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‘The essence of consulting is bespoke content’: Bleacher Report Football and Puma release hip-hop track
Bleacher Report Football has ambitions to create content that sits at the intersection of football and culture, whether that’s fashion, film or, most recently, music.
As part of an ongoing partnership with Puma, on Monday Bleacher Report is releasing a hip-hop track with one of Puma’s most well-known players, Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku. The striker has worked with Belgian urban artist and childhood friend TheColorGrey on the song where the duo recalls their tough upbringings.
The track, called “New Levels,” will be distributed through Bleacher Report Football’s social accounts and app, along with accompanying behind-the-scenes footage of the content. It will be released on Spotify and Apple Music, appearing on TheColorGrey’s profiles. This marks the first time Bleacher Report Football has created a song in full, the publisher has been behind some editorial raps, like a post-World Cup track from freestyle rapper Gemini. For the behind-the-scenes video, the Puma and B/R logos appear at the end. Turner Music, whose parent company Turner acquired Bleacher Report in 2012, will own the licensing.
“This is a good barometer of where we want to be: content first which features a brand that shines beyond the feed,” said Lee Walker, international managing editor at Bleacher Report. “More so [now] than ever, there’s an attention deficit for content.”
Bleacher Report Football, based in London and formerly Bleacher Report UK, has been working with Puma for a year, and the sports brand is the publisher’s biggest global football partner outside the U.S. Historically, Puma has toggled between third or fourth, behind competitors like Adidas and Nike in the football world, which arguably have bigger ad budgets, according to the publisher. Puma knew it needed a shot of creativity to start leveling the field.
In the past year, Bleacher Report Football has created a number of content campaigns for the brand over a number of different events like kit launches, new player announcements and reactive moments within the game. According to CrowdTangle data, via Bleacher Report Football, this content has had 24 million video views, excluding Instagram Stories. Typically, Bleacher Report Football content performs on a par with editorial. CrowdTangle puts Bleacher Report Football’s Facebook interaction rate at around 0.2 percent for the last year, while the interaction rate on its Instagram account is around 4.5 percent.
Like a lot of publishers hoping to thrive in a crowded branded content landscape, Bleacher Report Football wants more longer-term partnerships like this that build trust, allowing publishers the freedom to try out more creative executions, hopefully leading to more money. Walker said the relationship with Puma is “ongoing” but the publisher isn’t on a retainer.
“The essence of a consultancy is creating bespoke options for each brand,” he said. “Higher-intensity campaigns have higher yield in revenue; they’re more effective for a global audience.”
According to Walker between eight and 10 people across various capabilities have worked on the Puma partnership over the last year in one way or another. With 37 staffers in total, Walker said Bleacher Report Football is not near max capacity for longer-term more intensive partnerships but will scale up its contractors when needed.
Branded content makes up the majority of the international arm’s revenue, ahead of sponsorship — where the brand has no editorial input — and programmatic display.
Next year, Walker said it plans to nearly double the commercial team, adding an additional five people to its current team of six.
He added there’s no limit on how many branded content campaigns run in Bleacher Report Football’s feeds, which work because other brand clients including Adidas, Nike, Heineken, Samsung and Coors are a good fit for its audience. “Working with endemic brands makes sense to us,” he said. “If you’re producing good content, it doesn’t matter if it’s sponsored or not. If it’s advertorial, then that’s a dilemma.”
Image: courtesy of Bleacher Report Football.
Advertising, mired in racism, has a long road to recovery
Companies need to respond to the racism row with genuine intentions or not participate in the conversation at all, anything in between can be very disingenuous.
‘The boundaries have broken’: Employers deal with the reality of workers bringing their ‘whole selves’
ven as employers have touted “bring your whole self to work” theorems over the past couple of years, it’s forgotten that that privilege has only really been afforded to a few. For many, bringing your whole selves to work isn’t an option. And the realities of the current work-from-home brigade mean that many haven’t been given a choice: When work is literally in your home, how do you keep it at arm’s length?
MediaMath explores a possible sale
The ad tech company is working with investment bank Centerview Partners on the process -- which could also include a debt refinancing -- according to people familiar with the matter.
SponsoredVideo: Marketers discuss the future state of less interruptive in-stream ads
In a new video, experts from GumGum, The Martin Agency and Pinterest discuss the future of video advertising — and outline their vision for how video ads can be less disruptive.
With the latest crisis, media needs to back up words with actions
For the media industry, this was a week of introspection -- and a time of decision. For all the progressive ideals espoused by publishers, marketers and agencies, most fall well short when it comes to turning words into action.
Down 30% in ad revenue, G/O Media weathers the storm with a new CRO
Despite needing to layoff about 3% of its total staff in April, G/O Media's plan for getting back on its feet includes expanding its team once again.


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BUCHAREST (Romania), September 28 (SeeNews) - Romanian chain of jewelry shops Teilor said on Tuesday it aims to invest 30 million lei ($7.09 million/6.06 million euro) before the end of the year in expanding its store network across the CEE region.
For each new store opening or relocation, the average investment is 3.5 million lei and includes expenses related to the location and premium setup as well as merchandise, which amounts to approximately 1.5 million lei per store in Romania, the company said in a press release.
In contrast, the amount can reach up to 2.2 million lei for stores abroad, driven by the need to hold a larger stock to compete with local players.
In terms of local expansion, Teilor will open two new stores in Romania in the fourth quarter - in Vivo Mall in Baia Mare and in Bucharest. Moreover, the company will reopen the store in Alba Iulia Mall following the store enlargement and in Arad, following relocation to Atrium Mall.
On September 17, the jewelry maker inaugurated a new store in Budapest, marking its entry in Hungary, the third foreign market after Bulgaria and Poland. With the opening of the first store in Hungary, Teilor also launched the dedicated e-commerce platform for the Hungarian market.
Apart from Hungary, the further geographical expansion for the Polish market is already underway. Teilor will open before the end of 2021 three stores in Warsaw, two new ones and one relocation to benefit from increased pedestrian traffic. The company will also open the first store outside of Poland’s capital, in Poznan.
Additionally, the jewelry maker is in advanced negotiations to open two more stores abroad at the beginning of 2022, one in Wroclaw, Poland, and one in Budapest.
By the end of 2021, Teilor's network will reach 61 stores, of which 53 in Romania, four in Poland, three in Bulgaria and one in Hungary. Besides the investments in brick-and-mortar stores, the company is considering additional investments in the further development of its online platforms. Teilor currently operates five e-commerce platforms.
"Since the opening of the first stores outside Romania in 2019, our goal has been to continue international expansion at an accelerated pace. In 2020, we had to take a break due to the health crisis, but that period allowed us to consolidate Teilor’s plans for the CEE region," Teilor CEO Willy Dicu said.
"We are thrilled about our recent entry into a new market, Hungary, where we see a solid potential. We are already engaged in discussions about opening the second store in Budapest at the beginning of 2022. In the next few years, we want Teilor's store network abroad to be equal to our presence in Romania. In parallel, we consider entering mature Western markets."
In August, Teilor said it expects to increase its turnover by 64% year on year in 2021 to and expand its international presence by entering the Hungarian market. The increase in turnover will be driven primarily by a growing demand for high-end jewelry and an increase in the sale of engagement rings compared to 2020, Teilor added at the time.
Established in 1998 as a family business, Teilor operates with over 55 brick & mortar stores open both nationally and internationally.
In March, Raiffeisen Bank granted Teilor two loans worth a total of 2.62 million euro ($3.07 million) for working capital needs and investment in IT infrastructure and e-commerce applications.
(1 euro=4.9481 lei)
Additionally, TEILOR is in advanced negotiations to open two more stores abroad at the beginning of 2022, one in Wroclaw, Poland, and one in Budapest, Hungary.
By the end of 2021, TEILOR network will reach 61 stores, of which 53 based in Romania, four in Poland, three in Bulgaria and one in Hungary. Besides the investments in brick-and-mortar stores, the company is considering additional investments to develop its online platforms further to enhance customers' omnichannel experience. TEILOR currently operates five e-commerce platforms.

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Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone to the world 15 years ago, igniting a wave of innovation that permanently transformed the mobile phone market.
During the launch, Steve Jobs famously said, “Today, Apple is going to redefine the phone.”
Nokia handsets and competitors such as BlackBerry, LG, and Sony Ericsson dominated the mobile phone industry at the time. Apple, on the other hand, had made its initial try, and it looked completely different.
On January 9, 2007, Apple unveiled the first iPhone at the Macworld Conference. It wouldn’t be available to buy until June 29 of the next year in the United States, and November in the United Kingdom.
What did the first iPhone offer?
But it wasn’t all there to begin with. The original iPhone received a four-star rating from TechRadar. “Elegant, intuitive, and speedy,” our reviewer said, but added that “the iPhone should do more.”
It has a 3.5-inch screen with a 320 x 480 resolution. To put things in perspective, the most recent iPhone 13 has a 6.1-inch display with a resolution of 1170 x 2532 pixels.
The original iPhone was 115 x 61 x 11.6mm in size and weighed 135 grams. It just had one camera, which was a 2MP snapper (no selfies here). It ran the iPhone OS operating system, which didn’t gain its moniker until 2008, until being renamed iOS in 2010.
Because the initial software didn’t have an App Store, you were only able to use the built-in apps. Camera, Maps, Calculator, iTunes, Calendar, YouTube, Weather, Notes, Phone, Mail, Photos, Stocks, Clock, Settings, and Safari were among those. You could choose between 4GB and 8GB of storage, with a 16GB version arriving in 2008. There was 128MB of RAM in each of those devices.
It came with a 1,400mAh battery, which our reviewer thought was quite impressive. It lasted seven hours and fifteen minutes in our continuous speaking test, and it could also play videos for six hours and fifteen minutes.
It also wasn’t inexpensive. In the United States, the phone priced $499 for a 4GB model and $599 for an 8GB model, plus you had to sign a two-year commitment to receive it. In its first year, it sold over six million units and gave birth to one of the most popular smartphone franchises in the world.
Want to discover how much technology has changed in the previous 15 years and see the initial iPhone launch? In the video below, Steve Jobs takes the stage to announce Apple’s next big thing in 2007.


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Many of us at Bourbon Fest 2005 tasted a 21-year-old rye at Heaven Hill. That whiskey is now being prepared for market release as Rittenhouse Very Rare 21 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey. Although it will be reduced to 100 proof (50% abv), it will not be chill-filtered.
The first release will consist of just 3,000 bottles (750 ml size) that will retail for between $125 and $150. It will be released in the United States (exact market list TBD), the UK and France.
It's important to note that this is not a one-time-only thing. Apparently they have a pipeline that will allow them to come out with new releases of the product annually.
This straight rye whiskey was made by Heaven Hill at their distillery in Bardstown that burned down in 1996. Heaven Hill continued to make rye at a time when there wasn't much demand for it, one of only a handful of distilleries that did.


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Worth a watch!
Government advisers recommend that no more than 5% of daily calories should come from sugar.
That’s about 25g (around six or seven teaspoons) for an adult of normal weight every day. For children it is slightly less.
The limits apply to all sugars added to food, as well as sugar naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.
To put this in context, a typical can of fizzy drink contains about nine teaspoons of sugar.
What’s scary about these numbers is that it’s not just cakes and cookies that are the problem. Our food industry with its hidden sugars in almost everything has created generations of addicts. And as we all know, breaking addiction is never easy. It won’t be a simple matter of saying, I quit! But taking the first steps will get you started on the road to better health. And for those older adults living with diabetic neuropathy and so many other diseases, we can hope younger generations won’t have to suffer the same problems. Find the hidden sugars!
Worth a watch!
Excellent article looks at the addiction factor of sugar, and aims a spotlight at the food and beverage industry asking the question “has the food industry created a “need” for sugar?”
The American Heart Association recommends a reduction in consumption from our current 22 teaspoons per day to six for women and nine for men; a reduction by two-thirds to three-quarters. Our current consumption is over our limit and our “processed” food supply is designed to keep it that way. Food should confer wellness, not illness. The industry feeds our sugar habit to the detriment of our society. We need food purveyors, not food pushers.


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Yahoo calls itself “Technology Company”
Yahoo today issued its annual 10-K report to the Securities And Exchange Commission. Yahoo is now labeling itself first and foremost as a “global technology company,” in the place where it used to call itself a “digital media company”. Like other corporate moves since Marissa Mayer has taken over as Yahoo’s CEO, it’s a small change, but it’s a symbolic and important one.
BlackBerry claims Z10 major success
BlackBerry’s Z10 is outselling the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S III at a major Canadian retailer — and some sources have confirmed an even more important indicator of BlackBerry’s early success: Half of BlackBerry Z10 sales in Canada and one-third of UK sales have been made to users coming from other platforms. What’s more, one-third of Z10 sales in the UK, another key market for BlackBerry, have been made to customers who did not already own BlackBerry smartphones.
Meet Taiwan’s Cubie Messenger, yet another messaging app
After WeChat, LINE and KakaoTalk, we should welcome another messaging app from Asia. Founded by Cjin Cheng and Yenwen Feng, here comes Cubie Messenger from Taiwan. Since launching in March 2012, Cubie has been downloaded 5.5 million times, with most users based in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Cubie sets itself apart by giving users lots of options to generate their own content from a single screen, including drawings, voice messages, and animated stickers that they can purchase from Cubie’s in-app store.
Books section arrives at Google Play India
Google has just added books to Google Play for people in India. Books on Google Play now offers thousands of Indian titles, from new releases to classics. It’s easy to find great Indian authors such as Amish Tripathi, Devdutt Pattanaik and APJ Abdul Kalam, plus international bestsellers from the world’s largest ebookstore. With Google Play every ebook can be read on the device of consumer’s choice. And with books in the cloud consumer can read on the web, a phone, or a tablet and pick up right where they left off.
Thailand government launches mobile app for income tax submission
The Revenue Department (RD) Thailand will launch a mobile app for the submission of personal income tax by mid of March as the latest e-service for smart phone users. RD Director Satit Rungkasiri believed the new app will provide a more convenient mean for taxpayers and encourage them to adopt this channel to submit their tax information. The project started at the mid of 2012, and will now only be available for half a month before the deadline of the personal income tax submission at the end of March, according to him. No further information about mobile platform that has been supported.


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YES! It appears as if Super7's ReAction line is going to get some competition from Mezco Toyz. Mezco has just released a sneak peek at their upcoming "5 Points" line. Hopefully, we will get a better look at these during their Toy Fair presentation! AFJ will be present at the NYC event. Look for our coverage on February 16th! #AFJ4LIFE
Press Release: Toy Fair is less than a week away and it's time for another Toy Fair 2019 product reveal! Here's a sneak peek at a brand new line we will be debuting at Toy Fair: 5 Points.


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The MIT Media Lab system employs RFID technology to enable a robot to find a specific item in a complex environment and take instructions.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Researchers at the MIT Media Lab are employing radio frequency identification (RFID) technology along with computer vision to enable robots to explore their environment in order to locate and move a targeted item that may not be visible. The system, which has been in development, simulation and testing for several years, employs machine learning to better accomplish such complex tasks, and the team is seeking to commercialize the research.
In that effort, the researchers have been interviewing potential customers and planning a possible company spinoff. This year, the team has participated in the I-Corps program, led by the National Science Foundation to identify potential sponsors and plan the first product. “The technology has matured enough to take it out of the lab into the real-world environment,” says Fadel Adib, an MIT associate professor and the Media Lab‘s principal investigator.
The RFID portion of the robotic system employs what researchers call RF perception, consisting of off-the-shelf passive UHF RFID tags, as well as an RFID reader and specialized antennas installed in the robot’s environment. Robots employ RFID to identify items and their specific locations when they are not visible, and the software analyzing that data can direct the robots via computer vision to focus on the items before them, determine what needs to be moved or navigated around, and act accordingly. The technology, the researchers say, could be leveraged by manufacturers, retailers or warehouses to sort, pick or place goods.
The robot is designed for two primary solutions, according to Adib. One is monitoring goods moving through warehouses that need to be picked and packed according to customer orders, which traditionally requires workers to move through aisles, opening boxes and finding specific items, then placing them in containers for shipping. With RFID, the robots could identify what is in a given box or on a particular shelf, then pick up that item and confirm where it was placed. The system is designed to prevent…


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Faulu Microfinance Bank plans to lend more that Sh1 billion to micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to help the bank grow its presence and revenues.
However, small enterprises in Nakuru, Nyandarua and Laikipia counties are the ones to benefit from the funds.
The funds are part of a Sh3 billion package targeting SMEs over the next three years.
Faulu Bank Managing Director and CEO, Apollo Njoroge, says the bank is keen on strengthening its play in the counties, where the economic action is taking place.
“…the economic action is taking place by providing much needed financial support to improve the capacity of small enterprises to take advantage of unfolding trade opportunities at the devolved level,” he said.
The microfinance said it will be targeting farmers, traders, contractors, manufacturers and property developers in the three counties.
The micro lender in May received Sh1.45 billion capital injection from its parent company, Old Mutual Africa Holdings to strengthen its balance sheet and expand to the grassroots after posting a loss last year.
This comes as small enterprises are currently grappling with acute liquidity shortage thus hampering their ability to rebuild and scale up their operations as economic activity gradually returns to normal.
Faulu said it will be offering trade and asset financing to grow businesses in the counties, support value addition in agro-processing, manufacturing, horticulture, dairy and housing.
Under trade finance, Faulu is offering a variety of products designed to enable small enterprises take advantage of emerging opportunities in local and international trade and commerce.
Such products include Local Purchase Order (LPO) and Local Service Order (LSO) financing, invoice discounting, supply chain financing, tender/bid bonds, performance bonds, advance payment guarantee, retention bond, payment guarantees and customs bonds.


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Presiding over a meeting here on Thursday, he asked the provincial governments, local administrations and the chief commissioner, IslaAmabad, to conduct surprise raids at wholesale markets
New site for wholesale markets
? THE City of London Corporation has launched a public consultation on the proposed consolidation of its three wholesale markets
to a new site at Dagenham.
Previously, she served for more than ten years in numerous positions with AIG and Lexington Insurance, primarily responsible for creating regional distribution strategies across commercial business lines and managing regional partnerships with both retail and wholesale markets
RAWALPINDI -- Trade bodies of the city on Tuesday urged the government to shift wholesale markets
from city areas to the outskirts of the city to ease traffic congestion.
It comes as a result of four years worth of lobbying by the CityPark4Brum campaign which say there is a 'now or never' opportunity to build one at the former wholesale markets
site known as Smithfield.
Special Secretary Marketing Ehsan Bhutta also directed to implement strict monitoring mechanism for auction and arrival recording in the wholesale markets
He told reporters after a meeting with the Johor Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) that stern action was necessary as the practice had become prevalent in many wholesale markets
in the state.
Muscat Municipality, represented by The Central Market for Vegetables and Fruits administration has issued Decision No 8/2018 regarding change in timings of wholesale markets
Assistance will be given to vegetable farmers to reduce a stockpile of vegetables left over from repeated holidays and closures of Taipei's fruits and vegetables wholesale markets
within the past few weeks, a Taiwan's Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) official said Sunday.
THE wraps are almost ready to come off the PS50 million Birmingham Wholesale Markets
which will finally replace the ageing huge warehouse south of Birmingham city centre.
He pointed out in a statement to the media on the fringes of a surprise visit on Wednesday at dawn to the Bir Kasaa wholesale market
, that supermarkets will be supplied with quantities from the vegetable buffer stock, in order to rebalance prices in the markets, while other quantities of this stock will be injected into the wholesale markets
to be distributed in official channels.
CITY planners have called for the soon-to-be derelict Birmingham Wholesale Markets
site to be cleared and used for major public events and exhibitions.


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By Travis Traini Restaurant revenues are still in the news as businesses continue to try and recover. After the difficulty of operating through the pandemic, restaurateurs are facing new operating challenges including staff retention and labour shortages (especially skilled labour), significant inflation in food costs, economic effects on customer spending, rising interest rates, and increases […]
By Travis Traini Alcohol beverage sales are changing to capture a new generation of consumers. Years before the pandemic, the foodservice industry had been experiencing a decline in the sale of alcoholic beverages for young customers aged 18 to 24 years, making up seven per cent of all alcohol orders at drinking places in 2020 […]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, running smooth restaurant operations has become harder than ever. Thankfully, some surefire tips can help.


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Market Trends and Demands for Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) That Will Rock the World in 2022 and Beyond
Increasing demand for decentralised marketplaces and the popularity of the metaverse are two major drivers propelling market revenue development.
Increased adoption of NFT for domain name ownership is also anticipated to significantly accelerate market revenue growth. Private keys can be used by blockchain domain owners to govern their specific domains. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which oversees the standard Domain Name Service (DNS), has very little authority over such domains. This raises concerns about censorship and security. Such worries are lessened by the fact that blockchain domain names are permanently stored in a public registry and can be altered by a third party.
Quick trading and personalised domain names are made possible by blockchain domain NFTs. Crypto-addresses comparable to an Instagram or Twitter handle are allowed by the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and Unstoppable Domains, which are decentralised alternatives to the traditional DNS. However, each name must be unique. Users of Instagram and Twitter are unable to sell their identities, however they can do so with ENS and Unstoppable Domains.
To get leading market solutions, visit the link below: https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/non-fungible-token-market
The capacity of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to ascribe value to anything, from artwork to photographs, has caused them to become extremely popular. NFTs are virtual goods that simulate real-world artefacts like collectibles, works of art, and in-game items. They are exchanged online, frequently using cryptocurrencies, and are encrypted within smart contracts that run on a blockchain.
The market for non-fungible tokens significantly increased in popularity in 2021, with an average sale of USD 38 million in just that year. For instance, MANA, the native token of the metaverse marketplace Decentraland, where users can buy and sell virtual properties, reached an all-time high market cap of more than US$6 billion after experiencing a 400% increase in trading value following Facebook’s announcement that it would change its name to Meta.


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JCPenney is giving shoppers a front row seat to its fall fashion lineup with the launch of the first-ever "Project Runway" brand inspired by the Lifetime Emmy®-nominated show and its talented group of design contestants.
Luxury lingerie retailer Journelle is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month. The company has five retail stores, including a new Los Angeles location which opened three weeks ago, and newly built flagship in the Union Square neighborhood of New York City.
This year marks the first time since 2012 that there are four Saturdays in December prior to Christmas Day. The shift in the calendar is expected to influence shoppers’ behavior and redistribute top shopping days. Specifically, the surplus of Saturdays this year presents a unique opportunity.


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Wendy’s is officially testing a black bean burger.
Starting June 28, the fast food chain establishments in Columbus, Pittsburgh and Jacksonville will be able to order the plant-based Spicy Black Bean Burger, but only while supplies last.
The galette is made with a blend of spices and crunchy jalapeÃ±os for extra spice. Wendy’s New Black Bean Burger isn’t vegan by default. The sandwich is served with melted pepper cheese, spicy chipotle sauce, tomatoes, sweet onions and romaine lettuce on a bun. It can be made vegan on request by omitting the cheese.
Wendy’s New Black Bean Burger
The decision to present a black bean patty – the symbol of old-school vegetarian options – stands out in a fast food landscape dominated by plant-based burgers that sizzle and taste like beef. Wendy’s presented her burger with a knowing nod. âSome herbal creations have spawned a bland reputation for the category – looking at you McImpossible – but luckily Wendy’s has spice in its DNA,â the company said. (The shadow of everything!)
Wendy’s was mulling over launching a plant-based burger, a black bean pancake– in 2015. The test began in Columbus and its expansion into the test market in 2016 included a commercial, but it was discontinued in 2017, so a nationwide launch never took place. So, will this burger make it to all of Wendy’s 6,500 stores? It’s on hold at the moment. But the company has some catching up to do in the plant-based burger game.
The vegan fast food burger race
In 2018, White Castle became the first fast food chain to sell the Impossible Burger, offered as a slider. Since then, several large fast food chains have jumped on the bandwagon to meet consumers’ growing appetite for plant-based burgers.
Other channels soon followed. Burger King launched the Impossible Whopper in a test market on April 1, 2019 (that was no joke) to roll it out nationwide later in the year. McDonald’s, the largest hamburger and fries fast food chain in the United States, signed a three-year deal with Beyond Meat earlier this year. He tested âMcPlantâ, a pancake made from beefy pea protein, in some international markets. (The closest McDonald’s to bring a plant-based burger to the United States was testing a Beyond Meat patty in Ontario in 2019.)
Carl’s Jr launched its Beyond Famous Star in 2018. Hardee’s also took advantage of the growing demand for meatless with its own Beyond Burgers in late 2019.
Will Wendy’s Spicy Black Bean Burger be a hit as others look into the next generation of plant-based meat? Wendy’s thinks so.
âThe Spicy Black Bean Burger is a culinary creation that overturns the notion of a tasteless, textural black bean patty on its head by bringing our signature spice like only Wendy’s can,â said John Li, vice president of culinary innovation for The Wendy’s. Company.
About the Author
Editor-in-chief | New York City, NY Kat writes on sustainable food, fashion and food technology. They hold a BA in Film and Cultural Studies from Stony Brook University.


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Just one week after Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's new Model 3, it's obvious the world liked what it saw. Once drivers were offered an EV with the right price and battery range, they reserved 325,000 of them — ka-ching — which adds up to $14 billion in sales, if the company can deliver. To put that astonishing seven-day total in perspective, it's already three times the total number of battery electric and plug-in hybrids sold last year.
Even though $325 million will drop right to Tesla's bottom line, which is a big boost for a company that's never made a profit, the huge demand will tax the limits of Tesla's manufacturing capability for years.
Nevertheless, with utter fearlessness, Musk says the company wants to build 500,000 Model 3's a year by 2020, at the same factory that already assembles the popular Model S, and now the new Model X.
Given those big numbers, it's impossible to overestimate how crucial the Gigafactory is to Musk's success. After all, Tesla is still a small, niche company that delivered 50,000 boutique autos in 2015. So in a very short time, Tesla must start acting like a much larger, in effect, more traditonal manufacturer to satisfy all of those new high-maintenace customers.
Musk has already tweeted that all of Tesla's efforts are "focused on accelerating the ramp" up in production.
To some degree the order surge was anticipated. By last November, Musk had already pushed construction ahead of schedule.
A work-in-progress tour
Five months later, new drone video shows that the project is quickly taking shape outside of Reno, Nevada.
At the same time, normally very secretive Tesla surprised local reporters from the Reno Gazzette-Journal by inviting them inside for a work-in-progress tour (along with photos of the interior). Once there, a spokesman explained Tesla's rush, "There's not enough capacity in the world to produce what we want to produce."
Reporters immediately noticed that the Gigafactory was already in limited production. Even as construction crews worked, office staff were already crunching spreadsheets while giant robot arms assembled Powerwalls and Powerpacks.
No lithium-ion battery cells are manufactured at the site yet. Instead, they're shipped in from Tesla's Fremont, CA, plant. Cell production, as well as the battery packs for the cars, are expected to begin later this year.
Reporters also learned that Tesla had changed over to a modular construction method. "Originally, we were going to build the whole building all at once, but that didn't make a lot of sense," a spokesman explained. "We needed to begin producing faster."
Not only can Tesla use finished parts of the factory sooner, "We can learn from what we've built," he added.
Tesla's cell-making facility will open in 2017 and gradually reach full capacity by 2020, when it will insure that the company can produce 500,000 electric cars per year.
So far, the building's basic footprint is 800,000 square feet, with 1.9 million square feet of manufacturing space stacked in four stories.
When complete, the 5.5-million-square-foot Gigafactory will have the largest footprint of any building in the world, and in terms of volume it will be the world's second largest factory, behind only Boeing's Washington facility.
A carbon neutral building
One aspect of construction that has gone under-reported is that Tesla has designed the factory to be powered completely by renewable energy.
Last year Tesla's Chief Technical Officer, JB Straubel, laid out some of the details:
Just like the car, we're going to build a zero-emissions factory. We're not even going to have a natural gas pipeline coming to the factory.
So with no natural gas line running "anywhere near" the building, its vast rooftop will be covered in solar panels.
But even that’s not enough solar. So Tesla will add more solar panels to the surrounding hillsides.
In every step of the process, Tesla came up with zero-emissions solutions. They are even using a heat pump technology that ends up being much more efficient than just burning natural gas for steam. Finally, the only emissions are related to vehicles that might drive in and out of the property.
Will this factory change industrial design?
Image: artist's rendering of the Gigafactory, Tesla


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Lookers today launched its first major multi-channel brand marketing campaign in more than five years.
Launching the campaign, Duncan McPhee, COO of Lookers, said: “Fresh, confident and impactful, our new authentic brand campaign reflects our priority commitment to all of our customers in the UK and Ireland. It also helps cement our commitment to providing unparalleled choice and the best value, service and delivery options that complement a new, modern, sustainable way of living.
Rolling out across the UK and Ireland from 16 May on TV, radio, online, social media and outdoors – and including new signage at several dealerships nationwide – the integrated campaign reflects Lookers’ commitment to its people, growth, innovation and confidence in the future .
Driving new sustainable growth is a key priority for Lookers, he said, and is part of a strategy to grow its national footprint, invest in its people, nurture and grow its partnerships with automakers. and expand the supply and range of electric vehicles. , maintenance and recharging facilities in all areas.
Lookers said it is committed to growing its talent pool to confidently meet the changing demands of consumer demand. The group recently launched ‘Jump Start’, a program designed for people wishing to pursue a career in sales within the UK automotive industry, and is currently training 200 new apprentice technicians across the country, a program in which Lookers has been active throughout the pandemic. .


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Japan considers removing wine tariffs
The Japanese government is considering removing tariffs on imported wine as part of ongoing negotiations, which could also see other countries removing tariffs on sake.
The Japan Daily Express reported that the idea to remove tariffs on wine comes after a request made by Australia and New Zealand during the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.
At present, imported beer and whiskey enjoy tariff-free policy in Japan, while there is a 15% tariff on the price of imported wines, or ¥125 (£0.8) per litre. Australia and New Zealand hope that removing wine tariffs will help their entry into Japan’s wine market.
Meanwhile, Japan will also seek to increase its sake exports by requesting the other negotiators in the TPP talks to remove their own restrictions on sake imports. At present sake is Japan’s chief alcoholic export.
According to the Development Bank of Japan, domestic consumption of sake dropped about 40% to 589,000 kilolitres in 2010 from 992,000 kilolitres in 2000, which is one of the reasons the Japanese government is looking at ways to increase the amount of sake that is exported.
There are 12 countries taking part in the TPP talks, which are looking at eliminating tariffs on a number of products. The Japanese government has been working on the list of items from which tariffs could be removed while at the same time protecting around 568 items in five key categories.


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On April 19, more than 100 beef buyers, retailers, chefs and producers gathered at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture to assess the findings of a new study and to discuss where the grassfed beef industry is headed. The Pasture to Plate summit was addressed by Paul McMahon of SLM Partners. It featured an interactive lunch hosted by Blue Hill chefs Dan Barber and Adam Kaye.
The main focus of the one-day summit was the release of a new study, “Back to Grass: the Market Potential for U.S. Grassfed Beef.” The study was co-authored by SLM Partners in collaboration with the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Armonia and Bonterra Partners.
The study finds an urgent need for accurate labeling to ensure that consumers are getting what they think they are buying, including the humane treatment of animals and environmental and health benefits.
“The U.S. market for grassfed beef has grown at 100 percent per year for the past four years, yet consumers don’t realize that much of this beef is coming from cattle that haven’t actually spent the whole of their lives on open pasture, eating real grass,” said Jill Isenbarger, CEO of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, one of the partners behind the study.
The common perception among restaurateurs and consumers used to be that grassfed beef was tough and dry compared to that of grain-fed beef, but today, star chefs buy grassfed exclusively, saying that the quality and taste are superior to that of conventional feedlot beef. And evidence is mounting that well-managed animals can regenerate grasslands, build soil health and sequester carbon.
But the grassfed beef on the market is inaccessible to many consumers due to high price premiums; its supply chain has not benefited from decades of consolidation, vertical integration and government subsidies, as has the conventional beef supply chain.
The study finds that the price of grassfed beef could come down significantly if the industry were to establish well-managed grass-finishing operations that take advantage of economies of scale in processing, distribution and marketing. But these operations must be based on high standards for the humane treatment of animals and for land and water stewardship. Currently a number of labels and standards confuse the marketplace and the consumer, as they conflate excellent management practices with poor ones.
Together, these actions could reshape the beef industry — and unlock the benefits to human health, animal welfare, soil health and carbon sequestration that grassfed beef can provide.
Further details can be found on the Stone Barns Center website.


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DHL Global Forwarding, Freight Celebrates 200 Years of Logistics
DHL Global Forwarding, Freight, the air, ocean and road freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. Back in 1815, the history of yellow-branded logistics started with Louis Danzas establishing Danzas, which would become a world-renowned shipping company over the course of the following 20 decades.
Today, the air, ocean, road and rail logistic solutions are being further developed by DHL Global Forwarding, Freight one of the four operating divisions of Deutsche Post DHL Group.
“The innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that kept the company at the top of the industry over the last two centuries is part of our DNA,” says Frank Appel, CEO Deutsche Post DHL Group. “We constantly work on ways to redefine logistics and create new approaches to improve supply chains, in order to drive global trade, connect people and foster prosperity across the world.”
Danzas’ history began with goods being transported by horse and wagon on the trade lane between Basel and Mulhouse. Later, after the invention of railway and steamship, new transportation routes were developed. While shipping by land and sea was continuously growing, Danzas took advantage of the new opportunities and offered overseas deliveries to New York.
DHL also kept pace with progress in other areas. Whether it is bar code scanning, the just-in-time delivery concept, or IT solutions, DHL has always been driving the further development of the industry. Nowadays, DHL Global Forwarding, Freight manages the logistics behind global events such as Cirque du Soleil, ensuring everything is in place for the shows to run smoothly in each part of the world. They transport wind mills and space-spectrometers, carefully move the sensitive musical instruments of Gewandhausorchester on their tours, and help to ship over 10,000 horsepower over 19 race locations across five continents in time for the next Formula One race.
On the occasion of this jubilee Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Freight, published a retrospective “200 Years of Logistics – Danzas and DHL Shape an Industry”. The book guides the reader on more than 100 pages through the years, from the company’s origin in Alsace and is available in book stores.


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In 2012, the average Canadian had more than $27,000 in consumer debt. Wages are shrinking, costs are rising, and one-third of us are living paycheque to paycheque. “Most of us live beyond our means both financially and ecologically,” says Marta Nowinska, founder and president of one of Canada’s largest bartering communities, Swapsity, which launched in 2010. “Swapping is a viable approach to solving a lot of real problems,” she says. Like Simmons, Nowinska left a Bay Street job to join the world of barter. The idea for Swapsity came to her one day in 2006: she was on the subway and noticed how miserable everybody looked. She started to think about a business that could empower people. At first, she thought people could swap jobs, but dismissed it as unrealistic. Then: what if they could swap other things? She developed a business plan and launched a website.
In the United States, Karl Hess used bartering to make it harder for the IRS to seize his wages and as a form of tax resistance. Hess explained how he turned to barter in an op-ed for The New York Times in 1975. However the IRS now requires barter exchanges to be reported as per the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982. Barter exchanges are considered taxable revenue by the IRS and must be reported on a 1099-B form. According to the IRS, "The fair market value of goods and services exchanged must be included in the income of both parties."
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers bartering a form of revenue and something that must be reported as taxable income. Under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, businesses are expected to estimate the fair market value of their bartered goods or services. This is done by referring to past cash transactions of similar goods or services and using that historical revenue as a reportable value. When it is not possible to accurately calculate the value, most bartered goods are reported based on their carrying value.


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James O'Brien 10am - 1pm
Silent night?: Christmas crackers to lose their 'crack' in bid to help the environment
6 December 2023, 19:55
Christmas dinner may be quieter this year as a major supplier of the festive accessories has removed the 'snap' from their recyclable crackers to make the holiday "a celebration of responsibility".
Listen to this article
Alliance National, one of Britain's largest catering suppliers, has announced it will offer "crackless", environmentally friendly crackers to its customers.
This includes care homes, hotels, pubs and restaurants up and down the country.
The company have removed the silver fulminate strips, which give the festive crackers the traditional bang,
The strips have been used since 1860, but are not recyclable.
Alliance National say the recyclable crackers will instead make a sound from "the audible crack of cardboard".
These environmentally friendly crackers will now come with a note to encourage users to "make some noise", before informing customers that they "have removed the snap from this cracker to ensure it is fully recyclable”.
The note adds the change is "part of our journey to make every Christmas a celebration of responsibility".
On their website, they have reassured customers that they are "doing something right for the environment.
However, it seems that the quieter crackers are not spreading the festive cheer to some users.
Christopher Snowdon, an author and head of lifestyle and economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, was served the environmentally friendly crackers at a recent lunch, hosted by the Lords and Commons Cigar Club in the House of Lords.
He gave his frosty verdict and said that the crackers were "rubbish" and felt like when "you pull a cracker and they don’t crack and you just think it’s broken".
A spokesman for the House of Lords has confirmed that they will be using the crackers for its banqueting events this Christmas as a "small part" of its commitment to reduce waste.
Customers can buy 50 crackers for under £50 and include paper Christmas tree decorations.
However, there are no paper hats or jokes.
High-street chains, such as John Lewis, are still selling traditional crackers with the festive snap but advise users to remove the silver fulminate strips from their crackers before recycling them.
If left inside the crackers, it can be difficult to dispose of sustainably.


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Welbilt brand Garland has won an award for the green credentials of its latest XHP Broiler.
The Mississauga, Canada-headquartered company partnered with British manufacturer Synergy Grill 10 months ago to bring this technology to market.
The broiler has now been recognized for its energy efficiency, scooping the Blue Flame Award from the Energy Solutions Center (ESC) – a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing new gas solutions to the commercial sector.
The XHP broiler was chosen as the winner due to features including zero fat disposal and gas savings of up to 59% in comparison to a standard charbroiler.
This gas saving is made possible thanks to Synergy’s patented gas burner system, available via the Garland brand.
Justin Cadbury, chairman and CEO of Synergy Grill Technology, said: “At Synergy Grill Technology, the objective is simple – to help operators and chefs to deliver a better quality of food at a lower cost, using considerably less energy, in a safer, cleaner manner: a mission that has moved onto a global-scale after we chose to partner with Garland so that US foodservice operators can share the same financial, practical and environmental benefits as Synergy’s UK customers.”
Synergy Grill’s patented technology atomises any fat produced during grilling process. As the fat atomises, any moisture that comes from the food also turns into steam which penetrates back into the food for texture and taste. This atomisation should also eradicate the need for a fat tray, and therefore, remove the historically strenuous task of cleaning, along with the environmentally damaging disposal of waste fat.


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Watch out for new Visa fees
April 15, 2008
CAMP RED CLOUD, South Korea — Servicemembers making purchases from both on- and off-post vendors may find they’ve spent more than they thought if they’re using a Visa card.
On April 4, Visa extended its International Service Assessment fee to include overseas transactions in dollars.
Previously, the assessment ranging from 0.15 percent to 1 percent of a purchase applied only to transactions processed in a foreign currency.
Visa does not charge customers itself, according to a statement issued by the company following a Stars and Stripes query.
However, many financial institutions pass on the Visa assessment to customers. Others piggyback their own fees.
Visa says customers shopping at the post exchange, commissary and U.S. Embassy won’t be charged the extra fee, as long as the transaction is processed as “domestic.”
However, overseas vendors do operate on post throughout Europe and the Pacific theaters within storefronts run by the military exchange services and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
“If the vendor is banking with an off-installation international bank, the fee would most likely apply,” said Master Sgt. Donovan Potter, Pacific spokesman for Army and Air Force Exchange Service, in an e-mail.
Vendors do have the option of banking on post, which would likely negate the fee, Potter said. Furthermore, not all financial institutions have begun passing on the Visa fee for dollar transactions.
If they begin to do so, they are required to notify customers, according to Visa’s statement.
Some have issued the notices with monthly statements.
Navy Federal Credit Union also sent the notice as an electronic message for its online banking members.
Visa charges Navy Federal 0.8 percent for overseas transactions in dollars and 1 percent for purchases in foreign currencies, said Susan McClure, Navy Federal credit card system manager in Vienna, Va.
Visa may charge other financial institutions lower rates, but declined to answer Stripes’ question on how it determines its charges.
Navy Federal passes on the Visa assessment to its customers — but doesn’t add any further charges.
“We’re not trying to make more on top of it,” Navy Federal spokeswoman Jennifer Sadler said.
Bank of America, which also issues Visa cards for Community Bank and MBNA, charges a 3 percent transaction fee for Visa purchases in foreign currency, said spokeswoman Betty Reiss, of bank headquarters in San Francisco.
Previous Stripes stories have listed the Community Bank fee at 1 percent, as did a letter to the editor from Friday’s Europe editions. Bank of America officials were not available Sunday to clarify the discrepancy.
However, Reiss gave no indication that the bank would be passing on the newest Visa fee on dollar transactions to customers.
Credit card transactions in U.S. dollars, regardless of location, are not assessed a fee, Reiss said.
At Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, civilian employee Ken Kaliher says he received notices from U.S. Bank and USAA in March that all overseas transactions would have the fee assessed.
Kaliher and his wife had already changed their buying habits when they first heard about a foreign currency fee in 2006.
“We used to pay for our airplane tickets by credit card with a Korean travel agent. We don’t do that anymore,” Kaliher said.
Kaliher sent online messages to both banks’ service representatives, asking if purchases made on U.S. military bases incurred the fee.
Both banks replied that they did; U.S. Bank may charge up to 3 percent, while USAA charges 1 percent.
The responses prompted Kaliher to call Stripes for answers. Meanwhile, he sent follow-up messages to confirm the fees.
The second time, U.S. Bank said that they do not charge the 3 percent fee on dollar transactions anywhere, including military bases.
The second USAA e-mail reiterated that their 1 percent fee did include overseas bases.
U.S. Bank did not respond to Stars and Stripes’ queries for clarification.
However, a Stripes query to USAA headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, produced a quick response: No, USAA doesn’t charge the fee for dollar transactions and normally wouldn’t on military bases, spokesman Paul Berry said in an e-mail.
“If, however, the transaction is processed in the VISA system (by the merchant or the merchant’s bank) in a way that does not properly identify that the transaction occurred on the US military base or at the embassy, then the 1% fee will still be charged,” Berry wrote.


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It's official: Toys R Us has opened in Ward Centers
PBN reported last Friday that the New Jersey-based toy store was rumored to be opening a location in that spot as a Toys “R” Us Express shop, which opens up for the holiday season.
It’s still unclear if this new store will be permanent.
Last month, Toys “R” Us announced its plans to hire 100 employees for its Hawaii stores on Oahu for the holiday season, which now includes this new Honolulu location.
The company has a flagship store in Aiea near Pearlridge Center and a smaller store in Windward Mall in Kaneohe.
It also has a large Babies “R” Us store in Pearl City Gateway shopping center.
Duane Shimogawa covers energy, real estate and economic development for Pacific Business News.
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Telecommunication services major Bharti Airtel announced a new corporate structure or a way to restructure its business in order to shift focus on digital opportunities. The move is expected to strengthen the company’s focus in tapping onto the rapidly growing digital opportunities in the country and also allowing it to unlock value. According to a recent statement released by the company, Airtel Digital Limited will fold into the listed entity – Bharti Airtel. The new corporate structure comprises four distinct verticals – digital, India, international, and infrastructure.
The restructuring will include all its digital assets such as Airtel X stream, Wynk Music, Mitra Payments, Airtel Thanks used by retailers. It also involves Airtel IQ, Airtel Cloud, Airtel Ads, Airtel Secure, and other such future digital products. The statement added that the company intends to include all its telecom businesses in a new entity – Airtel Limited. Airtel Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Limited itself.
Also, Bharti Telemedia, operating direct-to-home (DTH) services will currently be alongside Airtel Limited. The company also aims to fold the DTH business into Airtel Limited gradually, in order to shift towards the vision of national digital communications policy (NDCP). This will contribute towards converged services to customers.
Bharti Airtel has sought clarification on licensing policy from the government as telecom and DTH are regulated under two separate ministries. Its payment bank subsidiary- Airtel Payments Bank will be a separate entity under Bharti Airtel itself, same as before.
The company’s infrastructure businesses such as Indus Towers and Nxtra will also be retained as the separate entities. The international subsidiaries and affiliates will also remain the same. The company’s board approved the scheme allowing it to file for all approvals to carry out the proposed arrangement.
Meanwhile, recently, as part of the Spectrum Auction 2021, Airtel announced a spectrum trading agreement with Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio to transfer the ‘right-to-use’ of 800 MHz spectrum. Through the spectrum deal, Airtel will receive Rs 1,037.6 crore from Reliance Jio for the transfer.
Bharti Airtel is the country’s largest integrated communications solutions provider. It has more than 458 million customers across 18 countries in Africa and South Asia.


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Roughly eight months after mobile search results in Google underwent a significant facelift, desktop results followed suit. Well, sort of. Less than two weeks from its January 13 rollout, Google has paused its long-term plans in order to test variations of these desktop views (including reverting them back altogether) due to some negative public reactions.
What Are the Changes?
At the time of this writing, for paid search results, the “Ad” label changed from green text with a border around it to bold, black text. For organic results, a visual icon was placed in the same spot the “Ad” label is for paid results. For both results, the URL was moved above the headline. However, Google due to negative feedback on the proposed changes, and the company has stated it will continue to tweak “Ad” label positioning.
A recent iteration of Google’s label position change.
What Are the Implications for Pharma Marketers?
Some have argued these changes make it harder to differentiate between paid and organic results; third-party data after the mobile rollout suggests this claim holds water. After reviewing a handful of sites Intouch supports, desktop appears to have a similar impact. For the five sites we reviewed when comparing the week of January 20 (after the update but before Google started testing variations) to the week of January 6 (before the update), desktop paid search campaigns had a relative increase of 11% click-through-rate on average when compared to mobile.
While that is too small of a sample size to be definitive, it’s reasonable to conclude this update could give paid search a slight boost at the expense of organic. However, now that Google is testing multiple versions, we won’t know the implications until we learn which version it settles on.
It’s reasonable to conclude this update could give paid search a slight boost at the expense of organic.
What Else Can We Learn From This?
- Branding is increasingly important – Between limiting URL visibility and making branded icons more prominent, your brand is becoming even more front-and-center in the search results. Now more than ever, brand affinity is a key differentiator in standing out in search.
- Customization and consistency is a balance – Customization and consistency can be at odds with each other when it comes to desktop and mobile views, and finding the right balance is key. In this case, the same changes to desktop caused such an uproar, Google had to walk them back. Yet, mobile continues to be redesigned this way.
- Always stay flexible – In 2018, Google ran over 600,000 tests on its search platform. With that, it’s reasonable to assume Google tested this desktop revamp as well. However, even with the most meticulous planning and thorough testing, things didn’t go as planned. This is a good reminder for all of us as pharma marketers to keep our options open and plan for optimization.
Tylor Hermanson is Group Director, SEO at Intouch.


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Microsoft has confirmed it will replace Windows Live Messenger, aka MSN Messenger, with Skype on 8 April.
If you have a Twitter account, it’s highly likely that you’re following at least a few Tweeters who are ‘verified’ -- celebrities, high-powered businessmen, sports stars, the (next) Pope.
Commonwealth Bank (CommBank) has unveiled MyWealth (mywealth.com.au), an online platform that enables Australians to create and manage their financial portfolio.
Popular subscription music service Rdio has announced that Australian users can now stream free music on the Web, bringing the service in line with the US.
Twitter has announced a new mobile video sharing service, called Vine, designed to allow users to connect through short video clips in a fashion akin to tweeting.
Facebook is unleashing the collective knowledge and opinions of its one billion users to power a new feature called Graph Search.
Facebook is rolling out a major new search engine designed to give users more options in sorting through topics and interests based on their friends.
Facebook is working on a messaging app that will allow users to send each other "self-destructing" messages and photos, according to reports. The app could expand Facebook's growing portfolio of mobile apps within weeks.
Twitter has added photo filters to its official Android and iOS apps. There are eight Instagram-like filters you can use, which you get to pick after you select a photo to upload on
After disabling an integration tool that made it more difficult to view pictures on Twitter, Instagram has now pulled all of its photos from microblogging site.
Google's personal assistant for its Android Jelly Bean mobile operating system is coming to the Internet search leader's Chrome browser.
Online music streaming service Spotify today announced new follow and discover features that aim to aid both users and artists, but the roll-out won't be fully completed until early next year.
Twitter has restricted the ability of attackers to post tweets and perform other actions on behalf of many users who have phone numbers associated with their accounts, but some users need to enable a PIN option in order to be protected.
Apple on Tuesday took a major step in expanding its presence in the international market, launching the iTunes store in more than 50 countries--a move that nearly doubles the list of countries where it sells music.
Australian company, Globalgig, has today announced a product that aims to take the confusion and hassle out of data roaming plans. The company's Wi-Fi Hotspot device is meant to be a simple-to-use product that can allow you to get data on your phone ...
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Samsung revealed a month ago
that the Galaxy S23
series will receive the new One UI 6.1 update sometime in March. As expected, the South Korean company didn’t provide an exact release date for the update initially, but Samsung return last week with another statement that said the update should be available starting March 28.To make things even more believable, Samsung China decided to send notifications to Galaxy S23
series users in the country revealing the same date
for the One UI 6.1 rollout, SamMobile
Finally, a moderator from the Samsung community forums confirmed recently that the Galaxy S23 One UI 6.1 rollout will commence on March 28. Typically, Samsung releases updates in a few countries first, followed by wider rollout a few days later.
If the company keeps the same formula, Korea and China will be the first countries where Galaxy S23 users will be getting the One UI 6.1 update. Besides the regular Galaxy S23 model, a few other phones will receive the software upgrade later this week, including the Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra, and Galaxy S23 FE.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Galaxy Tab S9 should also be among the first devices to receive the One UI 6.1 update, although the rollout might be pushed into April.
Source Link Website


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SINGAPORE-based e-commerce platform Luxglove would arguably be one place to shop if you are looking for a rare (pricey) gift for someone who already has everything.
Tucked away in one corner of this online portal now is a vintage 1961 Ferrari 250 GTE, believed to be the first classic car, and also among the highest-priced items (aside from property) to be listed on any Asian e-commerce platform.
Its price tag: a cool S$1 million.
It will draw car enthusiasts, collectors and buyers, who, even after buying it, will not even be able to drive it here, as it is a left-hand-drive car; with a few exceptions, such cars are not allowed on Singapore roads.
This model, with its original Ferrari Red exterior and black interior, is the 265th out of only 954 units produced globally.
Luxglove, which curates pre-loved collectibles, told The Business Times that the Ferrari will be sold through an "exclusive private sale", that is, a direct transaction between the buyer and seller.
A Luxglove spokeswoman said: "The purchase of this car would be more for investment purposes or as a symbol of prestige and status."
Talenia Phua Gajardo, founder and chief executive of Luxglove, noted that selling classic cars online is not a new concept, especially in the West. "But being online gives us more exposure and enables us to reach out to a much larger audience."
Atul Goyal, a senior analyst at investment banking firm Jefferies, pointed out, however that the e-commerce market for vintage, luxury cars is unlikely to thrive: "Most consumers would want to test-drive a car, something which an e-commerce platform is unable to provide."
In response, Luxglove said the point is moot because "there won't be any test drives, as the car is a left hand drive".
If the car is sold, it will be Luxglove's most expensive transaction to date.
The next most costly items on the site are a 50-year-old, First-Edition bottle of Yamazaki whisky, bottled in 2005, going for S$85,000, and an art nouveau diamond ring for S$68,000.
Founded only last October, Luxglove offers items in five key verticals - art, furniture, watches, collectibles and jewellery.
It facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers without necessarily holding inventory for these collectibles.
Ms Gajardo said: "Luxglove was founded on the principle that there was a big gap in the secondary market in South-east Asia, and many people are still limited to traditional auction houses which work on fixed cycles."
She added that the selling point of Luxglove is its "constant accessibility" to both buyers and sellers.
The portal is not the first luxury e-commerce platform in Singapore. Reebonz, through which shoppers can pick up premier-brand products at discounted rates from brand owners or distributors, opened in 2009.
It has grown to nine core markets and now ships to more than 17 countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Co-founder Samuel Lim said: "Brand new, off-price discounted luxury is just one segment we operate in.
"We also have pre-owned, authenticated luxury and high-end coveted collectibles and vintage luxury."
Reebonz's most expensive items include an S$89,500 Hermes handbag, the Black Porosus Crocodile Lisse Birkin 35, and a S$26,980 pre-owned 18K Cartier rose-gold-and-diamond La Dona watch.
A July 2015 McKinsey report on digital luxury says the global luxury e-commerce market is expected to hit 70 billion euros (S$108 billion) by 2025.
This article was first published on May 21, 2016.
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Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has announced that it will now require customers from Canada, Japan and Singapore who send cryptocurrencies to another financial institution or exchange to provide additional data to the platform.
According to Coinbase, the list of data that will be requested includes the name and address of the recipient of the transaction. In addition, in the case of Japan, the type of destination wallet will also be requested.
Tracking recipients of cryptocurrency transactions
In a post on its blog, Coinbase informed that the changes will take effect from April 1, 2022. As explained by company, the changes aim to comply with the local regulations of the countries in question.
The platform further clarified that the change will not affect the experience of buying and selling cryptocurrencies on Coinbase.
“While we always stand for what we think the laws should be, we must respect existing laws if we are to offer Coinbase’s suite of services to customers in that country. I also want to make it clear that these changes, as described in our FAQ, only apply to Canada, Singapore and Japan, where laws require us to collect additional information. We are not applying this globally to customers,” a Coinbase spokesperson told CoinDesk.
In the case of Canada, a user who sends cryptocurrencies from 1,000 CAD to a financial institution or other exchange will need to provide the full name and residential address of the recipient.
“When you send cryptocurrencies to another exchange or financial entity, Canadian rules require us to collect additional information about the recipient of that transaction.”
Meanwhile, in the case of Singapore users, all cryptocurrency transfers to an external address will require the recipient’s full name and country of residence.
“When you send cryptocurrencies outside of Coinbase, Singapore regulations require us to collect information about the recipient of that transaction,” Coinbase explained.
Finally, in Japan, all cryptocurrency transfers to recipients outside of Japan must include the recipient’s name, address, and destination wallet.
“If you do not submit the required information, you will not be able to proceed with the submission procedure. Furthermore, if inaccurate information is submitted, it could lead to delays or cancellations in processing transactions or restrictions on subsequent transactions,” the exchange said.


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As the world stands divided when it comes to regulating cryptocurrency, India made a decision. It took years of debates, a temporary ban from the India Central Bank, and a Supreme Court ruling to get India to eventually classify cryptocurrencies as digital assets.
New Crypto Taxation Scheme
The new Finance Bill 2022 includes a new taxation scheme for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. According to the Bill, cryptocurrency will be taxed at a rate of 30%, be it a gain or income.
On the other hand, stocks are taxed at 15%, just like the ordinary income of about $1,300.
Unfortunately, separating cryptocurrencies and imposing a 30% tax on capital gains and income in these assets makes India uncompetitive for cryptocurrency business.
On the other hand, legalizing Bitcoin and other digital assets definitely removes the uncertainty that businesses had within the last few years.
Lakshika Kothari, Vice President at the cross-chain liquidity Router Protocol, states that he’s excited to see the Indian finance minister discussing gains from cryptocurrencies. He also notes that this is a historical move towards making crypto legal in India.
Kothari also believes that if India proceeds this way, it can become a hub for the Web3 ecosystem.
However, with this high tax rate, many businesses will move operations offshore. Still, chances are the tax rate will be lowered in the years to come.


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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Bahrain Real Estate Investment (Edamah), a subsidiary of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, has announced the development of a new 215-room luxury resort in Bahrain.
Slated to open in 2018, Fairmont Bahrain Resort is at the centre of what will become an entertainment, leisure and corporate retreat on the island, a statement said.
The project is being developed by Edamah and supported by Mumtalakat, Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, which manages more than $7 billion in investments and assets, including Aluminum Bahrain, Gulf Air, Bahrain International Circuit and McLaren Automotive.
The hotel is in the early stages of development in the Al Jazayer area, which is a mixed-use project comprising of a public beach, retail and restaurant outlets, hospitality components, and entertainment facilities.
Fairmont Bahrain Resort will feature 215 guestrooms and chalets, Fairmont Gold – the brand's signature 'hotel within a hotel' concept, and over 2,000 square metres of meeting and event space, including a allroom.
The resort's leisure offerings will range from a beachfront area including a Fairmont spa and health club to a wide variety of restaurants and lounges featuring signature dining concepts.
"Bahrain has one of the fastest growing economies in the Middle East and is a country that continues to diversify with a strong focus on residential, leisure and retail opportunities," said Jennifer Fox, president, International Division and president, Fairmont Brand, FRHI Hotels & Resorts.
"With the government's plans to develop the southern area into a major residential, commercial and entertainment hub, we believe it's a very opportune time to be entering the market and look forward to being a key part of the country's future growth."
Mahmood Hashim Al Kooheji, CEO of Mumtalakat, added: "We are pleased to be partnering with Fairmont to open the first Fairmont hotel in Bahrain and to create a prime destination for both residents and visitors to Bahrain.
"The hotel will be developed in Al Jazayer area, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Kingdom and will contribute positively to its development into a prime touristic destination in the region. It will also create jobs and opportunities for further partnerships between the public and private sector."
The addition of Fairmont Bahrain Resort complements a growing portfolio of other Fairmont hotels currently under development in the region including Fairmont Ajman, Fairmont Riyadh, Fairmont Fujairah, Fairmont Citystars Sharm el Sheikh, Fairmont Amman and Fairmont Marina Resort, Abu Dhabi.For all the latest travel news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.
Subscribe to Arabian Business' newsletter to receive the latest breaking news and business stories in Dubai,the UAE and the GCC straight to your inbox.


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Oracle positioning itself to take on HP and IBM in the data centre – and why not? (CBR Rolling Blog)
As 2010 ends, we will look ahead a little in the next few days on the possible shape of things to come in 2011. We’re starting with a very easy prediction; that Oracle will become more and more a feature of the CIO’s landscape going forward, especially at the high end, says Gary Flood.
Blocking internet pornography … that’s censorship, isn’t it? (The Guardian)
First they came for adult pornography, then it was pirate music and film sites … use your imagination after that, argues Dan Sabbagh.
Zuckerberg’s Chinese "holiday" (Financial Times)
"Mark Zuckerberg" and "vacation" aren’t phrases that most people would normally associate. So it shouldn’t be surprising that when Mr Zuckerberg takes holiday to China, it isn’t all temple visits and cocktails. Tim Bradshaw reports.
Email gets an instant makeover (The New York Times)
Signs you’re an old fogey: You still watch movies on a VCR, listen to vinyl records and shoot photos on film. And you enjoy using e-mail.
Gartner’s numbers for virtualisation say it all (ReadWriteWeb)
Thomas Bittman is a well-known Gartner analyst. Alex Williams was looking at some findings Bittman reported earlier this fall that are more relevant now as more companies seek to extend its data centres to public cloud infrastructures.


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Just Googling It Is Striking Fear Into Companies By STEVE LOHR http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/06/technology/06google.html?ei=5094&en=6395d3 407809e27e&hp=&ex=1131253200&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print
Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, strikes fear into the hearts of its competitors and suppliers. Makers of goods from diapers to DVD's must cater to its whims. But there is one company that even Wal-Mart eyes warily these days: Google, a seven-year-old business in a seemingly distant industry. "We watch Google very closely at Wal-Mart," said Jim Breyer, a member of Wal-Mart's board. In Google, Wal-Mart sees both a technology pioneer and the seed of a threat, said Mr. Breyer, who is also a partner in a venture capital firm. The worry is that by making information available everywhere, Google might soon be able to tell Wal-Mart shoppers if better bargains are available nearby. Wal-Mart is scarcely alone in its concern. As Google increasingly becomes the starting point for finding information and buying products and services, companies that even a year ago did not see themselves as competing with Google are beginning to view the company with some angst - mixed with admiration. Google's recent moves have stirred concern in industries from book publishing to telecommunications. Businesses already feeling the Google effect include advertising, software and the news media. Apart from retailing, Google's disruptive presence may soon be felt in real estate and auto sales. Google, the reigning giant of Web search, could extend its economic reach in the next few years as more people get high-speed Internet service and cellphones become full-fledged search tools, according to analysts. And ever-smarter software, they say, will cull and organize larger and larger digital storehouses of news, images, real estate listings and traffic reports, delivering results that are more like the advice of a trusted human expert. Such advances, predicts Esther Dyson, a technology consultant, will bring "a huge reduction in inefficiency everywhere." That, in turn, would be an unsettling force for all sorts of industries and workers. But it would also reward consumers with lower prices and open up opportunities for new companies. Google, then, may turn out to have a more far-reaching impact than earlier Web winners like Amazon and eBay. "Google is the realization of everything that we thought the Internet was going to be about but really wasn't until Google," said David B. Yoffie, a professor at Harvard Business School. Google, to be sure, is but one company at the forefront of the continuing spread of Internet technology. It has many competitors, and it could stumble. In the search market alone, Google faces formidable rivals like Microsoft and Yahoo. Microsoft, in particular, is pushing hard to catch Google in Internet search. "This is hyper-competition, make no mistake," said Bill Gates, Microsoft's chief executive. "The magic moment will come when our search is demonstrably better than Google's," he said, suggesting that this could happen in a year or so. Still, apart from its front-runner status, Google is also remarkable for its pace of innovation and for how broadly it seems to interpret its mission to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." The company's current lineup of offerings includes: software for searching personal computer files; an e-mail service; maps; satellite images; instant messaging; blogging tools; a service for posting and sharing digital photos; and specialized searches for news, video, shopping and local information. Google's most controversial venture, Google Print, is a project to copy and catalog millions of books; it faces lawsuits by some publishers and authors who say it violates copyright law. Google, which tends to keep its plans secret, certainly has the wealth to fund ambitious ventures. Its revenues are growing by nearly 100 percent a year, and its profits are rising even faster. Its executives speak of the company's outlook only in broad strokes, but they suggest all but unlimited horizons. "We believe that search networks as industries remain in their nascent stages of growth with great forward potential," Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive, told analysts last month. Among the many projects being developed and debated inside Google is a real estate service, according to a person who has attended meetings on the proposal. The concept, the person said, would be to improve the capabilities of its satellite imaging, maps and local search and combine them with property listings. The service, this person said, could make house hunting far more efficient, requiring potential buyers to visit fewer real estate agents and houses. If successful, it would be another magnet for the text ads that appear next to search results, the source of most of Google's revenue. In telecommunications, the company has made a number of moves that have grabbed the attention of industry executives. It has been buying fiber-optic cable capacity in the United States and has invested in a company delivering high-speed Internet access over power lines. And it is participating in an experiment to provide free wireless Internet access in San Francisco. That has led to speculation that the company wants to build a national free GoogleNet, paid for mostly by advertising. And Google executives seem to delight in dropping tantalizing, if vague, hints. "We focus on access to the information as much as the search itself because you need both," Mr. Schmidt said in an analysts' conference call last month. Telecommunications executives are skeptical that Google could seriously eat into their business anytime soon. For one thing, they say, it will be difficult and expensive to build a national network. Still, they monitor Google's every move. "Google is certainly a potential competitor," said Bill Smith, the chief technology officer of BellSouth, the Atlanta-based regional phone company. The No. 1 rival to phone companies in the Internet access business, Mr. Smith noted, is the cable television operators. "But do I discount Google? Absolutely not," he said. "You'd be a fool to do that these days." In retailing, Google has no interest in stocking and selling merchandise. Its potential impact is more subtle, yet still significant. Every store is a collection of goods, some items more profitable than others. But the less-profitable items may bring people into stores, where they also buy the high-margin offerings - one shelf, in effect, subsidizes another. Search engines, combined with other technologies, have the potential to drive comparison shopping down to the shelf-by-shelf level. Cellphone makers, for example, are looking at the concept of a "shopping phone" with a camera that can read product bar codes. The phone could connect to databases and search services and, aided by satellite technology, reveal that the flat-screen TV model in front of you is $200 cheaper at a store five miles away. "We see this huge power moving to the edge - to consumers - in this Google environment," said Lou Steinberg, chief technology officer of Symbol Technologies, which supplies bar-code scanners to retailers. Such services could lead to lower prices for consumers, but also relentless competition that threatens to break up existing businesses. A newspaper or a magazine can be seen as a media store - a collection of news, entertainment and advertising delivered in a package. A tool like Google News allows a reader or an advertiser to pick and choose, breaking up the package by splitting the articles from the ads. And Google's ads, tucked to the side of its search-engine results, are often a more efficient sales generator than print ads. "Google represents a challenge to newspapers, to be sure," said Gary B. Pruitt, chief executive of the McClatchy Company, a chain of 12 newspapers including The Star Tribune in Minneapolis and The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. "Google is attacking the advertising base of newspapers." At the same time, Google and search technology are becoming crucial to the health of newspapers as more readers migrate to the Web. As one path to the future, Mr. Pruitt speaks of his newspapers prospering by tailoring search for local businesses, but also partnering with search engines to attract readers. Within industries, the influence of Internet search is often uneven. For example, search engines are being embraced by car companies, yet they pose a challenge to car dealers. George E. Murphy, senior vice president of global marketing for Chrysler, said Chrysler buys ads on 3,000 keywords a day on the big search sites: Google, Yahoo, Microsoft's MSN and AOL, whose search is supplied by Google. If a person types in one of those keywords, the search results are accompanied by a sponsored link to a Chrysler site. Chrysler refines its approach based on what search words attract clicks, and studies its site traffic for clues on converting browsers to buyers. "We've got Ph.D.'s working on this," Mr. Murphy said. "The great thing about search is that you can do the math and follow the trail." After following a link to a Chrysler Web site, a prospective buyer can configure a model, find a dealer and get a preliminary price. Only dealers can make final price quotes. Yet with more information on the Web, the direction of things is clear, in Mr. Murphy's view. "It will fundamentally change what the dealer does, because telling people about the vehicle won't add value for the customer anymore," he said. "If dealers don't change, they'll be dinosaurs." Mr. Breyer, the Wal-Mart board member, watches Google closely in his job as managing partner of Accel Partners, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. These days, he advises startups to avoid a "collision course" with Google, just as he has long counseled fledgling companies to steer clear of Microsoft's stronghold in desktop software. Internet search, like personal computing in its heyday, is a disruptive technology, he said, threatening traditional industries and opening the door to new ones. "We think there is plenty of opportunity for innovation in the Google economy," Mr. Breyer said. You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.


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Now Get InvestmentGuruIndia.com news on WhatsApp. Click Here To Know More
Betting on new initiatives
* We interacted with Dabur's CEO, Mohit Malhotra, who highlighted the company's new initiatives to improve growth including more focused spends behind core brands to scale them, consistency in new launches, greater focus on volume shares and cost savings.
* It also plans to widen direct reach more aggressively, which currently stands at 1.2mn outlets; will go deeper in rural, while will consolidate distributors in urban. Also aims to broaden presence in e-com and modern trade (MT) with specific new launches.
* Growth in its organic international business has been affected by lower crude prices, but it now expects to recover to single digits on lower comparables. Turkish currency is now stabilizing and Namaste Africa growing healthy on lower pricing from local manufacturing.
* Management's new initiatives to accelerate growth appears positive. However, we believe earnings pick up may take some time, given the near-term rural slowdown and a slower recovery international. Maintain Hold and EW stance in sector EAP.
For More Emkay Global Financial Services Ltd Disclaimer http://www.emkayglobal.com/Uploads/disclaimer.pdf & SEBI Registration number is INH00000035
Above views are of the author and not of the website kindly read disclaimer


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Martin is following up its positive eco-friendly steps into using more recycled Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified woods in its builds – as we saw with the Shawn Mendes 000 Junior signature model – with a greener way to power its preamps.
It's partnered with Better Battery Co (BBCo) to install the world's first certified carbon-neutral alkaline battery in many of its electro-acoustic guitar preamps.
“We are proud to partner with Martin Guitar and inspired to affiliate with a remarkable company who operates their passion in alignment with their value of sustainability,” states Jaclyn Byles, Co-Founder of Better Battery Co. "The commitment of Better Battery Co. to sustainability is in direct alignment with that of Martin Guitars, which is ingrained that it is said to be in their DNA. By switching to Better Battery Co, in a wide range of the brand's electric acoustic guitars to power the preamps, Martin Guitar is demonstrating their ongoing commitment to a circular economy, while also reducing their carbon footprint and increasing their recycling efforts."
BBCo achieves its carbon neutral aim via Carbonfund.org and its batteries and their packaging are recyclable.
“Here at Martin, we take every possible opportunity to reduce, reuse, and recycle throughout our facilities and our product line,” said Thomas Ripsam, President and CEO of Martin Guitar. “We’re excited to work with Better Battery to help us further minimise our impact on the planet.”


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The average $116 discount Hawaii consumers receive for buying car and home insurance from the same company is the lowest in the nation, according to insuranceQuotes.com.
A study by the online company and Quadrant Information Services found the national average savings to be $270 a year, a 15 percent discount.
However, states where consumers are offered the highest average savings are Louisiana, at $505, Oklahoma, at $468, Texas, at $435, Mississippi, at $422 and No. 5, Missouri, at $366.
"Consolidating your insurance policies with a single company is one of the easiest ways to save money," said Laura Adams, senior analyst at insuranceQuotes.com, in a statement. "The differences between states can be attributed to competitive and regulatory factors," she said.
The full list of discount data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., is online.


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Laying off employees is just part of running a business so when Tesla announced they were laying off a majority of their Detroit staff, you might not think too much of it. That is except that they did it by blog post!
In a sign of what this new Financiapocalypse might bring, employees in the Metro Detroit branch of electric car maker Tesla Motors were laid off via a blog post. Yesterday, we reported that Tesla would be cutting back and reorganizing, which included shutting down the office in Rochester Hills, near Detroit. Unfortunately, no one told the employees in Rochester Hills. Some of them logged on to find that they were now, according to their own website, obsolete.
And if you think the 10% of the Detroit workforce that remain are happy they still have a job, to keep that job they will have to relocate from Detroit to San Jose on their own dime...Pretty classy of them wasn't it?


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Apple’s next-gen iPad is expected to feature support for 4G LTE, which could help significantly boost adoption of the increasingly popular connectivity standard.
“It’s going to dramatically improve video consumption,” UBS analyst John Hodulik told Reuters. ”This is the device people want. They want the fastest speed. They want high resolution.”
According to Hodulik, US consumers will likely pay extra cash to watch high-quality video on the go – providing Verizon wireless and AT&T with a tidy revenue boost.
However, Gartner analyst Van Baker seemed to disagree with Hodulik’s assessment, opining that it would be an uphill battle convincing consumers to pay for iPad services with faster speeds. Indeed, the cheaper WiFi iPad is currently the most popular iteration of Apple’s tablet.
“[True], it’s very important for a decent size subset of the users, probably somewhere in the 10 to 15 percent range… [But] For 85 to 90 percent of people, it’s just not going to matter,” said Baker.
Meanwhile, Frost & Sullivan’s analyst Phil Harpur emphasized that success of the new iPad would be “critical” to Cupertino if it was to continue dominating the global tablet market – with Android attempting to play catch up and Windows 8 devices waiting in the wings.
“A lot will depend how receptive the market is to the new features offered by iPad 3, two of which are believed to be quad-core processing and 4G-LTE capabilities.
“While [the] iPad 2 offered only minor incremental upgrades, this time the market will be expecting a lot more,” he added.


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A top electronics analyst has slashed his estimate for the number of iPhone X units Apple will manufacture through the end of 2017.
It's the latest sign that Apple's $999 iPhone X may be difficult to find shortly after it launches on November 3 in 57 countries, including China and the US. Preorders for the device begin October 27.
"While we revise down 2017F iPhone X shipments on TrueDepth Camera production & assembly difficulties, it represents a great challenge for Android camp to replicate," Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities analyst, wrote in an "Apple Insight" note seen by Business Insider.
Kuo now thinks Apple will ship 30 million to 35 million iPhone X units in 2017, down from his previous estimate of 40 million.
The iPhone X has a complicated 3D camera mounted on its front that Apple calls TrueDepth. It's used to unlock the phone using facial-recognition technology. But there have been several reports that significant production issues with the new camera have led to a bottleneck in iPhone X production.
Kuo wrote that "issues with the production of TrueDepth Camera can potentially be overcome in a few months."
Despite the TrueDepth manufacturing woes, Kuo thinks Android manufacturers won't be able to match the camera's features or functionality for 18 to 30 months, leaving Apple with a strong exclusive feature on high-end smartphones and clearing the way for growth in 2018 and 2019.
There seems to be high demand for the iPhone X — a previous estimate from KGI Securities suggested demand of as many as 50 million units on launch day.
This could cut into sales of the iPhone 8 sales, which Apple announced at the same time as the iPhone X. The iPhone 8 is less expensive has a design similar to previous iPhone models, however, so some customers are likely to hold out for the pricier, more advanced device.
But Kuo doesn't think iPhone 8 sales will suffer that much.
"In light of better-than-expected shipments of iPhone 8 Plus, we see limited downside to our combined shipments estimate for iPhone 8 and 8 Plus," Kuo wrote. "Moreover, we are of the view that even if iPhone 8 shipments forecasts are revised down, the consumer appeal and robust shipments momentum of iPhone X will be unaffected."
Kuo concludes that supply-chain companies with "prominent exposure to iPhone X features" are a good investment. Taiwanese companies that count Apple as a customer that Kuo likes include Hon Hai, Largan, Taiwan Semiconductor, Chunghwa Precision, Tong Hsing, and General Interface Solution.


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The writer owned two dealerships that were terminated by Chrysler.
To the Editor:
Regarding "Marchionne, products wow dealers," Sept. 20: Why would you portray Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne as a white knight or hero without even questioning him on what he intends to do for the terminated dealers?
If a time of healing has begun, it would stand to reason that Marchionne would create a fund for those dealers that were robbed of their livelihood.
It should be Marchionne's pledge to reimburse those dealers as his new company becomes profitable, knowing full well that those profits were obtained on the backs of those terminated dealers who invested millions in inventory and facilities and personnel.
If he chooses not to help, he can expect that the public will be reminded regularly of what he did. Automotive News should not give him a pass.