text: Lindsay Pinchuk showed the latest must-have items that make life easier for new parents. Learn more about the products shown and hundreds more at Nashville Gearapalooza this evening from 5:30pm-9pm at Gordon JCC, 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here: https://www.bumpclubandbeyond.com/gearapalooza/gearapalooza-events/nashville-gearapalooza-registration/bumpclubandbeyond.com. For more information visit, www.bumpclubandbeyond.com. Follow @bumpclubandbeyond and @lindsaypinchuk on Instagram.


text:
The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs Apple was notorious for taking a hard line against enterprises, which he suggested were bureaucracies who (do we say who in reference to a business?) struggled to make decisions. The reticence to play nice with enterprises didn't endear Apple to CIOs, who need to manage fleets of iPhones and iPads. "Apple has never, at least until recently, embraced corporations and embraced the enterprise," Stuart Appley, former CIO of Shorenstein, told CIO.com in 2015. "They're a consumer-first company."
That began to change in 2011 under new CEO Tim Cook, who has been praised for his willingness to work with corporations. Ironically, Apple's success with consumers in the mobile device market make their manageability in the enterprise so vital today, as the iPhone and iPad almost single-handedly spurred consumerization. Employees have forced companies to initiate bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies.
With these consumers/employees holding onto phones and tablets for several years rather than refreshing them every time a new device launches, Apple is "feeling the heat on sales" and must cut deals with vendors to improve its penetration with corporate customers, says Jack Gold, founder of J. Gold Associates research firm. "Apple didn't drive it, they were pulled along and faced bigger pressure to do the deals," Gold says.
Gold says software makers and solution providers struggling with BYOD have increased the pressure on Apple to make their software run better on iOS devices. Apple, in turn, can no longer afford to remain aloof to the overtures from enterprise vendors. Call it a marriage of necessity. "It's being forced on them by enterprises who require security and manageability," Gold says. CIO.com highlights the corporate deals that are making Apple more friendly to CIOs who required simplified management solutions.
In a landmark mobility deal, Apple in 2014 agreed to work with IBM cloud and analytics software ran on iPhones and iPads. While some initially derided this as a vaporware deal designed to grab headlines, the companies proved pundits wrong over the next 18 months, releasing 100 iOS apps for industries such as financial services, energy and retail. Gold says the deal epitomizes how "democratization," or consumerization has forced enterprises to do what their customers wanted for a change.
Underscoring how Apple's enterprise deals had begun to pay off, CEO Cook said during an October 2015 earnings call that the enterprise market was generating $25 billion in revenue for the company, up 40 percent over the same period last year. Emboldened by this success, Apple accelerated its corporate deal-making, inking agreements with Box, ServiceMax and DocuSign. In December 2015, Cook joined Cisco Systems Executive Chairman John Chambers on stage at a Cisco conference to announce that the two companies would partner to enable enterprises to give their most important iOS apps priority.
Sign up for Computerworld eNewsletters.

domain: news


text:
A Small Package but a Big Problem
A simple software bug found in several series of Mercedes SUVs has caused a high priority recall. Over 40,000 of the defective SUVs have to be brought back in for repairs that will begin mid April. While at first glance it may seem like a software bug doesn’t constitute a measure so drastic as a recall, it turns out the error could make it more likely for the car to crash. Essentially the software was designed to aid the driver during a maneuver, but an overcorrection from a flaw in the code could increase the likelihood of a driver losing control of the vehicle and crashing. This is not fake news. The company themselves released this statement to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, so it is certainly a recall Mercedes owners should take seriously.
According to their filing with the NHTSA, these are the current 2020 to 2021 models that are using the flawed software:
Please note that not every one of these models has the software issue. It is important to look up potential recalls via their VIN number, or to call the manufacturer if you have doubts or are unsure about the process. In this situation it is certainly best to err on the side of caution, especially considering SUVs are typically used by families as a mode of transportation.
Thankfully, so far Mercedes has not reported any injuries, deaths, or vehicle damage that has occurred as a result of the software bug. It is their hope that they have caught it time. The software in question is called the Electronic Stability Program. Initially created to help maintain control of the vehicle, the design flaw could cause torque to be applied to the front wheels, which could result in the vehicle veering suddenly in an unexpected direction while steering.
The Good News
To be human is to err. Mercedes has done the ethical thing and approached this issue promptly and clearly, immediately admitting the fault. Their prompt and transparent handling of this event sets an ethic standard for the industry, and anyone who needs this repair on their vehicle can have it done free of charge as early as April 13th.


text:
Tesco just posted a £6.37 billion loss for 2014/2015.
“It has been a very difficult year for Tesco. The results we have published today reflect a deterioration in the market and, more significantly, an erosion of our competitiveness over recent years. We have faced into this reality, sought to draw a line under the past and begun to rebuild, and already we are beginning to see early encouraging signs from what we’ve done so far,” said Dave Lewis, CEO of Tesco in a statement.
“Over the last six months we have put customers back at the centre of everything we do. By focusing on the fundamentals of availability, service and targeted price reductions, we have seen a steady increase in footfall, transactions and, most significantly, volumes. More customers are buying more things at Tesco.”
According to Kantar Worldpanel’s latest research, Tesco has 28.4% of Britain’s market share. This is down from the 30.1% slice of the market is had in 2012.
However, Tesco’s sales are growing and it’s stopping the decline in market share.
In the 12 weeks ending March 29, 2015, Tesco’s shares grew 0.3%, while sales at its rivals Asda and Morrisons declined by 1.1% and 0.7% respectively.
HSBC also highlighted this in an analyst note this week that despite a period of massive under-performance, Tesco has been catching up with the industry in terms of sales growth. It’s now no longer losing significant market share:
Business Insider Emails & Alerts
Site highlights each day to your inbox.


text:
Staying driven: Infiniti Motor Company president Roland Krueger tells us what keeps his engine running
Seeing new car models come off the production line, working closely with the latest hybrid technology and having the chance to build sales in fast-expanding markets are just some of the reasons why Roland Krueger has found his dream job.
As Hong Kong-based president of Infiniti Motor Company, the luxury brand of Japan’s Nissan group, Krueger is responsible for managing a global business, which now encompasses sales operations in more than 50 countries, and he gives every impression of being in the right place at exactly the right time.
“What is exciting is that the business is growing,” says Krueger, noting that year-to-date results are up around 7 per cent and that the month of June, in isolation, was up 15 per cent. “That shows things are developing well and our efforts are coming to fruition.”
Originally set up in 1989, the company now has manufacturing facilities and design studios in Japan, the US, Britain and China. Production of a new model will start next year in Mexico. And while the US is still the biggest market by volume, a strategic decision in 2012 to make Hong Kong the firm’s global commercial headquarters signalled a determination to tap into the huge growth opportunities in Asia, especially mainland China.
That gives Krueger plenty to contend with. But his enthusiasm shines through, whether explaining the sensors used for autonomous drive technologies, describing key features of the Q30 – a crossover hatchback recently launched in Hong Kong – or outlining expected changes in market demand over the coming five years.
“For any new generation car, there is a certain focus on the technology and ergonomics, but you must also give it a distinct identity through the proportion, lines and surface,” he says. “Local needs are also a factor. For example, the Q50 sedan sold in China has an extended wheel base, which customers there want.”
Brought up in southern Germany, Krueger took a four-year degree in industrial design at the University of Applied Science in Munich, aiming to pursue a career in the automotive industry.
“It is very simple – I love cars and always wanted to work with them,” he says. “If you have a passion for something or a fascination, you should go for it. That is very important.”
After graduating in 1992, he took another significant step by joining Mitsubishi Motors Europe as a designer for exteriors. Stints in both Germany and Japan preceded a switch to the Daimler Group, where he worked as senior designer for “smart” interiors and then on the company’s strategic planning group.
“As a designer, you think with your pen to visualise your ideas – that’s a skill I’m still using,” he says. “You must develop something that does justice to the brand identity from the first look or touch. But to take the larger decisions, in a company, you also have to understand structures, organisations and how decisions are actually made.”
To get the business credentials to complement his technical know-how, Krueger completed an MBA at the Insead business school in 1998. The same year, he accepted an offer to join BMW Group as manager of strategic product planning. A subsequent series of promotions brought ever wider geographic, pricing and product responsibilities, culminating in the post of senior vice president and regional head of operations for the German market, before the switch to Infiniti early last year.
“For me, the main thing is to empower people, hold them accountable, and make sure the company has long-term vision and direction,” says Krueger, who doubles as senior vice president of Nissan Motor Company. “Overall, we have a small and very agile team, with 130 staff in Hong Kong, and need to be creative and focused to take the business forward.”
Plans now in play include further research on autonomous drive functions plus putting in place dealerships in third- and fourth-tier Chinese cities to spur expansion in the mainland market.
In certain respects, Hong Kong, with its high-density urban environment, is proving an ideal test ground for trialling hybrid models and detecting a change in driver needs and expectations.
“You have to differentiate between customer preferences and actual customer usage,” Krueger says. “The market may be moving towards fully electric vehicles, but high-performance hybrids can give the best of both worlds.”
Apart from handling an ongoing whirl of corporate duties, Krueger is also lending his support to the Accelerator 2.0 programme. This initiative backs eight local start-ups with innovative ideas for the “smart cities” of the future.
The basic aim is to encourage, and then fast-track, inventions with the potential to make cities cleaner, more efficient and, in broad terms, more intelligent. For example, one of the start-ups admitted to last year’s programme came up with an outdoor air purifier which, positioned at street level, uses damp moss to filter out ambient pollutants. Another came up with an app to help drivers find and reserve parking spaces.
“The start-ups develop the ideas and software, and we take a look at what could be useful for us in helping customers.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Krueger has an interest in collecting vintage cars and is a big fan of Formula One, particularly the mental strength and physical courage of drivers like Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.
“This season, Infiniti is a technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One team, contributing its expertise in the area of hybrid performance and drive trains,” he says. “We have some specialists working with the team on the technology for next season, and that expertise will come back to our development centre in Japan.”
TO INFINITI AND BEYOND
Roland Krueger’s guide to success.
Be inspired “I truly believe you must have or develop a real passion for what you do. That can carry you a long way.”
Don’t give up “Building a career takes patience and persistence. You will have setbacks and will have to overcome obstacles.”
Stay focused “You should always show a certain dedication to the job, whatever level you are in a company.”
Diversify your talent “We have people from every field of expertise, from engineering to finance and marketing. Also, it is important to bring in recruits from outside the industry.”
Keep pace “There are now many more ‘touch points’ and channels where you can engage with customers. The switch between preferred media can be very fast.”
This article appeared in the Classified Post print edition as Staying driven.


text:
Today is World Non- Smoking Day but it is unlikely to make much impact in Yunnan. Mr Chen's main preoccupations at the moment are the opening of an even more modern production line, and boosting exports, which account for only a tiny proportion of output. He shows off one of the factory's brands, Sanchi, which is targeted at Japanese women.
'Firstly these cigarettes can treat bronchitis,' he says. 'Also the packaging is quite fashionable which will enable these ladies to look smart. We got a professional doctor who has a PhD to study Sanchi, and he concluded that it really offers very good treatment for people's health. Especially it can give slow treatment for bronchitis.'
In Peking, Dr Zhang Yifang, the vice-president of the Association on Smoking and Health, faces a considerable challenge. China is the world's biggest manufacturer and seller of tobacco; in 1993, 1.6 billion cigarettes were sold in China to its 300 million smokers. According to Dr Zhang, 60 per cent of men over 15 years old, and 9 per cent of women are smokers.
The numbers are rising, with the most marked increases among women and teenagers. Smoking is already the country's biggest killer, and Dr Zhang reckons that if it is not reduced, by the year 2030 there will be 3.17 million smoking-related deaths a year.
For Dr Zhang there are too many Goliaths to slay. The tobacco industry is the biggest single earner for central government tax coffers and last year contributed a total 41bn yuan ( pounds 3.4bn). Secondly, smoking is culturally and socially ingrained in the Chinese way of life and economic reform has only increased the attraction of a cigarette packet as a status symbol. Finally, China is viewed by Western cigarette manufacturers, who face ever stricter health and cultural pressures on their home turf, as the world's most attractive potential market.
China's tobacco industry is still a state monopoly, but it is the activities and promotions of foreign companies that concern the anti-smoking lobby the most. Last year, for instance, Philip Morris, whose Marlboro Man stares down from billboards across China, signed an agreement with the state China National Tobacco Corp to manufacture and sell cigarettes in China.
On paper, China has strict laws on smoking: cigarette packets must carry a health warning; advertisements are banned on television, radio and in the print media; and there is even a 1989 regulation that bans or limits smoking in public places.
In practice, billboards are the main vehicle for advertising, sponsorship and the use of brand-names often get around the restrictions on direct advertising, and everyone smokes everywhere, encouraged by the ubiquitous smokers in Chinese-made films and television programmes.
In Yunnan, where long- term health costs take second place to short-term budget considerations, Mr He says: 'In the domestic market, supply is still short of demand. We also want to reduce prices of the best brands. Basically, our aim is to try to produce more volume, and cut prices.'


text:
RockMelt, a new browser that lives in the cloud and uses Facebook authentication to synchronize a user's browsing experience across machines, went into limited public beta today. It was built around the premise that the browser is busted. The thought is that older browsers aren't made for the way we now use the web, and maybe it's a solid way of thinking. After all, browsing is a passive activity, and the Internet is increasingly about interaction.
Archives for November 2010
Twitter has allowed users to tweet their location via its Places feature for a while now, but now it looks like the company is taking Places a step further with a feature that lets businesses "claim" a location or place. The feature, first spotted by the Hacker News community and tech pioneer Dave Winer, provides a permanent URL for specific locations, along with a list of people who have recently tweeted from that location and their tweets.
This post is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark as a new part of the Spark of Genius series that focuses on a new and innovative startup each day. Once a week the program focuses on startups within the BizSpark program and what they're doing to grow. A little more than three years ago, Seesmic launched as a Twitter-for-video service, but by mid-2009 the startup had completely shifted gears to focus on consumer software for the social web.
We've been really impressed with the iPhotography being produced on Apple's iPhone, so we decided to take a look and see whether Android owners were also coming up with the goods. We've found some amazing land- and city-scape images taken by all manner of Google-powered phones and using all manner of Android photography apps, proving that iPhone photography isn't the only area where mobile snappers are making a mark.
If you've been planning to buy a Windows Phone 7 device, now is the time to walk the walk, as several smartphones based on Microsoft's new mobile platform are now available in Microsoft's Store. HTC Surround and Samsung Focus are both available for $199 with a two-year contract with AT&T, while the HTC HD7 is available for the same price with a two-year contract with T-Mobile.
Apple announced last week it will phase out Xserve, its rack-mountable server solution, starting January 31, 2011. While the Xserve was definitely not very prominent among Apple products, it had a dedicated user base, and many users wondered why Apple had decided to kill the product without offering an alternative.
Evernote, the popular notetaking and archiving utility, has released a massive update to its app for Android. Like its predecessors, Evernote 2.0 for Android lets users take notes, shoot photos, record audio and access their archives on the go, but a number of enhancements are contained behind its streamlined home screen. The most substantial update comes by the way of speed. Rather than downloading all of your notes, the app caches all the data about your notes.
U.S. mobile data traffic will exceed 1 exabyte before the end of 2010, according to Chetan Sharma, an analyst specializing in the wireless data industry. This will be the result of a huge increase in average U.S. mobile data consumption in the past year. “By the end of 2010, we expect the average U.S. consumption to be approximately 325 MB/month, up 112% from 2009,” Sharma claims in his U.S. wireless market report for the third quarter of 2009.
This holiday season, there’s no longer the need to debate whether to pay $9.95 for Wi-Fi on your flight home; Google is stepping up to offer free inflight Wi-Fi from Gogo on Virgin America, AirTran and Delta on all domestic U.S. flights from November 20 through January 2, 2011. The offer follows last year’s holiday gift to travelers from Google – free Wi-Fi at dozens of airports across the country.
David A. Yovanno is the CEO of Gigya, Inc., a leading social optimization platform for online business. He can be found on Twitter at @daveyovanno or e-mail dave(at)gigya(dot)com. When it comes to Facebook, if you’re uncertain where and when to place a “Like” button on your site and when to use “Share,” you’re not alone. Social sharing technologies have evolved significantly in the past several months, but it’s not as complicated as it may seem.
Last week, Sony announced that more than 1 million PlayStation Move units have been shipped in North America. That's a pretty solid start for Sony's take on motion-controlled gaming, a category that is getting plenty of attention this holiday season. After all, with PlayStation Move, Sony faces competition from Nintendo's best-selling Wii and from Microsoft's just-launched Xbox Kinect.
Customers will have bought $966 million in e-books by the end of 2010, according to a new report from Forrester. The report says the e-book market still has tremendous room to grow, as only 7% of online adults who read books read e-books. Forrester predicts that the e-book market will have risen to almost $3 billion by 2015, even if nothing else changes in the industry, which is unlikely given the rapid development of e-ink technology and the rise of e-book readers in the last couple of years.
According to a tweet from the Open Handset Alliance's Alvaro Fuentes Vasquez, those with a Nexus One in their possession should be getting Android 2.3 (codenamed Gingerbread) in "the next few days." The assertion makes sense, given the rumor that Gingerbread will rise on November 11. Just last month, the release's mascot, a gigantic gingerbread man, arrived on Google’s campus amidst a flurry of excitement.
It's been a long road for Conan O'Brien (a.k.a. Coco) -- from late night to Twitter to touring. But tonight the man the Internet has lovingly dubbed "Coco" is returning to the small screen with the premiere of Conan on TBS. To celebrate this move, Fail Whale artist Yiying Lu created the above image for the social media-savvy comedian.
As part of the ongoing Mashable Awards, we're taking a closer look at each of the nomination categories. This is "Must-Follow Brand." Be sure to nominate your favorites and join us for the Gala in Las Vegas! Sponsorships are available. Please contact firstname.lastname@example.org for more information. Over the course of this year, we've seen a lot of great game-changing social media campaigns, from the Emmy-Winning Old Spice Guy YouTube videos to the Ford Explorer Facebook Reveal.
When SCVNGR launched its rewards program earlier this year, it did so with the intention of bringing a create-your-own rewards system to local businesses in six markets by year's end. That mission comes to fruition today as SCVNGR officially launches local rewards in New York. Beginning today, more than 50 New York City locations will begin offering SCVNGR rewards. The startup handpicked launch venues, as listed below, where customers are most likely to go with friends and stay for extended periods.
The Movie and Tech Series is supported by DVDVideoSoft. Discover Free Studio, a full collection of free software to process video, images and audio at DVDVideoSoft.com. Clean, free and user-friendly. Perusing the mobile app landscape, it's pretty clear that a whole bunch of developers love movies. For movie fans, this is pretty great because it means there are tons of apps for movie addicts to choose from.
PromoJam is a platform that enables users to easily build customized Twitter promotions and contest pages for giveaways, and we've partnered up with them to give away 1,000 free invites so Mashable readers can give it a try. The platform allows companies or individuals to build a branded page for their promotion and point their users to it, then allows users to enter the contest by connecting through Twitter and tweeting out a link to the promotion.
Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD), a North Carolina non-profit organization providing food, shelter and clothing to the city's homeless, is launching a Foursquare initiative designed to unsettle application users and raise awareness around homelessness in Durham. UMD is spotlighting unusual venues such as abandoned warehouses, dumpsters and old construction sites by seeding them, along with corresponding informational tips on UMD, as Foursquare places in the downtown area.
Ever had one of those moments when -- after painstakingly composing a text and sending it off into the world -- you realize that your phone has completely mangled what you meant? Yup. We all have. Which is why the blog Damn You Auto Correct! is so hilarious. This user-generated blog started buzzing around the Internet last week, and it's still going on Monday.
Facebook's Director of Corporate Communications Brandee Barker has announced that she is departing the company she joined more than four years ago to start her own early-stage business consulting firm. "After 4+ incredible years at Facebook, I have decided to leave to start my own business consulting early stage tech companies," Barker posted on her Facebook wall. In an interview with BoomTown, Barker said that she prefers working with early-stage companies.
Ken Yarmosh is the proprietor of a boutique mobile agency based in the Washington, D.C. area and the author of App Savvy (O'Reilly). Mobile is only getting bigger. Thousands of new apps are hitting app stores every day. The result is that even innovative or well-made apps are often ignored. One reason for this is that far too many mobile developers start their marketing efforts after they launch their app.
During the third quarter of this year, Facebook served up 297 billion display ads, representing 23.1% of the market and more than twice the share the company held at this time last year, according to data from comScore. At that pace, Facebook is now serving more than 1 trillion ads per year. Facebook also now has a huge lead over the next closest publisher in the display ad space, Yahoo, which, by comparison, garnered nearly 141 billion display ad impressions.
The Future of Social Media Series is supported by Gist. Gist provides a full view of the contacts in your professional network by creating a rich business profile for each one that includes the most news, status updates, and work details. See how it works here. Some argue that human resources professionals are late-adopters when it comes to anything technology related, including social media.
Verizon Wireless has confirmed that November 9 is the pre-sale date for the Motorola DROID PRO. It will hit shelves on November 18 with the standard two-year for $180 after a $100 mail-in rebate. Last week, Mashable held a demo event with Verizon Wireless where we had the opportunity to get our hands on the DROID PRO and develop some first impressions. Like most of Motorola's other DROID offerings, the device runs Android 2.2.
Samsung has just confirmed that its upcoming press conference will focus on the Continuum smartphone. As expected, the device will include a 3.5-inch Super AMOLED screen coupled with a 1.8-inch Super AMOLED ticker. The Continuum manual says that the ticker will show notifications for incoming calls, as well as data from "your favorite sources." We're assuming that favorite sources will include Android applications like Twitter and Facebook.
Online food and restaurant delivery service GrubHub has raised an impressive $11 million in a Series C round of funding led by Benchmark Capital, an investment group that has also provided early funding for the likes of eBay, Twitter, Yelp and OpenTable. Online consumers can use GrubHub's service to view menus, coupons and reviews, and place orders from roughly 13,000 restaurants in the U.S. via its website and mobile apps (available for both the iPhone [iTunes link] and Android devices).
The new socially savvy web browser, RockMelt, entered private beta on Sunday and is already becoming a viral web hit, thanks in large part to the Facebook-authenticated invitation scheme it uses. RockMelt isn't the first product to try to take on social browsing -- Flock, which will also be using Chromium as a base for its 3.0 version, has been trying to crack this nut for more than five years.
Every week, Mashable puts together a calendar of upcoming social media and web events, parties and conferences. Would you like to have your conference or event listed here? If so, please contact us at least one month before your event to establish a media partnership. For more upcoming listings, check out Mashable's Events section.
The Samsung Continuum was announced earlier at the New York Stock Exchange, but the phone itself was just unveiled in Times Square. It will take its place beside the Galaxy S and will, at least initially, be available exclusively on Verizon Wireless. The device is similar to the Galaxy S in many ways. Its face is made from a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, making it perfect for media consumption.


text:
What is the key to customer loyalty for iGaming – design or content? Experts believe that the average person sees around 3000 advertising messages a day. In all this diversity of choice, how is it possible to not just get the attention of potential users, but turn them into loyal customers?
Since terminals aren’t limited to being placed in betting shops they make a great addition to any sports betting business.
Following an incredibly successful launch driving revenue and player engagement for B2B partners, Betinvest’s Sportsbook iFrame is set to continue its winning streak.
Max Dubossarsky talked with Focus Gaming News about the expectations for the ICE Africa 2019 show. He also assessed the current situation of Africa’s gaming industry and where he thinks it is heading.
A few days before the start of ICE Africa at Sandton Convention Centre, SoloAzar interviewed Max Dubossarsky, COO at Betinvest.
09.12 - 10.12
Allianz Parque (Av. Francisco Matarazzo, 1705 – Água Branca, São Paulo – SP, 05001-200, Brazil)
On 9–10 December, Clarion Gaming will be hosting one of the eagerly anticipated events in Latin America: Online Gambling Summit Brazil. Book a meeting with our team.
04.12 - 05.12
Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre (Level 22, 999/9 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand)
Affiliate World Asia 2019 is the #1 performance marketing conference in Asia. On 4—5 December, Betinvest is taking part in this huge event.
27.11 - 29.11
Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre, Ta’ Qali
SiGMA’s organisers have announced that their 2019 event is set to be even bigger than its predecessor.


text:
| Mar 21, 2014
| 10:36 AM
Serge Azria, founder the popular women’s clothing lines Joie, Current/Elliott and Equipment, has purchased a two-building site near downtown Los Angeles that will permit him to grow his operations.
Azria bought two buildings for $7.75 million at...
| Mar 20, 2014
| 3:26 PM
The creator of a pancake-catching game app says IHOP's parent company stole his idea and put a similar game on the chain's website.
Michael Levinson sued DineEquity Inc. this week, accusing the IHOP franchiser of creating its own version of his "Pancake...
| Mar 13, 2014
| 5:44 PM
In his 30 years as a pharmacist, including three at a CVS Caremark store in Northern California, Wayne Wilson said it was all too common for drugstore employees to steal prescription drugs, which would often make their way to the black market.
| Mar 10, 2014
| 7:25 PM
CVS Caremark Corp. could face as much as $29 million in fines for allegedly losing track of prescription painkillers at four of its California stores, from which authorities said thousands of pills may have been sold on the black market.
| Mar 30, 2014
| 3:17 PM
To save commissaries and protect exchanges, Shull proposed to Frederick E. Vollrath, assistant secretary of defense for readiness and force management, a plan to merge commissary operations with exchanges and use resulting efficiencies to stabilize...
| Mar 27, 2014
| 6:00 PM
An estimated $15 million statewide shoplifting ring has been broken up with charges filed against 23 people, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.
The yearlong joint investigation, dubbed Operation Over the Counter, stretched from Miami-...
| Mar 27, 2014
| 1:55 PM
WINTER PARK – As the grocery wars heat up on U.S. Highway 17-92, Publix is tearing down its store at Winter Park Village to make room for a new store with more amenities.
The location will be rebuilt, with the new store featuring a Publix Aprons...
| Feb 1, 2014
| 2:32 PM
Last week we shared a tip from Virginia Fahr in Walnutport about taming all those rewards cards cluttering your key ring, and it turns out she was really on to something.
We received a ton of feedback from other readers who also grew tired of key ring-...
| Feb 5, 2014
| 5:11 PM
CVS Caremark Corp.'s imminent exit from the cigarette and tobacco business — an unprecedented move for a major pharmacy company — is being cheered by many medical professionals and lawmakers as a triumph of corporate responsibility over the...
| Feb 7, 2014
| 2:30 AM
WASHINGTON -- Americans' addiction to harmful drugs is in the news again in a big way. The nation's largest cigarette-selling pharmacy firm, CVS Caremark, has decided to stop peddling them at its 7,600 stores. Larry J. Merlo, its chief executive,...
| Feb 6, 2014
Larry Merlo has a teenage daughter who he says marvels at the fact airline passengers were allowed to smoke cigarettes as they flew.
In-flight smoking has been banned almost 16 years. Recollections of haze-enveloped smoking sections at 35,000 feet...
| Feb 5, 2014
| 12:21 PM
The landmark decision by CVS Caremark on Wednesday to halt tobacco sales at its 7,600 U.S. drugstores by Oct. 1 ratchets up pressure on its larger rival, Deerfield-based Walgreen Co., to follow suit.
CVS, the nation’s No. 2 drugstore chain, said...


text:
Speak to everyone back home with Etisalat’s weekly and monthly international packs
Etisalat today announced the introduction of new international packs enabling prepaid customers to make unlimited international calls to unlimited numbers within 14 countries for as low as AED20 a week.
With close to 80% of the UAE population comprising expatriates, this offer will help the majority of the population to keep in touch with their loved ones back home.
The new packs will undoubtedly give peace of mind to all UAE residents, as they can call longer, for less. Today, on an average, every prepaid customer makes 180 minutes of international calls to his country. Customer who subscribe to the AED20 weekly bundle will get 200 international minutes, while those who opt for the monthly pack priced at AED69 get to enjoy 1,000 minutes.
All Etisalat prepaid subscribers can subscribe to the packs by dialling *135*90#. Countries covered in this promotion include India, Pakistan, Egypt, Nepal, Canada, Germany, UK, USA, Australia, Indonesia, China, Morocco, Malaysia and Afghanistan.


text:
Cirrus Aircraft announced this week that it has broken ground for a new 45,000-square-foot facility at Texas’ McKinney National Airport (TKI). An expansion of current Cirrus McKinney operations, the facility is intended to provide more space for aircraft sales, flight training, factory service and aircraft management. Cirrus says it plans to invest around $13 million in the expansion.
“The Dallas Metroplex is a central location for many of our SR Series and Vision Jet owners,” said Todd Simmons, Cirrus Aircraft president of customer experience. “With this new expansion at Cirrus McKinney, we are excited to continue enhancing the aircraft ownership experience for our current owners and also create an environment to introduce more people to the benefits of personal aviation.”
In addition to TKI, Cirrus has partnered with the City of McKinney and the McKinney Economic Development Corporation for the project. The new facility will include a 15,000-square-foot service hangar, a 15,000-square-foot storage hangar, eight shade canopies, a flight simulation space, a retail store and a customer lounge. The company currently employs more than 50 people at the location.
The post Cirrus Breaks Ground For McKinney Expansion appeared first on AVweb.


text:
Pandora has hired former Nike executive Geena Tok as managing director for its China business, replacing Anthony Asinas, who will become managing director for Hong Kong and Macau, the jeweler said Sunday.
Tok (pictured), who was managing director and chief merchant at Nike China for 17 years, will oversee Pandora’s 200 stores throughout the country.
Pandora has had a challenging time in China over the past year, and recently noted a rise in unauthorized sales of its products on the grey market. The company subsequently lowered its prices in China by approximately 15% in an effort to compete with those unlicensed sellers.
Pandora CEO Anders Colding Friis stepped down from his position after the company’s profit fell 15% in the first quarter — largely due to a drop in sales in the country. The retailer also laid off 397 employees earlier this month, in an effort to cut costs.
Tok will work out of Pandora’s Shanghai office. She will report to Kenneth Madsen, president of the Asia-Pacific region.


text:
If you’ve been waiting for a good time to cut the cord, the timing couldn’t be better. Microsoft Movies & TV and Vizio have partnered with online streaming services to offer thousands of movies and programs to consumers, some of which are free of charge. Roku, meanwhile, has launched The Roku Channel for free streaming access to content from your PC, tablet and smartphone. Here are the details:
Movies Anywhere and Microsoft Movies & TV
Movies Anywhere and Microsoft Movies & TV have joined forces to make it easier for film fans to access and grow their movie collections. Users simply sync their Microsoft account with Movies Anywhere to centralize their favorite digital movies purchased from Microsoft alongside their movies purchased from other Movies Anywhere retailers. Movies Anywhere allows consumers to access their digital movie collection at home or on the go in one simple cross-platform app that also features over 7,500 digital movies for purchase, including the new “The Deadpool 2 Super Duper $@%!#& Cut” with 15 minutes of brand-new action and jokes.
Using the Movies Anywhere app and website, Microsoft customers can access their eligible digital movies from Hollywood’s major film studios, including Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Universal Pictures (including DreamWorks and Illumination Entertainment), The Walt Disney Studios (encompassing Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), and Warner Bros. Upon connecting their Microsoft account with Movies Anywhere, users can watch their favorite redeemed and purchased digital movies from participating digital retailers on an array of platforms, including Xbox and Windows 10 devices; Amazon Fire devices; Android devices and Android TV; Chromecast; iPhone, iPad and iPod touch; Roku devices and popular browsers.
“We are thrilled that Microsoft now supports Movies Anywhere,” says Pedro Gutierrez, director, movies & TV, Microsoft. “With Movies Anywhere, all of your eligible movies from Microsoft can be enjoyed across your favorite screens at no extra cost. Microsoft Movies & TV allows you to watch the newest movies across your favorite devices — like Xbox — before streaming services or disc, and without subscription or membership fees.”
Vizio and WatchFree
Vizio has rolled out WatchFree, a streaming service designed with cord-cutters in mind. Available on nearly all VIZIO SmartCast TVs, WatchFree, in partnership with Pluto TV, takes the entertainment experience one step further by providing free, direct streaming access to more than 100 live and linear channels. WatchFree has all of the attributes associated with traditional cable TV minus boxes, antennas, cords, and most importantly, the cost.
WatchFree offers access to news, sports, movies, TV shows, viral videos, concerts and more – all without the expense of a monthly subscription or transaction fees.
“With the TV landscape continuously evolving, we’re excited to offer consumers a comprehensive entertainment solution packed with free and unlimited content offerings.” says Bill Baxter, Chief Technology Officer, VIZIO. “Powered by Pluto TV, WatchFree is a next-generation streaming service with an easy-to-navigate, cable-like interface that delivers creative and thoughtful content selections.”
In a completely innovative fashion, WatchFree is easily accessible via a dedicated input. SmartCast TV users simply press the Input button and select “WatchFree” to be instantly transported into a free and unlimited live TV experience. WatchFree offers an unrivaled, free viewing experience with endless entertainment options at the forefront.
Some of the Pluto TV channels that will be available through WatchFree include Pluto TV Movies, Action Movies, Black Cinema, News 24/7, NBC News/MSNBC, Fox Sports, Frontdoor, Cats 24/7, Crime Network, MST3K and The Surf Channel. In addition to the regular channel lineup, coming soon, Pluto TV will launch two new pop-up channels also available on WatchFree, featuring Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and Unsolved Mysteries.
The Roku Channel
Roku, Inc. has launched two new ways to help consumers find free streaming entertainment. The company offers The Roku Channel for the web in the U.S., giving free access to anyone via PCs, mobile phones, and tablets. Consumers can visit The Roku Channel’s website to begin streaming once they log in or create a Roku account.
Roku also is beginning the rollout of a navigation change to its home screen called “Featured Free,” which provides users with direct links to free content from The Roku Channel, ABC, The CW, CW Seed, FOX, Freeform, Pluto TV, Sony Crackle, Tubi and more.
Featured Free includes the latest in-season episodes of top network shows, full past-season catch-ups and more.
Launched last fall, The Roku Channel has quickly gained popularity, and according to Roku, is currently one of the most popular streaming channels on its platform based on active account reach.
Now, both Roku device owners and those who don’t yet own a Roku device can watch The Roku Channel on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. In addition, The Roku Channel app begins rolling out to select Samsung smart TVs today.
The company says it will continue to look for ways to expand the reach of The Roku Channel, and distribute the service through a phased software roll out over the coming weeks.
Once available on their device, Roku customers will be able to quickly access current season TV shows, classic series, hit movies and more in just a few clicks. Roku is also pulling forward new and returning shows, allowing Roku customers quick and easy access all season long.


text:
Come see NEW accessory line on display at this weeks event celebrating womanhood with an emphasis on Breast Cancer Awareness.
Miami, Florida- October 22, 2012- Come meet Liliana Salazar as she displays her newest accessory collection, ARTESANIAS By Liliana Salazar, at “Femme Factory”, an event full of female focused business vendors coming together to benefit Breast Cancer Awareness. Held in a secret Miami Beach location on October 25th from 7:30 to 11 pm, this free for ladies event will feature a melting pot of chic and upscale vendors showcasing products ranging from jewelry, clothes and pampering services.
As a strong supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness and female-owned businesses, talented fashion designer and dedicated philanthropist, Lilliana is honored and thrilled to be a featured vendor at “Femme Factory” as it highlights such an important issue to her and so many women today.
To read more, please check out Press Release.


text:
The iphone 4 card counting app offers caused quite a new fire up in the online casino world. Considering detecting the application is merely unattainable, iPhones are banned in its entirety in most land centered internet casinos. Anyone caught making use of this system while playing could be dealing with expenses. To safeguard matters, casinos have decided that gamblers who own an iPhone, no matter if using it or not, are not able to enter casino areas with account of the counting program having an hidden setting which is hard to detect. Utilization of a great iPhone is now considered a grad A good crime in all states, as can be the use of every other card counting devices.
A person place it isn’t illegal to use the iPhone counting device will be online. Even more accurately, the simple reality is that online gambling dens can no longer detect the use of counting devices plus are therefore helpless when confronted with banning them. เว็บเสี่ยโป้ becoming the case, more and more experienced bettors will be seeking the essence connected with a on line casino online. On the internet casinos happen to be able to capture the pizazz territory based casinos will be getting rid of due to so a lot of rules, banns and cheap sights.
If the ban on using tobacco inside area based gambling dens was certainly not enough of a setback, on the internet casinos are revealing the further rise inside gambler deposits since often the iPhone checking application release and then ban.
George Grisham, a veteran risk taker, said “going to the gambling establishment used to become the glitzy thing to do. Some sort of way to let drop in vogue, we used to dress up have got evening meal and some drinks, nowadays any ‘shlump’ off the road can enter include a good meal for $9. 99 and a few goes at the tables. We don’t bother any more, in particular since the brand-new cigarettes regulations. “


text:
On Wednesday, June 18, 2014, Dov Charney, the out-spoken founder and CEO of American Apparel, was ousted by his board of directors. The reason was because of the ongoing investigations of misconduct towards women.
“This is not easy, but we felt the need to do what we did for the sake of the company,” Allan Mayer, the company’s newly appointed co-chairman, told The Times. The decision “was not the result of any problems with the company’s operations.”
When the Times tried to talk to Charney, he hung up. Apparently, he was totally taken by surprise, said an anonymous source, and plans to fight like hell to get his company back.
American Apparel has come under scrutiny before with its sexy, 70’s-like Polaroid looking ads of girls in various poses in American Apparel collections. However the brand has been a key style statement for teens for the last 7 years and as our research shows, is one of the most liked fashion brands in the teen retailer space.
They also made interesting moves by buying the retail store Oak in 2013 and the eclectic surf brand Warriors of Radness in 2012.
However, American Apparel has had ongoing financial problems. In 2013, American Apparel had a net loss of $106.3 million which is up from $37.3 million in 2012. The brand had several moves underway including the selling of more stock.
American Apparel and Dov Charney were also advocates for the Made in the U.S.A. movement and with their vertical integration of manufacturing and distributing, gave a boost to the downtown Los Angeles fashion industry with promotions of sweatshop-free environments.
The brand has also been very vocal about immigration laws and campaigned heavily through their marketing and advertising to improving immigration laws for potential workers.
Little is known at this time how the news of Charney leaving will affect the future of the company. However we wouldn’t be surprised if in some way, the kingpin of vertical apparel manufacturing made his way back.


text:
Computer Associates International (CA) plans to cut 800 positions worldwide, 5 percent of its workforce, in hopes of shaving US$70 million annually off its operating costs.
The layoffs will be completed by the end of October, and will affect most departments, CA said in a written statement. CA plans to make cuts in its development group aimed at "improving productivity and simplifying the product portfolio." Marketing efforts will also be trimmed, although the sales group will be only minimally affected, CA said.
CA spokeswoman Shannon Lapierre said no further details were available on how the cuts will affect CA's product portfolio or whether CA will revise its development road maps. She cast the changes as part of an effort CA began several months ago, when it formed a "managed products group" to evaluate which legacy products should be put out to pasture, and how CA can best support customers still relying on those products.
"This is about making sure we're spending our dollars on the products that are going to be the most successful for our customers, and also for the company in terms of sales and profits," Lapierre said.
The unsurprising move comes less than a week after CA agreed to spend US$225 million on a restitution fund to compensate shareholders for losses suffered as a result of a fraudulent accounting scheme carried out at the company several years ago. The fund is part of the deal CA struck with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to avoid prosecution for the accounting violations.
Islandia, New York-based CA expects to spend US$40 million on the restructuring, with US$25 million of that incurred in the current quarter, which ends Thursday. At the end of its 2004 fiscal year, in March, CA had 15,300 employees, down from 16,000 a year earlier.
Smith Barney analyst Tom Berquist said the timing of the announcement likely means bad news on sales in CA's current quarter.
"CA closes its books for the quarter tomorrow, and we are unsure how to 'read the tea leaves' at this point," he wrote Wednesday in a research note. "The obvious thought is that CA has missed its quarter and therefore views this as an idea time to take a (restatement) charge. We believe this outcome is most likely."


text:
Hermie De Leon departs OMG for MPG Philippines
Tapped by Havas Media Asia Pacific CEO Vishnu Mohan for the position, De Leon said, “I am very happy at OMG but this opportunity may not come my way again.” The resignation will take effect from 31 March.
De Leon was promoted to president and CEO at OMG Philippines in October ...
Articles older than 72 hours are available to subscribers only.
To see the full article,
you need to login or register.
Paid subscribers have no limits.
or call +852 2122 5243
or email firstname.lastname@example.org
- Unlimited access to www.campaignasia.com.
- Full access to the historical archive of over 70,000 articles.
- 12 print & 12 e-magazines a year, plus back issue access
- Daily email news bulletins
- iPad & iPhone subscription access via the apps
- Regular supplements & reports
- Notification of relevant regional events,
- Up to 30% savings when buying the FULL package.


text:
Fuchs Petrolub AG, the world’s largest independent lubricants maker, reported annual results. Fuchs’s business development in 2020 was strongly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The shutdown of economic activities led to drastic declines in sales revenues, which took effect particularly in the second quarter. Sales revenues fell by 8% to 2.4 billion euros. The company counteracted the substantial decline in sales revenues with cost discipline. Despite the decline in sales revenues, the gross margin improved.
Fuchs, which is majority owned by the Fuchs family, announced the 19th consecutive dividend increase. The company is going to continue to return cash to shareholders through a strong dividend. Management declared a dividend of 0.99 (0.97) euros per preferred share and 0.98 (0.96) euros per common share. In addition, Fuchs completed its acquisition of NYE, a manufacturer of synthetic high-performance lubricants in the U.S. However, the sharp increase in material prices will further burden the cost structure.
Fuchs’s stock is down 10% for 2021 through Tuesday’s close.


text:
Although our laws are meant to protect everyone, regardless of income or social status, the fact remains that filing or defending oneself from a lawsuit costs money and hiring competent attorneys costs even more money. Many people simply don’t have the funds to pursue a dispute in court, and too often, large corporations, flush with assets and a dedicated legal team, are all too aware of that fact and they take advantage of it.
When someone files a lawsuit against a person or entity with the goal of silencing the defending party, it’s known as a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP). Because SLAPPs tend to be aimed at those with fewer resources, corporations generally count on the defendant giving up the case and/or settling outside of court. But if a defendant decides to continue with the lawsuit, the plaintiff could be the one made to pay up in court.
Legislators know SLAPPs are unfair and harmful to our democracy, which is why many states have anti-SLAPP laws that punish people and organizations for filing a lawsuit purely with the intention of shutting someone up.
When the Animal Legal Defense Fund spoke out against alleged mistreatment of four white tigers by Landry’s Inc., Landry’s responded by filing a defamation lawsuit against the animal rights company in Harris County.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund has been accusing Landry’s of allegedly keeping four white Bengal tigers (Nero, Coral, Reef, and Marina) in inadequate housing where they were not given access to adequate fresh or air sunlight and allegedly had not been outside for more than a decade.
Landry’s went a few steps beyond denying the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against the Animal Legal Defense Fund in November 2016.
In order to be considered defamation, the plaintiff needs to prove, not only that the allegations are false, but that the defendant knew the allegations were false at the time they were made and made the allegations with the intention of harming the plaintiff.
Whether Landry’s could have proven defamation, if given the chance, is no longer the point. Lawyers for the Animal Legal Defense Fund argued the defamation lawsuit had all the markings of a SLAPP and was filed with the sole intention of silencing the organization on a topic Landry’s did not want brought to the public’s attention. Judge Steven Kirkland sided with the animal rights group and dismissed the lawsuit.
Judge Kirkland ordered Landry’s to pay the legal fees the Animal Legal Defense Fund had incurred in the course of defending the lawsuit, an award that totaled almost $175,000. He also ordered Landry’s to pay $250,000 to the Animal Legal Defense Fund and $200,000 to Cheryl Conley, an animal welfare activist who was listed as another defendant in the lawsuit. In his decision against Landry’s, Judge Kirkland noted that the additional awards he was ordering the company to pay were intended as a warning against other people or organizations who might consider filing similar SLAPPs against their fellow citizens in the future.
Our Chicago libel and slander lawyers concentrate in this area of the law. We have defended or prosecuted a number of defamation and libel cases, including cases representing a consumer sued by a large luxury used car dealer in federal court for hundreds of negative internet reviews and videos which resulted in substantial media coverage of the suit; one of Loyola University’s largest contributors when the head basketball coach sued him for libel after he was fired; and a lawyer who was falsely accused of committing fraud with the false allegation published to the Dean of the University of Illinois School of Law, where the lawyer attended law school and the President of the University of Illinois. One of our partners also participated in representing a high profile athlete against a well-known radio shock jock.
Our Chicago defamation attorneys defend individuals’ First Amendment and free speech rights to post on Facebook, Yelp and other websites information that criticizes businesses and addresses matters of public concern. Our Chicago Cybersquatting attorneys also represent and prosecute claims on behalf of businesses throughout the Chicago area including in Wilmette and Glenview who have been unfairly and falsely criticized by consumers and competitors in defamatory publications in the online and offline media. We have successfully represented businesses who have been the victim of competitors setting up false rating sites and pretend consumer rating sites that are simply forums to falsely bash or business clients. We have also represented and defended consumers First Amendment and free speech rights to criticize businesses who are guilty of consumer fraud and false advertising.
Super Lawyers named Chicago and Oak Brook business trial attorney Peter Lubin a Super Lawyer in the Categories of Class Action, Business Litigation, and Consumer Rights Litigation. Lubin Austermuehle’s Oak Brook and Chicago business trial lawyers have over a quarter of a century of experience in litigating complex class action, consumer rights, and business and commercial litigation disputes. We handle emergency business lawsuits involving injunctions, and TROS, defamation, libel, and covenant not to compete, franchise, distributor and dealer wrongful termination and trade secret lawsuits and many different kinds of business disputes involving shareholders, partnerships, closely held businesses and employee breaches of fiduciary duty. We also assist businesses and business owners who are victims of fraud or defamatory attacks on their business and reputations.
Lubin Austermuehle’s DuPage County defamation and slander lawyers near Aurora and Bolingbrook have more than two and half decades of experience helping business clients unravel the complexities of Illinois and out-of-state business laws. Our Chicago business, commercial, class-action, and consumer litigation lawyers represent individuals, family businesses and enterprises of all sizes in a variety of legal disputes, including disputes among partners and shareholders as well as lawsuits between businesses and consumer rights, auto fraud, and wage claim individual and class action cases. In every case, our goal is to resolve disputes as quickly and successfully as possible, helping business clients protect their investments and get back to business as usual. From offices in Oak Brook, near Naperville, Schaumburg, and Evanston, we serve clients throughout Illinois and the Midwest.
If you are the victim of a defamatory attack on your business or a consumer who has been sued to stop you from posting criticism of a business online at Yelp or anywhere else, contact one of our Oak Brook and Chicago defamation lawyers for a free consultation at 630-333-0333 or online by filling out our contact us form.


text:
The Federal Trade Commission will host a press conference at its headquarters in Washington, DC, today at noon ET to announce action on a major consumer fraud case that impacted consumers across the nation.
Senior FTC officials and state law enforcement officials involved in the case, as well as a representative of the Better Business Bureau, will be available at the press conference to answer questions from the media.
|WHEN:||Tuesday, May 19: 12:00 pm ET|
|WHERE:||Federal Trade Commission,|
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
|WHO:||FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director, Jessica Rich|
Virginia Attorney General, Mark Herring
South Carolina Secretary of State, Mark Hammond
President & CEO BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance, H. Art Taylor
|CALL-IN:||Reporters unable to attend the event can call in. The phone number is 800-288-8961; the confirmation ID number is 360407. The lines, which are only for news media, will open at 11:45 a.m. The conference leader is Bruce Jennings.|
|WEBCAST:||The event will be webcast live.|
FTC Office of Public Affairs


text:
ÁKK sells HUF 50 bln of three-month bills at auction, over plan
The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold HUF 50 bln of discount three-month T-bills at auction today, raising its original offer by HUF 10 bln, Hungarian news agency MTI reported.
Bids came to HUF 75.4 bln for the papers expiring on August 17. Demand was slightly up from HUF 72.8 bln at the previous auction held a week earlier.
Average yield was 0.98%, unchanged from the previous auction of the bills while up 6bp from the secondary market benchmark calculated on a bill series expiring on September 28.
The debt manager has been selling three-month bills over the HUF 40 bln original plan every week since March 22 when the average yield rose to 1.27% before a renewed drop started.
SUPPORT THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For 27 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.
Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.


text:
The Biggest international exhibition covering entire Textile and garment industry of Bangladesh for 22 years kicked off on September 13, 2023
A press conference was held today at the National Press Club in Dhaka for CEMS-Global USA’s upcoming 3 Comprehensive International Exhibitions scheduled to be held in September focused on the entire Textile & Garment Industry of Bangladesh.
A three-day 16th Dhaka Motor Show 2023 begins at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center (BBCFEC), in Purbachal, Near Kanchan Bridge, Dhaka, on Thursday.All News...
CEMS-Global USA’s 4 International Exhibitions focused on the Medical, Healthcare, Food & Agro sectors of Bangladesh kicked off today at International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB), Dhaka – Bangladesh.
The leading Exhibitions are the 14th Meditex Bangladesh 2023 International Expo on Medical Equipment, Surgical Instruments, Healthcare, Hospital Equipment & Supplies; 6th International Health Tourism & Services Expo 2023 on Healthcare, Health Tourism, and Services; 6th Agro Bangladesh 2023 International Expo on Agro Products, Equipment & Machinery; and 6th Food Bangladesh 2023 International Expo on Food & Beverage Products, Food Equipment.
The 3-day Exhibition will run till Saturday, 27th May 2023, from 10.30am to 8.00pm
Present at the Opening Ceremony were Hon’ble Mr. S M Rezaul Karim, MP – Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh; Special Guests - Khurshid Iqbal Rejbi - Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Food; Ms. Nilufer Nazneen -
Additional Secretary of Health Services Division - Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Mr. Syed Ershad Ahmed – President of American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham); Dr. V. M. Thomas – Chairman of Chennai Fertility Center and Research Institute and Ms. Meherun N. Islam – President & Group Managing Director of CEMS-Global USA & Asia-Pacific.


text:
F&H – kickstarting an e-commerce transformation
E-commerce and online presence have become inevitable fundamentals for all companies operating in the wholesale and retail industry. This development has been a reality for years, and as the COVID-19 pandemic raged and shut down most physical stores around the world, the trend was truly accelerated.
F&H, Scandinavia’s leading brand house for interior, kitchen, table and bath, saw huge possibilities and potential in the trend and developed a comprehensive e-commerce strategy that influenced their complex organisation from a-z.
F&H chose to partner up with Deloitte and together embark on an e-commerce business transformation journey, building a brand-new e-commerce strategy with the aim of supporting their purpose in this digital age: to bring quality interior and hardware to customers.
A project of this calibre required both development of the overall strategy and operating model, as well as clever technology selection and implementation. It required scrutinisation of the entire organisation to ensure that the new strategy stayed consistent and was visible in all operations – from call centre to distribution.
First of its kind
As a key element in the new strategy, a brand-new online shop, KitchenLivingDining.com, was launched across all Nordic markets in spring 2021, built on Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Besides functioning as a platform for show-casing how F&H’s products from different brands complement one another, the website is a steppingstone towards F&H’s big ambition: to conquer international markets.
F&H further decided to invest in a combined eco-system for the B2C sales channels and migrate all their current brand websites to the Salesforce platform.
Additionally, they chose to support the eco-system with a better platform for customer service and marketing across countries by implementing a Salesforce Service & Marketing Cloud.
This is the first ever e-commerce project in the Danish market for Deloitte and therefore a great achievement and milestone. For F&H, the journey continues and lays ground for generating an increasingly larger part of the revenue through online presence. It is F&H’s aspiration that the new e-commerce strategy will function as the caterpillar to expand into new markets internationally – both at a B2C and a B2B level. Deloitte is proud to be part of the journey with F&H as they conquer new markets and reach new customers.


text:
10 Entrepreneurs Leading Coworking Spaces and Innovation HubsJuly 14, 2021
Amazon’s Represent the Future Summit is BackAugust 23, 2021
The glitzy affair coincides with several milestones for Novellus, including raising over $1M in VC funding and becoming a Certified B Corporation™. EnrichHER founder and CEO Dr. Roshawnna Novellus has a lot to celebrate this Black Business Month.
Earlier this month she was honored in New York City alongside several successful Black women entrepreneurs as part of Mastercard’s Strivers Initiative, a partnership with Fearless Fund designed to spotlight Black women-owned businesses as a vital part of our nation’s industries. The two-day celebration included a red carpet reception and concert at the Apollo Theater featuring Mastercard ambassador and Respect movie star Jennifer Hudson. Each Strivers honoree was gifted a custom 3D portrait by artist Tyler Clark.
Dr. Novellus was also featured in a high profile Mastercard promotional spot that aired on national broadcast television and social media (watch it here).
This recognition comes on the heels of some recent milestones for the EnrichHER brand. In May, after a two-year long application process, the company became a Certified B Corporation™. B Corporations™ are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps™ use their business as a force for good and are highly regarded as agents of change.
Additionally, this summer Dr. Novellus joined the ranks of the few Black women in business who have raised over $1 million in venture capital funding. Last year, only 93 Black women reported having raised more than $1 million, up from 34 in 2018, according to a report titled ProjectDiane by Digitalundivided. Between 2009 and 2017, Black women received 0.0006% of tech venture capital investment. These grim numbers reveal just how difficult it is to navigate the financial world as a Black woman business owner, which is why Novellus founded EnrichHER — to make funding accessible to all, not just the wealthy.
“There are so many exciting developments taking place at EnrichHER right now,” says Novellus. “From the Mastercard Strivers Initiative and becoming a Certified B Corp™ to engaging businesses in our grants and accelerator programs to launching our new matchmaking platform EnrichHER nLove, it is truly humbling to see the progress we’re making in our mission to connect New Majority founders to funding. After a year like 2020, I am grateful to be leading a thriving business.”
For more information, visit enrichher.com.


text:
The Google products are always hot topics and we came across lots of leaks of the Google products ahead of its official announcement but today an unannounced Google product surfaced online and it is leaked by none other than Google itself.
The upcoming product called Google Nest Hub appeared on the Google Store website and that reveals the diagram as well as the specifications of the smart device.
Going through the Store page, the Nest Hub Max will sports a 10-inch HD screen, and that also has a built-in Nest camera with all the standard surveillance capabilities. It can also use the camera to make Duo calls, Google promises stereo speakers on the Nest Hub Max.
Having said that, there are no supporting images or details about the pricing and availability but you we are looking forward to hear more and we expect that the company will reveal more about this at the upcoming Google I/O 2019 event.


text:
The fishing industry in Lowestoft can be traced back to the medieval era and used to be the town’s biggest export.
But like many seaside towns, Lowestoft’s fishing industry has suffered a massive decline since the turn of the century and the glory days are now a distant memory.
In the mid-1960s, fishermen returning to the Port of Lowestoft from the North Sea found that their keepnets had become lighter.
Over-fishing was resulting in smaller and smaller landings. Herring, the most common fish in the seas off Lowestoft, was disappearing.
That was over 50 years ago but in truth, the fishing industry in Lowestoft has never fully recovered.
Not helped by strict fishing quotas and declining fish stocks, Lowestoft’s once-thriving port is a shadow of its former self.
The daily news straight to your inbox
If you want to stay in the know with all the latest news, reviews and features from SuffolkLive then you can sign up to our daily newsletter email.
Each day we'll be sending you a selection of our top stories from across our county, as well as breaking news so you can be the first to know.
Signing up to the SuffolkLive newsletter means you'll get the latest news direct to your inbox each day. It couldn't be simpler and it takes seconds - simply click here, enter your email address and follow the instructions.
Nowadays, only about 15 boats land fish at the port.
With so few boats now contributing to the port’s fish market, processing businesses based there have had to adapt to the declining industry.
William Masterson & Son’s fish distribution business has been based at the port for four generations and the company used to purchase all their fish from the adjacent fish market.
But in recent years, it’s become increasingly clear that the fish sold at the market is nowhere near enough to meet the needs of the business.
The company now purchases its fish online from ports in Scotland and northern Europe, where stocks are higher and prices are cheaper.
Will Masterson, who runs the business, explains how it’s not viable to rely on the Lowestoft fish market anymore.
He said: “People in this country mostly eat cod and you can’t get that in big enough quantities here.
Follow Daniel DeFalco on social media
Daniel is a trainee reporter for SuffolkLive.
After recently graduating the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism, I'm looking forward to covering the news that matters to you in Suffolk.
From crime to sport, I'll be helping to bring you the county's breaking news.
If you have a story, please contact me via email (firstname.lastname@example.org) or Twitter (@daniel_defalco).
“I mostly have to use suppliers in Scotland, Iceland and Norway because you just can’t get the stocks in Lowestoft. Demand is too high for what little cod there is here and that pushes the price through the roof.”
Although Mr Masterson has only worked at the port for 12 years, he’s seen the fishing industry decline even in his relatively short career.
“I started here pretty much when the bottom had already fallen out. But I can still remember a bigger landing than what there is now, because there’s basically nothing,” he said.
According to a report by the Marine Management Organisation, the UK landed an average of 678,000 tonnes of fish between 2012 and 2016. However, the fact that Lowestoft only contributes around 7,000 tonnes of fish per year to the UK total demonstrates the scale of the problem.
With the UK having left the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy in December 2020, there’s hope that Lowestoft and other declining ports will benefit from fewer foreign vessels fishing in UK waters.
While this may provide a small boost to the handful of fishermen who regularly use Lowestoft Port, it’s hard to see how the UK’s most easterly fishing industry can return to its former glories.


text:
MSC Cruises — the Swiss-based world’s largest privately-owned cruise line and brand market leader in Europe, South America and South Africa — revealed the names and concepts for the two exclusive Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows that will be performed on board MSC Cruises’ new next-generation flagship, MSC Meraviglia. The long-term partnership between MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil will set new standards in live entertainment at sea. The world leader in artistic entertainment will create a total of eight original shows exclusively available on MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia generation ships, coming into service between June 4, 2017 – with MSC Meraviglia – and Fall 2020.
“We are committed to creating unique opportunities that elevate the guest experience to new heights and, for this, we work with innovative, world-class leaders in their sector. It was thus only natural that, when it comes to entertainment, we would look to partner with Cirque du Soleil,” said Gianni Onorato, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises.
To view the multimedia release go to:
2316 days ago by
Runtime: 1m30s | Views: 467 |
Not yet rated


text:
Fancy a 3D printed robot for your home? Here’s a list of the best 3D printed robots you can 3D print in one go, assemble or even buy as a kit.
Enjoyed the Power Rangers movie reboot? Want to make something to commemorate it? Then download and 3D print your favorite Power Ranger helmets for free.
BCN3D Technologies announce the BCN3D Moveo, an open source 3D printed robot arm developed with the Catalonian Department of Education.
Looking for a fun project that suits the needs of kids and their parents? Here are the best DIY robot kits for kids to 3D print.
Research team in France collaborating with archaeologists to use a Robotic Blimp to explore a mysterious new chamber in the Giza pyramids.
Robotica, a gorgeous ball-jointed doll, is our new Thing of the week. The design is free, you can either print it yourself or order the parts.
Scientists have invented the Pleurobot, a 3D printed robot that mimics the way salamanders walk and swim with unprecedented detail.
An associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder is developing a robot to make colonoscopies more comfortable for patients.
Students from Duke University have designed a robot, called Sentinel, to help police officers perform traffic stops and keep everyone safe.
Japanese researchers came up with a way to cool down a humanoid robot named Kengoro -- allowing it to sweat out of its 3D printed "bones".
Want to see a 3D printed robot scorpion? This modular hexapod from Ghent University is sure to grab your attention.
Tend.ai robotic arm runs a 3D printing farm like a pro. It can replace filament, read screens, remove prints, and use machine learning to keep getting better.
Artist Alonso Martinez develops 3D printed life-like robots for a project which explores how simple designs can have a big personality.
Developed by a team of researchers at Harvard University, the Octobot is a 3D printed robot octopus that powers itself by chemical reactions.
Boston Dynamics have unveiled a smaller, lighter and more agile version of their ATLAS humanoid which has 3D printed legs.
MIT researchers make it easy to build robots with a system called Interactive Robogami so you can design, print and assemble in five hours.
Photon the robot goes into large scale production next month after 3D printing company Zortrax helped refine the prototype.


text:
U.S. agricultural exports face strong competition as countries around the world ramp up their trading games
Challenges that the United States faces include stiffer competition for agricultural exports from Brazil, which has lowered its shipping costs and the Ukraine, where rail transportation costs are low.
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota — Challenges and opportunities abound in agriculture, a North Dakota State University agricultural economist says.
Both the challenges and the opportunities that the United States face in the global marketplace are the result of competition that has increased greatly over the past 50 years, as the U.S. share of soybean, corn and wheat exports have dropped and those of its competitors have risen, said William “Bill” Wilson, North Dakota State University agribusiness and applied economics professor.
While the U.S. marketing system has huge advantages when they aren't what Wilson calls “interventions” in the marketplace, the advantages are reduced when the interventions exist.
“We have very intense international competition, more than we ever have had before,” Wilson told farmers Dec. 9 during a session about agricultural trade at the Prairie Grains conference in Grand Forks. ”That’s a challenge for us and an opportunity for us.”
Challenges that the United States faces include stiffer competition for agricultural exports from Brazil, which has lowered its shipping costs and the Ukraine, where rail transportation costs are low. Meanwhile, Ukraine is located near buyers in the Middle East, North Africa and the European Union, so it has a geographical advantage, Wilson said.
Besides competition from Brazil and the Ukraine, the United States is facing challenges for agricultural exports from Russia, which is taking steps to shore up its grain supply to ensure food security. Russia also wants to reduce the reliance on imports which western nations put sanctions on in 2014, Wilson said.
Russia is striving to become a multi-international giant, and VTB, a leading universal bank in the country has asked President Vladimir Putin for assistance with creating a competitive advantage that would control the role of foreign traders, he said.
The VTB’s proposed grain holding company would control the supply chain, Wilson said, noting that VTB already is Russia's largest owner of facilities and rail cars, and the No. 1 exporter from the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, though U.S. companies have made great advances in agricultural technology, others have, too.
For example, Beijing has made clear that it will support its seed technology leaders, which will develop insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant corn, Wilson said.
Dabeinong Biotechnology, one of two Chinese technology companies founded in 2011, is among those that were charged with stealing GMO corn seed in Iowa and Illinois, Wilson noted.
On the demand side, in the future, domestic need for biodiesel and sustainable fuels will result in reduction of U.S. trade, Wilson said. The reduction in commodity exports will be offset by the demand for the crops by U.S. companies driving prices, he said.
“That’s going to have a huge impact on the market,” Wilson said. “We’re going to have a huge battle for acres.”
According to Wilson, other factors that affect the agricultural commodity markets and global trade are:
- Increased differentiation in demand. For example, U.S. consumers generally have been accepting of food produced using GMO technology, while consumers outside of the United States have not.
- Changing technology, which has been adapted around the world in various ways. There have been substantial investments in agricultural productivity. “Everyone has the information. The advantage is who can analyze it best,” Wilson said.


text:
Archive of articles from 2014
Mid-to-late March is an ideal time to travel to Finland and witness the Northen Lights.
With ‘Sunshine Saturday’ fast approaching, Norwegian Cruise Line has announced a ’48 Hour Flash Sale’ to take place this weekend (January 11-12th 2014).
If you're looking for a holiday bargain – now is the time to book, when you can make the most of a host of great January offers. Here's our pick!
Holidaymakers looking to banish the January blues can make the most of some great Eurostar offers, with discounted tickets on sale from tomorrow.


text:
When the winds of change blow some people build walls while others build windmills
Issue 91 | 25 January 2021
Welcome to issue 91 of Payments:Unpacked, get to grips with the UK’s retail payments landscape with Mike Chambers - exclusive payment insights, hot topic briefings and fundamentals unpacked.
Don’t forget to share the newsletter with friends, family and via your social media network and please send me your feedback.
Trilo powers POS payment with Open Banking
On Friday Trilo powered their first POS/in-person payment with Open Banking. Until then customers could only pay in shops via card or cash, now this has changed.
Trilo gives merchants and customers the ability to make and receive payments with no hardware or software required. Merchants can use their tablet or phone to create a payment.
The customer then scans the QR code. Customers will also receive a reward in the form of the Boost whenever they pay. Giving them a clear reason to switch from card every time they shop.
Trilo has also removed transaction fees entirely for merchants, enabling them to unlock vast swathes of revenue that are currently tied up in transaction fees.
Global Perspective: Card Over Cash?
Statista report that most South Koreans wouldn’t trade their cashless payments for anything, in Japan, Spain and France between 60 and 67 percent of people prefer cashless payments and the least people were in favour of cashless payments were in the Philippines at 33 percent.
FCA performance scorecard - comparison metrics for personal current accounts 2021
The FCA have published the latest performance scorecard which highlights some of the information available on personal current accounts (PCAs) - helping customers choose their provider by highlighting:
good and poor performers
how easily they can carry out day-to-day banking activities
the reliability of the service they receive.
In August 2020, the survey showed Monzo (86% score) as the top ranked bank for overall service quality, and Tesco Bank as lowest ranked (44%). Chart 1 above shows the results from all 19 banks.
Online and Mobile Banking Services
For online and mobile banking services, the survey showed Monzo (89% score) as the top ranked bank and Tesco Bank as lowest ranked (59%). Chart 2 above shows the results from all 19 banks.
CHAPS Payments in the property sector
The Bank of England is currently migrating the CHAPS payment system to the ISO 20022 message standard.
The new standard provides an improved message structure, including additional data beyond the core payment message. These changes will allow for simpler integration of payments into wider business processes, providing a range of benefits.
The benefits include:
reduced process costs through minimising disputes and supporting straight through processing
improving cash management and certainty of payment by coordinating transaction chains
minimising fraud by improving validation of parties.
To ensure that benefits are realised across the community a survey has been launched. The survey will inform the benefit case to publish Market Guidance documents showing specific benefits and how they might be realised in different market sectors.
The first activity is specifically looking at the property sector.
This survey will help the Bank understand how CHAPS users in the property sector could benefit from the new message standard. The findings from this survey will help inform the Market Guidance to be published by the Bank of England.
Cashless payments on the North Isles
Probably the last time I used physical cash was on an inter island ferry at the very Northern tip of the UK. Shetland News are reporting that late last year Shetland Islands Council began trialling card and contactless payments on the Bressay and Whalsay ferries. Shetland’s online newspaper report that card payments would have been introduced on North Isles ferries by now if it wasn’t for coronavirus restrictions, councillor says.
More: Cashless on the North Isles.
When the winds of change blow some people build walls while others build windmills
As the old Chinese proverb goes, ‘when the winds of change blow some people build walls while others build windmills’. Firmly in the windmill camp is Gavin McLean, head of product – payments, at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, part of Lloyds Banking Group, which is involved in one in every three payments in the UK. Gavin has helped the bank put its considerable weight behind improving or accelerating the use of technologies to help the payments process for both its business customers and individual consumers.
Fintech Finance article: Winds of change’ – Gavin McLean, Lloyds Bank.
Prepaid cards tackling food poverty
A joint initiative that transformed the tackling of food poverty in Scotland takes top national award. The Scottish Government has replaced the old UK Government voucher scheme in Scotland with prepaid cards in tackling food poverty and has been saluted as Social Inclusion Project of the Year at the 2020 Payments Awards. It’s a win that recognises the work of top FinTech allpay and the Scottish Government on a payment solution to transform its healthy food scheme.
Tesco Pay+ surpasses £1 billion in payments since launch
Tesco have revealed that Pay+, the mobile payment app operated by Tesco Bank, surpassed a total of £1 billion in payments shortly before Christmas 2020. The contactless payment app makes shopping in Tesco stores more convenient and rewarding for customers when paying with their smartphone.
Since it launched nationwide in 2017, the Pay+ app has been enhanced to allow Tesco shoppers to make payments, collect Clubcard points and track spending in any UK Tesco store or petrol station with a single scan of their phone, improving customer checkout experience when shopping at Tesco.
Tesco Pay+ now has 1.2 million registered users and a transaction using the app takes place, on average, every 1.4 seconds.
More: Tesco Pay+.
Nine-in-ten of all UK in-store card payments made with contactless
The Coronavirus pandemic has cemented the role of contactless as the preferred way to pay in the UK, accounting for nine-in-ten of all elgible card transactions in 2020.
The biggest milestone for the technology was in April, when the UK limit was raised from £30 to £45, making even more transactions eligible for contactless payments.
Since the introduction of the new limit, the average value of contactless transactions has jumped to £12.38, up almost a third compared to the 2019 average of £9.60, according to figures from Barclaycard.
With many stores unable to open for much of the year due to lockdown restrictions, the total volume of contactless payments fell by 11.8% compared to 2019. However, with the higher average transaction value, the total transaction value actually rose by seven per cent.
Individually, the average user made 141 contactless payments in 2020, worth a total of £1,640. Looking at the spending habits of different age groups, the over-65s were most likely to embrace the technology for the first time, with the age-group seeing a 12% annual growth in the number of active users.
More: Contactless: Nine in ten.
Retail payment tracker
Northey Point’s payments tracker acts as "fast indicator" for monitoring the volume and value performance of the UK’s retail payment schemes. This fast indicator provides the ability to track in aggregate how the UK’s payment habits are changing in response to the societal shift to digital payments which is being accelerated as we respond to the COVID pandemic.
Key highlights of the final 2020 payments tracker (using latest available data):
In aggregate the Bacs, CHAPS, Faster Payments and cheque / credit clearing schemes operated by Pay.UK increased by 3% in 2020 to a massive 9.5 billion transactions.
The lions share of Pay.UK volumes are generated by Bacs (6.5 billion) with the nearest ‘rival’ by volume Faster Payments at 2.8 billion.
Just two of Pay.UK’s payment scheme grew in volume during 2020: Faster Payments (+17%) and Direct Debit (+1%).
Looking at the wider payment eco system a number of factors (including the COVID pandemic and the societal switch to digital payments) led to payment schemes experiencing a volume reduction: Bacs Direct Credit (-4%), CHAPS (-8%), Cheque / credit clearing (-28%), ATM withdrawals (-47%), Debit Cards (-4.6%) and Credit Cards (-2.8%).
It is also important to note that (over the 12 month to October 2020) the outstanding balances on Credit Cards contracted by 14.7%.
More: Retail payments tracker.
Two longer reads for this week exploring aspects of Request to Pay:
A European perspective: With the European (SEPA) scheme for the Request-to-Pay now published - Mark Munne and Paul van der Valk encourage us to invest 10 minutes of reading to understand why it could be important to us.
Variable Recurring Payments are back... Sign up to hear Open Banking views on where VRP and Sweeping goes next.
EC and ECB join forces to investigate digital euro.
Ireland's competition watchdog has rejected a plan by four of the country's biggest banks to create a joint payments app, but says it is willing to "further engage" on the issue.
Payments Landscape: Unpacked - all you need to know about payments in the UK in a series of informative briefings - subscribe for the whole series or pick and mix topics on a PAYG basis .
Bank branch closures league table.
Read, subscribe and share
The Payments:Unpacked newsletter from Mike Chambers at Northey Point explores a wide range of the UK’s payment news including: Open Banking, Request to Pay, Direct Debit, Confirmation of Payee, Bacs, CHAPS, Faster Payments, LINK, cash, cards and cheques and unpacks the eco-system that supports the operation of these systemically important payment systems.
The newsletter is an independent and informed insight into the UK’s payments landscape – exclusive payment insights, hot topic briefings and fundamentals unpacked.


text:
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has refused to authorise the ihail app which would have operated under joint venture arrangements between Australian and international taxi networks and other participants in the taxi industry.
It seems that to a long list of failed counter measures against Uber, such as complaining about the manifest unfairness of competiton, effectively writing the press releases for some state governments, and having its members brag about assaulting Uber drivers in Brisbane we can now add trying to launch a booking cartel.
According to ACCC chairman Rod Sims (pictured below), “The ACCC considers that the ihail app would have a significant impact on competition in the taxi industry, which could impact prices and quality of service.”
If launched, the ihail app would initially operate in major metropolitan and regional centres across Australia and some cities overseas says the ACCC. The regulator notes the app would provide passengers with a single taxi booking platform and access to the closest available taxi in their area from participating networks, regardless of which taxi network the driver belonged to.
“The initial members of the joint venture include Yellow Cabs, Silver Top Taxi Service, Black and White Cabs, Suburban Taxis and Cabcharge,” according to a statement from the regualtor earlier today.
“The ACCC accepts this app would provide a more convenient way for consumers to book taxi services, but in the draft determination the ACCC takes the view that this comes at too big a cost to competition.” The ACCC estimates that the initial ihail shareholders represent more than half of all taxis in Australia, and a larger share in the metropolitan areas where the app would operate,” Mr Sims said.
“This would guarantee that from its launch, the ihail app would have a larger fleet of taxis, in a broader range of locations, than any existing taxi booking apps. Depending on the rate of take up of the ihail app amongst other taxi networks, it could potentially grow to include all taxi networks in any area,” said Sims who later told News.com.au that in some cities two oeprators would likely control 80 per cent of booking.
“There are a number of apps that already provide access to large fleets of taxis across multiple locations. The growth in these existing apps is being driven by competition to attract drivers and customers. ihail will achieve a potentially dominant position from launch – not through competition, but because of the larger fleet of taxis its ownership structure delivers,” Sims said in the ACCC ruling.
“The ACCC considers that the proposed arrangements are likely to produce significant public detriments. They will reduce competition between taxi networks in supplying services using the ihail app and, the arrangements may tip the market towards ihail becoming the dominant booking app. If it becomes the dominant booking app, it may also reduce competition by impacting the commercial viability of existing apps operated by individual taxi networks, as well as those operated by third parties such as goCatch and ingogo.”
Passengers will only be able to pay for fares booked with ihail through the app (passengers will not be able to pay in the taxi) and Cabcharge will process all payments.
“The ACCC is concerned that this requirement will shut out opportunities for Cabcharge’s competitors to provide non-cash payment processing services to ihail customers, and that this would significantly reduce competition between taxi payment processing providers more generally because emerging providers would have a reduced customer base that they could compete to supply,” Sims said.
The proposal also allows passengers to offer to pay an extra amount above the metered fare at the time of requesting a taxi. This is designed to encourage drivers to accept their booking over other fare requests.
“The ACCC is concerned that the upfront priority dispatch payment could reduce access to taxis during peak periods for financially disadvantaged sections of the community,” Sims said.
The ACCC is now seeking submissions from ihail Pty Ltd and interested parties in relation to its draft determination, before making a final decision in November/December 2015. Further information, including a copy of the draft decision, is available from the ACCC’s Public Register.
This article originally appeared on B&T’s sister site www.which-50.com
Women in Print has re-launched itself this week to take on the year, and future ahead. A refreshed brand, website, calendar and team are leading the way with Women in Print also announcing a new partnership with The Real Media Collective. A new look, new management and new focus – Community, Knowledge, Network and Support […]
The global Out of Home (OOH) industry has today launched a campaign #OurSecondChance. The campaign asks simple questions about how we can make the most of the positive opportunities that have arisen out of the pandemic. Broadcast on OOH signs around the globe #OurSecondChance is collaboration between World Out of Home Organisation (WOO) and the […]
With the COVID-19 crisis affecting all crowd-based activities, youth mental-health charity batyr has devised the first-ever Run for the Herd Virtual Festival partnering with media business UM to bring the virtual event to life. With the City2Surf event in Sydney, normally a big fund-raising opportunity for batyr, postponed this year, batyr has created a virtual event and with the support of UM are encouraging […]
Following QMS’ acquisition of TLA Worldwide (Aust) last year, QMS Sport has today announced it will transition to the TLA brand and formally become a business unit of TLA. ‘Media Tech’ is officially the new name for what was formally known as QMS Sport, and will operate alongside TLA’s existing business units that span the […]


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Send this story to a friend
Most CEOs don't bother with social media
- Staff Memphis Business Journal
If you want to connect with a CEO at a Fortune 500 company, don't try to find them on Twitter, Facebook of even LinkedIn.
According to a new study, 70 percent of them have absolutely no presence on social media, the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal reports.
And James says CEOs who aren't on social media are missing the boat.
"This lack of engagement would be similar to 50 percent of the world using email with big CEOs holding out; or 50 percent of your customers shopping online but no CEOs trying it," he wrote in a blog post on Forbes Wednesday night.
Vice President, Construction EdR Education Realty Trust | Memphis, TN
Director of Finance and Operations Bodine School | Germantown, TN
Senior Tax Accountant Cannon Wright Blount | Memphis, TN
Assistant Store Manager TA / Petro | Earle, AR
Assistant Store Manager Citi Trends | Memphis, TN
- Most popular
- McDonald's will replace Germantown location for $1.6M
- Airport moving forward with $5.8M concourse demolitions
- Is Raleigh Springs Mall on the mend?
- Memphis Chamber reveals 2014 "Young Memphians" honorees
- Lipscomb eyes restart of $134M Fairgrounds redevelopment
- Beale Street to charge a cover, close earlier
- Beale Street cover charge continues despite sales hit
- Restaurant chain eyes Midtown for another Memphis location
- TVA announces decision and Memphis' Allen Fossil Plant
- Jack Magoo's pulls plug on Broad Avenue bar
A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around Memphis