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Jio Financial Services Ltd.’s quarterly profit doubled in its first set of earnings since it was spun out of Reliance Industries Ltd. as part of founder-owner Mukesh Ambani’s plans to extend his dominance to India’s finance sector.
(Bloomberg) — Jio Financial Services Ltd.’s quarterly profit doubled in its first set of earnings since it was spun out of Reliance Industries Ltd. as part of founder-owner Mukesh Ambani’s plans to extend his dominance to India’s finance sector.
The finance unit, which was listed in August, reported a net income of 6.68 billion rupees ($80.2 million) for the quarter ended Sept. 30 versus 3.32 billion rupees in the preceding quarter, according to an exchange filing Monday. Revenue rose 47% to 6.08 billion rupees compared with the June quarter, it said. Total costs came in at 714.3 million rupees.
Billionaire Ambani is helming the group’s pivot beyond from its oil and petrochemical roots toward more consumer-facing businesses. Asia’s richest person told Reliance shareholders last month that Jio Financial aims to upend India’s $1.8 trillion financial sector — like he did with the local telecommunications and retail industries — by reaching out to those who are underserved or unbanked in the country of more than 1.4 billion population.
Still, replicating Ambani’s playbook of elbowing out competitors in other sectors could prove tougher in finance where competition is intense from banks and various nonbank lenders. Also, lack of banking license bars Jio Financial from accessing low-cost deposits from savings accounts.
Jio Financial’s shares have slipped 9.7% since its tepid listing on Aug. 21. The stock closed at 224.80 rupees a piece on Monday. The earnings were announced after the close of market hours.
Ambani’s Plan to Upend Indian Finance With Jio Lands With a Thud
Jio Financial has hired veteran banker K.V. Kamath as its non-executive chairman and announced a partnership with BlackRock Inc. to set up an Indian asset management venture. It’s also looking for someone to lead its insurance business, people familiar with the talks told Bloomberg in August.
Ambani envisions a super-app like China’s WeChat, which offers online shopping, video streaming and messaging alongside financial services such as insurance, stock trading, a payment service similar to Google Pay and easy access to loans.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.


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The world's two largest holding companies, WPP Group and Omnicom Group, said direct marketing, public relations and promotions helped boost their strong 2000 results. Others, including Interpublic Group of Cos. and True North Communications, are expected to release similar statements this week. Whether the holding companies will continue to report gains this year may depend on how their agencies perform outside the U.S. and how effectively they're able to grow in marketing disciplines beyond traditional advertising.
Omnicom posted a 19% increase in net income and 20% increase in revenue for the fourth quarter, thanks largely to the U.S. market. Net income rose to $142 million, from $120 million in the same period in 1999. Revenue rose to $1.8 billion, from $1.5 billion. U.S. revenue for the quarter rose 37% to $960 million, while international revenues rose just 5% to $843 million. Net income for the 12 months ended Dec. 31 rose 37% to $499 million, while revenue rose 20% to $6.15 billion.
Randall Weisenburger, Omni-com's chief financial officer, noted traditional ad revenue-which makes up 44% of Omnicom's revenue-rose 12% in 2000, while revenue from other marketing activities rose 27.1%. Mr. Weisenburger said Omnicom will start reporting direct marketing and promotion results together in the first quarter.
At a recent analyst meeting, Interpublic Chief Financial Officer Sean F. Orr also stressed that revenue growth opportunities are in the nontraditional ad sector, which he touted as "a more recession-proof proposition than traditional advertising."
While he acknowledged "contrary emotions" among clients going into 2001, Mr. Orr said fourth-quarter new-business gains were "encouraging," citing wins by Interpublic's McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, Campbell-Ewald, Campbell Mithun and Hill Holliday Connors Cosmopulos. Interpublic will release its results Feb. 27; True North will report on March 1.
"The first half of this year is going to be difficult for everybody," Omnicom CEO John Wren warned analysts. But he added the strengthening overseas economies may help alleviate the pain of a slower U.S. market.
WPP Group also posted strong results for 2000. Revenue for the year advanced 37% to $4.52 billion; profits rose a record 43% to $554.5 million, adjusted to reflect the October acquisition of Young & Rubicam.
WPP management forecast a revenue increase of only 7% in 2001 over 2000 when preparing budgets for 2001. But it said early indicators show 2001 ad and marketing spending growth worldwide won't be significantly behind 2000, thanks to stronger economies
outside the U.S. and Western Europe. Those outside markets now account for 18% of WPP's annual revenue.
Net new billings for the year were up 15% to $4.5 billion, with Young & Rubicam contributing $890 million in net new billings. Interactive and nontraditional media made up 54% of the company's revenue in 2000, including Y&R's results for the full year. But Y&R Advertising, New York, the flagship of the Young & Rubicam network, suffered account losses in 2000 that dulled its record. While Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide
had net new billings of $850 million and J. Walter Thompson Co. $615 million, Y&R showed only net new billings of $46 million, hardly better than the $21 million posted by the much smaller Red Cell network.

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Billions of people around the world regularly eat insects but they're not commonly found in Western diets.
That could change because as the Earth’s growing population puts more pressure on global food production, insects are increasingly seen as a viable food source.
Experts say they’re rich in protein, yet can be raised much more sustainably than beef or pork.
EU regulatory changes are making it easier to market insects directly to the bloc's consumers.
Humans may also end up eating more insects indirectly because of the growing market for bug-based based animal feed, after the EU and U.S. approved insect protein for fish and chicken feed.


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Back in December, Honda Yuasa Racing gave us one image of the Civic Tourer entrant it's fielding in the 2014 British Touring Car Championship. Thanks to media days at Brands Hatch and a few photos from Oulton Park, we've got a whole photo album of the elongated Civic that will attempt to continue Honda's BTCC winning ways and shots of drivers Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal.
British Touring Car Championship
We all know that the letters BTCC stand for British Touring Car Championship. But one of those Cs might as well stand for Civic, so dominant has the Honda team been in one of the most competitive tin-top racing series in the world. Honda has taken the manufacturers' and teams' titles in the BTCC for the past four years running, and the championship-winning drivers for the past three years have claimed the prize behind the wheel of a Civic. While that might have proven enough for any other manufa
Would BBC's Top Gear enjoy the same worldwide popularity and near-universal adoration without the silent mystery of its apex-hunting white knight, The Stig? Hard to say in earnest, but we'd like to believe the answer is "no." After all, the Clarkson blarney can get irritating after prolonged exposure, but solving the riddle of the current Stig is always fascinating.
Though its reputation here in the States has been built almost solely on its reputation for safety, Volvo has so much racing heritage that it can realistically create tributes to some of the most historic racing vehicles in its 85-year history. The latest competition-ready Volvo will be on display at the São Paulo Auto Show in Brazil on October 23rd.
It's been five months since we first brought you word that Honda was developing a version of its new euro-spec Civic hatchback for competition in the highly competitive British Touring Car Championship. A month later, Matt Neal took home the title for the Japanese automaker behind the wheel of the outgoing Civic touring car. And just a couple of weeks ago, Honda released a quintet of renderings of the version it is preparing in parallel for the World Touring Car Championship.
If you, like us, were wondering how MG managed to snag Jason Plato away from Chevrolet in the British Touring Car Championship, well you had good reason to wonder. The racecar driver and Fifth Gear co-host had, after all, driven the factory-backed team to both titles in 2010 and landed himself third and his team second just this past season. But you can wonder no more, as the latest news from the BTCC paddock is that Chevrolet has withdrawn from the popular saloon racing series.
The field of cars entered in the British Touring Car Championship has grown incredibly in the last year or two. But as quintessentially British as the series is, few of those automakers represented on the grid are actually, you know... British. But that's all about to change with the latest entry from MG.
Of the many motorsport disciplines in which Lotus is competing these days and will be in the near future, the British Touring Car Championship isn't one of them. And of all the manufacturers taking part in the BTCC, Lotus isn't among them. Which could be why race organizers have solicited the services of the Norfolk, England-based engineering consultancy in regulating the performance between the various cars competing in the series.
After an epic five-way showdown for the crown and a record 30-car field, Matt Neal has won the British Touring Car Championship, becoming the first three-time champion in the series since the '80s. The battle came down to the final three races held this past weekend at Silverstone – the same iconic circuit that hosts the British Grand Prix in Formula One along with countless other top-tier automobile and motorcycle races.
It's not often that the series crosses these pages, but there's no getting around the fact that UK racing fans have enjoyed an unprecedented level of competition in the British Touring Car Championship this year. No season in BTCC history has had a bigger or more varied field of entries, the lead in the standings has changed hands a head-spinning eleven times this season, and with one last stop on the calendar at England's storied Silverstone circuit, it's down to a whopping five-car showdown fo
Of all the new debuts scheduled for the Frankfurt Motor Show – now less than two weeks away – few will proliferate quite like the new European-market Honda Civic. The Old World version of the new Civic has so far only been teased, but the company's UK competition division has already started work on the racing version that will take on the most famous circuits Great Britain has to offer.
The new entries just keep on lining up for the British Touring Car Championship, which is rapidly becoming the most varied racing series in the world. There are already 27 cars based on 13 different models from 10 different manufacturers, but now the touring car series is about to get a 28th, based on a 14th from an 11th, respectively.
You go ahead and try to find a racing series with as high a participation rate as the British Touring Car Championship. With 13 different models from 10 different manufacturers covering 27 entries, the BTCC field is at an all-time high this year. But there's always room for one more.
While archrival BMW may be downscaling its racing program – in touring car series particularly – Audi looks to be going the other way. For evidence, we turn your attention to Exhibit A: a new entry into the British Touring Car Championship for 2011.


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- The Vivo Watch starts this month.
- In a Weibo post, Vivo confirmed the wearable’s launch date and revealed part of its design.
- The wearable will be unveiled on September 22nd.
The Vivo Watch will make its official debut next week, Vivo confirmed in a Weibo post. In a post on the Chinese social network, the company revealed the date in a flyer and also teased part of the device itself.
When you turn up the gamma on the dark image, the visible area of the Vivo watch contains two buttons that protrude from the watch’s seemingly circular case. It is reminiscent of alleged live-action footage of the Vivo Watch published by Leaker Digital Chat Station.
The leaker also showed that two sizes with slightly different designs are expected. The larger 46mm version has more recessed buttons, while the 42mm variant is similar to the Galaxy Watch 3. The Vivo Watch is also said to contain smarts for health monitoring in the form of a blood oxygen saturation monitor and a heart rate monitor.
Vivo’s endorsement of its wearability comes amid a plethora of watch launches from BBK brands. Oppo and Realme have also unveiled their own smartwatches in the past few weeks, with the latter potentially launching another pretty soon. Judging by the certification lists, the OnePlus watch is likely to appear shortly too.
The Vivo Watch will debut on September 22nd at 7:30 p.m. CST (7:30 a.m. ET).
Next: These are the best smartwatches you can buy


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What happens when you cross a psychological barrier? If you’re bitcoin, you see a huge spike above the $1,00o price level and then a break below that threshold. The yo-yo effect must be dizzying for investors. But even while the merits of cryptocurrency get debated on exchanges, where buyers and sellers vote with their bids and asks, be thankful you’re not trading department stores — a retail currency that may be all but broken.
Fulfillment By Amazon
Amazon must be feeling pretty fulfilled right now. In what seems more like a McDonald’s ad — billions and billions served — the company said this week that, in 2016, it delivered more than 2 billion items globally. That’s spiked in part by holiday sales, which grew a whopping 50 percent. Not bad for a company that once was known as a warehouse play.
Remember when gigging meant playing with your band at the local high school dance? Welcome to the new gig generation. New reports suggest that freelancers can support themselves, on their own terms, through a single gig. And the inaugural PYMNTS Gig Economy Index found that the gig economy has outpaced growth across the whole U.S. economy, in terms of employment, up 50 percent in roughly the last decade. And those freelancers might just have enough time to start garage bands to, you know, gig.
Recurring payments are the holy grail of some companies, from software to online newspapers. And the business model is gaining traction, as evidenced by the holiday season, where “the gift that keeps on giving” gave a boost to sales — up mid-teen percentage rates during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, according to Recurly. Not a bad way to have customers stick with you through thick and thin.
Department Stores (Sears and Macy’s)
One day, there may be a museum devoted to the retail concepts of yesteryear, now extinct. Exhibit A might be department stores. If Sears and Macy’s are any indication, real estate alone is no panacea for the business model. Both chains are closing hundreds of stores nationwide. The savings from the store closures will be diverted to boosting online presence. This may be a case of bricks and mortem.
Along with the newly installed Congress and the Trumpian promises to roll back regulations, one casualty may be the privacy rules in place — and data may be up for grabs. Trade groups, lobbyists and the Hill are girding for battle.
Two credit reporting agencies — $23 million in fines from the CFPB. Misleading consumers about the usefulness and cost of credit scores may have been good business for awhile, but trust may have been a casualty.
Bitcoin’s Big New Year’s Sizzle — And Fizzle
It’s not easy managing to be both the biggest sizzle story of the week and the biggest fizzle. It’s even harder a feat to pull off in a short week, since much of the world was off on Monday owing to the new year. But bitcoin has always been remarkable in many regards and thus managed to pull off two big surprises right in a row — all in under four days.
First, bitcoin was up — in a big way. Though the official count over at CoinDesk indicated it didn’t quite manage to tip over its Dec. 2013 levels, by some measure (particularly on Chinese indexes), bitcoin broke its all-time high — a certain sizzle.
But just as bitcoin was hitting, or approaching hitting, the height, gravity came to call and, in a few short hours, managed to shave over 20 percent off the price of bitcoin.
So, what happened, and what happens next?
As is often the case with bitcoin, trying to predict the future is always something of a challenge, and opinions vary. The consensus so far — a little more fizzle than sizzle.
The Big Bounce
Bitcoin’s big rally started with the year 2017 as the price started to dramatically rise during the holiday weekend when the digital currency broke past $1,000 in value on its first day of trading in the new year.
Bitcoin’s official peak was marked at $1,216 per coin in late Nov. 2013, before falling off sharply in the wake of the Mt. Gox hack.
Since Aug. 2015, however, bitcoin’s overall trajectory, while volatile, has been generally upward. In 2016, bitcoin’s value was up 100 percent year over year, with a 50 percent spike in price over the last three months of the year and a 20 percent increase over the back six months.
Overall, bitcoin hit a reported high of $1,153.02 and spent about a day hovering over $1,000.
Bitcoin fans began predicting a big year for the currency in 2017 — the particularly bullish predicting an end-of-year price per bitcoin of $3,000. The more conservative bitcoin bulls placed their bets more in the $1,400 range.
But as it turns out, gravity was quicker to catch up with bitcoin than the bulls were expecting.
Going by CoinDesk’s figures, on Thursday (Jan. 5), bitcoin’s price dropped sharply from $1,150-ish at 2 a.m. EST to $887 by 8 a.m. For those keeping score at home, that is a 23 percent drop in value in about six hours. At one point, bitcoin lost $200 in value in an hour.
As for why the market suddenly went weak, the favored explanation of the day is the increase in value of the Chinese yuan, since China has become a hub for bitcoin activity over the last several years. Bitcoin’s three largest exchanges are located in China, most trading occurs within China and the largest mining pools on Earth are found within China. Moreover, China has two particularly bitcoin-interested classes. One group is speculators, and they are among the most active on Earth. The other group consists of those looking to ship devaluing yuan out of China and exchange them for more stable currency forms. Chinese nationals buy bitcoin with yuan and sell it for dollars on foreign exchanges.
But after weakening for months, this week, the Chinese yuan jumped to its highest level against the dollar since mid-November, after actions by the PBOC to push more liquidity into the Chinese market.
“This is proof that bitcoin tracks the yuan,” a trader at the Chinese bitcoin trading site WhalePool noted. “Welcome to bitcoin.”
“People got wrecked in here,”said another anonymous bitcoin trader from WhalePool. “I’m very underwater.”
So, Now What?
As with bitcoin, it is hard to say. It is a volatile currency that is highly susceptible to volatile situations. In fact, much of what has driven the price of bitcoin up over the course of 2016 has been waves of volatility. Brexit, the surprise election of Donald Trump, the yuan’s (previous) weakness, the banning of high value bills in India — all have combined to make the digital currency more attractive to a variety of buyers.
Moreover, globally, attitudes toward bitcoin adoption and legitimization have softened some over the last few years, and large institutional interest in developing the blockchain for international payments and money transfers has continued to progress.
But will bitcoin hit the $3,000 mark in 2017? Will it really be quite the New Year’s sizzle it was looking like two days into the year?
Probably not. But then, that’s the thing about bitcoin. The next big sizzle or fizzle is often hard to call.


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Just like the case with all cryptocurrencies, things are not looking all that terrible starting at this moment. While things can even now turn around on a dime, a few cryptocurrencies are taking note of little to medium-sized gains.
Bitcoin Cash is among those cryptocurrencies, as its price has expanded to $832 in a previous couple of hours. Such a strong Bitcoin Cash value gain when Bitcoin is slowing down is well worth focusing on.
In the course of recent hours, we have seen the Bitcoin Cash price ascend by 7.08%. That in itself is a fairly fascinating advancement, as it is the main cash in the best 10 to note such strong force starting at the present moment. That doesn’t mean different currencies won’t see what’s coming to them of accomplishment in the days to come, however, yet for the time being, it is apparent BCH will be on a great many people’s radar pushing ahead.
It is additionally fascinating to take note of how BCH has increased 7.45% over Bitcoin itself. Considering how the world’s leading cryptocurrency is going into sideways price momentum at this moment, it is up to alternative currencies to make their blemish on the industry in their own way. Regardless of whether we will see a Bitcoin Cash price of over $900 in the not so distant future, stays hard to anticipate, as the business sectors remain rather unpredictable.
With $440.668m in 24-hour exchanging volume, the demand for Bitcoin Cash is surely present starting at the present moment. Until further notice, the purchasers stay responsible for these markets, yet that circumstance might just change once traders start taking benefits. A 7% gain is more than adequate for small traders to cash out a few benefits en route and search for new opportunities as they introduce themselves in the coming hours and days.
Talking about BCH exchanging volume, HitBTC is the astonishing pioneer now. This trade is well in front of both Huobi and OKEx in such manner, which additionally implies there are no fiat currency pairs in the best three now. That can represent a major issue sooner rather than later, however, for now, it doesn’t seem to hinder the Bitcoin Cash price momentum excessively.
Regardless of whether the Bitcoin Cash price will keep on increasing, remains anyone’s figure. The present momentum is positively set up starting at the present moment; however, the markets are still in a fairly strange state right now. Any positive momentum constructing at the present time may adequately transform into a lofty decrease for no obvious reason.
Until further notice, the Bitcoin Cash price appears to stand its ground above $825, however, anything can happen.


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The city council has promised not to be “heavy-handed” with pubs and restaurants when enforcing the Tier 2 rules which came into effect at the weekend.
The looser restrictions have meant Bristol’s hospitality venues have been able to serve alcohol as part of a ‘substantial meal’ since Saturday (December 19).
But people from different households still cannot mix indoors, so customers wanting a table should be from the same household or support bubble.
This has caused some pub and restaurant owners to worry they could be fined if their patrons lie to them about who they live with.
But Bristol City Council public protection manager Adrian Jenkins has told venue owners and licensees that the authority wants to work with venues rather than punish them.
In a briefing on December 17, just hours after the announcement that Bristol would be downgraded to Tier 2, Mr Jenkins said it was up to the bars and restaurants to check if customers were in a household or bubble and that the council’s team of 16 Covid marshals would be on hand to help.
“You’ve got to use your common sense and do your due diligence,” he said.
“It’s up to the business to check and be reassured by the customer they are from the same household.
“We will be doing some checks with our 16 marshals and enforcement officers.
“We had a meeting with the police and the officers today.
“The approach will be to help you guys, not to go in heavy-handed, but we will have a visible presence, we will have a lot of people out there to help you and others.”
Mr Jenkins said there were exemptions to the regulations around households and bubbles, such as meeting for work purposes, but that did not include work Christmas parties.
“This is not for work parties, so you’ve got to decide what they’re actually doing,” he said.
“If they’re just getting drunk and not looking like they’re having a business conversation, you can use your discretion.”
Responding to concerns about how much onus would be placed on licensees if customers fibbed about being in the same household or bubble, Mr Jenkins said: “We have visited thousands of businesses and we have only issued a handful of fixed penalty notices.”
He said a much tougher approach was taken over the border in Wales where businesses had been shut for relatively minor breaches.
“But in Bristol the approach is to help you guys,” Mr Jenkins said.
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“As long as you’ve done your due diligence and have your questions for customers if you have any suspicions – you might have a checklist of questions you cross off on your bookings system – and it’s a one-off where premises have been caught out by someone lying, I can’t see that we would have to issue a fine.
“If there were a lot of issues and complaints about premises letting too many people in with many not from the same household and there is no due diligence in place, the police would visit with enforcement officers and ask the business what they’ve done and the individuals as well.
“That is the approach we would take.
“As long as you’re doing the reasonable checks, that is all I can ask for.”
Mr Jenkins told venue owners they needed to make it clear to customers before they arrive what the rules are.
“This really deadly illness has not gone away.
“Bristol’s rate has gone down which is brilliant but it could just as easily go back up after Christmas with the social mixing at Christmas.
“Everyone has got to do their bit to keep it going.”
A council spokesman said Covid marshals would be deployed where they were most needed on Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.


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Both major trade segments--children's and adult--were up in April 2016, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Publishers' StatShot Program. While adult sales climbed a tiny 0.1%, sales of children's books for the month were up 12.8%.
Breaking it down by format, for adult titles, the AAP reported that hardcover sales for the month were down 6.6%. Paperbacks, however, were up; sales of paperbacks in April rose by 24.7%, over the same period last year. Mass market sales also rose, by 23%.
On the digital side, adult e-book sales continued slump, down by 21.9%. (In March, e-book sales were down 18.6%.) Downloadable audio was up 20.5%, while physical audio dropped by 6.8%.
In the children's/YA segment, hardcovers hardcovers were down 12.6%, while paperback sales were up 6.7%. Sales of mass market children's titles were down 14.7%. Children's e-book sales also tumbled, dropping 19.4% in the month, over the same period last year. Sale of children's physical audio titles slid, down 26.9%, but downloadable audio in the segment was up 32.2%.
Figures provided reflect sales from 1,205 publishers that report data to the AAP.


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Zoomo spent three exciting days exhibiting at the Food & Drink Expo at the NEC, Birmingham. After several canceled years due to Covid, the excitement shown by all exhibitors and visitors was evident, mirroring the resurgence of the retail world as the world re-opens.
Zoomo’s UK General Manager Nicolas De Juniac was part of a panel discussing the rise of rapid delivery, talking with the co-founder of Jiffy, Marat Bolatov, and retail insight solutions company Lumina Intelligence about what is driving trends across the sector, and the impact it is having on the wider industry.
The discussion highlighted just how much the evolving e-commerce space has changed customer expectations regarding rapid delivery. Today’s ‘Amazon-native’ consumers expect quick, reliable and quality deliveries, with rapid delivery services an extremely profitable and scalable option for modern businesses. Nicolas discussed, to the agreement of the panel, that e-bikes are the fastest and most efficient mode of delivery over short distances, and provide the best option for delivery companies looking to shift into quick-commerce.
Jiffy’s Marat Bolatov also raised the debate between delivery companies employing drivers or utilising the gig economy, and what it could mean for the future of the industry. Despite acknowledging that it is tough to predict what avenue companies will go down, the overriding view from the panel was that if delivery companies are to succeed, they need to protect their riders and manage their fleets better.
Zoomo cares deeply about the conditions of delivery riders, and produces light electric vehicles that are safe, reliable, and theft-proof. Zoomo’s payment options also provide important accessibility and flexibility for couriers. Therefore, whether future quick-commerce players employ riders directly or use the gig economy, Zoomo’s bikes provide the most reliable option for riders to feel safe and in control, both on and off the road.
Speaking to other exhibitors and visitors away from the panel, it was clear that the food and drink industry is witnessing similar key themes:
To utilise these trends, a fleet of e-bikes is the best way for on-demand delivery players to keep their promise of rapid at-scale delivery. If companies need to find a modern, cost-efficient, and sustainable way to deliver their goods, Zoomo’s ‘one-stop’ delivery and fleet management solution is the perfect answer.


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(Adds details from company statement in paragraphs 2, 4)
NEW YORK, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Games maker Nintendo Co Ltd 7974.OS on Wednesday said it will launch a new physical fitness game product called Wii Fit for U.S. shipping in May.
The Wii Fit, which will debut on May 19, will come with a weight-and-motion sensing device called the Wii Balance Board, the company said in a statement.
Nintendo is also planning to launch a new online service in the U.S. in May called WiiWare that will allow game publishers to distribute new titles over the Internet directly to users, instead of on discs.
Early WiiWare games will come from developers such as Square Enix, famous for the role-playing game franchise “Final Fantasy.” (Reporting by Yinka Adegoke and Franklin Paul, editing by Will Waterman and Gerald E. McCormick)


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Ellen Ripley from the Alien franchise is an iconic action hero from an era when Hollywood actually managed to cast women in those roles on a semi regular basis (see Sarah Connor for more details), so we couldn’t have been more excited when we found out that the move studio had designated 4/26 as “Alien Day,” after the planet “LV-426” where the first two films took place.
One of the coolest tie-in promotions for that day was from shoe manufacturer Reebok, who announced they were releasing limited-edition “Alien Stomper” shoes based on the iconic footwear Ripley wore in the film Aliens. Fans around the world were salivating at the thought of slapping a piece of movie history onto their feet. Reebok hyped the shoes on Twitter for weeks until fans were in an absolute frenzy waiting to get them.
But when Alien Day came and fans flocked to the Reebok website, they quickly discovered something strange. “Alien Stompers” — the shoes made famous by one of the greatest female action heroes of all time — only came in men’s sizes.
The first sign of trouble was that Reebok only listed the shoe under “Men’s Classics” — no women’s listing was given. When contacted by webzine Gizmodo, Reebok issued a statement:
The Alien Stompers were released in men’s sizes due to retail demand.
Sure, that makes sense. Men love Ripley, too. But didn’t they think women might want to wear shoes inspired by a classic female character?
Cosplayer Yaya Han summed up the feelings of many female fans.
Even the smallest size, Men's 6, would be 2 sizes too big for me. What makes @Reebok think women don't want to wear Ripley's shoes??
After the story broke wide, Rebook issued a new statement, claiming the previous statement was “unauthorized.” The new statement read:
The Alien Stomper was mis-categorized on our US website as a men’s shoe. While size availability varied by market, the Alien Stomper is a unisex style and was produced in sizes (US Men’s) 3.5 – 12, which is a typical size range for a unisex model.
Currently, we have not found anyone who was able to find a size smaller than a men’s 8 — except Yaya Han, who managed to find a still-too-large men’s 6. So we have our doubts about those smaller sizes ever existing.
Whatever they were thinking, there is no doubt that Reebok blew it this time, taking what should have been a PR slam dunk and turning it into a catastrophe.
Game over, man. Game over.


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The new “Orientation Trailer” for Shiftlings was released and includes some interesting gameplay.
This new title was developed by Rock Pocket Games and published by Sierra. Rock Pocket has developed an interesting new 2D puzzle platformer and it is out of this world. Shiftlings is game about an intergalactic reality show where the contestants must make their way through a deadly obstacle course.
In Shiftlings, gamers will take control of two alien custodians with limited resources and will have to work together to find a way through the dangerous gauntlet. Relying solely on their space suits and a single air hose, the cosmic custodians are in for zany adventures.
Players will have to solve puzzles by inflating and deflating the custodians’ space suits. This wacky duo will have to work together and navigate the levels by changing the weight and size of the pressurized space suits. Look out for electric platforms and stay away from the clutches of murderous robots. Run, jump and float across 50 different levels set in five different planets. Shiftlings is set for release in spring 2015 and will be available for Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC.
Rock Pocket Games is an independent studio from Norway. After making several mobile games, Rock Pocket Games has decided to take their development into the console and PC world. Sierra has spent years publishing indie games as well as big budget games.


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A display expert offers his thoughts on the downside of cloud-based digital signage. Let us know if you agree or disagree.
Health care mHealth solutions won't be fully effective until integrated with digital place-based networks, and vice versa.
Everyone seemed back to normal this week after wading through the typical muck of non-news and specious claims of dominance associated with an big events like ISE and the Digital Signage Expo. And then on Thursday, some real news came out that Wireless Ronin plans to merge with Broadcast International, with Ronin being the surviving entity.
The quick-service behemoth is expanding its in-store digital signage deployments in restaurants across the U.K.
Our year-end coverage for 2013 and look ahead at 2014 begins with Kelsen's sixth annual trends predictions piece.
Seismic shifts in technology adoption are fueling big opportunities for digital signage.
Just a few days ago, Google released the beta version of its new "Web Designer" tool for authoring online ads in HTML5. Like most tools released by Google, it is available free of charge.
Our staff gave it a quick spin and it didn't take long before we were able to come up with beautiful graphics enriched with 3D animation.
Take a look at how interactive digital signage can increase productivity in the workplace.
Another global tech brand enters the market; an old mainstay says it's here to stay; and new technology abounds.
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Digital Signage is interactive, mobile, cloud-ready and video-enabled. In short, it supports most of the major consumer technologies, as well as the majority of the popular online tools.
Signagelive, a global supplier of cloud-based digital signage technology, is demonstrating its full support for Samsung's Smart Signage platform by presenting a system-on-chip version of its technology at the IFA Berlin consumer electronics show, starting today and running through Sept. 10.
The National Lottery of Mauritius is using Signagelive's cloud-based software platform to display dynamically updated content, including lottery jackpots and, earlier this year, FIFA World Cup TV feeds in different locations as part of nationwide project to update its advertising processes.
Menomonie, Wisconsin-based StrandVision Digital Signage today introduced an enhanced "People" database import capability to enable its subscribers to easily add and edit pages that feature employees, associates, members and visitors.
Automated food-service merchandiser Sheehan Brothers Vending has picked Mvix digital signage menu boards for its new Micromarkets (a.k.a. Contemporary Cafes) service, according to an announcement from Mvix.
StrandVision Digital Signage has introduced a visitor and employee communication enhancement that highlights new pages and updates to existing pages with color-coded borders in order to alert viewers that new digital signage content is being displayed, the company announced.
Agence France-Presse, the global news agency, and Valota Ltd., an intelligent visual communication company focusing on digital signage content as a service, announced a partnership agreement giving Valota access to AFP's news content.
Atlantic Canada's biggest city has begun standardizing the delivery of digital signage and place-based media across the region, using ScreenScape Networks for its publishing and management platform.
Saudi Arabia-based technology company 4C Solutions Ltd. has selected BroadSign International LLC's cloud-based digital signage software to power its network coverage of banks in Saudi Arabia, according to an announcement from the companies.
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, in Hagerstown, Maryland, has deployed touchscreen digital signage to inform and engage with museum-goers in the museum's front lobby and in its new Singer Memorial Gallery, according to an announcement from digital signage provider...
Global engineering and technology services company Siemens has implemented digital signage throughout a number of U.K. offices to improve the delivery of their internal communications, according to an announcement from U.K.
Tampa, Florida's Metropolitan Ministries recently deployed digital signage to communicate with volunteers, staff and clientele at its community outreach facility, thanks to donated digital media software services, Android-based media players and network installation from Wondersign, a provider of cloud-based digital...
StrandVision Digital Signage today announced that it is adding a new, no-cost, trivia library to its electronic signage offerings. The trivia is organized by topics, such as sports, food, animals, plants, hobbies and randomly presented as either "factoid" statements and/or...
U.K. based digital signage company Eclipse Digital Media has announced the release of the latest version of its cloud-based digital signage platform, embed signage. The latest version of embed software provides users the ability to push any resolution and orientation...
Cenique, a developer and supplier of Android-based digital signage solutions, and DISE, a developer of software for digital signage, have announced the integration of Cenique's IntelliSense Audience Measurement technology with DISE's digital signage software solution. Cenique's analytics solution, called IntelliSense1.0,...
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Tennessee-based Uboxu LLC is launching what it is calling "the world's first HTML5 computing platform," aimed at "enabling the world’s 5 million Web developers to create business software using standard Web code" -- and is taking a run at the...


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Taipei City Government will set up regulations to mandate the labeling of imported beef products as the legislature sets out to resolve a disputed beef import bill at an extra parliamentary session, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday, defending the central government’s US beef policy and urging the opposition to stop politicizing the issue.
“The Codex Alimentarius Commission has adopted maximum residue levels for ractopamine in beef of 10ppb [parts per billion] and there should be no food safety concerns. The opposition parties should stop politicizing the beef imports issue and resolve the problem as soon as possible,” he said at Taipei City Hall.
Lawmakers are scheduled to address the beef import issue today amid efforts by President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration to relax the ban on imports of beef containing traces of ractopamine by passing an amendment to the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法) during the four-day extra session that began yesterday.
Following the adoption of a maximum residue level for the feed additive in beef and pork by the commission earlier this month, the Ma administration is pressing to relax restrictions on US beef and calling on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to stop boycotting -legislative procedures.
By defending the government’s beef policy before the vote, Hau said the city was supporting the administration’s promise to follow the adopted maximum residue levels for ractopamine in beef, provide labeling on the origin of beef products, adopt separate permits for beef and pork, exclude the import of offal as well as require the labeling of beef products at local restaurants, supermarkets and meat vendors at traditional markets.
Food and Drug Division Director Chen Li-chi (陳立奇), said the department would finalize its regulations on a mechanism for food labeling within a month. The regulations would require local restaurants, supermarkets and shops to post clear signs specifying the origin of their beef products with labels that are A4 size or bigger.
Those who fail to post such labels would be subject to a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000, while those who provide inaccurate information are liable to face fines of between NT$40,000 and NT$200,000.
Nobel Family Steak House vice chairman Stan Lin (林憲輝) said the company has already adopted a food labeling system at all its stores and offered ractopamine examination reports to customers every three months.
Hypermarket chain Carrefour’s national public affairs and services manager Margery Ho (何默真) said the firm had removed US beef products from its shelves at all stores since February, adding that all the store’s beef products are labeled to indicate place of origin.
Chen said the department conducts regular inspections on the levels of ractopamine in meat products every two weeks and would strengthen inspections after the beef ban is officially relaxed.


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UK Annual Inflation Rose to 1.5% in April
By Jason Douglas
LONDON–Annual inflation in the U.K. accelerated in April, fueled by higher prices for clothing and energy.
The pickup comes amid heightened anxiety in financial markets over inflation after consumer prices in the U.S. recorded their biggest annual jump since 2008 as economic recovery revved up.
Consumer prices in the U.K. rose 1.5% on the year in April, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday–twice the rate of inflation reported in March.
The acceleration was in line with economists’ expectations. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey told lawmakers on Tuesday that the central bank had been anticipating a pickup in price growth as the economy recovers from the pandemic, but that any overshoot of its 2% annual target for inflation in the coming months was likely temporary.
Write to Jason Douglas at email@example.com


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US law chiefs sue Sprint and T-Mobile to prevent ‘harmful’ $26bn merger plan
Law officers for two of the biggest US states are leading legal action to stop T-Mobile US taking over Sprint in a $26 billion deal.
Letitia James (pictured), attorney general of New York state, and Xavier Becerra, the law chief of California, joined with eight other state attorneys general in saying that a merger would “cause irreparable harm” to US consumers.
The states of New York and California have around 60 million people between them.
They were backed by attorneys general for seven other states – Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Virginia and Wisconsin, plus the District of Columbia. The total population represented by all 10 law officers is more than 100 million.
“When it comes to corporate power, bigger isn’t always better,” said James. “The T-Mobile and Sprint merger would not only cause irreparable harm to mobile subscribers nationwide by cutting access to affordable, reliable wireless service for millions of Americans, but would particularly affect lower-income and minority communities here in New York and in urban areas across the country.”
She added: “That’s why we are going to court to stop this merger and protect our consumers, because this is exactly the sort of consumer-harming, job-killing megamerger our antitrust laws were designed to prevent.”
Her Californian opposite number, Becerra, said: “Although T-Mobile and Sprint may be promising faster, better, and cheaper service with this merger, the evidence weighs against it. This merger would hurt the most vulnerable Californians and result in a compressed market with fewer choices and higher prices. Today, along with New York and eight other partner states, we’ve filed a lawsuit to block this merger and protect the residents of our state.”
They filed their complaint in the New York federal court, alleging that the merger of two of the four largest national mobile network operators in the US “would deprive consumers of the benefits of competition and drive up prices for cellphone services”.
They said the average US household spends around $1,100 a year on cellphone services. “For many families, especially those with lower incomes, even a small price increase can result in suspension or cancellation of cellphone service.”
They were backed by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), a union representing many telecoms workers. Chris Shelton, president of the CWA, said: “Reducing the number of national wireless carriers from four to three would mean higher prices for consumers, job loss for retail wireless workers, and downward pressure on all wireless workers’ wages. The states’ action today is a welcome development for American workers and consumers, and a reminder that regulators must take labour market concerns seriously when evaluating mergers.”
They were also supported by the Rural Wireless Association (RWA), in spite of Sprint and T-Mobile’s promise that they would expand rural coverage if their merger is approved.
Carri Bennet, general counsel for the RWA, said: “This merger is bad for competition, and it is bad for consumers, especially those living in or traveling through rural areas, who will experience fewer choices, price increases, and substandard service.”
Last month Sprint and T-Mobile told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that a merged company, which has been values at $146 billion would spend $40 billion to build a 5G network that would cover 97% of the US population within three years, including 85% of the rural population. And it would cover 99% of the US population within six years and 90% of the rural population.
Sprint, which is majority-owned by SoftBank, and T-Mobile US, which is majority-owned by Deutsche Telekom, want to create a powerful third operator in the US market to compete with Verizon and AT&T. If the merger were to go ahead, Deutsche Telekom would control the unified operation.


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Consumption of vegetables and fruit every day is very good for health. However, many people consume it with added sugar or sweeteners, making it a high-calorie, fattening drink. According to the nutritionist, Dr. Juwalita Surapsari, M.Gizi., SpGK, there are no guidelines that specifically mention limits for daily consumption of vegetable and fruit juices.
The thing that needs to be a concern is that the juice content can meet daily nutritional needs or not. Make sure that the juice is only an alternative to meet our daily intake of vegetables and fruit.
“Alternative means that fresh food that we consume directly should not be abandoned, it is still eaten. It’s not just the source of the juice.” He expressed this in a webinar entitled Dangers of Wrong Intake amid a Pandemic and Independent Isolation with Rejuve, Wednesday, August 18, 2021.
Some people only consume vegetable and fruit juices to detoxify. According to Juwalita, this is allowed but is limited to a maximum of three days. Because, according to research, it is less likely that we will experience other nutritional deficiencies if we only live it for three days.
In addition, there is an assumption that consumption of vegetables and fruit in the form of juice is considered to reduce the fiber content in them. According to Juwalita, there may indeed be a loss of fiber content by processing vegetables and fruit into juice. However, not 100 percent of the fiber content is lost.
So that drinking juice can still help meet the daily intake of vegetables and fruits, we can combine several vegetables and fruits to get more benefits. Meanwhile, CEO and President Director of Re.juve, Richard Anthony, said the amount of juice consumption depends on the goals of each person.
For detoxification needs, we can consume several bottles a day to meet the needs of fiber and nutrients. During the detox period, a person does not eat other foods, so there is no need to worry about consuming too many calories. However, in a normal diet, fresh juices without sugar, such as Re.juve, can be an alternative to healthy drinks


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After 20 years, we’re finally getting a new game in the mainline Baldur’s Gate series, and with the RPG masters at Larian Studios at the helm of this game, there’s good reason to be excited. Last week, Larian announced that it would be revealing our first look at Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay at PAX East. The big day has finally come, so if you’re looking forward to this game, you might want to check out the reveal.
Thankfully, Larian has made it pretty easy in this case, meaning that you don’t need to be at PAX East to actually watch it. Those of us staying home will be able to catch the reveal on Stadia’s YouTube channel, via the video you see embedded below.
The livestream is set to kick off at 12PM PST/3PM EST, so a little over an hour from the time of this writing. We’re not sure how long the livestream will last, but it seems that this reveal will be part of a larger Larian presentation on Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was originally announced last year at E3 2019. The game was confirmed for both Windows and Stadia, and despite the fact that Larian is streaming this presentation through Stadia’s YouTube channel instead of its own, there doesn’t seem to be any kind of exclusivity deal with Google in place. Presumably, that means we’ll see Baldur’s Gate 3 launch on platforms like Steam and Stadia at the same time, but we probably won’t know that for sure until we get a solid release date.
Will that happen today? We’re not sure – the only thing that’s guaranteed is that we’ll get our first look at gameplay. We’ll let you know if Larian makes any major announcements alongside this reveal, so stay tuned for more.


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We are all familiar with the stereo-type of international companies that ignore Africa when it comes to protecting their trademarks. Searching is difficult, registration takes a long time and enforcement is impossible, so the argument goes. There are several countries in Africa that have good search tools, efficient registration systems and enforcement procedures in place. Yet, the stereo-types stick.
But there is good news. More companies are realizing the importance of African markets and seeking to register their trademarks. A larger desire to register means a more need for trademark tools. Afro-Leo had the opportunity at the INTA Annual Meeting to sit down with Stephen Stolfi of CT Corsearch. Stolfi explained what Corsearch is doing to develop trademark tools for international companies wishing to register in Africa and how attorneys in Africa can help. Here is a summary.
Corsearch uses three different approaches to serve its client’s search needs: watching, searching and screening. Two of these approaches are fairly well developed for Africa and the third is being developed. For all three, Corsearch is building on its experiences and practices on other continents, especially South America.
Because a large number of African countries publish trademark gazettes with all trademarks recently submitted for registration, the watching approach is easily handled by Corsearch. The company reviews all the gazettes from across the country, watching them for marks that might infringe their clients’ mark.
The searching is a little more difficult. Most searching in Africa needs to be done manually, inquiring at the local trademark offices. For searching in Africa, a network of associates who can do on-the-ground searching and report back to Coresearch.
Screening, where clients conduct a search themselves through online databases, is the approach currently most difficult for trademarks registered in African countries. Few African countries have o add as many of the trademarks registered in Africa as possible to the on-line search database, Corsearch uses a hybrid of agents, physical trips to the trademark offices and law firms that have their own databases of country marks registered in the country.
How African IP Attorneys Can Help Build Search Tools for the Rest of the World
Corsearch is interested in partnering with attorneys for on the ground searches and with law firms that have databases of local trademark registrations. The more partners and databases involved, the more trademark registrations available during search. Attorneys who would like to work with Corsearch and firms who would like to licence their databases to Corsearch are invited to contact the company.
Stephen Stolfi has been with CT Corsearch for the past 10 years and is Vice President of Sales and Global Partnerships at CT Corsearch. Afro-Leo thanks Mr. Stolfi for taking the time to discuss the future of trademark searches in Africa.


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Expanding your blended beverage menu offerings likely could satisfy a marked increase in customer demand for these drinks and boost your bottom line. A new online omnibus study by ORC International on the attitudes of U.S. adults in regards to blended smoothie drinks found that nearly one in three respondents purchased a smoothie during February 2013 at a quick service or casual dining restaurant, coffee, donut, ice cream or smoothie shop, convenience store, or some other location. Among these, about half (48 percent) purchased a smoothie at a quick service restaurant.
The study, which provides a snapshot of blended beverage buying habits of U.S. adults, also uncovered the following:
Seasonality drives smoothie consumption away from home
Smoothie buying is not gender or income driven
Smoothie buying over indexes younger (less than 44 years old) with 3+ person households and households with kids of any age
Smoothie shops over index in the West and South and ice cream shops over index in the Northeast and Midwest
Nearly half of respondents report purchasing smoothies in the summer months of July and August
“For businesses that want to build a smoothie or blended beverage clientele, that’s very encouraging news,” said Lisa Klein, vice president of Commercial Sales, Vitamix. “With the rising popularity of smoothies, frozen coffee drinks and sophisticated blended bar beverages, consumers now are demanding cool treats year-round as relaxing indulgences.”
In fact, the survey uncovered even more statistics about the two key drivers in smoothie sales. Respondents wanting to have something cold to drink (45 percent) and liking the taste of a smoothie (44 percent) were leading purchasing drivers. Other drivers included: wanted a snack (26 percent), smoothies are healthier than other drinks (20 percent), location of restaurant (19 percent), wanted to try a smoothie (19 percent), it was discounted or on special (14 percent), loyal to that location (seven percent), other reason (three percent), not sure (four percent).
Vitamix, privately owned and operated by the Barnard family since 1921, manufactures and markets superior blending and mixing products directly to the public and the restaurant/hospitality industry. Vitamix is recognized as a leader in innovation in the direct marketing industry, having created the infomercial genre in the late 1940s and developed the first true commercial blender in the early 1990s. The company’s commercial customer list reads like a “Who’s Who” of major restaurant chains, and gourmet chefs worldwide say their Vitamix machines are more important to them than their knives. Nestled in the valley of picturesque Olmsted Township, Ohio, the company employs more than 700 people, has a global presence in more than 100 countries and continues to win awards for product innovation. For more information, visit vitamix.com.


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Disney has a long, long-discussed streaming service to launch, and by God they are going to populate it with exclusive premium programming. Today, the studio announced that the latest addition to its growing content lineup on Disney+ — the platform’s newly unveiled name — is a Rogue One prequel series focusing on Cassian Andor during the Rebellion’s formative years. And because this is the Disney machine, of course they are getting Diego Luna to reprise his role as the rebel spy. There will be “tales filled with espionage” as well as “daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless empire.”
Director Jon Favreau is developing a separate Star Wars series for the platform, which the studio says will launch late next year, and there are also Marvel-based shows in the works that will reportedly feature super-roster members like Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen. Additionally, Disney will be tapering off its licensing agreements with other streamers to make its own service the exclusive hub for film and television owned by the company, which might soon own 21st Century Fox as well. So, good luck not subscribing!


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Red Bud Hosting Two Coil Processing Seminars
By Metal Center News Staff
on Aug 8, 2018
Red Bud Industries will host two Coil Processing seminars in September. On Sept. 25, the company will hold one at the Doubletree Memphis Downtown Hotel in Tennessee, and two days later RBI will host a seminar at the Doubletree Decatur Riverfront Hotel in Alabama.
Attendees will learn about blanking, multi-blanking, leveling and slitting, along with how to apply new technology, improve tolerances, produce optimum flatness in material, increase safety for employees and maximize overall efficiency.
Featured speakers include Dean Linders, vice president of marketing and sales for RBI; Al Zelt of ASKO Tooling; Jeff Herrell of RBI, who works with companies to provide solutions for coil processing issues; and Michael Karr, sales engineer for Red Bud.
For more information, call 618-282-3801 or visit www.redbudindustries.com.


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If you do already have a collection of physical games for your Xbox One, Microsoft will have a " disc-to-digital" program, according to Thurrott, in which owners will be able to trade in their discs for download codes.
Microsoft declined to comment on this rumor. Microsoft is reportedly undecided on whether Xbox Scarlett will feature a disc drive, though set to make a decision "shortly".
As for the disc-less version of the Xbox One that Microsoft could also be planning for next year, the report says that it could be as much as $100 cheaper than the current Xbox One S, which is usually priced at $299. (They also may have wanted to avoid upsetting game retailers like GameStop and Best Buy.) A Nielsen survey from earlier this year found that 66% of console players still prefer physical media. I'm not quite sure how removing a disc drive would cut costs that significantly, but Microsoft could be doing that to simply get people into the Xbox brand of consoles.
Mike Pence quashes Donald Trump rift reports, Australia/NZ News & Top Stories
A name allegedly mentioned for Pence's theoretical replacement, Trump's unnamed outside advisors told The Times , is Nikki R. However, in private he has been asking aides and advisers if they think Pence is loyal to him, The New York Times reports .
According to their own E3 conference, Microsoft are working on multiple new consoles at the moment and while at least one of them is assumed to be a next gen successor to the Xbox One news has leaked out on what one of the others may be.
We've reached the midpoint of November, which means Xbox Live Gold subscribers can now download two new games for free.
On top of this, Thurrott says that "the company also has a revised Xbox One S SKU that is targeted for later in the year that focuses exclusively on cost reduction but does feature a disc-drive for those who still prefer the traditional way to buy your games".


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Restaurants adding coronavirus surcharge to cover pricier food, PPE
Some restaurants reopening amid coronavirus are charging extra. FOX Business’ Grady Trimble with more.
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As restaurants mostly stay closed and Americans stay home to limit the spread of coronavirus, many people are turning to food delivery to get their grease or sugar fix.
California and Texas residents are opting for bubble tea or crawfish.
MANY IN US WON'T RETURN TO GYM OR DINING OUT: POLL


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Patagonia pulls out of Utah outdoor show amid Bears Ears National Monument battle
The maker of Patagonia has a message for Utah government officials: If you want big outdoor business, act like it.
Patagonia announced this week it will not attend a major outdoor trade show in Utah in response to a resolution passed last week advising President Trump to overturn the newly-designated Bears Ears National Monument in the state.
The resolution, which was signed by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Friday, made it clear to Patagonia that the company could not partake in the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, Rose Marcario, President and CEO, Patagonia, Inc., said in a statement.
“Because of the hostile environment they have created, and their blatant disregard for Bears Ears National Monument and other public lands, the backbone of our business, Patagonia will no longer attend the Outdoor Retailer show in Utah," Marcario said in a statement. "We are confident other outdoor manufacturers and retailers will join us in moving our investment to a state that values our industry and promotes public lands conservation."
In December, former President Obama designated 1.35 million acres in the Four Corners region as the Bears Ears National Monument. The designation was seen as a major victory for Native American tribes, conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts, though seen as a blow to many Republicans and rural groups that worry it will deter energy development.
The twice-yearly Outdoor Retailer has been held in Utah since 1996 and brings the state $45 million in annual direct spending, but that may not be the case for long. The Outdoor Industry Association, which organizes Outdoor Retailer, announced earlier this week it's looking for a new host city that may align more directly with the values of public land conservation held by many in the industry.
“Outdoor Retailer has always been about ‘Right time, right place, right stuff,’” Marisa Nicholson, show director for Outdoor Retailer, said in a press release. “We’ve been listening to the concerns from the industry and agree that it’s time to explore our options.
Patagonia and Black Diamond Equipment founder Peter Metcalf pointed to several examples of the hostile environment in Utah against public lands, including the Bears Ears National Monument designation and a rule proposed in Congress by Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, which would make it easier to transfer federal land to local governments to potentially sell them.
Last month, Patagonia founder and CEO Yvon Chouinard penned an op-ed titled The outdoor industry loves Utah; Does Utah love the outdoor industry?
In the blog post, he pointed to the $12 billion in consumer spending and 122,000 jobs that outdoor recreation creates for the state of Utah each year.
“The outdoor industry creates three times the amount of jobs than the fossil fuels industry, yet the Governor has spent most of his time in office trying to rip taxpayer-owned lands out from under us and hand them over to drilling and mining companies,” Yvon Chouinard said.
Follow Mary Bowerman on Twitter: @MaryBowerman.


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Sustainability Performance Exceeds Perceptions – Sustainability Leadership report 2012
Brandlogic and CRDanalytics have published the 2nd annual sustainability report, available at “sustainable plant”: http://www.sustainableplant.com/2012/10/sustainability-performance-exceeds-perceptions/
“…The 2012 Sustainability Leadership Report reveals an about-face on perceived performance from the 2011 report. Last year, 66 of the 100 brands analyzed had perception scores ahead of their reality scores. This year, while 93 companies increased their real performance scores over last year – sometimes significantly – 68 of the companies saw a decline in their perception scores.”
SAP contiued to expand their leadership position in sustainability.
This report is interesting as it confirms SAP’s own experience as posted here: http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-32225


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Bertelsmann, also known as BMG has announced it’s planning to buy all shares of the once populair songsharing network Napster. The company already bought a large part of the company, but is now after all shares.
Bertelsmann has already loaned Napster an estimated $80 million and has the option to acquire a large stake in the company. Buying Napster outright will reportedly cost Bertelsmann $15 million to $30 million.
Redwood City’s Napster has been shut down since July, following a federal court ruling that its service violated copyright laws. Prior to that, the file- sharing service had been wildly popular as a way to get music by top recording artists for free.
Napster is planning to resume as a subscription service. But it must first get permission to license recordings from the major music labels, whose complaints caused Napster to be shut down in the first place.
“It shows that Bertelsmann believes that there’s hope for salvaging Napster, ” said P.J. McNealy, an analyst for Gartner Inc. “Not only reconciling the lawsuits, but also getting compelling licenses.”
I just wonder, a company like KaZaA makes money with illegal downloads, why can’t a record industry not run software funded by advertising (And I don’t mean spyware) ?


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Here comes Hurricane Florence
Ready or not, heavy home damage is expected on the mid-Atlantic.
By Friday morning, or late Thursday night, Hurricane Florence was expected to smash into the Carolina coast. It’s the most heavily-publicized storm of the season, and retailers mobilized in the days and weeks in advance of the landfall.
As millions flee the coast for higher ground, the weather watchers at Planalytics are estimating $700 million in lost sales for the consumer/retail sector. “Batteries, flashlights, building materials, and bottled water are among the top items finding their way into consumers’ baskets along the Southeast coast,” the company wrote in a press release. It listed “Home centers” to be among the retail winners of Hurricane Florence, along with gas stations and convenience stores.
Extended power outages, flooding, and wind damage are expected to drive demand for clean-up items such as pumps, saws, and lumber.
Even far inland, the storm is having an impact on hardware stores and their customers. In Charlotte, 200 miles from coastal Wilmington and home of the venerable Blackhawk Ace Hardware, the store’s Facebook page explained that a large shipment of generators was sold out in a day. The site referred customers to ReadyNC.org for hurricane preparedness advice.
Both Home Depot and Lowe’s describe their hurricane management efforts as “around the clock.” Lowe’s says it has shipped more than 1,000 truckloads of critical supplies to areas that will be impacted by Hurricane Florence. The company updates its store hours and closing in Carolina here.
At Home Depot’s Hurricane Headquarters, the company says its stores will remain open as long as its safe to keep them opening. Like Lowe’s, stores in Wilmington and Charleston are among those already closed.
In Atlanta, the company’s Disaster Response Command Center is also monitoring Hurricane Olivia that could threaten Hawaii.
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Nio delivered 4,799 vehicles in the third quarter, a 35.1% surge in sales and a positive development for the Chinese electric automaker that has been plagued by cost overruns, a voluntary battery recall and macroeconomic conditions such as declining passenger vehicle sales and reduced EV subsidies.
The company said Tuesday it also exceeded the middle point of its guidance range by 499 vehicles, or 11.6%.
The deliveries sent Nio shares up more than 9%. However, Nio shares, which were trading at $1.69 on Tuesday prior to the market close, are still down some 49% from just a month ago.
In the third quarter, Nio delivered 4,196 of its 5-seater ES6 SUV and 603 of the ES8, its more expensive 7-seater premium electric SUV. As of


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Malware at a payment-card processor was responsible for the theft of details on an estimated 868,000 credit and debit cards used at Goodwill Industries thrift stores, the organization said on Wednesday (Sept. 3).
An independent forensic investigator found no evidence of malware on any internal Goodwill systems, including point-of-sale systems in stores. But malware was found on the systems of a third-party payment-processing vendor used by 330 stores in 19 states and Washington, D.C.
Goodwill did not name the processor, but said the cyberthefts took place during the 18 months between Feb. 10, 2013, and Aug. 14, 2014. All the affected Goodwill stores — about 10 percent of the charity franchise’s 2,900 stores — used the same third-party processor.
Names, payment card numbers and expiration dates were stolen in the breach, but there is no evidence that other customer personal information such as addresses or PINs were stolen.
Goodwill was first notified of a potential breach in July by what it identified as “a payment card industry fraud investigative unit and federal authorities,” which reported that a suspicious pattern of fraudulent charges at big box retailers and grocery chains had been traced back to cards used at the charity’s stores in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC.


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Apple Pushes iOS 4.2.6 to Verizon iPhone 4
Article Comments 35
Feb 10, 2011, 5:33 PM by Eric M. Zeman
Apple made a minor update to iOS available to the iPhone 4 today. The update ensures that the mobile hotspot feature reports data consumption accurately.
Aug 5, 2020
Samsung today announced the Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Watch3, its newest wearable devices. The Galaxy Buds Live are bean-shaped true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation.
Dec 10, 2020
T-Mobile today launched the Inseego 5G MiFi M2000, a 5G mobile Wi-Fi hotspot that supports both low-band 5G (for maximum coverage) and mid-band 5G for faster data speeds in major cities. T-Mobile also launched four new hotspot data plans that include 5G, ranging from $20 to $50.
Jul 22, 2020
Asus has unveiled its third generation ultra-premium gaming phone: the ROG Phone 3. The phone starts with flagship-level specs and pushes even further in every area related to gaming, including battery, display, sound, and accessories.
Mar 30, 2021
Xiaomi today announced its first foldable phone, the Mi Mix Fold. The phone is also the first in the world to use Liquid Lens technology on one of its cameras.
Just launched and Verizon proves that their iphone is worse
New Verizon iPhone Ad


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The move will see visitors to the theme park’s new Safari Hotel encounter Schleich branding alongside the attractions already on offer.
From mid July children who stay in one of the hotel’s premium family rooms will receive a gift from Schleich as a momento of their stay and those eating in the restaurant will see Schleich competition and activity sheets that have been specially created for the hotel.
The partnership will be piloted until the end of 2010 but plans are already underway for greater links between the German toy company and the theme park in subsequent years.
Speaking of the agreement, Gary Wilmot, head of Schleich’s UK sales force said: "This is a fantastic brand awareness exercise for Schleich. The synergy between the new Chessington Safari Hotel and our Wild Life collection could not be stronger and with the hotel accommodating up to 100,000 visitors each year, many of whom are in the age range for new collectors, we expect the partnership to be extremely lucrative for our retailers too."
Jon Fish, marketing director at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort further added: "2010 is an extremely exciting year for Chessington with the launch of our Wanyama Village & Reserve, offering a truly unique African experience in the heart of Surrey. Our guests can wake up to spectacular views of Zebras and antelope grazing on the reserve behind the Safari themed hotel and now, with our partnership with Schleich, they can take home a small piece of Africa too."


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The popular Q&A platform Quora has just released its new AI chatbot, called Poe, for the general public. Poe allows users to ask questions and gets answers from a range of AI-supported chatbots, including ChatGPT Maker, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Poe will provide users with a unique experience to experiment with the latest AI technology. The company also hopes that Poe and new AI technology will ultimately help Quora grow. Quora first announced the launch of the AI chatbot Poe in December 2022; however, at the time, the chatbot could only be accessed with an invite link. Now, Quora opens its new AI chatbot app Poe for everyone. Although the chatbot is only available for iOS users to install, the company plans to introduce the AI chatbot to other devices as well.
Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo explained in a Quora post that the company wanted to launch Poe as a standalone product that is independent of Quora considering how quickly AI technology is evolving and new developments are taking place. However, he also added that there will still be some connections between Quora and Poe. Quora also plans to distribute Poe on its site as well, which will give the AI platform the ability to reach out to Quora’s 400 million monthly visitors; however, this integration remains to be seen and will happen if and when Poe’s content meets high enough quality standards.
When an iOS user installs Poe, they will have to sign up for a new account that is verified with a phone number and a valid email account. Users can then switch between three different AI chatbots that were made available during the launch.
Also Read: Microsoft Teams Premium with ChatGPT
The three chatbots that were released are Sage, Claude, and Dragonfly. Out of these three AI chatbots, Sage and Claude are powered by OpenAI, and Dragonfly is powered by Anthropic technology. However, all three AI chatbots still have various limitations. For example, Sage and Claude both do not know about events that occurred after 2021, and the Dragonfly chatbot may refuse to answer some questions. Also, all three AIs are known to make incorrect statements. These major limitations are one of the prime reasons why Quora does not want to integrate Poe with its official website yet.
A similar concern was raised by The Wall Street Journal in their report on the inaccuracies offered by AIs such as ChatGPT. In their report, they discovered that ChatGPT AI performed fairly badly at simple mathematics problems and gave some entertaining but incorrect responses.
Along with answering user questions, Poe allows you to create a personal profile and follow other users on the platform. Users can also publish model outputs on their profiles, making them accessible to other users. Poe will also share the best examples on the user feed, where users can like and repost the chatbot Q&A session. Users can also move around in the Poe feed, similar to other social media platforms. You can also see what other people have shared on the platform by tapping specific app buttons.
For now, Quora opens its new AI chatbot app Poe, which is available for free download on the App Store for iOS. It, however, remains to be seen how successful this new app will be for the company.
Recommended: Google Reveals ChatGPT Rival Bard


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Fibre2fashion News Desk - China
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On Monday, Uber agreed to a $10M settlement with Chicago following an investigation that found the company had listed restaurants on its food delivery apps, Uber Eats and Postmates, without their knowledge and violated the city's fee cap.
According to the city’s lawyers, more than $5M will pay for damages to the affected restaurants, while $1.5 will reimburse the city for its two-year investigation.
Uber always seems to be engulfed in some sort of scandal, and this latest settlement proves its practice of prioritizing growth over ethics. From mistreating its employees to scamming restaurants, it seems the company may be financially prosperous, but it's morally bankrupt. More needs to be done to keep Uber and companies like it in check.
Apps like Uber Eats can be extremely helpful to restaurants that want to connect with customers who might otherwise be unreachable. Unfortunately, sometimes the company gets too aggressive. But in this case, as in others, it has made financial amends, and hopefully, they’ll be able to continue a fruitful relationship with the restaurant business.


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The largest auto-scandal settlement in US history was just approved. Up to $10 billion in VW buybacks starts soon – Los Angeles Times
A federal judge has approved a $14.7-billion settlement in the Volkswagen emissions-cheating case, the largest auto-scandal settlement in U.S. history.
The deal, approved Tuesday, gives about 475,000 owners of Volkswagens and Audis with 2-liter diesel engines the opportunity to have their cars bought back or modified by Volkswagen and to seek additional cash compensation.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco, who has overseen the litigation against the German automaker, approved the settlement that was proposed in July. He called the deal “fair, reasonable and adequate.”
The VW scandal erupted a year ago when Volkswagen admitted that it had installed “cheat devices” on diesel-powered cars from 2009 through 2015. The devices enabled the vehicles’ engines to emit less pollutants during emissions tests than during normal road use.
The scandal involved nearly 600,000 cars in the United States, including about 71,000 in California, and 11 million Volkswagen vehicles worldwide.
Volkswagen said Tuesday that it would start to implement the U.S. settlement immediately and that it was hiring 900 people to help with the buybacks, including one employee to be stationed at each of its 652 U.S. dealerships.
The automaker also has a website, www.vwcourtsettlement.com, with details about the settlement and instructions for people who own or lease affected cars. Terms of the settlement and a list of the vehicles involved also are available at on the court’s website.
The settlement “is an important milestone in our journey to make things right in the United States,” Hinrich Woebcken, chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America Inc., said in a statement.
Under the settlement, owners of certain 2-liter diesel cars made by Volkswagen in the model years 2009 through 2015 will receive between $12,500 and $44,000 from the automaker to buy back their cars. Leases of those vehicles may be terminated without penalty, and leaseholders also may seek cash payments.
Instead of having their cars bought back, drivers can choose to have VW modify their vehicles to meet emissions standards — once that method is approved by the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency. Federal officials said such a modification does not yet exist, though the company is working on a fix.
Regardless of whether they choose the buyback or modification option, owners will also receive a cash payment of at least $5,100 and as much as $10,000, depending on the model.
The 475,000 cars affected by the agreement include Volkswagen’s popular Beetles, Golfs, Jettas and Passats. Some Audi A3s also are covered.
The agreement does not cover about 90,000 cars with 3.0-liter engines that also had the cheating software. Volkswagen, regulators and consumers’ lawyers are still negotiating a possible settlement for those vehicles.
Volkswagen overall is to spend up to $10 billion to buy back or modify the VW and Audi 2.0-liter diesel vehicles in the United States. The final figure depends on how many car owners take advantage of the offer.
Volkswagen also will pay $2.7 billion into a trust to support environmental programs and reduce emissions, as well as shell out $2 billion over a 10-year period to invest in and promote zero-emissions vehicles.
The automaker reached three separate but related settlements: the first with the U.S. Department of Justice, the California attorney general’s office, the California Air Resources Board and the EPA; the second with the Federal Trade Commission; and the third with owners. The agreements were developed in parallel.
The settlement “sets in motion a public process that will develop a range of projects to mitigate the harmful health effects of smog,” Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, said in a statement.
Elizabeth Cabraser, the court-appointed lead counsel for the VW consumer plaintiffs, said “we are very pleased that the court has granted final approval to this historic settlement that holds Volkswagen accountable for its illegal behavior and breach of consumer trust.”
She said in June that before customers choose to have their vehicles fixed instead of opting for the buyback, they will be notified with full disclosure of any potential effects on fuel efficiency and vehicle performance.
Late last month, Volkswagen agreed to pay its U.S. dealers up to $1.2 billion to compensate them for losses suffered as a result of the emissions cheating scandal.
The dealers are expected to receive about $1.85 million each, but they can choose to opt out of the deal and pursue their own lawsuits against Volkswagen. A judge still has to approve that settlement before it can go into effect.
Times staff writer Ivan Penn contributed to this report.
10:30 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with Times staff reporting.


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Waiters and waitresses will get to keep more of their tips after the Government stepped in with plans to stop restaurants charging an “admin” fee .
The announcement comes after a long campaign by unions to stop high street chains pocketing a chunk of the tip. It could also stop bosses adding a service charge to bills.
But while this is certainly good news for serving staff, it doesn’t do anything to change the weird world of tipping. Critics say it would be better if restaurant bosses just paid everyone better wages in the first place.
Here are some unsettling facts about tips.
1. British aristocrats invented tips
The origin of tips is hazy, but most accounts point to Tudor England, when overnight guests would tip the servants in their host’s home. It soon became part of posh European culture, and later spread to the Americas.
2. Unions used to hate tips
A hundred years ago or so, when unions were fighting for basic workers' rights, many activists hated tipping. They saw it as a way of letting restaurant bosses avoid paying a decent wage, while customers had to cough up. In the United States, unions actually threatened to strike when the Government tried to count tips as part of wages .
3. Each country is different
There's no hard and fast rule about tipping. The United States is a country of tippers, where it’s polite to hand over as much as 20% extra to waiters, taxi drivers and even barbers. But in China you’re not expected to tip at all. In the UK, you’re expected to tip 10-15% at restaurants, if service isn’t included. You can check out different countries’ rules here .
4. Tips aren’t tax free
Technically, you’re meant to pay tax on your tips , and include them in your tax return. But how much tax you pay depends on the situation. If you’re tipped in cash directly by the customer, you pay less tax. If the customer pays by card, it’s your employer’s duty to make sure you’re paying income tax. How much tax you pay also depends on whether it’s a voluntary tip or a service charge.
5. Tips may mean less good food
Tipping traditionally only goes to the front-of-house staff. It rewards a friendly waiter or waitress, but not the poor chef slaving away in the kitchen. And if restaurants wanted to match the tips, they’d have to raise prices even more.
In fact, one top New York restauranteur has banned tipping in order to raise wages for those unseen, unrewarded staff.
6. Some restaurants claw back tips
The Government’s report uncovered a practice where restaurants charge waiters based on how many meals they sell during their shift. They are expected to pay the restaurant out of their tips. But the report found waiters could be forced to pay their bosses out of their own pocket if the tips weren’t big enough.
7. Tips are linked to slavery
In the United States, this was reinforced by the fact that in the past, many restaurant workers were once freed slaves . They were paid nothing and expected to live off their tips. In many countries today (although not the UK), workers receiving tips get a very low regular salary.


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The latest buzz on Final Fantasy Versus XIII hasn’t been good as of late, with rumors even circulating that the title would be cancelled altogether. But according to Kotaku, Square Enix head Yoichi Wada squashed that rumor earlier by turning to Twitter to reassure fans. Wada tweeted:
“There’s someone making a false rumor that Versus was cancelled. Haha…Just a minute ago, the regular Versus meeting ended. If you saw the presentation of the city, it’d knock you off your feet~lol”
Final Fantasy Versus XIII still has no release date, nor has any new information been published on it recently. You can check out one of the game’s old trailers, released by Square Enix almost a year ago, below.


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Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter is reminding Oklahomans the Emergency Price Stabilization Act is in effect for all 77 counties, after the governor declared a state of emergency on Saturday.
The price gouging statute prohibits an increase of more than 10 percent for the price of goods and services after a state of emergency has been declared. Additionally, the act allows the attorney general to pursue charges against individuals or businesses that engage in price gouging.
“Many Oklahomans and businesses are dealing with significant damage from the storms that came through the state over the weekend,” Attorney General Hunter said. “Unfortunately, we consistently see people and businesses come in after severe weather and attempt to prey upon victims. It’s critical Oklahomans are aware of the law and their rights.”
The act is in effect throughout the state of emergency and for 30 days after it has ended. Additionally, the act remains in effect for another 180 days for charges for repairs, remodeling and construction.
Attorney General Hunter said individuals who suspect price gouging should contact the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Unit at (405) 521-2029, or fill out a complaint form, here.
Attorney General Hunter and the Consumer Protection Unit want to provide the following consumer tips when individuals are recovering from a significant weather event or when hiring a contractor:
Never pay for the entire job upfront.
- The majority of reputable companies in Oklahoma will install or build without payment until the job is complete.
Be suspicious of door-to-door solicitations.
- Get a business card and research the company’s history online. Also, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit to see if any complaints have been filed against the company.
Ask trustworthy people for a referral.
- Whenever possible, deal with local contractors who have roots in the community and independently verify addresses.
Receive several written estimates from different contractors.
- Ask each contractor for references where they have completed work.


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Three Windsor residents charged in online cottage fraud scheme
Three people from Windsor are among eight charged in an internet fraud scheme.
The RCMP says the investigation began last October as a result of another probe of fraudulent cottage rentals in 2014.
Police allege the accused posted advertisements for property rentals in popular vacation areas on classified websites. They were paid through email money transfers, even though they did not own or have the right to offer the cottages for rent.
According to investigators, at least 75 people from across Canada were defrauded of more than $68,000.
The victims only discovered the fraud when they arrived at the site with carloads of friends or family.
Twenty-six year old Matthew Jonsson, 21-year-old Tamiwa Kanyenda and 21-year-old Halle Beattie, all of Windsor, have been charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of the proceeds of crime.
The other suspects are from Brampton, Fort Erie, St. Catherines as well as Calgary, Alberta and White Rock, British Columbia.
All are scheduled to appear in a London court in early December.
Anyone victimized by this type of fraud should contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at their toll-free number 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm.


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Ghana is set to hold the first International Bridal and Fashion Expo dubbed the House of Suit International Bridal and Fashion Expo, from Friday, April 14, to Monday, April 17, at the Accra City Hotel.
He stressed the need to create an enabling environment for the development of the wedding and bridal industry in the country, adding that the expo would provide an opportunity for both established and up-and-coming brands in the country to showcase their products to the rest of the world.
“We know there are many businesses in the fashion and bridal industry in the country. These include makeup, gowns and suits, beadmakers, fashion designers, decorators, floral arrangers, car rental service providers, dressmakers, shoe designers, jewellery, hospitality companies among others. The number of exhibitors and visitors that will be attending the event, will provide an avenue to show the rest of the world that Ghana is as good a destination as much as any other part of the world,” he said.
“We will be having foreign countries here so we need to protect the good image of our brand and that of the country. Let’s not forget, the fair provides lots of business opportunities for all participants,” he added.


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Uber today launched a new, 360 degree brand campaign, ‘Bas Socho Aur ChalPado’ to drive awareness about its affordable hailable categories, Uber Auto and Uber Moto, helping people reimagine how they can travel everyday. The campaign celebrates the indomitable spirit of everyday Indians who are resilient aspirers, passionately chasing their dreams, regardless of the odds. The campaign is inspired by real life stories of unstoppable Indians who have the courage to break the status quo and pursue their aspirations.
Commenting about the campaign, SurjoDutt, CCO, FCB India said, “Uber and FCB dreamt a dream together! This campaign was culled out of hundreds of consumer conversations, socio-cultural insights and real life stories, done in TVC and short digital formats with all the entertainment, engagement and duration discipline the formats demand. After a monumental team effort, the output has been even better than what we could have imagined. The ‘go get it’ platform that is so elemental in our Uber Auto and Moto strategy, has come to life in these beautiful, well produced and simple stories. With the customer squarely at the heart of every story and Uber as their mobility partner, the campaign is truthful, simple and engaging. I am hopeful and confident that this will add another shiny layer to this magically human brand called Uber.”
Speaking on the launch of the campaign, AmeyaVelankar, Head of Marketing, Uber India South Asia said, “At Uber, we are constantly reimagining the way we move people for the better. Hailables are a big part of our expansion and growth strategy and within a short span of time, these categories have emerged as the prefered choices of our consumers. Through our affordable hailables product portfolio, Auto and Moto, we aim to make our platform accessible to millions of resilient aspirers in India who are constantly striving to fulfill their ambitions and make life better for their loved ones. Our new campaign celebrates the indomitable spirit of these resilient aspirers by bringing forth their real stories, and how we plan to partner with them in their everyday journey.”


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Pokharelis indulge in int’l cuisines
The Annapurna Post International food festival with the perfect combination of food, music and entertainment all in a single venue began at Pokhara Exhibition Centre on January 25. The two-day event sponsored by the Annapurna Post boasts of numerous delicacies from 10 countries. Thousands of residents of Pokhara and from neighbouring places visited the festival on the first day to try out these delectable food items and have an enjoyable time.
COO of APCA Nepal CU Ananda welcomed the guests to the event and Baliram Prasad Singh, CDO of Kaski along with other guests inaugurated the event amidst a ceremony. Surya Bhujel, Acting President of the Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal Pokhara Chapter, after tasting foods at the stalls, said, “The food items present at the stalls were scrumptious. It is a very well organised festival.”
Naresh Shanker Palikhe who came with his family members and tried out some delicacies said that the food was delicious.
American, Indian, Chinese, Bangladeshi, German, Japanese, Nepali, Arabian, Thai and many other delicacies were offered at the various stalls in the event. According to Dashrath Pandey of Fulbari Resort and Spa, the food items are priced at lower rates than they are usually charged in restaurants. Miresh Adhikari, Marketing manager of Lowenbrau expressed happiness as he received positive feedback from the visitors.
Artistes and bands like Mad Zone, Cholendra Poudel, Bimal Parajuli, Shobhit Basyal, Ujjwal Bhandari, Dharmendra Sewan, Damage Glitters, Kid Soul, Ethos entertained the crowd with their energetic performances. Bingo and other games were also a major attraction of the event, especially for the children.
To make this event successful Brown Filter Kings and Ruslan Vodka have assisted the main sponsor Lowenbrau. The entry tickets for the event are priced at Rs 50 and Rs 25 (for kids under 3 feet). Rs 50 ticket will get Pet Pepsi of 600 ml while Rs 25 ticket will receive a bottle of Slice.


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Xiaomi and Apple have become the latest ones to be hit by the India-China tensions which have been on for some time. In a report by Reuters, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has been purposefully delaying/hindering the import of smartphones since August.
The report states the blocked good includes the latest Apple iPhone 12 devices, and also smart wearables from Oppo and Xiaomi.
The BIS on standard move processes imports within 15 days - however, reports have stated that the paperwork is now taking up to two months to complete. A number of Apple India executives have reassured the BIS that the company will expand its assembly operations in India - but as of current nothing has come out of this communication.
The Reuters report says, "BIS started delaying approvals in August for China-made imports of devices like smartphones, smartwatches and laptops, part of the fallout from deteriorating ties with China after a border clash in June that left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
Since the clash, India has tightened rules for investments from China and banned hundreds of Chinese mobile apps, including from tech giants Tencent, Alibaba and ByteDance. It banned 43 more apps on Tuesday.
When Apple’s new iPhone 12 was caught in the delays, Apple India executives called on BIS to speed its approval up, giving assurances that the company would continue to expand its assembly operations in India, the two sources said."
The Reuters report has stated that some applications for approvals have been pending since September.