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Why are ATMs in India suddenly running dry again?
Demonetisation era is long gone but one issue of that period has resurfaced -- ATMs are once again running dry in parts of India.
Latest data from RBI show that currency-in-circulation (CIC) has reached over Rs 13.36 lakh crore as on April 07,2017 which is Rs 4.61 lakh crore less than that of the total currency in circulation before demonetisation.
CIC has significantly improved from Rs 9.13 lakh crore in December 2016 (end of demonetisation period) to Rs 13.10 lakh crore in March. During the month of Janaury 2017, CIC stood at Rs 9.92 lakh crore and in February 2017 it was at Rs 11.39 lakh crore.
From November 08, 2016 (start of demonetisation period), CIC declined to Rs 9.87 lakh crore in December 2016.
Why then have ATMs started to run out of cash?
As per LocalCircles survey, from April 13 - April 16, nearly 46% of Indian citizens could not find ATMs dispensing cash. In the first week of April 2017, about 36% of citizen has reported the similar problem.
53% said ATMs were dispensing cash but has to wait more than 30 minutes. Such percentage is a decline compared to April 01 – 08, where 60% were happy with ATMs dispensing cash.
4% said they had to wait between 30 minutes – four hours to get cash from April 01 – 16, 2017.
Here's how money floats from note press to ATMs.
There are four thousand currency chests with 2.2 lakh ATMs in India.
Among 11 cities across India, Hyderabad was worst hit with ATM outages at 83%, followed by Pune at 69%, Faridabad at 63%, Kolkata at 50%, Banglore at 49%, Mumbai at 44% and Gurgaon at 42%.
The survey said, "People have been withdrawing cash in bulk from the counters and the banks have been forced to maintain high liquidity. This has resulted in the maintenance of ATMs taking a back seat and them not getting replenished with cash frequently. People have also been with drawing large amounts from the ATMs due to some banks levying a transaction fee after 4 withdrawals from ATMs, leading to the ATM going out of cash quite quickly."
On the other hand, Vivek Kaul, author of Easy Money trilogy, in his blog post said, “The slow growth of currency in circulation wasn’t enough to satiate the demand of the public and to a large extent explains why ATMs have generally been running dry. And this to some extent explains the increase in digital transactions.”
Niti Aayog on April 14, 2017 said, "The volume of all digital transactions has increased by about 23 times with 63,80,000 digital transactions for a value of Rs 2,425 crore in March 2017 compared to 2,80,000 digital transactions worth Rs.101 crore till November 2016.”
Interestingly, RBI's data shows some other movement in digital transactions.
There are ten major electronic payment system and 7 out of those ten digital payment modes saw decline between January – February.
Total digital transactions in India stood at 893.9 million with value of Rs 149,58,910 crore in March, followed by 763 million volumes with Rs 92,59,450 crore in February 2017 and 870.4 million volumes with Rs 97,01,140 crore in January.
After seeing little rise in March, transactions in digital mode like Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Debit card and credit usage at Point of Sale and mobile banking has slowed down in first two weeks of April 2017.
At POS, cumulatively there were 125.4 million transaction made between April 01 – 18, 2017, totaling up to Rs 22,640 crore. From March 01 – 18, 2017, this mode held 132.8 million transaction with Rs 23,950 crore.
Between April 1-18, mobile banking reached 34.1 million transactions totaling Rs 56,650 crore. This is lower than 37.3 million transactions with Rs 91,180 crore recorded between March 01 - March 18, 2017.
IMPS payment mode saw 36.9 million transactions totaling Rs 31,180 crore from April 01 – April 16, 2017, this growth is slower compared to first two weeks of March 2017 where transaction volume was at 41.3 million at Rs 34,140 crore.
Explaining the March month jump, Ravi B Goyal, Chairman and Managing Director, AGS Transact Technologies Limited said, “Digital transaction numbers having increased in the days’ post demonetisation showed slight decline across most channels in January and February. An upward trend was also noticed in March again part due to year-end investments and tax payments by individuals. We believe that Internet accessibility/ digital divide might be holding back digital transactions rather than behavioral issues.”
Goyal further said, "New age payments options like virtual cards, sound waves and one-touch pay technology are also being explored to improve user convenience and encourage more people to switch from traditional style of transactions. However, a strong banking know-how and robust infrastructure will be critical for long term sustenance. "


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When Amira Rasool returned from a trip to South Africa as a senior in college, she came back with more than just souvenirs.
The compliments she received on the clothing and accessories she'd purchased while abroad made her recognize both a problem and an opportunity: So many brands and designers in Africa didn't offer e-commerce, much less sell their items to international retailers. A few years after that fateful trip, she launched the Folklore, an e-commerce distribution company that aims to bring African fashion designers and brands to a global market. Today, she announced a pre-seed funding round totaling $1.7 million, and led by the Los Angeles-based early-stage venture capital firm Slauson & Co.
The investment marks a key, though still modest, victory for Black women entrepreneurs, as it makes Rasool one of fewer than 200 Black women entrepreneurs to raise at least $1 million in venture funding. While she's humbled by the milestone, she sees it as a jumping off point for ever more growth.
To wit, the entrepreneur today also announced the launch of the Folklore Connect, an extension of the business that allows global retailers (some department stores, but primarily smaller boutiques) to purchase inventory from the Folklore's growing database of about 30 African designers. Moving forward, this B2B approach will be the core focus of the business, though Rasool says the Folklore will still allow consumers to find products on its site, and direct them to brands' own e-commerce platforms or retail partners for purchase, similar to platforms like Lyst and ShopStyle.
"We've unlocked access to the next frontier of fashion brands, and we've made it easier for them to connect with consumers," Rasool says. "Now, we're doing the same with retailers."
The 26-year-old, New York City-based entrepreneur launched her company in 2017, bootstrapping and running the business herself for about two years. She credits the Techstars's accelerator program, which she joined in 2021, with giving her the confidence and perspective to know which investors to pitch and how to do so successfully. "At first, I was kind of begging investors to be a part of my company," she says. "Then I realized, wait -- this is an opportunity for them, too. I came in with data points that showed the potential of this huge market and said, 'This is something I'm letting you in on,' " she says.
Although Rasool always intended for the Folklore to operate as a platform to get African designers into a global market, she started with consumer-focused e-commerce to build brand awareness and to learn how to navigate the retail ecosystem. "It was a natural evolution," she says, but building her business meant learning how to solve solutions on the fly.
In the early days, there were countless logistical challenges. Because Rasool was working with brands in different countries, she had to figure out different payment systems because there was no singular one that was available in every country -- the Folklore has paid most of its brands via Bill.com, but that service is not available in both Morocco and Nigeria, where several brands are based. With the Folklore Connect, the company is launching its own card payment processing system, which it expects will simplify the payment process to brands.
Shipping was also a huge issue. Without a relationship with UPS or DHL, the Folklore worked with its designers to develop a plan to provide more affordable shipping, which sometimes meant sending out orders in smaller batches. "There were times when we tried to ship something that was maybe 10 pounds, and it cost $600," Rasool says. Now, the company has secured an exclusive shipping partner -- and can benefit from discounted rates.
The Folklore Connect is currently launching with 15 retail partners, which Rasool declined to name, but plans to expand in August. The company will offer retailers a tiered membership model: a free version will give the Folklore a commission on each purchase, while a membership with a flat annual fee will offer retailers a reduced commission fee and access to data collected by the Folklore, like information on customer buying habits amassed from its own direct-to-consumer arm. Rasool declined to share the company's annual revenue.
African brands and designers can sign up to the platform for free, and the Folklore will work with them to build their own businesses. That might mean helping them to find a third-party logistics vendor, vetting their production facilities, or securing photographers to better capture product imagery.
After all, ultimately, Rasool views her company as a vehicle through which African designers can achieve greater global success, and in this regard, she sees no immediate competition. While fashion conglomerates like Paris-based Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey (LVMH) and Milan's Luxottica Group exist in other parts of the globe, designers across Africa have yet to be united in the way that Rasool hopes to do -- and she believes she has what it takes to make a big impact. "What I'm really looking forward to is going to a boutique in Atlanta and finding one of the brands we work with there," she says. "I want to be able to check in with one of our brands and hear them say, 'We sold so much we just hired an operations manager.' "

domain: news


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Electronic music website Resident Advisor recently launched an app for its subscribers. The mobile app provides an easy way for electronic music fans to access the notoriously savvy publication’s listings for clubs, events and concerts.
This free RA Guide app currently works for iPhone platforms only, but an Android version is set to launch in coming weeks. The app provides listings for more than one million artists, venues and parties, and there is a built-in ticket-selling service. Users also have the option of ear-marking their favorite DJ’s and concerts on their mobile devices in order to optimize the app’s personal marketing algorithms. In addition, the app has the ability to scan the iTunes library of subscribers in order to identify what music files are present.
The RA Guide app is emerging into a niche market where players like the London-based Dice app are already active. Product developers expect some competition from these other apps, but the RA Guide is unique in that is focuses primarily on electronic music, and it is based primarily in the major American cities like New York and Chicago.
Paul Clement, co-founder of Resident Advisor, said to reporters from the Guardian that his company’s new app is designed to serve RA’s community of electronic aficionados and dance fans that is already in existence. In fact, this app’s most similar rival is the German app, BeatGuide. Clement also expects to get a lot of activity from users who are deciding to go out on the spur of the moment, rather than scheduling their weekends in advance.
“In some markets like London, maybe New York, for the big shows stuff sells out,” Clement said. “But in loads of markets you know you don’t ever need to pre-buy anything. You can see from our site traffic that by a certain point on a Friday night, the primary use for the site is event listings.”
And a lot of that traffic is mobile. The website has a highly effective interactive design, so this new app is only the logical extension of the website for mobile devices. Especially in urban centers where there is more overall internet traffic coming from mobile devices, not desktop computers. “This is a resource more than anything,” Clement said.
Another important feature of the RA Guide app is that users will be able to purchase tickets using Apple Pay, without needing to whip out their credit cards at all. The app also plans on featuring more social media connectivity, but this aspect is still in development phases.
“For now, the app needs to be refined to what’s going on, and the events. There’s potentially music, potentially editorial, potentially film content, that sort of stuff,” said Clement.
Resident Advisor boasts nearly 2.7 million unique monthly visitors. More than 10 million people have visited since the start of 2015 alone.


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Facebook's partnership with Retail Excellence has been suspended after disturbing revelations were made about the company in a Channel 4 documentary.
Retail Excellence is the largest representative body of retailers in Ireland. They said "it would be wrong of them" to do otherwise.
In an undercover operation undertaken by Channel 4's Dispatches, a journalist infiltrated Facebook's Dublin training programme for seven weeks, unearthing several shady practices when it came to content allowed on the site.
In one particularly shocking clip, a trainer told the journalist a Facebook trainer, how they handle a video of child abuse, using a video of a child believed to be as young as two-years-old is beaten by a grown adult man as an example.
This graphic video depicting a child abuser beating a young boy was left on Facebook for several years, despite requests to have it taken down.#Dispatches went undercover to investigate why the social media network is leaving extreme content on its site.
WATCH NOW @Channel4. pic.twitter.com/3Ft6H5d64q
— Channel 4 Dispatches (@C4Dispatches) July 17, 2018
In the clip, the journalist is told that the material would be MAD'd, or 'marked as disturbing', but left on the site.
In another example, a 'meme' is shown depicting a cartoon of a young white girl having her head held underwater with the caption "When your daughter's first crush is a little negro boy".
This was used as an example of something that should be left on the site, as it only insinuated racist but didn't directly express it.
While the Irish public wait with baited breath to see if our Government makes good on threats of fines for thiese practices, Irish retailers have already taken their stand.
Retail Excellence CEO Lorraine Higgins announced the decision yesterday, less than 24 hours after the Channel 4 exposé aired.
"Based on the revelations from Channel 4 Dispatches documentary last evening, we have decided to suspend our partnership with Facebook until further notice," Higgins said.
The group were scheduled to host a Retail Excellence-Facebook training course next week, which has since been cancelled.
Facebook have also been de-invited to speak at the group's Retail Excellence eCommerce Conference in September.
"As a representative body which promotes standards of excellence amongst retailers it would be wrong for us to continue our partnership where they have fallen short," Lorraine Higgins said.
"On that basis, we will not be working with Facebook until we are satisfied their policies have been overhauled regarding the posting of violent and abusive content for commercial gain."


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A Florida lawmaker wants to make coconut patties, a candy most prominently promoted by Orlando-based Anastasia Confections, the official state candy of Florida.
There’s just one problem — they’re kind of hard to find in the state of Florida.
Unless, that is, you’re traveling through one of the state’s airports or staying in one of the many hotels that help shape Florida’s massive tourism industry.
State candies aren’t common. New Jersey has tried to make saltwater taffy its official candy and Washington has gone back and forth with a few candies. Ohio, the Buckeye State, unofficially has the Buckeye Ball.
What, then, should the official state candy of Florida be? Tell us.
Sen. Lauren Book, a Plantation Democrat, recently filed SB 38 for the upcoming legislative session, a bill that would make coconut patties — “both chocolate-dipped and nonchocolate varieties” — a state symbol along the likes of key lime pie, tupelo honey, horse conch, Myakka fine sand, the mockingbird, dolphin, panther and American alligator.
But the treats are not exactly what one would call ubiquitous.
Walk the candy aisle of your local Publix and you’re likely to find about six different kinds of Hershey Kisses, five varieties of Dove chocolate and countless forms of Reese’s peanut butter cups and pieces. You’ll even find some that are cups with pieces.
You can walk the bakery aisle and buy coconut flakes and chocolate dip to, theoretically, make your own patties. And maybe you’ll get lucky and find some Mounds or Almond Joys (one’s got nuts, one doesn’t) at the checkout line. But that’s as close as you’ll get to readily available coconut patties.
So why, why, would they be deemed the official state candy of a state that already has so many wildly unique products and attributes when you can’t even find it at the state’s unofficial grocery chain maven?
Anastasia, which manufactures its candies in Orlando and has been in the candy game since 1983, markets the candy to tourists using colorful, Florida-themed packaging featuring state maps, palm trees sea shells and alligators. Company founder Mike Constantine told Candy Industry Magazine in 2011 that his goal was to “create a product line related to the tourist industry.”
And according to the company’s website “Anastasia started by developing confectionary products for the Florida tourism market. Today, Anastasia offers its unique Travel Retail line (Coconut Patties, Salt Water Taffy, Choc-O-Gators, and more) for a broad range of tropical destinations.”
It also claims coconut patties have been one of Florida’s “staple” treats for more than a half-century.
Constantine told Candy Industry that travelers from other countries might not know what a coconut patty is, but would pick up the candy as a souvenir because of its Florida-centric packaging.


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Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Betty Maina has said the government was committed to creating an enabling environment to promote trade for local and international investors.
Maina said the government has introduced several policy measures to ensure that the motor industry in Kenya operates in a favorable environment aimed at expanding the sector.
The CS was speaking at the Associated Vehicle Assembling (AVA) Plant at Miritini in Mombasa during the unveiling of a Toyota Hiace assembly line of 16 seater vans by Toyota Kenya.
Maina affirmed that the government was banking on the automotive policy to streamline the local vehicle assembling sector. “We want to see more of the spare parts produced locally so that you don’t have to import everything because we have the capacity and human resource,” added Maina.
She said the government will continue to promote local assemblers by buying the vehicles locally, in line with the Buy Kenya Build Kenya spirit. “The government decided to buy locally assembled vehicles in order to promote home-grown manufacturing,” said the CS.
Maina said the President confirmed that the government will set aside an initial investment of Sh600 million for the purchase of locally manufactured vehicles to encourage and sustain the operations of local motor vehicle manufacturers, and generate more jobs.
She added, “The Government continues to promote market access through preferential procurement of locally assembled vehicles.”
Toyota Kenya Chief Operating Officer, Joshua Anya, said the local assembly targets to produce about 500 units annually as it seeks to expand its market share in the public transport.
Anya said the cost for one unit will go for between Sh4 million and Sh4.5 Million and that the production will significantly address the deficit in the local market.
He noted that the new assembly line will create about 1,500 jobs within Mombasa County, adding that the vehicles are assembled at the plant then distributed to various outlets for selling.
“This demonstrates our commitment to grow the automotive sector and increase locally assembled units,” he said.
“The key reason we needed to have an assembly line specifically for the Hiace is to cater for the growing demand in the country. The Toyota Hiace comes with an engine capacity of 2.5 litres and automatic transmission,” added Anya.
According to the Toyota Kenya officer, the vehicle provides a fatigue-free driving experience on long journeys thanks to the advanced design of its seats and also meets the safety requirements, particularly with driver and passenger airbags.
The Automotive industry in Kenya has the capacity to produce over 34,000 vehicles per annum, which according to CS Maina is enough to satisfy the local vehicle demand.
However, the assembly plants are currently producing a paltry of 10,000 units, which is just less than 30 percent of the production capacity.
According to the 2021 Economic survey, the locally assembled units are currently at 7,725 compared to the 1980’s where the industry was producing over 13,000 vehicles per year.
By Mohamed Hassan


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk said this week that his company is developing a battery that will take its long-awaited all-electric Semi to range of 1,000km, or roughly 621 miles, a 24% increase over the earlier stated range of 500 miles.
The range spike includes not only using a more powerful battery but in turn using that battery as part of the truck’s structural support.
Musk revealed the news Wednesday during the 2020 European Conference on Batteries after he was asked to respond to critics of electric trucks who don’t believe the nascent technology is a strong option in Class 8 given battery weight and long charge times.
“I think this is really just a fundamental calculation of the energy density of the battery of the cell and of the battery pack and the integrated battery pack and truck chassis,” Musk said in response. “It’s the total mass of the semi-truck before including the trailer or anything and can you get that mass down to something that’s comparable to existing diesel trucks. I think the answer is absolutely yes.”
Recalling some of what was already reported at Tesla Battery Day in September, such as Tesla’s plan to increase battery energy density and integrate a battery pack into a vehicle’s structural support, Musk added that “we see a path over time to get to over a 1,000km range (621 miles) with a heavy-duty truck. A truck on the order of 40 metric tons, total mass. We think this is going to be extremely competitive and compelling to the trucking companies and we actually have a few prototype Semi trucks that have been are in operation for over a year.”
Musk did not specify the range of those prototypes.
Reducing mass in Semi is a three-tiered approach that Musk said will eventually lead the truck to hitting the same payload max as a diesel.
“The keys to that are having a high energy density cell and integrating that cell into the pack with a minimum of extra mass and then having a structural battery pack where the cells and the battery pack actually form part of the core structure and this is also something we talked about at Battery Day and that we will of course be implementing with the Semi truck,” Musk said.
“The net result is that you’re able to carry basically the same cargo as a diesel truck like this,” Musk continued. “We think maybe there’s a one-ton penalty, maybe. But at this point we think we can possibly have even less than a one-ton payload reduction. In the current long-term I think zero payload reduction for electric trucks.”


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In the first feasibility study on the electrification of regional delivery traffic, which is based on real company data, Fraunhofer ISI, commissioned by Transport & Environment, shows that the electrification of road freight transport is already possible in the short term and promises economic benefits for companies. The economic and technical feasibility was examined using the practical example of REWE Group logistics in the entire north-east region of Germany. The result: almost 60 per cent of the REWE fleet in the North-East region can already be electrified. For around 40 per cent, the switch to e-trucks is associated with economic advantages.
Delivery traffic with battery trucks: Feasibility 2021″, but also makes demands on politicians: “The development of charging infrastructure must now have top priority and be supported by the state. Legislators should also decide on preferential access for zero-emission trucks in cities in the medium term.” In addition, a charging core network with charging capacities of 700 to 1,000 kW must be established along the motorways in Europe by 2025, said Andreas Tostmann CEO of MAN Truck & Bus.
Due to the high degree of substitutability and possible cost advantages, one of the recommendations of the study is that truck operators should already examine the conversion of their truck fleet in urban and regional delivery traffic today.
Private lecturer Dr. Patrick Plötz led the feasibility study at Fraunhofer ISI. These are the most important findings from his point of view: “After evaluating all 9,500 truck tours to more than 540 logistics points, it is clear: the currently available ranges of battery trucks are often already sufficient today to manage all the urban truck tours analysed in the study and almost half of the regional tours considered with e-trucks. With optimised route planning and additional intermediate charging, the potential is even greater. For heavy trucks over 26 tonnes with very long daily journeys, however, electrification still remains a challenge given the current supply of vehicles.”
MAN Truck & Bus received the results of the study with great interest, as they confirm its own experience and analyses. In addition to electrification in urban areas, which would already be fully possible today, the results are trend-setting for regional applications, as here too around 50% of the routes studied would already be feasible with e-trucks. If we now take a look at the short-term study period until 2023, it becomes clear that in the following years, with improved battery technology, many additional applications and routes with electric trucks will be possible and economical. “From my point of view, an important conclusion of the study for our customers is that fleet operators can promptly electrify the technically feasible routes and that, in addition, the switch from diesel to BEVs already brings them economic advantages in many cases today,” adds Michael Treier, Sales Truck Alternative Drives at MAN Truck & Bus, who was involved in the study.
Ekaterina Boening, project manager for the feasibility study at T&E Germany, summarises the results as follows: “The electrification of road freight transport is possible and promises economic advantages for companies. The next federal government must not be distracted by pseudo-solutions such as biofuels, e-fuels or gas trucks, because that would be a waste of time and money.”


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BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday criticized the efforts of Google Inc to build a massive digital library, saying the Internet should not be exempt from copyright laws.
In her weekly video podcast, before Tuesday’s opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Merkel appealed for more international cooperation on copyright protection and said her government opposed Google’s drive to scan libraries full of books.
“The German government has a clear position: copyrights have to be protected in the Internet,” Merkel said, adding there are “considerable dangers” for copyright protection in the Internet.
“That’s why we reject the scanning in of books without any copyright protection -- like Google is doing. The government places a lot of weight on this position on copyrights to protect writers in Germany.”
Google has already digitized 10 million books.
Merkel, who will open the world’s largest book fair in Germany’s financial capital, said there was a need to discuss the issue in greater detail in international institutions.
She did not, however, offer any concrete solutions.
Google’s plan to create a massive digital library has been praised for bringing broad access to books but has also been criticized on antitrust, copyright and privacy grounds.
In New York, a judge said on Wednesday that changes to a settlement that would allow Google to put millions of books online should be presented in court by November 9.
The settlement is an effort to resolve a 2005 lawsuit brought by the Authors Guild and others against Google’s effort to scan libraries full of books. In that suit, authors and publishers had accused Google of copyright infringement.
Under the terms of the original settlement, Google would pay $125 million to create a Book Rights Registry. Authors and publishers could register works there and be paid for books and other publications that the search giant would put online.
German book publishers are up in arms about the deal, and on September 24 they criticized European regulators for failing to take a stand against the settlement.
Also last month, French publishing house La Martiniere, the French Publishers’ Association and authors’ group SGDL asked a Paris court to fine Google 15 million euros ($22 million) and 100,000 euros for each day it continued to violate copyright by digitizing their books.
Editing by Alison Williams
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Prospect Park has released a press release confirming their plans to once again attempt to revive All My Children and One Life to Live. According to the production company, the two soap operas will "anchor programs on The Online Network (TOLN)".
I see they're sticking with that name for their website. Okie dokey... See the full press release after the jump! READ MORE


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South Korean travel retailer The Shilla Duty Free is targeting expansion in strategic locations across the Americas and Europe.
Speaking to TRBusiness, Younghoon Kim, Executive Vice President, The Shilla Duty Free, says plans to expand overseas had been “halted” due to the pandemic, but now such a move would be a possibility and complement Shilla’s existing Chinese customer-orientated Asian operations.
“In line with this, we have invested in 3Sixty Duty Free,” said Kim. “There are plans internally to review the possibility of increasing Shilla’s stake.”
As reported, Shilla acquired a 44% shareholding in 3Sixty Duty Free in 2019. Under the terms of the acquisition then, both parties would have additional rights in five years. TRBusiness has reached out to 3Sixty Duty Free for comment.
Profitability is also a key focus for the year ahead. “We are doing our best to improve profitability and expect to experience positive results moving forward,” continued Kim.
As reported, The Shilla Duty Free was among the main victors of the general enterprise concessions in Incheon International Airport Corporation’s duty free tender in April.
The travel retailer is set to operate perfume, cosmetics and liquor & tobacco concessions and a fashion, accessories and boutique lease.


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Indian Connected Consumer expects high speed and advanced computational capabilities in 5G powered smart devices – Techarc India Connected Consumer Report 2023
The role of processors becomes significant in the backdrop of consumer expectations from 5G powered smart devices. Comfort and Convenience to drive further adoption of smart devices in 2023 along with entertainment.
- Limited coverage of 5G, obsolescence of existing devices and data security and privacy emerge as the top 3 concerns for 5G powered Connected Consumer.
- 58% of Connected Consumers are aware of processors being a key component of smart devices. MediaTek emerges as the most familiar chipset brand with 32% of Connected Consumers aware of it.
- 1 out of 4 consumers deep dives into knowing key specifications like processor details, display type, etc., of smart devices while deciding about them.
- Smart Personal emerges as the largest used smart devices category (23%), followed by smart comfort & convenience category (21%) among the surveyed users.
- Smartphone owners of more than 2 years upgrade to become Connected Consumers by expanding their smart devices portfolio.
Gurugram – Tuesday, December 20, 2022: In its 3rd edition of ‘India Connected Consumer Report’ released today, Techarc today said that smart devices adoption is being driven by comfort and convenience these devices bring in impacting the lifestyle quality significantly. As per the report, earlier the adoption was primarily driven by entertainment with users buying devices like smart TV, streaming devices, and smart speakers. The report highlighted that connected consumers in India are now buying smart devices like smart lights, smart ACs, smart air purifiers, etc., which makes the category 2nd only after smart personal which comprises of TWS earbuds, smart watches/fitness bands, Chromebooks, Tablet PCs, etc.
The report also assessed the impact of 5G on the smart devices’ ecosystem. While consumers are expecting high speeds and advanced computational capabilities in 5G powered smart devices, concerns around limited coverage, replacement of existing devices and privacy of data are bothering them.
Talking about the shift, Faisal Kawoosa, Founder & Chief Analyst Techarc said, “The Indian Connected Consumer is well aware of the power that 5G will bring to the smart devices’ ecosystem starting 2023. Connected Consumers are expecting advanced computational capabilities in these devices leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning and others, increasing the role and significance of a processor (chipset) in the smart devices.”
“The smart devices ecosystem shall have to power their devices with processors that can help OEMs to design such devices meeting consumer expectations,” added Faisal.
Key Insights of the Report
- Smart comfort & convenience, smart home appliances and smart security devices are expected to be among priority categories for connected consumers in 2023 where they will purchase devices like smart lights, smart air purifiers, smart ACs, smart surveillance cameras, smart vacuum cleaners, smart washing machines, among others. This will be in addition to existing smart personal and smart entertainment categories.
- Affordability will remain the theme driving adoption with 32% of the connected consumers willing to spend a cumulative budget of ₹20,000-50,000 on these devices in 2023.
- Brand experience and awareness remains a key concern for the users who are still on the edge by not making an opinion about buying smart devices. Smart devices’ brands shall have to work on instilling consumer faith in them to deliver them the expected experience.
- Overall online channels and mediums are driving as key sources of information as well as purchase of smart devices. However, offline is not losing the grip. As users start buying more of comfort & convenience and home appliances categories, they will explore traditional mediums as well to give them a firsthand feel and experience of the gadgets.
- There is a very high recommendation (87% users recommend 9 & 10 on a scale of 1-10) of smart devices by connected consumers for buying these to uplift the quality of lifestyle.
Read the full report to know more on insights and findings.
About the Report
The third edition of the report is based on survey findings from 2,500 respondents residing across the metro (55%) and non-metro (45%) cities. These users were necessarily smartphone users, while the connected consumers owned at least 3 more smart devices.
The survey was implemented online via administering a structured questionnaire encouraging respondents to opt for predefined options. 68% of the respondents were male, while 74% lived with their families. 51% of the respondents lived in their owned house with 39% of them earning between ₹50,000-100,000 a month.
The survey was conducted in Sep-Oct 2022. The findings may have a margin of error of +/-5% at 95% of confidence levels.
Techarc – Technology Analytics, Research & Consulting is a new age technology market research firm offering insights and information services to decision makers offering them a neutral and unbiased perspective about the market, product, or service.
The focus areas of Techarc include Consumer Tech, Deep Tech, Digi Tech, Edu Tech, Auto Tech, and Assistive Tech. Techarc offers subscription-based services as well as executes ad-hoc research projects in these domains.
Leveraging some of the advanced technologies (ResTech), Techarc research presents a holistic view of the market, product, or service in the fastest possible time with neutral perspectives about the business problems and challenges to support forming growth strategies for businesses. It offers its services to large Tier 1 enterprises, SMEs, start-ups as well as leading advocacy / trade bodies.
Techarc is an institutional member of ESOMAR and MMA. It is the only technology market research group in India with ESOMAR membership.


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'Old Prickly' beer produced for Shropshire hedgehog charity's 30th anniversary
A commemorative beer has been produced by a Shropshire brewery to mark the 30th anniversary of a hedgehog charity.
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society was started in 1982 after a successful bid to have escape ramps for the animals fitted in cattle grids.
Charity founder Major Adrian Coles MBE campaigned for them after trying to rescue a hedgehog stuck in a grid.
For every pint and bottle sold of "Old Prickly", Hobsons Brewery said it will give the charity a donation.
The launch of the beer - described as light and floral - is to take place at the Golden Cross pub in Ludlow on Thursday.
Nick Davis, from the brewery said: "We're very much looking forward to working with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on their 30th anniversary celebrations.
"The special edition beer is designed to not only raise awareness but generate funds to help the society continue their great work."
The Shropshire-based charity said it now has about 11,000 members with about 700 of those taking in sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs.


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Facebook today launched a stand-alone community site, Facebook-studio.com, where ad agency creatives can share ideas, comment on campaigns and learn what it takes to create a successful page for a brand. The community is called "Facebook Studio" and is a platform aimed at agencies, PR firms and media strategy companies.
Facebook executives say this move is a first step in a give-and-take dialogue between Facebook and the creative advertising world. Until now, Facebook has been mostly hands-off with agencies, letting them navigate the frequently changing Facebook waters without a compass.
"We need to do a better job of engaging with agencies," said Blake Chandlee, head of Facebook's newly formed agency relations team, adding that the site will focus on best practices and highlight quality campaigns uploaded by the creators of the content. Of course, users will be commenting and clicking that like button, so the most talked-about work will get the most attention. Facebook wants the people with the advertising smarts to take the lead. "So far we've felt like they've been pulled along," Mr. Chandlee said.
A team was hired in August to facilitate agency relations and met with shops for the past six months to learn what they needed. Along with the website, Facebook is holding events called Studio Live -- hackathon-style problem solving and "best in show" sessions. A Toronto event took place earlier this year with Publicis, Interpublic, Omnicom, WPP and Havas in attendance.
The next Facebook Studio Live event is planned for May 12 in New York.
Read the whole story on AdAge.com


text: Netflix chief Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, donated $30 million to Gavi Alliance, the nonprofit immunization organization started by the Bill … “I’m confident that [our culture] will help us serve our members best now, and find ways of serving our members better than HBO does, or better than Disney does,” Hastings says. Superstition est une série dramatique télévisée américaine qui a été commandée par Syfy avec une commande directe de douze épisodes en décembre 2016 .L'émission a été créée le 20 octobre 2017 , avec la première saison de la série se terminant le 18 janvier 2018.Le 6 juin 2018, la série a été annulée après une saison [3 . In 2009 Hastings realized this when he announced Netflix would separate the mail-order business from the streaming business and charge customers separately for each service. Then you have to say ‘Thank you, because it’s making me a better person.’ ”. HOW ABOUT A BIG SHITPILE OF MONEY?”, “We describe it as like getting cut from an Olympic team. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Netflix Inc.'s Reed Hastings just pocketed $225 million from a stock sale, the latest in a series of such transactions the billionaire has made this year totaling $616 million. Bill Hastings was born on July 30, 1952 in Vinita, Oklahoma, USA. Reed models that over and over again, and he lets you own the win and he makes you own the loss.”, “Normally companies organize around efficiency and error reduction, but that leads to rigidity,” Hastings says. Email me at dchmielewski [at] forbes.com or follow me at @dawnc331. You may opt-out by, EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Michigan Economic Development Corporation With Forbes Insights. © Copyright 2020 Bloomberg News. For Jeff Bezos, entertainment will always be a side hustle. “I love the work of Netflix, but it’s also true it won’t be forever,” he says. “What did we possibly have to offer that they couldn’t do more effectively themselves?” Hastings reflects. There's always something new to discover and new TV shows and movies are added every week! As a senior editor at Recode, I won awards for coverage of the devastating cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. Streaming offered instant gratification, but Netflix would not be able to match the breadth of content because of Hollywood’s television deals. It lasts for hours. The stock (NFLX) has climbed 63% this year as the streaming service has added 28.1 million new subscribers in the first nine months of 2020, fueled by increased demand for at-home entertainment during the Covid-19 lockdowns. YOU DON’T GET A PARKING SPOT. Randolph remembers flying with Hastings to Dallas to try to convince Blockbuster CEO John Antioco to buy Netflix for $50 million. Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. That was Hastings’ mindset when, according to popular legend, he had an epiphany after getting socked with a $40 late fee on Apollo 13 at Blockbuster. Reed Hastings, le fondateur de Netflix, est venu rencontrer la rédaction de Télé-Loisirs. “What if there were no late fees?” he pondered, and voilà, the idea for Netflix emerged fully formed. Initially, it made most of its money selling DVDs, Randolph says. “We fundamentally want to be better at creating stories people want to talk about and watch than any of our competitors,” Hastings tells Forbes. In the early days, it had innovated. “One thing that’s not widely understood is that we work really far out relative to the industry, because we launch all our shows, all episodes, at once,” Sarandos told investors in April. Bill Hastings was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada as William Kenneth Hastings. Perennial trophies require perpetual hiring of top performers. No part of the company tolerates resting on one’s laurels. “I don’t think so.”, “During all the critical years, 2010 to 2015, [Bewkes] just thought the internet was foolish, and the prices were foolishness,” Hastings says, noting that he still has the Albanian army dog tags he wore around his neck for motivation. Keen to ensure that no one did to Netflix what he had done to Blockbuster, Hastings began plowing cash and engineering resources into what was essentially a freebie for existing DVD subscribers. The head of the $6 billion home-entertainment giant rejected the idea out of hand. Hastings, 60, founded his first tech business, Pure Software, in 1991, before going on to co-found Netflix with Pure colleague Marc Randolph in 1997. “When someone sits in front of a TV to watch Netflix, we have a moment of truth—a couple of minutes, maybe as little as 30 seconds, [in which] we need to catch their attention with something interesting,” says former chief product officer Neil Hunt, who deployed his 2,000-member team to solve this riddle—most working independently, in keeping with the company’s culture. “And so it caused him to ignore it until it was too late.”. I’ve spent more than 20 years covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. Back then, he was a “geek’s geek” who would sleep on the floor of the office after an exhausting coding session. It’s better to organize around flexibility and tolerate chaos.”. Vous pouvez désormais regarder Netflix dans 190 pays. Hastings’ base for th… Hastings grew up in an affluent suburb of Boston—his parents met while his father was at Harvard, his mother at Wellesley—and attended private schools, then Bowdoin College. In some ways, it’s the perfect setting for Reed Hastings, the unpretentious cofounder and co-CEO of Netflix, whose global army of innovators has revolutionized entertainment in the home. A noted philanthropist, he also devoted part of his time to educational issues, notably charter schools. . “The stock price might go down with it. In some ways, Hastings, who clocks in at number 132 on The Forbes 400 with a net worth of $5 billion, has been preparing for this moment for the past two decades. So we’ve been competing with Amazon for 13 years.”. It was a fateful moment. Meanwhile, while rivals lost centerpiece launch shows, such as the Friends reunion special for HBO Max and the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, a tentpole for NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Netflix kept humming along with shows that captured the cultural zeitgeist, whether with crass obsessions like Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, a goofy reality show based on the game Floor Is Lava or adrenaline-filled action flicks such as Chris Hems-worth’s Extraction. If Hastings seems unnaturally comfortable amid the train wreck that is 2020, perhaps it’s because his company’s culture was forged in crisis. It extended this generous compensation to creative executives working in Hollywood, from the well-connected (Matt Thunell, whose ties with the talent community enabled him to read an early draft of the sci-fi series Stranger Things over lunch in Hollywood) to the visionaries (Shonda Rhimes, Joel and Ethan Coen, Martin Scorsese). . Just a few.”, Within a month, the movie was in high demand, and Netflix was out of stock. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings built the streaming giant on a foundation of 14 million U.S. subscribers who once rented DVDs from catalog of about 100,000 titles that were shipped by mail in the company’s iconic red envelopes. Hastings, 60, founded his first tech business, Pure Software, in 1991, before going on to co-found Netflix with Pure colleague Marc Randolph in 1997. Roku shares have soared 165% this year, pushing Wood’s net worth to $7 billion, according to the wealth index. He spent two years in the Peace Corps in Swaziland, teaching math to high school students, and later obtained a master’s degree in computer science from Stanford. Hastings points to Microsoft as his model: “Look at Microsoft, now 20 years from Bill … Hastings, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Netflix Inc., was never fond of revisiting his past. The company raised consumer cost by nearly 60% and fielded distain from stock market and consumers. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings … “We’re a creative company. My work has appeared in some of the nation’s most prominent publications, including USA Today, U.S. News & World Report and the Los Angeles Times. Netflix’s old-fashioned business allowed for pretty much infinite choice, albeit within the confines of inventory availability and delivery lags. The race to capitalize on streaming’s future set up what Hastings calls the biggest mistake in the company’s history: the decision in 2011 to hive off the company’s aging DVD business in a separate service called Qwikster. Reed Hastings, American entrepreneur who was cofounder (1997) and CEO (1998– ) of Netflix, a media-streaming and video-rental company. “Adequate performance gets a generous severance package,” Hastings and McCord wrote in a 129-page SlideShare presentation on Netflix’s culture that was widely shared a decade ago and for years was on the company’s website. Le patron du service de streaming américainx, Reed Hastings, a annoncé que Netflix serait disponible dans pas moins de 130 nouveaux pays. … The debacle cost Netflix millions of subscribers, and its stock dropped more than 75 percent. Another former Netflix director, Roku Inc. co-founder Anthony Wood, has also seen his fortune soar during the pandemic. “Because they’ve got so much internal process around things that slows them down.”, I’m a Los Angeles-based senior editor for Forbes, writing about the companies and people behind the biggest disruption in entertainment since cable TV: streaming video. 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All latest stories
The European Commission has today put forward a first set of ideas to modernise the WTO and to make international trade rules fit for the challenges of the global economy.
The European Commission is proposing to end seasonal clock changes in Europe in 2019, giving Member States the freedom to decide once and for all whether they want to permanently apply summer- or wintertime.
MEPs discussed the challenges facing the EU during the State of the Union debate and approved digital copyright rules and measures to counter money laundering and cut plastic waste.
Building on two years of work, the Commission is proposing to reinforce the European Border and Coast Guard even further and give it the right level of ambition, corresponding to the common challenges Europe is facing in managing migration and borders.
President Juncker stresses the need for Europe to become more sovereign so as to be able to play a role in shaping global affairs.
Young people are now able to volunteer or work in EU-wide solidarity schemes, after a final vote on the European Solidarity Corps.
Following the conclusion of the EU-Japan talks on personal data protection in July 2018, the Commission launched the procedure for the adoption of its adequacy decision.
Aimed at promoting healthy eating habits among children, the EU school scheme includes the distribution of fruit, vegetables and milk products, as well as dedicated educational programmes to teach pupils about the importance of good nutrition and to explain how food is produced.


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Voice content drifts from landline to online as old business model crumbles
ECM Plus – According to new figures from research by Point Topic, voice over IP is now becoming increasingly important to service providers and is also ratcheting up penetration in the residential market.
The research also found that over 22 percent of residential broadband lines around the world came bundled with a VOIP capability. “Passing 100 million subscriptions by the end of 2009, VoIP has continued to grow adding another 12 million subscribers in the first half of 2010” commtentd Point Topic’s senior analyst John Bosnell.
However, Point Topic said there were some markets where it was difficult and not generally cost-effective to subscribe to broadband without a VoIP service thrown in. It cited France Telecom, which currently offers one relatively low-speed consumer stand-alone broadband subscription, but a wide range of higher-speed bundles.
“France is a stand out example” Bosnell asserted. “Fierce competition has been encouraged and ISPs like Free, who only offer bundled services which include VoIP, have helped drive consumer perception towards the expectation of low cost add on services from their ISPs and VoIP is relatively easy and cost effective solution.”
Point Topic’s research noted that this trend had meant that over 70 percent of French households now have a VoIP service available to them and saturation is now a significant factor. Other markets have more headroom, the survey found.
“China, the largest broadband market, has only one in 20 broadband subscriptions with a VoIP bundle” Bosnell added. “The US which is currently the largest VoIP market in absolute terms is closing in on one in three mainly due to cable companies offering their customers a voice service based on VoIP. So there’s plenty of headroom there and around the world.”
By year end 2009, just under $15bn per annum was being generated by VoIP most often as part of a bundled subscription. Point Topic said this was almost double the crevenue generated by Security, the next nearest value-added service.
Concluding, Bosnell said: “There’s no reason to believe growth is going to slow significantly until a market reaches saturation,” adding “and we could reasonably expect to see 200 million subscribers by 2015.”


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An Amazon.com snapshot – excerpt:
Indeed, Amazon has been gobbling e-commerce market share since 2006, taking away customers from eBay in particular. But its advances are shaking up the entire retail world. Giants like Wal-Mart are warily replicating elements of its strategy, while small independent retailers in sporting goods and jewelry now worry their fate will be similar to that of small bookstores and independent video rental shops (remember those?).
Amazon’s expansion strategy has allowed it, almost alone among retailers, to thrive during the recession, even while its own media business has stagnated. Over the last year, shoppers have bought fewer books, CDs and DVDs, in many cases opting for cheaper digital downloads. In the quarter ending in June, for example, Amazon’s worldwide media sales grew only 1 percent, to $2.4 billion, highlighted by a slowdown in video games.
But during the same quarter, sales of other products, which the company lumps together on its balance sheet in a grouping dubbed “electronics and general merchandise,” grew by 35 percent, to $2.07 billion.


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A program that helps women create trucking businesses is a third of the way to its goal.
The 150 Business Challenge, a collaboration between the Women In Trucking Association and Expediter Services, announced recently the creation of its 50th woman-owned business. The program offers accessible financing and operational and business support for women who have an interest in a career in the trucking industry.
“The Business 150 Challenge is fast becoming the kind of impactful program that is beginning to shatter the glass ceilings that have existed for women entrepreneurs in the trucking industry,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of the Women In Trucking Association. “Thanks to this program being facilitated by the excellent work of Expediter Services and the ES community, the participants in the 150 Business Challenge are truly being empowered through the access to best-in-class resources and support.”
Combined, operations launched as a part of the 150 Business Challenge are generating a total of more than $1 million in revenue per month, according to a statement by Expediter Services.
“We believe that women coming into the industry will serve as a very important part of answering the challenge of the driver shortage, and it’s been great to see the response to a program in which women can become owner-operators and fleet owners,” said Nick Burch, director of recruiting for Panther Premium Logistics, which offers freight opportunities to entrepreneurs in the 150 Business Challenge.
In addition to serving as a platform for new women-owned businesses, the 150 Business Challenge also has provided existing women-owned fleets with the opportunity to add trucks.
“The 150 Business Challenge has been great for me in starting my business as an owner-operator,” said Nora Weston, who became an owner-operator earlier this year. “Expediter Services has given me all the support I have needed, and I am ready to grow.”


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Following the fatality, more than 36,000 cars were recalled via the Driver and Vehicle Standards Authority (DVSA). Both diesel and petrol fueled vehicles are being recalled. The initial recall was held following the death of Narayan Gurung, who crashed his Ford Fiesta on Christmas Day 2016 while swerving to avoid a broken-down BMW.
This follows a previous recall of BMW autos a year ago, though that only covered 36,000 cars.
Cars affected by the electric fault, and therefore covered under the recall, include all BMW 1 Series, 3 Series, the Z4 sports auto and X1 SUVs that were manufactured between March 2007 and August 2011.
German automaker BMW is recalling 312,000 of its cars in Britain after the BBC's Watchdog found that they could cut out completely while being driven, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
Israel says Iranians in Syria fired missiles
There were no Israeli casualties. "The IDF sees this Iranian attack on Israel with severity", a spokesperson for the military Lt. Iran has vowed revenge after blaming Israel for a series of deadly airstrikes on Iranian positions in Syria.
"We are therefore announcing today that we will take the proactive step of expanding the existing United Kingdom recall to cover all vehicles potentially affected by the power supply issue".
"Now we have seen that there may be other similar cases with problems in energopodachi cars that were not recalled previously".
The manufacturer will contact owners of affected vehicles directly, and is setting up a customer helpline.
The lawyer representing Mr Gurung's family at the inquest told Mark Hill, BMW's supplier quality engineer: "If someone's vehicle suffers a total electrical failure on a motorway or on an A-road they lose the ability to use their brake lights or hazard lights and that gives rise to serious injury or death".
Gmail Offers Help In Writing Emails
Confidential emails can also be sent with an expiry date that prevents the recipient from having it in their inbox . Gmail has also added support for Google Pay, allowing you to send and request money as in attachment in Gmail .
He said: "I just thought to myself, if I was driving on the motorway with my family in the vehicle, that could have been very risky".
BMW are taking the proactive step of expanding the recall of vehicles potentially affected by the power supply issue.
DVSA chief executive, Gareth Llewelyn said: '[BMW] provided us with incorrect information about the faults, so we were not able to make an informed decision.
Mr Kambafwile said he took his vehicle to BMW who called the next day to say that they had found the fault, which looked like "the cable had burnt out and no current was passing through the fuse box".
Samsung To Debut Foldable Smartphone At MWC 2019
That said, users are advised to take this information with a pinch of salt as nothing is officially confirmed at the moment. A couple of years already passed but the company has never released any mobile phone during the Consumer Electronics Show.
BMW faced backlash after an inquest last week heard that the company failed to recall thousands of potentially risky vehicles despite customers complaining power issues from as early as 2011. Drivers unsure about when their auto was manufacturered should contact their local BMW dealership. These numbers do not include the latest issue.


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Microsoft added a new known issue affecting its operating systems’ Wi-Fi hotspot feature to its official Health Dashboard page.
Affecting Windows 10 and 11 machines, the bug would have been introduced with a Windows update the company released earlier this month.
“After installing KB5014697, Windows devices might be unable [to] use the Wi-Fi hotspot feature.”
For context, the update, released on June 14, addresses various security issues.
“This update contains miscellaneous security improvements to internal OS functionality. No additional issues were documented for this release,” wrote Windows in a blog post.
The new patch also improves the servicing stack on Windows 11 machines (the component that installs Windows updates).
“Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates.”
As far as the flaw is concerned, when attempting to use the hotspot feature after installing the update, the host device might lose the connection to the internet after a client device connects.
Windows has published a detailed list of affected platforms and related versions, available at this link here.
The technology giant also said they’re investigating the bug and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
In the meantime, Microsoft has suggested a ‘workaround’ to the issue, which essentially consists in simply turning off the feature.
“To mitigate the issue and restore internet access on the host device, you can disable the Wi-Fi hotspot feature.”
Alternatively, users may try to roll back the Windows update (not advised) and wait for the tech giant to release an official fix.
The bug comes weeks after Microsoft discovered a new variant of the Sysrv botnet. A few days later, cybersecurity software provider 360 Total Security released an advisory warning Windows 11 users that the Magniber ransomware had been upgraded to target Microsoft’s latest operating system.


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Sex toy maker OhMiBod just announced that the company is looking to open up its relationship… with developers. Best known for its digitally connected vibrators, OhMiBod will release an open SDK to accompany its latest line of devices this spring.
The company notes that some creative apps could tie the company’s line of sex toys into hookup apps like Tinder and Grindr, making for some far more interactive new ways to swipe right or #masc4masc.
OhMiBod founder Suki Dunham lays it out for us:
“Imagine you’re on a dating app and chatting with a potential partner — and they are “OMB enabled” (e.g. pink dot on the screen that signifies a user is in an “active” state much like Facebook Messenger. If they are active, it means that they are connected to one of our BlueMotion vibes.
The partner could accept an incoming request to take control of their vibrator while in a chat or video session. It allows for virtual intimate experiences without leaving the privacy of your own home. This concept reshapes the entire idea of virtual or digital foreplay.”
We’re inclined to agree that, yeah, if there’s any developer interest, that could be pretty interesting. Of course, OhMiBod is just one school of fish in the cyberdildonics sea. There’s not exactly an established platform for sex toy developers, so things remain pretty brand and device specific, at least until someone like OhMiBod attracts devs to an awesome open standard that manufacturers team up on. Or until all of our smart vibrators are hijacked into weird, sexy botnets, whichever comes first (ha).
OhMiBod has been paving new paths for good old-fashioned cybersex for a while now. The company’s trademark is its line of smart sex toys that allow remote users to connect, like the BlueMotion NEX 1, which the wearer can slip inside their underwear to get sneaky sensations from their own paired device or from anyone else on their Wi-Fi with the companion app.
It’s not hard to imagine all kinds of interesting apps that could connect remote users to toys and to one another. With the advent of smart sex toys, virtual reality and increasingly sophisticated haptic feedback, digital kink is entering a new era altogether.
OhMiBod’s SDK will be available in late spring alongside the company’s upgrade of its BlueMotion vibrators to Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). In the meantime, developers can sign up to receive updates from the company about its forthcoming SDK here.


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Maguires on Grafton Street, a local institution for Trinity students, is to close on January 18th.
The popular convenience store, located at 109 Grafton Street, will become the site of a new franchise of the health food restaurant chain Chopped, while maintaining its current ownership. The Dublin chain, established in 2012, already has four locations elsewhere in the city – Ballsbridge, Baggot Street, Fairview, and St Stephens Green.
Merely steps away from both the Nassau Street and Front Square entrances to the Trinity campus, Maguires has long been a favourite among Trinity students for its deli options as well as frequent student deals and collaboration with student societies during Freshers’ Week.
In a message posted on its Facebook page, the only online presence the shop currently maintains, Maguires management stated: “To all our loyal customers over the years, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you so much for your business, it really is very much appreciated. You have kept [us] busy through one of the worst recessions the country has ever seen”, adding that “We are very excited about our next chapter for the business and hope you are too”.


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As the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiates its regulation of premium cigars, one thing that cigar enthusiasts will begin to notice is that the beautiful ornate cigar boxes will undergo a significant change. One of the new FDA mandates, as included in the 499-page regulation released on Thursday, May 6, is that cigar packages include prominent new warning labels with the intent to remind smokers of the health risks associated with tobacco use.
All cigar manufacturers will be required to cycle through six warnings displayed prominently on their packages, covering at least 30% of the package and be printed in at least 12-point font:
WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
WARNING: Cigar smoking can cause cancers of the mouth and throat, even if you do not inhale.
WARNING: Cigar smoking can cause lung cancer and heart disease.
WARNING: Cigars are not a safe alternative to cigarettes.
WARNING: Tobacco smoke increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease, even in nonsmokers.
WARNING: Cigar use while pregnant can harm you and your baby.*
SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Tobacco Use Increases the Risk of Infertility, Stillbirth and Low Birth Weight.*
The requirement to submit a cigar warning plan for FDA review and approval will take effect 12 months after the date of publication of the final rule (which is May 10, 2016), which means that cigar warning plans must be submitted to FDA for review no later than 12 months after the date of publication of the Deeming Rule for currently marketed tobacco products. However, for products not on the market 12 months after the date of publication of the Deeming Rule, they must submit a warning plan for FDA review and approval 12 months before advertising or commercially marketing. The Guidance for Industry on health warning requirements for packages and advertisements published by the Office of Regulations in the Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA may be found here (in its entirety).
The beauty of the cigar box threatened by new FDA regulations on premium cigars
The FDA would like for the US to join other countries that use graphic warning labels which display gruesome images along with warnings about the danger of smoking, which cover anywhere from 30% to 80% of cigarette packs. One study published in 2013 that examined cigarette graphic warning labels and smoking prevalence in Canada, demonstrated that the adoption of graphic warning labels on cigarette packages reduces smoking prevalence. Further, the authors reported that based on this analysis, they estimated that if the US had adopted graphic warning labels in 2012, the number of adult smokers in the US would have decreased by 5.3–8.6 million in 2013. No other such studies have been published. However, the US Court of Appeals assessed this literature as well and concluded that the FDA "has not provided a shred of evidence … showing that the graphic warnings will 'directly advance' its interest in reducing the number of Americans who smoke.”
Given the current state of affairs, I have a grave feeling that now that premium cigars are not exempt from FDA tobacco regulations, our decorative, collectible cigar boxes (particularly the wooden boxes of fine craftsmanship) will no longer be ours to appreciate.
*Cigar manufacturers may choose to display either one of the warning statements regarding reproductive health.


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Conservative Party leadership candidate Boris Johnson has pledged to review whether levies on foods high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) are effective, vowing not to introduce any new ones until the review is complete.
Johnson has promised to freeze and review what he described as ‘sin taxes’ to see if they unfairly target those on lower incomes.
Announcing his plans to freeze the taxes, the former foreign secretary said: “The recent proposal for a tax on milkshakes seems to me to clobber those who can least afford it. If we want people to lose weight and live healthier lifestyles, we should encourage people to walk, cycle and generally do more exercise.
“Rather than just taxing people more, we should look at how effective the so-called sin taxes really are, and if they actually change behaviour.”
In March, the government consulted on proposals to introduce a 9pm watershed on TV and online adverts for HFSS foods, in an attempt to limit children’s exposure to HFSS foods across the media and encourage the industry to develop healthier alternatives.
The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) was introduced in April 2018 as part of the government’s agenda to tackle childhood obesity.
Under the two-band tax, which is levied on the manufacturer, drinks containing more than 8g of added sugar per 100ml are taxed at 24p per litre - when VAT is added, this equates to about 10p per 330ml can; while those with 5-8g of sugar per 100ml are taxed at 18p per litre.
The Conservative Party’s 160,000 members will begin voting for Theresa May’s successor next week with the winner expected to be announced on 23 July.


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Capcom’s recent iOS game MaXplosion’s blatant similarities to ‘Splosion Man sent Twisted Pixel CEO Michael Wilford up in a call to arms, but in a recent release …
If you’re a Bomber-man (or woman), you’ll recall that Bomberman LIVE was notorious for lots of inexpensive DLC that tossed in some new costume pieces to collect and fun maps to play on. Well, it seems Hudson is keeping the fuse ticking with Bomberman Battlefest, as they’ve now put out their second Bomb-Up pack for Bomberman Battlefest!
Atari has released some more screenshots for their upcoming title Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime. These shots show off some of the different boss characters players will face off against in the game. According to Atari you will be able to defeat these “gigantic bosses” with “a medly of highly destructive weapons including the Proton Stream, Plasma Inductor and the Fermion Shock”. Hit the jump to check out the gallery.
Konami has released pricing, availability, and screens for its latest shmup, Hard Corps: Uprising. We haven’t played the game yet, so we can’t really tell whether the game deserves its title. But you can find out for yourself when the game is released on XBLA February 16th for 1200 Microsoft Points.
Recently, the Castle Crasher‘s leaderboards hit the 2,000,000 gamers mark, and to celebrate The Behemoth is holding a Tournament of Champions! Sounds knightly doesn’t it? But of course, ruthless competition is worth nothing without prizes- shiny prizes, especially if they have functional uses as well, right? If you agree, you’ll be glad to know the reward for first place in the tournament is a gold plated Xbox! It works too and boy is it shiny.
Runic Games just announced Torchlight will be coming to XBLA, and instead of leaving the air full of questions and concerns, they quickly followed up with a load of information regarding the upcoming release.


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In a move that caught the tech world completely off guard, Microsoft announced Monday that it was acquiring LinkedIn in an eye-popping $26 billion deal, making it the largest purchase in the software giant’s storied history. The move solidifies Microsoft’s position as a tech company that caters almost exclusively to professionals, with LinkedIn’s global membership hovering well over the 400 million mark.
So, what does the deal mean for the future of everyone’s favorite professional social network? In terms of optics, not much will change, as current CEO Jeff Weiner will continue leading the company. But over time, Microsoft will look to integrate its software into the network’s infrastructure. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella suggested that once incorporated with LinkedIn, the company’s digital assistant, Cortana, could change the way meetings are conducted.
“Cortana can wake up before you go into a meeting and inform you about all the people you are meeting for the first time and the connections you have with them,” he said.
In an internal memo to staff, Nadella further detailed the reasoning behind Microsoft’s surprise acquisition, explaining that Microsoft’s existing software will greatly benefit from access to LinkedIn’s expansive membership base. “This combination will make it possible for new experiences such as a LinkedIn newsfeed that serves up articles based on the project you are working on and Office suggesting an expert to connect with via LinkedIn to help with a task you're trying to complete,” he wrote, adding that “new opportunities will be created for monetization through individual and organization subscriptions and targeted advertising.”
Maximize your time on LinkedIn with a copy of I'm on LinkedIn—Now What???, and let us know what you think about Microsoft’s huge deal.


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There is only one Bitcoin and that is BTC. Bitcoin is the most secure and decentralized cryptocurrency, it’s the perfect store of value and with Lightning Network you can make micro payments too. Do the world really need Bitcoin Cash? I think the Bitcoin Cash project will fail. I am not rude ( calling it Bcash ) I’m just realistic. Have a nice day people. This is all my own opinion.
submitted by /u/MrAlbeos
Bitcoin – The Currency of the Internet
On Friday, April 20th the mining operation Antpool explained that the public may have recently noticed a fraction of bitcoin cash being sent to an unspendable address every time Antpool mines a block. Antpool says that it is burning the funds sent to the “black hole address” voluntarily for the good of the BCH economy.
Also Read: Indian…
Essentially large companies would adopt Bitcoin on the condition that enough consumers would be willing to purchase their goods with it. Chances are you may have never contacted a company to confirm if they will accept BTC as payment prior to making a purchase. You may have never even made a purchase with BTC unless it was for other crypto. This needs to change, I recently contact a mattress company to confirm if they would accept BTC as payment in which they responded with a simple “No”….
Bitcoin is under heavy surveillance on Bali, an island in the Indonesian archipelago, according to local reports. Central Bank officials are seeking to crack down on the use of the cryptocurrency anywhere in the nation. Causa Iman Karana, head of Bank Indonesia's representative office in Bali said:.
Google Alert – bitcoin
If you peruse the various subreddits on the subject of crypto you'll see incredible frustration among the various communities behind other coins. Faster transactions, more transactions, larger blocks, faster blocks, turing completeness, confidential transactions – yet the price of bitcoin keeps going up without these.
Because bitcoin, at this stage in history, isn't about any of those things. Bitcoin is a system that can be used to reliably store value at no cost. Scarcity and security are the keys to value and you don't need any of those other features. And nobody has suggested any way at all to improve on these features of bitcoin.
So bitcoin keeps on winning on value and becomes the fastest growing way to store value. And of course, its value skyrockets as more value is crammed into it.
When the time comes to go from savings to spending, the competitive landscape will be very different. But you can't spend what you haven't earned and saved, and all of today's alternatives to bitcoin will have failed at earning the position of a savings vehicle.
submitted by /u/logical


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When the Federal Reserve moved to make it harder for banks to to charge debit card overdraft fees, we asked, “What will consumers do with new overdraft options?”
The question we should have asked was, “How will banks respond to the new rules?”
We got that answer Wednesday when Bank of America announced it would end overdraft fees on debit card transactions.
The catch? If you don’t have the cash in your account, the bank will deny the transaction, potentially leaving you without cash when you need it.
Starting in July, financial institutions won’t be able to automatically enroll people in ATM or debt-card overdrafts services.
Consumers will have to opt in to the service, one where banks often charge $10, $20 or more for ATM or debit-card overdrafts (check overdrafts aren’t part of the new rule).
So instead of being automatically enrolled, you get information under the new Fed rules. If you don’t opt in to the overdraft service you can’t be charged overdraft fees on ATM and one-time debit card transactions.
Rather than deal with all that, Bank of America basically said no more. It’s likely the rest of the banking industry will follow Bank of America’s lead.
Consumers Union and other groups applauded the move.
Bank of America noted that customers will still be able to protect themselves from overdrawing by linking their checking accounts to their savings account.
So will consumers get smart now? Or are we about to see waves of people stuck at the cashier trying to pay for gas with no cash in hand and their debit card transaction rejected?
Tell us how well you manage your accounts and what you do to avoid overdrafts. Post below or drop us a line. We’ll include some of the responses in an upcoming post.


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Guangzhou, November 22 - A collection of over 100 items related to the Asian Games was on display at the 5th China Beijing International Cultural & Creative Industry Expo from November 18 to 21. The collection was organised to celebrate the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games and the 20th anniversary of the Beijing 1990 Asian Games.
The exhibition, which included stamps, badges, photos, coins, postcards and documents from previous Asian Games, was organised by the Sports Committee of the China Collectors Association. It was also the first time that such exhibition had been held in China.
See detailed information on Guangzhou Asian Games 2010


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Xolo has officially launched the Q3000 smartphone in India with a price tag of Rs 20,999. Xolo Q3000 appeared online last month at an online retailer and later on pre-order for the launch price that is Rs 20,999. Xolo Q3000 comes with a 5.7-inch Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS display with 386ppi pixel density.
Xolo Q3000 is powered by a 1.5GHz Quad-core MediaTek MT6589T processor coupled with PowerVR SDX544 GPU. It is equipped with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a micro SD card slot for memory expansion. On the camera specs department it comes with a 13MP rear camera with LED flash, auto focus and BSI sensor 2, there is a 5MP front camera also for selfies and video calls.
Other specifications include a 4000mAh battery under the hood, according to Xolo it gives upto 21 hours of talktime on 3G. Connectivity options include dual SIM cards, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB, MHL for connecting the phone to external display like TV, A-GPS. It packs Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Ambient light sensor and Proximity sensor.
It will be available in Black and White colors for Rs 20,999 across retail stores and online retailers like Flipkart.com.


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Complex layers of skill-based play are a feature of Mercenaries, but all too soon you hit a grind wall that is less fun than it should be.
An extra 35 cards you can buy in one job lot is now live in the game, with some clever new basics and beefy legendaries to mix things up.
Seamus talks to Scott Shicoff and Kris Zierhut from the Diablo Immortal team about putting hardcore PVP into the mobile action RPG.
This Friday at 12.30pm AEDT we’re holding a live trivia quiz giveaway session on Twitter Spaces testing your Blizzard games IQ!
Byteside chats with key designers on the Hearthstone team during BlizzConline about the big changes coming to the Year of the Gryphon.
From how your character progresses (or doesn’t) to name reservations and more, here’s the answers from BlizzConline around what happens next.
Diablo IV goes back to the beginning with today’s Rogue class reveal along with a warning: watch your ears.
Has Blizzard learned the lessons from Reforged? The Diablo 2 remaster announcement suggests it is back on the right path with this one.
Your favourite horses, vehicles, bees and gorms will heed your call in The Maw in patch 9.1, and flying will unlock via Covenant advancement.
The final boss of the next raid will be Sylvanas, and Blizzard it “is going to change the future of the Shadowlands”.
The early days of grinding in Warcraft now comes to life in Hearthstone, with Frenzy, Ranked Spells and more in store.
Alongside a new Core Set, the new year brings Spell Schools, new modes and formats, and some class overhauls in a huge boost to the game.
Out with the Basic and Classic cards and in with a new Core that will dynamically update on an annual cycle.
The Technical Alpha just wrapped up, so what was it like to play? Here’s why we’re excited by this excellent Diablo mobile experience.
What changes about how you feel about a game when it shifts from being something you play for the gameplay? Is that when it’s truly a hobby?
We’ve got highlights from a recent roundtable on the latest Hearthstone expansion, featuring Game Director Ben Lee and Game Designer John McIntyre.


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A VERY EXCLUSIVE EVENT
The Gulf Concours will introduce a new format of Concours d’elegance, designed specifically for Dubai, by not only showcasing the world’s rarest classic cars, but also by judging the very best ‘modern bespoke’ cars in the region.
The aim is to build a world renowned Concours d’elegance in time for Dubai 2020 that attracts the very finest collectors and connoisseurs in the region. The ultimate Middle East networking platform.
Concours events differ from Motor Shows as they also celebrate very rare cars that have already been owned and cherished by discerning owners. Owners of premium brand cars in the Middle East are leading the world in specifying stunning modern bespoke cars, creating a new category of Concours-standard cars that will become the global ‘must have’ collectable cars of the future.
The Gulf Concours will celebrate three important values for car owners and car buyers: excellence, heritage and originality.
For information on ticketing, please contact Oliver Argles at Oliver@sportgateint.com


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How Auto Dealerships Remain Relevant In The Age Of Self-Driving Cars
Galpin Motors’ Beau Boeckmann says autonomous vehicles will, figuratively and literally, drive consumers to local car dealers.
A day after Uber generated some buzz for its aggressive push into autonomous vehicles by piloting a self-driving Budweiser delivery truck through Colorado, Galpin Motors’ Beau Boeckmann offered a confident vision of what this emerging technology means for the local auto dealership.
Speaking at JD Power’s Automotive Marketing Roundtable at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Boeckmann told attendees that “unless there is some fundamental change in human nature, people will still want to buy a car in person.”
GeoMarketing: Buying a car is often viewed as a “rite of passage” and aside from a home, is one of the most important purchases a consumer makes. During your presentation, you suggested that the rise of autonomous vehicles is not likely to change the dynamic between consumers and dealerships. Is that correct?
Beau Boeckmann: The basic idea is, yes, private ownership will continue to thrive. In fact, the business principals are solidly in place that would allow dealers to not only survive when we go through this monumental change, but to thrive during that.
I would imagine that it would open up the range of car consumers widely. For myself, a life-long NYC resident, I’ve never owned a car. But an autonomous car would be something I might consider…
Well, New York is a little unique; Los Angeles is a little unique too. Those are kind of probably the extremes.
It’s like I talked about; I think there’s always going to be people that will love their cars, and love the automobile. It’s funny, it’s like some doomsayers are arguing, “The better it gets, then people won’t want cars anymore.” I just don’t understand that; it’s like the better it gets, the more people will want it. It’s going to be able to solve, so many issues that we have today. I’m really excited about where things are going.
Will the rise of autonomous vehicles alter the way dealerships market themselves and engage prospective car buyers?
There are certain needs that won’t change in that dynamic either. It’s funny, because I look at the “experts,” they’re looking at it like it’s going to hurt dealerships by having these unbelievable products. No, it’s going to help us, people are going to want to buy more autonomous vehicles. Your autonomous car could replace an Uber or Lyft for many people. Some people are going to chose to say, “Hey, I’m going to let my autonomous car work for me during the day, just like an Uber driver.” There are going to be some that are going to say, “No, I don’t want anybody else in my car.” It’s going to be a very interesting world.
Do you see a role for ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft at the dealership level? You said that you’ve been trying to reach out to those entities; what sort of conversations would you like to open up with that?
That’s just a simple service for us that we’re looking for. Rather than having these silly shuttle vans, that nobody’s wanted to take for 40 years, people would much prefer to be picked up in an Uber or Lyft. Now people are used to that, so it would make sense.
There is probably going to a little bit of trepidation on some dealerships. If you’re a Lincoln dealer, and they show up in a Cadillac, or if you’re a Ford dealer and the show up in a Chevy, it might cause some disconnect. You would hope you could work with Uber in way and say, “Can we get the Ford drivers out, since we’re a Ford dealership?”
If they can work on things like that, that can be a real service for us. There’s definitely a role that these companies could play today. Uber’s fantastic, I use it myself. In the future, we’ll see what happens; because their business model is going to go through some tremendous changes and challenges as well, and see where they go next.
Looking more at the present state of dealership marketing, what do you think of the way social media is used by local car sellers?
There’s an over-use of social media channels for what I would consider “sale messages.” And if all a dealer is saying on social media, “Hey look how much we sold,” or “Here’s what we’re selling,” it’s a mistake.
First of all, that’s not entertaining. It’s “media,” it’s advertising. Social media is meant to entertain and engage people. You got to enlist the passion of the brand that you represent, no matter what it is; there’s going to be people that are really enthused, and get behind it.
To me, show your own customers what your brand’s doing; become that trusted information source for the customers — don’t let others do it for you.
For us, the silly, simple things really work.
We’re humans, that’s why it’s social media. Not everything is needs a big production, in most cases, it’s probably better with less production. It’s more engaging, when it’s natural.
The rise of autonomous vehicles is emerging from the concept of “on-demand” and e-commerce. Retailers have been particularly impacted by the challenges and benefits there. Have these relatively new ways of shopping impacted the relevancy of the auto dealership?
I’ve hard that argument since the internet came out: people just want to press a button and buy online. And people are still coming in to a dealer to buy the cars.
Someone was telling me about how they were proud that they bought their Tesla on their phone.
I’m like, “Okay, then what did you?”
“Oh, then I went in to the dealership, and I did the paperwork, and that was it.”
They felt like they did it on their phone, but they just committed themselves on the phone. There’s a certain amount of people, I think in that case, it’s someone with enough money that they can take that kind of risk; it’s not going to hurt him if they screwed up.
People who buy a Tesla tend to be wealthy people — we’re not talking about most people. Most people, they still need to see it, touch it, smell it. After that, we’ll see. It’s an ever changing world, and we’ve got to always make sure that we’re listening to customers, make sure we do things the way that they want to do them. There are a lot of advantages to coming into the store. You do need to drive the car, it’s important, cars drive very differently. You do want to see if that does fit well.