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South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Thursday, led by big-cap tech gains, despite uncertainties over the United States' debt ceiling negotiations.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 3.01 points, or 0.12 percent, to 2,570.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Overnight, US shares ended lower as negotiations on the US' debt ceiling drag on, with just eight days left till the June 1 deadline.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.77 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite shed 0.61 percent.
In Seoul, big-name chipmakers traded on a firm note.
Tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics jumped 0.88, and chip giant SK hynix spiked 4.3 percent.
But chemicals opened mixed following recent sharp gains. Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution inched up 0.17 percent, while LG Chem tumbled 0.97 percent. Samsung SDI lost 1.4 percent.
Carmakers opened lower, with top automaker Hyundai Motor skidding 0.96 percent and Kia tumbling 1.12 percent.
Large-cap bio shares opened lower, with Samsung Biologics falling 0.51 percent and Celltrion going down 0.67 percent.
Leading internet portal operator Naver rose 0.49 percent on bargain hunting, and Kakao opened unchanged.
The local currency was trading at 1,319.55 won against the US dollar at 9:15 a.m., down 2.15 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)


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Redfish Kids opens Dundarave location
Redfish Kids is thrilled to announce the opening of a new location, in the heart of Dundarave Village, and is hosting a party to celebrate.
This Saturday, February 27th between 11.30am and 3pm, Redfish will host festivities to ring in the spring and celebrate the launch of the new store. In keeping with the brand’s multicultural roots, Roaming Dragon food truck and Temper Pastry will be serving sweet and savoury treats and the legendary Scruffles the Pirate will be designing balloon creations.
“The North Shore is very much a part of our roots and a community that has supported us from the very early days of Redfish,” says Kristy Brinkley, co-owner of Redfish Kids. “We are thrilled to be back!”
Located at 2474 Marine Drive, neighbouring The Latest Scoop, the expansive, 2,500sq ft store is full to the brim with the newly-launched Redfish Spring 2016 Collection, alongside a collection of carefully chosen toys and treasures, including Petit Bateau, Hansa, Oeuf NYC, Little Lux, Hello Shiso, and Etiquette Clothiers.
Other design elements within the space include hand-crafted, wrought iron pipe clothing racks, colourful wall murals, vintage furniture and a bridal-style dressing room, perfect for twirling little girls with floor to ceiling mirrors.
Redfish Kids’ Dundarave location will be open seven days a week (10am-6pm Monday toSaturday, 11am-5pm on Sunday) and joins Redfish’s flagship store on Hornby Street and online boutique, www.redfishkids.com.

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The era of the human-driven automobile, its repair facilities, its dealerships, the media surrounding it — all will be gone in 20 years.
A highly recommended article by Bob Lutz, former Vice Chairman of GM.
People that have never lived in China might never understand the importance of WeChat in the Chinese market. It is truly ubiquitous, as messenger, service provider, payment system, and general app for the everyday life. If you build a business in China, building on the WeChat platform is already the next evolution step of mobile first: it is “WeChat first”.
WeChat had already morphed beyond its roots as a chat service to become a one-stop app for everything, from banking to shopping to dating to dining. With each new feature and service it adds, users have fewer and fewer reasons to leave it, or to download other apps. Mini programs may eliminate the need altogether.
Tesla stock dropped more than 5% after hours as Musk explained what had gone wrong in the making of the new Model 3, the company’s first affordably priced electric car. Investors had sensed something was awry a month earlier, when Tesla said it had only made 260 of the Model 3 last quarter, well below the nearly 2,000 it had forecasted; some reports said the bottleneck was due to the carmaker assembling the vehicle by hand.
“Nine levels of production hell” are not unusual when you launch a new product. Especially if it is a product of such a scale never produced by the company before.
Fascinating Bloomberg article about former-iPhone-hacker George Hotz who has outfitted his Acura with cameras, lidar, and computing power to go for autonomous driving. His plan is to prove that he is able to build better technology and algorithms than companies like Tesla or other car manufacturers.
The technology he’s building represents an end run on much more expensive systems being designed by Google, Uber, the major automakers, and, if persistent rumors and numerous news reports are true, Apple. More short term, he thinks he can challenge Mobileye, the Israeli company that supplies Tesla Motors, BMW, Ford Motor, General Motors, and others with their current driver-assist technology. “It’s absurd,” Hotz says of Mobileye. “They’re a company that’s behind the times, and they have not caught up.”
In fact, Hotz has turned down an offer from Elon Musk to work for Tesla.
Hotz, though, broke off the talks when he felt that Musk kept changing the terms. “Frankly, I think you should just work at Tesla,” Musk wrote to Hotz in an e-mail. “I’m happy to work out a multimillion-dollar bonus with a longer time horizon that pays out as soon as we discontinue Mobileye.” “I appreciate the offer,” Hotz replied, “but like I’ve said, I’m not looking for a job. I’ll ping you when I crush Mobileye.” Musk simply answered, “OK.”
Hotz plans to get more data and experience with his prototype and then demonstrate it by “filming a video of the Acura outperforming a Tesla across the bridge, and then follow that up by passing the final test on I-405 in Los Angeles where Musk lives.”
Tesla remains skeptic on the success of Hotz, releasing a statement on their website accordingly:
We think it is extremely unlikely that a single person or even a small company that lacks extensive engineering validation capability will be able to produce an autonomous driving system that can be deployed to production vehicles. It may work as a limited demo on a known stretch of road — Tesla had such a system two years ago — but then requires enormous resources to debug over millions of miles of widely differing roads.
There was some media buzz during last weeks regarding a mysterious new billion-dollar EV company, operating out of a former Nissan site in California. The company called “Faraday Future” (FF) has assembled a strong leadership team consisting of former Tesla and BMW guys plus a couple of hundred other employees, and seems to be planning to launch a new EV vehicle around 2017.
First reports have indicated the possibility of Faraday Future being a dummy company for Apple’s EV project, given the lack of an known CEO and the seemingly extremely fast and high funding of the new company. A closer look at the incorporating documents has revealed, though, that FF’s chief executive is a partner of Jia Yuenting, founder of LeTV. Thus, Faraday Future is more likely to be the potential future home of LeTV’s SSE (Super Electric Eco-System) car project. This project is not just about the “old-economy” style “moving a car out to the dealer” type of business, but will try to treat the car more like a smart phone. Subscriptions, apps, car-sharing and other service revenue streams seem to be an integral part of the envisioned LeTV EV car project.
Uber is usually not afraid to go on the offensive with regulators all over the world in order to facilitate its rapid growth and expansion. Be it by filing complaints against several governments in Europe at the beginning of 2015, or using it’s large venture cash pool to hand out aggressive cash incentives to drivers in India in order to go against opposing “old-economy” taxi monopolies.
In Uber’s most important growth market China, however, Uber’s management is much more cautious and obedient, knowing that their usual strategy of disrupting the market could possible come to a dead stop at anytime at will of the strong central government. Additionally, Uber is still only the minor player in China, competing with the extremely strong local competitor Didi Kuiadi that has around 80% of the market and gets significant invest from sources close to the Chinese government.
Uber therefore seems to go now for a strict compliance strategy in China. After China’s Ministry of Transport has published a draft of a new rule set for private e-hailing services, bringing in far-reaching regulatory demands on licenses, drivers and IT infrastructure, Uber is happy to comply with any new rule. Unlike Uber’s usual way of ‘acting first and (maybe) asking for permission later’, Uber has already announced that “the company is in close communication with Chinese regulators and would follow all new rules”.
Additionally, Uber will fully separate its China business from its other business by setting up an own Uber China company, and is trying to work more closely with local partners in order to get a better standing in the Chinese market. It is a “comply or die” situation, and Uber is likely to go for the survival option.
Uber said that to localize its Chinese business, Uber China has officially registered in Shanghai as a separate entity called Shanghai Wubo Information Technology, run by Chinese managers. It has obtained the requisite licenses and qualifications as an Internet company and placed its servers in China, the company added.
China Tightens Oversight of Private Car-Hailing Services
The race towards the fully automated car has only just begun. Car makers and their new potential competitors from the Tech industry have different views on the best approach for a driverless future.
While car OEMs like BMW or Daimler (and even newcomers like Tesla) are adding more and more driver assistance features such as lane-departure warning, brake assist, traffic jam assist, or parking pilot, in order to increase automation step by step over the next years, Tech industry companies like Google think of “leap-frogging” to as much automation as possible.
There are good reasons for both approaches. The classic step-by-step approach is very much in line with technology development and refinement, and with the slow moving other stakeholders such as governments and insurances. Ultimately a fully autonomous car would challenge the existing regulations and insurance schemes intensively, bringing up many unsolved issues of liability. What happens, for example, if a malfunctioning autonomous car hits a pedestrian? Driver or car maker liability?
The fully autonomous car, though, has the potential to be much safer than a car steered by a human, so naturally there is some incentive to go to as many automated functions as fast as possible. Especially as there are some indications that drivers in a only partly-automated car might be too slow to take over control in a situation that the partial automation cannot handle. As Chris Urmson, Head of Google’s Self Driving Car program, said in a recent article: “The better the technology gets, the less reliable the driver is going to get.”
Depending on the level of automation and intensity of alert, some drivers took an average of 17 seconds to respond to a takeover request and regain control of the vehicle, in a study just released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and supported by Google and several leading automakers and suppliers. In that time, a car traveling at 60 miles per hour would travel more than a quarter of a mile.
Automakers, Google take different roads to automated cars
Tech Industry players, such as Apple, Google, Samsung, Baidu, or Alibaba, are increasingly looking for potential future growth opportunities in the automotive industry. The activities are manifold, ranging from providing data services to even building .
Forbes magazine had a close look on the innovation / patent side of this development. Interestingly, if looking at the number of new patents in the automotive area that are filed by tech companies, we can observe two things. Firstly, the number of new patents did not really take off until 2013. Secondly, the overall number is still low compared to the thousands of patents from car manufacturers and suppliers which are filed every year. The increase in patents since 2013 shows quite well the increasing interest in the automotive market, though.
The biggest contributors to the increasing number of patents were Samsung and Google, followed by Microsoft and Apple.
But in terms of who has the biggest war chest in patents so far, Samsung far exceeds all its competitors. For automobile-related patents filed in the past 10 years, Samsung leads with 510, Google GOOGL -1.70% with 308,Microsoft MSFT -0.98% with 222, and finally Apple AAPL -0.47% with 83, according to patent numbers pulled by SmartUp Legal.
Samsung Amasses Largest Patent War Chest Among Tech Giants For Cars Of The Future – forbes.com
Samsung obviously contributes with a lot of patents from its batteries division, however we can see as well patents for HMI components such as a transparent Head-Up-Display, which would make Samsung compete with Tier-1 suppliers such as Continental. On Google’s and Apple’s side Forbes notes down the main interest in digital data processing and navigation, as well as autonomous driving (Google) and User Interface / Interaction (Apple).
There is usually not much that connects a Seattle-based IT company (Microsoft) with a Swiss-based watchmaker (Swatch). Unless you look a bit closer on what former and current chief executives of the two companies think about competitors and innovation.
First, enter Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft. In 2007, shortly after the launch of the first iPhone, Steve Ballmer made a legendary statement to USA Today about the new innovative iPhone coming from Apple, and was even literally laughing at the iPhone in another video statement.
“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I’d prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get.”
Steve Ballmer – CEO Microsoft – 2007
Yep. Sounds about right… The 2% or 3% are going to be for Microsoft’s Windows Phone, though. What has happened over the next years – Microsoft buying Nokia assets, Microsoft writing off Nokia assets – is history.
How does the Swiss watchmaker come into play now?
Enter Nick Hayek Jr, CEO of watchmaking corporation Swatch. Nick has been in a quite comfortable situation so far, heading a diversified watch company with products and brands from entry-level to luxury, and around 9.5 bn USD sales with a 15% profit margin in 2014. Nick wants to occupy your wrist with his watch products. And as a good CEO – of course – he is always on the lookout to survey the market and the competitive situation. What do you do if you have suddenly a twenty-times (~180 bn USD) bigger company than Swatch that is launching a watch product? A product that directly competes for the same space on customers’ wrists t as your own products?
Well, it seems that Mr Hayek is not particularly impressed by Apple’s Watch that launched this year – and “only” sold a couple of million units so far. For Mr Hayek, the new competitor product is only an “interesting toy”:
“The Apple watch is an interesting toy, but not a revolution. These devices, which all eat so much power that they last no longer than 24 hours without needing to be plugged in. In addition, the user immediately loses control of their data. I personally don’t want my blood pressure and blood sugar values stored in the cloud, or on servers in Silicon Valley.”
Nick Hayek Jr – CEO Swatch Group – 2015
Let’s hope that the toy will not suddenly appeal to a large group of adult customers.
And while Nick Hayek Jr. is still laughing about the new competitor toy in his backyard, let us quickly remind ourselves that threats of new competitors entering our individual industries are more prevailing than ever. We are facing not only just increased pressure from known players in our current industry, but also from companies from other industries, which are looking at our market as potential future growth opportunity.
In the Automotive industry, for example, car OEMs might suddenly be challenged not only just by new entrants such as Tesla, but also potentially from “IT / Consumer” companies like Apple or Google. And on the supplier side, companies should have a close look at high-tech companies like Huawei that have the potential to enter the market very quickly and thoroughly. A “non-automotive-grade-quality-no-automotive-experience” company, product, or innovation, could potentially very quickly bring the the perfect storm even into an established Automotive industry.
This examples can be found for basically any industry, and it will be an crucial competitive advantage for strategic leaders to sense, plan, and act accordingly. Don’t laugh at your potential competitors, but try to learn from them instead.


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Austin tech-focused real estate firm REX raises $40 million
Seven months ago, Real Estate Exchange Inc., a real estate brokerage firm, moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to Austin to tap into the area’s tech talent pool.
Now the company, known as REX, is announcing a $40 million funding round to expand in Austin and nationwide.
REX, which began in 2015, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to buy and sell homes. The company says using data science lets it price homes more accurately than traditional brokerages, and then reach qualified buyers through Zillow, Google, Facebook, Trulia and other sites.
The company, which provides escrow, titling, mortgage and insurance all in one place, says it lowers consumer cost through a transaction-total commission of 2% compared to the 6% charged by many traditional brokers.
“REX offers buyers and sellers a less expensive, more effective and far easier way to conduct the most important transaction of their lives,” said Lynley Sides, REX co-founder and president.
To date, REX has raised $115 million in investment from some veteran business executives including Dick Schulze, founder of Best Buy; Gordan Segal, founder of Crate and Barrel and Scott McNealy, co-founder and former CEO of Sun Microsystems.
“REX is leading the transformation of an industry that remains stuck in the past and doesn’t provide the value for money that consumers expect,” McNealy said in a written statement. “It’s shown impressive progress in building out its technology and services this year and we’re pleased with the way consumers are responding.”
REX is in 23 markets and will use the new funding to break into new markets in 2020, the company said.
The company has 237 employees nationwide, including 64 in Austin. It is currently looking to fill 17 positions at its Austin headquarters, which is at 3300 N. Interstate 35 in Central Austin.
Co-founder and CEO Jack Ryan, who moved to Austin last year ahead of the company’s relocation, said in April that REX planned to have more than 150 employees in Austin by the end of 2020.
Austin “is just a great place to hire individuals that fit our culture and fit what we’re trying to do from a business point of view,” Ryan said in April. “We are expanding our business across the U.S. and it’s good to be in Texas because Texas itself is growing fast.”


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Investment company Western Selection is acquiring a large minority stake in Tudor Rose International.
TRI handles the international marketing and logistics for well-known British brands. It sells to 78 countries and has a turnover of more than £15m. It is being acquired for £3.25m.
Western is buying 49.5% of the buyout vehicle for TRI and can appoint two non-executive directors. This stake cost £730,000. Managing director Mike Aird will own 35.5% and the rest will be owned by other directors.
Western rose 0.5p to 35p, valuing it at £6.28m.
© 2021 Aim Micro. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Players of Elite Dangerous have likely been regularly watching the Frameshift Live developer livestreams for news and information about the spaceship sandbox, and last week’s broadcast brought the goods with a rundown of the things that will arrive to the Odyssey expansion in Update 12.
Among the features being added in Update 12 are access to the interaction wheel when sitting down, the ability to speak with the bartender while sitting at a bar stool, access to the features screen when sitting in a fleet carrier’s owner’s seat, more money for selling illegal goods in the black market, and a shipyard at prison stations so players can recall their own ship (instead of flying a space taxi to a regular station). There will also be a new illegal version of the raid mission type and the promise of a huge number of bug fixes for Odyssey and Horizons. On the subject of missions, the livestream featured a discussion with senior designer Tom Kewell, who talked about the new criminal raid mission and other mission matters.
Frontier Developments further notes that these features are “just scratching the surface” of what’s being added in Update 12, with more information set to arrive in the coming weeks and some patch notes to read on release day, which currently is set for sometime in the end of May [Update: Now moved to June 7]. Those who want to get a synopsis can check the latest Discovery Scanner newsletter, while the full Frameshift Live broadcast can be watched below.
⚠ Due to the upcoming UK bank holidays, Update 12 is moving to 7 June. This is to ensure as smooth a release as possible.
— Elite Dangerous (@EliteDangerous) May 23, 2022


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Federico Minoli is not sure if he is selling a luxury accessory, a style of life or a means of transportation.
It is probably a bit of all three, for Mr. Minoli is the new president and chief executive of Ducati S.p.A., the renowned Italian motorcycle maker. And while sales of Ducati's two-wheelers are booming in Europe, where clogged cities welcome anything with fewer than four wheels, Ducati and the builders of other Italian motorcycle classics are casting their net farther afield.
Lifting a chapter from the textbook of Italian luxury icons like Gucci and Bulgari and melding it with the profitable formula Harley-Davidson used to create an image out of a pair of wheels, these companies are looking to global markets, notably the United States.
''It's a business opportunity,'' said Mr. Minoli, who favors jeans and sweaters over ties and suits, ''twinned with passion and image.''
The Italian drive lifts the spirits of executives in the industry, which boasts a long tradition of making spirited two-wheelers, but whose lack of marketing skill and financial savvy has nearly caused some venerable brands to disappear.Continue reading the main story
The potential for profit in tapping other markets has not escaped American investors. Last year, the Trident Rowan Group in New York bought out Moto Guzzi S.p.A., another motorcycle maker, and took it public this March. Earlier, Texas Pacific Group, based in Fort Worth, acquired Ducati, which it subsequently took public on the New York Stock Exchange
[Ducati's American depository receipts have been flat since they began trading between $31 and $32 nearly two months ago. On Friday, the A.D.R.'s, each representing 10 common shares, closed at $29.75.]
And stock market analysts remain wary. ''It's a tough market to get into,'' said Robert Mescal, who follows initial public offerings at the Institute for Econometric Research in Deerfield Park, Fla. ''You're looking at big bucks to get started, and the Japanese and the Americans are not going to give up easily.''
Admittedly, Italy has just a sliver of the American market, and little hope of taking any significant share from Japanese giants like Honda and Yamaha, which have parlayed a mix of low-cost manufacturing and high-technology innovation into market dominance. But motorcycle sales are booming again, as baby boomers who flirted with the open road in the 1960's now have the income and the time to don helmets.
So Italian companies like Ducati, whose $263 million of revenues make it the nation's leader, as well as Moto Guzzi, Cagiva and Aprilia, are faring better in Europe and hope to carve off a little of the upper end of the market in the United States. With a wave of sexy new models, they are seeking to exploit the cachet of all things Italian, promoting their bikes as two-wheel Ferraris or the highway equivalent of a Gucci loafer or Versace scarf. Ducati, copying Harley, is opening motorcycle shops, with apparel sections and espresso bars, in the United States.
The Italian crusade got a lift last year when the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York included 21 Italian motorcycles, from a 1924 Guzzi to several 1990's Ducatis, in its wildly successful motorcycle show. ''The Italians bring design excellence to everything they do,'' said Ultan Guilfoyle, deputy curator of the Guggenheim exhibit. ''And that is very apparent in their motorcycles.''
Yet Ducati, he added, provides a textbook case of how brilliant Italian design is often undercut by poor management.
In 1996, Texas Pacific took control of Ducati from Claudio and Gianfranco Castiglioni, brothers who amassed a fortune selling zippers, then sank it into their real passion -- motorcycles. The Castiglionis acquired Ducati, then nearly bankrupt, in 1983 from the Italian Government, which had bought it in the 1950's from the founding Ducati family.
Despite Ducati's reputation for design and technical innovation, the Castiglionis left the company without a sales organization or strategy and bled it financially by siphoning profits to other projects. ''We saw a great brand and a great product, a great factory, but no business around it,'' said Abel Halpern, a London-based financier who scouts European investment opportunities for Texas Pacific. ''The hard part had already been done. The easy part was to design a business system around it.''
To do so, Ducati bought business talent. Mr. Minoli, 49, a former Procter & Gamble and Playtex executive with long marketing experience on both sides of the Atlantic, was hired from Bain & Company, the consultants who worked with Texas Pacific before the Ducati purchase. To create a marketing campaign, Ducati hired Kristin Schelter, a former Hill & Knowlton executive who had worked on the Bulgari account.
David M. Gross, a former journalist and Harvard-educated lawyer who is Ducati's director of strategic planning, said the advertising budget, at about $5 million, was meager. But by piggybacking onto big spenders, Ducati makes the ad dollars go further. Neiman Marcus has included Ducatis in its men's catalogue, and Donna Karan New York is outfitting the Ducati racing team. ''Now people are coming to us,'' Mr. Gross said. Ducati's New York flagship store, at 11th Avenue and 43d Street, cost about $250,000, also a shoestring operation.
The efforts are beginning to pay off, at least modestly. In the first quarter, Ducati increased sales 13 percent, to $74 million; motorcycle shipments to the United States rose 26 percent, to 1,541.
If imitation is the purest form of flattery, Ducati is not lacking in compliments. The new owners are also reinventing Moto Guzzi, hiring this year as chief executive Mario Scandellari, a former Ducati manager, and bringing in a nine-year Yamaha veteran, Nicola Poggio, as chief of sales. In the United States, another Yamaha manager, John Porter, was lured away to spearhead Guzzi's drive there.
To revive the American market, this year Guzzi will begin a fast, aggressive model called the Jackal, to sell for about $7,900. Last year, Guzzi sold 651 bikes in the United States, up from 401 in 1997.
''The Italians are good at interpreting life styles,'' Mr. Poggio said. ''If I have to eat, I try to eat well; if I have to wear a watch, I try to wear a beautiful watch.''
Others are following suit. Aprilia S.p.A. recently rolled out a new flagship for the United States, the RSV Mille. ''The people who rode bikes in the 60's and 70's are now earning higher salaries,'' said Mark Wilhelm, a former Ingersoll-Rand executive who is Aprilia's marketing manager for the United States. ''The kids are gone; they have more time and disposable income.''
Italjet S.p.A., which produced motorcycling classics in the 1970's before bailing out to focus on scooters, is re-entering the fray with an aggressive new bike that will be tested in racing before full production begins in 2001.
''We're returning to our past,'' said Leopoldo Tartarini, Italjet's president and a leading Italian motorcycle designer. ''The European motorcycle is still made with heart; it's still endowed with human qualities.'' In a swipe at the Japanese, he added, ''When something is too perfect, you tire of it.''
If Harley-Davidson, with its lumbering cruisers, is the Cadillac of motorcycles, and Honda and Yamaha are, well, the Honda and Toyota, the Italians want to become the Ferraris and Porsches.
Glenn Brieton buys that. ''People who own them, love them,'' said Mr. Brieton, an audiovisual systems specialist from Lake George, N.Y., who owns two Guzzis. He became hooked on Italian motorcycles, he explained, while serving in the American Army in Italy, and bought his first Guzzi secondhand in 1989 for less than $2,000. Five years later, he picked up a second. ''One of the appealing factors for a guy like me,'' he said, ''is that they go up in value.'' A 1970's Guzzi in mint condition can fetch $20,000 or more. But, he added, ''mainly, it's the way to go to be a little bit different.''
Greg L. Salchow, who follows the motorcycle industry at Roney Capital Markets in Detroit, said enthusiasts like Mr. Brieton gave the Italians an entree. ''There's always going to be a certain group of people who want the real thing,'' he said. Ducati and Guzzi, he added, enjoy relatively strong name recognition, while lesser-known companies like Aprilia and Italjet would have to struggle harder. ''You'd have to be a very dedicated enthusiast to even know them,'' he said.
The long-term challenge for the Italians, said Mr. Guilfoyle of the Guggenheim, will be to attract young riders and keep the affluent market rolling when the baby boomers step off their bikes. The same challenge, of course, faces Harley-Davidson, he said, whose ''buyers are old, an average 40 years old.''
Moto Guzzi says its Jackal is aimed mainly at young riders. ''The Jackal project leader is 31 years old,'' said Mr. Poggio, who is 38. ''Our bet is to satisfy the hard core of Guzzi buyers, and draw new customers. The Jackal is definitely aimed at the young.''
Ducati is investing $15 million to $20 million a year, about 70 percent of it in product development, Mr. Minoli said. Emulating fashion houses, Ducati is trying to build a cult around its chief designer, Pierre Terblanche, a former Volkswagen designer who learned motorcycle design from Massimo Tamburini, creator of some of Ducati's greatest models, including the 916 Superbike.
But to realize their American ambitions, said Mr. Salchow, the analyst, the near-term challenge will be less spectacular -- distribution. ''They are not even in a lot of markets, except for small specialty shops,'' he said. ''They need more models, more apparel.''
Ducati's long-term goal is to have 200 exclusive stores globally. And the company is investing heavily to speed production.
''The first thing is to crank out as many as you can,'' Mr. Minoli said. ''I don't believe in scarcity'' as a marketing device to maintain Ducati's exclusive image. From 20 motorcycles a day in 1996, when Texas Pacific bought in, production at Ducati has risen to 170, creating 350 new jobs, which were so hard to fill in the full-employment area around Bologna that Ducati had to retrain women textile workers from a local lingerie manufacturer.
In the United States, Mr. Minoli said, Ducati has two constituencies: ''people really serious about motorcycling, whose interest trickles down from racing, and the people who want a little of everything,'' adding, ''They will have their Porsche -- and their Ducati.''Continue reading the main story


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France’s leading streaming service Salto is urging public authorities to tackle the “crazy competitive asymmetry” between major platforms and national publishers, including by changing remote controls that often have a Netflix or Amazon Prime button. EURACTIV France reports.
Smaller competitors have been questioning the fact that the largest web streaming platforms have been securing a button on remote controllers as an unfair competitive advantage.
“If there is a button for an American platform, there must be a button for a French platform,” said Thomas Follin, CEO of Salto, a streaming platform owned by France Télévisions, TF1 and M6.
“We’ve lost control over the exposure of our content, our services, all the stories we tell the French,” he told EURACTIV France, noting that his fight against the “crazy competitive asymmetry” between the big platforms and national publishers goes beyond the issue of remotes.
The will to push back the American platforms is also at the origin of a merger between the two big French channels, TF1 and M6, which would create a new audiovisual behemoth.
The remote buttons at the centre of the latest upheaval in France provide entry points to specific streaming platforms. While these default settings have been compared to those of other smart devices, such as smartphones, customers are not able to change which streaming platforms are available on their TVs nor the button on the remote controller.
The setting is in the hands of TV makers who take advantage of very lucrative commercial agreements and make the most of a very competitive market.
“The economy of access and discoverability […] is important”, Bruno Patino, chairman of the board of Arte France channel, told senators on the enquiry commission on media concentration on Monday (24 January).
Salto’s Follin called on French and European regulators to act, saying that “today, TV sets and remote controls are not neutral”.
Contacted by EURACTIV, US streaming giant Netflix stressed that the button is subject to commercial negotiations and is not exclusive.
According to the French alliance of digital industries known as Afnum, “these buttons provide an advantage to the consumer and do not distract from terrestrial services”.
“There is no economic or practical sense in locating remote controls for each regional or national market,” the organisation, which represents several TV manufacturers including Samsung, told EURACTIV France.
“It is entirely possible to adapt the software interfaces of TV sets, as manufacturers are already doing,” it added, noting that “local agreements with national strategic partners have multiplied in recent years.”
French MPs have even gone as far as conducting a “flash mission” about “the configuration of TV remote controls and box homepages in order to preserve competition between players”.
While a mission report is expected at the end of February, Socialist MP Michèle Victory, the mission’s co-rapporteur, told EURACTIV France that she did not see any major concerns about the possible anti-competitive nature of these buttons.
She said it was necessary to anticipate the evolution, or even disappearance, of the remote control, voicing hope that the debate she was leading would continue at the European level.
The issue is already on the table in Brussels in the context of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a regulation introducing obligations for dominant platforms to ensure the contestability of the market.
Although connected TVs were not initially in the scope of the DMA, MEPs have included it, considering it a key digital market, and are now defending this position in the interinstitutional negotiations with the European Council and Commission.
Follin complained that France’s “cultural sovereignty” is at stake and that public authorities “are allowing a new paradigm to take hold in which all access routes are concentrated on American platforms.” This does not guarantee a diverse supply or a plurality of information, he added.
However, the chief of Salto also regretted the modest local content platforms have on offer.
Platforms must use 20% of the turnover they make in France to finance the production of European or original French-language cinematographic and audiovisual works, according to a June 2021 decree that emanated from an EU directive.
Turnover can reach up to 25% for platforms that offer films less than 12 months after they were screened in cinemas.
The total amount expected from these contributions should represent “a range of 250 to 300 million euros”, France’s Superior Audiovisual Council, now rebranded as Arcom – a merger between the national audio-visual watchdog and an anti-piracy body – said in December.
Follin said, however, that this was negligible, compared to “what is invested globally by these large platforms”. For example, Netflix was counting on $17 billion, or 15 billion euros, in investments for the year 2021.
[Edited by Luca Bertuzzi/Zoran Radosavljevic]


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Stunlock Studios recently published their latest Dev Update along with new screenshots of Battlerite Royale, the anticipated MOBA/brawler and Battle Royale mashup coming to Steam in summer 2018. This time the Dev Update addresses the most frequent questions floating around about Battlerite Royale discussing the balancing of champions and revealing current state of the game. In the current alpha build players drop on the island with only their M1 and Ultimate abilities and have to scavenge the rest of the Champion’s toolkit throughout the match. The massive map with various locations and weather effects hide plenty of abilities, equipment and consumable items that might just be the fateful factor determining victory and defeat.
Since the launch of Battlerite, more than 4 million unique players have tried their luck in the arena, shooting Battlerite up to the top of the ‘top selling’ free-to-play games on Steam on several occasions. Each week players get access to six unique champions on free rotation, and every character can be permanently unlocked with in-game currency or in-app purchases. As of today, the “All Champion’s Pack” is available to unlock all 27 current and all future champions for $29.99/ €27.99/£23.79.
About Stunlock Studios
Founded in 2010, Stunlock Studios is one of the leading Swedish independent game developers located in Skövde. With a passion for competitive gaming, the studio crafts groundbreaking and community driven games, always with their players in mind. Previously released titles include Bloodline Champions, and Dead Island: Epidemic. For more information, visit: https://www.stunlockstudios.com.


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Renault Samsung rolls out facelifted SM6 to lift fortunesRenault Samsung Motors on Wednesday launched the upgraded SM6 sedan in Korea to revive lackluster sales amid a lack of new models.
The facelifted SM6 midsize sedan comes with a 1.3-liter turbocharged gasoline, a 1.8-liter turbocharged gasoline or a 2-liter liquefied petroleum gas engine, the company said in a statement.
The 1.3-liter and 1.8-liter turbo trim versions are equipped with the TCe 300 and the TCe 260 engine, respectively, and the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, it said.
The three trim models are priced at between 25 million won and 34 million won ($20,700-$28,000).
In the period from January to June, Renault Samsung's sales fell 21 percent to 67,666 vehicles from 85,844 units a year earlier.
The company's current passenger car lineup includes the all-electric SM3 Z.E. sedan, the SM6 sedan, the XM3 SUV and the QM6 SUV.
Renault holds an 81 percent stake in Renault Samsung.


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Apple ditched the glass casing after the iPhone 4s smartphone in 2011, but a report indicates it is now looking to resurrect it. A fresh leak reveals that the 2017 iPhone devices are expected to sport glass cases.
The Nikkei report, attributed to a person with knowledge of the Apple supply chain in Taiwan, claims Foxconn has been experimenting with glass panels since a year, and is only doing s, because Apple looks to ditch the metal casing for glass next year. Apple celebrates its ten-year anniversary next year, and big changes are expected in its entire portfolio.
According to a report in Nikkei, Apple's iPhones in 2017 would adopt glass casings with metal frames and advanced organic light-emitting diode (Oled) panels. The current iPhone 6s sports a low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) panel, and the upcoming iPhone device is also said to come with the same display. Switching to Oled next year, will give the iPhone devices a much sleeker look alongside a less power hungry display.
As for this year, Apple will stick to minimal design changes, and focus mainly on hardware upgrades. The Nikkei report adds that Apple will not be producing a third variant of the smartphone this year, as has been previously rumoured. Instead of making two versions of the iPhone 7 Plus, one with a single lens and the other with a dual lens, the company is now tipped to launch only the dual lens variant. Reportedly, the decision to ditch the single lens variant was recent. "This never happened before. Before this year, Apple never made changes to iPhone's product line mere months before the launch. It has been a volatile year for Apple," Nikkei cites an industry insider.
The base storage offering will see an increase to 32GB, and a possible addition of 256GB storage option is also expected. The next iPhone is said to come in three variants - with a new Pro variant sporting the Smart Connector and dual camera setup at the back.
The devices will also be powered by a new A10 processor, and be more waterproof than its predecessor. Possibly the biggest change will be the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack. To compensate, Apple will bundle Lightning EarPods, announce new power-efficient Bluetooth headphone, and make available a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter as an accessory.
While many reports call the next iPhone - the iPhone 7, there are conflicting reports hinting that Apple might just call it the iPhone 6SE. Apple is largely expected to host an event early September, and rack the devices on shelves by September 16.


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The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a No Sail Order for the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, forcing Margaritaville to cancel the ship’s July 13 sailing to the Bahamas.
“During the ship’s annual exam, Port State Control officers identified conditions, which required the ship to stay in port until rectified due to the safety of the crew and passengers. The ship will not sail until the conditions are rectified,” the Coast Guard told WPTV news in West Palm Beach.
Margaritaville at Sea CEO Oneil Khosa said the cruise line is “expeditiously” undertaking corrective actions to “quickly address the flagged items and continue sailing on schedule.”
The cruise line did not respond to questions about nature of the flagged items that warranted the order.
The line does not anticipate additional impact to its itineraries other than the cancellation of the July 13 sailing. Guests disembarked and received compensation for the inconvenience, Khosa said.
The cruise ship was scheduled to sail a two-night cruise to the Bahamas out of West Palm Beach on Wednesday.
Source: Read Full Article


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Cannes Lions 2009 has named the jury president of the Design and Cyber Lions category. Sylvia Vitale Rotta, chief executive officer, Team Créatif is jury president for this year’s Design Lions jury while Lars Bastholm, co-chief creative officer, AKQA will chair the Cannes 2009 Cyber Lions jury.
A consumer brands expert, Sylvia was a member of the first Cannes Design Lions jury in 2008 and was the first Eurobest Design Jury President in Stockholm last year. Talking about her appointment, Vitale Rotta said, "During these times of economic uncertainty and change, it is exciting to bring optimism and joy to consumers, clients, creatives and marketers around the world. Recognising the power of creativity and how it enriches our lives, and participating in exciting and professional events such as the 2009 Cannes Lions Festival, provides motivation and awareness of the power of creativity as a fundamental human value."
Bastholm oversees the creative departments of AKQA’s North American offices alongside his partner, Rei Inamoto. He has more than 13 years of interactive experience and is one of the most award-winning creatives in the digital marketing industry, winning no less than three Cyber Lions Grand Prix at Cannes.
"I'm honoured to be this year’s president of the Cyber Lions jury. This gig is the only thing I can think of that would make me look forward with bated breath to being locked up in a room staring at a computer screen for a week. That’s because Cyber Lions has never been more exciting. This category and what it means is in constant flux and development. I’m sure we’ll see entries that tick all the digital boxes from social media to location-aware devices, as well as some that invent boxes we haven't played in before," said Lars Bastholm on his appointment.


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JCDecaux UK is expanding the opportunity for brand advertising in Liverpool, with the unveiling of 44 new state-of-the-art digital 6-sheet screens across the busiest Liverpool city-centre stations, in partnership with Merseyrail.
Moorfields, Liverpool Central, Liverpool Lime Street and James Street stations will benefit from 75’’ and 85’’ full-motion digital screens, strategically placed within high footfall areas of the four key rail stations, maximising engagement with passengers.
These four stations typically see a combined weekly footfall of over 925,000 according to pre-Covid-19 figures1.
Forming part of JCDecaux UK’s wider digital channel in Liverpool, this premium station opportunity complements JCDecaux UK’s Large Format digital presence across the city on key arterial routes with six National Drive screens and The Liverpool Towers. Brands can also benefit from the Liverpool ONE retail portfolio, including digital 6-sheets and a high impact M-Vision portrait screen.
Liverpool is a key city for brand advertisers and the digitisation of these four key stations, will provide new opportunities for advertisers to reach consumers across multiple touchpoints as they commute, shop and socialise in the city centre. As the fastest growing city outside London, Liverpool is an important economic, retail and tourist hub, and as audiences return post-Covid, this will strengthen the digital offer for brands across our roadside, rail and retail locations.Mark Bucknell Chief Commercial Officer at JCDecaux
We are delighted to have been able to work with JCDecaux to enhance our advertising portfolio and bring these state-of-art digital screens onto the Merseyrail network. Already we are seeing well-known brands take advantage of the screens and our network to engage their target audiences. The screens also bring vibrancy to our stations and look fantastic.Suzanne Grant Commercial Director at Merseyrail
Liverpool is ranked at number six on the list of the most visited UK cities, noted for its culture, architecture and music including being home to The Beatles. Liverpool and the surrounding region is the UK’s second largest regional economy estimated at £12 billion2. With 1.5 million residents in the city and 2.5 million people across the wider region, Liverpool is the fastest growing city outside London3.
Source: 1Route 34 2Invest Liverpool 3Legacy Capital


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According to a Reuters report, Bentley is seizing the opportunity to go after former celebrities associated with the-soon-to-be -defunct Maybach brand, including rapper Jay-Z, actor Samuel L.
Read This Article
Talk about serendipity.
Big, expensive, and stately, flagship luxury sedans represent the best an automaker has to offer, all in one vehicle.
From the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG to new spy shots, see what all you missed this week in our Week in Review.


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Muscat: Following the launch of its NFC services last month, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has now announced the launch of its Instant Rewards Point Redemption feature for all credit cards at partner retailers across the country. Using this system customers using OAB’s credit cards can now redeem their accumulated OAB reward points at Points of Sale (POS) machines across OAB’s network of selected merchant partners.
Commenting on the launch of the new feature, Rashad Al Shaikh, the DGM of Retail Banking at OAB said, “In 2019 we are taking a more focused approach towards enhancing customer service through technological innovation. The launch of this new feature is in line with that focus, offering our customers a convenient and immediate way to redeem their accumulated OAB Reward Points right at the time of sale as opposed to doing so by contacting the bank or via our internet baking service.”
OAB has partnered up with several merchants and outlets across the country, including Home Centre, Emax, Kargeen Café, Gloria Jeans and several others, in order to launch its new Instant Rewards Point Redemption feature on OAB Point of Sales machines.
OAB Rewards is a comprehensive loyalty program that offers customers the opportunity to receive rewards points for purchases made on their OAB credit cards. In addition to Instant Redemptions at merchant partners, the accumulated points can also be redeemed for airlines, hotels, car rental services and more in countries around the world via www.OABrewards.com. Alternatively, customers can instead opt to use the points as a cash-back option.
Using this newly introduced Instant Rewards Point Redemption feature, any OAB customer making purchases from participating merchants can now choose to pay, completely or partially, using their accumulated OAB Reward Points. The entire process is simple and fast and will be carried out seamlessly at the time of payment.
“We are delighted to have such prominent partners on board to provide this service to our customers and we are looking to partner up with several more in the near future,” added Rashad Al Shaikh, “This is just one of several new features we have in store for our card products which we will also launch in the near future. Each of these new features further reinforces our position as one of the most innovative banks in the country.”
This announcement follows the launch of OAB’s new NFC (Near Field Communications) payment capability across its entire ATM network last month. This innovative technology, more commonly known as ‘Tap & Go’ or ‘Contactless Payment’, allows customers to carry out ATM transactions by simply tapping their NFC enabled cards on the ATM. At ATMs this means customers can carry out cash withdrawals much faster than before without ever needing to insert their cards into the machines.
OAB has several more features planned for its card products to be launched later this year, including ‘Tap & Go’ payments at POS machines and the automated redemption of OAB Card Promotions at participating retailers.
OAB offers a range of VISA Credit Cards comprising of VISA Internet, Classic, Gold, Platinum, and Infinite; each of which come with a range of benefits including high credit limits, flexible repayment options, complementary airport lounge access, insurance options, and much more depending on the type of card issued. However, all cards benefit from OAB’s reward points – a comprehensive loyalty program from for the Bank’s Credit Card members offering an array of privileges. It has been designed to keep each customer’s unique lifestyle needs in mind and is amongst the most rewarding value additions to any OAB card holder. Whether it is travelling, staying in a resort, dining out, or shopping for business or pleasure, the OAB Rewards gives each customer more of what they enjoy.
Oman Arab Bank is one of the first banks to be established in Oman, with a rich and proud history. Today, the bank operates a nationwide network of 65 branches and representative offices, and 152 ATMs spread across the Sultanate. OAB provides the complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate and investment clients.
© Press Release 2019


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The owner of a luxury real estate franchise in Las Vegas is planning for big changes.
Gene Northup, owner of Synergy Sotheby’s International Realty, is in the process of upgrading to a larger office in Summerlin and, in the coming years, hopes to nearly double his staff of 55 agents that work out of his firm’s current location at 8330 W. Sahara Ave.
Synergy Sotheby’s new operations will be set further west in a 3,000-square-foot space at 10100 W. Charleston Blvd., a 500-square-foot upgrade from the old location, starting Oct. 1.
Change in the Valley’s home market is not the only shift Northup has seen this year. Northup also bought out his long-term partner, Dale Thornburgh, a few months ago.
Meanwhile, Thornburgh is now a broker-sales agent at Acclaim Real Estate, owned by Richard Robledo, a longtime friend.
“I’ll always treasure the time that I had in my life to develop and grow the business,” Thornburgh said. “It was a great experience, and it was just time to go back to my own personal business.”
From one of his luxury listings at Lake Las Vegas featuring seven bedrooms and eight baths, and stretching across more than 7,400 square feet, Northup talked about the changes coming in the local luxury market.
Northup’s journey to ownership in the luxury brand began when he decided to move his book of about 60 clients to the Sotheby’s label — then Dyson and Dyson Sotheby’s International Realty — where he became an agent at the end of 2006. Northup said he was looking to upgrade as most of his clientele were seeking product in the luxury space.
Though it seemed a good move at the time, that would quickly change when Bob Dyson, then owner of Sotheby’s International Realty franchises in parts of Southern California and Las Vegas, announced in early 2007 that he was closing the Las Vegas office at the end of February. He later closed his Southern California offices as well.
At the time of the Las Vegas announcement, Thornburgh and Northup, who was in his early 50s, decided to make a move to purchase the company. Initially, there were five potential investors, all agents in the Dyson and Dyson Sotheby’s office in Las Vegas, but Northup and his future partner, Thornburgh, were the two that showed up to sign the check.
According to Northup, the total investment needed to get started was about $250,000. This included negotiating a new lease with the landlord for a smaller space, from about 13,000 square feet down to 2,500 square feet, and taking on some of Dyson and Dyson’s other holdings, such as equipment leases.
Northup didn’t reveal the total purchase price.
The nature of buying a failing business brought about other infusions; a few a year in the early times. Northup said he also went from having more than 100 agents to 17 at the time of the purchase.
He’d originally invited 20 of the top-performing agents from the Dyson and Dyson office.
The upcoming move also makes the venture a complete family business. Northup’s son, Kyle, has worked alongside his father for the past several years. The family is originally from Glendale, California, and has been in the Valley for 18 years, Northup said.
As Northup sees it, the cumulative luxury space in Las Vegas is set to grow during the next several years, with new classes of buyers interested in the Las Vegas Valley’s offerings.
Northup referred to one of the new groups of buyers as the preretirement class, which he defined as wealthy individuals wanting to settle into their retirement spot a couple years prior to actually moving in. One of the benefits of making that move is for tax purposes.
Californians looking to avoid the high taxes in their home state also could become a factor, as that group targets Nevada and Texas, Northup said.
Buyers, such as those hunting in Lake Las Vegas, can find the backdrop of the mountainscape and upscale boats sailing across the waters, while being able to hit the Strip anytime to visit upscale shops, such as Prada and Tom Ford, just to name a few.
According to recent data from the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtor’s multiple listing service, Synergy Sotheby’s was No. 4 in sales volume and No. 5 in total number of units moved with a value of $1 million or more in the Las Vegas market from July 2015 to the end of June 2016. The organization holds 4.3 and 3.3 percent of the local market share in those categories, respectively.
Luxury home sales are on the path to a slight run up in 2016. GLVAR reported that there were 186 home sales in the $1 million or higher range through about the end of July. If that pace continues, the market should see an increase of about 3 percent by the end of the year. There were 270 homes sales in this category in 2015.
On all properties considered luxury product in Las Vegas — which are rated at about the $500,000 level — are on a good path in 2016. The number of single-family homes was at 902 at about the end of July, according to the GLVAR. This is already above the entire amount sold in 2015 at 842.
The amount of luxury single-family units sold in 2013 and 2014 was 1,173 and 1,207, respectively.
“We are an emerging luxury market,” said Northup, as he spoke about some of the budding construction in high-end luxury around the Valley. This includes space being sold in MacDonald Highlands in Henderson and Discovery Land Co.’s planned 555-acre project near The Ridges in Summerlin.
Northup will have some local assistance from the national hub in the next couple months. Jon Meschke, vice president, affiliate services at Realogy – Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC for the Pacific region, is moving to Lake Las Vegas in the next couple weeks.
Meschke, who works as a liaison between the Sotheby’s International Realty brand and local franchisees, said the name has spread during the past several years.
His coverage area has included the mountain region, to Hawaii and parts of Canada, but an increase in the number of new offices going up has prompted the creation of two divisions instead of one. His current hub is in Colorado.
Meschke agrees with Northup on the local scene, especially with Las Vegas’ increase in dining, entertainment and tourist traffic. He also agrees that the regional tax advantages are a good driver for growth in the luxury home market.
“We see for the foreseeable future that Southern Nevada is the luxury market that’s going to continue and prosper,” Meschke said.
Northup also sees growth in high-rise product.
In the high-rise space, which Northup expects to grow during the next several years, was at 67 units sold through about the end of July, according to GLVAR. This past year, 164 units were moved at a price of $500,000 or higher. If this pace continues until the end of the year, the total number of high-rise units sold in 2016 will be lower than in 2015, though it’d be closing in on 2014’s number at 140 units.
Synergy International has a separate division known as Vertical that handles this sector.
Overall, Northup doesn’t expect to be at the helm of the biggest firm on the block, but hopes to meet another important goal.
“We’re talking about the most professional, most ethical, most well-connected (firm) internationally, and that’s what we are and what we’re going to continue to be,” Northup said.


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At the beginning of 2020, Xavier University relocated their Recreation Center to be in the Health United Building on campus as part of their affiliation with TriHealth. This affiliation is built around becoming leaders in collegiate health, as well as promoting the eight dimensions of well-being.
“We wanted to create a one stop shop for all things related to well-being for our students, faculty and staff,” said Leslie Dulle, the director of Recreational Sports at Xavier, located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The refresh of the recreation department includes twice the square footage, three fitness studios and new fitness equipment to meet everyone’s needs, including patrons with disabilities or accessibility issues.
“We purchased six Marpo Fitness VMX rope trainers that are located throughout the facility,” said Dulle. “This piece can serve all populations as the seat can be removed to create easy access for someone in a wheelchair. It provides opportunities to increase strength, as well as a fantastic cardio workout.”
Additionally, the facility is outfitted with two StairMaster HIIT upper body ergometers with wheelchair ramps, and a Nautilus Dual Stack Freedom Trainer machine with adaptive hand grips and a large range of motion for arm pieces.
Overall, when choosing fitness equipment, Dulle elaborated variety was a big piece of her vision because she wanted patrons to have options for different wants and needs. “We worked with designFITNESS, G&G Fitness Equipment and Matrix for all of our equipment,” she said. “The students have treadmills, Helix upright and recumbents, ellipticals, striders, arc trainers, and a wide variety of upright and recumbent bikes including the Expresso Bike line. We chose Hammer Strength, Matrix selectorized and the Nautilus Torque Rack for our weight floor and purchased the Marpo Fitness Functional Tire Trainer — which is a huge hit.”
An additional feature added to the fitness equipment is the use of Ecofit, an automated asset management software that allows you to view the health of any piece of fitness equipment that moves, regardless of the vendor. Other software used by the department includes CSI Software, Inc., the facility’s software management system. “We chose to stay with CSI as I am happy with their reporting issue,” said Dulle.
While having collaboration opportunities, a variety of fitness equipment and software to keep track of it all, Dulle elaborated the new location is one of the biggest benefits to the relocation as Recreational Sports is now more central to campus. “The spaces are open and allow a lot of movement and exercise space for all members of the Xavier community,” she said. “We are beyond excited about our new opportunities and are enjoying watching them come to fruition.”


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WELCOME TO The human resources REPORT
Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
Walmart | March 23, 2020
Walmart will hire 150,000 associates through the end of May to work in stores, clubs, distribution and fulfillment centers, it said in a March 19 press release. The roles are temporary, but the company said many could become regular positions. The retailer is accelerating its hiring process from a two-week application cycle to 24 hours for key roles like cashiers and stockers, per the release. Walmart also will give $365 million in cash bonuses to hourly workers for their work during "an un...
DTEX Systems | August 18, 2022
DTEX Systems, the leader in Workforce Cyber Intelligence & Security, has announced the general availability of PULSE Workforce Cyber Intelligence. The first-of-its-kind workforce engagement and intelligence solution, designed with privacy as a first priority, will support digital transformation initiatives and related human capital management programs by enabling IT, HR, and Finance teams to learn from employee engagement with organizational assets and identify opportunities for improved wor...
Egress Software Technologies | February 20, 2020
Egress, the leading provider of human layer data security solutions, today launched its innovative new global brand positioning, including a new website, all centred around its human layer security proposition, as the company continues to dominate in this sector.
The motivation behind the new branding was partly a result of Egress broadening its product portfolio to reflect a wider market offering and to ensure that its message is tightly aligned to its leading presence in the gro...
Merito Group | January 03, 2022
The Great Resignation era of workers are returning to the workforce but not as originally imagined.
"With new priorities and values, Americans are searching for a new job or a new career, which also means becoming an entrepreneur. Companies are shifting their policies to better accommodate hybrid or remote work schedules, as well as bonuses to retain current employees and to hire new ones, Entrepreneurship has always been part of the American spirit. But with so...
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Retail sales are moving to online, as we all know, and could represent half of the UK retail market by the end of the decade. While there’s something to be said for the halo effect: when a shopper is more likely to spend money in a store after buying products from them online, and vice versa, it’s unlikely to fully make up for the British consumer’s overall decrease in interest in the high street.
What then can retailers do to make a trip to the shops less of a chore, and more of a day out? Some stores in the UK have tried anything from live music to home baking workshops, but there’s a piece of technology currently being trialled in stores around the world: Augmented Reality, or AR. While it doesn’t have quite the sci-fi legacy of its big sister Virtual Reality, AR is a wider and more versatile medium, ranging in 2020 from smartphone apps to bulky thousand-pound headsets. But it seems that all kinds of industries have been utilising AR technology in an attempt to entice customers through their doors.
Over the next decade, AR technologies are speculated to contribute a £44.4 billion boost to the UK’s GDP (scaling to £1.4 trillion globally), which when combined with VR represents the fastest growth of any industry over that period. By 2030, it’s believed that over 400,000 British jobs will involve augmented reality in some way, leading the charge along with Germany and Finland. Many of these jobs will be in sectors like healthcare, engineering and education, but as the technology develops, more and more retailers will want a slice of the pie.
Augmented Reality has also been tied into the world of geospatial data, with Google’s new AR mode allowing a user to determine exactly where to go during their journey, to supplement the inbuilt compass which is often confused in large cities. The app sends a simplified image of your surroundings to the cloud, which is then compared with Street View imagery to determine your exact location. There is even a safety feature built in, a warning telling users to only use the mode for brief periods to find their bearings, rather than walk around with their phone held out in front of them.
Some independent artists are experimenting with radical ideas that have the potential to do away with some industries all together. The Fabricant is a digital fashion house, one of many popping up across the world who are attempting to sell clothes that don’t exist. At least, you can’t wear them, but your online persona can, providing the perfect counter to the environmental effects of fast fashion. Indeed, last spring someone paid $9,000 for a virtual dress, perfectly tailored, and perfectly carbon neutral.
Combining this nascent shift in shopper’s tastes with comprehensive crowd sourced location data, 5G hyper-fast internet, and sleeker wearable tech (less Microsoft, more Snapchat), we can picture a high-street reinvigorated with a hidden, digital, experiential overlay: impossible artwork, virtual products, but real people.
Header Image: Microsoft Hololens


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April 2 represents World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), an initiative launched in 2007 to shine a spotlight on autism as a growing global health priority. In conjunction with this national day of awareness, Autism Speaks celebrates its international “Light It Up Blue for Autism” campaign.
It is an amazing site as thousands of iconic landmarks, skyscrapers, schools, businesses and homes across the country come together by shining bright blue lights in honor of the millions of individuals and families affected by autism. Individuals are also encouraged to wear blue to support this important initiative.
According to Autism Speaks, Light it Up Blue:
- Spreads awareness and understanding of autism
- Celebrates and honors the unique talents and skills of people with autism
- Brings attention to the needs of all people with autism
How to Get Involved
To make a difference on this special day, follow these guidelines from Autism Speaks:
Join the thousands of people across the world who wear blue in honor of the millions of individuals and families affected by autism. Take the pledge today!
While you’re wearing blue, don’t forget to take a pic or selfie and post it using #LIUB.
4. Light your home or business blue!
Be counted among the many landmarks around the globe that are going blue on April 2! All you need is a blue Philips lightbulb which you can find at Home Depot. Lighting your home up blue? Register it with Autism Speaks here.
To learn more about Light It Up Blue for Autism go to www.autismspeaks.org/liub


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(Reuters) - Shares of potato-chip maker Utz Brands Inc UTZ.N rose in their New York Stock Exchange debut on Monday after nearly 100 years as a family-owned company, riding on the rebound in investor appetite for new stocks.
Hanover Pennsylvania-based Utz on Friday completed its reverse merger with Collier Creek Holdings, a publicly listed shell company which will be renamed as Utz.
The decision to go public was made in part to prepare for the gradual transition to the next generation of Utz family ownership, according to Chief Executive Dylan Lissette.
“We have a fourth-to-fifth generational movement just as the family was getting older, and rotating from the third generation into the fourth generation then the fourth into the fifth over time,” Lissette, a fourth-generation family member through marriage, said in a telephone interview.
Collier Creek is a so-called special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), a shell company which raises funds in an initial public offering to make an acquisition and take a firm public.
Utz’s stock opened at $18.95, up from Collier Creek’s close of $16.34 on Friday. The stock had pared gains by early afternoon to $16.89. Collier Creek’s stock had already jumped on the back of the deal announcement in June.
Collier Creek had completed its IPO at $10 per share in 2018. The SPAC is backed by veteran dealmaker Chinh Chu and ex-Pinnacle Foods Chairman Roger Deromedi, who will become Utz’s chairman.
Utz reported an 11% jump in pro forma net sales to $242 million for the quarter ended June 28.
“When the lockdowns of the pandemic started in that latter half of March, early parts of April, what it really ended up doing is just increasing demand for snack foods,” Lissette said.
Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru and Joshua Franklin in New York, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Richard Chang
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Severity: Critical Alert
Exit/Entry: International flights in Mauritania to resume Sept. 11. International borders remain closed to commercial passenger travel due to COVID-19.
Alert Begins 04 Sep 2020 11:48 AM UTC
Alert Expires 11 Sep 2020 11:59 PM UTC
- Incident: COVID-19 restrictions
- Location(s): Nationwide (map)
- Time Frame: Indefinite
- Impact: Severe travel disruptions
The government of Mauritania has announced that Nouakchott International Airport - Oumtounsy (NKC) will reopen for internal commercial passenger travel from Sept. 11. Domestic flights resumed July 10. International borders remain closed to commercial passenger travel; freight travel remains permitted at several border crossings but are subject to enhanced inspections. Permitted travelers to Mauritania must present evidence of a negative COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, dated within 72 hours before arrival.
Minimal domestic restrictions remain in place following the easing of measures in July; the use of protective masks is compulsory in all public spaces and public transportation.
Background and Analysis
Authorities previously announced the easing of domestic restrictions nationwide in July, permitting the resumption of intercity travel and the lifting of a nightly curfew, as well as the resumption of public religious ceremonies and the opening of markets and restaurants nationwide.
COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV). Symptoms occur 1-14 days following exposure (average of 3-7 days). These symptoms include fever, fatigue, cough, difficulty breathing, sometimes worsening to pneumonia and kidney failure - especially in those with underlying medical conditions. On March 11, the WHO declared the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments. Plan for queues and delays at available shopping centers.
Emphasize basic health precautions, especially frequent handwashing with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable. Practice good coughing/sneezing etiquette (i.e., covering coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue, maintaining distance from others, and washing hands). There is no evidence that the influenza vaccine, antibiotics, or antiviral medications will prevent this disease, highlighting the importance of diligent basic health precautions.


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The free-to-play RPG game from Chinese studio miHoYo, Genshin Impact was the fastest to gross $ 1 billion on mobile. It easily surpassed games such as Pokemon GO and PUBG.
The popular free-to-play RPG game Genshin Impact, which debuted last year, continues to generate incredible revenues. According to the figures announced by the research firm Sensor Tower, the game managed to generate $ 1 billion in revenue in six months only on mobile platforms. Genshin Impact thus achieved the fastest mobile game record to reach $ 1 billion.
Among the games that Genshin Impact left behind are productions such as Pokemon GO, Lineage M, PUBG Mobile and Clash Royale. It took 9 months for Pokemon GO to reach $ 1 billion in revenue, and 16 months for PUBG Mobile to reach $ 1 billion. Honor of Kings, another popular game on mobile platforms, reached $ 1 billion in 18 months.
Sensor Tower also said that Genshin Impact is currently the most revenue generating game on mobile platforms (not including China). Accordingly, the daily income of the game is around 5.8 million dollars. However, when looking at the profit, it is stated that PUBG and Honor of the Kings are ahead of Genshin Impact.
The countries where Genshin Impact, which has become the most popular RPG of mobile platforms, earned the most revenue were China ($ 302 million), Japan ($ 278 million) and the USA ($ 189 million), respectively.
Developed by Chinese studio miHoYo, Genshin Impact can also be played on PC, PS4 and Nintendo Switch, as well as mobile platforms. The figures in our news belong only to the App Store and Play Store, but we know that the game has also achieved great success on PC, PS4 and Switch. We can say that miHoYo developers are swimming in money right now.


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Ecommerce is developing in leaps and strides around the world. But some areas are experiencing more growth than others, as a report from eBay India seems to show.
According to this particular branch of the huge eBay empire, Delhi has the biggest proportion of active eBay users compared with the rest of India. Mumbai and Jaipur follow on behind, but Delhi has been the clear frontrunner.
The information comes from a report containing data gathered from the middle of 2009 to the same period in 2010, cutting through some of the aftermath of the worldwide recession at the same time. Delhi has always had a keen eBay following among the people who are interacting with the site. But this latest census also shows that other people from smaller areas outside the cities are also becoming more familiar and pro-active as far as the site is concerned.
Selling also seems to be getting more prevalent when it comes to people from India. Lots of sales have been taking place in many different categories on eBay, and they are also showing that Indian people are looking to sell beyond their own country to people in many other worldwide locations.
Broadband is not as prevalent in India as it is in some other countries of the world. But with that said it is definitely becoming more widespread and more people are starting to use it. India is gradually catching up in this sense with other ecommerce hubs around the world.


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Oregon is seeing more international tourists than ever before, and recent projections don’t show any signs of the trend stopping.
In 2017, the state had more than 1.1 million foreign visitors, up 11 percent from 2012. The state collected about $1.3 billion in international spending, up 18 percent from five years ago, according to a report from Tourism Economics, a tourism consulting and research firm.
The Oregon Coast receives about $113 million of those international tourism dollars, falling third in line behind Portland and the Willamette Valley.
Oregon is on track to be the sixth fastest-growing state for international tourism, with analysts projecting up to 23 percent growth in foreign visitors through 2022.
So what is bringing people to Oregon?
“Part of the big draw for international visitors is who we are. They hear about the beauty of this place, the amazing culinary scene, our fresh seafood, what’s being done with our wine and craft beer industries,” said Todd Davidson, the CEO of Travel Oregon, the state agency that promotes tourism.
“What we’re doing in Oregon is working. Yes, we’ve been more aggressive in the international market than ever before, but we couldn’t do it without all of our Oregon businesses and partners.”
There are many factors that contribute to the boom of foreign visitors.
Over the past few years, the number of international flights into Portland has opened the door to countries that otherwise would have never had a convenient way to visit the Pacific Northwest. Partnerships with national marketing organizations like Brand USA have allowed the state to “penetrate markets they wouldn’t have even dreamed of a decade ago,” Davidson said.
But one of the biggest changes to the Oregon tourism landscape has been a significant shift in the number of visitors from Asian countries. Canada has historically accounted for about half of all international tourists and contributes to about one quarter of all international spending.
In 2017, travelers from countries like China, South Korea and Japan comprised a quarter of all of Oregon’s international visitors, but brought in more than $241 million in travel revenue — more than 43 percent of all international spending.
Part of this is due to geography. A robust Asian-Canadian population in Vancouver, British Columbia, acts as a cultural gateway to the Pacific Northwest. But Davidson said the uptick is also due in large part to recent changes in what types of travel visas Chinese citizens can get to come to the United States. Before 2014, Chinese travelers could only apply for a one-year travel visa. Since the 10-year visa was approved, visitors from China have grown 26 percent, from about 53,000 visitors to 68,000 in three years, and have spent 31 percent more in tourism-related dollars.
The longer visa has encouraged more travel to the Pacific Northwest, in particular, Davidson said.
“We know (Oregon) is not necessarily the first destination that comes to mind when people want to come to the U.S. They are going for other destinations, like California or Florida, they’ve seen in TV or movies,” Davidson said. “It’s on the second or third trip to the U.S. we see people seeking out the Pacific Northwest, and on a one-year visa, how many times are you going to go to the U.S. in one year?”
Part of the reason visitors from countries like China spend more in the local economy is because foreign travelers tend to stay longer and spend differently than domestic or Canadian travelers.
“It’s important to invest on that return,” Davidson said.
Changes are on the horizon for the local tourism scene as communities attempt to accommodate the booming Asian market. This year, Travel Oregon has set up a global impact team — consultants who give advice to communities on how to better serve Chinese guests, from more signs and hotel information in their native language to providing more food options.
“Our level of authenticity should never change. We’re Oregon, it’s who we are,” Davidson said. “But are there things we can do to make them feel more welcome? Yes, of course.”


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As the Chinese manufacturers are not present in the export market, India’s mobile phone production is anticipated to witness a $26 billion deficit
In a press conference back on Tuesday, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that India is now moving in the right direction to achieve the set target of $300 billion in electronics manufacturing. According to the minister, the set target is a colossal growth of 20-25 times in almost a decade.
As per the Vision Document 2.0 prepared by the IT Ministry and the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), the nation can reach this value in electronics manufacturing and exports by 2025-26 if product ranges with high potential for scale are shortlisted and move appropriately through policy measures and incentives. But, as the report of CNBC TV 18 authored by Ashmit Kumar, the country’s ambition to meet this target in manufacturing by the stipulated time could be a huge challenge because as per MeitY’s vision document report of 2022, India is likely to meet $225 billion in production.
One of the major challenges is that Chinese manufactures are barred from exports and with the ongoing geopolitical tussles India has undertaken various efforts to depend less on Chinese technology and become self-reliant. Now, as the Chinese manufacturers are not present in the export market, India’s mobile phone production is anticipated to witness a $26 billion shortfall. Commenting on the above report by CNBC, minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted on his official account that there are possible reasons that will hinder India from achieving this target.
According to an exclusive report of IANS, in terms of locally-manufactured mobile phones, India's electronics industry saw a record exports of electronic goods at an estimated Rs 1,85,000 crore in FY22-23 -- compared to Rs 1,16,936 crore in FY21-22 -- marking a whopping 58 percent increase. Industry body ICEA added that compared to any other financial year, mobile phone exports have now created a history in the nation by crossing the $10 billion mark, grabbing an approximate value of $11.12 billion (over Rs 90,000 crore) in this current financial year.
Kumar’s report also highlighted that the country’s electronics industry is still dealing with the challenges to meet the in-house demand and most of the IT hardware products are imported in India, which clearly indicates the current status of domestic electronics manufacturing. Amid this downbeat scenario, there are some positive vibes in a couple of sectors. Automotive electronics, consumer electronics, and wearables have done a tremendous job in grabbing revenue and these are actually contributing to the growth of the industry.


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If you're one of our avid followers or even a new visitor, you might have thought that iResQ services are limited to Apple's iOS devices. While the majority of our services are related to Apple products, we also offer repairs for a variety of non-Apple devices, including the Google Nexus, Samsung Galaxy and HTC EVO smartphones. We also continue to add more phone and tablet models to expand our repair service offerings
As you can see, we recently received a damaged Samsung Galaxy S3 from Lees Summit, Missouri. The owner explained that the phone had been dropped while getting out of the car. When it collided with the pavement, the screen was badly cracked. In fact, upon impact, a web-like pattern of cracks spread across the entire screen.
This type of broken screen issue is a pretty straightforward and common repair, regardless of whether the device is from Apple or powered by Google's Android operating system. We performed a Samsung Galaxy repair, replacing the front panel assembly to get the unit back to pristine operating condition. We wanted to highlight this particular iBreak story to let you know that whether it is your EVO, iPhone or Android phone that is broken, iResQ can fix it.


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Sadia Kamran covers the launch of Olper's Cheese.
National Bank of Pakistan finally takes the plunge.
Plan to establish manufacturing plants in Pakistan by 2020.
Interview with Memosh Khawaja, CEO, Haleeb Foods Limited.
Drops of the Divine documents the development of the milk industry 'from grass to glass'.
EBM ventured into a new snacking category, packaged cupcakes, with the launch of Cake Up.
State Life recently launched a campaign to promote their 'Education Continuation Scheme'.
Lipton partners with TCF to turn around the lives of poor children in Pakistan.
The lab will transform customers’ banking experience by providing increasingly digitised products and services.
In profile: Bioniks, a start-up that provides affordable, quality prosthetics to people in need of them.


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Also in the news...
Forex Market is also known as Foreign Exchange Market or Currency Trading Market.
Obtaining a business license in Italy: what you need to know
The UK has introduced a points-based immigration system.
Find out what you need to do to prepare for making declarations on the Customs Declaration Service.
If youíre setting up a new online business, having a user-friendly website and sound SEO strategy thatís tailored to your target market is important. And if youíre targeting British consumers, there are a few SEO boxes you can tick to ensure you rank well on UK-based searches and drive the right traffic back to your website.
Mexico, the best country in LATAM to do business
Mexico has gone through different facets that have made it the country it is today, with a political and economic stability. Currently, Mexico has global competitive advantages, which make it a totally attractive country for foreign entrepreneurs, such as low inflation, the size and strength of its internal market, its economic rate in growth and its ability to generate advanced manufacturing.
According to the "Doing Business 2017" report, Mexico is the best country to do business in all of Latin America, where it is ranked in the place 47 out of 190, the best position obtained by a Latin American nation.
In addition, Mexico is among the 15 economies in the world for its great market potential, this is because of the competitive costs it offers and for its strategic geographical position.
Mexico has an opened economy by countless Free Trade agreements around the world, guaranteeing the access to international markets of 45 countries like the United States, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, European Union, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Peru, among others.
There are many factors that benefit foreign companies to start businesses in Mexico, including:
- It has an emerging market of more than 100 million of consumers.
- Mexico's access to the EU (Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the European Union).
- NAFTA market reaches almost 18,700,000,000,000 dollars.
- Manifold opportunities for foreign investors such as new structural reforms, good financing and competitive employees
- Modern world-class infrastructure with an approximate investment of 100 billion dollars by the federal government.
- Access to the TTP (Trans-Pacific Partnership Treaty), the member countries represent 38% of the World GDP, 23% of world exports, 11% of the world population and 28% of global imports.
- It is important to mention that Mexico has highly competitive and productive sectors, such as:
- Automotive and auto parts sector that contributes 15% of manufacturing GDP and generates around 645,000 jobs.
- Aerospace sector where Mexico is the sixth largest supplier in the USA industry and generates around 32,600 jobs.
- Technological sector that manages to occupy the third place as an exporter of IT services.
- Agri-food sector where Mexico exported more than twenty-four million dollars in Agri-food products.
- Energy sector where almost a quarter of The installed capacity in Mexico generates electricity derived from renewable sources.
For these and many other reasons, Mexico offers a favorable outlook for foreign investors and the trend to be a global potential economy is growing.
The best way to achieve the success of an organization in other countries is to outsource processes and activities through an expert company in the field, which knows and fully understands the customs and regulations of the country.
Welcome to a new way of doing more with less, welcome to Serviap.


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E-comm giants may face a possible 1% tax on each sale made by sellers on their platforms from April.
According to Myntra’s new CTO Raghu Krishnananda, fashion ecommerce penetration is expected to reach 15% of the total fashion spend in the country in 2020.
The CCI had ordered the probe into Amazon Seller Services and Flipkart Internet, units of the two e-commerce marketplaces, on January 13
The CCI’s arguments come a day after Amazon told the court that the CCI did not have prima facie evidence to order the investigation into it.
Supply crunch in mobiles, TVs & consumer electronics may hit sales figures of ecommerce companies
The company claimed that the allegations of it having exclusive tie ups with smartphone brands was untrue as no such formal agreements exist, questioning the evidence furnished by the CCI’s informant.
The closure marks an embarrassing failure for SoftBank, which is struggling with other investments made by its $100 billion tech fund, including Oyo, Uber Technologies and most notably, WeWork.
The CCI’s order came after a complaint filed by the Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh (DVM), a group representing brick and mortar small businesses.
The prepaid customs and IGST (integrated goods and services tax) model would mean that buying products from foreign websites could become costlier by around 50%.
We have already started exporting from India to neighbouring countries. If everything goes right, we can think of exporting to other parts of the world. But it is a function of two things. One is standardisation, second is incentives, says Xiaomi India MD Manu Jain.
Growth opportunities in new startups, fund crunch prompting top executives to exit ecomm.
The group has also invested over ₹300 crore into this entity — its highest ever — to support this expansion of role, two industry executives said.
Experts said the move will help Flipkart consolidate operations and make its marketing budget efficient.
After Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal questioned the purpose of Amazon India’s 1 billion investments, the ecommerce giant says it is invested in the country and here for the long haul and wants to do the ‘right thing’.
The new proposed levy of 1% TDS on e-commerce transactions could increase burden on sellers.
On Saturday, the union government mandated online marketplaces, which includes companies like Flipkart, Amazon, Uber and UrbanClap, to deduct 1% tax at source
One of Bengaluru’s oldest realtors said he was given a brief by Flipkart through an international realtor to find land for the ecommerce company.
This feature will allow consumers to purchase small ticket items up to Rs 5,000 through a single click payment
Saddy has over 35 years of experience in corporate affairs and government relations, business development and finance
The downsizing came as part of a larger strategy to shut the Mumbai fulfilment centre, halt new store expansion in India and merge its wholesale back-end operations with Flipkart over the next few months.


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Sputnik V tech unsuitable for commercial manufacturing
Hyderabad’s Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has inked a distribution deal with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for Sputnik V, but Indian players in talks with RDIF say the technology is not suited for commercial manufacturing.
It is also learnt that players like Indian Immunologicals (IIL) have opted out of the talks for manufacturing in India. The same could not be immediately verified with the company. According to sources, firms like Serum Institute, Biological E, Zydus Cadila, and IIL were in talks with RDIF.
According to Tass, in the past one month, over 3,000 Muscovites have received the Sputnik V jab.