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It’s hardly surprising that with 428 million Internet users in India, 200 million more would be willing to go digital if they only had the choice to choose their own language.
A report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Kantar IMRB, a market research firm, ascertain that if the internet was available in Indic languages then 23 percent non-Internet users would be happy to jump online.
With India’s diverse demographic and dispersion, it’s only natural that English may prove to be a language barrier when it comes to Internet usage.
The report claimed, “Critical internet services like digital payments, basic e-commerce, online job search, etc. are extremely limited at present because of the lack of ease of conducting such activities in a language of choice.”
The methodology followed for this report included surveying 60,000 people across 170 cities and 15,000 people from 750 villages.
India has the second largest number of Internet users in the world, with China leading the pack. By June 2018, the Internet user base is expected to touch the 500 million mark.
In comparison, the report states that content in Indic languages barely accounts for 0.1 percent of the global content.
The push to Indic languages is essential if the Digital India vision truly wants to expand. A whole ecosystem needs to build around them to raise Internet adoption and empower the weaker sections of society digitally, as per IAMAI.
Not only that, the integration of Indic languages can bridge the divide between the rural and urban centers of the nation. Because, as of 2017, the penetration of the Internet in urban areas stood at 65 percent and rural areas were at a mere 20 percent.
Even now, there’s already a demand for content in Indic languages with 76 percent of rural India and 66 percent of urban Indians consuming Indic content when they log on.
Reliance Jio has tried to empower the divides in the smartphone market with their 4G feature phone and the cheapest smartphone in India. The price war between telcos has made accessing the net considerably cheaper and flooded the market with a multitude of consumption options.


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OMD Wins Intel's $300 Million Account
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Omnicom Group's OMD has won media-planning and -buying duties on Intel Corp.'s $300 million global account following a review.
OMD beat out the incumbent, Interpublic Group of Cos.' Universal McCann, and Publicis Groupe's Starcom. The account will be handled out of OMD's Chicago office.
Review started in December
"Each of the finalists impressed us, but OMD gave us a stronger sense of possessing world-class media-industry leadership and state-of-the-art business intelligence and analytics," Nancy Bhagat, Intel's VP-Sales and Marketing Group and director-integrated marketing, said in a statement.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based computer-chip maker started the review in December. Other early contenders for the business were WPP Group's Mediaedge:cia and Publicis' Zenith Optimedia. The review was handled by Ark Advisors.
Boost for network
For OMD, the win comes days after news broke that Alan Cohen, a senior executive at Interpublic's media shop Initiative, was to take over as OMD's U.S. CEO. The Intel win is a boost for Omnicom's largest media-agency network, whose growth rate was down 16% from 2006 to January 2008, according to estimates from media-agency researcher Recma.
Universal McCann won the Intel business in March 2005 in a holding-company consolidation. Sibling McCann Erickson still handles creative on the account and there are no plans to review that assignment, a spokesman for Intel said. The loss is a blow for Universal McCann, which has faced a new-business drought in recent months.
A spokeswoman for Universal McCann could not immediately be reached for comment.

domain: news


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Panasonic is releasing new Lumix camera “DMC-FZ70″ with the world’s first 60X optical zoom on August 22. “DMC-FZ70″ has 16.
Via | Posted on 2013.08.03 at 12:52
Thanko just released a telephoto camera called “APOLLO2″ with 30X optical zoom. You can take a good photos or videos of objects that are roughly 40 meters away.
Via | Posted on 2013.08.03 at 12:49
A pen-shaped video camera that is able to shoot 1080p full HD video is now out from Thanko. Videos or photos you take are saved on a micro SD card inside of the pen-shaped video camera, and by connecting a big-screen LCD TV and miniHDMI terminal located in the upper part of the video camera with a HDMI cable (sold separately), you can watch the videos and photos easily.
Via | Posted on 2013.08.03 at 12:16
Sony is going to release the DSLR camera with interchangeable lenses “?58″ on August 9. The camera won’t be sold alone – It will be only available as a lens kit:
- “?58″ Double Zoom Lens Kit SLT-A58Y (SAL18552+SAL55200-2)
- “?58″ High-power Zoom lens Kit SLT-A58M (SAL18135)
“?58″ adapted Exmor APS HD CMOS image sensor, image processor BIONZ, and OLED Tru-Finder with 100% frame coverage.
Via | Posted on 2013.08.03 at 11:57
JVC Kenwood is going to release a new rugged action camera “GC-XA2″ from their ADIXXION series in early August. The models are dustproof, shockproof, 5m waterproof and -10? low-temperature resistant.
Via | Posted on 2013.08.03 at 11:55
Panasonic is going to release the 14mm thin classic looking compact digital camera “DMC-XS3″ from their lumix series on August 22. “DMC-XS3″ has a 5X optical zoom 24mm wide-angle lens with high sensitivity MOS sensor.
Via | Posted on 2013.08.03 at 11:30
Sony’s Action Cam digital video camera recorder “HDR-AS15″ was chosen as the official camera of The Isle of Man TT Race 2013, which is a famous international motorcycling event, and Sony just released a video that was taken during the race with “HDR-AS15″ on Youtube.
Via | Posted on 2013.07.20 at 12:45
Casio is going to release New EXILIM series digital camera “EX-TR15″ in a limited quantity – 3,000 cameras ONLY. “EX-TR15″ is definitely for someone who cares a lot to look beautiful in photos and likes to take a photo of yourself.
Via | Posted on 2013.07.20 at 12:09
Panasonic is going to release the thin and light fixed focal length pancake lens “LUMIX G 20mm/F1. 7 ASPH. ” (Model: H-H020A) in mid July.
Via | Posted on 2013.07.08 at 11:59
Canon has just announced that they will release a digital single-lens reflex camera “EOS 70D” with Canon’s new AF technology “Dual pixel CMOS AF” on August 29.
Via | Posted on 2013.07.08 at 11:47


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On August 9, Sky Mavis, the company behind the hit Play-to-Earn game Axie Infinity, said it intends to enter Korea and strengthen its presence there despite the barriers from home. responsibility.
Sharing at Korea Blockchain Week 2022, Jeffrey Zirlin, co-founder and development director at Sky Mavis said that despite many bans on the Play-to-Earn genre, “Korea is one of the most important gaming markets. most important in the world with a large gaming community”.
Zirlin said the company is looking to adapt the game Axie Infinity to suit Korean players:
“I think you know, we’re double down. Koreans do not speak much English, so there will be a lot of barriers for the game to reach the community here. A lot of the players at the top of the rankings are Koreans… Koreans are the best gamers in the world,” shared Zirlin.
The Korea Game Rating and Regulatory Commission prohibits domestic versions of the Play-to-Earn blockchain game under a strict anti-gambling policy. In December, the government also banned Google Play and Apple Store from providing these genre games in Korea.
The Axie Infinity project is currently in its early stages and has not yet rolled out the app on Google Play and Apple Store. According to Active Player, the game reached more than 766,000 gamers last month.
Zirlin believes that accelerating P2E adoption will be the key to how the government can change policy in the future.
“This is quite similar to Uber policy. They just need to deploy and reach as many people as possible, and when they have a huge number of users, the authorities can only accept it,” Zirlin said.
Currently, Axie Infinity is strengthening its presence in Korea and around the world. By improving the game experience and launching Origin, a new game mode. In addition, Axie Infinity also announced the organization of an international tournament with a prize pool of up to 1 million USD in September in Barcelona.


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Tesla Motors is perhaps the most successful automotive startup in the last half-century, but in the world of business, just about everything is for sale.
Of course, the best reason to buy a company is to improve your own profitability. In fact, it’s been speculated that some automaker, like General Motors, or perhaps a tech company, such as Apple, might buy Tesla Motors, but it doesn’t seem that founder and CEO Elon Musk is ready to part with his baby, at least not yet.
Elon Musk seems to be in Tesla Motors for the long term, seeing as he’s got some big plans for the company. Really, amongst automakers, it’s one of the smallest-producing companies in the world, although one of the most-valuable. It’s been a long road for Tesla Motors, but I don’t think that the company’s gotten to its real profitability stage yet. True, the company is worth over $25 billion dollars, but what will happen when the rumored Tesla Model E comes, ready for the masses?
Still, there have been secret-ish talks between Tesla Motors and Apple, which might seem to put them in the same room for buyout talks. On the other hand, we’ve seen some touchscreen OS, rating from barely-intelligible to pure genius. How great would Apple’s iOS be, in combination with the Tesla Model S’ giant touchscreen interface? Maybe future Tesla Motors vehicles will feature a more iOS-like touchscreen interface experience?
Of course, Apple’s not the only company with possible ties, and the finances, to purchase a successful company like Tesla Motors. Google has also been toying with automotive technology, including gesture-based cabin controls and autonomous vehicles. If Tesla Motors is sold at all, and it doesn’t seem like it will, it would have to go to a tech company. Right now, automakers just don’t have the vision it takes to keep a tech company like Tesla Motors going.


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Following the recent news that the Stranger Things license is expiring this year for Dead by Daylight, the team over at Behaviour has announced another horror icon joining the extensive lineup of crossovers. Enter: Hellraiser. We've already got our first look at what the latest DLC will have to offer now that a new killer has hit the game's Public Test Build.
The first teaser for the upcoming chapter debuted a few days ago (seen in the video at the top of the article), but the latest social media tease goes a little more in detail. The Public Test Build, or PTB for short, is available and brings more than just the usual bug fixes. Included in update 5.2.0 is a new killer, the Cenobite. Cenobites are extra-dimensional beings known from the Hellraiser series, brainwashed into torturing humans for all time. This makes it the perfect addition to Dead by Daylight.
Also included in the update is Large Text Settings, which is a feature that many players have been asking for concerning more accessibility settings. For what else is new, check out the latest PTB patch notes below, courtesy of Behaviour:
- Added a new Killer - The Cenobite
- Match Results - When players leave a Trial with a Limited Item (Example: The Nemesis's Vaccine) they will now be notified that they do not get to keep it. It has been consumed by The Entity.
- Large Text Settings - The players can enable this option to enlarge all texts in the HUD, increasing readability.
The Nemesis Update:
- Movement speed while charging Tentacle Strike Tier 3 increased to 4.0m/s (was 3.8m/s)
- Shattered S.T.A.R.S. Badge effect duration increased to 60 seconds (was 30 seconds)
- Iridescent Umbrella Badge effect duration increased to 30 seconds (was 15 seconds, but was erroneously displayed as 12 seconds)
- Ritual of The Nemesis reduced to reaching maximum Mutation Rate one time (was 4)
- Various bug fixes and improvements to address performance issues on the Family Residence, Sanctum of Wrath and Midwich Elementary School.
- Blood Lodge, Dead Dawg Saloon and The Game maps are re-enabled
- Updated a variety of survivors' hair and facial hair cosmetics.
- Fixed an issue that caused The Executioner's rear to be too flat when having "The Corrupted" outfit equipped.
- Fixed an issue that caused a specific hook blocking navigation when a Survivor is hooked on it in Hospital map
- Fixed an issue that caused the killer to body block the basement when standing at the door frame in the main building of the Blood Lodge
- Fixed an issue that caused Meg "Jewel of the party" very rare outfit multiple clipping with her body
- Fixed an issue that caused Meg "Jewel of the party" very rare outfit skirt misshapen when performing various action
- Fixed an issue that caused female survivors to be missing an animation when stepping on a bear trap with the Calm Spirit perk equipped.
- Fixed an issue that caused survivors to perform the falling animation when walking down some stairs in the Raccoon City Police Station map.
- Fixed an issue that caused survivors to float and fall to the ground when cleansing some totems.
- Fixed an issue that caused the durability bar of toolboxes to appear red when sabotaging a hook.
- Fixed an issue that caused the walking animation of the Nemesis to be missing when in spectator mode in a custom game.
- Fixed an issue that caused Victor to be able to pounce on survivors while Dead Hard is being used.
- Fixed an issue that may cause survivors to remain stuck in a window when downed by the Trickster's knives while vaulting.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Doctor's Shock Therapy and Static Blasts not to negate the Oblivious effect.
- Fixed an issue that caused the sound notification for the Tinkerer perk to be too low.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Coup de Grace perk icon to remain lit until all generators are done instead of until all tokens are used.
- Fixed an issue that caused the hook count and the generator count to overlap each other when spectating a custom game.
- Fixed an issue that caused the pause menu to open and close constantly when holding the Escape key during a match.
- Fixed an issue that caused player names with a # symbol to get truncated in the HUD.
- Fixed an issue that caused save file problem.
- Fixed an issue that caused survivor to receive an incorrect benevolent emblem.
The team also shared known issues that they are prepping to fix with the next update, including the inability to remove Survivors from chains, new Rank Crest images, animation glitches, and more. To see what else is new in the PTB, check out the full patch notes right here.
We don't have a release date for when the full DLC becomes available outside of the testing area, but more will be revealed soon. For now, PC players can get in on the action a little early and report any areas they feel could be improved before Hellraiser officially arrives in Dead by Daylight.
If comments are still showing as disabled, a site update is happening on our side that has caused a temporary takedown. We hope to have them back up and running soon so our community can go back to sharing their thoughts with us about everything gaming-related!


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DENVER-- Downtown Denver used to be so full of life before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Downtown is kinda silent, and it's kind of a 180 from last year,” Denver High-Rise Living founder Lori Greenly said.
The downtown real estate market has suffered.
Carolina Cadena just moved from New York, and is looking to buy a condo now.
“I'm putting an offer in today. Hopefully it gets accepted. If not, I'll keep looking,” Cadena said.
But like many, she's not looking downtown.
“People are looking for single-family homes and townhomes. They’re moving out of downtown and the condos,” Keller Williams Downtown broker Megan Kemp said.
Kemp works with a lot of buyers and has seen this trend.
“COVID has really impacted condos in the central business district and people who wanna move downtown,” she said.
Brokers who specialize in condos say it's a trend in the district, not the condo market as a whole.
“But August, year-over-year from last year, the condo market prices are up 2% and our sales are up 9%. So, I think it’s a pretty healthy market,” Keller Williams Cherry Creek owner and broker Karina Christensen said.
That's city-wide. Inventory downtown is up about 50% from last year and currently a number of price reductions.
“I’m tracking these price reductions in 80202 right now, because there's some pretty sweet deals,” Greenly said.
It was thriving right before the pandemic created shutdowns, increased homelessness and people working from home.
“We need to bring people back to downtown Denver. We need to show the suburbs Denver is good,” Greenly said.
New developments are still going up. Things will open again.
“There's a demand for it. And the fact the demand is down is what we're looking at. And it's just a pause,” Greenly said.
And those who sell downtown believe it will come back.


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An Air Jordan 1 High dressed in the signature colors from Michael Jordan’s alma mater is set to release next month.
The Air Jordan 1 High “University Blue” is the latest look of MJ’s first signature shoe that Jordan Brand will deliver and is scheduled to release in early March. The style is executed in one of the silhouette’s original color blocking, featuring white leather as the base of the upper that’s complemented with light blue nubuck overlays including contrasting black accents on the Swoosh branding, ankle collar and shoelaces. The look is completed with a white midsole and a light blue outsole.
The Air Jordan 1 High “University Blue” will be released on March 6 at 10 a.m. ET via the SNKRS app and at select Jordan Brand stockists. The shoe will come with a $170 price tag.
Jordan Brand initially previewed the Air Jordan 1 High “University Blue” in November 2020, confirming that the latest look will be part of this spring season’s Air Jordan Retro collection and is one of three Jordan 1 colorways dropping as part of the lineup. In addition, there’s still a handful of Air Jordans scheduled to hit stores soon including a similarly styled Air Jordan 4 “University Blue,” a new colorway of the Air Jordan 5 as well as a women’s exclusive iteration of the Air Jordan 9.


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Last week, New Twitter. This week, New Empire.
Dups, the quirky CEO of social stock market Empire Avenue, posted an update on his Empire account (DUPS): "Woohoo, new eahome and headline stream changes... leaderboards to change later today... so many updates... so little time!"
The new EA homepage is a vast improvement, featuring multiple columns that contain all your crucial information, with handy filters to the left that let you access various streams of EA-related content in a wide centred stream bar.
Dups and his team haven't yet published a blog post on the reno, which means it's likely there is more to change yet.
PS: While you're checking out the new improvements, why not check out our Empire account, TCVBS? Now's a good time, considering our special offer to invest back 100% the value of anyone who invests in us.
(Oh, and if you're new to the game, check out our starter's guide.)


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- International delivery giant Deliveroo has opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Hong Kong. According to CNBC, the new unit will serve both online and in-store customers from 15 dining concepts. If the format performs well, the delivery company will take the concept global, and there are plans to open a location in Singapore in 2019.
- The Deliveroo Food Market is an extension of the company’s "Editions" program — launched in 2017 — which features kitchen hubs hosting restaurants curated by the company, all of which are specially designed for delivery.
- Deliveroo, one of the top 10 largest delivery companies in the world, is valued around $2 billion. It grew by 116% in 2017 and operates in 13 markets.
Deliveroo executives told CNBC the Food Market concept will help its restaurant partners increase their delivery business while also encouraging innovation. This format also could help operators avoid being tripped up by high real estate costs, which are typically between 6 and 10% of the balance sheet. Hong Kong's rental costs are especially expensive, Deliveroo general manager Brian Lo told CNBC, making it a savvy market selection for this test.
Deliveroo's Editions program is only a year-and-a-half old, so this iteration illustrates just how quickly the retail environment is moving toward omnichannel in an urgent sprint to meet convenience-seeking consumers wherever they are. Virtual kitchens, like the Editions program, continue to grow. Deliveroo has about 400 Edition locations, for example, while Uber Eats is focused on aggressive growth in this space in the U.K. NPD Group identified virtual kitchens as one of the five trends to watch for in 2019 since they are inexpensive to operate and have increased flexibility thanks to a lack of traditional overhead costs. However, whereas virtual kitchens are becoming quite common, a delivery company opening a physical restaurant is not.
If Deliveroo is dipping its toes into this area, chances are Uber Eats is close behind. Earlier this year, Uber Eats acquired Ando, a delivery-only restaurant that expanded into brick-and-mortar in New York City, but that physical location closed as part of the deal.
Other segments have provided a glimpse into this omnichannel trend. E-commerce giant Amazon, for example, acquired Whole Foods last year, while Alibaba has opened more than 100 Hema grocery stores in China.
What's most interesting about this trend is that it's somewhat paradoxical. The growing necessity of restaurants needing delivery running parallel to the potential growth of delivery companies branching into brick-and-mortar will turn an already intensely competitive environment on its head.


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More and more people nowadays use devices for searching the nearby restaurant or buy products. According to the Google report, the half of customers who search locations on a smartphone visit a store within a day.
But can your business take advantage of the local-search trend? Search engine optimization is a key when it comes to online visibility.
“Local searchers are often looking for products and services that they need relatively quickly compared to nonlocal searchers,” said Russell Wallace, CEO of small business online marketing company. “This means that your business must have not just a general online presence, but priority positioning in the local sphere.”
If your business is optimized for the local searches technology, it`s important to have your website properly formatted for mobile devices, said Wallace.
One of the recent Google’s report showed that one in three consumers would make their purchases in-store instead of online if they knew they were close to the store, could get the product faster or could buy it for a better price.
“Consumers still recognize advantages to shopping in-store as opposed to online,” Wallace said. “In order for potential customers to know that you even offer such values, however, they first have to know your business is an option by seeing its information in their search results. That’s where SEO comes in and makes sure that consumers know that your local business provides benefits that matter to them.”
“Online local searching undeniably plays a big role in assisting the consumer’s decision-making process, leading them to buy products and choose one business over another,” Wallace said. “It’s not only smart to lead the pack when it comes to SEO for local searches; it’s a modern-day requirement for business growth.”
Anyway it is a good thing for increasing business because many customers use local search not only before but also after the purchase.


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Heavyweight champ! Kate Winslet just won a settlement for around $40,000 from The UK’s Daily Mail for reporting that she had lied about her exercise routine. The pro-curves actress didn’t break a sweat over suing to set the record straight. The Daily Beast.
Meow! Our kind of First Lady is not afraid to take fashion risks. We love this belt Michelle wore to kick off a new mentoring group she has created created for teens girls in the Washington area who will gather at the at the White House on a monthly basis. The Cut alluded to the fact that MObama may be too “on trend”, but when you are addressing a bunch of Gossip Girl fans we’re not sure you can be.
Double Meow! Lady Gaga has been spotted at fashion shows and rumors are circulating about her desire to start her own line, but yesterday the buzz was about her first foray as a fashion model. Fashionista reports the Daily Mail leaked photos of her posing as Hello Kitty to celebrate the Sanrio siren’s 35th Birthday. The images will be featured on Gaga’s album The Fame and in a blending of cult-figure meets full-on fetish: a lock of Lady Gaga’s hair will be sold with a limited edition box sets. Can a Marc Jacobs ad be far behind?
The Moment reports on Jonathan Zawada’s blog** Fashematics where he tracks the possible inspiration for some of the season’s best looks. These equations are so fun we want to ask him to do more for extra credit.


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Aspiring female football writers have the chance to be published in a new anthology thanks to an initiative of the Football Writers Festival.
The Football Writers Festival has announced an Emerging Women Writers program to coincide with Australia and New Zealand co-hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The program is an opportunity for female writers who are not yet established as authors to have an original, previously unpublished work to be circulated as part of an anthology of stories to be available at the 2023 Football Writers Festival.
Football Writers Festival founder, Bonita Mersiades, said: “Our newly launched Emerging Women Writers program offers a unique chance for aspiring women writers to springboard their career in sports media.
“Coinciding with the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – which is set to be record-breaking – the competition is a great chance to champion a break-out female star in journalism and to nurture new writing talent from across the globe.”
Writers are invited to submit a long-form story of between 3,000 and 5,000 words on any football-related topic, such as an interview or profile of an individual or individuals, a club story, a short history of a club or an event, a dive into a football politics issue, a work of fiction, commentary, analysis, an investigative piece, a poem, or a first-person story.
Up to 20 entries will be included in the anthology entitled Hear Us Roar – Stories from Women of Football, a book to be launched at next year’s Football Writers Festival. Up to three of the emerging writers will also be invited to Australia to attend and speak at the festival.
The judging panel for the entries includes current and former journalists from Australia, the UK, Nigeria, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Emerging Women Writers program is supported by sports performance lab, ‘eo’, a collective of sports scientists and performance specialists dedicated to developing products which aim to improve athlete performance, accelerate recovery and adaptation, prevent injury, and aid rehabilitation.
Chairman of eo, Jaimie Fuller, said: “We are thrilled to support the Emerging Women Writers program as part of the 2023 Football Writers Festival.
“I have been to all three festivals so far, and it just keeps getting better and better. Next year’s festival, with its line-up of international journalists and authors available just ahead of the Women’s World Cup, will be a cracker.
“Just as eo wants to push boundaries by defying convention, we hope that the Emerging Women Writers program will encourage women around the world to also defy convention and have a go. It’s a great opportunity to do so – and potentially be published,” Fuller said.
The fourth iteration of the Football Writers Festival will be held in Tar-Ra, the cultural precinct of Sydney also known as Walsh Bay, from July 15-17 2023, days ahead of the opening of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The Football Writers Festival is an initiative of Fair Play Publishing, supported by the Johnny Warren Football Foundation.
The Avid Collective MD reveals his life pre-adland. As exciting as it is, it's not international playboy spy & Lothario.
SenateSHJ has launched a new digital, data and insights capability designed to help clients tackle the growing complexity of communication challenges. SenateSHJ Digital, Data and Insights (DDI) will combine the firm’s existing Digital and Insights functions to create a Trans-Tasman capability focused on digital communication, and the generation and use of data to improve communication. […]
Creative technology platform Bonzai has announced the launch of BrandStory – a new premium mobile ad format. BrandStory offers triple the ad space and 2.8 times greater time in view than single scroll ad formats, addressing the surging demand from brands worldwide for more real estate to drive real results by seamlessly intertwining awareness, exploration […]
B&T went through the looking glass this morning, with editor-in-chief David Hovenden (above) appearing on Channel 7’s The Morning Show to get the general public involved in our search for Australia’s Greatest Ad. Hovenden chatted with Kylie Gillies and stand-in host Matt Doran about what makes a great ad and showcasing some of our favourites […]
Two Australian-born technology providers have joined forces to bring more power and choice to marketers in Australia and New Zealand with mobile messaging that is more local, cost-effective, and integrated. It’s a partnership that sees two Australian software companies come together to deliver a world-class mobile-first solution for marketers building data-driven, personalised, omnichannel campaigns. While […]
Zitcha and Broadsign have teamed up to integrate the Broadsign out-of-home (OOH) advertising platform with Zitcha’s retail media platform. The collaboration empowers retailers to maximise and monetise in-store digital display networks and enables advertising partners to easily view and book available in-store inventory and review campaign performance alongside the retailer’s other media channels. With the […]
Today, 7-Eleven has announced a one-of-a-kind collaboration with the popular Sydney-based anti-resort wear label Double Rainbouu. Dropping tomorrow, December 1, just in time for summer, this limited-edition capsule will infuse the fashion brand’s rebellious spirit with a distinctly iconic 7-Eleven flavour. The unisex collection features five must-have styles comprising two signature Hawaiian shirts, a peaked cap, a bucket hat […]


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The Trump administration unveiled plans Wednesday to dramatically roll back restrictions against payday lenders who charge predatory interest rates. The plan would revoke an Obama-era rule that requires payday lenders verify that borrowers have the ability to pay back their loans, which often carry annual interest rates of nearly 400 percent—about 20 times the typical credit card interest rate. Critics say the plan by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would accomplish the opposite of what the agency was created to do when it was founded in 2011, trapping consumers in a cycle of debt.
Trump Administration to Roll Back Payday Loan Regulations
HeadlineFeb 07, 2019


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A new internal-trade deal that will remove domestic trade barriers is expected to add billions of dollars to the economy, but an agreement on booze will have to wait.
The Canada Free Trade Agreement, unveiled Friday in Toronto, takes a "negative list" approach, meaning it automatically covers all sectors except when exemptions are listed. Exempt sectors include taxation, water and tobacco control. The deal replaces the Agreement on Internal Trade from 1995, which essentially took the opposite approach.
Officials have struggled to pin a number on the potential economic benefits of the agreement, but Ontario Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid, who was also chair of the negotiations, said the deal is expected to add $25-billion a year to the economy.
"Why did we need a new agreement, some may ask," Duguid said. "First off, the economy and the world has changed. Canada needs to be at its best to compete in a fiercely competitive economy ... (It) reduces the costs of doing business in Canada and makes us economically strong and creates jobs across this country from coast to coast to coast."
What's not in the deal is an agreement to streamline standards for alcohol across Canada. Instead a working group will report back by July 1, 2018.
The deal does, however, lay the groundwork for talks to eventually establish a process to help provinces and territories regulate the trade of recreational pot.
"We've seen 100 to 150 years of acrimony and debate about the availability of alcohol across the country," said Duguid. "We do have an opportunity, I believe, to get (marijuana regulation) right from the start."
The deal, which takes effect July 1, establishes a process to reconcile regulations in different provinces that make trade or labour mobility difficult.
For example, Duguid said, different jurisdictions have varying requirements for the percentage of ethanol and gasoline in a fuel blend, meaning producers have to create many different versions.
As well, there are different standards across the country for dairy creamer cups, which Duguid said "drives our dairy producers and our food processors absolutely crazy."
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business applauded the deal as a "major step."
"There is more to do to eliminate some silly, irritating rules but the deal creates an innovative framework that we haven't had before to get outstanding red tape issues resolved," said executive vice-president Laura Jones.
Federal Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains said as protectionism is on the rise in the world, the deal demonstrates that Canada is open.
"We're an open society and we recognize that this is a source of strength for us," he said.
"(Companies) have the ability now to do business across the country with less barriers, with less impediments, with regulations being aligned now."
The deal will put Canadian businesses on equal footing with foreign companies when competing for government procurement contracts across the country, officials said.
With the upcoming Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the EU, foreign companies could have had better access to provincial markets than Canadian companies, Duguid said.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance gave a "cautionary thumbs up" to the deal. Different trucking regulations across Canada make it difficult for drivers going between provinces.
"While we are encouraged, time will tell whether the new processes established to identify, prioritize and negotiate standardized rules will be more effective than previous attempts to increase the level of harmonization of trucking regulations," said CEO David Bradley.
The CFTA enables suppliers to most publicly owned energy utilities to bid for government contracts in various parts of the country, which officials estimate will provide $4.7-billion a year of new business opportunities.
The old deal included a maximum $5-million fine for governments who violate it, and that is now increased to $10-million.


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And, efficiencies are increasing with council waste collection costs per household down 5.7%.
But, the department found that while the sector was ahead of the growth curve prior to the recession, since 2008 it has failed to regain the high levels of activity seen in 2007-08 although it is now growing again.
The study, ‘Resource management: a catalyst for growth and productivity’ considers the past and potential future contribution of the waste and recycling sector to wider economic growth across three themes:
1. Extracting greater value from waste;
2. Increasing resource efficiency; and,
3. Increasing the export of goods and services.
Produced as part of the government’s work on ways to drive economic growth, reduce the deficit and increase UK exports, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) explained the themes had been chosen as they represented “opportunities to increase production or productivity which are important determinants of growth both in the short and long term”.
[testimonial id = “173” align=”right”]
Resource management minister Dan Rogerson said: “The UK waste and resource management sector already makes a significant contribution to the economy, and this research shows there are even more opportunities out there. By building on this success and exporting our knowledge and expertise we can lead the way in new markets.
“This analysis also shows there is a massive opportunity for businesses to make money from repairing, re-using and remanufacturing equipment to extend the life of products. Using our resources more carefully is not only good for the environment, it’s also vital to build a stronger economy.”
The report reckons that the core waste sector generated £6.8bn in gross value added (GVA) and supported 103,000 jobs in 2013. And,it states: “Broadening the definition to include repair, re-use and leasing activity that help extend the life of products, the contribution to the economy could be much greater. Data for 2013 suggests it could have been as high as £41bn to approximate GVA and 672,000 jobs, with £18.9bn of this being generated in the automotive sector, but it is difficult to determine exactly how much of this directly relates to activity that extends the life of products and reduces waste.”
This is thought to be one of the first times that Defra has linked waste and recycling in a detailed way with the automotive sector although it becomes more relevant in terms of assessing the circular economy as a whole.
The research finds that the waste industry adds “a lot more value than comparable extractive industries in the UK. In current price terms in 2012, the waste industry added almost £41 of GVA for each tonne it treated
compared to the ‘other mining and quarrying’ sector which adds £16 for each tonne it produces. The difference is perhaps not surprising, given the waste industry is delivering a service by removing waste as well as generating new raw materials (which are approximately comparable to materials generated by the ‘other mining and quarrying’ sector.”
Value is also generated, says Defra, through energy recovery. By 2020 it predicts that this will be worth £330m with 893 MW generated from residual waste treatment and 272 MW from AD projects.
The costs of managing local authority waste have fallen and the activitiy has become more efficient, the study finds. It claims that in constant prices and excluding landfill tax, the cost fell by 3.5%.
Taking into account the growing number of UK households this resulted in the cost per household, excluding landfill tax, falling by 5.7%. As both these figures exclude landfill tax they do not directly reflect changes to the bills faced by businesses and households, but they demonstrate the efficiencies that have been made, and without them, bills are likely to have been higher.
The study confirms the importance of export markets for recyclable materials. It points out that the “domestic reprocessing sector is not large enough to use up all of the materials recovered in the UK” and goes on to say that “in 2013, the UK exported 13 million tonnes of key recovered materials (metals, paper, plastics, and textiles) worth £4.35bn. This accounted for 8% by weight of all UK exports of goods, supporting economic activity in the shipping and ports sector and providing a source of revenue for vessels that might otherwise be leaving the UK empty. Given the UK imports relatively few recovered materials (0.8 million tonnes), the direct net positive contribution to the UK trade balance is worth £3.9bn.”
The export market for waste goods and services is highlighted in the study with Defra emphasising how increasing UK exports is part of the government’s aims.
It says: “UK expertise appears well matched to these growth opportunities. The UK already exports a range of waste goods and services with provisional estimates suggesting these to be worth several hundreds of millions of pounds. With UK expertise in policy and strategy development, civil engineering, landfill remediation and management and our recent advances in anaerobic digestion and mixed recycling sorting technologies there would appear to be a good match between UK capability and global opportunities. Increasing UK exports further is part of the 2020 export drive, a partnership between Government and Business.”
Now, the study is set to be discussed at industry meetings later this month and Defra is also proposing to work with key sector bodies to take some of the ideas forward.
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If there’s one thing the SEC’s enforcement actions have made clear, it’s that no one seems to agree on how to handle American securities laws as they apply to cryptocurrencies like XRP. Credentialed legal scholars and prominent lawyers, some of whom formerly represented the SEC, vehemently disagree on how how to treat the much-maligned cryptocurrency.
XRPL Labs, the developers of the popular Xumm wallet, announced integration with the digital ID system called GlobaliD. GlobaliD is a digital identity provider that has already partnered with exchanges like Uphold and services like the National Student Clearinghouse. According to their website, the National Student Clearinghouse provides education verification and transcript ordering services. They
Sologenic recently released its DEX (decentralized exchange), which is a front end to the XRPL’s native DEX. Sologenic is affiliated with Coinfield, one of the few exchanges that allow Canadians to deposit and withdraw funds using Interac e-Transfers. Most Canadian banks will not allow customers to send money to exchanges using debit or credit cards.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have some exciting applications in the gaming world. The boon to an NFT based item or cosmetic is that it can exist far longer than the lifecycle of a typical game. Even after the servers are dead and the player has moved onto to something new, a rare NFT has the potential
Tons of people on my Twitter feed have been mentioning Gala Games. Some have been running nodes, and others discussing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain-based property ownership in Gala’s upcoming MMO, Mirandus. I’m most interested in the latter because it’s something I’ve written about before. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are fungible, essentially meaning one Bitcoin
Forte recently published a blog post detailing partnerships with four new developers: Gallium Studios, Penrose, Monster Ideas, and GC Turbo. For those who don’t remember, Forte is the blockchain developer that partnered with Ripple’s formerly named Xpring project to the tune of $100 Million to drive adoption of its blockchain-powered gaming marketplace. Since then, Forte
Picture this: Sometime in the not too distant future, a game-developer releases the simulation of a digital world. It’s predicated on trustless, blockchain-inspired technology. The world has a set of rules, and they play out independently of any overseer interference. The world has a digital economy powered by blockchain technology and uses a native digital


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On Twitter Nokia has announced an event on the 22nd October, the same date recently suggested as the launch date of the Nokia Lumia 1520 AKA Bandit.
— Nokia (@nokia) September 17, 2013
The above picture accompanied the tweet, but it is not clear if there is any connection between the imaginary and the product set to be unveiled.
Another possibility may be that Nokia is going to release a Windows RT tablet, though once again the picture provides little clue to this.
Do our readers think we will be seeing the Nokia Lumia 1520 in a month’s time? Let us know below.


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Morrisons plan for Bolsover District Council offices
A supermarket could be built on the site of Bolsover District Council's offices in Derbyshire under plans unveiled by Morrisons.
The store, at Sherwood Lodge, would provide jobs and better shopping facilities in the town, the firm said.
The council is due to move its offices to the former Chesterfield College Campus in Clowne later this year.
A formal planning application for the store is expected in May with building potentially starting in early 2013.


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Enjin Multiverse Program opens its doors for blockchain game devs
With its platform having recently gone live on the Ethereum blockchain, Enjin is now building out its gaming ecosystem, announcing the launch of the Enjin Multiverse Program.
This is a program that encourages game developers to start making blockchain games using Enjin’s tools and support from its community.
Developers who are selected will gain a number of benefits including marketing, community management and crowdfunding.
- Access to a selection of in-game assets
- A free 1-year subscription to Enjin Platform Pro (worth $950), which gives them enough API calls to build blockchain games
- Access to Enjin’s Slack organization, including exclusive channels for Enjin Adopters and other developers
- A dedicated webpage on the Powered by Enjin site
- Developer support, including marketing and other promotions via Enjin’s social media and community channels.
In order to get onto the Enjin Multiverse Program, developers of content ranging from games in pre-production through to post-production can apply via this web page.
Check out our Top 50 Blockchain Game Companies list here – Enjin is #26.


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Bitcoin’s Price Corrects 15% Just Before Halving. There is never a dull day in bitcoin markets. Just a couple of days before bitcoin halving, bitcoin
Bitcoin’s Price Corrects 15% Just Before Halving.
There is never a dull day in bitcoin markets. Just a couple of days before bitcoin halving, bitcoin’s prices have fallen by 15%. The drop caught everyone off guard as the majority of the people were expecting a pump. Also, this was one of the most severe corrections that the markets experienced since Black Thursday. Despite the severity of the correction, traders and investors remain optimistic about bitcoin’s future.
Also read: Signs Of Bitcoin Pump and Dump Scams
An Epic Recovery
In March, the coronavirus pandemic really started spreading throughout the world. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially deemed the coronavirus a pandemic. This sent the financial markets of the world in panic mode. Across the globe, stock markets crashed. It didn’t even spare the crypto markets.
The entire crypto market saw a gut-wrenching crash with bitcoin crashing by more than 50%. The drop was so sudden and so severe that the day is being referred to as “Black Thursday”. So many traders were liquidated in the crash and bitcoin’s very future seemed to be jeopardized.
However, bitcoin slowly regained stability. Spot buyers stepped in and bought truckloads of bitcoins. This showed that people still believed in its future despite the horrible crash. This quickly sent bitcoin on a recovery trajectory that has been nothing short of impressive. Day by day, bitcoin inched closer to the price point it was at before the crash.
Less than two months from Black Thursday, bitcoin touched the coveted $10,000 mark. This marked a recovery of more than 160%. This has been special for more reasons than one. Bitcoin has become the fastest market to recover. The enormous gains in such a short amount of time have caught the attention of the entire world. Also, bitcoin is back to being the best performing asset of the year.
Price Corrects At The Doorstep
Even though most people were expecting further price rise after the halving, bitcoin prices tumbled today. In a way, this was to be expected for more than one reason. For one, it has already recovered by more than 160%. Therefore, a correction was in order. Second, historically, bitcoin experiences a pre-halving dump. This was what happened.
Prices dropped from around $9600 to $8100 in a matter of half an hour. This is a drop of $1500. If it was any other market, people would have panicked like the world was ending. However, industry participants are now habituated with such volatility. This is especially around the halving event.
Also read: What are Bitcoin Derivatives
Future of Prices
According to many investors and traders, the future remains bullish for bitcoin. The halving will reduce the new supply by half. Even if the current demand remains the same, it will put an upward pressure on prices. Also, as more and more people get interested in the orange coin, demand will only increase.
Also, the non-stop printing of fiat currencies by world governments is the perfect setup for bitcoin to fly. People would be looking to park their value in a hard asset. If its performance is any indication, bitcoin is the hardest asset right now.


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The Chinese company said that the new smart watch that it launched, is estimated to be about 11.7 mm thick, and is equipped with a 1.69-inch TFT Touch screen, and works with a resolution of 240 x 280 pixels, and the RTL8762C processor beats inside it.
The company explained in the specifications of the modern watch, that it weighs 42 grams, which means that it does not constitute a burden on those who use it, and the width of the bracelet is 22 mm, and the watch is also equipped with a sensor to measure heart rate And a sensor to record movement, especially steps, in addition to the ability to measure and record the percentage of oxygen in the blood.
The watch has a good degree of protection against dust and water according to the IP68 standard, and therefore can withstand rain and water splashes, in addition to the function of a stopwatch and displaying the weather forecast for the next three days, and the watch can also control music playback on the smartphone as well as display notifications. smart watch The new GST has a battery life of up to 9 days.
The GST smart watch also has very distinct specifications that make it unique from its peers, perhaps the most notable of which is the very good autonomy “continuity of operation” which, according to Haylou, may sometimes reach 9 days, and the battery capacity extends to 220 mAh and this does not justify number above.
But then again, it can be said that almost a week of autonomy is also a very good number for an hour in this category.
HAYLOU is a Chinese company specializing in headphones and smart watches, and it has recently joined the “Xiaomi” MiOT Ecosystem program, and has continued to produce and design new watches, which go to a large group of the public.
These were the details of the news The new Halo watch.. Super capabilities and low price for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new.
It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at saudi24news and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.


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Kuwait just launched its first news presenter using artificial intelligence, and the internet is kind of shook.
Kuwait News—affiliated with the Kuwait Times—debuted an AI-generated anchor on Twitter
The presenter 'Fedha,' disclosed in Arabic:
“I’m Fedha, the first presenter in Kuwait who works with artificial intelligence at Kuwait News."
The anchor - sporting blonde hair, a black blazer and a white shirt - then asked:
"What kind of news do you prefer?”
"Let's hear your opinions."
You can watch the clip below.
Deputy editor-in-chief Adbullah Boftain explained the presenter's name to AFP:
"Fedha is a popular, old Kuwaiti name that refers to silver, the metal."
"We always imagine robots to be silver and metallic in color, so we combined the two."
Viewers of the clip took to social media to express their thoughts, although most didn't have them quite gathered.
Many are wondering if this is the beginning of the end for news anchors as we currently know them.
But some also argue that this fashion of news delivery could help eliminate bias... maybe.
Several questioned Fedha's appearance, as well.
But Boftain shared of her look:
“Fedha represents everyone."
Boftain also revealed Fedha's debut is a test of AI's potential for "new and innovative content."
The current plan is for Fedha to read online bulletins, but we have a feeling that is only the beginning.


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The company acquired Cimagine, which has been in business just four years and whose platform for augmented reality allows its users to instantly visualize the products they are interested in buying in their location, paying what is thought to be $30 million to $40 million.
According to Cimagine’s LinkedIn page it currently is working with brands such as Southern California furniture store Jerome’s, UK-based Shop Direct a digital retailer and Coca Cola.
Reportedly, Snapchat is planning to use the Cimagine’s technology platforms to enhance its campaigns that have been seen previously with companies such as Starbucks.
The coffee house chain launched a campaign with Snapchat related to chilled summer beverages last summer, which gave Starbucks drinkers a way to superimpose a lens on top of an image of an ice cold Frappuccino drink and send it over to their friends.
This looks as well to be a way to grab hold of talent with the four co-founders of Cimagine – CEO Yoni Nevo, Amiram Avraham, Ozi Egri and Nir Daube – each being specialists in the image processing and computer vision fields.
This move also seems it has been made by Snapchat to give the online social media company an opportunity to start building its development center that it wants in Israel.
Another online company that specialize in tech news said that Cimagine raised an unknown amount of funding, including from Plus Ventures, OurCrowd and iVentures Asia.
Snapchat is reportedly also moving forward with its IPO that could give the company a value of $20 billion to $25 billion and many expect it will be available as soon as March of 2017.
Snapchat recently changed its branding to Snap Inc and is thought to have made close to one dozen or more smaller acquisitions during 2016, though there could have been even more that were not reported.
The acquisitions include adtech business Flite, Vurb the mobile search application that apparently cost Snapchat over $110 million. In addition, Snapchat purchased Seene a startup specializing in computer vision and Bitstrips the maker of bitmojis, which are personalized emojis.
The acquisition of Bitstrips is thought to have cost Snapchat over $100 million.
This story was originally published by sleekmoney (https://sleekmoney.com) and is the sole property of sleekmoney. If you are reading this article on another website, that means this article was illegally copied and re-published to this website in violation of U.S. and International copyright law. You can view the original version of this story at https://sleekmoney.com/snapchat-acquires-israeli-startup-cimagine/1583174.html
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The Fair Trade Commission of Japan will look into whether Apple and Google are abusing their market dominance in smartphone operating systems to remove competition and drastically limit consumer options.
According to commission Secretary-General Shuichi Sugahisa, the investigation would include interviews and surveys with OS operators, app developers, and smartphone users. Not only will the project look into market dynamics for smartphones, but also smartwatches and other wearables.
The antitrust watchdog will gather a report illustrating OS market structure and the justification for why rivalry has stayed static. The commission will work with the focal government’s Digital Market Competition Council, which is pushing ahead with its market test.
See Also: Beware! This Is Not An Android ‘Security Update’ But A Malware Instead
Practices observed to be anticompetitive will be ordered in the report, alongside potential infringement of Japan’s law against syndications.
In February, the public authority carried out the Act on Improving Transparency and Fairness of Digital Platforms. If authorities conclude that the law applies to the OS market, OS administrators will be told to submit customary reports on exchanges to the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.
In Japan, Apple’s iOS orders an almost 70% divide between smartphone working frameworks while Android’s portion remains at 30%. Any designer of apps – regardless of whether they have practical experience in music, web-based recordings, digital books, or mobile games – need to coordinate with the product with details of the working frameworks assuming they need to appear on smartphones.
Google has been blamed for advising gadget creators to incorporate its quest app as a condition for having Android introduced. Purchasers who utilize these gadgets can’t utilize other hunt apps.
The Fair Trade Commission will test whether Apple and Google-parent Alphabet are utilizing their market incomparability to corner the apps and leave purchasers in a difficult situation. Contest organizations throughout the planet are moving to eliminate limitations tech goliaths force on purchasers and designers.
In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission presented a report to Congress in May that states how mobile gadget makers use parts and cement that are inaccessible to customers and outsider administrators, which conflicts with supposed right-to-fix enactment. The FTC launched an antitrust examination in July.
The U.S. Equity Department brought an antitrust suit against Google last October referring to anti-competitive practices in the internet searcher market. As per the suit, Google paid Apple up to $12 billion every year in return for being the default web index on the Safari program. The Justice Department additionally berates Google for focusing on its apps in the Android OS.
The European Union has recently rebuffed Google for freezing out rivals. In 2018, the European Commission collected a 4.3 billion euro ($5 billion) fine against the company for convincing gadget creators to pre-introduce the Android OS along with Google apps.
Japan’s Fair Trade Commission has been examining the advanced area starting around 2019. A test of the cloud administrations market was launched in April. The furthest down the line request will be the fourth taken in this drive following the internet business market and app stores, advanced publicizing, and cloud administrations.


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The sands continue to shift almost daily in the retail property market, leading to some industry models falling apart.
Announcements of swathes of store outlets and restructurings continue to come thick and fast this week, with West End landlord Shaftesbury PLC (LON:SHB) saying it is discussions with its 800 commercial tenants to agree “tailored solutions” on rents and charges.
The group, which owns swathes of property in Carnaby Street, Chinatown and Covent Garden, said one permanent change is already in place, with a move to rents being paid monthly in advance.
Management of the FTSE 250 group also said they expect a “continuing evolution in structure of leases”, which could lead to shorter lease lengths and a higher proportion of turnover-based leases.
“Tenants may be needing support well into next year,” said chief executive Brian Bickell. “The traditional lease model is falling apart.”
Not all retail is equal
Bickell believes Shaftesbury‘s prime London locations and the city’s “pre-eminent position amongst the world’s leading cities” will protect it in the long run and he may be right.
European giant Inditex saying that it will invest €1.7bn in switching from smaller stores to larger ones in — and reading from the same songbook — “the most strategic shopping districts of the world’s leading cities”.
The Zara and Massimo Dutti owner said it will close up to 1,200 smaller stores around Europe and other markets over the next couple of years as part of this restricting process.
This comes as part of a long stream of similar news, with UK retailers Quiz PLC (LON:QUIZ) and Monsoon Accessorize announcing plans on Wednesday to shutter many stores and renegotiate rents on others, a day after closures were announced by Debenhams and Signet Group, the owner of the Ernest Jones and H Samuel jewellery chains.
All in all, it indicates the acceleration of previous structural shifts in the retail and property sectors, as analysts at Credit Suisse said in a note to clients.
Said the analysts: ‘“This time is different” may be over-used in financial analysis (and frequently wrong), but this time, we think the current pandemic is rapidly speeding up many of the trends in retail and sporting goods that were already going to occur.”
At Citigroup, number crunchers also believe that this time it’s different and also predicting that the global recovery for retail “may be more protracted than other sectors”.
“Retail and wholesale trade in Western Europe may not achieve the pre-coronavirus level of [gross value added] until early 2022,” they added, while suspecting that the US may not have as significant downturns, especially given stockpiling.
The Citi analysts said that while in the global financial crisis retail saw extremely lengthy recoveries, they said “this time may be different as for most households, balance sheet repair is not a factor and governments have been quick to support incomes”.
However, what no-one knows yet is what the virus-specific effects will be on the recovery for store retail and footfall, and the consequences for landlords.


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Ford signed contracts with Time Inc. and Hachette Filipacchi Magazines covering at least two years. Other publishers signed a more traditional one-year contract, industry executives said.
Executives at Time Inc. and Hachette declined to reveal the value of the multimillion-dollar contracts, but for Hachette the deal is the largest multiyear contract with a single advertiser ever signed, said one executive at that company.
ALL BRANDS INCLUDED
"The partnership extends beyond pages" and includes the Web, custom publishing and other programs, said David Ropes, director of corporate advertising and integrated marketing at Ford. He added that the pacts mark the first multiyear publishing deals across all Ford brands, including Jaguar and Mazda.
In exchange for guaranteed volume, Ford will be protected from rate increases during the life of the contract.
"You have to give to get," saidDave Long, president-media sales and marketing, Time Inc., whose titles include Time and People.
"Just like in the broadcast upfront market," said David Pecker, chairman-CEO of Hachette, "we know what the commitment is for the next 24 months. And when the stock market takes a dive of 240 points, it's good to know that you have that foundation of business guaranteed."
Hachette's magazines include Car & Driver, Road & Track and Woman's Day.
The Big 3 U.S. car marketers traditionally shied away from multiyear deals with publishers. But Ford is clearly changing its strategy for buying magazines.
The Ford Division is said to be sharply reducing the number of spreads it buys in favor of more single-page ads, a strategy championed by new Marketing Communications Manager Janet Klug.
GM MADE SIMILAR MOVE
Rival General Motors Corp. early this year made a similar move, in part because it questioned whether spreads were more effective than single pages.
Of Ford's move, one Detroit-based magazine sales executive said: "They'll do spreads in certain cases, but it will be the exception, not the norm."
While another Detroit sales executive said "everyone took a 50% cut" in total pages as a result of the change, three consumer magazine publishers who requested ano-nymity said Ford bought more page units to offset the loss from the reduction of spreads.
"Ford is great at not cutting spending if they don't have to," said one of these publishers.
Ford spent $179 million in magazines during the first half of 1998, up 16.8% vs. the same period last year, according to Competitive Media Reporting.
"We're just trying to be smarter," said Ford's Ms. Klug, who declined to discuss specifics about the automaker's magazine strategy.
The auto industry has faced overall weaker demand this year, leading to generous incentives. U.S. unit sales of all Ford Motor brands rose 1.4% to 2.81 million through August, according to Automotive News.
A Ford insider said Lincoln Mercury Co. moved from spreads to page ads last year; spreads now account for just one-third of the division's print buy.
Bob Mancini, senior partner-executive director of Ford Motor Media, the marketer's dedicated buying agency, said decisions to buy spreads or single pages are made on a brand-by-brand basis. "What one brand does doesn't affect another."
Whether publishers that didn't sign multiyear contracts will lose some Ford business isn't clear. Michael Clinton, Hearst Magazines' VP-corporate ad sales, said that publishing group noticed some softness in its men's titles when Ford's truck division moved from spreads to pages.


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This Sunday (12th December) at 12:12 CET tickets for Eurovision 2011 final will go on sale. A total of 35,000 tickets will be available for fans of the contest for the show which will take place on 14th May 2011 at the Düsseldorf (formerly ESPRIT) Arena.
The cheapest tickets on sale will be for €89, and the highest priced are €189. Up to four tickets can be bought at the same time. All tickets can be bought from Dticket.de, which is the only authorised seller of tickets. According to the official website of the contest, eurovision.tv the contest will be broadcast live in over 45 countries.
The tickets for the semifinals will be on sale by January, after the semi-final allocation draw.


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Up until now, the Nexus 10 was just a rumored tablet from Samsung and Google that sported a Retina display like resolution and an Exynos 5 processor.
Today, the folks over at BriefMobile have got their hands on some pictures of the Nexus 10 running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean confirming that the tablet is indeed real, and will be unveiled by Google at its event on October 29th.
The Nexus 10 is going to be a complete destroy all other tablets in the market whenever it is launched. Below are the ‘confirmed’ specs of the tablet -:
- Dual-core Exynos 5 SoC based on the ARM Cortex-A15 architecture clocked at 1.7GHz
- ARM Mali-T604 GPU
- 10.1-inch Super-AMOLED display with a Retina busting resolution of 2560×1600
- 5MP rear camera, LED Flash, NFC, front-facing camera, Wi-Fi
- Dual speakers
On the software side, the Nexus 10 will be running on Android 4.2 “Jelly Bean”. The tipster also confirmed all the features which were earlier leaked including quick settings in the notification bar, multiple user profiles, a re-designed Gallery and updated Camera app.
If Google and Samsung manage to price the Nexus 10 right, we might just see Android tablets pose a serious threat to iPad’s market domination.
Head over to BriefMobile for more pictures and other tid-bits about the Nexus 10.
P.S. – Yes, those bottom navigation buttons really look out of place and I really hope they are not final.


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BY ISN STAFF | October 27, 2014
Earlier this month faculty at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and Walsh School of Foreign Service released a new report looking at the progress of the Alta Gracia apparel initiative. Alta Gracia is living-wage union made apparel produced in the Dominican Republic which is currently sold on over 800 college campuses around the country, including Georgetown University and a number of other Jesuit universities. The new Report analyzes the factory’s growing success; documents its impact on the lives of workers, their families and the local community; and contrasts this model with failures in the apparel industry’s current system of factory labor codes and monitoring.
According to John Kline, Ph.D. and Edward Soule Ph.D., the Georgetown University faculty who are conducting the ongoing research, the Alta Gracia Project is a multi-year effort to document the development and eventual success or failure of Alta Gracia, the only apparel factory in the developing world to:
- pay workers a “living wage” (over 300% more than the legal minimum wage);
- recognize a legitimate union and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement;
- maintain high safety and health standards;
- all verified by an independent labor rights organization.
The latest Research Report, Alta Gracia: Four Years and Counting also includes a narrated power-point slideshow (below) that is designed for use in classes or organization meetings. More information on the ongoing research can be found here.


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Green is a common theme that most companies have recently started promoting. For Marcal paper products, going green is not a new phenomenon—they have been using recycled materials for over 50 years. According to AdWeek’s recent article, “the idea of touting its green roots just occurred to the company last year as the brand’s new owners, Highland Capital Management, did some market research.” The research revealed that “consumers primarily saw Marcal as a value product, but the modern-day family has also expressed a willingness to buy green when three attributes are present: price, performance and sustainability, and Marcal has all of those.”
The nationally broadcast TV spot, recently filmed and edited by Sean Tracey Associates, shows a bird flying into a tree to feed its young. “This tree was not created to become a paper towel. It has bigger jobs to do,” a voiceover says.
So while many companies are still going for bigger, better, and plusher, Marcal’s new advertisement gets consumers to ask themselves “How green is my toilet paper?”
[tweetmeme source=”@seantracey” only_single=false]


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Also in the news...
These are exciting times for Dubai and the UAE. With the entire business world’s attention soon to turn to the Emirates with the delayed Expo 2020 kicking off in October (and continuing all the way through to the end of March next year) it’s never been a better time to be a UAE business owner
The concierge service provides a one-stop shop to help maritime businesses interact with government departments.
British rail companies are on track for a potential export boom thanks to the UK-Australia trade deal.
How you import from and export to Mexico.
As more economies around the world open up and companies bring employees back to the office, global expansion plans that may have been put on hold last year are now taking shape. It can be challenging to know where to start, but here are some key factors to consider when expanding your operations into new countries.
AFEX FX Market Watch - Monday 6th March
Today's key data • AUD Retail sales MoM • GBP MPC Member Hogg speaks
There are two main themes that are moving the Pound at the moment. Firstly, Brexit and secondly the latest economic data. Regarding the former, the Government was defeated in its aim to see the Brexit bill pass through the House of Lords without being amended. This has pushed the possible triggering of Article 50 back to March 15th, as the House of Commons will in all probability merely over rule the House of Lords. Encompassed in the Brexit theme is the desire of the SNP to call a referendum on Scotland seeking independence from the UK. Last Friday the UK Prime Minister May countered claims from Scotland's First Minister Sturgeon that another referendum was inevitable, citing the latest polls which suggest that the Scottish electorate does not want another referendum on independence. However, the affect of these discussions is negative sentiment towards the Pound. The second theme is of course economics and how the UK economy is faring in the face of the upcoming Brexit. UK retail sales slipped last month and last week the important Services PMI data fell to 53.3 from last month’s 54.5. In this case both themes are currently pointing to a weaker sterling. The main event this week is the UK budget to be delivered by Chancellor Hammond on Wednesday. This is the last spring budget before he moves to an annual Autumn budget, and with the economy only just starting to slow down there may be some slack in the numbers to compensate for where the widely publicised detrimental effects of the increase in business rates occur.
German and European CPI data have been pushing higher in the face of oil price increases, with German CPI YoY now at 2.2% and Eurozone CPI at 2.0% YoY. The ECB's inflation target is 2.0% and Germany in particular is voicing concern that the ECB is still holding interest rates at -0.4% stimulating inflation and the economy. However, we expect no change from the ECB meeting this week with President Draghi probably pointing out that core CPI is still very steady at 0.9%. We also have revised Eurozone GDP for release on Tuesday, with Friday seeing the important German trade balance announced. With the new Trump Presidency looking at free and fair trade and already calling out Germany as having an unfair currency advantage, this trade figure may well grow in importance.
Last week was all about the Fed and how it managed to move the markets expectations for a rate hike, from below 40% to around 90% in 5 working days. Congress also received its first address from the new President, and the US equity markets kept looking forwards to his well-publicised stimulus package. The has led to a 1000 point rise in the Dow Jones from 20000 to 21000 in just 24 days and equalling the fastest ever move made in 1999. That year the Dow moved from 10000 to 11000 and as such the recent move is smaller percentage wise but it is still impressive. The US Dollar gained across the board in the face of the more hawkish Fed, with NY Fed Dudley commenting that the case for a Fed rate hike was "now a lot more compelling". Fed Chair Yellen rounded the week off confirming that a rate hike in March was appropriate if the data holds up. So now we look to the all-important non-farm payrolls data released on Friday. The data needs to be very poor for the Fed not to hike rates by 25 bps on March 15th.
The Commodity currencies had been enjoying rallies against the major currencies underpinned by higher interest rates and rising commodity prices over recent weeks/months. The markets took a breather last week as Australian trade data was much worse than expected, recording a surplus of AUD 1.302 bio and much lower than the expected AUD 3.8 bio. Metal prices also fell hard and dragged the AUD lower with the NZD following its antipodean brother. There was also weakness in the oil price as it was reported that Russia was only cutting oil production by 100k bpd against its promised 300k bpd with Saudi Arabia also lowering its oil price. In this case with the Bank of Canada keeping rates unchanged the CAD weakened as well. This week sees Australian retail sales being released Monday and the RBA setting the Official Cash Rate on Tuesday. We expect no change from the RBA.


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Costello will not seek Liberal leadership
Sunday, November 25, 2007/
Former Treasurer Peter Costello has announced he will not be seeking leadership of the Liberal Party, following his party’s defeat in yesterday’s federal election.
Costello says he intends to resign from Parliament, seek new opportunities in the commercial world and spend more time with his family.
However, he says will stay on as the member for the Melbourne seat of Higgins in the short term and mentor young members of Parliament.
He says he put the strongest case for the leadership to his party colleagues earlier this year, but they hadn’t accepted his offer. He said it was time for generational change in the Liberal Party.
Danger, danger: The long-term risk of having one mammoth client Ian Whitworth Scene Change co-founder
Why brick-and-mortar will drive e-commerce by turning stores into distribution centres Brenton Gill Radaro managing director
Play, refine and grow: How I started a successful shoe business with just $100 Sarah Nally Sienna Baby founder
How we created an engaging online course with a 91% completion rate Emma Green Your CEO Mentor co-founder
Flexible working is all the rage, so here are six tips to help you get started Alison Michalk Quiip founder
Four tips for playing the long game in business, from Victoria's Small Business Woman of the Year Fiona White Own Body founder


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There’s something amiss in our nation’s courts.
Just last week, a New Jersey jury awarded $750 million to four people who claimed baby powder products made by Johnson & Johnson had contributed to their cancer diagnoses.
In the end, that amount will actually be reduced to $186 million, a feature of New Jersey law that caps award amounts to five times the damages declared by previous rulings.
What’s amiss in this ruling is just how much the jury verdicts stray from actual scientific opinion.
Plaintiffs and their attorneys claim the company has knowingly sold asbestos-tainted talc in its baby powder for years, even though scientific studies have yet to prove a definite link between modern-day talc and any cancers.
Last month, the largest-ever study on baby powder and talc was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It followed 250,000 women who used the product and found “there was not a statistically significant association” between using baby powder and any link to ovarian or other cancers.
Why, then, would the juries have sided against the science?
In the last verdict in a similar case, a St. Louis jury sided with Johnson & Johnson, finding no proof in the cases furthered by plaintiffs.
Others, though, have delivered record awards. But why?
It’s a combination of ambitious tort lawyers and misleading journalism.
Tort Lawyers and the Long Legal Pursuit
In the trial mentioned above, and in other cases I profiled in my article in the Miami Herald, attorneys specializing in injury cases have elevated what would otherwise be an open-shut case based on science to become a cause célèbre based on penalizing a large company with a familiar brand.
Indeed, the lawyers who argued this case against Johnson & Johnson made the company’s global revenue and its CEO’s compensation the baseline for compensation. It was the first trial in which J&J Chief Executive Alex Gorsky testified before a court.
In his final words to the jury, Panatier made it clear that the focus of their verdict should be on Johnson & Johnson’s conduct. “So when you think about the punitive damages, what number punishes and deters them, you’ve got to think in Johnson & Johnson terms,” he said, noting that Johnson & Johnson was a “$60 billion company.” “And you can make them pay attention. And that is an immense responsibility and it is an immense, immense task that you’ll have to try amongst the 10 of you to determine what that number should be.”New Jersey Law Journal
What was missing from their core argument was any definitive proof that the plaintiffs were exposed to asbestos from the talc in the baby powder – or that this is how they contracted mesothelioma, a specific lung cancer.
An analysis provided by FDA and mineral experts last week could only conclude that the mineral products in question are likely too small to be adequately tested, and thus new testing would be required.
But again, that conclusion does not negate the various and recent studies that have found no connection between the baby powder and cancer.
Despite that, it hasn’t stopped leagues of injury lawyers from lining up to take their shot at winning a multi-million dollar verdict. More than 16,000 class-action plaintiffs have been assembled to sue the company in other jurisdictions.
The interest of injury lawyers, who receive sometimes up to 40% or more of the winnings, is quite clear.
When it comes to reporting on the facts of these trials, the science is often downplayed in favor of convincing legal arguments and sensationalist headlines.
For news outlets such as Reuters and the New York Times, the decades of scientific studies are often overlooked – or at the very worst, neglected.
An oft-cited example is on the company’s cautious recall of thousands of baby powder products in October. But further tests concluded none of the batches of the company’s baby powder contained asbestos, a fact admitted by Reuters.
Most internal J&J asbestos test reports Reuters reviewed do not find asbestos. However, while J&J’s testing methods improved over time, they have always had limitations that allow trace contaminants to go undetected – and only a tiny fraction of the company’s talc is tested.Reuters
As such, it’s difficult to prove what so many lawsuits and investigative allege. Not enough for scientific analysis, but maybe enough for a courtroom and a few headlines. Herein lies the issue.
In the reports of the baby powder cases, these products and cancer are too casually linked. At least according to the studies we have provided to us.
For real understanding about what’s in the products we use and consume, it’s best to adhere to the studies and academic literature. Of course, no one wants to use anything that could prove harmful to them, and consumers should always be wary.
But, in that case, shouldn’t we look to science for those answers rather than 12 men and women sitting in a jury box? Shouldn’t that be the standard we employ for all of the important health issues of our time?
That, along with many other reasons, is why we need true legal reform in this country. We cannot afford to allow real science to be voted away in jury boxes and courtrooms.


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With the digital revolution of the last 20 years, laws have failed to keep pace with changes in society. How to protect your BTCs?
The digital revolution has transformed virtual and physical environments, adding value to products and items that only exist „in the cloud“, or on networks, among them cryptomoedas and Bitcoin.
Even though in the last 20 years the world has changed radically, most laws have failed to keep pace with the revolutions of customs and procedures that have taken over people’s lives.
Billions of people around the world now have their identities linked to profiles in the most diverse social networks and applications, in addition to the assets distributed in digital money and currencies that only exist in the digital environment.
The General Data Protection Act, which came into force this year, seeks to protect this data, but is still not able to answer one important question: when the owner of a digital identity dies, how do we deal with valuable digital assets?
The pandemic has brought even more urgency to this question. Digital assets and digital inheritance are not regulated by law, and in addition to the LGPD, there is also the 2014 Internet Civil Mark, which deals with the issue in a superficial way. Four projects in the Chamber of Deputies deal with the issue, but they are archived.
For this reason, the courts have decided on a case-by-case basis the procedures and interpretations on virtual goods of value.
In the blog of Fausto Macedo, from Estadão, jurists Júlia Fernandes Guimarães and Eduardo Vital Chaves defend in an article the urgency of regulatory clarity:
„Regulation is necessary especially because of the need to treat patrimonial content, as well as the protection of information and personal data (the so-called existential content), whose secrecy, the holder would not like to have violated“.
The article recalls how there are cases of study in the world on the subject. In the United States, since 2015 rules have been established for digital goods, both by the holder and in case of death.
In Europe, the laws are still lagging behind. In the UK, there is no specific law for digital assets and digital inheritance, but the British High Court has rediscovered the existence of Crypto Wealth as an inheritable digital asset.
In Germany, in 2018, justice allowed a family to access the personal Facebook account of a deceased daughter, setting a legal precedent for the whole European bloc. But there are caveats:
„We would also point out that giving heirs access to the digital content of the deceased does not mean allowing accounts to be used freely, nor does allowing messages or other data to be disclosed, as the decision stressed“.
In Brazil, Justice has not found a norm. Each case to date has been analysed in isolation, with decisions against and in favour of access to the digital assets and accounts of deceased persons.
The lawyers say that, in the absence of regulation, one of the solutions would be to stipulate in a will the access and transfer of electronic goods, communicating the express will to allow or not access to these goods. And they add:
„Lawyers have oriented their clients, when making wills, when appropriate, to declare an expression of will regarding the maintenance of secrecy or protection of information of electronic account holders. Even so, the will does not remove the need for people to talk to each other about the existence of electronic goods and their will to exist on social networks after their death“.


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Mommy's Best Games
Serious Sam Double D XXL has a silly title, but it’s also coming to Xbox Live Arcade on February 20th, courtesy of Mommy’s Best Games. The studio has released its second ‘Gun Diary’, which talks about the game’s firearms, two-player co-op, the ‘Gun Stacker’ system and dynamite-powered unicycles, naturally.
Mommy's Best Games headlines
Serious Sam Double D XXL has a developer diary video available, and its the first in a series of four videos where developer Nathan Fouts of Mommy’s Best Games highlights the combos available using the GunStacker.
Microsoft take as much as 60 percent of revenue from Xbox Live Community Game sales, according to XNA developer, Mommy’s Best Games.Company boss Nathan Fouts said sales data his XNA title Weapon of Choice was “sobering”, with less than 10,000 units moved.In his blog post, Fouts explained that Microsoft takes a baseline cut of 30 […]


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While players in the financial ecosystem are opening up to the idea of receivables funding for the sector, this market needs a regulator, which a Parliament panel feels only RBI can provide.
Valuations of payment gateways for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are shooting up.
These gateways offer bundled services to the MSMEs which include not just receiving payments but also inventory management to help with keeping tax records.
As customers even from mid income groups switch to digital payments for dealing with small shops to roadside vegetable traders, the business for the gateways has boomed.
This could be surprising as the package of measures to help the MSMEs last year have made little headway.
The “Fund of Funds” has not got even one financial institution interested to give it a shot.
In the middle of the second Covid wave, Instamojo absorbed a tech company primarily to build up skills to better cover the 64 million odd MSMEs of India. Other payment gateways like Paytm, Razorpay, CCAvenue are all stretching into the same business turf.
Yet, less than a year after suffering the first Covid pandemic, thousands of MSME units are again facing devastation from the next one.
The duration of the crisis may be bunched up this time but it shall certainly leave far more wrecks than the first wave.
The sector contributes nearly a third of the Indian GDP (31.66 per cent of the gross value add) and totes up more than 10 million in employment.
Any shake up here exacerbates inequality like no other sector of the economy, except possibly agriculture.
MSMEs need a confidence booster
Business confidence of the MSMEs was already low. It has trailed that of the large firms through FY21, reported Bornali Bhandari, senior fellow at NCAER on the Business Confidence Survey, the think tank conducts.
“It is a gap which widened further in the third quarter of the…financial year.”
Just weeks ago in early April, the central government had cleared an ordinance to allow “pre-packaged” insolvency for MSMEs.
It was expected that the ordinance will encourage these small units to approach banks with far more confidence to reorder their business.
They could begin life anew after seeing off the impact of Covid.
Since the threshold level for coming under bankruptcy proceedings is Rs 1 crore of default, the prepackaged offer cuts under it.
An MSME owner can offer her creditors a resolution plan before the latter moves the bankruptcy courts for recovery of money.
It is now conceivable that the ordinance may have to be put in abeyance for some time, while the ministry of corporate affairs takes stock of the damage to the sector.
Else the pressure on the owners of these units could be intense as the banks try to protect their levels of NPAs.
No off-take for GOI schemes
Last year, as part of the revival package, post Covid, the finance ministry had announced several measures. These included:
- Rs 20,000 crore Subordinate Debt
- Rs 3 trillion collateral-free automatic loans or Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme
- Rs 50,000 crore equity infusion through MSME Fund of Funds
- A new revised criteria for classification of MSMEs
- A new registration of MSMEs through “Udyam Registration” for Ease of Doing Business
- No global tenders for procurement up to Rs 200 crore
There is a sort of an invisible line between the third and fourth items.
All the three below have been executed without fuss.
They did not need money and brought up to date archaic systems in the sector.
Above the line, the three schemes have all seen very dismal performance.
To make any headway all of them will certainly need a rejig.
Since they have not delivered, the mood in the MSME sector has not particularly improved.
Bhandari notes that about 75 per cent of the universe NCAER surveyed were not aware of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme as in December 2020.
“During the survey and after it, some firms reached out to us inquiring about the details of the scheme and how to utilise it” she noted in an article in Indian Express.
Data from the ministry itself shows the scale of the problem.
The Emergency Credit Line is the largest reach out by the government for the MSMEs.
The ministry had reasons to be pleased that of the total Rs 3 lakh crore it had offered, 82 per cent had been used up by March this year.
But calculated by another measure, only 87 lakh MSMEs have dipped into this pot.
It means less than 14 per cent of the total number of the eligible units in the country had been helped by the measure.
By any reckoning it is difficult to believe that only such a small percentage of them needed the support especially after a country wide freeze on business, in the first quarter of FY21.
Under the Emergency Credit scheme the government offered a loan to these units to cover their payment obligation to banks if they had become substandard due to the Covid crisis.
As the ministry’s own data shows less than one in five such units applied and got the loan.
It could be that they realised they shall have to pay back the loans at some stage to the government.
It is not surprising.
An older credit linked capital subsidy scheme to upgrade technology drew in just 76,759 units from the whole country.
When the scheme was wound up last year it had written out cheques for only Rs 4867.58 crore.
The other two schemes have performed far worse than even this standard.
One of these was a Rs 20,000 crore subordinate debt offered to the promoters as an equity support, so that they qualify for restructuring their loans taken from banks.
In about nine months the sum actually used has been just Rs 40.59 crore.
“Either the owners of these units have not understood what the government support shall mean for them, or the banks have not nudged them to take out the support”, said a government official.
By any standards this is a disastrous level of performance.
The scheme was principally directed at the 5,279 medium enterprises in the country, as per the 73rd round of National Sample Survey made by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation in the year 2015-16.
Small units numbering 330,868 were also eligible to apply.
As part of the Covid relief package, the government had also offered to build a Rs 50,000 crore Fund of Funds to invest in the sector.
Simply put, it meant the government will offer one or more financial institutions a matching capital support of upto Rs 10,000 crore to set up a fund to invest in the MSME sector.
The catch is the fund shall have to use the seed money to draw in five times the investment from the market.
With the total corpus, the mother fund is expected to set up daughter special purpose vehicles to invest in a range of MSME units. In principle, it had seemed a plausible proposal.
Throughout 2020, the MSME ministry has held discussions with several fund houses.
While several had shown interest seeing the capital on offer, they had walked back once they realised the investment they shall have to raise by their own effort.
Minister for MSME and road transport, Nitin Gadkari had used his deep connection with segments of the industry to get them interested but it has not made any headway.
“The risks are too big, considering the size of the Indian debt market”, said a government officer involved in the discussions.
The ministry has acknowledged the failure in its reply to Parliament on March 22.
There has not been even one success.
With the second wave of Covid, it is back to the drawing board for the MSME ministry, once again.
Unless it draws upon a market led initiative.
A feasible alternative
A simple option to ease the cash flow for the sector has till recently just not taken off.
This is the factoring of the bills market.
One of the biggest challenges an MSME owner faces is the mass of unpaid bills for the output of her unit.
This is particularly true of the units that do not sell their products to retail customers.
Since their clients are usually larger enterprises, their bargaining power is limited.
The MSME ministry has hardly pushed the envelope even though in 2014, the RBI had introduced the concept of TReDS, a mechanism of trade receivables financing for MSMEs to be executed on a secure digital platform.
The market known as factoring allows units to trade their unpaid bills at a discount.
The only catch is the bill must be countersigned as an authentic document by the company on whom it is raised.
This is the difficult part as many debtors to the MSMEs refuse to sign them.
To get around the problem a Parliamentary standing committee has made several useful suggestions last year.
One of those is the integration of the TReDS platforms with GSTN e-invoicing portal to enable real time sharing of data.
It makes the bills more transparent and therefore fetch better value in their trade.
RBI has also recently allowed traders on these platforms to access its online payment windows, RTGS and NEFT, without having to go through banks.
Sundeep Mohindru, CEO of one the largest such platform M1Xchange, who has secured a $10 million funding including from Amazon said the companies using his platform were able to turnaround their receivables fast enough to enjoy an effective rate of interest of close to 10 per cent per annum.
He says as on 31 March, 2021, there are 7100 MSMEs and 770 corporates registered on M1Xchange.
Noticing the potential, banks too are joining the business.
Invoicemart is a joint venture between Axis Bank and mjunction.
RXIL is a joint venture between RXIL, Receivables Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL) was incorporated on February 25, 2016 as a joint venture between Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and National Stock Exchange. But the market needs a regulator, which the Parliament committee feels only the RBI can provide.
Photograph: ANI Photo


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Last week, Doug Levin, the CEO of Ayeah Games and a leader in the Boston start-up community, posted an article about the drivers behind the massive disruption that virtual goods are causing in the interactive entertainment and social media worlds.
In Virtual Goods Cause Disruption, Doug cites six factors that are changing the landscape of the consumer Internet. These factors include the emergence of social gaming, the transition of gaming from a niche activity to a mass media service, and the influx of capital from investors hungry to replicate the success of Zynga, Playdom, and Playfish.
In the past, disruptive innovations have generally taken the form of new technology that has a transformational impact on an industry. The classic example is the development of mini steel mills that eliminated economies of scale from steel production and allowed smaller companies, such as Nucor, to compete effectively with incumbent players. Doug’s article highlights the fact that disruptive innovations need not be limited to new technologies—innovations in distribution and business models can be ever bit as powerful.
People value entertainment, and thanks to virtual goods, we’ve finally entered an era where content developers can profitably develop and distribute their creations.


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United Spirits has sold its Whyte and Mackay Scotch whisky brand to a Philippines drinks manufacturer for £430m.
Emperador, known for its brandy of the same name, has sealed a deal for the brand after it was put up for sale by United Spirits in February to increase its presence in the Scotch whisky market.
The decision was influenced as a result of an investigation by the British Office of Fair Trading, which raised concerns over competition after industry giant Diageo bought a controlling stake in United Spirits last year.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman of United Spirits, said: “I am very proud of what Whyte & Mackay has achieved under USL ownership.
“Moreover, I am delighted to be able to pass on Whyte & Mackay into the hands of a new owner who is committed to realising the full potential of the business and whose vision for Whyte & Mackay is aligned with that of USL.”
His counterpart, Andrew Tan, chairman of Emperador, said whisky being the second fasted growing spirits segment in the world next to brandy made Whyte and Mackay an attractive investment.
“With this acquisition Emperador will be exposed to two of the fastest growing spirits segments in the world. The global demand for Scotch whisky has shown strong growth over recent years and is expected to continue this momentum going forward,” he said.
Mr Tan, whose company has seen its brandy label triple in growth since 2010, added: “We believe that Whyte & Mackay is a prized asset with excellent growth opportunity and its acquisition is in line with our plans to enhance our product portfolio.”