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If Apple and other tech companies have their way, it will only become harder to have our phones and other devices repaired by third-party businesses.
Smartphones and many other tech devices are increasingly being designed in ways that make it challenging to repair or replace individual components.
This might involve soldering the processor and flash memory to the motherboard, gluing components together unnecessarily, or using non-standard pentalobe screws which make replacements problematic.
Many submissions to an Australian “right to repair” inquiry have called on tech manufacturers to provide a fair and competitive market for repairs, and produce products that are easily repairable.
The right to repair refers to consumers’ ability to have their products repaired at a competitive price. This includes being able to choose a repairer, rather than being forced by default to use the device manufacturer’s services.
But it seems Apple doesn’t want its customers to fix their iPhones or Macbooks themselves. The company has lobbied against the right to repair in the United States and has been accused of deliberately slowing down iPhones with older batteries.
Opposition against the right to repair from tech companies is to be expected. Cornering consumers into using their service centres increases their revenue and extends their market domination.
In its defence, Apple has said third-party repairers could use lower quality parts and also make devices vulnerable to hackers.
It also defended its battery warning indication as a “safety” feature, wherein it started to alert users if their phone’s replacement battery hadn’t come from a certified Apple repairer.
In the US, Apple’s independent repair provider program grants certain providers access to the parts and resources needed to fix its devices. Independent repair shops in 32 countries can now apply, but the scheme has yet to extend outside the US.
Impact on users
With the iPhone 12 — the latest iPhone offering — Apple has made it even harder for third-party repairers to fix the device, thereby increasing users’ reliance on its own services.
Apple has hiked its repair charges for iPhone 12 by more than 40%, compared with the iPhone 11. It is charging more than A$359 to fix an iPhone 12 screen outside of warranty and A$109 to replace the battery.
Historically, third-party repairers have been a cheaper option. But using a third-party repairer for an iPhone 12 could render some phone features, such as the camera, almost inoperable.
According to reports, fixing the iPhone 12’s camera requires Apple’s proprietary system configuration app, available only to the company’s own authorised technicians.
It’s not just Apple, either. Samsung’s flagship phones are also quite tricky for third-party repairers to fix.
Impact on environment
When certain parts for repairs aren’t available, manufacturers will produce new phones instead, consuming more energy and resources. In fact, manufacturing one smartphone consumes as much energy as using it for ten years.
As smartphones become harder to repair, electronic waste will grow. Apple and Samsung both cited environmental benefits when they announced they would no longer ship chargers with their phones.
Yet, they’ve turned a blind eye to the environmental damage that would arise from completely cornering the repair market.
The average Australian home has 6.7 devices, including televisions, personal computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. With diminishing opportunities for repair, the environmental burden from disposing of these devices will increase.
What is being done?
Phone giants make it tough for third-party repairers to do their job in a variety of ways. This includes constantly changing designs, adding hurdles to the repair process, and restricting access to parts, diagnostic software and repair documentation.
Meanwhile, consumers are left with broken phones and huge repair bills — and repairers are left with less business.
The fight to remove barriers to repair is gaining momentum outside Australia, too, in countries including Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Legislative reforms have been introduced in the European Union and Massachusetts.
France has introduced a Repairability Index requiring electrical and electronic equipment companies to inform consumers about their products’ repairability on a scale of one to ten.
This takes into account the ease of repairability, availability and price of spare parts and availability of technical repair documents.
The path moving forward
Until the push for right to repair legislative reform gathers pace globally, consumers will have little choice but to pay up to big companies to access their authorised repair services.
If they don’t, they may risk losing their warranty, ending up with a non-functional device and even infringing upon the manufacturers’ software copyrights.
Ideally, phone companies (and others) would assist users with the repair process by providing replacement parts, repair documentation and diagnostic tools to third-party repairers.
Although the way things are going, it’s unlikely tech companies will be able to escape their self-inflicted repair obligations. In the past, Apple CEO Jeff Williams has said:
we believe the safest and most reliable repair is one handled by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly engineered and rigorously tested.
But with only so much workforce available even to Apple, sharing the load with smaller repairers will help.
And for consumers’ benefit, the right to repair legislation must be taken seriously, with consistent repairability scores developed across the globe.
- is Senior Lecturer – Information Systems and Analysis, CQUniversity Australia
- This article first appeared on The Conversation


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Biggest Christmas ever for Irish supermarkets
The Irish Grocery market reached €1bn of sales in the month of December, with the biggest Christmas ever meaning record grocery sales for a single month in Ireland.
Growth was volume driven as shoppers got more for less with promotions hitting a five year high.
Key findings from Kantar’s Worldpanel Division, which were presented as part of the first in a series of Kantar Talks events for Ireland in 2020, include:
Shoppers got more for less.
- 61% of shoppers said they intended to spend the same this year as last year – but these shoppers actually cut their spend by almost 1% by availing of competitive prices
- We still chose to treat ourselves, spending more on premium products
- But 1/3 of Christmas spend was on promoted items – up 5 percentage points on last year
- The vegetable aisle provided some of the best deals for shoppers, with 42% of purchases on promotion vs 27% last year.
Christmas started early but we took it easy on the day:
- Categories involved more in the build up to Christmas (confectionery, cheese, biscuits etc) outperformed the traditional Christmas Day categories (meat, veg, alcohol etc)
- Shoppers spent €4 less on meat year on year – opting for smaller turkeys (-1kg) or moving to turkey crowns
- 7% of households planned to have vegan/vegetarians option on the table
- Not everyone got as ‘merry’ at Christmas, with 32k fewer alcohol shoppers in the aisles this year – but performance was mainly due to shoppers buying a little less
- Hosts were key to Alcohol sales, with those that planned to have a party spending more year on year and “guests” driving the decline.
A midweek Christmas led to a bumper Monday:
- Celebrating on a Wednesday gave shoppers a weekend off with an extra day to shop, resulting in the biggest trading day ever
- 55% of households made a grocery shopping trip on Monday 23rd leading to €87.6m going through the tills – the biggest day in Grocery ever
- Making a last minute trip meant more in the trolley as we couldn’t afford to forget anything and trips of €100+ were up by €15m.
Brands are back with a bang:
- Brands contributed €22m to the total market’s growth this Christmas
- As Private Label sales now dominate throughout the rest of the year, Christmas is increasingly vital for brands, with seasonal performance making or breaking the whole year
- Distribution in that final week before Christmas is vitally important as the season kicks off earlier and earlier, and shoppers are willing to increase their volume purchasing of their favourite brands
- Alongside Brands, Premium Private Label ranges grew sales this Christmas, with Standard and Value Private Label ranges declining.
Speaking at the event, David Berry highlighted how retailers navigated these shopper trends to win Christmas spend:
“Dunnes contributed most to the market performance growing sales by 4% to reach a market leading 24% share. Brands were central to Dunnes performance adding €12m in sales year on year. Tesco were one of the retailers who saw that strong Bumper Monday sales lift. While promotions were prevalent in the market, SuperValu retained a strong price positioning which allowed them to grow value as well as volume sales. Both Aldi and Lidl increased the promotional levels instore. Aldi benefitted from a strong ad campaign with Kevin the Carrot making a welcome return. Lidl had the strongest growth in the market this Christmas driven primarily by its Private Label range – in a market driven by Branded growth – this is a testament to the strength of their seasonal own brand range.”

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The Evolving Landscape of the Insurance Space in Singapore 2019
The life insurance industry in Singapore grew by 3% in 2018 where new business premiums clocked SG$4.2 billion. Notably, there was marked an increase in demand for premiums as well as stability in the performance of the existing premiums. However, this growth is also indicative of the changing landscape of the industry brought about by constant innovation.
The life insurance market is dominated by premiums that target protection and health coverage. Notably, this is driven by the huge demand for such products. Interestingly, the Life Insurance Association (LIA) said in a release that demand for health coverage and protection products strengthened during the year. Also, insurance for new businesses registered 7% growth compared to the previous year.
An emerging segment of mass affluent and millennials leading the charge for change
However, this growth is not going to mask the dynamism that is taking shape in the industry. In particular, the Investment-Linked Policy (ILP) sector is witnessing a fundamental shift from fixed ILP products to ones that extend flexibility and liquidity to policyholders. This is in response to the changing needs in the market. Notably, millennials and the mass affluent are flooding the insurance market with a preference for products that offer much more flexibility than the traditional setup.
Tokio Marine Life Singapore (TMLS) is among the first movers in the industry to introduce flexible products that cater to the emerging segment of policyholders. Notably, this new segment which includes the mass affluent and the millennials takes a different approach to financial planning.
Speaking in a telephone interview TMLS’ Chief Transformation Officer, Bevan Cheong, said the emerging segment of the market gives particular attention to what is going to happen to their lives.
“They always think about financial planning in terms of life stages, what’s going to happen next in their lives, whether its career, whether its marriage, buying a house, buying a second house, kids coming along,” Cheong said. “They want a product that meets some of these needs, but at the same time, they struggle to pinpoint exactly when these milestones are going to happen.”
Flexibility and liquidity
In this light, TMLS is launching products that cater to these needs. The insurer said in a release that the new products are targeting unmet needs in the insurance sector. As per the statement, TMLS will begin offering two types of ILPs that deliver the flexibility that millennials are demanding. Notably, the firm is offering TM Atlas Wealth as well as TM Atlas Classic.
The TM Atlas package provides flexibility as well as liquidity so that policyholders can get access to their money if and when they need it. Particularly, the inspiration behind the TM Atlas policy is the emerging trend of consumers juggling multiple priorities. As such, they are more likely to want to review their plans as need might demand. Notably, the policy will have such customers covered in that they can withdraw the sum that they need to accomplish certain milestones at different stages of their lives.
New regulatory requirements affected premium sales
In the traditional ILP policies, once a policyholder takes up a premium, they will have to wait for maturity access the funds. This means that if one takes a 10-year policy, one’s funds will be locked up until the elapsing of the period. Obviously, this implies that such kind of money will not be available to the consumer. Therefore, it is this illiquidity that is fueling the need for innovative products like the TM Atlas policy.
According to the Life Insurance Association (LIA), premium sales in the last quarter of 2018 dropped significantly. Notably, between October and December 2018, premium sales slid to S$308.2 million from S$430.5 million garnered in the previous quarter. Further, the sales fell 45% year-on-year, with premium sales for the whole year tanking 3%.
In particular, the marked fall in premium sales was as a result of a conflation of various reasons including regulatory changes. Notably, the regulators require that insurers reduce the sales charge for purchases of products from the Central Provident Fund Investment Scheme (CPFIS). Further, the insurance market witnessed a number of turbulences including subdued demand for premium sales. However, another reason that sticks out is the fact that consumers in the market are not getting the products they desire.
Bonuses to encourage uptake by potential policyholders
Therefore, it is clear why TMLS went ahead of the Atlas Policy. For both Atlas Wealth and Atlas Classic, customers will enjoy Initial and Loyalty bonuses. Under Atlas Classic, policyholders will receive up to 110% Initial bonus of annualized regular premium which will be paid out over the first five years of joining the program. Further, the Loyalty bonus will comprise of up to 0.5% per annum payouts for the rest of the period after the first five years.
The Atlas Wealth policy will include an Initial bonus where customers will access up to 97.5% regular premium annualized over the first five years of joining. Notably, customers will enjoy the bonus only after TMLS receives their premium payments. Also, policyholders will access a loyalty bonus to the order of 0.3% every year. This will be calculated according to the accumulated units account value. What is more, the break-even yield for the policies is fair and allows customers the ability to access sufficient liquidity.
Feedback is encouraging so far
Interestingly, Cheong said that the market reception of the products is encouraging. Further, the company anticipates requests for the policy to begin trickling in soon as consumers get to understand the products well. Also, advisors are showing a good level of interest in the products.
“We’ve gotten quite a lot of positive feedback from advisors as well. They’re asking a lot of questions and looking to study the details of this product, and that’s a good sign, that there is genuine interest in this product,” Cheong noted.
This is evidence that the market is shifting fundamentally. Perhaps, this could be one of the reasons the industry record poor numbers during the last quarter of 2018.


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"No crisis without opportunity" could be the motto of Cummins Inc. Its generator sales have been fired up by China's incessant power cuts, making it one of the few winners from the booming Asian giant's energy gap.
By Mary Hennock
BBC News business reporter
Luke Warburton learns the nuts and bolts of engineering
When the lights go out across China, Cummins emergency generators come on.
Factories use them to battle against the rolling brownouts which routinely knock them off the grid.
The majority of Cummins generator sets start their journey to the overstretched front line of global economic growth from the pleasant seaside town of Ramsgate in southern England.
Cummins has taken on 60 extra staff at its two factories there since mid-2003, giving a total of 410 of whom two thirds work in manufacturing.
The US multinational expects to export at least 1,500 generators to China from Ramsgate this year, compared to 400 from Minneapolis and 400 from Singapore.
For car-crazy Luke Warburton, it has meant an engineering apprenticeship and a chance to quit his desk job as an estate agent. "I didn't enjoy the office environment," the 19-year-old says.
He is busy bolting together portable generator sets, typically used on construction sites.
This particular production line now turns out 18 machines a day compared to just two in December 2003.
Tony Mockett is at the other end of his working life. The 60-year-old says his job at the US multinational has enabled him to stay locally.
After four redundancies, the short journey to work was an unexpected bonus. "To go too far with the wages around this area eats up what you've got," says Tony, who originally trained as a toolmaker.
He is leaning on a newly-finished 10.5 tonner - destined for Yip Shing Diesel Engine Co, Cummin's long-standing distributor in China - which has taken him a day to build.
Cummins was caught out by the surge in demand from China, whose overloaded power grid failed in 24 provinces last year.
A typical emergency power pack for China's factories
Foreign firms seeking a slice of China's economic boom suddenly found their production lines stuttering to a halt.
"The typical firm we talk to is on two days a week" of blackouts, says Tony Satterthwaite, vice-president of Cummins' generator set business.
The problems persist, with little sign of the improvements in supply promised by the Chinese government.
The Sars flu outbreak of mid-2003 was one reason generator makers did not spot what was going on.
"Our people in China weren't travelling...they were hunkered down" so the crisis "just kinda hit like a freight train", says Mr Satterthwaite.
"We chased demand all year long. We're still chasing demand....You wouldn't get delivery into next year on some models", says Bob Sonntag, Cummins' vice president in charge of worldwide power generation operations.
This is an industry working at the extremes of economic development, thriving on both order and chaos.
Mr Sonntag's tour of Cummins factory floor is like a trip round the world's economic hotspots and a lesson in uneven development.
China's boom is sucking in steel and pushing up prices
In North America and Europe, customers often buy emergency back-up generators to comply with legal safeguards and hope never to use them.
The Cummins' generator at the Statue of Liberty, for instance.
Last year, Cummins Inc's sales totalled $8bn across its four industrial divisions. A quarter - $1.9bn - came from the power generation business, with about half of those sales made on this "mustard on the side of the plate" principle.
In the US and Europe powerful machines for data storage centres are big sellers too, since a power failure there can wreck a business in ways a blackout in a goods warehouse never could.
At the other end of the spectrum, though, are customers who rely on their generators in countries where infrastructure is overstretched by rapid growth or collapsing in chaos.
"Two years ago it was Brazil, this year it's in the Middle East and in China, every year it's in India," says Tom Linebarger, president of the company's power generation business, by phone from its HQ in the American Mid-West.
Cummins has sold generators to Baghdad airport, Russian oilfields and Indian factories.
Competition is fierce in the market for extra power, with the main rivals being Caterpillar's FW Wilson or French firm SDMO.
"When we're walking in the door, they're walking out, or when we're walking out they're walking in," says Mr Sonntag.
And calculating where the next big opportunity will arise can prove more foolhardy than foolproof.
Like many construction firms, engineers and oilfield services groups, Cummins was expecting Iraqi reconstruction to bring a surge in demand. It stocked its Dubai warehouse, and waited. And waited.
"The rebuilding effort has been hampered, it's been slower than everybody planned," Mr Linebarger acknowledges.
Fortunately, record high oil prices created a prosperity-driven construction boom elsewhere in the Middle East, and the Cummins generators piled up in Dubai found other markets.
Sales from the Ramsgate factory "almost doubled" from 2003 to 2004, according to Mr Satterthwaite.
Although China's boom has been the strongest factor driving sales, it is pushing up the price of raw materials like steel, copper and oil, and squeezing profit margins too.
"Our whole product is nothing but a big lump of steel," says Mr Sonntag.
Steel prices more than doubled from January 2003 - when hot rolled steel was $300 a ton - to $650 a ton in January 2005.
But Mr Sonntag is looking on the bright side. The mining industry is rushing to meet demand - and it needs generators too.


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Touted as the largest digital textile show – FESPA Textile 2016 – is set to bring global digital textile community under the same roof from March 8-11, at Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
At the fair, visitors will get the opportunity to explore various textile solutions, with even more applications and technologies than featured at the previous editions. Kornit Digital, Kiian and MS Printing Solutions, VAVAtex, Fersan Textile Trade Industries, Elkotb Textiles and Zschimmer and Schwarz Mohsdorf GmbH, with other 50+ exhibitors, will display latest digital textile advancements at FESPA Textile 2016.
Some of the technologies that will be under the spotlight at the fair include: a new material handling system from bullmer GmbH; TRANSJET® Eco II sublimation papers from Cham Paper Group; new pigment and sublimation inks from Kiian Digital; Polyprint SA’s latest DTG printer which is smaller, lighter, faster and more affordable than previous versions; and Premier Textiles’ washable pigment pre-treat and pre-treated fabric for latex inks.
Elaborating on the technologies that will be on display at the show, Roz McGuinness, Divisional Director, FESPA says, “With an extended range of applications covered in this year’s sold out FESPA Textile, there’s more than ever for visitors to discover. Located alongside the exhibition is the largest FESPA Digital and European Sign Expo events to date, as well as the return of Printeriors. With these four shows in one location, there’s a multitude of technology and diversification opportunities for printers to explore.”


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COVID Restrictions; Coronavirus In India; Car Show; What's Good Wednesdays
Some Florida officials are voicing their outrage over Gov. Ron DeSantis' suspension of all local COVID-19 emergency orders. The Republican governor issued the executive order Monday, as the state has 28.27% of the population fully vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins coronavirus data.
Businesses can still mandate patrons wear masks and practice social distancing, and the order does not apply to schools. Still, mayors around the state are criticizing the governor’s move. Dr. Michelle Aquino, a hospitalist at Baptist Health, joined us with more.
COVID In India
The pandemic is still active worldwide, but in India, the coronavirus crisis is especially acute. India accounted for one in four coronavirus deaths recorded around the world last week, the World Health Organization said. We spoke with UNF’s Parvez Ahmed about the horrific death toll in his homeland.
Jacksonville International Auto Show
The Jacksonville International Auto Show will transform the Prime Osborn Convention Center into North Florida’s largest new car showroom this weekend.
After a pandemic year that saw the auto industry bouncing back and sales recovering, this will be a one-stop-shop where attendees can compare features, options, and stylings from more than 20 car lines. Show producer Lowell Briggs joined us with a preview.
What’s Good Wednesdays
We took a look at what’s good this week, including:
- Blo Jacksonville will be offering Nurses Free Blow Outs from May 9th-12th in honor of Nurses Week.
- Mayday Handcrafted Ice Creams in Jacksonville Beach is hosting a belated grand opening celebration on May 6. Each guest will enjoy a FREE sugar cone with a complimentary kid’s scoop of any flavor!
- The shrimping business on the First Coast has a fascinating (and tasty) history. Now you can learn more about local shrimpers at Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy, a new exhibit at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum.
For more good news delivered right to your inbox, subscribe to our What’s Good Wednesdays newsletter.


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Japan’s economy minister doesn’t buy stimulus criticismJapan’s economy minister has rejected criticism that his country’s extraordinary fiscal and monetary stimulus program was aimed at weakening the yen and undermined central bank independence.
Akira Amari told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Saturday that it was up to the market to determine the currency’s exchange rate, and the Bank of Japan had chosen independently to sign a joint statement with the government on actions to fight deflation and revive economic growth. Reuters
More in Economy
Average selling price of Seoul apartments hits 1 billion won
New legislation on online shopping proposed by FTC
Cash is truly king in time of coronavirus
When settling for a studio apartment is too expensive
Bill creates new rental protections for small businesses


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Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.
It was 2013 the last time that Roku launched a new flagship streaming box, and while we still adore the 3, the hardware can't avoid the ravages of time. Our friends over at Zatz Not Funny are reporting that the company is gearing up to replace it with a new high-end unit, the imaginatively-named Roku 4. As well as being the fourth in the series, the hardware expected to launch with 4K video playback as its primary selling point. The rumor began when streaming service Cinema Now accidentally launched a promotion for free HD rentals with every new Roku 4. Whoops.
That's not the only piece of evidence on the rap sheet, either. UKRokuChannels discovered a 4K Showcase offering on the platform's channel store, which was swiftly pulled by the company. It'll come as no surprise that the company is embracing the standard, since it revealed in January that it was working on a 4K reference design. In addition, now that Amazon has added the feature to the new Fire TV, it's only a matter of time before Roku joined in. The firm wasn't able to respond in time for publication, but we'll keep a beady eye on the FCC's website over the next few weeks -- just in case.
Update: A new theory has emerged, suggesting that the Roku 3 might remain the flagship, but get a hardware refresh to include the new tech.


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At the recent 2023 RE+ exhibition in the United States, Powernice showcased its latest linear actuator and damper technology, bringing more efficient and precise production and operation processes to logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and other industries.
Powernice Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise integrating R&D, design, production, sales and service of industrial-grade high-precision intelligent electric actuators.
Welcome to booth 1A-105
Powernice is waiting for you to learn more about our linear trackers!
Intersolar Exhibition-Solar Linear Tracker Solutions
From May 11th to 13th, the world-famous Intersolar exhibition will be held at the Munich exhibition center.


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The third Ghana-China Trade week will be held from June 19 to 21, 2019 at the International Conference Center in Accra,
The third Ghana-China Trade week will be held from June 19 to 21, 2019 at the International Conference Center in Accra, the capital.?At that time, nearly 100 Chinese exhibitors will discuss cooperation with Ghanaian purchasers on the spot. It is expected that the audience of this Ghana China Trade week will reach 2000, and B2B accurate pairing will be held during the exhibition.?
A few days ago, China Trade week held a pre-exhibition press conference in Ghana.?The press conference was attended by Mr. Humphrey Jojo Quayson of the Ghana Industrial Association, Ms. Akofa Dokosi of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Mr. Amb Anani Demuyakor of Central Africa Consultants Limited, Mr. Frederick Adu Amoako, representative of the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority, and Mr. Zahoor Ahmed, Project Manager of the Dubai MIE Group.
The press conference will focus on the investment environment in Ghana, the advantages of foreign trade cooperation between Chinese and Canadian enterprises, and the holding of the third Ghana China Trade week.?Ms. Akofa Dokosi, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, which analysed the current market in Ghana, said that with the acceleration of urbanization in Ghana, there was a broad market space in the area of infrastructure construction.?At the same time, Ghana has a market environment suitable for the survival and development of Chinese enterprises, and the government gives considerable benefits to investment enterprises.?It is hoped that this Ghana-China Trade week will provide a good channel for the cooperation and development of enterprises between China and Canada.
Zahoor Ahmed, project director of the MIE Group, analyzed the foreign trade environment between Ghana and China. He said that the bilateral trade volume between China and Canada reached US $6.67 billion in 2017, an increase of 11 percent over the same period last year, and played a positive role in promoting cooperation between foreign trade enterprises of the two countries.?In April 2019, China successfully hosted the “Belt and Road Initiative” International Summit Cooperation Forum, which promoted the “New Silk Road” to a new level by promoting the common growth and cooperation of the 120 countries that supported the “Belt and Road Initiative” initiative.Ghana China Trade week will provide a quality platform for expanding trade between China and West Africa.
The Ghana China Trade week will showcase more varieties and high-end Chinese manufacturers in the hope of reaching a long-term relationship with local buyers in Ghana.?The exhibition will cover chemical, food and beverage, building materials, outdoor supplies, daily necessities, furniture, household appliances and electronics, clothing and textile industries.
Under the advice and guidance of the China International Chamber of Commerce, the China Trade week CTW was organized by the Dubai MIE Group in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative route, integrating its 16 years of “Central and East Africa” exhibition experience and social resources.?An exhibition featuring “Chinese brand products”.?The exhibition has successfully landed in the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, South Africa, Iran and other countries, and has aroused great influence among local Chinese enterprises, media and local purchasers.
In 2017, the exhibition was supported by the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, the Ghana Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Chinese Embassy in Ghana.?More than 50 Chinese enterprises participated in the exhibition, and more than 2000 purchasers visited the scene in person.There are more than 150 online buyers in B2B.?


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BEATTIE OVER THE ‘MUMMYMOON’ WITH CREATIVE AWARD WIN
Friday, 07 April 2017
Beattie, the creative communications group, has picked up a prestigious creative award at the annual Hotel Marketing Awards, hosted by the Hotel Marketing Association (HMA).
Beattie, which operates nine offices throughout the UK, wowed the HMA judges scooping ‘Most Creative Activity by a Marketing or PR Agency’ for the innovative ‘Mummymoon’ campaign on behalf of hotel management client Redefine|BDL Hotels (RBH).
Recognising that new mums get very little sleep, Beattie devised a Mummymoon package to appeal directly to new mums. The carefully crafted hotel stay offered rest and relaxation away from crying babies, snoring partners and never ending household duties.
The campaign was rolled out in hotels throughout RBH’s portfolio of more than 50 UK properties.
Mummymoon not only captured the public’s imagination and genuinely provided new mums with an ultimate pampering experience, it was also underpinned by health and wellbeing commentary from sleep experts.
Beattie’s Director for Scotland, Joanne Spence, said: “We are incredibly proud to be the recipient of this award, it’s testament to the creativity and hard work of the team here at Beattie.
“The Mummymoon campaign not only secured widespread media coverage and social media engagement, it generated strong sales of the package across our client’s portfolio. It’s a great achievement and picking up the award is a wonderful boost for our team.”
The Hotel Marketing Association (HMA) judges said: “Beattie’s creative approach was not only the best, but executed with the most modest budget.
“The campaign was well executed from a pure PR campaign point of view, but was also able to lead into a wider content marketing strategy, to support social media, leisure package sales and gift voucher sales.”
Issued by Beattie
Notes to editors
Beattie is an integrated communications-led marketing consultancy offering PR, social, mobile, digital, data and creative services.
Beattie Group recently signed Saatchi & Saatchi global chief Kevin Roberts as chairman and recruited Grayling CEO Alison Clarke to head up its Only Marketing brand.


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Ready to learn more?
Businesses are enjoying a surge in e-sales this season, thanks in large part to the most recent emergence of the omicron Covid variant and the public’s growing reliance on the online marketplace for everything from groceries and other everyday purchases, to seasonal, electronic, automotive and lifestyle items.
Despite this growth, online profitability is not nearly what it could be, due to both increasingly sophisticated internet fraudsters and the growing costs of false declines.
What are False Declines?
The term “false decline” is applied to a situation when a legitimate credit card purchase is erroneously declined and a sale prevented when it was truly legitimate and should have been approved.
These declines are almost always triggered by some form of automated fraud prevention software that seeks out fraud at various levels, multiple times throughout a transaction. Although occurring within just an instant, each point of examination reflects an opportunity for a false decline.
How Common are False Declines?
A recent study cited that the average online store declines almost 3% of all orders because of suspected fraud. Investigations have revealed that almost 60% of all declines should have been approved, and a staggering 15% of US consumers have reported having their attempted purchases falsely declined at one time or another. Why does this happen and why is it of concern to both retailers and customers alike?
It is well-documented that cyber-crime is at an all-time high, and what began with viruses, malware, phishing, and pharming has evolved into a nefarious fraud-riddled arena of increasingly complex, sophisticated, and deceptive scams that are expected to cost businesses a painful $12 billion this year alone. Retailers seeking to limit their exposure to these sorts of attacks have implemented robust anti-fraud filters that are oftentimes overly hermetic in their approach.
Each step of the sales process is examined with some of the most common filters scanning parameters such as customer location, or shipping address, with the most complex among them inspecting up to 500 individual factors. Some companies even set blanket decline conditions based upon country of sales origin. With anti-fraud software programmed to detect mundane details and even the most minute of discrepancies, it is no wonder that legitimate sales are getting caught up in their net. And that net is only expanding.
Since the advent of Covid, online shopping continues to rise, translating into an influx of what are considered “new shoppers” to the online shopping space. Being “new,” they are not recognized as “return customers” by anti-fraud software aimed at identifying risky sales, as there is less data to rely upon for their positive identification and verification purposes. In fact, first-time shoppers at an online store are up to seven times more likely to suffer a false decline on an attempted purchase than a repeat customer.
Another example is with vendors selling high-priced luxury items. Statistically, the rate of declines increases with higher-priced merchandise, as those retailers tend to apply extra-stringent parameters to their anti-fraud filters, yielding more declines than are truly warranted. And who among us hasn’t experienced an embarrassing payment decline while traveling to another city or country? In their quest to protect their online businesses and sales, retailers are effectively harming themselves by embracing protocols that are too discriminatory in practice. Why does any of this matter? For starters, nobody likes to be falsely accused of something they did not do. A would-be customer may take a false decline very personally, thereby resulting in uncomfortable friction between them and the vendor.
The Costs of False Declines are Staggering
A recent research study revealed that a sobering 33% of American consumers say that they would never shop in a store again that had erroneously declined their purchase. That reflects an immediate sales loss for the retailer, not to mention whatever repeat business that may have transpired over the course of a consumer’s lifetime.
In fact, a documented 40% of customers admit that they would deliberately seek out a retailer’s direct competition to complete the purchase they originally wished to make. And that’s not all. The age-old adage about the fury of a woman scorned may be applied to a rejected customer, who may take to the phone lines, email, and chat applications to issue complaints, tying up business resources. Or even worse, jilted customers may air their grievances via social media, which can last far longer than the feeling of insult itself, not to mention the untold reputational damage and potential loss of revenue that word of mouth reporting can wreak. While people may talk about the positive experiences they have had, studies show that negative experiences receive almost 50% more attention. What is known as “the negative effect” is, therefore, a real concern and risk to future business.
Statistics demonstrate that false declines are costing businesses up to seventy-five times more than fraud itself, to the tune of almost $120 billion per year. In fact, it can take upwards of twelve approved transactions to recoup the cumulative losses of just one false decline. No business with an online sales component is immune, and with sobering numbers like these, everyone should take notice.
To learn how your business will benefit from an effective fraud prevention program that will yield the highest level of processing approvals, contact NoFraud.com for your assessment today.
The eCommerce industry is growing rapidly. It’s become more critical than ever for merchants to realize how false declines can significantly impact their bottom line.
False declines can be a bigger problem than fraud itself. Research by Javelin Strategy shows that 15% of all cardholders have experienced a false decline in the past year. Furthermore, in the US alone, $109 billion more was lost to credit card transactions falsely identified as fraud than to actual credit card fraud.
The value of False Declines is more than 13 times the total amount lost to actual credit card fraud. Yup, you read that right. For every $1 in losses due to credit card fraud, merchants lose $13 to false declines (Aite).
What Are False Declines?
To understand false declines, you need to understand what happens behind the scenes when online orders are placed.
Online transactions must pass through payment gateways that are set in place by companies. These gateways may contain filters at each step during the online order process, set up to try to detect fraud. Orders are not approved unless they pass gateway filters. If one of these filters indicates that an order is fraudulent, the order gets blocked by the system and cannot be placed by the consumer.
While these filters may do a fair job of detecting the most obvious fraud attempts, they often make mistakes. When a fraud filter flags and blocks legitimate transactions, this is called a false decline (or a false positive).
False declines are not usually accounted for in fraud losses because they can be tough to quantify. Many companies are unaware that many of their orders declined on fraud suspicion are actually from good customers. Yet. 58% of declined transactions have been proven to be perfectly legitimate orders. This is costing companies money.
How False Declines Happen
Since fraud filters use simple rules or algorithms that judge common characteristics of fraud as inputs, there are many reasons why a purchase can be declined.
Some typical reasons orders get declined include:
- If the location of the shopper is different than previous purchases
- The delivery address is different than the consumers billing address
- If the shopper requests the fastest shipping method
- Inconsistent order data – for example: if the zip code and city don’t match
- Larger than average order
- Multiple shipping addresses
- Multiple orders from many credit cards
- Missing card information
False declines are so common because companies are over-reliant on automation to screen their orders. For instance, there might be a legitimate reason why the customer’s billing address doesn’t match their shipping address. And companies who only rely on simple fraud filters are missing out on several diverse data sources that give you a much more complete picture of the transaction’s risk profile.
The Cost of False Declines
While false declines have an immediate impact on revenue due to canceled orders, the main cost of false declines is the long-term result of unhappy customers. After an experience with a false decline, dissatisfied customers tend to take their business elsewhere – perhaps never to return – and spread their poor experiences with others. But that’s not the only cost of fraud.
3 Major Ways False Declines Hurt Your Company
- More unhappy customers
- Less revenue generated
- Damaged Reputation
Look at a false positive from the lens of a buyer: You spend hours researching a product online, comparing features, and reading reviews. Finally, you decide to buy the item at a trusted store, only to have your purchase blocked by the store. How would that make you feel about the company you had decided to trust?
From a customer’s perspective, a false decline can be unsettling. More than 80% of cardholders who experienced a false decline said it wasn’t just inconvenient but embarrassing and aggravating.
In Javelin’s survey of 3,200 U.S. consumers, 32% said they wouldn’t shop with a merchant again following a decline.
Less Revenue Generated
False declines cost a lot more money than you think. Since the value of declined orders is 1.6 times higher than the average purchase, online merchants are losing more revenue to false declines.
Javelin reports that U.S. merchants lose nearly $118 billion each year to falsely declined transactions. This may be because most eCommerce merchants don’t realize that false declines can cost them up to 13 times as much as fraud itself.
According to the Merchant Risk Council’s 2017 Global Fraud Survey, the average online store declined 2.6% of all incoming orders because of fraud concerns. These same merchants declined 3.1% of all orders valued at over $100.
Frequently after having a negative experience with a company, consumers find outlets to vent their frustrations. An American Express study found that consumers tell an average of nine people about their good experiences, but they tell 16 people about the bad ones.
These days, poor buying experiences don’t just spread by word-of-mouth. They’re glorified all over social media, product reviews, and business review sites. Consumers trust other consumers. These reviews placed on the internet by other consumers shape the decisions of future potential customers.
How to Reduce False Declines
1. Stop Relying on Gateway Filters: Unfortunately, simple rules such as auto-declining orders with an AVS mismatch are not a smart way to manage fraud. In fact, at NoFraud, we find that about 90% of transactions with an AVS mismatch are accepted as good orders. If you’re relying only on gateway filters, you’re almost certainly being way too conservative in your approach.
2. Rely on Dedicated Fraud Analysts: In organizations where customer service representatives primarily manage fraud screening, you might have more false declines than expected. This is because most CSRs don’t have the expertise or incentives to take measured risks regarding fraud pass/fail decisions.
While it’s easy to determine which representative is responsible for approving an order that ended up being a chargeback, false declines are nearly impossible to track. Additionally, CSR performance is measured based on customer satisfaction, not on revenue or order approval rates. Therefore, most CSRs tend to be overly cautious, resulting in more false positives.
3. Choose the Right Partners: There’s a reason why full-service fraud prevention solutions are known to improve order approval rates. Fraud companies leverage diverse data sources and large customer networks that eCommerce businesses just don’t have access to. This results in far more accurate decisions than simple rules-based filters can provide.
At NoFraud, accurate decision-making is nothing short of an obsession. We know through experience that pushing order approval rates as high as possible requires a combination of powerful analytics, diversified data sources, AND expert review. While 99.5% of transactions are determined through advanced machine learning, NoFraud also automatically escalates all “grey” orders to seasoned fraud analysts. We call this Proactive Review, and it’s the reason why merchants who switch to NoFraud can cut their order declines in half.
False declines can be highly damaging to a company’s bottom line. With the continuous growth of the eCommerce industry, merchants need to realize how false declines happen, and more importantly, how they can prevent them.


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Nissan Leaf crowned Britain’s most iconic electric car
A DrivingElectric survey has revealed the Nissan Leaf is officially the most recognisable electric car on sale
A DrivingElectric survey of more than 700 people has revealed the Nissan Leaf as the most recognisable electric vehicle on sale. Now in its second generation and celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020, the Leaf is also the world’s best-selling electric car to date.
Of the survey respondents, 94% recognised the Leaf, with the Tesla Model S finishing a close second. The Jaguar I-Pace climbed the ladder to third place in this year’s round-up, pushing Tesla’s Model X into fourth – one place lower than before. The BMW i3 completed the top five, with the MINI Electric – new for this year’s table – in sixth.
With the exception of the MINI, new models like the Vauxhall Corsa-e, Peugeot e-208, Honda e and Mercedes EQC all occupied the second half of the table. All four beat the established Smart EQ ForTwo, however, which was ranked the least recognisable in the list of 16 electric cars. Just 45% of those surveyed had heard of the two-seat city car.
Richard Ingram, editor of DrivingElectric said: “The survey shows the brands that have been selling electric cars for the longest are the ones buyers are most aware of.
“But with the market now offering such a great array of fantastic plug-in models, it’s more important than ever that consumers do their research – and consider those models that might not be household names.”
As well as revealing the most recognisable electric cars, the survey asked respondents which manufacturers they thought were leading the charge with electric vehicle adoption. Tesla topped both of these categories, with Nissan and Jaguar completing the podium.
The third category asked those surveyed to rank manufacturers for electric-car innovation. Again, Tesla came top, with Jaguar and BMW finishing second and third respectively. However, that order was altered when the respondents were asked which maker produced the most visually appealing cars; Jaguar took top spot here, with Tesla and BMW close behind.
The full results for our 2020 electric-car survey are detailed below.
Electric car model awareness
- Nissan Leaf
- Tesla Model S
- Jaguar I-Pace
- Tesla Model X
- BMW i3
- MINI Electric
- Volkswagen e-Golf
- Hyundai Kona Electric
- Renault ZOE
- Audi e-tron
Brands leading electric-car adoption in the UK
Brands producing the most innovative electric cars
Brands producing the most visually appealing electric cars
For more information and detailed reviews of the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S and Jaguar I-Pace, plus all the other cars mentioned in these lists, click the links above – or search via the DrivingElectric homepage.
First contact: facelifted Kia EV6 will look even more like a UFO
Electric Renault Twingo revealed as £17k rival to Citroen e-C3
New Fisker Ocean Sport washes up in the UK: £36k for a 288-mile range


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With all the amazing weather recently, you'd be forgiven if you weren't fixated on the Holiday season coming later in the year.
In fact, most of the focus has been on how to get through the current lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic - with the research showing that gaming has been the answer for many!
One of the most exciting events of the year is unquestionably the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X and both Microsoft and Sony have been in a largely good spirited battle to convince us which will reign supreme.
However, in a recent interview one Microsoft Executive revealed more about his thoughts on the competition as well as some of the criticism the Xbox Series X has received so far.
Keep reading to see what he had to say...
Who is Bill Stillwell?
Bill Stillwell is part of the Microsoft Cognition Team (mixed reality). What this means is that this person is heavily focused on what can be achieved with AR and VR technology.
In other words...he really knows his stuff when it comes to the technical side of the Xbox Series X.
EXECUTIVE OPINION: Bill Stillwell (left) shared some insight into Xcloud and how Microsoft are responding to current narratives
What did he say?
In the recent interview, Stillwell covered a lot of interesting topics and shared his thoughts on them all.
Speaking about Xcloud, Microsoft's entry into the world of cloud based gaming, he reassuringly said, 'it's in a great place'.
Good news, as other cloud-based streaming services, such as Google Stadia, got off to a rocky start upon release. Luckily Google Stadia just made joining much easier.
DECEPTIVELY POWERFUL: While understated in design, it's inside the Xbox Series X which is set to impress
He went on to praise the company's move for coming together with the mission of making gaming 'accessible', reflecting on the fact that this was not the main focus in the gaming industry in the past.
However, his thoughts on the PS5 are gathering the most attention. When speaking with Dealer Gaming he went on to explain:
“I loved Sony’s talk, I think they’ve got some cool tech. I personally think we have a better console, we’re not worried about the power narrative.”
Obviously, the man is somewhat biased but what's interesting here is the mention of the 'power narrative'.
This of course is referring to an ongoing commentary for the gaming community that Xbox Series X is more concerned about power than anything else.
The Xbox Series X specs do indeed match up this claim, but is this necessarily a bad thing? Stillwell seems to think not...
Come the Holiday season this year, we're going to get a chance to decide for ourselves, and with the sudden reveal of PS5's DualSense controller we may well be inline for something from Microsoft very soon.
We'll be here to update you as soon as this happens.


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Campbell Soup appoints Yin Woon Rani as VP integrated marketing
CAMDEN, N.J. — A newly appointed executive at Campbell Soup will be responsible for establishing the company’s strategic direction for advertising, media, global design, digital marketing and social media.
The company announced Friday the appointment of Yin Woon Rani to the newly created role of VP integrated marketing, saying she will work closely with business unit marketing teams to oversee Campbell’s creative, media, digital and design agencies around the world. Rani will report to SVP and chief marketing officer Michael Senackerib and work out of Campbell’s Camden, N.J., headquarters. She was previously president for Universal McCann’s North America operations.
"Yin is a great addition to our marketing team and brings extensive strategic capabilities that will complement our existing talent and help us develop a world-class marketing organization," Senackerib said. "Her broad experience will be instrumental in leading our efforts to create integrated consumer experiences and ensure our brands have purposeful positions in the lives of people who enjoy our foods and beverages."
Reports: Amazon takes on club retailers with Pantry
NEW YORK — Club retailers like Costco and Sam’s Club may have some competition from Amazon.com, according to published reports.
USA Today reported Thursday that the Seattle-based online retailer was creating a new business called Pantry that would allow members of its Amazon Prime premium service to buy consumer packaged goods in large quantities in a box of a pre-set size. Members will be able to put in as many items as the box can fit, up to a certain weight limit, and Amazon will ship the box for a small fee, as long as everything fits and isn’t too heavy.
According to the newspaper, senior manager in vendor engagement and consumables Billy Hegeman runs Pantry, which the company plans to launch in 2014.
Amazon Wine offers 1-cent shipping on some wines
SEATTLE — Some orders placed on Amazon’s online wine store will be eligible for 1-cent shipping, the company said Thursday.
Amazon said more than 100 wine sellers had opted into the new program and would offer more than 1,000 labels of wine under it, and the company plans to increase the selection in the near future.
Participating wineries include Tudor Wines, Raymond Vineyards, Zaca Mesa Winery, Pellet Estate and Pepper Brudge Winery. The program is available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, Wyoming and the District of Columbia.
"Offering Amazon customers 1-cent shipping is a great opportunity to get Tudor Wines in front of a large number of holiday shoppers," Tudor Wines winemaker Dan Tudor said. "Amazon is one of the largest and strongest online shopping sites with an incredible brand reputation, and we view the Amazon Wine store as an extension of our e-commerce business."


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Continental recently launched a Catering & Events division it intends to build into a top off-premise catering option for customers in the metro Detroit market. It is expected to complement one of the company’s more unique offerings: a pair of luxury yachts—including the tri-level, 300-passenger Ovation—that it owns and uses to host catered events Continental also plans to open a modern culinary center in Oakland (MI) County to serve as a showcase for its services and capabilities.
Another major new initiative is an unmanned round-the-clock c-store concept called Market 24/7 designed for small-population sites that features a minimal footprint and offers greater variety, including fresh food choices, than traditional vending programs.
STERLING HEIGHTS, MI
Major Segments Served:
B&I (53%), Convention/Conference Ctrs. (13%), Corrections (11%), College/University (9%), Hospitals (7%), K-12 (5%),
Museums/Perf. Art. Ctrs. (2%)
No. of Contracts


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The bKash users can pay their water bills of Dhaka WASA and Chattogram WASA anytime from home during the Covid-19 prevention period.
"Around 3.80 lakh customers of Dhaka WASA and around 72,000 customers of Chattogram WASA will now be able to pay water bills without any charge for the current month or the bill with due amount," said a bKash press release issued today.
Convenient, seamless and secure water bill payment is ensured with this service which saves extra time and money for the customers as they do not need to go to banks and stand in long queues, the release added.
If the customers want, they can also check the amount of their water bills from bKash. Besides, customers will get an e-receipt immediately after bill payment for keeping records.
To pay bill, customers have to select 'Water' from 'Pay Bill' option of bKash app and choose Dhaka WASA or Chattogram WASA. After selecting the bill period, they need to enter the bill number. Later the bill payment process will be completed by entering bKash PIN.
The bill payment will be successful immediately and the customer will also receive an e-receipt with service provider and bKash logo. If customers want, they can save their bill number in the bKash app to pay future bills easily.
There is also an opportunity to pay water bills by dialing USSD code *247# and following some interactive steps.
However, customers can also pay prepaid and postpaid electricity bills of all electricity distribution companies across the country through bKash.
Besides that, bill payment options for gas, telephone, internet, DTH, City Corporation taxes and educational institutes are also available in bKash.


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The George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) is buzzing with excitement about its new bee colonies. That’s right! Bee Colonies!
The GRB kicked off the new sustainable farm project in partnership with its hospitality partner, Levy, at the beginning of fall 2018. This is all part of the GRB and Levy’s efforts to create an on-site garden and promote local flavors.
With four new honeybee colonies on-site, these colonies will produce honey used in food prepared at the venue. Currently, there are plans to incorporate honey harvested from the hives into the GRB’s signature menu items, like their avocado-honey and lime vinaigrette and even as a component of artisan cheese displays. Meanwhile, the additional byproducts created by the hives, such as beeswax, will be used to make products like lip balms.
Just imagine visiting the GRB and grabbing a tube of GR-Balm. Hmm...
Levy’s executive chef, Dominic Soucie, and its culinary team will care to the hives on a day-to-day basis, while team members from across the building will have the opportunity to participate in beekeeping. The new farming project provides opportunities to gain the skills about beekeeping and sustainable care as well as promote greater respect and care for the food they work with on a daily basis.
GRB visitors can get an up-close and personal look at these bees through windows located adjacent to the South End’s balcony on the 2nd-floor concourse.


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Laurence Robertson MP uses data supplied from the NFRN to outline how the latest crime figures show a worrying increase in retail theft.
A delegation from the Northern district met with Northumbria PCC Kim McGuinness to discuss retail crime and how it affects members’ businesses in Northumbria.
The NFRN has welcomed the government’s commitment to recruit 20,000 additional police officers over the next three years.
Check out the latest trade stories from RN that we think you may be interested in.
NFRN Immediate Past President Mike Mitchelson has made a direct appeal to Sajid Javid for more action to be taken to protect independent retailers from crime.


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BORNEO WILDLIFE SUPERCHARGED WITH NIKON D500 BY C.S.LING
C.S.Ling photographing the amazing wildlife of Borneo on with the new Nikon D500; Nikon’s flagship DX-format digital SLR camera announced worldwide on 6th Jan 2016.
For more photos, please visit the photo gallery at http://wildlife.cslingphotography.com
Nikon D500 is a flagship DX-format digital SLR camera offering the supreme performance of the D5 in a compact, lightweight body.
More info at Nikon D500 microsite.


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Apple's new stand on template-driven applications will mean iPhone apps generated through automated tools may soon be barred from the App Store, says a blog post.
According to a blog post from Mobile Roadie founder Michael Schneider, Apple is clamping down on apps which duplicate mobile Web sites or blogs.
Mobile Roadie offers a tool which generates mobile apps for the iPhone and Android platforms, and is touted by its founders to be able to put an app together from scratch "in minutes".
While Schneider's blog post has been taken down, other blogs online have noted its salient points: "cookie cutter" apps will no longer be accepted in Apple's App Store. Meanwhile, Schneider's team has been offered suggestions on features that can be added to the company's product.
According to a TechCrunch report which followed, a fellow automated service from Appmakr has also been instructed on how to beef up its tool, so Appmakr's users will be able to gain entry into the App Store.
The service will add new features such as instant notifications, in-app purchases and offline access, in order to differentiate users' apps from what could otherwise be produced for a mobile browser, said the report.
Jimmy Yap, who has an iPhone app version of his blog, iMerlion, told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail interview that he was careful to pack additional functionality into the app when it was developed.
Here, the iMerlion app has an app directory, which the blog does not, said Yap.
"I think [Apple's decision] is a great idea. Developers are complaining that there are too many apps on the App Store, making quality apps hard to find," he said.
He pointed to SingTel's "disappointing" iPhone version of its InSing Web portal, which is identical to the portal's mobile version.
Yap's app was made by 2359 Media. He hinted that a new version of the app will take advantage of the iPhone's location-aware capabilities.
Medialets CEO Eric Litman offered TechCrunch a possible reason for Apple's crackdown: "Apple wants iPhone apps to be superior to Web experiences because they are extremely sticky and drive people specifically to buy the iPhone over competing smartphone platforms.
"Apps that are too simple or largely indistinguishable from the Web, other apps or particularly other apps on other platforms send the message to end users that the iPhone app ecosystem might not be particularly special."
Apple has been on a drive to clean out the App Store. Last week, it pulled Wi-Fi detection apps, saying these infringe on the use of private APIs, although it did not specify which. Prior to that, Apple banned apps containing sexually-suggestive material, which it said was in response to complaints from users.
Separate from the on-device App Store, Apple maintains a list of 4,413 mobile browser-based apps, at time of writing.


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CMS has announced the implementation of the NADAC survey. Under this initiative, a CMS contractor will conduct monthly surveys of retail pharmacies nationwide to determine a national weighted average invoice price for retail pharmacy drugs, and then publish and update those “NADACs” on at least a monthly basis on the CMS website. CMS believes NADACs will be a better indicator of pharmacy acquisition costs than other currently available published price figures, such as Average Wholesale Price (or AWP), and hopes state Medicaid programs will adopt NADAC as the basis for pharmacy reimbursement rates. The expectation is that use of NADAC for this purpose will generate savings for both the federal government (which reimburses states for at least 50% of their Medicaid expenditures) and the state Medicaid programs .
CMS first proposed the creation of NADACs last summer. Stakeholders submitted comments regarding that proposal and the current implementation plan, detailed in a “Draft Methodology” document included on the CMS website, responds to that stakeholder input. CMS appears poised to implement the NADAC survey immediately, with survey requests going out to pharmacies as early as today, June 1. Surveys are due within 14 days, which puts CMS in the position to potentially release its first NADAC file at the end of June, for states to use effective July.
Publication of NADACs would represent a significant move toward price transparency in the retail pharmacy marketplace. The public availability of these prices means that private payers and manufacturers also will gain insight into current retail prices, and potentially use those data for their own commercial purposes as well.
CMS is accepting comments on its Draft Methodology until June 21, 2012, at RPS@cms.hhs.gov.
Further detail is available through a Hogan Lovells Health Alert published on June 4, 2012.


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Taking a look back at another week of news from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes a video of all the latest iPhone 7 leaks, the battery issues in iOS 9.2, the enterprise fixes in iOS 9.2.1, the tactical release of the iPhone 6C, Apple's new music recording app, new app prices in the App Store, availability details on the Hermes leather wristbands for the Apple Watch, and Iron Maiden's iPhone debut.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can read the weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes).
This Is What The iPhone 7 Leaks Look Like
What happens when you take all the leaks and information we know about the iPhone 7 and put them together in a visualisation? That's what the team at iPhone-Tricks has done. From borderless screens and integrated TouchID, to new icon sizes and iOS 10 tweaks, it's all presented in an Apple-esque video.
It's worth stressing that this is not a leak of the iPhone 7, it's the leaks given visual form with some artistic licence. That said, if the iPhone 7 turns out looking anything like this, it's going to be a stunning challenge to the competition.
When Battery Life Is A Mystery
Moving on to iOS 9.2, and more bugs have been acknowledged by Apple. This time it's the turn of the battery indicator on the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S, which is misreporting the battery status. Gordon Kelly reports:
Taking to its official support pages, Apple has admitted iOS 9.2 is causing a battery problem for both the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. The glitch causes the battery percentage to freeze and neither further battery drain nor charging will be reflected in the displayed charge level. To be clear: the batteries still work, iOS just doesn’t report it correctly.
More details, along with notes on a temporary fix, can be found here on Forbes.
Enterprise Bugfix for iOS 9.2.1
In the meantime, Apple has released iOS 9.2.1. While this does not address the battery percentage indicator, it does include a fix for the Mobile Device Management installation issues. These were typically found by Enterprise IT departments rolling out applications to a fleet of devices. Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham:
Apple's release notes are less forthcoming than they usually are. iOS 9.2.1 provides non-specific security and bug fixes as well as "a fix for an issue that could prevent the completion of app installation when using an MDM (Mobile Device Management) server... Apple tells us it's still looking into the battery percentage indicator issue and that there's no fix available in 9.2.1.
A bigger question is whether you should upgrade to iOS 9.2.1 or stay where you are. Apple has addressed many bugs, although as noted the battery issue is one that has still to be addressed. The good news is that there are very few reports of consistent errors with 9.2.1, so although there are omissions, it's a good update to consider installing as soon as possible:
Happily the vast majority of users are reporting that the iOS 9.2.1 update performs smoothly and I’ve yet to see anyone report it hanging their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Some have also commented that their device feels sharper and smoother after upgrading, which would suggest Apple quietly dropped in some performance optimisations (it often leaves an easter egg or two).
Tactical iPhone 6C Release Dates
Josh Smith gathers together as much as we know about the iPhone 6C, the four-inch version of the iPhone 6 family that many believe will announced at an Apple event in March. While the idea of a second Apple Watch is cooling, the rumor mill around the 5C replacement continues to grow. If everything works out, expect the 6C to reach stores in April.
The iPhone 6c release date could come as soon as two weeks after an Apple Event in March 2016. Depending on the timing, this could mean that the iPhone 6c release date will arrive in late March or early April. Apple routinely announces new products and then offers them for sale within a few weeks. The outliers to this pattern are brand new products which may see a public unveiling months ahead of time.
The odds are good that Apple will offer a pre-order within a week or so of the announcement and an iPhone 6c release date shortly after.
An iPhone 6C announced in March would dominate the headlines, and an April release would ensure a significant volume of reviews and commentary for a four- to five-week period... a period where Samsung would likely be marketing the Galaxy S7 family ahead of its public availability. Congratulations Tim Cook, you have the potential of a strong iPhone release and an opportunity to weaken the competition. Well played.


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Shanghai to begin building long-sought Disney park
SHANGHAI (AP) -- Walt Disney Co. and its Shanghai partner are breaking ground Friday for a long-awaited theme park that Disney hopes will draw legions of newly affluent Chinese and provide a cornerstone for its brand in the world's most populous country.
After about a decade's worth of speculation over the plan, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Shanghai dignitaries were attending the groundbreaking ceremony in former farm and factory grounds southeast of the city.
The theme park is estimated to cost about $3.6 billion and Shanghai, China's commercial capital, plans for it to be part of an "international tourism resort" zone located not far from the city's main international airport in Pudong.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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SINGAPORE, Sept 25 (Bernama): Singapore which is still in talks with Malaysia on the reopening of border for daily commuters, has preliminarily confirmed 11 new cases of Covid-19 infection in the past 24 hours.
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): All Covid-19 pre-departure test results for travellers from India entering Singapore must come from recognised labs which are internationally accredited or endorsed by the Indian government, said Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH).
(Reuters) - Global coronavirus cases are expected to pass 30 million on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic showing no signs of slowing.
BANGKOK, Sept 12 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported five new cases over a 24-hour period on Saturday (Sept 12).
PUTRAJAYA: The Benteng LD (Lahad Datu) cluster in Sabah continues to record an increase in infections with 40 out of 45 new cases linked to it.
PUTRAJAYA: The spread of Covid-19 among prison detainees could have been mitigated if new inmates were separated from older ones, says Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
BEIJING (China Daily/ANN): Wumart Group is aware of the growing influence of e-commerce on traditional retail and the supermarket chain will not only integrate the new sales channel into its operations but make online shopping a new growth engine, its founder said.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept 5 (Borneo Bulletin/ANN): Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) has been placed in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for the second consecutive year.
PUTRAJAYA: The Sivagangga Covid-19 cluster is five days away from being declared closed since no new cases have been detected in 23 days, says the Health Ministry.
Hubs For Good collaboration supports the development of creative hubs across Malaysia.


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Research by our The Works partner Direct Line for Business showed that 52 % of tradespeople polled have attended a call out to find that the customer was not home, and 35% said that customers had sometimes failed to show up at all. 18% of tradespeople said that they have been given a wrong address by a customer for a call.
Though a missing customer or a wrong address isn’t the only challenge that locksmiths, plumbers, electricians and other tradespeople face; getting paid for the work they do can be a struggle. The survey discovered that within the last year, nearly one in five (18%) tradespeople had completed jobs, only to find customers did not have funds to pay them.
Customers have come up with creative solutions to avoid paying their bills, just over one in 10 (11%) said that customers had tried to pay their bill with goods and services, with one in 25 (4%) propositioned in lieu of pay!
The research also outlined tradespeople’s most frivolous callouts, including:
- A carpenter was called to a property where he had recently fitted a new door and told the lock did not work, only to find that the customer was using her old key.
- Electricians being called out to change light bulbs, with one finding this out only after travelling eight miles to the customer’s house.
- A gardener on a call was tasked with catching a customer’s goats.
Have you ever taken a kitchen to a job and found that nobody is in? Comments welcome.


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Stardew Valley's cozy take on having your own farm proved to be a goldmine of long-lasting appeal, as the thousands of players seeing to their crops at any time clearly attests. Since it continues to receive updates five years after launch, those players who've yet to hop on board might want to know whether or not we could see it coming to Xbox Game Pass or its PC counterpart in 2021.
Stardew Valley has avoided Xbox Game Pass thus far but that will change later this year, which is very welcome news.
During August's ID@Xbox Showcase, creator Eric Barone confirmed that Stardew Valley will arrive on Xbox Game Pass, for both console and PC, later in 2021.
If you've yet to try out the title, you should find it on Microsoft's subscription service "probably sometime in the fall." A set release date wasn't given at the time but, as of December 2, 2021, Stardew Valley is available on Xbox Game Pass.
Stardew Valley originally released on PC but has since arrived on more platforms, including last-gen consoles and mobile devices. Its addition to the Game Pass library marks the next step in its post-launch journey after update 1.5 introduced a brand new region to the game.
Keep updated on the latest PC Gaming news by following GameWatcher on Twitter, checking out our videos on YouTube, giving us a like on Facebook, and joining us on Discord.


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Gov. Robert Bentley on Aug. 28.jpg
Gov. Robert Bentley said Monday that more trade with Cuba would benefit the Cubans and Alabama businesses and farmers. (Mike Casonemail@example.com)
Gov. Robert Bentley said he supports increasing U.S. trade with Cuba, saying it would benefit Alabama businesses and help transform the Communist country.
Bentley was asked Monday about President Obama's visit to Cuba while the governor was in Monroe County promoting his initiatives to help rural Alabama.
Obama is the first U.S. president to visit the island nation since 1928.
"If you start free trade with a Communist country, allow them to develop their own businesses, they don't remain communistic," Bentley said. "They become a free society when they're able to make money themselves and we increase trade with them and allow them to really produce products."
Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced in December 2014 a restoration of diplomatic relations and a move to normalize trade and travel.
Last month, the Treasury Department approved an Alabama company's request to open the first U.S. factory in Cuba since Fidel Castro took power in 1959.
The company will build tractors. And it's not the state's first effort to step up trade with Cuba.
Alabama shipped about $32.8 million worth of goods to Cuba in 2014, according to the Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Alabama has agriculture officials have pursued trade with Cuba for more than a decade.
"We've sent telephone poles and chicken and fish, ggricultural products and timber products," Bentley said. "We've been working with Cuba for a long time."
Bentley said the port of Mobile allows a direct trade route with Cuba.
"I think it helps farmers, it helps small businesses and it truly frees a nation. And I think that's how you free Cuba," Bentley said.
Updated at 10:41 a.m. to add information about earlier Alabama trade with Cuba.


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hatsApp has launched a new feature that lets you share your Status to your Facebook story. While the announcement was not made officially users tweeted about the arrival of the tool.
The company, however, posted an FAQ on “How to share WhatsApp status updates to other apps” soon before the feature started showing up on some devices.
Users can for it by going to My Status, and tapping Share to Facebook Story. If prompted tap Allow or Open to open the Facebook app. In the Facebook app, select the audience you want to share with, and then tap Share Now.
This option can only be accessed if you have Facebook for iOS, Facebook for Android or Facebook Lite installed on your device.
To use this feature tap on the share button which will show you the apps you can share your WhatsApp status with.
Tapping on ‘Share to Facebook Story’ will let you share WhatsApp Status to Facebook Story.
The rollout appears to be a part of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to create a unified app combining WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram to let over 2.6 billion users communicate with each other cross-apps by 2020.


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Amazon defends warehouse safety following report on injuries
Amazon on Tuesday defended its warehouse safety record after a news investigation pointed to a higher-than-average injury rate in the company's massive logistics operations.
A report released by the Center for Investigative Reporting's Reveal project found Amazon fulfillment centers recorded 14,000 serious injuries in 2019 requiring days off or job restrictions.
The report, citing internal documents, concluded that the overall rate of 7.7 serious injuries per 100 employees was 33 percent higher than in 2016 and nearly double the industry standard.
The Reveal report, based on data from 2016 through 2019 from more than 150 US-based Amazon warehouses, suggested that Amazon's claims on workplace safety belied the statistics.
The report comes amid a wave of complaints over working conditions at Amazon warehouses, even as the company has touted its hefty investments in workplace safety, stepped up during the coronavirus pandemic.
Responding to the report, Amazon strongly denied misleading the public and claimed Reveal's interpretation of the data was wrong.
"We strongly refute the claims that we've misled anyone. At Amazon, we are known for obsessing over customers—but we also obsess about our employees and their safety," the company said in an email to AFP.
Amazon said Reveal was "misinformed" regarding a safety metric of the government's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The company said there is no industry standard on "serious incident rate," and that using that metric distorts Amazon's policy which "encourages someone with any type of injury, for example a small strain or sprain, to stay away from work until they're better."
Amazon, which has some 900,000 employees worldwide, in 2020 alone has committed some $1 billion to workplace safety to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.
© 2020 AFP


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|front page - search - community|
Burger King seeks operator for its inner-city restaurants
(Published April 22, 2002)
By ERIKA WAAK
Burger King restaurant’s flaming broilers are out cold in two D.C. neighborhoods due to a lengthy legal dispute between Burger King Corp. and the former franchisee, La-Van Hawkins.
The two locations that suddenly closed and were boarded up in early April are located in the Skyland Shopping Center at 2626 Naylor Road SE and near Howard University at 2730 Georgia Avenue NW.
The Miami-based fast-food chain currently is working with the property owners and a local franchisee in an attempt to re-open these restaurants soon, said Laina Hanna, the corporation’s communications manager.
Burger King Corp. has operated three Burger King restaurants in the D.C. area that were formerly operated by Hawkins since December 2000, when a federal judge dismissed Hawkins’ longstanding claims of fraud, racial discrimination and breach of contract against the chain. Burger King had counter-sued Hawkins for unpaid debts and royalties it said Hawkins owed the company.
Burger King attorney Tony Moraleajo said the fast-food chain operated the two D.C. restaurants and a third one on Indian Head Highway in suburban Oxon Hill, Md., under a "temporary pre-occupancy agreement," which renewed on a weekly basis but was terminated on April 5.
"It’s too early to tell when the Burger King restaurants will reopen," Moraleajo said. "Burger King Corp. can no longer operate these restaurants, and La-Van Hawkins is no longer in our system."
Hawkins could not be reached for comment.
In 1998 Hawkins, chairman of Baltimore-based La-Van Hawkins Urban City Foods, announced plans to open a total of 25 Burger King restaurants in the District’s Northeast and Southeast quadrants and in Prince George’s County, Md. Hawkins, who is known nationally as one of the most successful black entrepreneurs in fast-food circles, touted a strategy of serving the under-served inner city of several major urban areas and providing training and jobs to unemployed minority youth.
However, Hawkins has encountered a string of lawsuits in recent years from vendors, contractors and others relating to his businesses. And in addition to Hawkins’ legal dispute with Burger King, his Washington-area restaurants may also have outstanding regulatory issues with the D.C. government.
"We didn’t have a restaurant license issued to the 2626 Naylor Road address," said Gina Douglas, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. "We found a cigarette license and some other kind of license, but no restaurant license."
While the closing of the Naylor Road Burger King on April 5 and the Georgia Avenue one on April 11 meant at least the temporary loss of jobs for those restaurants’ workers, at least one local official said she doesn’t consider the closing of Ward 7’s Burger King to be a big loss for her neighborhood.
"One less fast food restaurant doesn’t break my heart, and I haven’t heard from anyone else who’s upset about losing it," said Kathy Chamberlain, an advisory neighborhood commissioner who represents the area that includes Skyland Shopping Center.
Copyright 2002, The Common Denominator


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For Apple TV new app to presentationhost October Apple has released an updated app for Apple TV Events of the 5th generation. Update timed the upcoming event which will take place on October 30.
To download the novelty in the App Store for tvOS directly from the menu of the console.
Apple entered the date and time of the presentation. Curious looks and logo applications: full abstraction with bizarre geometric shapes.
From the upcoming presentation we are waiting for new iPad Pro, executed in frameless design, and maybe an updated generation notebooks and Mac computers. Regarding Mac, there was a special confidence. Just yesterday, Apple registered a new Mac in Russia.
Read more •••


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In anticipation of Ontario’s new vaccine passport, the group created an immunization verification tool that allows users to upload their receipt from the Ministry of Health and convert it to an Apple pass or photo for easy access. They say it’s a way to save customers and businesses time when verifying certificates.
“It takes time to enforce the mandate; if we can help save even 10 seconds per person, you can do [doing business] much easier, ”said Billy Lo, one of the volunteers who developed the tool, which is available at grassroots.vaccine-ontario.ca.
Ontario’s official QR code will be available on October 22, and volunteers say users will once again be able to update their Apple Wallet pass when it comes out.
The initiative comes as the province’s COVID-19 passport system launched on Wednesday, September 22, with its own verification app and an enhanced vaccination receipt with a QR code is expected on October 22. In the meantime, customers will have to show their receipt. to enter many non-essential locations.
These include restaurants, bars, gyms, gymnasiums, theaters, cinemas and casinos. Staff at these sites should ask clients to prove that they have received two doses of an approved vaccine at least two weeks previously, as well as a piece of identification that matches their vaccination document.
Faster for businesses to verify
Here’s how it works: Users can go to grassroots.vaccine-ontario.ca on their phone and download their official Department of Health vaccination receipt.
After downloading, users have the option to save the QR code to their digital Apple Wallet or save the QR code as a photo.
Once in the Apple Wallet or saved as a photo, businesses can scan the green QR code through their phone’s camera, which then displays a prompt that the vaccination status has been verified.
It is an alternative to the current system in the province which will require showing a physical or digital copy of the vaccination receipt issued by the ministry until October 22.
“Simple color coding will speed things up,” Lo said.
He said the QR code provides transparency to the current system. Vaccination receipts contain a lot of personal and medical information, while their QR code uses a randomly generated 36 character token for verification.
The reception has been massive, Lo said. In the past few days, he said they have grown from 30,000 users to 485,000.
Meanwhile, the provincial government’s internal audit app will only be aimed at businesses when it is released at the end of next month, said Kaleed Rasheed, associate minister for digital government. Customers will receive a QR code and businesses will use the new app to scan the codes. The QR code is developed by the Ministry of Health.
“I think it’s very convenient, user-friendly, and the interface is great,” Rasheed said. “I think businesses will like the product we are launching. “
Rasheed said the province is on track to release the verification app by October 22. While developing the app, Rasheed said the ministry received “very good feedback” from companies it consulted with.
“The verification app will be downloadable from Google Play or the Apple Store,” Rasheed said. “You scan a QR code, and it will provide a check mark for someone to enter the facility, or an X that shows you are not fully immunized. “
As for the grassroots vaccine checker, Rasheed said his priority is to protect privacy, and he added that the government app will do just that.
The Department of Health reaffirmed Rasheed’s statements, saying he “takes the privacy of Ontarians’ health data seriously.” as he develops the QR code that will go live next month.
“In the meantime, Ontarians can download a secure certificate with a watermark or use the receipt that was emailed to them or given to them at the time of vaccination,” ministry spokeswoman Alexandra Hilkene said in an email.


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A list of freebies and discounts for military members on Veterans Day.For a more comprehensive list of military freebies and discounts—some of which are valid beyond just Veterans Day—check out Military.com. Read next: All the.
Veterans Day: Discounts & Freebies For Military Service
Veterans' Day Freebies 2016 - Atlantas Frugal MomAdditionally, from November 12 through November 16, military members will receive 20% off their check.
Veterans Day Parades and Military Deals Freebies South Shore Boston 2017.
Discount and Freebies for Veterans and Active DutyActive duty members of the military and veterans get a free grilled cheese sandwich. 2017 Veterans Day freebies:.
Veterans Day Freebies For Military | Pad NewsRed Lobster will allow veterans, active-duty military and reservists with a valid military ID or proof of service to choose a free appetizer or dessert from a special menu on Saturday, November 11.
Veterans Day Free Meals 2017: Which Restaurants Are
Businesses across the nation are thanking veterans with freebies and deals on and around Veterans Day, which. meal to military veterans and active.A running list of freebies and discounts for our military men and women.Take a look at all the freebies and discounts vets and current military personnel can snag on Veterans Day,.This Veterans Day, all former and active duty service members of the military can enjoy a free appetizer.Veterans and active duty military get free food at restaurants and free admission at museums and theme parks over Memorial Day weekend 2017.A number of local businesses and restaurants are offering deals for military veterans in observance of the special day.
Businesses Serve Up Veterans Day 'Thank Yous - NBC NewsBelow is a list of deals and freebies participating businesses are.
Veterans Day 2017 promotions, initiatives, freebies, events
Veterans Day Discounts and Freebies | Military.com
This Veterans Day, businesses will honor those actively serving or who have served with Veterans Day military discounts,.Home Depot offers a 10 percent discount year round for active duty and retired military personnel.This offer is valid on Saturday, November 11th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time.LongHorn Steakhouse will offer a free appetizer or dessert (no purchase required, no restrictions) to anyone showing proof of military service.Posted 12:30 pm, November 2, 2017, by Web Staff, Updated at 04:45PM, November 9, 2017.On November 11th we celebrate the service of U.S. military veterans.
Free entree from a special menu to active-duty military and military veterans on Veterans Day.Many restaurants, retailers and theme parks offer free meals or discounts for veterans and active duty military personnel on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Be sure to.California Pizza Kitchen is offering a free entree from a special Veterans Day menu at all participating restaurants in the U.S. to all active and retired military.A number of businesses are offering deals and freebies for veterans and active duty service members this Veterans Day. Veterans and military.
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Written on the 1 December 2016
What's in store?
Riccardo Briganti Investment Specialist, BT Advice
Economic data has taken a back seat in recent weeks as the US presidential race and the eventual election of Trump has dominated attention. Now that the election is out of the way, focus is likely to return to economic statistics to inform investment decisions including likely central bank decisions. The US Federal Reserve (the Fed) is due to meet on December 13-14 while the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) meets in early December.
US economic data has recently presented an economy where positive developments in some areas have been offset by weakness in other areas. This has seen overall growth struggle to break higher, but the risk of recession has been held at bay. The labour market has been the most consistent area of strength but even it has suffered its share of setbacks. Nevertheless, most recently the news has been positive. Non-farm payrolls increased by 161,000 in October with the unemployment rate at 4.9%, slightly below the rate seen a year earlier.
The closely watched ISM index a measure of the strength of the US manufacturing sector also pointed to further improvement, following a lull earlier in the year. The index increased to 51.9 in October from 51.5 a month earlier. A reading above 50 suggests the manufacturing sector is expanding. The related measure for the non-manufacturing sector fell to 54.8 from 57.1 a month earlier.
In contrast, consumer confidence has faltered. The two main measures - the Michigan University survey of consumer confidence and the Conference Board Consumer Confidence index both tumbled in October to the lowest levels since September 2015. It should be noted that, despite the drop, sentiment remains slightly better than the long term average. Election uncertainty has likely played a part in denting confidence. As a result, it will be important to monitor upcoming readings for the post-election impact.
Another US Fed rate hike has been talked about, not least by the Fed, since the first increase in December 2015. US and global growth concerns often triggered by geopolitical events such as Brexit stayed the Fed's hand through most of 2016. Trump's victory was initially seen as another limiting factor, but the fed futures market is now predicting a greater than 75% chance of an increase at the December meeting.
In Australia, the National Accounts released in September showed the economy grew 0.5% in the June quarter to be 3.3% above year ago levels. Private investment remains weak but consumption spending and exports supported the economy. The RBA has increasingly made clear that rate cuts in May and August this year were not prompted by concerns around growth, but rather reflected low inflation and a desire to ensure inflation expectations did not become too negative. There are few signs inflation pressures are substantially increasing in Australia with the headline and underlying inflation figures still below the RBA's 2-3% target range. The next official inflation reading will be available on 25 January 2017.
As in the US, other economic data remains mixed. While consumption provided a strong contribution to June quarter growth, more recent data has been less positive suggesting retail sales increases were largely due to price increases rather than increased sales volumes. Nevertheless, the unemployment rate continues to slowly trend lower reaching 5.6% in September compared to 5.7% a month earlier and 5.9% a year ago.


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The 10th international congress of retailers and suppliers “World of Trade 2019” was held in Almaty
The anniversary convention brought together on one platform key players in the retail industry: distributors, suppliers, manufacturers from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Tajikistan, Germany, the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Belarus, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as representatives of government bodies of Kazakhstan.
The organizer is EXIM EXPO, the only operator in the market of Kazakhstan to conduct business events for heads of companies in the retail industry. The event was supported by the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs «Atameken».
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HMD Global, makers of Nokia-branded mobile phones, is set to inaugurate its own smartphone line. The Finnish mobile phone maker is reportedly working on two smartphones, which would be called HMD Global Legend and HMD Global Legend Pro – according to a news report on 91mobiles.
The report states that both smartphones have appeared in a listing on the performance benchmarking platform Geekbench, revealing key specification details. As per the listing, both smartphones would be powered by an octa-core chipset, paired with Mali G57 graphic processing unit (GPU). This chip is expected to be the Unisoc T606, which has been part of select Nokia-branded smartphones.
The Geekbench score suggests that the HMD Global Legend could feature 4GB RAM, while the Legend Pro model could offer 8GB RAM. The listing also revealed that both the smartphones could offer the latest Android 14 operating system out-of-the-box.
HMD Global has not revealed any details about the upcoming smartphones. However, its official social media handle on X (formerly Twitter) has been posting teaser images for an upcoming smartphone in Blue, Green and Pink colours.
In one of the recent posts on X, HMD previewed an upcoming device in pink colour, featuring a flat frame design with contoured edges and a flat screen housing a selfie camera in punch hole design. The teaser image comes with a caption that reads, “We're shaking things up with a new look!”
HMD could be launching as many as three devices in its first batch, 91mobiles reported. The company previously announced that it would be hosting an event at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It is likely that the upcoming devices under the new brand name could be unveiled during the event.


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Holly’s Funerals of Cranbrook has won the first Business Edge competition, staged by Wealden Business Group.
The Business Edge scheme was designed to help start-up businesses launched in the past three years.
Holly’s Funerals wins a year’s membership of the Group, and free one-to-one sessions with its business advisers, including specialists in marketing, finance, law and IT.
In their presentation to WBG members, Holly and Andy Clarke, the principals of Holly’s Funerals, said there had been a fundamental shift in the style and focus of funerals, which they said should always be “a supportive and loving experience”.
Their business was launched two years ago – previously Holly had been an artist and sculptor, while Andy was a marketing manager for an investment firm.
They said that their first question to clients was “what do you want to achieve with the funeral”, and offered advice on where the ceremony could take place – not just a church or crematorium, but also the more intimate surroundings of a garden, marquee or even a private home.
Runners-up in the competition were Ashford-based companies Heavenly Chocolates and style coach Julie Daniel.