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Hello and welcome to Insights Distilled, a weekly email briefing that curates tactical technology news for financial services execs. Every Tuesday morning, we send you the top five stories you need to know – and explain why they matter. Our tech news roundup helps you stay on top of the innovations driving business agility in your industry. To get next week’s edition in your inbox, sign up here.
This week’s edition deals with the past, present, and future.
We’re bringing you advice and predictions as we dive into the history of Deutsche Bank’s fumbled tech integration, the latest news from Q2 earnings calls, an analysis of FedNow’s potential, and more.
Let’s dive in:
Newly launched instant payments service FedNow could eventually threaten credit cards’ dominance in the US.
The evolution of Brazil’s own instant payments system, Pix, shows how FedNow could ultimately create new opportunities for banks to make money in payments and encroach on credit cards.
FedNow, the US payments system that enables instant money transfers, 24/7, is finally here.
The US has lagged woefully behind other countries on instant payments and, even now, FedNow will likely take years to gain widespread adoption. However, as a parallel case study, prescient experts are looking towards Brazil for an understanding of FedNow’s wider potential impacts.
Launched in 2020, Brazil’s Pix service has gained such popularity that its usage has overtaken the volume of credit and debit card transactions, leading the country’s central bank chief to predict the impending end of credit cards.
Instant payments allow merchants to avoid lengthy reconciliations, credit risk, and interchange fees, so businesses want customers to use Pix, and incentivize it by offering discounts or rewards that are better than what credit cards offer.
Meanwhile, banks in Brazil are rolling out their own “Pix Credit” programs to offer their customers credit lines, giving them additional earnings opportunities by pushing into the territory of traditional credit cards. This model could play out in the US as well, driving greater competition and allowing banks to rethink how they position credit cards.
For more on how Brazil’s example could translate to the US and why “Pix Credit shows that the race for dominance in financial services is open,” check out a recent column in American Banker.
Other credit card threats abound as well: “Swipe fee” legislation, dubbed the Credit Card Competition Act, is currently attracting fierce lobbying as it gains backing in Washington, while pay-by-bank features are gaining steam, too.
The team responsible for helping Morgan Stanley work with tech companies has slashed its timelines from months to days.
Working with fintechs can help FinServs quickly launch new features and improve operational efficiency, so they need a streamlined framework for building those relationships and testing products.
Sean Manahan has helped Morgan Stanley make huge strides in how it partners with innovative tech firms.
As head of technology business development, Manahan is responsible for leading the team that sources and integrates tech vendors to drive change at the bank.
His group has become much more efficient while also doubling to 30 people in the past 5 years, he told Insider. Overall, the team slashed the matchmaking process – which includes due diligence and pilots – from months to days.
To drive that improvement, the team abides by three key tenets, according to Manahan: Do a lot of pre-work to identify internal business problems and find the tech firms that can best solve those issues, set the expectations early on about the bank’s compliance requirements and processes, and have a streamlined strategy for launching light-weight proof of concepts.
Ultimately, Manahan’s team has a lot of work to do: Morgan Stanley’s strategy for tech tools is about 80% buy and 20% build in-house.
For more tips on working with fintechs, read our report on building better partnerships. Also, Insight’s IGNITE network offers enterprise executives unparalleled access to next-gen tech, investment and market perspectives, and a network of peers driving digital change – learn more here or reach out to Zak Sheer for more information.
Deutsche Bank’s long, painful IT integration reveals some important lessons for other FinServs.
The messy realities of tech migrations were on full display during the final phases of Deutsche Bank’s efforts to transfer customer records from one system to another. The org learned some key lessons along the way, including to expect the unexpected.
For more than a decade, Deutsche Bank has operated two IT platforms: One for its retail banking business and another for Postbank, the German lender it acquired in 2010.
“It was like having two banks in one: The systems generated twice the costs,” Lars Stoy, Deutsche’s head of retail banking in Germany, told the Financial Times, as part of a profile of its recent data migration.
The team just completed the final transfer, dubbed Project Unity, after several missed targets and failed attempts. While it now expects to reap €300 million in cost savings by 2025, it originally had more ambitious goals.
The key lessons from the long, hard integration journey are to streamline decision-making where possible, lean on existing systems that work well versus trying to build everything from scratch, and to over-prepare for key moments.
That final point helped DB handle the unexpected: The migration almost went off the rails when steam from an errantly-opened dishwasher set off a smoke detector and forced migration teams to evacuate the building at a crucial moment. Luckily, employees had rehearsed the plan multiple times in recent months, which allowed them to make up the lost time.
DB’s learnings from that process are especially prevalent now, as the recent consolidation (spurred from the spring’s banking crisis, and with the potential for more M&A to come) necessitates other banking giants to embark on integration journeys. You can read the full story in The Financial Times.
Karat just raised fresh funding – and launched a partnership with Visa – to build financial tools for content creators.
Most financial institutions don’t cater to the hundreds of millions of content creators, despite their enormous industry which could swell to $181 billion by 2032. Karat and Visa want to change that.
Fintech Karat Financial just raised $40 million in equity financing and $30 million in debt to increase financial access for content creators, or people who make money on their videos, social feeds, or personal brands.
The startup’s credit cards rely on social stats and financial statements instead of FICO scores to determine customers’ credit card limits, and it offers accounting tools tailored to creators as well. It’s also launching a new partnership with Visa to improve access to capital.
“When it comes to their financial lives, creators are underserved,” according to Visa’s head of fintech, Marie-Elise Droga. “They’re running a business and have the needs of a business, yet, for the most part, they are treated as individual consumers.”
While other FinServs target startup founders – for example, JPMorgan – Karat and Visa hope that they can carve out a lucrative market by catering to this growing segment.
As Will Kim, Karat cofounder, put it: “Creators are eating the world, and Karat is in a great position to be the financial system that powers them.”
Capital One touts its brand as helping it hire top-notch technologists and cut costs.
Capital One has put a recent emphasis on building its reputation as a tech powerhouse, which has given it a leg up in Wall Street’s race for talent.
Capital One talks about itself like a tech company and that status is starting to stick.
In the bank’s Q2 earnings call, chief financial officer Andrew Young highlighted how Captial One has cut down on tech consultants and their related costs: “We brought that down as we’ve been able to use our recruiting brand to bring incredible talent into the organization,” he said.
To build its reputation, the bank is active in open source, publishes extensive tech-related content, focuses on reducing engineer burnout, hires execs from top tech companies, and even sells its own software product, Slingshot, externally.
Similarly, Citi said during its own recent earnings call that it’s shifting from third-party consultants to full-time hires as its tech transformation helps it become more efficient, resilient, and secure: It added 7,000 tech-related jobs in Q2.
The battle for top tech talent has continued to ratchet up as artificial intelligence – specifically GenAI – has become the hottest new focus for Wall Street. Meanwhile, an in-depth report from earlier this year showed that JPMorgan has snapped up more AI talent than 22 other big banks.
On the topic of artificial intelligence, we’re offering Distilled readers 50% off digital tickets to ScaleUp:AI, our premier event in October, which will feature Goldman Sachs’ CIO and PayPal’s VP of data science, among many other execs.
Personnel news: HSBC hired Martijn Stoker from JPMorgan to lead its global payment solutions and Melissa Tuozzolo from Bank of America to lead GPS client service.
On the fintech side of things, Weavr.io just hired Visa alum Mark Pettit as its new chief product officer, while AccessFintech poached Goldman Sachs veteran Christopher Daur to lead buy-side sales and relationships.
Money moves: Bowery Valuation, a tech-powered real estate appraisal firm, raised a Series B extension from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Capital One Ventures, and others. Meanwhile, insurance automation firm Tractable AI raised a $65 million Series E round led by SoftBank, with participation from existing investors Insight Partners and Georgian, and Thunes extended its Series C with backing from Visa.
Industry insights: Arjuna Capital’s Natasha Lamb is putting pressure on big tech companies and banks to make disclosures on responsible AI and FinServs are prepping to shorten the trade settlement cycle.
Upcoming event: Our second annual ScaleUp:AI conference will take place October 27, in-person in New York City and streaming live online. Get digital tickets for 50% off with promo code Distilled.
Thanks for reading! Want next week’s edition in your inbox? Sign up here.


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In its July report, the committee itself wonders how this recommendation will be greeted — acknowledging that such guidelines are “aspirational.”
Behind the recommendation
The advisory committee’s recommendation — which may or may not become part of the official 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, scheduled to be released at the end of this year — was driven by recent studies that have suggested that consuming two alcoholic drinks per day is associated with slightly increased risk of death from all causes, compared with stopping at one drink per day, regardless of gender. (One drink per day has long been the recommended level for women.) And newer research is contradicting earlier, perhaps flawed, studies that linked moderate drinking to protection from heart disease.
In the report, the committee concedes that many men consume more than one alcoholic drink per day, and may not be able to — or want to — stick to the suggested limits, at least not every day. “Nonetheless, although guidelines may be aspirational they are important for communicating evidence around health, stimulating thought around behavior change, and prioritizing policies that may lead to changes in consumption,” the authors write.
Among the concerns the committee hopes to highlight through its recommendation is the fact that research cited in the report shows that nearly half of people who drink — across all age categories — report binge drinking at least once in the past month. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks in the same occasion for men or four or more drinks for women.
But given that drinking well past “moderate” has been normalized in our society (think about all the television shows and movies that glorify drinking in excess, often without apparent consequences), a couple of experts outside the committee whom I consulted with also weren’t very hopeful that an update to government recommendations that many people aren’t even aware of will lead men to change their drinking behavior.
“Whenever I educate clients or speak to groups and mention the previous guidelines, I get a lot of surprise and even anger,” said Ginger Hultin, a Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist at Champagne Nutrition and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Many people actually aren’t aware of the guidelines, and exceeding them is so normalized that I do think change and reduction will be challenging.”
Melissa Abbott, a vice president at the Hartman Group, a food and beverage consumer research firm based in Bellevue, Wash., said that although the new recommendations will probably create a greater awareness about the benefits of drinking less, most consumers don’t look to the government for nutrition guidance or believe they need to. “We’re a very individually driven society, and many people don’t feel that these recommendations apply to them,” she said.
A silver lining?
But perhaps all is not lost. Hultin and Abbott pointed to one trend that might help the new guideline take root: the rising interest in and sales of low- and no-alcohol beverages.
Nielsen sales figures from mid-2019 show that nonalcoholic beverages, including kombucha, were worth $7 billion more than they were in 2015, and that sales of hard seltzers — many of which are lower in alcohol — during the first three months of the pandemic quadrupled from the year before. Nielsen survey results also showed that, in 2019, 66 percent of millennials reported making efforts to reduce alcohol consumption, far more than the average of 47 percent among all drinkers age 21 or older. Abbott said Hartman Group research also indicates a big difference in how millennials (24 to 39 years old) think about alcohol compared with Gen Xers and baby boomers.
“Millennials are much more aware of what they’re putting in their bodies and how it makes them feel,” Abbott said, and this includes alcohol. She said some older consumers, such as those on the upper end of the Gen X range — around ages 50 to 55 — may reduce alcohol intake if it helps them, say, manage their blood sugar, but most older consumers are less likely to associate feeling tired or subpar the next day with drinking the night before.
Another positive aspect of the low- or no-alcohol trend is that it has made the concept of what it means to consume alcohol more fluid. Abbott said drinking used to be more black and white — people either drank or were a teetotaler — but today, more people are describing themselves as “sober curious” or “sober sometimes,” observing Dry January and creating demand for low- and no-alcohol beverages that still feel a little special.
As Exhibit A, Abbott points to the boom of attractively packaged mocktails-in-a-can (or bottle) — often featuring ingredients such as bitters and herbal extracts — that re-create the ritual of the evening cocktail. “There’s much more selection now that doesn’t bring you back to that club soda sad feeling.”
The beverage industry has stepped up its game. Craft breweries, wineries and distilleries are offering tastier low- and no-alcohol beer, wine and spirits, and there’s no shortage of drinking vinegars and shrubs, artisan bitters, CBD beverages, bottled and draft kombucha — both low- and no-alcohol — as well as “hard” seltzers.
“There’s no reason to drink plain water or sugary-sweet drinks as a replacement for a cocktail when you’re celebrating,” Hultin said. “This is a really important trend, because they support and normalize not drinking alcohol, for whatever reason, but still give a nod to the fact that celebratory drinks are part of our culture. Now everyone can feel included but still choose whether or not they want to drink alcohol. There are options for all.”
If you do want to cut back
What do you do if you really enjoy, perhaps even rely on, your evening libations — especially with everything going on right now — yet worry that you really should cut back a bit?
Hultin maintains that a “happy hour at home” can be a nice ritual for most people when exercising moderation. “However, if that’s the only way to relax or if people find they’re using alcohol to escape or cope, then it’s worth exploring other forms of relief, too.”
She suggests experimenting with taking an occasional day off from alcohol and trying some of the new, different kinds of nonalcoholic beverages available. “For some, not drinking can actually have a bigger effect on happiness and can also improve sleep quality and energy levels.”
Three things we could all use a little more of.
Dennett is a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition by Carrie.

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Turkiye saw a 48.69% annual hike in consumer prices in January, the country’s statistical authority said on Thursday.
The figure was 36.08% in the previous month, according to TurkStat.
The highest annual price increase last month was seen in transportation with 68.89%, followed by food and non-alcoholic beverage (55.61%) and furnishings and household equipment (54.53%).
The lowest annual increases were posted by communication with 10.76%, education with 18.67%, clothing and footwear with 25.32%.
The monthly inflation rate was 11.10% in January.
The highest monthly increase was 21.90% in alcoholic beverages and tobacco among the main groups, while clothing and footwear posted negative inflation — minus 0.24%.
A group of 20 economists projected an average annual rise of 48.42% in consumer prices in January, an Anadolu Agency survey found last week.
Copyright 2022 Anadolu Agency. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Bath & Body Works has announced that it will temporarily close all stores in the United States and Canada in response to the coronavirus pandemic, sharing the news in a statement on its website.
"With breaking news about COVID-19 constantly developing, our goal has been to make products available to help you care for your families and friends to prevent the spread of COVID-19/Coronavirus as much as we can," CEO Andrew Meslow wrote in a message to customers. "But based on the information we have today, we have made the extremely difficult decision to temporarily close all of our stores in the U.S. and Canada."
"While our associates are at home with their loved ones at this critical time, we'll support them with pay, as well as look for other ways we might east their concerns and share our appreciation for all they've done," Meslow continued. "As a company, we're also working on additional ways to support those in need to our home office communities."
"This closure will also allow us to prioritize inventory to our online channel, so you can safely shop from home. We’re working around the clock to deliver products to our distribution center to ensure we can fulfill your needs. We never want to disappoint our customers, and we always try to ensure you get the products you need when you need them."
"I've never been prouder of how our team has stepped up to take care of each other and our customers," the message concluded. "Thank you for putting your trust in Bath & Body Works ... we're committed to earning it every day."
The letter did not include a reopening date, but customers are still able to shop online.
Other stores in the United States that have closed as a response to the coronavirus include Lululemon, Nike, Lush Cosmetics, Pataonia, Nordstrom, Abercrombie & Fitch, Apple, Fossil, Urban Outfitters and more. Several stores are also limiting their hours including grocery stores like Publix, Kroger and Wegmans and other stores including Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods.
In recent weeks, Bath & Body Works has seen a selling boom in its hand sanitizer stock as customers frantically searched for any sanitizer they could get their hands on. Fortune reports that Bath & Body works sees about 5 percent of its annual sales from hand sanitizers, a product which is currently in high demand.0comments
"It is presently growing at a very high rate for reasons we would all understand," Stuart Burgdoerfer, the chief financial officer of its parent company L Brands, told Wall Street analysts on Thursday.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock


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Startups that aspire to become as large as Uber or Square will soon have a chance to work in the same San Francisco building where those two tech companies are headquartered.
WeWork, the world’s largest co-working operator, leased 67,000 square feet of a former bank vault at 1455 Market St. The space once held cash for Bank of America, which operated a data center in the Mid-Market building and sold it in 2010. Starting in 2013, Uber and Square leased upstairs offices, but the former vault remained empty.


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Namib Mills will soon make a foray into the bread market, with the company planning to launch a superior bread loaf towards the end of the year.
The bread type, according to the company, is expected to give it a competitive edge in a market currently dominated by supermarket bakeries. “Superior Loafs are known internationally for its benefits, e.g. longer life, softer and richer texture, nutritional values are shown on the product, etc. In Namibia we haven’t had this product as the technology is very expensive (especially due to the fact that a cooling tower is required to ensure longer bread life), we are opportunistic about the fact that Namibia has the economies of scale and consumer base to purchase these type of breads,” the company responded to a Windhoek Observer inquiry.
Although details about the planned investment, which will be set up in the Khomas region are sketchy, the project when completed is expected to create 70 permanent employees.“We are setting up the new plant between Windhoek and Okahandja, the production will only be focused on the Superior Loafs,” Namib Mills said. The company, which is known for manufacturing various food items, animal feed and poultry, is also one the biggest suppliers of flour to the Namibian market, a key component in the bread manufacturing process, having invested N$100 million in 2017 to double its wheat mill output.
The planned product offering from the company comes after the launch of the instant porridge range in 2017 following a N$15 million investment, which created 20 jobs. “Namib Mills is always looking to be more innovative on products offered to Namibian and International markets,” the company said.
Established 37 years ago, the company has emerged as one of the biggest manufacturers in the country, having invested N$70 million to quadruple its pasta-producing capacity to 4.7 tons per hour and in the process creating 50 jobs. The company also invested N$660 million towards the creation of Namib Poultry Industries, creating 650 jobs.
Last year, the company was, however, taken to court by the Namibia Competition Commission (NaCC) for allegedly abusing a dominant position in the market for the production and supply of wheat flour when it concluded loan agreements with 54 bakeries with a clause that required them to purchase their wheat flour exclusively from Namib Mills.


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Japan steel works 4-quarter crude steel output target of 26.6 million tons this year, fell 2.4%, but is still higher than the Japan Ministry of economy trade and industry expected, mainly the latter demand is insufficient to support the production. The end of September this year, Japan METI expects 4 quarter of Japan will be reduced by more than 800,000 tons of steel demand, material needs will be 23.5 million tonnes of finished products, dipping 3.3%, 2.1% per cent drop, and the expected did not take into account the impact of territorial disputes with China.
Japan economy, trade and industry said exports to China and other factors in a comprehensive, 4 quarter Japan steel demand was likely to deteriorate further, the decline in demand has directly or indirectly been revealed. Expected 4 quarter Japan iron and steel export volume was 8.27 million tons, dipping 2%, but rose 13.4%. However, from the perspective of the production targets, some steel mills to consider only China Japan product boycott and cut production.
Japan steel works is expected, 4 quarter domestic steel sales to 14.9 million tons, dipping 0.7%, h 895,000 tonnes, increased 8.4% per cent; small 2.33 million tons, increased 7.6% per cent. From the local demand, due in September, the Government canceled subsidies for environmentally friendly cars, flat demand may decline and benefiting from reconstruction work in the North, construction demand is still strong, but have postponed some construction projects due to lack of workers, rising stocks of steel for the construction industry is very concerned about.


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Ozan Electronic Money Turkey announces collaboration with Albaraka Turk
By Leandra Monteiro
Insha Ventures, a subsidiary of Albaraka Turk has announced that it is joining forces with Ozan Electronic Money Turkey. The open banking cooperation will integrate Albaraka API Platform infrastructure into Ozan SuperApp, giving Ozan SuperApp users the opportunity to perform different services such as 24/7 money transfer, purchasing gold, forex transactions, bill payment and many others.
Speaking on the collaboration Meliksah Utku, the General Manager of Albaraka Turk said, “Albaraka Turk continues to be the pioneer of open banking and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) in Turkey thanks to the Albaraka API platform that started with ‘Let’s build together the digital products of the future!’ motto. I believe that the cooperation between Insha Ventures and Ozan Electronic Money Turkey will contribute a lot to the ecosystem of financial technologies and I find that very exciting.”
Omer Suner, the CEO of Ozan Electronic Money Turkey said, “With Ozan SuperApp, we aim to offer our users in-house developed financial services that are run on the rails of our industry-leading business partners. Following our Visa membership that we announced last week, our strategic partnership with Insha Ventures aligns with our vision of growth through long-term partnerships.”
Yakup Sezer, the General Manager of Insha Ventures, went on to emphasise that the company has been a bridge of development for the fintech ecosystem in Turkey, and added, “Insha Ventures supports super applications by offering them APIs-based services such as payment accounts, investment products, bill payments, and money transfer. Our comprehensive cooperation with Ozan SuperApp is a very important step to make contributions to the financial services industry in Turkey. Thanks to this cooperation, our Albaraka Open Banking Platform will provide Ozan SuperApp a great range of integrated financial services, representing the latest technology within open banking the world.”
Dr. Ozan Ozerk, founder of Ozan SuperApp, shared, “Since early 2000 Turkish banking industry has been joining forces with telecoms, ISPs, technology companies and other key players leapfrogging into the future. Private and government initiatives have pushed competition to the highest level, bringing Turkish financial technologies to become a global leader. Ozan SuperApp aims to benefit from this ecosystem as its launches globally.”


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Consumer confidence falls unexpectedly
Gas prices contribute to May decline
NEW YORK — Americans are losing faith that the economy will keep improving, according to a monthly survey.
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell to a six-month low of 60.8 from a revised 66 in April, a sign of the toll that high gas prices, a choppy job outlook and a moribund housing market are taking on people’s psyches. Economists had expected an increase to 67.
“Consumers are considerably more apprehensive about future business and labor market conditions as well as their income prospects,” said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board Consumer Research Center. She said fears of inflation that had eased in April picked up again in May.
The index, released Tuesday, is still far from the reading of 90 that indicates a healthy economy. It hasn’t approached that level since the recession began in December 2007.
The results paint a different picture than earlier this year, when many hoped the economic recovery was gaining steam. In February, consumer confidence hit a three-year high. But since then, consumers have started paying more for food and gasoline and are seeing a “double dip” in the housing market.
Part of the problem in May was that the confidence survey’s cutoff of May 18 did not give consumers enough time to react to falling gas prices, which peaked early in the month, IHS Global Insight Economist Chris Christopher said.
“We expect consumer confidence to pick up next month because those respondents will be able to show appreciation for falling gasoline prices,” he added.
Still, gasoline isn’t consumers’ only worry, said Moody’s Chief Economist John Lonski.
“Expectations of higher prices coupled with expectations of lower income makes for a more anxious consumer,” he said. “The takeaway here is employment and income are not growing rapidly enough to sustain an extended stay by rapid inflation.”
Economists monitor confidence because consumer spending, including big-ticket items such as housing and health care, accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity and is critical for a strong economy. A more troubled outlook raises the risk that people will pull back on spending.
Food makers have raised prices to offset sharply higher commodity costs, and that’s putting pressure on household budgets, particularly for middle- to lower-income people. Retail gasoline prices peaked at a national average of about $3.98 on May 5, according to auto club AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service, but gas prices still remain stubbornly high. The consumer confidence survey ran from May 1 to 18.
Real estate also remains depressed. Home prices fell nationwide for the eighth straight month, according to the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city index released Tuesday. Home prices in major areas have reached their lowest level since the U.S. housing bubble burst in 2006, stymied by foreclosures, a surplus of unsold homes and a reluctance to buy into a falling market.
This month’s report marked a “double dip in home prices across much of the nation,” said David Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s.
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NIGERIA – Cadbury Nigeria, subsidiary of snack and confectionery firm Mondelez International has reported a 10% decline in full year revenue for the period ended December 2020, to N35.41 billion (US$86.5m).
The decline, according to Naira Metrics was occasioned by the decrease in domestic and export sales, spearheaded by the impact of COVID-19, which further affected its profits.
The maker of hot chocolate beverage suffered an 83% decline in profit to N172.67 million (US$422,000).
Cadbury’s profitability thrives on high volume and high revenue as FMCG profit margins are usually rather slim.
With a decrease in revenue without a more than proportionate decrease in cost of sales, pressured the company’s prospects of posting an impressive profit as that of last year which was N1.07 billion (US$2.6m).
The company’s cost of sales decreased to N29.64 billion (US$72.48m), down by 4.39% with selling and distribution expenses going down to N4.58 billion (US$11.2m) by 12.12% and administrative expenses decreasing to N1.18 billion (US$2.8m), down by 35.25%.
Meanwhile, another consumer good company Unilever Nigeria Plc, released its audited report for the year ended 31st December 2020.
The company recorded turnover of N61.9 billion (US$151.3m) in the year under review which represents 2% topline growth, compared to N60.4bn (US$147.7m) turnover recorded in the corresponding year in 2019.
The result showed that the company recorded a gross profit of N12.8bn (US$31.3m) for the year ended 31st December 2020, this represented a 169% increase in gross profit relative to gross loss of N4.7bn (US$11.4m) reported for the previous year.
Overall, loss after tax for the year ended 31st December 2020 reduced by 53% to N4.0bn (US$9.78m) from the loss after tax of N7.4bn (US$18.09m) reported for the prior year in 2019.
Speaking on the results, the Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business Director, ‘Soromidayo George, stated that even though 2020 was a year of significant disruptions and volatilities impacting the operating environment, Unilever Nigeria continues to build its resilience to navigate the impact of headwinds.
Mrs. George added that the company remains focused on its strategy to deliver sustainable growth both in the medium and long-term riding on the pillars of operational efficiency, cost optimization, purposeful brands and increasing market share across key categories.
“We continue to monitor the business environment and respond appropriately to volatilities in the operating environment as well as disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
Unilever Nigeria is in the process of establishing its tea business into a separate legal entity to help it achieve its potentials as a stand-alone business.
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Google had added a factory reset protection (FRP) in Android 5.1 Lollipop that aimed to make it near impossible to hack a stolen device. But YouTuber RootJunky has found a way to bypass it. Earlier this month, Google released security update for Nexus smartphones, but RootJunky has still found a way to bypass the FRP in the latest Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 update. Also Read - Google Pay will not charge transfer fee from Indian users; Google India clarifiesAlso Read - 400 new games coming to Google Stadia cloud gaming platform
The bypass demonstrated by RootJunky on YouTube is bit complicated and involves more than 10 steps, but nonetheless seems doable. To bypass FRP, you need to disable your Wi-Fi during the set up initially. This can make the smartphone skip the FRP check. Then you have to add another account in the device. During the process you have to download an APK and log in through browser. Also Read - Google Pay to remove payments on web app, adds fee on instant money transfers
The bypass allows you to add any account on the device despite the FRP. Once you have entered your password to the added account, you can fully use the device. You can check out the entire process in the video below. As said earlier, the process seems bit tedious, though it still kind of works. Google should definitely roll out an update before this loophole is exploited for malicious purposes.
Those who are unaware about the FRP, it is basically a feature that prevents anyone from wiping and factory resetting your smartphone if it is stolen or lost. The device makes it compulsory to enter an account that is linked to the device. The feature rolled out with Android Lollipop 5.1.


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Source: Deccan Herald, June 4, 2012
Diversified healthcare major Abbott, on Monday, inaugurated its first nutrition research and development centre in collaboration with Biocon’s subsidiary Syngene. The centre was inaugurated by National Innovation Council Chairman Sam Pitroda.
Briefing reporters, Abbott Nutrition Vice-President Divisional Global R&D Scientific Affairs H Miller said “the centre will focus on the development of nutrition products for maternal and child nutrition and diabetes care.”
Abbott has selected Syngene to provide a science-based research and innovation team to work closely with Abbott researchers. More than 50 researchers and scientists will be based at the Abbott Nutrition R&D centre at Biocon Park in Bangalore.
Among the products being developed for the Indian market are meal complements for diabetics and pre-diabetics. Abbott Global Nutrition Executive Vice-President John Landgraf said: “the centre will help in addressing the nutritional requirements in India.”


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News and insights
A commitment to giving back is a core value at BCMS, and we’re proud to announce that our chosen organisation for 2024 is Hampshire child bereavement charity Simon Says
When it comes to something as transformational – life changing, even – as taking the decision to sell your business, you need to work with an advisor you can trust. And, ideally, an advisor you really get on with. Yes, a sale transaction is about technical expertise and experience, but selling a business remains an emotional transaction. People buy people, after all.
Led by Chisom Eyesan, Jill Brennan and Liz Thomas, the BCMS Community Support team is engaged with a variety of organisations, both local to us here in Newbury, Berkshire, nationally, and even across continents! In our first financial year as an employee-owned business, this team has already allocated and distributed a fund to multiple good causes.
BCMS was incredibly proud to sponsor the Together for Women event for the Berkshire Community Foundation. BCMS director, Liz Jackson, gives her summary of a great event.
Over 30 of the questions we’re most often asked by business owners, on topics including valuation, confidentiality, legal covenants, Private Equity investment, financial reporting and many more.
In this 30-minute chat, Jonathan and Zoe cover a huge range of relevant M&A topics, from valuation and the technical demands of a business sale, to the personal impact on shareholders and their staff.
At November’s Vistage Executive Summit we got to see those ideas in action, as hundreds of Vistage members and associates from across the UK descended on London to share insights, explore experiences and seek solutions to the challenges we’re all facing.
What is Diamonds And Colours? Well, it’s a network for women business leaders and innovators at the top of their profession, who want to create a culture of kindness in business.
Business owners from the South-West and beyond gathered to the stylish Aston Martin dealership in Bristol for an exclusive invitation-only networking event, co-hosted by BCMS, Freeths and Rathbones, and assisted by Business Leader
Back in 2019, we launched The BCMS Volunteer Day, an opportunity to get involved in supporting the community and assisting with charity groups that we hold close to our hearts.


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Mazda Us Sales March 2020 Exterior – mazda us sales march 2020
TOKYO — Mazda appear a 79% bead in annual operating profit, falling decidedly abbreviate of estimates, as it continues to attempt with crumbling U.S. and Chinese sales, while a deepening yen additionally cut into its basal line.
Operating accumulation at Japan’s No.5 automaker was 7.0 billion yen ($64 million) in the aboriginal division concluded June, against about 33 billion yen a year ago and beneath than bisected of an boilerplate anticipation for 18.5 billion yen from analysts polled by Refinitiv.
Mazda, however, common its anticipation for a 33% acceleration in operating accumulation to 110 billion yen in the year catastrophe March.
Thursday’s accumulation advertisement marks Mazda’s atomic first-quarter operating achievement back the June 2012 quarter.
The automaker has been disturbing with falling appeal for its cars over the accomplished year or so, while it is additionally convalescent from flood-related accident to its factories in Japan that led to a annual accident in the July division of 2018.
The Nikkei business circadian on Wednesday had appear that operating accumulation at the aggregation would abatement about 70% for the division due to lower sales in the United States.
Mazda acquaint all-around sales of 353,000 units for the quarter, bottomward 12% from a year ago. Its sales in the United States, its better market, fell 15% to 68,000 units, while in China, Mazda awash 54,000 vehicles, bottomward 21% on the year.
A barter war amid the top two economies and slowing advance in China, the world’s better auto market, accept prompted a broad-based sales abatement in the all-around auto sector.
Automakers are grappling with abatement appeal for cars aloof as they charge advance heavily in new technologies including electric cars, free active technologies and ride-sharing casework to survive a above industry about-face away from car ownership.
Many of Mazda’s rivals at home and away accept been advertisement black annual results, with Nissan and Ford additionally announcement job cuts and accessible bulb closures beforehand this month.
The United States is a key antecedent of acquirement for Mazda, but it imports all its cartage awash there, advertisement it to a threatened backpack in U.S. tariffs on alien cars from Japan.
To absolute its vulnerability to accessible tariffs and bill fluctuations, Mazda is advance in a new bulb in the U.S. accompaniment of Alabama, a collective activity with Toyota.
15 photos of the "Mazda Us Sales March 2020


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Don't ride the donkeys on Santorini's iconic steps, activists tell travelers
Visiting the Greek island of Santorini anytime soon? Activists have a message for you: Don't ride donkeys up its iconic, precipitous steps.
The advice has been made in conjunction with a cruise industry group, The Guardian reports. While the donkeys have been a traditional mode of transportation for people visiting Santorini, overweight tourists have prompted concerns about the donkeys' health.
Last October, the island banned people who weigh more than 220 pounds, or one-fifth of the donkey's body weight, from riding them. Approximately 18,000 travelers visited the island from cruise ships at certain points in 2017, according to Greek media reports. This year the island is capping cruise ship arrivals at 8,000.
The Donkey Sanctuary, an international animal welfare and rescue charity, launched its "In Their Hooves" campaign last month "asking (travelers) to stop and think before taking donkey or mule rides in Santorini and other holiday destinations."
"The Santorini donkeys are one of the iconic features of the island and we are joining with the Donkey Sanctuary to urge guests to use their services responsibly," Maria Deligianni of the Cruise Lines International Association told USA TODAY in a statement.
"Representatives from the cruise liner association were here in my office this week promising to raise awareness, and from our side we’ll be distributing information leaflets," Nikos Zorzos, Santorini's mayor, said at Fira, Santorini’s capital. "Our mules and donkeys are part of our tradition. Younger owners, especially, have understood that they need to be looked after."
USA TODAY has reached out to the Santorini government for comment.


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WalletKit was one of the most recent batch of 500 Startups graduates, emerging from the incubator with some funding and renewed conviction about the path ahead. That newest batch of fledgling teams was notable for containing four Indian startups, and WalletKit also counts as one of those.
The co-founder and CEO of WalletKit, which is a platform for creating good-looking cards for Apple’s Passbook or Google Wallet – is Kevin William David (pictured above). He tells us that it was useful being among fellow entrepreneurs from India:
Being around three other Indian startups has been really beneficial. All of us are in the same boat, trying to get customers, meet investors. Some of the Indian founders have done a successful startup and raised money before. Also being a part of a batch with startups from across the globe from various industries and expertise has helped a lot. You get to learn from each one of them on their experiences with each passing day.
WalletKit is now a team of five and, like a number of 500 Startups graduates, has opted to move to San Francisco soon (from Chennai) so as to be closer to the team’s prospective clients.
The service lets businesses make customized virtual boarding passes, tickets, store cards, and coupons for various mobile wallet platforms. Moreover, it gives retailers and other companies a way to analyze the usage and redemption of these kinds of digital tokens. Kevin says that users can make the first 500 Passbook-style passes for free before the startup’s tiered pricing kicks in. With mobile wallets being so fragmented right now across dozens of emerging providers, WalletKit aims to be a constant and affordable way for businesses to serve up these passes to their customers.
Stalking into 500 Startups
Kevin and co-founder Ramakanth are both 23 years old and from Chennai, and only graduated from college last year. Getting into 500 Startups was an initial aim of theirs, and Kevin explains that it required some cunning and planning:
We stalked one of the 500 Startups partners at his hotel when he was in India figuring out his hotel location by his tweets. We made a customized pitch book for each partner at 500 along with a poster of their life-size cartoons. Pitched him in his cab all the way to the airport. Three weeks later we were invited to the US to be a part of the current accelerator.
That occured a couple of months before 500 Startups became more firmly entrenched in India by opening the StartupWallah fund to pump US$5 million into startups in the nation. So for future Indian entrants, perhaps they’ll only need to drop an email to 500 Startup venture partner Pankaj Jain to begin their journey into incubation.
The other three Indian startups that toiled along side WalletKit were GazeMetrix, Instamojo, TradeBriefs. In the past, 500 Startups nurtured the Indian team behind Teliportme. Looking outside of India, another one to emerge earlier this month was the clever Chinese-English translation app Waigo, which we reviewed last year.
The next – and fifth – batch is now being recruited by Dave McClure’s incubator, and submissions are open until March 1st. That gives Indian startups one more week to be able to follow WalletKit and other graduates into the program.


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Dark Sky Films has announced the release of COMING HOME IN THE DARK on Blu-ray and DVD. The film had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance
Dark Sky Films has unveiled the official poster, trailer, and release date for Jonathan Cuartas’ feature debut, MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO.
Dark Sky Films today announced it has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to BLOOD CONSCIOUS, the acclaimed new horror thriller from rising director Timothy Covell.
Dark Sky Films proudly announces the February 5th release of the psychological thriller REUNION. To celebrate, they have unveiled the official poster and trailer for
Dark Sky Films today announced it has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to CAVEAT, the acclaimed new suspense thriller from rising director Damian Mc Carthy.
Dark Sky Films proudly presents the release of IT CUTS DEEP, which will be available in select theaters and on VOD and Digital platforms on
Dark Sky Films has announced that the suspenseful, supernatural horror film HOSTS will be arriving on Digital and Video On Demand on October 2, 2020. To
Dark Sky Films is bringing their film, THE DEEPER YOU DIG, on DVD on August 11, 2020. Make sure you mark your calendars because this
Dark Sky Films and Capelight Pictures will be bringing their recent sci-fi acquisition, COMA (formerly known as KOMA) to Blu-ray and DVD. To celebrate, they have unveiled a brand
ATTRACTION 2: INVASION is the anticipated sequel to the 2017 Russian sci-fi drama Attraction. Both films are directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, who made his film


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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Consumer Connections newsletter is brought to you by the Consumer Affairs and Outreach Division, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau. The June 2019 issue includes news about the Chairman's AAA, Older Americans Month, the FCC Southeast Regional Tour, need to know consumer information on the broadcast transition, emergency communications tips for hurricane season, travel tips, and more.
The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RE5025-01-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.


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Reading News Online-The benefits
Are you a sports and entertainment enthusiasts who cannot help but keep in touch with the latest sports happening and entertainment events? Chances are that you are a sports and entertainment lover who wants to be in the loop all the time if you are looking at this helpful article. A number of aspects makes online reading for sports and entertainment news the ideal choice over reading entertainment and sports news locally. Some of the benefits of reading entertainment news online is that it is cheap and convenient. Convenience and affordability are not the only reason why you should read sports news and entertainment news online. Recent evidence has shown that the benefits of reading entertainment and sports news online are not going anywhere. Look for a trustable source of online entertainment and sports news to get the full benefits that come with reading entertainment and sports news online. To find an authentic online site of entertainment and sports news you will need to make some considerations. You can also look at the licensure to confirm that the online news channel you are considering is authentic. It is mandatory to find a trustable online site of entertainment and sports news to get authentic entertainment and sports news. Keep on reading this helpful article to see all the benefits of reading entertainment news online.
One of the benefits of reading entertainment news online is that you will get a variety. Unlike local entertainment news sources, reading entertainment news online will go a long way towards helping you to get all the news you want in one place. Talk about following bbnaija2019, champions league, Game of Thrones, sport news, 9ja music, mp3 download, music, bobrisky, buhari, obasanjo, zlatan ibile, naira marley, kiss Daniel, davido, olamide, wizkid, kim kardashian, donald trump among other celebrities. Apart from following bbnaija2019, champions league, Game of Thrones, sport news, 9ja music, mp3 download, music, bobrisky, buhari, obasanjo, zlatan ibile, naira marley, kiss Daniel, davido, olamide, wizkid, kim kardashian, donald trump, you will also get a variety of ways to look at the online entertainment news. Some of the methods you can use to view the news include looking at it as a video or as an audio file. You can always download the entertainment news to look at it later.
Convenience is one of the reasons why you should read online sports and entertainment news. With a stable internet connection together with any device that supports internet connectivity, you can access numerous sports and entertainment news from the comfort of your home. The only condition you have to meet is to read online sports and entertainment news from a site you can rely on such as this one.


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Updated - Tresorit has delayed this product release until October, it'll be interesting to see what happens in the space between now and then
You can thank Edward Snowden for one thing, he has single handedly given almost every security vendor on the planet an obvious starting point when it comes to conversations with customers and investors. The heightened awareness about the need for security in general, and encryption in particular has launched a multitude of startups.
And it’s understandable, there is the interesting fact that the Snowden revelations came about at the same time as the use of cloud solutions was increasing markedly – in between those two facts is a gap, and it’s a gap that security and data vendors are running hard to fill. Of course some suggest that it’s a gap that shouldn’t exist, many of those suggesting a solution should really offer deep security natively are vendors themselves.
One of those vendors is Tresorit, a company offering secure cloud workflow – essentially Tresorit is a vendor that stands up to industry heavyweights Box, Dropbox,
The reality of today’s enterprise-grade cloud storage options is their security features are not enough. They focus on protecting infrastructure instead of actual data
That’s a strongly worded statement, so what is Tresorit doing differently? The company utilizes its own patented encryption technology and offers built-in, end-to-end encryption. Think a simple use interface and behind it a fully-featured solution offering compliance and control.
The company is today announcing some new features including what it calls a Digital Right Management feature. Actually enabled by a Microsoft offering, Tresorit’s DRM gives heightened control over sharing and release of files. That means protected files cannot be accidentally emailed to the wrong recipient, leaked by a hacker or eavesdropping systems administrator, or copied to a USB drive. Unauthorized sharing is not permitted, and even screen captures of protected content are programmatically blocked.
Additional features that Tresorit is rolling out today include:
The fact that Tresorit has a patent for some of its cryptography is kind of cool but doesn’t remove the fact that it’s a small vendor trying to build a brand in a space which is incredibly busy. WIth the big names having tens of millions of dollars to throw at marketing, it’s hard for a small company to be heard above the noise.
In this industry, alas, hype often beats substance. What Tresorit offers looks really good – whether that is enough to give them an edge remains to be seen.


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Flipkart-owned online fashion website Myntra has made its fourth acquisition. It has acquired Bangalore-based logistics startup InLogg for an undisclosed amount. As part of the deal, the core management team – which includes Preeti Jain (CEO), Rajat Khanduja (CTO) Prateek Gautam, Head of Product & Operations and Hemant Agrawal, Head of Business Development – will be absorbed into Myntra.
InLogg was started in 2015 and has expertise in fulfillment, technology, and business and is looking to standardize logistics in remote areas. Myntra added that InLogg is stitching a composite supply chain of regional courier companies across states in India. The company has a technology solution that provides a software-as-a-service (SaaS) which will help in shipment lifecycle management, mobile apps for pickup, delivery, returns, cash on delivery, reconciliation, reporting and analytics.
On paper, the acquisition makes sense for the Flipkart Group. Note that earlier this year, Flipkart suspended its consumer-facing courier service, Ekart Courier. At the time, Flipkart said that it was consolidating service offerings from Ekart to “sharpen its focus on its core business model.” Ekart is now concentrating on its commerce service. Ekart continues to offer warehousing solutions and end-to-end logistics and supply chain capabilities for its other clients.
In such a scenario, it would be great it InLogg could provide a standardized experience across all logistics players.
– In July 2016, Myntra bought content aggregation startup Cubeit for an undisclosed amount.It used to build mobile applications which allowed users to aggregate content from anywhere, organize, view and share the same from a given location.
– It previously bought mobile application development platform Native5 in 2015 which offered a cloud-based platform for development and distribution of mobile apps across smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
– Myntra acquired San Francisco-based virtual fitting room startup Fitiquette for an undisclosed amount, in April 2013. At the time, Myntra had plans to integrate Fitiquette’s core product within its website.
Flipkart group funding
Earlier this month, the Flipkart Group raised $1.4 billion from Chinese investment holdings firm Tencent, global e-commerce player eBay and technology company Microsoft. With the investment, eBay is selling its India unit to Flipkart in exchange for equity in the Flipkart Group. eBay.in will continue to operate as an independent entity.


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The RPG survival horror game, Chernobylite, is close to leaving Early Access, and plans for the release of the full version are to happen in the coming months. It has been in Early Access since late 2019 and after several months it is now about 95% done with only the final mission and ending not being playable as of yet.
Premiere announcement is ON!👀https://t.co/Ssr95w89fw
— Chernobylite (@ChernobylGame) April 23, 2021
For those that have not heard of Chernobylite, it is set in, as the name suggests, Chernobyl. Developed by The Farm 51, Chernobylite is a non-linear RPG with a strong story as well as many choices that are to be made that will have impacts on the gameplay and the Zone as the game progresses. Players will play as an ex-employee of the Chernobyl power plant as they go back to investigate the disappearance of their beloved. There are multiple branching storylines and characters for players to discover and alternative endings to uncover. For those that are part of the Early Access, recently there was a huge patch to the game which includes new characters, new levels, as well as many gaming improvements and an improved save system. The developers have put in a lot of work to make the environment in Chernobylite as realistic as possible, even going as far as scanning the real Exclusion Zone.
We worked on the game by traveling to Ukraine and 3D-scanning the real Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, which is a huge area, full of ruins and contaminated places. We’ve managed to re-create many real-life objects, including the interiors of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Chernobylite is expected to release in July 2021 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. There is also intended to be a native release for the PlayStation 5 later on this year. Right now it is 20% off on Steam from now until April 30 and any purchases made during Early Access will guarantee any post-launch DLCs for free.


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Orange County, CA-based casual dining restaurant operator, BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (BJRI), recently unveiled its fifth outlet in Fort Collins, CO. The opening marks the fourth of the company’s targeted 17 new openings in 2013.
The new BJ's Restaurants, located in Fort Collins’ Front Range Village Shopping Center, is spread across approximately 8,000 square feet and accommodates around 265 customers. We expect the variety of menu offered at the new unit and contemporary ambience to attract a strong guest base, going forward.
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality of Larimer County, CO. The city has an established restaurant industry and boasts some of the major restaurateurs, such as McDonald’s Corp. (MCD), Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. (RRGB) and Burger King Worldwide, Inc. (BKW).
We have noticed that BJ’s Restaurants has mainly expanded in its existing markets in California and Texas in the last three years citing plenty of growth opportunities. The company currently has 61 restaurants in California, while Texas boasts 28 units.
Now, the company is considering other potential new markets for entry in 2013 and 2014 to realize untapped opportunities. According to management, in the long run, there exists the possibility of opening at least 425 outlets across the U.S.
BJ’s Restaurants is one of the few casual dining chains that have been expanding in an uncertain economy. With the resurgence of consumer confidence, management accelerated its unit openings. In June, the company will re-open a new restaurant in Eugene, OR. after shifting its existing small format restaurants Pizza and Grill to a larger Brewhouse unit.
Colorado is a relatively newer market with just four of BJ’s Restaurants. According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry in Colorado plays a pivotal role in the state’s revenues. According to this research site, the state’s restaurants are expected to record $9.5 billion in sales in 2013.
While the above data sounds encouraging, there is a disadvantage as well. As the Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company is venturing into the new under-served market, it will face higher pre-opening costs in these areas.
More From Zacks.com


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cheap, supply is positive, the operation is also more convenient, in many advantages, speed has become the biggest bottleneck restricting the development of sea amoy. As the sea Amoy hot areas, Beijing is trying to solve this problem. The day before, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce issued the "Municipal Commission of Commerce on promoting cross-border e-commerce development in the city plan" (hereinafter referred to as the "plan"), that will improve the enterprise trade efficiency by promoting the development of industrial agglomeration and innovation of supervision mode,; Beijing version of cross-border electricity providers platform "will this month the bottom line test run. This also means that the future is expected to speed up the sea amoy.
cross-border electricity supplier efficiency upgrade
"plan" put forward, according to the characteristics of cross-border e-commerce order cycle is short, small batch, batch number, will improve the regulatory cooperation mechanism functions, and deepen the clearance model innovation, scientific design of cross-border e-commerce operation processes, improve the speed of customs clearance of goods, improve customs management service level.
at the same time, the program also pointed out that to promote the development of industrial clusters. Accelerate the construction of cross-border e-commerce Industrial Park, to attract standardized operation of cross-border e-commerce enterprises and its industrial chain upstream and downstream enterprises settled in the park, accelerate the development of enterprise clusters. Vigorously develop the Industrial Park supporting service industry, improve the logistics warehousing, customs inspection, technical support, financial services, legal and intellectual property consulting and other integrated services, reduce operating costs, improve trade efficiency.
, vice president of national e-commerce Research Institute believes that on cross-border e-commerce trade, logistics is the weakest link, the inbound and outbound logistics efficiency has reached a bottleneck, optimize the regulatory mechanism is the transport time savings from the customs clearance formalities. The establishment of the industrial park is to unify the international commodity to the park, and then classified distribution, not only conducive to the efficiency of distribution, but also to establish a traceability system of commodity sources.
policy intensive launch
cross-border electricity supplier into the sun after the government’s concern about this continues to heat up. The day before, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou and other 13 city approved as the second batch of cross-border e-commerce pilot city, which makes the cross-border pilot city in China reached 18, there are still many city in preparation for the pilot city, get the dividend policy.
since the first half of last year, the national policy support for cross-border electricity supplier began to increase significantly. In April last year, issued the "on notice" to further promote the healthy and rapid development of e-commerce-related work; in July 26th, the general office of the State Council issued the "State Council on promoting export steady growth, adjusting the structure of a number of opinions"; in August, the State Council forwarded the Ministry of Commerce and other departments "on the implementation of relevant policies to support cross-border electronic e-commerce retail outlet views". At the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of taxation have also issued the "notice on the cross-border e-commerce retail export tax policy", the tax policy on cross-border electricity providers to support.
Li Mingtao believes that the introduction of cross-border electricity supplier policy is mainly concentrated in the cross-border electricity supplier both operations >


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A NUMBER of big coffee chains have introduced discounts and incentives for customers who bring their own reusable cups.
First Starbucks and Costa Coffee introduced a 25p discount for customers who supply their own reusable cup, now Pret a Manger and bakery chain Paul have also joined in.
From today, customers get a 10p off when ordering a hot drink in Paul if they bring along a reusable cup.
While Pret a Manger has also launched a trial in 200 of its Greater London shops offering a 25p discount.
MOST READ IN MONEY
Pret a Manger plans to assess the incentive at the end of the month to see if it will roll it out in all its shops.
An estimated 2.5 billion throwaway cups from chains and cafes are used in the UK every year - creating around 25,000 tonnes of waste.
Most of the cups used by major coffee chains are not recyclable due to the material used in their production which cannot be separated.
Earlier this month, a scheme to boost disposable coffee cup recycling was launched in the City of London in an attempt prevent 5 million cups from the Square Mile ending up in a landfill.
It also emerged today that a fine for coffee cups has been ruled out of plans to fine litter louts.
The new government anti-litter task force will instead draw up ways to cut plastic bottles, cigarette ends and fast food packaging.
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Hope as ad body finally shares 'anti-digital' view
I've been accused of many things in my life, but possibly the most derisory accusation is that I am "anti-digital" and that I've been too critical of the swamp-like digital advertising ecosystem that has evolved over the past few years. Coming from a traditional pre-digital print background and having learned my journalistic skills on an electric typewriter while studying journalism in DCU sometime during the last century, I probably am fair game for the digital sycophants who accept that everything is rosy in the digital garden.
So, when I get an angry text or email from somebody within the digital advertising industry on a Sunday or Monday morning telling me that my latest ramblings are not helpful to the industry or that I am too biased when it comes to (insert name of social media platform here), I no longer choke on my cornflakes and immediately reply with a robust defence.
The truth is I really don't care. Life is too short.
What I do care about, however, is the integrity of the media industry and its ability to survive and, hopefully, thrive well into the future. If ever society needed a strong media industry to report the truth and to hold the powerful to account, that time is now. The only problem with this is that it also needs a strong, accountable and transparent advertising industry to support it.
Unfortunately, as P&G's marketing supremo Marc Pritchard said last year, "we have a media supply chain that is murky at best and fraudulent at worst. We need to clean it up and invest the time and money we save into better advertising to drive growth".
His words, not mine.
When the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) announced earlier last week that it was setting out to tackle the many issues that continue to dog the murky world of online advertising, I felt somewhat vindicated and, dare I say, hopeful.
The WFA represents advertisers and their trade associations around the world, including the Association of Advertisers in Ireland (AAI). Essentially, these are the companies that fund the entire advertising ecosystem and without them, there is no strong and well-resourced media industry in the future.
That it has taken the WFA so long to put its foot down is a different matter. Individually many of its members have expressed their own shock and outrage at the level of ad fraud, wastage and murkiness that has prevailed within the industry. But better late than never.
The publication of the WFA's Global Media Charter this week is the product of some top-level collaboration between many of the world's top advertisers as well as advertiser associations and it sets out eight clear 'Principles for Partnership' designed to create a better digital marketing ecosystem.
It also seeks to address the many concerns highlighted by Unilever and Procter & Gamble when it comes to things like transparency, brand safety, ad fraud and viewability by creating a framework that agencies, ad-tech companies and media platforms should comply with if they want to secure advertising revenues in the future.
At a time when consumer trust in media - particularly social media - is taking a bit of a battering, it's no coincidence that consumer trust in online advertising is also at an all-time low with ad blocking growing by around 30pc a year globally. If people are blocking advertising, then why should advertisers continue to invest their money in online advertising?
"The digital ecosystem has grown so rapidly, it's no wonder that it's far from perfect. But the time for indulgence is over," said Stephan Loerke, CEO of the WFA earlier this week.
"The largest chunk of the world's marketing budgets is now invested in digital platforms and advertisers have a right to demand that the money they invest can be clearly tracked and understood.
"It's not just about knowing that budgets have been well spent. We also need to be reassured that brand and consumer interests are protected in these new platforms."
Some of the key principles which the WFA will introduce include zero tolerance towards ad fraud with compensation for any breach in the form of full refunds of all media investments, including fees and commissions, if non-humans or bots are counted in the number of impressions. In addition, advertisers will look to use third-party verification solutions to assess exposure to ad fraud.
The WFA also intends to push for greater transparency throughout the supply chain when it comes to pricing, trading, fees and other costs as well as data usage while also pushing for much greater brand safety protection measures by forcing platforms to accept responsibility and the consequences for the content carried on their sites.
Advertisers will also commit to not spending their money on platforms that infringe IP laws or sites responsible for fake news content or disinformation.
It's an ambitious agenda, but one which I believe is long overdue and most welcome. And if that makes me anti-digital, then so be it.
Sunday Indo Business


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In 2021, the average equity release client drew more than seven years of retirement income from their home.
Imagine accessing so much money?
Here is a summary of everything that happened according to the Equity Release Council’s Spring 2022 market report1.
Q2 Property Wealth Reaches a Record High For UK Homeowners
With UK property wealth hitting a record £5.2 trillion by the end of last year, consumers in the equity release market withdrew an average of £125,000 as a single lump payment or in gradual ‘drawdowns.’
According to the Council’s calculations, this figure is comparable to more than 7 years of a typical senior’s net income and over 4 years for a typical pensioner couple.
The average customer still unlocked less than a 3rd of their total property wealth across drawdown and lump sum products.
The Equity Release Market Continues to Grow
Because of the equity release market’s resurgence, it’s currently 6x larger than it was in 2011.
300 Equity Release Products Available at Rates of 4% Or Less
According to the market report, product prices increased from 3.95% in January 2021 to 4.16% in January 2022.
However, more than 300 products are currently accessible at rates of 4% or less, and the typical consumer got a loan at a rate of 3.39% during H2 2021.
In Q2, Clients May Still Save £30,000 Compared to 2016
With the average interest rate for equity release products remaining more than 2% lower than in January 2016,
today’s consumers would save more than £30,000 in interest costs when borrowing £100,000 over a decade, compared to 6 years ago.
Customers Can Enjoy Low-Interest Rates & Increased Product Flexibility
More customers can access potentially life-changing sums with more significant methods to manage the overall cost of borrowing in later life, thanks to low-interest rates and increased product flexibility.
An Increase in Products That Provide Penalty-Free Portion Repayments & Downsizing Protection.
More products added the ability to make voluntary penalty-free partial repayments in the second half of the year, with 85% of products permitting this in January 2022 compared to 68% in July 2021.
New ‘Product Standard’ Being Implemented by Council March 28, 2022
On March 28, a 5th product standard was added to the 4 created 30 years ago to form the foundation of the current equity release industry market.
Changes to reflect:
- The right for customers to remain living in their homes for life.
- A fixed or capped interest rate for life.
- A no negative equity guarantee.
- The right to port (move) their loan to another property.
- The right to make voluntary penalty-free partial repayments.
The Product Selection Remains 3x Larger Than It Was in January 2019.
The number of product possibilities decreased somewhat from 668 in July 2021 to 665 in January 2022.
Compared to 2019, there are now more than 3x as many items accessible to meet the demands of various clients.
Growth in Product Offering Downsizing Protection For Equity Releasers
The number of products offering downsizing protection, which allows clients to repay their debts in full with no early repayment penalty if they downsize , grew from 50% in July 2021 to 63% in January 2022.
Lifetime Mortgage Contributes 6x the Amount to Later Life Lending Overall Than in 2021
Lifetime Mortgage equity release loan activity in 2021 was 6x higher than in 2011 (£4.8 billion vs £789 million),
with product selection has tripled in the past 3 years alone (665 in Jan 2022 vs 202 in Jan 2019).
Lifetime Mortgage Still the Most Preferred Loan for Ages 55 – 65
Since the end of 2019, lifetime mortgages have accounted for around a quarter of new loans by customers aged 55+ and 3-quarters of those taken out by customers aged 65+.
Property Market Activity Shows the Total Value of UK Housing Reached £6.7 Trillion at the End of 2021
Growing by £1.6 billion each day on average, or £1 million per minute. When mortgage debt is taken into account, the country has a historic £5.2 trillion in property worth, equating to £211,000 per family.
Got Questions? Check These First
What Is the Equity Release Council?
The Equity Release Council is a governing body that oversees the industry and ensures the protection of older borrowers.
How Often Does the Equity Release Council Release a Report?
The Equity Release Council releases a report every quarter. The total is 4 reports per year, detailing the latest industry news and statistics.
Despite increased interest rates, the industry continues to boom. With further flexibility and new product guarantees, the history of equity release looks bright.
What’s more, UK-based property wealth is on the up, so you might live in a gold mine.


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Apple shares timetable for start of iPhone 5S sales
When Apple announced its new iPhones earlier this week, it explained how pre-orders would be available for the iPhone 5C, which we’ve since seen get underway, and both new iPhones would ultimately become available on September 20. Of course, if you’ve been salivating at the thought of a new iPhone for the better part of 2013, you’re going to want a little more specificity than just that; exactly when will you get your shot at snagging one of these handsets? Today, Apple got around to sharing those details, explaining just how the start of 5S sales is going down.
Your first shot at the iPhone 5S will be through online sales, going live after the stroke of midnight on September 20, Pacific time. That means staying up past 3AM for any of you East Coast Apple fans. If you’re taking the retail route, instead, Apple stores will be ready to sell you the iPhone 5S beginning at 8AM that same day.
We know, none of this is particularly unexpected, but this is one seriously high profile launch, and we’re sure a lot of you had been itching to finally learn the full details.


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Networked doorbell surveillance cameras like Amazon’s Ring are everywhere, and have changed the nature of delivery work by letting customers take on the role of bosses to monitor, control, and discipline workers, according to a recent report (PDF) by the Data & Society tech research institute. “The growing popularity of Ring and other networked doorbell cameras has normalized home and neighborhood surveillance in the name of safety and security,” Data & Society’s Labor Futures program director Aiha Nguyen and research analyst Eve Zelickson write. “But for delivery drivers, this has meant their work is increasingly surveilled by the doorbell cameras and supervised by customers. The result is a collision between the American ideas of private property and the business imperatives of doing a job.”
Thanks to interviews with surveillance camera users and delivery drivers, the researchers are able to dive into a few major developments interacting here to bring this to a head. Obviously, the first one is the widespread adoption of doorbell surveillance cameras like Ring. Just as important as the adoption of these cameras, however, is the rise of delivery work and its transformation into gig labor. […] As the report lays out, Ring cameras allow customers to surveil delivery workers and discipline their labor by, for example, sharing shaming footage online. This dovetails with the “gigification” of Amazon’s delivery workers in two ways: labor dynamics and customer behavior.
“Gig workers, including Flex drivers, are sold on the promise of flexibility, independence and freedom. Amazon tells Flex drivers that they have complete control over their schedule, and can work on their terms and in their space,” Nguyen and Zelickson write. “Through interviews with Flex drivers, it became apparent that these marketed perks have hidden costs: drivers often have to compete for shifts, spend hours trying to get reimbursed for lost wages, pay for wear and tear on their vehicle, and have no control over where they work.” That competition between workers manifests in other ways too, namely acquiescing to and complying with customer demands when delivering purchases to their homes. Even without cameras, customers have made onerous demands of Flex drivers even as the drivers are pressed to meet unrealistic and dangerous routes alongside unsafe and demanding productivity quotas. The introduction of surveillance cameras at the delivery destination, however, adds another level of surveillance to the gigification. […] The report’s conclusion is clear: Amazon has deputized its customers and made them partners in a scheme that encourages antagonistic social relations, undermines labor rights, and provides cover for a march towards increasingly ambitious monopolistic exploits.


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DÄV, Augmented Reality, and Japan
In 14-15 May 2016, DÄV went to the second SLUSH Asia that was held in Tokyo Japan. With 4,000 attendees, which included 360 startups, 100 investors, 200 journalists and 70 speakers from all around the world, Slush Asia is considered as one of the largest startup and technology events held in Asia. It was truly an international event with its 400 volunteers coming from more than 38 countries. Notable speakers in attendance this year includes William Tanuwijaya, CEO and Co-Founder of Tokopedia; Nikesh Arora, President and COO of SoftBank Group Corp.; Jiang Wang, CTO of Alibaba Group; and Akie Abe, the First Lady of Japan. DÄV itself was no stranger to Slush as it participated in Slush 2015 in Helsinki, Finland,however it was the first time DÄV attended the smaller sister event in Asia.
In this event, DÄV’s CEO, Stephen Ng, was part of the panel that discussed Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology together with Stuart English of Nokia Technology’s Head of Worldwide Sales for Presence Capture and Jayson Chi of McKinsey & Company as the panel moderator. Here, Stephen made the argument that in marketing and advertising nowadays there is an expectation by the general consumers for digital interactivity. Thus, it is only natural for brands to adopt AR to satisfy that consumers’ desire. He believes that soon AR, and not just the more popular and talked about VR, will no longer be an exception but rather an everyday norm to create and maintain consumers’ engagement. DÄV as the first and only measurable, one-on- one, interactive media placement in the world, can definitely be the bridge between brands and their consumers.
To watch a full preview of Slush Asia, click the link here: https://youtu.be/1zBkwMQSOq4
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Owners advised to park cars away from other vehicles and structures.
- Alfa Romeo
- Aston Martin
- Land Rover
|# of Recalls||Component Affected|
|2014 Acura TL||1||Air Bags||More Details|
|2014 Acura RDX||1||Air Bags||More Details|
|2014 Acura TSX||1||Air Bags||More Details|
|2013 Acura TL||1||Air Bags||More Details|
|2013 Acura ILX||3||Air Bags, Exterior Lighting, Latches/locks/linkages||More Details|
|2013 Acura ZDX||3||Air Bags||More Details|
|2013 Acura RDX||2||Air Bags, Power Train||More Details|
|2013 Acura TSX||3||Air Bags||More Details|
|2012 Acura TSX||6||Air Bags||More Details|
|2012 Acura RL||4||Air Bags||More Details|
|2012 Acura RDX||1||Air Bags||More Details|
|2012 Acura ZDX||4||Air Bags||More Details|
|2012 Acura MDX||1||Fuel System, Gasoline||More Details|
|2012 Acura TL||1||Air Bags||More Details|
|2011 Acura ZDX||5||Air Bags||More Details|
|2011 Acura RDX||1||Air Bags||More Details|
|2011 Acura TL||1||Air Bags||More Details|
|2011 Acura TSX||8||Air Bags||More Details|
|2011 Acura RL||5||Air Bags||More Details|
|2010 Acura MDX||1||Air Bags||More Details|
GM to recall more than 1 million vehicles in the U.S.
Ford is recalling nearly 2 million 2015-2018 F-150 trucks, both Regular and SuperCrewCab, to fix a fire hazard.
Toyota will recall some 192,000 vehicles in the United States to mitigate a fire risk related to hybrid power unit harnesses.
Nissan is recalling Jukes, Frontiers, Sentras and Versas as well as vans to fix a possible ignition switch fault.
Journey, Cherokee, Compass and Grand Caravan brake calipers can let bubbles form in the brake fluid.
Subaru says 9 of the 293 affected Ascents were already sold to customers.
The power locking mechanisms may break and unlatch the tailgate.
Kia does not have a fix yet, but it and Hyundai have recalled 1.1M cars.
750,000 Mercedes vehicles could be affected.
NBC Nightly News recently carried the above segment on a video showing a 2012 Kia Sorento spewing flames as its driver travels at highway speed on Interstate 4 in Orlando. Another motorist, Meredith Olinger, drives alongside, shooting the video while trying to warn the driver to pull over. She does, just in time. Seconds later, the Kia is cooked.
Takata Corp's defective airbags have been linked to 278 injuries across the United States, according to updated figures released by U.S. Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, in advance of a hearing next week on the nomination of Heidi King to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Subaru has admitted that alteration of fuel-economy and emissions data took place in its Gunma and Yajima manufacturing plants between December 2012 and November 2017. Some 900 vehicles were affected by data tampering, which Subaru says was done in the vehicles' final inspections by factory-floor inspectors.
Audi has announced a global 1.16 million vehicle recall, which targets vehicles with its 2.0-liter Turbo FSI engines. The recall has to do with concerns that a coolant pump might pose a fire risk due to moisture issues. The pump could also be blocked with debris from the coolant system.
Ford is issuing two separate safety recalls to fix mechanical issues affecting control of the transmissions on certain 2017 and 2018 models. The automaker says it's aware of one reported accident with an injury related to the the first and largest recall.
Tesla Inc said on Thursday it was voluntarily recalling Model S sedans built before April 2016 in order to replace bolts in the power steering component.
The family of late "Star Trek" actor Anton Yelchin has settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV over the rollaway crash of a Jeep Grand Cherokee that killed the up-and-coming actor almost two years ago.
Shares in Hyundai Motor tumbled on Monday on a U.S. probe into why airbags failed to deploy in some of its Sonata sedans, with investors fretting about potential recall costs for the once popular cars.
Drive a Ram 1500? Maybe it's time to give your fuel tanks a look. FCA is issuing a voluntary recall of over 270,000 Ram 1500 pickups to prevent their fuel tanks from sagging.


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Spec Ops: The Line, the third person action game that was first announced over two years ago, is getting closer to its planned June 26th release. Today, publisher 2K Games announced that a playable demo for the game is now available to download for owners of PS3 consoles along with Xbox Live Gold subscribers of the Xbox 360 console.
Non-Xbox Live Gold members can download the same demo on May 15th. It contains two single player missions set early in the game, along with a slice of Spec Ops: The Line's online multiplayer class-based modes.
Developed by Yager and first announced in December 2009, Spec Ops: The Line is actually a revival of an old military shooter series; this will be the first game in the franchise since 2002. The game itself takes place in the city-state of Dubai as a US Delta Force team tries to rescue a U.S. Army Colonel who has stayed behind (and yes, it is supposed to be inspired by Heart of Darkness).
Dubai is also experiencing a massive natural event in the game that has caused the city to be partially covered in sand. Players will have to deal with some unpredictable and random sandstorms as they play.
Spec Ops: The Line is also coming out for the PC but so far there's no word if there will be a demo for PC players.
Image via 2K Games


text: The global music gaming app, SuperStar Series, has just announced the launch of a new version that will be featuring music from P NATION. Artists under the label, such as PSY, Jessi, HyunA, Crush, Dawn, Heize, Swings, Penomeco and D.Ark will all have their music featured in the gaming app. SuperStar Series offers a range of rhythm-based action games that are dedicated to specific artists and record labels, most recently collaborating with Kang Daniel for SuperStar KANGDANIEL, launched back in April 2021. The platform personalizes the experience by making the player feel connected to the performance they are playing along with. The game also includes a card collection feature allowing users to collect, level up and upgrade photo cards with the featured artists in the game. The SuperStar series is now available to download for free on iOS and Google.


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A Hot Pockets recall was issued by Nestlé USA, as the sandwiches may contain “diseased and unsound” meat. The Hot Pockets recall is limited to all Philly Steak and Cheese Hot Pockets, including the Croissant Crust variety.
Officials said the meat was traced to the Rancho Feeding Corporation, which was cited by the US Department of Agriculture for distributing tainted meat. In their announcement, the USDA noted that Rancho Feeding “processed diseased and unsound animals… without the benefit or full benefit of federal inspection.”
The initial recall included nearly 9 million pounds of beef products. According to the USDA, the meat was determined to be “unfit for human consumption.” A majority of the products were offal and variety meats, including cheeks, feet, heads, hearts, lips, and oxtail.
The meat was processed between January 1, 2013 and January 7, 2013. The packaging was stamped with the establishment number EST. 527 and the case code “3” or “4.” The products were distributed to numerous outlets in California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Washington.
Although no illness was reported at this time, the recall was classified as a Class I, which is considered a high health risk:
“This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”
The USDA continues to investigate where the meat was distributed. Although Rancho Feeding Corporation provides beef to numerous sources, a large potion of their products are sold to wholesale outlets. The wholesale outlets then distribute the products elsewhere.
Nestlé USA discovered some of the meat was used in the production of their Hot Pockets sandwiches. As reported by Nestlé USA, the Hot Pockets recall is limited to the Philly Steak and Cheese variety. Company officials determined the tainted meat was used in their Chatsworth, California, plant.
Included in the recall are the 8x9oz, 4x54oz, and 4×22.5oz, sizes of the Hot Pockets Philly Steak and Cheese. The packages contain UPC codes 43695 07107 8, 43695 07520 5, and 43695 15990 5.
Also included in the recall are Hot Pockets Croissant Crust Philly Steak and Cheese 8x9oz packages stamped with the UPC code 43695 05634 1.
Nestlé USA assures their customers that the recall was voluntary and was initiated to protect “the health and safety of its consumers.”
Consumers are urged to return the products to the place of purchase for a refund. Nestlé Consumer Services can be reached at 800-392-4057.
The USDA said consumers can learn more at AskKaren.gov or by calling the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline.
The Hot Pockets recall is a grim reminder that some of the tainted meat is still unaccounted for. The USDA urges consumers with medical concerns to consult their family doctor.


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Oct 21, 2020
Co-Founder and CEO of Beyond Brands, Eric Schnell talks about 1) growing brands like Good Catch, Cool Beans and Steaz for success, 2) if plant-based will go the way of the natural category, 3) the power of a plant-based paycheck and 4) the importance of a strong company culture for the younger consumer.
The Plantbased Business Hour airs new episodes every week. Subscribe!
For plant-based media/branding consulting and public speaking, reach out at firstname.lastname@example.org. For more information, visit ElysabethAlfano.com.


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Last modified: May 17, 2016
Recently, Hewlett Packard Enterprises wrote two articles from HPE’s Global Brand Security team highlighting two recent HPE replacement parts anti-counterfeit raids in China.
In March 2016, Chinese officials, with support from HPE’s Anti-counterfeit team, carried out dedicated raids targeting a major counterfeiting ring that was fabricating and distributing counterfeit HPE replacement parts. The coordinated raids yielded approximately 30,000 counterfeit items at three concealed premises in China.
In a separate case, raiding three premises in Guangzhou, Chinese officials successfully broke up a major manufacturer of counterfeit HPE branded products in March 2016. Supported by HPE Global Brand Security (GBS), authorities seized nearly 22,000 items and gained intelligence revealing the distributor’s significant role in international trafficking of counterfeits.
If you notice any suspicious products or offers, please let HPE know. And to avoid falling victim to counterfeiting, HPE recommends to only purchase from trustworthy sources such as HPE-authorized dealers.
May 17, 2016
GE Security’s Homeland Protection is a leading provider of products and services that defend personnel and property in airports, government buildingRead More
May 17, 2016
Knowing what's possible within the modern global service supply chain is the first step in the path to maximizing and optimizing your post-sales supplRead More
Mar 11, 2015
Due to increasing customer demand and competitive pressures, many startups, small businesses and larger enterprises face restructuring their organizatRead More


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Besides a good design, frequent changes and updates are among best ways to keep the fresh and competitive. This truck is a perfect example. Despite its age, it is still competitive and makes some quite decent sales numbers. The current generation has been introduced more than a decade ago. However, we have sees a couple of updates that kept it fresh until nowadays. Although there have been lots of reports about the redesign, it looks like the current model will carry on for another couple of years. Therefore, we count on a fine amount of 2020 Toyota Tundra changes.
Next year may not bring such significant changes as we saw in 2015, but there is still plenty of interesting things to come. The most important will be a new diesel engine. Besides the engine, we expect to see a whole bunch of smaller, but very interesting novelties.
2020 Toyota Tundra Changes – Engine
Despite still great popularity, many complain about the Tundra’s poor fuel economy and towing capacity that is lower compared to most rivals. Therefore, 2020 Toyota Tundra changes will comes in order to improve these aspects. The most logical way is to install a diesel engine. According to our insiders, the Japanese manufacturer planned an oil-burner years ago. There were several units in consideration, like Toyota’s familiar 4.5-liter V8, or even a huge 8.0-liter Hino inline-six engine that was used for a concept version more than a decade ago. Eventually, the company decided on the most logical solution. The upcoming model will use a familiar 5.0-liter engine from Cummins. It will be the same engine that powers Nissan Titan, with a max output of 310 horower and 555 pound-feet of
These 2020 Toyota Tundra changes will definitely provide better results in terms of towing. The current gasoline models are capable of towing up to 10.200 pounds. This version should go up to around 12.500 pounds. Another important aspect of the new engine is fuel economy. Current gasoline engines are extremely reliable but way too thirsty for modern automotive industry standards. In the best case, you can count on 15 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway.
There’s no doubt that mpg ratings will be better after these 2020 Toyota Tundra changes and a new diesel engine.
On the other side, the gasoline lineup will continue without changes. Base models will feature a 4.6-liter V8 with around 310 hp and 327 lb-ft of torque. Higher trims will come with a well-known 5.7-liter V8, which is good for 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque.
2020 Toyota Tundra Changes – Exterior
When it comes to the exterior, the 2020 Toyota Tundra changes will be minimal. The current generation is getting close to the end of the production cycle, so there is no good reason for some more important change in terms of the exterior design. The upcoming model will continue with same base characteristics, featuring rugged and massive layout. Also, count on familiar configurations. A single-cab model has been dropped several years ago, so the 2020 Toyota Tundra will be available either in Double or CrewMax designs. When it comes to bed dimensions, count on three familiar lengths – 5.5, 6.5 and 8.1 foot. In terms of aesthetics, the last major update was four years ago.
Considering that the current model will get a redesign soon, we won’t see almost any 2020 Toyota Tundra changes. We could eventually see a couple of new color options, but everything more than that will be a surprise.
2020 Toyota Tundra Changes – Interior
The current generation is on the market for more than a decade, so we are pretty sure that the company won’t put much effort into further development. Count on a familiar cabin layout, which definitely shows signs of aging but still has a few aces in its sleeve. The dashboard may look old, but the amount of standard features is impressive already in base models. Some of the 2020 Toyota Tundra changes could include the addition of new standard features. The trim level organization would remain the same, but each trim should come with a couple of novelties. The Tundra is particularly strong in terms of safety. It offers more safety system than any other truck in the class, thanks to the company’s famous Safety Sense suite.
How much will 2020 Toyota Tundra cost?
Despite the fine amount of 2020 Toyota Tundra changes, we don’t expect base price to be too much different compared to the current model, which goes around 31.500 dollars. Still, keep in mind that a new diesel version will definitely feature higher price compared to gasoline models.