sport, concert, theatre, opera and other events. We are the leading open marketplace dedicated to tickets for live events, where fans can buy tickets at fair market prices, even when the event is “sold out”.
GET ME IN! is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ticketmaster, the world’s leading ticketing company. Ticketmaster operates in 20 global markets, selling over 142 million tickets in 2007 alone.


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Press Release: London: 07/03/2019
Edtech startup raises one million euros seed funding to scale mobile learning platform across Europe and the Middle East.
MobieTrain, a mobile platform for personalised workplace learning, raises one million euros in a capital round at the Limburg Investment Company LRM, ING and a number of private investors. Based out of Genk, Belgium, the microlearning startup has 10,000 users across 13 countries and already counts BMW, Vans, Massimo Dutti and Zara as clients.
This mobile-first platform empowers employees with daily, bite-sized training content that boosts knowledge retention and productivity. Founded by Guy Van Neck, and Mireille van Hemert-Schelling, this young company has rapidly acquired an extensive customer base in the retail and fintech sectors.
“Mobietrain is a promising company that is experiencing rapid growth. We strongly believe in the potential of Mobietrain and in the need of companies to provide employees with fast and efficient knowledge through a digital and personal application, ” says Tom Aerts, Head of Smart Services & Manufacturing at LRM.
In 2019, the Belgian e-learning company plans to use the fresh funding to further develop their product by combining artificial intelligence and social learning to increase personalisation of learning paths. They also plan to use the capital injection to double its team to focus on marketing and the international roll-out of the platform.
“We are already very active in the retail sector and we want to strengthen our position in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. But our platform is, of course, applicable in every sector, such as automotive or banking. So there is also immense growth potential. We want to focus strongly on the launch in Europe in the coming months and the Middle East is also on our radar. We will start right away at Unleash London on 19th-20th March,” says Guy Van Neck.
Aiming to secure 100,000 users by the end of 2019, MobieTrain has also gained success and recognition as winners of Unleash 2018’s biggest startup competition , a Top 10 HR Tech Provider award and alumni of StartupBootcamp. They will continue to speak and exhibit and Europe and the Middle East’s leading HR Tech events throughout 2019, including Retail Week Live, Arch Summit and HR Tech Mena.
– End of press release –
Guy Van Neck, CEO MobieTrain
Goele Lemmens, Press Officer LRM


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Drivers in Oakland, California can now pay for their parking by tapping their NFC phone on any of the city’s on-street parking meters. After setting up an account with operator Parkmobile, drivers can immediately start using the system with their registered mobile phone. Neighbouring San Francisco offers a similar system operated by PayByPhone.
- Samsung adds biometrics to mobile transactions
- Kohl’s to allow checkouts from mobile app
- Glacéau Smartwater sends tips to Londoners using BLE beacons
- Contactless POS transactions nearing $500bn
- Valencia commuters to test NFC wristbands for public transport


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Phone manufacturers are gearing up for Christmas with a shower of handsets looking to get into Santa’s big woolly sack.
First up is the N97 mini from Nokia. According to Nokia’s Twitter page this tiny handset will be available from 23 October and priced at £429. No word on which operators will be carrying this phone but rest-assured it will be just like the N97 but smaller. It sports 8GB of internal memory, a 5-megapixel camera, two LED flashes and a 3.2-inch touchscreen all in a 113 by 52.5 by 14.2mm frame. It also has mobile internet and HSDPA 3G connectivity of up to 3.6 Mbps.
Sony Ericsson is launching its Satio (which used to be know as Idou). It has a much bigger camera (12.1-megapixels) and can be bought from Vodafone. It will be launched on 13 October on a £35 per month tariff for a free phone.
The 112 by 55 by 13.3mm phone feature mobile internet over 3G and wireless connections and a touchscreen 3.5-inch display that can manipulate those photos until your heart’s content. It also features a Micro SD card slot (hooray it’s not a Memory Stick)!
Last is the Motorola Dext. While Motorola has been a fading player over the last few years it will be hoping that this Android-based handset will do the business.
The phone is avialble through Orange for free to those that sign up for a £35 per month contract. Unlike the others, it has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard as well as a 3.2-inch touchscreen display.
The 5-megapixel camera can take pictures which can be stored on a 32GB Micro SD card. It has both 3G and wireless connectivity.
It also sport’s the company’s Motoblur function, which syncs contacts, posts, feeds, messages, photos and emails from your Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Gmail and LastFM accounts.


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Facebook, the social media giant is hard at work to make people communicate with one another. To take it one step further, the company has an unreleased feature hidden in their application. Some time back, the social media giant...Read More


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Arista Networks released its latest 400 gigabit Ethernet switches designed specifically for large-scale virtualized and cloud networks. The new family of switches, 7800R or R3 series, are the third generation of Arista’s R-Series family of universal spine switches, which includes 7500R and 7280R.
This comes a week after a disappointing first quarter of 2019 earnings report, in which the company reduced its sales guidance for the remainder of the year. However, it wasn’t a particularly bad quarter and Arista continues to gain market share with its switching business.
The 7800R are switch-router platforms that support both 100G and 400G Ethernet with new telemetry and intelligence capabilities that can be embedded into service provider, edge, 5G, and IoT networks, according to Arista. It combines 400G and 100G density with comprehensive network Layer 2 and Layer 3 capabilities.
Additional advanced features for the new platforms will be delivered through Arista’s Extensible Operating System (EOS). This includes updates to routing, security, automation, network monitoring, precision timing, VXLAN network virtualization (NV), and Ethernet virtual private networks (EVPN). The EOS features are also integrated with the company’s hardware resources to “support lasting investment protection,” said a company spokesperson.
In a blog post announcing the new switch-routers, Andreas Bechtolsheim, chief development officer at Arista, wrote that this new generation of R3 series routing platforms are “setting new standards for throughput, density, power efficiency, and price performance.”
Bechtolsheim goes on to say that the packet processing silicon in the R3 Series offers 5 times the throughput of the previous generation and “significant enhancements in route scale, security and telemetry.” Additional enhancements include greater power efficiency and new fixed form factors.
“400G is the most important new Ethernet standard going forward with an estimated volume of 20 [million] ports over the next three years,” he said. “The R3 Series offers high-density 400G ports across all platforms to support these next-generation networks.”
Arista’s Foray Into 400G
This isn’t the networking company’s first foray into 400G. Last October, Arista released its 7060X4 Series of switches with support for 400G Ethernet. According to the company, the main difference is that 7060X4 was designed primarily for use inside of the data center and were based on Broadcom’s 12.8 Tb/s Tomahawk 3 silicon.
During its most recent earnings call, Arista CEO Jayshree Ullal told investors “we’re very excited about our market leadership in 100-gig and we hope we will transform that into market leadership in 400-gig to our technology as well,” according to the Seeking Alpha transcript of the call.
However, Ullal clarified that 400G-ready is not the same as 400G deployed, adding that meaningful deployments won’t begin until next year. Until then, “this is going to be a mix and match of 100 and 400-gig for a long time to come,” she added.
Anshul Sadana, Arista’s chief operating officer, described the 400G transition as “longer than what many of you expect.” And Arista isn’t the only networking vendor dipping its toes into 400G — Cisco, Juniper, and Arrcus all joined the party in the last year.
Lowered Guidance for 2019
Arista reported that its total earnings for the first quarter of 2019 were up 26% year over year, reaching $595.6 million.
While Ita Brennan, chief financial officer of Arista, noted that the company was “well positioned with our key cloud customers and our focus on expanding our presence in the enterprise and other verticals,” she added that there was “some shortfall in demand at the back end of the period primarily from our service provider and cloud verticals.”
Based on this, the company lowered its second quarter guidance and Brennan warned investors that the business is operating under the assumption that it may impact full-year results. The company withdrew its initial sales forecast of 21% growth, but didn’t provide a new number. Some analysts have predicted that sales growth will be 19.5% for 2019.
Bert Hochfield, a research analyst for Seeking Alpha, wrote that the guidance was a “huge surprise and disappointment.” He added that Arista’s problems are not competitive or operational, but are due to the lower demand for its “cloud titans” customer segment, which represents a large chuck of its business.
During the earnings call, Ullal said “cloud titans typically give us one to two quarters of forecast. And this time, we’re seeing a decreased demand in the first half of 2019 compared to 2018.” The segment still represented Arista’s top vertical, and Ullal said it will remain so “in spite of everything… we see strength in products. We’re competitively very strong and superior there.”


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Climate change is threatening the world’s supply of chocolate, reports Grist’s Tove Danovich, and some of the largest food companies are banding together to protect its future.
During recent years, in the midst of a global chocolate shortage, rivals Mars Inc. and Hershey raced to decipher the cocoa plant's genetic code. Now, Mars is releasing its findings to the public—as well as its competitors. Genomic data may reveal how particular strains of cocoa resist disease and, possibly, survive a changing climate.
This kind of cooperation, or "pre-competitive research," is growing more common in the food business, Danovich writes. In 2011, Nestlé, Kellogg and several other large food companies worked with TI Food and Nutrition, a Dutch company, to study the microbes that foster gut health. Mars also partnered with dozens of groups to create a food safety center in Huairou, China, which opened in September.
“It is our belief that it is in everyone’s best interest for the market to be safe,” Harold Schmitz, Mars’ chief science officer, tells Food Business News. So, what’s drawn these competing businesses together? As Danovich explains, problems with food safety can dissuade people from buying and weaken consumer trust in a particular type of food. When the whole system is safer, everyone stands to gain something—especially the manufacturers.
Ultimately, the bottom line is what matters to these companies. Their collaborations, however, may mean that the world gets a long-lasting supply of chocolate. That’s good too: for the corporations that sell it, for the millions of farmers who grow it, and for anybody with a sweet tooth.


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Founded by managing director Andrew Cooke in 2004, Rezare has established a high-profile reputation in New Zealand and internationally for developing software systems for the primary sector.
This has included biological models, budgeting and genetic recording technologies.
Cooke was also instrumental in helping the agritech sector establish farm data exchange and privacy standards for the sector.
Map of Ag operates in the UK, Argentina and NZ, providing farm and food chain operators with decision support software.
The purchase by the UK firm comes with a past Kiwi connection.
Map of Ag was founded by New Zealander Forbes Elworthy in 2015 and spun off from the family’s Craigmore agri-forestry investments portfolio of businesses.
“Our two companies often found ourselves pitching to the same potential clients, and we decided there could be value in working together,” Cooke said.
“Map of Ag has its strengths in the food supply chain area, including customers like Sainsburys, McDonalds’ sustainable beef network and Arla.”
The company has also been closely involved in the high-profile “hands free hectare” project where a 35ha trial farm will ultimately be completely operated by autonomous robotic technology.
“What Map of Ag did not have was a truly ag focussed software team, which is where our strength lies,” Cooke explained.
“The people we have are good at understanding farm systems and knowing what data is needed from those systems, understanding animals, grass systems and nutrient management.”
Working with Map of Ag would also give Rezare greater ability to template some of its earlier bespoke software systems, taking previously developed ones and making small adjustments specific to client needs.
“This proves more cost effective than building out from scratch each time,” he added.
Map of Ag CEO Richard Vecqueray said Rezare was an ideal fit for the company, delivering exceptional capabilities in areas of data solutions and comes as customers are seeking net-zero carbon commitments and, with that, measures of sustainability, animal welfare and farm assurance.
Map of Ag intends to retain the Rezare brand and adds about $4 million a year to its revenue stream with the purchase.
Cooke has been appointed chief technical officer for Map of Ag.


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HC plastic mesh News: As the ethylene market has emerged in Europe turn, manufacturers pay close attention to a cracker of production to ensure supply does not exceed demand.
Have integrated producer, said: “I did feel a little more of ethylene, especially in April of vinyl, I think everyone has such similar views.”
It also said: “The challenge of ethylene appeared.”
Heard, since February the market has peaked since the middle of that time, Christmas and New Year cracker unplanned parking problems solved.
But on behalf of Shell in Helanmuer gram cracker out of the accidents, this unit has 900 thousand tons / year ethylene production capacity, is Europe’s second-largest ethylene plant; Germany Wesseling’s 2A cracker has made a accidental problems, coupled with refinery strike in France, Total two sets of cracker, which have reduced the surplus on the market fears, but the impact is short.
Production problems are now resolved, cracking device in normal operation. Good profit margins, demand Wang, pyrolysis products of propylene and butylene tight supply, some at full load.
There is a net consumer business, said: “In normal production, cracker high profits, the market supply of good.”
Have manufacturers that: “If the cracker loading rate higher than the demand for ethylene, and the demand for improved compared to previous months has not yet absorbed the production capacity in Europe.”
Industry that no one forced to reduce production, but the manufacturer needs close attention to the developments, is still the first half of waiting for customers ordering manufacturers.
The integrated producer, said: “We may be in the market at the same time, it will be the beginning of downward spiral.”
Industry that very few cash transactions in recent weeks have not publicly reported transactions.
As production problems, the United States with high ethylene prices, which opened up the Pacific coast of the arbitrage window things, leading traders to explore the European ethylene export to the region.
Traders said, which helps to balance the supply of Europe.
But many people have doubts that this is not feasible. Insiders said the arbitrage window is very narrow, because the U.S. stock market premium, cargo must be shot quickly, to solve the logistics problem. Because only a private pier, plus a small storage capacity, the U.S. imports very little.
Weekend for March 5 of that week, the U.S. ethylene contract price of 70 cents / pound (1,543 U.S. dollars / ton, 1,126 / ton, delivered), but the asking price has since dropped to 65 U.S. cents / lb ( delivery), in April of goods, asking price is 62 cents / lb.
Given the current prices of goods in April of 60 cents / lb (delivery), north-western Europe to the United States Gulf of freight for the 200-220 U.S. dollars / ton. Europe’s net profit is very low.
Traders have said that net should be 850 U.S. dollars / ton (620 euros / ton, FOB Northwest Europe) to the production afloat.
Prices in Europe’s position on more than 800 U.S. dollars / ton (pipe delivery), but strong naphtha prices to producers to increase the pressure to raise stock prices. It was reported that 860 U.S. dollars price the seller wants / ton (delivered), 3 month contract price set at 940 / t (Northwest Europe delivery), continue to use the February price.
Have integrated producer, said: “If the past had the arbitrage window, is no.” SABUNG AYAM


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Creating a buzz even before its formal launch, T-Hub, India’s largest technology incubator, is almost completely booked, attracting over 130 startups from across the country. In order for expansion, Telangana officials have decided to expand T-Hub which will in between 300,000 and 350,000 square feet. After completion, T-Hub will be largest startup incubator.
T-Hub aims to provide the right ecosystem for startups and making Hyderabad the startup capital of India. The facility was formally inaugurated by Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata along with Telangana Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan on November 5th, 2015.
The new facility will be completely operational by mid-2018. The current largest startup incubator of the country is in Hubballi, Karnataka. The operation will complete taking place by September 2018. The incubator is supported by Deshpande Foundations. Read more about Hubballi Incubator.
Srinivas Kollipara, founder and CEO of T-Hub said, “It’s an incubator. Today we have 70,000 square feet and the new one will be between 3-3.5 lakh square feet. That will be one of the largest in the world. The government is handling the investment piece; they’re building it out and handing it to us.”
While India gained the Top-3rd position in the world in the startup ecosystem, new startups show up frequently. The new expansion of will is able to provide much more space for the upcoming startups. The new space will provide the much-needed boost for Indian Startups.
Commenting on the new space, “Here (in the current facility) we had to keep our teams very small because space was very limited. But what you really want is to keep companies as they mature because they are the ones that have valuable lessons for the young ones,” says Mr Kollipara.
After the completion of new space, Telangana’s T-Hub will be able to regain its position as the largest startup incubator of the country, followed by Hubballi incubator. Read more about Startup Ecosystem.


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Volkswagen is sure not wasting any time at all getting the word around about the 2013 Golf Mk7.
After the Berlin presentation on Tuesday, September 4, and the lightning reveal of an online configurator in Germany, VW has now launched an international advertising campaign for the seventh generation Golf.
The campaign will consist of three phases, the first of which asks online users seven personal questions "designed to encourage reflection", according to the automaker.
Among other questions posed on VW's dedicated website are "If you could only listen to ONE SONG for the rest of your life, which one would it be?" and "If you could choose only ONE PLACE to live for the rest of your life, which one would it be?"
"Future is about engagement: great cars, great products, great image are the base for the foundation of a strong brand", explains Giovanni Perosino, Head of Volkswagen Marketing Communications. "To reinforce the image of Volkswagen we are trying to create ads that touch people´s hearts with authentic, human, appealing and clear messages."
Along with regular users, VW has also called for the help of celebrities such as DJ Paul van Dyk and professional skateboarder Tony Hawk to publicize the campaign on their own online social channels.
The second phase of the new Golf campaign will follow at the end of October.
You can get a taste of the new campaign in the photo gallery below, while if scroll further down, you will find two videos from the Golf's Berlin presentation, one of which comes courtesy of our Dutch friends over at Autoblog.nl.


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Origins Offsets 100% Of Electricity
Beauty and wellness company Origins will purchase renewable energy certificates equal to 100 percent of the energy used by its U.S. standalone retail stores, product manufacturers in company-owned facilities, and third parties manufacturing Organics products. The RECs will be supplied by wind energy resources from New York and nationwide.
Through a contract with Community Energy, Origins will purchase 7,196,000 kilowatt hours of wind energy certificates. Compared to the average generation mix in New York and the national electric grid, the environmental benefit from this purchase is equal to offsetting approximately 4,304 metric tons of carbon dioxide, according to CEI.
Origins says it will post information on its website, as well as send email blasts to their employees and consumers informing them of the news and how they can switch to wind power.
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On May 9th and 10th, more than 5,000 of professionals gathered at the European Convention Center Luxembourg to discuss the latest tech, space, FinTech and digital trends. During two days, the ICT Spring 2017 speakers’ wondered how the digital technologies could change and improve our way of life through four conferences: Entertainment superpowers, Blockchain cross industry, Digital transformation and The Future of mobility.
Entertainment superpowers: “There are no more traditional media”
The first conference called “Entertainment superpowers” was presented by Keith Hopper, the Chief Financial Officer of Docler Holding. He dealt with the ways to use “superpower” to improve customer experience and make product or service more attractive. Among the different tools, data management, employee’s creativity, storytelling, virtual and augmented reality and digital transformation are the most usual and efficient. In his introduction, Keith Hopper remind how entertainment becomes complex. Today, there is no more traditional media, entertainment, in all its forms, makes any companies able to respond at the customer’s demand quickly.
Emmanuel Vivier, Co-founder of the HUB Institute and one of the world top “digital advertising & social media marketing” experts answered the following question: “Entertainment is changing, are you?”. New digital players are reinventing entertainment. Through the Netflix Vista example, Emmanuel Vivier showed that video is everywhere among us. But he explained that TV has to fight back by trying to find new forms, new topics, and new way to interest the millennials because “ephemeral content is the new mainstream”. Thanks to Instastory on Instagram, stories on Snapchat and Facebook’s stories, users generate content and anyone can create his own video and generate a massive audience. Emmanuel Vivier added:” Those platforms are really innovating. We need to be much more innovating to be in the fight. We need to use this data to make this experience much more interesting.”
Then, Oliver Schaack, the Creative Director of the famous French private channel CANAL+, presented: “Creative Happiness Therapy”. With different videos illustrating emotions, Olivier Schaack showed the importance of TV to create new experiences and moments of happiness and grace. According to him, the perfect TV spot has to make you laugh and dancing because “Music is essential to a great spot and we have to laugh everyday”. It took as an illustration Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen, the most feel-good music of all of time.
To continue this session, the next question was "How digital technologies could help marketers and companies to sell their product?". To start, the Former studio marketing manager of the Walt Disney Company, Anne-Claire Le Conte recounted “The story behind our storytelling”. The famous samples mentioned were the “Once upon a time…” and the legend of Steve Jobs’ garage and the beginnings of Apple. If we all love stories, it’s because that connects us with our humanity. Indeed, in marketing, a good story precisely adapted to the public is the first rule to keep its attention. Anne-Claire Le Conte explained that the most interesting in the storytelling is the story behind the legend.
And what could be better than new digital technologies to tell stories by offering new experiences to customers? That is what M. Bernard Michaux, associate at SAMS Film in Luxembourg, explained through the examples of virtual reality and augmented reality, the two burning and trending topics of the moment. According to him, ”if you have a good idea, technique won’t kill it”. Today, augmented and virtual reality disturb all content. If they still use traditional media, companies need to adapt their advertising to be the most competitive. Companies have to be creative and over-reacting all the time and, of course, “create a true story to make difference”.
M. Thomas Petersen, Brand Development Director at Ubisoft, can only agree. The development of virtual reality in video games is part of their digital strategy. The improvement of this technology is then necessary to innovate and evolve. That is what Julie Demarigny, Vice President International of Warner Bros, explained during her speech about “How data transforms our business”. From 2010 till present, she retraced the evolution of our data’s behavior and its impact on the movie market. For example, we began using data by sending emails and newsletters because it was cheaper and easier. Then, with social networks, the movies websites were slowly transformed into Facebook pages. In 2016, 74% of our emails are not opened. As she said: “more and more we realize that our traditional way of buying digital media is not efficient”. So they moved from traditional media buying to targeted buying. Instead of buying the audience of publisher that is in line with their target, they target different audience targets at market value.
At least, the first conference was concluding by a round table. Speakers share their ideas of their today’s superheroes.
Blockchain cross the industry
To continue this Digital summit, the second conference was entitled “Blockchain cross the industry”. Participants discussed how the blockchain, which wasfirst associated with the financial sector, is now impacting numerous industries.
David Dalton, Partner, Consulting, Deloitte Ireland, started the conference by introducing their global blockchain operating model. They focus on four things: innovation and ideation, the strategy development, the product development, and the prototyping. Exponential technologies are driving digital transformation in financial services. The main features of exponential technologies are: accelerating rate of improvement, rapid advance in innovation, great disruptive potential, cross industry initiatives and continuous cost-performance growth. Then, M. Dalton explained the blockchain trends, its capacities and its potential overall impact on financial services. To conclude his speech, David Dalton talked the misconceptions about the blockchain: “it’s not bitcoin, it’s not the real-time, traditional technology is not obsolete and you still need to integrate other data systems”.
Michael Terpin, the Founder and CEO of Transform Group, then addressed the topic: “Behold the ICO: Great equalizer or money-sucking bubble?” He started his presentation by introducing differences between blockchain and digital assets. Then he presented the history of blockchain and defined BitCoin, LiteCoin and Ripple. He then discussed the evolution of public tokens and the advantages of payment tokens: how are tokens born and sunk during the economic crisis, to finally reborn? And now, out of crisis, how tokens appear as an opportunity? Bitcoin’s scaling woes led to diversification among crypto investors, with Dash, Ripple, Litecoin, Ethereum & Monero soaring.
Kristof Van de Reck, Co-founder and council member, NEM.io Foundation, also thinks that Blockchain is an opportunity for many reasons. During his speech, he told how NEM blockchain technology can be used for secure storage and access of privacy sensitive data in a broad sense, including how this can be applied to some use cases. NEM is a holistic blockchain platform, built from scratch in March 29th 2015. The NEM blockchain works with an HD colored accounts, encrypting data with combination of these accounts, authentication using mosaics with structured message to act as certificates, authorization access by signing structured requests and identification by signing from master account. Through some examples, Kristof Van de Reck showed how NEM blockchain technology could be changing our storage access.
Mona El Isa, former star-trader at Goldman Sachs, CEO and Co-Founder of Melonport, a Blockchain software for asset management, presented “The Blockchain Promise”. The idea is to take the Bitcoin concept and embedded an entire coding language in it called Solidity. According to Mona El Isa, Melonport is the premier investment management infrastructure for crypto. The Melon Protocol enables to set up a decentralized fund structure, manage your fund within the fund structure you have selected, build a track record and invest in other funds or allow others to invest in yours. Moreover, the Melon Protocol is cheap, efficient, easy to use and transparent.
After a round table, Pavlo Tanasyuk, CEO and Founder of Blockverify, answered the question: When blockchain will rebuild the entire industry? He compared the future of blockchain as a mountain. At the moment, only few people already try to buy bitcoin but many people still talk about it. According to him “if you’re a consumer, you have to be able to use the technology”. Problem is, apart from programmers and developers, few people can read, understand and use code language. One other problem is the identity. M. Tanasuykexplained: «We have to find a way to secure and developing solutions/. It is new type of transaction”. To fix the issue, he built his answer around four points: identity, standards, user interface and scalability. Finally, Pavlo Tanasuyk concluded with this question: Is the blockchain the web 3.0?
Then Marco Houwen, Project leader at Infrachain in Luxembourg, addressed: “Infrachain from proof of concept to operations”. Infrachain aims at leapfrogging the adoption curve of blockchain by creating a compliant-ready community/permissioned node blockchain infrastructure. Based on the fact that it exists in the public chain trust and responsibility in nodes, sustainable operating environment, regulatory security and interoperability, Infrachain proposes a program based on cross-industry effort aiming to provide disintermediation services to all aspects of the economy (Fintech, Healthcare, Public services, Supply chain management...).
The next topic covered is “Trusted Identities & Governance in InfraChain” presented by Robert Bielecki, Executive Consultant at Luxtrust. Luxtrust has created a protocol improved to provide by design identity management and to enter to the real world the blockchain applications should integrate the identity related to the addresses.
Dinis Guarda, the Founder and CEO of Humaniq, decentralized banking for unbanked people, answered the question: How Can Blockchain Tech Tackle the Global Problem of Financial Inclusion and told us why they created Humaniq? Starting from that 2 billion people in the world do not have access to banking, are excluded from the global economy and are ignored by traditional banks, Dinis Guarda created Humaniq to offer them “a basic key to identity”. Humaniq is a cloud-based global bank built on the blockchain that combines distributed ownership, mobility, visual simplicity and biometric ID to deliver financial services to the developing world. This digital eco-system combines blockchain with biometrics and a simple mobile application. Humaniq is creating the clearest, most minimalistic, and most intuitive tools that will enable simple access for the 2 billion unbanked. Beyond the economic project, Humaniq supports a humanitarian project by giving the poorest the financing tools that will enable them to accelerate economic growth and fuel new opportunities in their economies.
To close this first day, Jonathan Hope, CEO & Co-Founder of the startup Keychain, presented “The Far-reaching Applications of the Authentication Blockchain”. Keychain is an authentication blockchain solution against the lack of information about authenticity and provenance of data. Keychain offers authenticated FIX Messaging, secure IoT communication and encrypted email. Moreover, it creates authentication blockchain is cheaper and more secure, and enable new and more profitable business partners.


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FP&L launches site to promote Florida to businesses
- Staff Tampa Bay Business Journal
Florida Power & Light Co. hopes to attract businesses to Florida with a new website it launched this week.
The site offers data on consumer spending, available property and labor statistics, the Orlando Sentinel said. It also has a resource center for regional economic development organizations around the state and includes more than 18 million companies from around the world.
“As the largest electric utility and one of the largest companies in Florida, we believe we have a responsibility to help grow our state's economy and create jobs for our fellow Floridians,” FPL president Eric Silagy said in a statement. “When Florida's economy grows, everyone wins.”
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A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around Tampa Bay.


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MWANANGWA Rice managing director Yotam Mtayachalo says the company is in the process of designing programmes to support out grower rice schemes aimed at raising capacity for small-scale farmers to boost rice production in the district. In a statement, Mtayachalo stated that Chama had potential in rice production.
“We would like to appeal to the people of Chama to support the company and we are more than ready to partner with individuals or organisations in order to further grow the business and develop the district respectively,” he stated.
Mtayachalo stated that his Chama-based company had signed a contract to supply 150 metric tonnes of Chama rice per month to Gourock (Z), a Copperbelt based company.
“The signing of this supply contract is a historic landmark and good news to the people of Chama as it is a giant step in revolutionising rice production in the district,” he stated.
“It will provide a window of opportunity to rice farmers in the district to boost rice production because the signing of the contract will provide a ready market for their commodity. The move shall also go a long way in as far as creation of household income for rice farmers is concerned thus significantly reducing high poverty levels which is more pronounced in rural communities.”
Mtayachalo stated that the contract was signed during the week in Ndola. He disclosed that he signed on behalf of Mwanangwa Rice Company while Jayesh Thakkar, the chief operating officer, signed on behalf of Gourock (Z) Ltd.
“The company shall next year embark on an ambitious programme to expand its business operations in order to meet the ever increasing demand for rice and the move shall undoubtedly create job opportunities for the local people as priority shall be given to disadvantaged groups such as the youths and women,” stated Mtayachalo.
“I want also to assure the people of Chama that the company will also endeavour to provide corporate social responsibilities (CSR) to the communities as a token of appreciation for their hard work and partnership.”


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I will remove business obstacles, Atiku tells southeast stakeholders
Standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has promised stakeholders in the southeast that his government would remove all obstacles to their businesses.
Atiku made the promise at a town hall meeting with southeast business representatives at the Aba sports club.
He said both himself and his running mate, Peter Obi, are in business and feel their pains.
He decried that the southeast zone that is central to business in Nigeria was not being given the attention it deserves.
“When it comes to business in Nigeria, it is the south east zone that we go to. That’s why we are here to feel the pulse of the zone. I shall do the needful that would prosper businesses and create jobs and employment opportunities,” he said
According to him, Aba is the hub of small and medium scale enterprises and I feel your pains because I am both a businessman and manufacturer.
Chairman of the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), Mr. Andy Uba Obasi listed the challenges as power, poor roads, as well as problems associated with sea ports and clearing of goods.
Others, he included, are higher cost of clearing imported goods in the south against doing so in Lagos, and delayed takeoff of Aba Geometric Power project among others.
Atiku’s running mate described Aba as the engine of manufacturing that can positively change the entire Nigeria.
“Atiku is here to beg you to solve your problem. He is a businessman who grew up in the wharfs,” he said.
Irked by the N10, 000 being distributed to traders as “Trader Moni” by the Federal Government through Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Obi exclaimed: “You can’t trade with N10, 000. Tell me which business can be done with such money.”
PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said the APC-led Federal Government is not aware that the people are poor and hungry and does not take responsibility.
He stressed that the 2019 election is the opportunity to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari and his APC to pave way for the Atiku-led Federal Government.
State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu said Atiku convened the meeting to rub minds with stakeholders in the business sector, because he recognised the importance of Aba business community in Nigeria’s business equation.
Deputy President of the Aba Business community and former ACCIMA President, Ide John Udeagbala, also commended Atiku for the meeting.
He explained that southeast has been a disadvantaged zone in Nigeria, adding: “businesses here have distressed or died.


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SEJONG, June 20 (Korea Bizwire) – It will soon be legal to operate online an auto auction business without having to provide a designated auction house or parking lot.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced an upcoming legislative revision in which the current Automobile Management Act was amended to make online automobile sales more convenient.
The upcoming revision has removed current regulations that oblige auto auction businesses to provide auction houses. It has also provided legal grounds for online car sales services, allowing individuals to provide car information to businesses for sale through electronic trade.
The revision came after rising concerns that the existing act may hinder the emergence of new forms of related services. The old act was also criticized for its limitations in fully reflecting the characteristics of fast-innovating information technology.
“The revision will allow new forms of online businesses to prosper, encourage start-ups, and improve consumer convenience,” said a ministry official. “We have cooperated with various experts, car dealerships, auto auction businesses, and civic organizations for this revision.”
In 2015, the ministry revised the act to oblige car sellers to provide a minimum 3,300m2 parking lot and 200m2 auction hall, along with other spaces including a performance test facility.
The government was criticized by the public when a mobile service called ‘Hey Dealer’, developed by Seoul National University students, was shut down for failing to abide by the regulations. Hey Dealer was an online auto auction platform for used cars that allowed individuals to sell their vehicles to car dealers through auctions. The app had been highly regarded, accumulating 300,000 downloads with over 30 billion won in total transactions in only one year.
By Kevin Lee (firstname.lastname@example.org)


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We Are Social Asia Tuesday Tune-Up #453
Written by Joey Peng, Xin Ni Er and Keith Chang
Voice Recordings in DMs could be coming your way soon on Twitter
Audio clips in DMs could become an option in the near future – with the rise of audio social network Clubhouse sparking making waves among the big platforms, Twitter’s move to include audio DMs might also be a means to tap into this trend.
This feature enables users to record an audio clip which can be sent as a message, which is essentially an extension of the audio recording option Twitter added earlier.
It also allows people of varying capacity, such vision-impaired users to engage with Tweet content and/or simply add another fun element to your DMs. Brands can consider recording fun or informational audio clips that for example, could be used to reply to common customer queries.
Coming soon from Facebook: Super, a video app tool that lets you interact with celebs
Facebook has launched a new live test of its upcoming ‘Super’ App that lets users interact with their favourite content creators.
Inspired by the Cameo app, Super enables creators, entrepreneurs and celebrities to host live and interactive video events while providing the opportunity for celebrity shout outs.
One-on-one chat option is free at Super’s current testing stage, but this can also be monetised by creators. These live events can be promoted directly on Facebook, resulting in a larger reach for content creators.
Super can open up a whole new avenue for creators to generate revenue while giving users a unique one-on-one session with their favourite celebrities. Sounds like a win-win scenario that both parties can look forward to.
The New York Times brings its crossword to AR
The New York Times is bringing its signature crosswords game into augmented reality. The media company announced this morning it’s launching a new AR-enabled game, “Shattered Crosswords,” on Instagram, where players will be able to solve clues by finding spinning broken crossword pieces in AR. When the right vantage point is achieved, players will find the words hidden among the shards above the puzzle.
The concept is similar to those found in other 3D puzzlers, like Polysphere, for example, where you swipe to rotate broken pieces to see a complete picture. But in this case, The NYT has made the whole gaming experience appear in augmented reality, as well.
The new game was built using technology from Facebook’s Spark AR platform, the company says, and it’s the first time The NYT has created an AR gaming experience.
The “Shattered Crosswords” game is available on the @NYTimes Instagram profile page under the “Effects” tab, alongside the company’s other AR reports. It works on both iOS and Android platforms.
Disclaimer: Featured image taken from 9to5mac.com


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Universal Music Group updates
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Shares in the Universal Music Group leapt as much as 40 per cent in their debut on the Euronext in Amsterdam, valuing the world’s biggest music label at about €45.4bn in morning trading on Tuesday.
The listing is a major event for French media group Vivendi, which decided to distribute shares in Universal, its biggest business, to its own shareholders to cash in on the renaissance of the music business triggered by the rise of streaming services.
It is also a big win for Vivendi’s billionaire controlling shareholder Vincent Bolloré, whose company still owns about 18 per cent of Universal after the listing, and Universal’s chief executive Lucian Grainge, who is in line for a big payout.
Vivendi’s shares were initially suspended in Paris before opening down 17 per cent. Bolloré Group’s shares, through which the billionaire owns his remaining stake in Universal, were up 3 per cent.
Each Vivendi shareholder got one share of Universal before the listing, so 60 per cent of the company is now in their hands, and 10 per cent with Vivendi itself. US hedge fund investor Bill Ackman and a consortium led by China’s Tencent separately bought 30 per cent of the group before the spin-off.
The valuation falls somewhat short of the most optimistic estimates that Wall Street had issued before the listing — for example, JPMorgan had pegged the value €54bn.
But the music industry has staged a dramatic comeback in the past five years since streaming services began funnelling billions of dollars to its biggest companies — Universal Music, Sony Music and Warner Music — who hold the copyrights to most of the world’s songs.
Universal is betting that more reliable subscription revenue from streaming customers will continue to fuel royalty revenue and profit growth in the coming years, while emerging markets and new categories will also grow the music pie.
Carving out Universal has left Vivendi a much smaller and less profitable company whose remaining businesses are pay-TV provider Canal Plus, advertising agency Havas and book publisher Editis. Last year Universal brought in half of the group’s €16bn revenue, and more than three-quarters of its €1.6bn in operating profit.
But the stake sales to Ackman’s fund Pershing and Tencent have already brought Vivendi a cash pile of roughly €8bn, according to Kepler analysts, which it is expected to deploy on acquisitions to chart a new course.
Vivendi has already signalled its first big move to rebuild: last week it announced that it would boost its stake in French publishing and retail group Lagardère, paving the way for a full takeover offer later if regulators approve.
Vivendi is eager to get its hands on Lagardère’s largest business, the world’s third-biggest book publisher Hachette. It will give it critical mass that it lacks with Editis, even though antitrust regulators are likely to demand some divestments.