text:
Brexit - the EU FMD's painful problem7 Feb 2019
Teething problems are no stranger to the implementation of new regulations, but with the EU FMD, Brexit came like a set of wisdom teeth – late, painful and problematic.
Now, after 5 years of preparation and with the compliance deadline only weeks away, the lack of clarity around Brexit remains an obstacle for pharma companies operating on both sides of the Channel.
So, what does Brexit mean for the FMD?
We ask industry leader - Daniel Tedham, Managing Director, Wasdell Manufacturing a division of the Wasdell Group - about the current state of the exit agreement, the possibility and problems of a ‘no deal’ and the impact on the UK and European pharmaceutical industries.
What will be the impact of Brexit on the FMD?
Tedham: “There is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the impact that Brexit will have on the EU FMD regulations. The date for the UK’s exit from the EU is the 29 March 2019, meaning up until this date the UK will legally need to comply with all EU legislation including the EU FMD.
“The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recently released guidance which outlines an implementation period between 30 March 2019 and 31 December 2020, during which time the UK pharmaceutical industry would continue to meet all EU FMD requirements while the UK authorities work to develop a system that will work alongside the EU’s.”
What are the implications of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit?
Tedham: “While the UK will still have its own Medicines Verification Systems – the UKMVS – it would also need continued access to the European Medicines Verification System (EMVS) to allow the FMD legislation to be fully effective. In the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit this is not guaranteed.
“The logistics of how this will work are not yet fully understood. The political fallout of a hard Brexit could potentially affect patient safety due to reduced access to vital medicines and delays in accessing critical information.”
What are companies doing to ensure operations are unaffected by Brexit?
Tedham: “Many UK-based companies have opted to create contingency plans, establishing a presence in the EU or forming partnerships with third parties to ensure sufficient resource for additional release testing requirements. At Wasdell, we are building a new facility in Dundalk, Ireland to ensure business continuity for our customers. We have also started to develop bespoke alterations to supply chains to ensure minimal impact, regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations.”
Lessons learned from early EU FMD adopters
13 May 2019
Data exchange, investment costs, resources and hardware identified as some of the biggest challenges.Read more
Brexit's trick or treat on patient safety
29 Apr 2019
Despite a delayed Brexit, unpredictability adds further complications to the EU FMD regulation.Read more
Surge of Indian biosimilars market forecast in 2019
22 Apr 2019
India predicted to be one of the world’s ‘fastest growing bio’ hubs in 2019, fuelled by new biosimilars production.Read more
RAPS on delayed Brexit
26 Mar 2019
The post-Brexit regulatory environment continues to weigh heavily on the minds of regulatory professionals.Read more
Sizeable growth potential for global drug delivery and packaging in 2019
19 Mar 2019
Patient-centricity, eco-friendly and smart packaging trends marked as the biggest growth drivers and innovations in 2019.Read more
'Tamper-evident' benefits are evident
28 Feb 2019
2019 will mark Uniplast's debut at this year's edition of CPhI Worlwide in Frankfurt, where it will showcase its expertise in plastic packaging.Read more
All Recipharm facilities ready for EU serialisation, regardless of Brexit
15 Feb 2019
The CDMO invested EUR 35 million into its operations and launched a 3-year programme to provide a compliant serialisation solution for its customers.Read more
Pharmapack report predicts diversification of innovation leading to a rise in licensing and partnering
27 Jan 2019
New report highlights Germany, France and Switzerland as tier-one nations for ‘drug delivery innovation’, and warns the challenge will be to scale-up and approve promising prototypes.Read more
New API screening program strengthens Particle Sciences' nanomilling offering
22 Jan 2019
Advanced formulation techniques such as nanomilling may provide an excellent route to improved bioavailability and enhanced therapeutic effect.Read more
Univercells introduces breakthrough vaccine manufacturing platform
13 Jan 2019
The automated NevoLine bioproduction system that facilitates safer, faster and closed bioprocessing in a much smaller footprint.Read more
Are you a supplier
Here's what we can do for you
- Generate quality leads for your business
- Stay visible for 365 days of the year
- Receive product inquiries and respond to meeting requests directly
- Improve company online presence through Search Engine Optimisation


text:
According to a study by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), consumers are wary of making online transactions for fear that their personal info will be leaked, stolen, or used fraudulently.
In fact, 85 percent of people are significantly concerned about the safety of sending information over the Internet.
They feel like the transmission of info is more risky than the storage and protection of personal facts online.
If there were a way to shop, pay bills, or login to websites without needing to give away any personal or financial information, 96 percent of folks would be interested.
The ITRC is currently figuring out a way to fine-tune a method which, without using personal details, authenticates a transaction and insures payment, allowing an online purchase to go forward.
This method would remove the problems with personal info online since the info needed to conduct business would all be based on anonymous data that becomes useless after a transaction.
(Contact numbers available only to subscribing media or trial media users. You can request samples at the Wireless Flash web site.)
Copyright © 2009 Wireless Flash News Inc. All rights reserved. Wireless Flash® and FlashNews® are registered trademarks of Wireless Flash News Inc.

domain: news


text:
Over the last few years, we've got used to what you might call trickle-down iPhone-nomics. The best new features always hit the 'Pro' models first, then make their way down to the standard version a year or two later. And it sounds like the trend is set to continue in 2023.
New reports suggest that the awesome 48MP camera setup, currently limited to the iPhone 14 Pro, will hit the standard iPhone 15 this year. This means the entire line up could benefit from much higher picture quality and the ability to shoot in ProRAW format. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best iPhone 14 Pro deals available now.)
As spotted by MacRumors, a research note by noted Apple analyst Jeff Pu claims that all four models will be equipped with the 48MP sensor this year. What's more, this year's could be a "new three-stacked sensor that can capture more light for improved image quality."
But it's not all good news. The research note that this new sensor design is "likely facing yield issues that could result in iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus production delays." While the devices are still allegedly on track for September, the idea of a delayed iPhone isn't quite as wild as it might have seemed a few years ago – back in 2020, production issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic pushed the launch of the iPhone 12 from September to October.
While it's great to hear that every iPhone 15 model could benefit from the 48MP sensor, Apple is still likely to want to differentiate the iPhone 15 from the 15 Pro. And if rumours are to be believed, the latter could benefit from an incredible periscope lens offering a much improved optical zoom.
From haptic buttons to a titanium designs, we've head all sorts of curious iPhone 15 rumours so far. Time will tell what's really in store, but in the meantime, be sure to take a look at the best iPhone 14 deals below.


text:
boAt has raised about $2 Mn in this debt funding round
Last week, BAC Acquisitions has committed $2.9 investment in the company
It had earlier raised seed funding of around $872 K from Fireside Ventures in 2018
Consumer electronics startup boAt has raised INR 16 Cr (about $2 Mn) in debt funding from venture lending firm InnoVen Capital. Last week, the company has raised $2.9 Mn in venture debt from Sachin Bansal’s BAC Acquisitions.
Commenting on the fundraise, cofounder of boAt, Sameer Mehta said, “we are delighted to secure a debt investment from InnoVen Capital, as it gives us the opportunity to raise growth capital without diluting equity. As we scale greater heights, we will continue to focus on profitability and sustainable growth while minimizing our cash burn.”
Founded by Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta in 2016, boAt is a consumer technology brand which manufactures electronics products such as earphones, headphones, speakers, sound bars, travel chargers, and premium rugged cables. Its products are made through contract manufacturing in India and China.
boAt products are available both online (Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Snapdeal, etc.) and offline (Croma retail, Vijay Sales, Poorvika Mobiles, etc). The company had earlier raised seed funding of INR 6 Cr. (around $872 K) from Fireside Ventures in May 2018.
boAt claims to have acquired over 1.2 Mn consumers, and is currently selling over 8K units per day at an average of 5 units per minute. It claims to have recorded INR 100 Cr. as gross sales FY18 and is further eyeing INR 500 Cr. in sales over the next few years.
The current size of India’s music industry is $122.2 Mn (including both physical and digital music platforms), showcases the growing demand for not just production but also on how it will be consumed. For example, income from subscription-based audio streaming stood at a staggering $31.6 Mn in India in 2018, a three-fold growth from subscription-based revenue in 2017.
Recommended For You:
The music accessory sector is crowded with a number of well-established brands, including popular brands such as Apple, Bose, JBL, Sony and Sennheiser, Indian players like Karbonn, iBall, Intex and MuVu, along with low-cost chinese products.
According to Inc42 DataLabs, with a total of 27 deals securing $111 Mn funding from 2018 to February 2019, the consumer technology sector looks promising. Industry reports state that the market of Indian appliances and consumer electronics (ACE) reached $31.48 Bn (INR 2.05 Tn) in 2017, making the country one of the largest electronics markets in the world.
Growth Of Consumer Startups In India
Fueled by Modi 1.0 schemes like ‘Make In India’ and campaigns calling for a boycott of Chinese goods; a slew of native consumer brands have gained popularity in India.
Commenting on the growth of consumer goods companies in India, Ankit Agarwal, director of InnoVen Capital, said, “India stands at an inflexion point of an S-shaped consumption curve, where discretionary consumer spending will increase disproportionately with the increase in the national GDP. New-age consumer startups are well-poised to capitalise on this opportunity.”
Consumer startups are already breaking the barriers of traditional distribution channels by adopting omnichannel strategies and are making deeper inroads into the market by innovating and curating products based on consumer feedback, Ankit added.
InnoVen Capital investments in the consumer space include greek yogurt company Epigamia, packaged juice brand Raw Pressery and online meat shop Licious, online luxury tea brand Vahdam Teas and smart lighting company Svarochi.
According to IBEF data, the FMCG sector has grown from $31.6 Bn in 2011 to $ 52.75 Bn in 2017-18. The sector is further estimated to grow at a CAGR of 27.86% to reach $103.7Bn by 2020.


text:
Silver Spring’s Ellsworth Place Lands Anchor Tenants
- Jun 13, 2016
Silver Spring, Md.—Rockwood Capital and Petrie Richardson Ventures (PRV) have announced that all anchor tenant space has been leased at Silver Spring’s Ellsworth Place. The retail center is now home to anchor tenants Burlington Coat Factory, Guitar Center, Marshalls, Michaels, Ross, T.J. Maxx and Dave & Buster’s. A grand reopening of the former City Place Mall is scheduled for the fall of 2016.
Ellsworth Place will house Guitar Center’s fourth D.C. area store, set to open in the spring of 2017. The store will be located on Level Four and include 14,500 square feet of retail space. The new Guitar Center location will benefit from the shopping center’s proximity to one of the region’s largest music venues—The Fillmore Silver Spring—located right across the street.
“We are very excited that within the four years of ownership and redevelopment of the property, we have 100 percent leased the anchor tenant spaces at Ellsworth Place,” Terry Richardson, president & COO of PRV, said in a prepared statement. “Our retail center and the entire downtown Silver Spring area have been in the midst of a cultural evolution, now more rapidly morphing into a vibrant urban center frequented by local residents and visitors from across the Greater Washington Region. With our anchors in place, we are on track for a grand reopening before the holidays.”
The 350,000-square-foot Ellsworth Place is expected to generate roughly $38.4 million in tax revenues over the next two decades. The center will create approximately 807 permanent jobs and 253 temporary jobs during the renovation phase. Ellsworth Place is also projected to generate $175 million in state tax revenues.
PRV and Rockwood Capital purchased the former City Place Mall back in 2012 and invested in extensive renovation work at the site, including improvements to the common areas.
Image courtesy of Ellsworth Place


text:
Washington, January 6 (RHC)-- An assortment of agricultural groups on Thursday will announce the launching of a new coalition to support advanced agricultural trade to Cuba, according to the office of Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D, published by Rusty Halvorson at American Ag Radio Network.
Cramer will speak at the group's public launch event on January 8th at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The newly formed coalition aims to re-establish Cuba as a market for U.S. food and agriculture exports.
"Normalizing trade between the United States and Cuba will increase the ability of Cuban citizens to access affordable food and achieve greater prosperity," Cramer said in a statement.
President Barack Obama announced plans to support commerce and normalization of relations with Cuba on December 17th. The move included efforts to improve financial transactions between the U.S. and Cuba, a change agricultural groups said would help the United States' ability to compete with other nations that trade with Cuba.
Since 2001, selected U.S. agricultural exports have been allowed in Cuba, though a trade blockade that must be lifted via Congressional action remains in place. Cuban commerce and travel has been off-limits to U.S. citizens since 1961.
Members of the new U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba include the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Soybean Association, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Barley Growers Association, National Farmers Union, the U.S. Canola Association, and the U.S. Dry Bean Council, Cramer's office said.


text:
Oct. 28, 2020: Christian Siriano, Elaine Welteroth, Patricia Field and a lineup of celebrity stylists will be curating Housing Works annual Fashion for Action three-day shopping and fundraising event. The Fashion for Action features brand-new designer merchandise and apparel marked down up to 50 to 80% for customer’s perusing, with the proceeds benefitting Housing Works, a New York-based nonprofit helping the community combat against both AIDS and homelessness as well as providing support for LGBQT youth. The event takes place from Nov. 12 to 14 at its Chelsea location and online at https://eshop.housingworks.org with a special virtual kickoff event on Nov. 10.
Oct. 27, 2020: Vans announced its second-annual Vans Checkerboard Day that is coming up on Nov. 19. The holiday champions the power of creative expression and this year especially celebrates the power of creativity in helping address mental health and well-being in communities across the globe. In honor of the day, the brand will be supporting 10 charities from around the world with a $100,000 donation each, totaling to $1 million from The Vans Checkerboard Fund at Tides Foundation or via a direct donation from Vans. For fans, they can support the cause by purchasing a special-edition Vans Checkerboard Day t-shirt or set of Authentics sneakers designed by rVans brand ambassador and artist Geoff McFetridge at Vans.com.
Oct. 13, 2020: Veronica Beard is partnering with the Lung Cancer Research Foundation. From October through December, the brand will will be donating a portion of sales from every online transaction back to the foundation to help find a cure for lung cancer. The designers said, “We are proud to partner with LCRF this quarter for VB Gives Back. The reality that twice as many women die from Lung Cancer than from breast cancer is staggering. As women with family members or friends who have suffered at the hands of this disease, we are committed to helping find a cure.”
Oct. 13, 2020: On the anniversary of its partnership with Charity: Water, Uniqlo announced that it has provided clean water for more than 10,000 people around the world. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, the Japanese apparel and accessories maker used 100% of funds it collected from a 10-cent or 10-euro cent charge for recycled paper bags from customers in the United States and in Europe. The fundraising effort benefits the development of bio-sand filters in Cambodia, rainwater harvesting tankas in India, drilled wells with hand pumps in Malawi and solar-powered piped systems in Madagascar.
Oct. 6, 2020: Bobs from Skechers (the athletic company’s one-for-one charitable shoe line) has hit a new milestone. Recently, the team shipped out 105,000 shoes to kids in need in Lebanon, Romania and Nicaragua, bringing its total number of donations to 16 million pairs, since the project launched in 2011. Skechers has routinely stepped up to aid communities during crisis moments, and 2020 has brought numerous opportunities to contribute. Just this year, the brand has donated to victims of the wildfires in the West, hurricanes in the South, the port explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, and communities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Oct. 5, 2020: Bourbon lovers have another chance to get their hands on Wolverine‘s limited-edition Wolverine 1000 Mile Old Rip Van Winkle boots that sold out last week within hours of the launch. Three pairs of the boots (in sizes 9, 10 and 11) are being auctioned off on eBay now through Oct. 9, along with autographed copies of the book “But Always Fine Bourbon,” a biography of Pappy Van Winkle, founder of the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery in Kentucky. All proceeds from the auction will go to the MikeRoweWorks Foundation Scholarship Foundation to support skilled trades.
Oct. 5, 2020: Lifestride is honoring hardworking teachers with a major giveaway for World Teachers’ Day. Starting on Oct. 5 and running through Oct. 8, the giveback initiative will provide teachers with a total of 500 pairs of the brand’s comfortable shoes for free. To enter, you can visit the brand’s Instagram page or website to nominate a worthy educator.
Oct. 5, 2020: Nordstrom‘s give-back brand, Treasure & Bond, is partnering with nonprofit organizations in five regions to support initiatives that include housing, mental health services and job training for young people experiencing homelessness. The groups include The Ali Forney Center in New York City; Covenant House in Toronto; The Night Ministry in Chicago; YouthCare in Seattle; and Youth Emerging Stronger in Los Angeles. Previously, the brand’s beneficiary changed every year, and it has donated to nationally acclaimed charities such as the YWCA and Boys and Girls Club. “Our new strategy of partnering with smaller organizations in specific regions allows us to connect with the communities where we do business in an impactful way,” said EVP and president of Nordstrom Product Group Jennifer Jackson Brown.
Oct. 2, 2020: Reebok is donating 5% of all kids footwear sales from its United States-based e-commerce site to 10-year philanthropic partner BOKS (or Build Our Kids’ Success) to bring physical activity and wellness opportunities to more children. What’s more, the sportswear giant has joined forces with DSW to bring BOKS’ free physical activity resources to families and educators across the country. For every pair of shoes purchased at a DSW store or the retailer’s website, customers will receive a link to download BOKS fitness calendars.
Oct. 1, 2020: October is Black History Month in the UK. For the month, London-based luxury shoe brand Kat Maconie has partnered up with Black Minds Matter UK and The Loveland Foundation, two organizations that provide mental health resources to underserved Black communities. When using the code, WEMIND on Katmaconie.com, shoppers will not only get 10% off on their purchase, the footwear brand will also split the same percentage of the sale between the two charitable organizations.
Oct. 1, 2020: For its eighth consecutive year, Michael Kors has launched its Watch Hunger Stop campaign with the World Food Programme to provide meals to children in food-insecure areas. To date, the Michael Kors Watch Hunger Stop Program has helped the organization deliver 20 million meals to those in need. Titled Food Is Love – Share Your Heart, the 2020 campaign also features a capsule collection that includes a unisex white pocket T-shirt, $40, and a blue denim tote, $58. Both items are made from responsibly sourced materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester. For every tote and tee sold, the brand will donate all profits to the World Food Programme. Additionally, the campaign features Michael Kors’ own employees as stars of the brand’s annual charitable effort. Visit Michaelkors.com for more details.


text:
The peak days of this year’s holiday shopping season saw substantial year-over-year increases in email marketing volume, according to fresh findings from Experian. The trend was led by a 68% increase in travel emails, along with a 36.4% increase in emails from multichannel retailers.
In particular, email volume on Cyber Monday was 28% higher than during the same period in 2014. Meanwhile, for the peak days from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the Tuesday after Cyber Monday, transactions were 22% higher than those seen last year.
Yet the higher volumes have so far failed to translate to more opens, clicks, transactions and revenue. Despite a nearly 30% increase in volume, in fact, retailers have only been able to match last year’s transaction rates, Experian found. n“When we look at the holiday data, we clearly have a long way to go,” Spencer Kollas, VP of global deliverability services at Experian Marketing Services, notes in a new report.
During the third quarter, email volume rose 24.8% year-over-year, while engagement rates matched or were above those recorded during the same period last year.
Experian also found that flash sales are still effective at driving transactions. In the third quarter, in fact, flash sales had 59% higher transaction rates than the third quarter multichannel retail benchmark.
In addition, revenue per email for flash sales was 29% higher than the 2015 third-quarter multichannel retail benchmark, Experian found.


text:
Red Hat increases turnover and profits
In the latest fourth quarter of its fiscal year, the US-based Linux, virtualisation and middleware maker Red Hat generated a revenue of $348 million (€272 million), which is $51 million more than during the same period last year. The company's result came in slightly below analysts' projections. According to Red Hat's report, the company's net profits increased from $36 million to $43 million.
Red Hat's software subscription revenue increased from $255 million to $303 million. Its training and other services generated $45 million, compared with $42 million last year. Over the entire fiscal year, Red Hat's subscription business generated $1.148 billion, compared with $965 million the previous year. The company's training revenue increased by $13 million to $180 million. Its annual net profits increased from $147 million to $150 million.
The stock market was apparently unimpressed, with aftermarket trading seeing shares down 11 per cent, according to Reuters.


text:
OFGEM have announced they are to reduce the energy bills of one million vulnerable households in February, when they extend their safeguard tariff to customers on standard variable tariffs (SVTs).
The safeguard tariff already applies to customers on prepayment meters, yet Ofgem are now consulting on applying it to SVT customers who receive the Warm Home Discount (WHD).
This move comes as the Government move ahead with legislation for a universal SVT price cap, which reportedly won't be in force until next winter at the earliest.
Yet while Ofgem believe that the safeguard tariff will save customers £120 a year, the regulator state that it will "fall away" once the Government's planned cap comes into effect, leaving the same vulnerable customers at the possible mercy of a cap that might leave room for modes rises.
The announcement of the safeguard tariff comes after a previous winter of high price rises, which have seen the gap between the SVTs and fixed deals of the Big Six providers rise from £70 last November to £109 in July (according to research conducted by challenger supplier Bulb).
Yet when challenger suppliers are brought into the equation, the gap is often even wider, with the distance between British Gas' SVT and the Green Network Energy's one-year fixed tariff, for instance, standing at £280 (£840 versus £1,120).
And what makes this differential worse is that customers on SVTs tend to be older and/or poorer: just the kind of people less able to afford steeper rates.
For instance, Ofgem's 2017 Consumer Engagement in the Energy Market report mentioned the Competition and Markets Authority's database of customers who've been on an SVT for three or more years. It noted, "membership [is] more common amongst younger and older people (16-34s and 65+s), C2DEs, lower income households and infrequent/non-users of the internet".
And this is mostly why there have been calls for SVTs to be capped, yet it's likely that the Government's proposed cap on all standard tariffs won't be enforceable until at least winter 2018.
As such, Ofgem have announced they're to extend their Safeguard Tariff to vulnerable customers on SVTs.
Here, "vulnerable" means those customers receiving the Warm Home Discount, which itself is open to retirees in receipt of the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit. It's also open to those who are on low incomes or get "certain means-tested benefits", which may include any of the following:
And with the Safeguard Tariff, people in receipt of such benefits (and on SVTs) will save around £120 a year, Ofgem expect. This is £40 higher than the £80 a year customers on prepay meters already save thanks to the Tariff, which was first introduced in April.
Speaking of their intention to help customers, Ofgem's chief executive, Dermot Nolan, said, "Ofgem shares the Government's concern that the energy market is not working for all consumers and is determined to reduce the detriment suffered by those overpaying for their energy, particularly those who are vulnerable".
Their hope for the tariff was largely shared by consumer groups, with Citizens Advice's Gillian Guy commenting, "We have long been calling for a safeguard tariff to cap bills for the poorest pensioners and families as a first step, alongside action to protect the millions of other loyal customers paying over the odds on default tariffs".
However, while the potential £120 saving of the tariff will plug the £109 gap between the average SVT and average fixed tariff of the Big Six energy providers, it's dwarfed by the difference between Big Six SVTs and the cheapest possible fixed deals (i.e. from independent suppliers).
For instance, Ofgem themselves admit in their consultation letter that the
"price difference between the average SVTs from the six largest suppliers and the cheapest tariff in the market recently reached nearly £320".
Because of this, the Safeguard Tariff will be no substitute for customers actually engaging in the market and finding the cheapest possible fixed deal, a criticism that may also end up being applicable to the Government's general SVT cap, once it's finally introduced.
In fact, the potential concerns don't stop there, since Ofgem note that the "vulnerable customer safeguard tariff will fall away when the Government's price cap is implemented or by the end of 2019".
And once it's fallen away, the same vulnerable customers may find they aren't as well protected from rises by the Government's price cap.
That's because, as with the original, pre-election plans to cap SVTs, there's a possibility that the absolute cap being proposed will simply prompt suppliers to quickly raise their prices to the upper limit.
Get insider tips and the latest offers in our newsletter
We are independent of all of the products and services we compare.
We order our comparison tables by price or feature and never by referral revenue.
We donate at least 5% of our profits to charity, and we aim to be climate positive.


text:
Think that Apple is set to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack in the iPhone 7? Not so fast…
Numerous reports have suggested that Apple is looking to ditch the headphone jack from its next iPhone, the iPhone 7. We even recently spotted an Apple promotion that pushed Beats wireless headphones rather than its own wired model.
But a new report from China might put a hold to such predictions – or at least raise a few doubts.
Gangzhou-based repair shop Rock Fix has been posting pictures of alleged iPhone 7 components on Chinese social media (via Engadget). One of those components is a Lightning port assembly for the 4.7-inch model.
What’s notable about this piece is that it still has a headphone jack attached to it. Does this mean Apple has delayed its 3.5mm-ditching plans until next year’s model?
Another interesting feature here is the presence of a second SIM slot, which would be a first for the iPhone range. We also see a 256GB memory chip and a dual-lens camera for the 5.5-inch model.
Related: Apple iPhone 7 news, rumours, specs, release date and price
Of course, this is all still just speculation at this point. There are various conflicting rumours going around at the moment about the iPhone 7’s final feature set.
We likely have around three months to wait for Apple’s official iPhone 7 announcement, so you can expect a fair few twists and turns before then.
What do you think? Will Apple ditch the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, or is it too soon? Thoughts in the comments below.


text:
For the first time, it is partnering with Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), Mediacorp’s lifestyle publications and DJs from MediaCorp Radio this Christmas to launch the campaign.
The partnership saw DJs Glenn Ong and Jean Danker from Class 95.0FM, Lynette Tan and Maggie Lim (GOLD 90.5FM), and Joe Augustin and Sarah Tan (Lush 99.5FM), as well as editorial teams from TODAY, Home & Décor, Her World Online, CLEO, and Singapore Women’s Weekly coming together yesterday at the Ikea Alexandra Store to decorate 10 Christmas trees with Ikea soft toys.
The trees will be on display for two weeks at the Ikea Alexandra store before they are auctioned on 2 December for a charitable starting bid of SG$100. The proceeds will go to the Singapore Children’s Society and the ‘1000 Enterprise for Children-in-Need’ project. The auction was initiated to reach out to as many people as possible to help raise awareness and support the campaign.
While it was promoted via traditional media, the campaign has also gone viral, with live feeds being put up via Ikea’s Facebook page. Customers are also encouraged to take photos of the trees and share it on their own social media networks.
Each soft toy purchased at the Ikea stores from 4 November to 29 December will see the Ikea Foundation donate €1 (S$1.50) to fund education programmes worldwide supported by UNICEF and Save the Children.
Irene Lau, regional marketing manager at Ikano Retail Asia, said the programme was launched to better the lives of children in disadvantaged communities from Cambodia to Africa through access to better education.
“This year, the Soft Toy Campaign is made even more special as we try to raise funds closer to home, for our local community,” she said. “We want to help people help themselves to a better everyday life, turning the cycle of poverty into a circle of unlimited possibilities.”
The campaign’s long-term effects are now seen in villages such as in Magadascar, where more than 100,000 children can now enjoy quality lessons through the provision of school materials and with more school facilities built.
The Ikea ;Soft Toy Campaign; started in 2003, and donations have supported more than 94 projects in nearly 45 countries, helping eight million children worldwide.


text:
Style, performance and gas mileage are crucial points when you are shopping for a new car. But don't forget which models hold their value best. That quality will determine your future trade-in value and, if you like to lease, can enable low lease payments now.
Auto website Edmunds.com has announced its annual awards for brands and individual models that hold their value best. At the brand level, Honda Motor Corp. had a double win. Honda won the mainstream award with an average projected retail value of 50.1 percent after five years and Acura took the luxury title with a 45.4 percent value.
"For many shoppers, the long-term value of a car is one of the biggest deciding factors when they're comparing brands and models," says Joe Spina, Edmunds director of remarketing. "These awards make it easier for shoppers to identify the best return on their purchase if and when they decide to sell it down the road."
Edmunds picked individual 2014 model winners by category
Click here for details on winners in seven of the most popular vehicle categories.


text:
Apple and Cisco announced this morning a new deal with insurer Allianz that will allow businesses with their technology products to receive better terms on their cyber insurance coverage, including lower deductibles – or even no deductibles, in some cases. Allianz said it made the decision to offer these better terms after evaluating the technical foundation of Apple and Cisco’s products, like Cisco’s Ransomware Defense and Apple’s iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Allianz found Apple and Cisco’s products offered businesses a “superior level of security,” Apple said in its own announcement about the new deal.
In particular, Cisco’s Ransomware Defense includes advanced email security, endpoint protection, and malicious internet site blocking which can protect an organization against malware, ransomware and other cyber threats.
Meanwhile, the integration of hardware, software and services on iOS devices helps to ensure that each component of the system is trusted, from booting up to installing third-party app, explained Apple.


text:
Mobile phone firm Carphone Warehouse has posted a 5 per cent like-for-like UK sales rise for the third quarter of 2013 (Q3) and increased market share despite a sharp decline in the pre-pay market.
The Group, which operates over 2,000 stores including franchising, posted a 3.1 per cent revenue rise in Q3 as it saw a 15.6 per cent revenue fall in its joint venture with Virgin Group in France.
The company said that the pre-pay market decline was “worse than expected” and fell around 25-30 per cent overall but added it continued to gain market share in both prepay and post pay categories. The retailer suffered a blow late last year after mobile phone network Three announced it would cancel selling its products in Carphone Warehouse stores.
“We remain focused on our multi-channel customer journey, on driving 4G penetration and continuing to make good progress in our partnership relationships and our Connected World Services business,” said Andrew Harrison, CEO.
The firm said it was “very encouraged” by the impact of 4G and expected its momentum to build, despite “challenging market dynamics” across Europe.


text:
NEW YORK, Unites States — Boutique health franchisor Xponential Health has enlisted health membership platform ClassPass to develop into the unique aggregator for all eight of its manufacturers worldwide.
The fast-growing firm, which boasts a portfolio of main manufacturers throughout each vertical of the boutique health house, together with Membership Pilates, CycleBar, StretchLab, Row Home, AKT, YogaSix, Pure Barre and STRIDE, hopes the partnership will enhance its attain, “particularly as ClassPass continues to quickly purchase new company and enterprise purchasers”.
Since coming into the worker advantages house in 2019, ClassPass has secured greater than 2,000 company purchasers together with Fb, Glossier, Google, Morgan Stanley, Beneath Armour, Etsy, Southwest Airways and Gatorade, and Xponential is understandably eager to leverage these relationships.
“Our manufacturers have seen confirmed advantages from ClassPass’s transition from the Limitless mannequin to Credit and the discharge of its stock administration instruments for studios,” mentioned Anthony Geisler, CEO of Xponential Health.
“Given the constructive impression ClassPass has had for our franchise companions, we’re excited to reinforce the partnership,” he added.
Beneath the partnership, particular person subscribers and professionals on employer-sponsored plans will now have entry to Xponential’s exercises. In return, any Xponential studio or franchisee who opts to market in-person or digital health courses by means of an aggregator will achieve this by means of ClassPass.
With nearly 1600 studio areas within the US and Canada alone, and near 4000 franchise licenses bought throughout 10 international locations, that’s fairly the consumer pool for ClassPass, which continues so as to add to the 30,000 train studios, well being golf equipment and wellness suppliers already on its books.
Regardless of navigating a difficult yr, because the health business continues to be impacted by the pandemic, ClassPass CEO Fritz Lanman informed Yahoo that the believes the business to be very resilient. And that ClassPass information exhibits prospects are already demonstrating they are going to return to gyms and studios in areas the place the chance of contracting COVID-19 is low.
“In markets like Australia, New Zealand, South Asian and now some European international locations, reservations are again as much as 60%-70% recovered and rising,” he commented.
Nevertheless, in America and the UK, the place it’s comparatively uncontained, the corporate is just not but seeing that very same stage of rebound, he revealed.
In response, ClassPass continues to take steps to launch new options like out of doors courses, digital streaming and PT periods to cater to new client habits and behaviours.
Learn Extra: ClassPass Helps Health Studios By way of New Streaming Service
With the addition of digital and in-person courses through Xponential, it hopes to achieve one other aggressive edge by offering its company purchasers with an unique that no different company wellness applications provide, the corporate mentioned.


text:
Bonefish Grill company will close 14 locations
The parent company of Bonefish Grill has announced that it plans to close 14 locations of the popular restaurant chain in 2016, according to the company’s fourth quarter earnings report.
Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. cited the decision to close Bonefish Grill locations in its report released Feb. 17.
No specific information was given about which locations, and a company representative said she couldn’t give information about whether the restaurant in Greenville would be affected.
“Closing a restaurant is never easy,” Elizabeth Watts, director of media and community relations for Bloomin’ Brands Inc. wrote in an e-mail. “Out of respect for our employees and being able to share information with them first, we have not yet released the locations.”
The decision to close the 14 restaurants was “based on business performance, and is part of a Bonefish Grill revitalization plan,” Watts said.
Bloomin' Brands, Inc. has four founder-inspired brands: Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. The Company operates approximately 1,500 restaurants in 48 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and 22 countries, some of which are franchise locations. For more information, visit bloominbrands.com.


text:
IKEA has made its first venture into audio products with a collection of Bluetooth-enabled speakers named Eneby. The Scandinavian furniture giant will release its Eneby speakers in two sizes later this month. Each feature fabric-covered fronts, with a simple circular dial detail that has a small light to indicate when
Interested in cutting the cord? USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham breaks down the best cable alternatives on Talking Tech. USA TODAY Visitors look at a US company Qualcomm stand announcing ‘5G’ technology at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, 26 February 2018 (Photo: EPA-EFE/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ) Faster networks, bendable phones,
When you set out to improve conversion rates, where do you focus your attention? Do you obsess over the visitors who leave your website without buying? Hotjar Founder and CEO David Darmanin made that mistake for years—but when he switched his focus and started looking at the users who did
All across the world, large companies are making investments in logo redesigns. At first blush, this may seem like nothing more than simple housekeeping. Every brand should update its identity with time. Brands like Airbnb, Spotify, Google and Pinterest have greatly simplified their logos in recent years.
You can download iTunes … in Windows Store! The days when Microsoft could not mention Apple have been left behind. The Microsoft Store has announced the arrival of iTunes to its Windows Store application store, which means that the 500 million users of Microsoft’s new operating system will have access
The Daily Northwestern Lee: Watch the spacing between your letters The Daily Northwestern I’m sure that the tracking is accurate, and every letter in SOURCE is spaced out equally, but the combination of the equilateral hexagon symbol in the background combined with the highly symmetrical typeface only reinforces the absolute
Most people will upload images on Facebook for the purpose of sharing them with their friends and connections. I recently had a client that was concerned about the amount of different social media channels that she had to update. She recognised that there was an overlap in the content requirements.


text:
Downtown South Bend businesses offer specials for Smart Streets launch
The City of South Bend and downtown businesses will celebrate the launch of the Smart Streets conversion Monday, offering a range of specials. The Smart Streets project will turn downtown's one way roads into two ways.
Cafe Navarre: 10 percent off all food, all day
Chicory Cafe: 10 percent off all food, all day
Fab Forty Maternity: 10 percent off all retail purchases
Fiddler's Hearth: 10 percent off all food, all day
Hair Crafters: Free paraffin bath on hands with any paid service at during the first April 5 through 9.
Memorial HealthWorks! Kids' Museum: $1 off general admission
Idle Hours Bookshop: 10 percent off all city planning books
Inspire Me: 10 percent off all purchases
LaSalle Grill: 10 percent off all food, all day
Laura Johnson Skin Care and Massage: 10 percent off all products and 15 percent off all appointments booked on Monday (Either in person or online). Appointments must be scheduled to take place within next three weeks and can be scheduled online from ljskincareandmassage.com.
Le Peep: 10 percent off all food, all day
Michiana Brewer's Supply: 12 percent off entire store
South Bend Brew Werks: 10 percent off food bill for anyone who comes in and writes down on a note card why they think Smart Streets is going to be awesome.
South Bend Woodworks: 20 percent off any product. Use coupon code Mikes2016. southbendwoodworks.com
Tapastrie: 10 percent off all food, all day.
Therapeutic Indulgence: 10 percent off Monday's yoga classes and 10 percent off retail products all day (Mention Smart Streets when you come in to get your discount)
Woochi Japanese Fusion & Bar: 10 percent off all food, all day


text:
It has been reported a number of times before, yet, BMW remained tight lipped about the launch date of the 8 Series. June 15 will be the day we get to see the revived model in full for the first time, as the 24-hour race of Le Mans kicks off, with the race car based on the 8er taking part in it. The BMW M8 GTE will be racing in the legendary event but that’s not going to be the main attraction.
There’s more to this M8 – 8 Series marketing ploy than meets the eye at first. According to BMW, the road car was developed starting with the race car as a canvas, if you will. The new luxury sports car was developed parallel to the BMW M8 GTE with which BMW Motorsport will again take to the Le Mans starting grid the next day for the first time since 2011. For the Le Mans event, BMW will be fielding two M8 GTE race cars.
The debut of the production model will also bring out a couple of new tech tidbits for those more inclined to the mechanical side of things. For example, the drive and suspension technology of the new 8 Series benefit tremendously from the experience gained from motor racing. Profound motor sport expertise is concentrated in particular in the new BMW M850i xDrive Coupe, which will come with ‘a new V8 engine’ according to BMW. Our sources tell us it’s a new iteration of the 4.4-liter V8 N63 mill so don’t get your hopes up for a new 4-liter mill.
Intelligent four-wheel drive, controlled rear axle differential lock, Integral Active Steering, adaptive M suspension technology Professional featuring Active Roll Stabilization and 20-inch light alloy wheels boasting high-performance tires all complete the M850i xDrive package which is probably what we’re looking at in the teaser photo published by the Germans today. “There isn’t be a better setting for the world premiere of the new BMW 8 Series Coupe than the 24-hour race at Le Mans,” said Klaus Fröhlich, board member of the BMW AG, Development, speaking about the upcoming unveiling. “The race is a pure demonstration of passion, dynamics and long-distance capability. These characteristics define our new sports car in a special way.”


text:
Google is planning to reintroduce Google Play Services to China this year, according to one of its partners. Chen Xudong, Senior Vice President of Lenovo Group and President of the Lenovo Mobile Business Group, laid bare the Mountain View company’s plan. Google had pulled most of its products and services out of the country in January 2010.
Chen (via 9to5Google) said that Google plans to re-enter the world’s most populous nation at some point this year with Google Play Services. He didn’t share a firm time-line, however. He also didn’t share any other details on the matter.
Reuters reported in November that Google was aiming to launch the China version of the Google Play in 2016. According to publication’s sources, the search giant was working on building an app store that was not connected to the overseas versions of Google Play. The report added that Google would use the app and content store as the launch pad for bringing its other products and services in the country.
When Google pulled its services out of China in 2010, it cited unwillingness to comply with the local government’s censorship laws as the reason behind the strategic move. Over the years, the company’s executives have shown their desire to re-enter China, one of the biggest markets in the world.
While Google’s apps and services are currently missing from China, Android continues to be the dominant mobile operating system in the country. The OS exists in the form of custom ROMs based off the AOSP, or Android Open Source Project version of Google’s mobile operating system, not requiring Google Mobile Services (GMS).


text:
WASHINGTON – A trio of government agencies will share oversight responsibilities for the production process of cell-based food for human consumption, according to a March 7 announcement from the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA). An agreement between the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Dept. of Health and Human Services spells out each agency’s role in regulating food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry.
According to a formal agreement between the FSIS and FDA states that the two agencies will work together to oversee the process of developing and commercializing cell-cultured products and enforcing regulations focused on food safety and labeling of the products. According to the formal agreement, the FDA will oversee cell collection, cell banks, and cell growth and differentiation.
“A transition from FDA to FSIS oversight will occur during the cell harvest stage,” according to a statement from the USDA and FDA. “FSIS will oversee the production and labeling of human food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry.”
“Consumers trust the USDA mark of inspection to ensure safe, wholesome and accurately labeled products,” said Mindy Brashears USDA deputy undersecretary for food safety. “We look forward to continued collaboration with FDA and our stakeholders to safely regulate these new products and ensure parity in labeling.”
FDA’s recently appointed Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, Frank Yiannas, said, “We recognize that our stakeholders want clarity on how we will move forward with a regulatory regime to ensure the safety and proper labeling of these cell-cultured human food products while continuing to encourage innovation. Collaboration between USDA and FDA will allow us to draw upon the unique expertise of each agency in addressing the many important technical and regulatory considerations that can arise with the development of animal cell-cultured food products for human consumption.”
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) lauded the team approach to regulating this new generation of products as they enter commerce. NTF President Joel Brandenberger said joint oversight is the logical approach.
“Today’s formal agreement appears to address the concerns expressed by NTF members and other meat and poultry producers,” he said. “NTF applauds the teams at USDA and FDA for their commitment to a joint process, and we look forward to working with both agencies moving forward. This is just the first of many steps in developing a regulatory framework, and NTF will continue to be an active voice in this discussion.”
The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) also endorsed the agency’s agreement, saying it affirms the association’s position in comments and testimony to the agencies.
“The framework announced today will ensure cell-based meat and poultry products are wholesome, safe for consumption, and properly labeled,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “We support a fair and competitive marketplace that lets consumers decide what food products make sense for them and their families, and this agreement will help achieve these goals by establishing the level playing field necessary to ensure consumer confidence.”


text:
The scheme approved 16 applications with an incentive outlay of Rs 36,440 crore in its first round
Under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for large scale electronics manufacturing, mobile manufacturers produced goods worth Rs 35,000 crore and invested Rs 1,300 crore in the December 2020 quarter, notified the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in an official statement.
The PLI scheme approved 16 applications with an incentive outlay of Rs 36,440 crore in its first round. Of these, 5 companies fall under the Global Champions category, 5 companies under the Domestic Champions category, and 6 companies under the Electronic Components category. The scheme will provide companies with an incentive of 4 to 6 per cent on incremental sales for a period of five years subsequent to the base year.
Companies whose proposals have been approved include Samsung and Rising Star. Apple’s suppliers Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron have also been approved.
“Apple (37 per cent) and Samsung (22 per cent) together account for nearly 60 per cent of global sales revenue of mobile phones and this scheme is expected to increase their manufacturing base manifold in the country,” read the statement.
Lava, Bhagwati (Micromax), Padget Electronics, UTL Neolyncs and Optiemus Electronics were among the Indian companies approved under the scheme. These companies, added the statement, are expected to expand their manufacturing operations in a significant manner and grow into national champion companies in mobile phone production.
The statement further explained, “Over the next five years, the scheme is expected to lead to a total production of about INR 10.5 lakh crore. More than 60 per cent of production is expected to be exported. The scheme is also expected to bring in an additional investment of INR 11,000 crore. Value addition is expected to go up from 20-25% presently to 35-40% by 2025.”
The statement added that additional employment of 22,000 jobs was generated during this period and the scheme envisages to generate approximately 2 lakh direct employment opportunities in the next 5 years along with the creation of additional indirect employment of nearly 3 times the direct employment.


text:
While Sephora’s fragrance department has lagged behind the growth of its beauty and skincare departments, the global fragrance industry is set to grow 3.6 percent between now and 2020. To bulk up its department, Sephora, which is expected to make $4.4 billion in revenue this year, is borrowing strategy from its beauty category, which is believed to account for 60 percent of the retailer’s business, according to market estimates. (Fragrance, meanwhile, is said to account for 10 percent.) According to McDonald, Sephora’s approach to beauty is to educate customers to empower purchases. In fragrance, it has built out digital tools to create perfume profiles for customers, laid out buying guides online and set up in-store demonstrations to help customers identify their best scents. That includes the Sephora Fragrance IQ, an online or in-store quiz that accounts for scent notes like floral or fruity, and other fragrance characteristics, to match customers with a selection of perfumes best suited to their preferences. The method takes after Sephora’s Color IQ, a tool that scans customers’ skin tones and matches them with a number corresponding to the right shades of foundation.
Sephora’s IQ programs are useful for giving customers a reason to keep returning to the retailer, acting like a modern loyalty program.
In some stores, Sephora has begun rolling out “InstaScent” stations (formerly called “Poof”) that lets customers smell isolated notes to figure out which core scents they like best and learn more about the 18 different “scent families.” According to Banwart, the educational process helps customers make up their minds. Similarly, in the beauty category, Sephora has begun installing video tutorial stations that help customers figure out how to master different makeup looks. McDonald said that helping to make sense of beauty and fragrance products pushes customers to purchase.


text:
Which is why he and the Neighborhood Restaurant Group are resurrecting EatBar on Thursday, in the former Kraze Burger space on Barracks Row. The rebirth comes nearly a decade after EatBar originally debuted in Arlington in 2006. (Both Tallula and EatBar closed in 2014 after lease negotiations fell apart.)
"EatBar is where Red Apron was kind of created. We did all the butchering at Tallula to be sold at EatBar," says Anda as he added the final touches to his opening menu.
EatBar in Arlington was also where Anda, the budding charcuterie maker, learned an important lesson about cold-smoking hams in a converted freezer. "You don't have to resurrect that story," the chef advises about the appliance that went up in flames. "That was a long time ago."
Yes, that was a long time ago, and Anda has come a long way in his butchering and curing skills. The new 44-seat EatBar will be the latest NRG spot to confirm Anda's status as the preeminent charcuterie maker in the District. The menu format will be similar to the previous one — heavy on snacks and cured meats — but the reimagined EatBar will showcase Anda's new chops. (See the full menu below.)
Like his rolled beef belly, which is marinated in Dijon mustard, garlic and rosemary and then allowed to dry. Anda slowly roasts the belly overnight, incorporating the resulting juices into a housemade jus. The beef is then finished on the grill and served with the jus. Anda is also serving a Red Apron-branded rookworst, a smoked sausage that he describes as the "Belgian version of Andouille."
"I created that for the guys at the Sovereign," Anda says about the Belgian restaurant that NRG recently opened in Georgetown. "And then I just kept it."
Eventually, Anda plans to add a plate of pork skin noodles with meatballs, but the technique required to produce the piggy pasta will require more kitchen training. "I'm going to go a little slower with that," Anda says.
The new EatBar will channel the spirit of the old one in many ways. Wine will continue to play an important role. NRG wine director Brent Kroll has selected 100 bottles for the menu, including sherries, lambruscos and orange wines. Thirty wines will also be available by the glass. The 18 rotating taps and 3o-plus bottle list, curated by NRG's beer director Greg Engert, will mix local brands with U.S. craft brews and international selections. There will be a full bar, too, which will focus on the bitter, amaro-based drinks that Anda likes.
The bar itself might look familiar to former EatBar dwellers. It's a section of the zinc bar that used to grace the Arlington location. The 100-disc jukebox is also back in service. Both had been mothballed until NRG could jumpstart EatBar.
Jukebox selections will be printed on the back of the menu, but unlike the meal, the music will be free. "We're going to try to get people to limit themselves to maybe three selections," says Michael Babin, founder of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group.
Yeah, good luck with that.
"I know," Babin sighs. "There are a few down-tempo things on here that I hope people don't play until it's, like, nap time."
Speaking of music — and Anda and Babin's affection for it — the revamped EatBar features a wall constructed out of old cassette tapes. There are about 7,200 cassettes on that wall, which was meticulously arranged to spell out "Eat" with white-colored boxes.
"Nate's cassette selection got sacrificed for the project," Babin jokes.
EatBar opens Thursday at 415 Eighth St. SE. Hours: 4 to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 4 to midnight Friday and Saturday. www.eat-bar.com.


text:
ONGO Framework acquires Hyderabad-based Hockystick Media in a cash-plus-equity deal.
A premium digital marketing agency founded by ex-Googlers Shrikanth Katkurwar, Abhijit Gogoi, and Ambujam, Hockystick Media has quickly carved a niche for itself by leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliverend-to-end digital marketing solutions. It has worked with several SMEs and high-growth start-ups from India, in addition to supporting digital agencies across the US and the UK.
Speaking on the acquisition, Rama Kuppa, Founder & CEO – ONGO Framework, said, after having served thousands of customers and multiple Channel partners, we observed that most companies feel challenged in leveraging and promoting their digital assets. Strategically, Hockystick acquisition is aimed to fill this gap.
Going forward, Hockystick team would be involved in helping more business owners with new customer acquisition, establish their brand, drive campaigns to get desired ROI , conduct trainings etc. In fact, our channel partners would also need Hockystick services to streamline their digital marketing and lead generation efforts.
The Hockystick acquisition comes close on heels of a $1 million angel investment. Mitesh Majithia, serial entrepreneur and seasoned angel investorwho had initially invested in ONGO Framework in 2016 has been instrumental in this angel funding. Angels who participated in this round of funding are Paras Parekh – Director at Credit Suisse, Rishi Chohan – SVP a Virtusa, Anilkumar Narsingrao – VP at Cowen and Company, Haresh Keswani – Director at Celgene, Naveen Harjani – VP at Allaince Bernstein, Rasesh Thakore – Founder at Unravel Advisors, Srinivas Adhikari – Businessman, Raj Basu – VP at ITC Infotech and brothers Sunil and Pranil Kanderi who sold their company Mokriya to Nagarro. The Director of Strategy & Growth at ONGO Framework, Mitesh is also the Co-founder of YNew and has invested in high- potential start-ups such as Mart Jack, PaySwiff and Sollers, apart from ONGO. He also engineered the Hockystick acquisition.
Having been bootstrapped in the initial phases of its growth, ONGO Framework will use its latest capital infusion for driving its talent acquisition, technological innovation, and marketing efforts. It will also be looking to tap into the growing demand for digital transformation solutions from SMEs in emerging markets across the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as from more mature economies such as the US.
“We are also delighted to have an experienced industry veteran such as Mitesh Majithia on board as an angel investor. He is a very hands-on investor who assists his investee companies with fundraising, strategic direction, and business networking. With him guiding our long-term vision and operations, we are confident that ONGO Framework will continue to grow exponentially and become the preferred digital transformation and technology partner for businesses around the world,” Rama added.
Mitesh Majithia said, “As a leading low-code/no-code and Rapid Application Development Company based in India, ONGO Framework has a unique competitive edge. It understands the market requirements of emerging economies and also has state-of-the-art technological capabilities to fulfil the demand from businesses in more mature economies such as the US. I am convinced of its long-term growth prospects and am looking forward helping the company realise its massive innovation potential through my experience.”
With the Hockystick acquisition, ONGO Framework will now cover the entire gamut of digital development and marketing services for its clients, providing them with 360-degree solutions for their digital transformation and online growth. It is now complementing its array of tech-led solutions such as app Development (Android/iOS/web), ERP, CRM, etc. with full-service digital marketing services like SEO, social media marketing, content marketing, paid ads marketing, and email marketing. Hockystick will also continue to function independently under its brand name.
“Both ONGO and Hockystick share a synergistic vision and have been leveraging innovative tech-led solutions to help businesses stay ahead of the technological curve. Our respective core competencies in development and marketing also complement each other very well.
We are confident that this association will be a stellar success, and will drive both companies onto a higher growth trajectory under the ONGO Framework banner. With the current book of business, we are on track to surpass an ARR of $1 million in this financial year and are targeting to be at an ARR of $10 million by March 2020. Digital revenues should contribute around 25% to our total revenues,” Rama said of the operational integration between ONGO Framework and Hockystick.
Shrikanth Katkurwar, Cofounder & CEO – Hockystick, said, “Hockystick was established with the vision to empower businesses with digital marketing solutions that allowed them to focus solely on their core business without having to worry about their ROI. Joining forces with ONGO Framework is a major shot in the arm for this vision and will enable Hockystick to access better business opportunities and provide technology solutions to its clients. We aim to establish Hockystick as one of the largest digital marketing companies in the Indian market by joining hands with ONGO Framework.”
Soon ONGO Framework and Hockystick will also launch a ‘Tech & Digital Growth Incubation Platform for Start-ups’. The initiative is aimed towards providing technological and digital marketing support to early-stage start-ups that lack development/marketing expertise and funds. ONGO Framework has also recently initiated its global expansion plans, setting up a joint office in Dubai with Hockystick to capitalise on the rapidly-growing digital market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The company is also in the process of setting up regional offices in the US and the UK in order to cater to businesses in these markets.


text:
Virgil Abloh’s final Louis Vuitton collection to be presented Tuesday
The fashion designer passed away at age 41 after a two-year battle with a rare form of cancer.
Following the passing of Virgil Abloh, the beloved menswear designer for Louis Vuitton and founder and CEO of Off-White, the French fashion house will “pay tribute to the life and legacy of a creative genius” by showing his spring-summer 2022 collection this week in Miami.
Abloh passed away at age 41 after a two-year battle with a rare form of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma, theGrio reported.
Louis Vuitton announced on social media that it will show Abloh’s final menswear collection Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m. EST. The spring-summer 2022 show will “pay tribute to the life and legacy of a creative genius.”
“It is with profound sorrow that I learned of the passing of Virgil Abloh,” said Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton’s chairman and CEO, in a statement shared on Instagram. “Virgil was not only a friend, great collaborator, creative genius, visionary and disruptor, but also one of the best cultural communicators of our times. He paved the way for future generations.”
“As a devoted supporter of his community through his charities and passions, he was an eternal optimist who believed anything was possible In this same spirit, we at Louis Vuitton will proudly continue to celebrate his legacy with a final show in Miami, per his wishes. I am honored to have called him my friend. My deepest thoughts are with his wife, children, parents, family and the entire community that was touched by his greatness.”
In 2018, Abloh was named men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton – the first African American to helm a line at the company.
“It is an honor for me to accept the position of men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton,” Abloh said at the time. “I find the heritage and creative integrity of the house are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times.”
Abloh was a frequent Kanye West collaborator and worked with myriad A-List celebrities, many of whom paid tribute to LV’s artistic director on social media following news of his death on Sunday.
As reported by theGrio, Ye dedicated his latest Sunday Service concert to Abloh, his longtime friend, protégé and artistic director, with a rendition of Adele’s “Easy on Me” performed by the Sunday Service choir.
Pharrell Williams wrote on Instagram that his “heart is broken” following Abloh’s death.
“Virgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius,” he wrote, adding that Abloh’s “work as a human” and “work as a spiritual being will live forever.”
“Sending love and light to your wife, children, family and day ones,” he continued, “you’re with the Master now, shine.”
“???Rest In Peace Great One! Such a Visionary!???,” wrote R&B superstar Kelly Rowland. “Sending my love and prayers to his family!❤”
“Rip Virgil prayers to your family thank you for always supporting the youth always kind we just spoke bro smh,” rapper Offset tweeted.
Abloh is survived by his wife, children, sister and parents. Information about a memorial service was not immediately available.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!


text:
GF Machining Solutions, a division of GF, and 3D Systems, Rock Hill (USA), a leader in additive manufacturing, have announced their strategic cooperation for jointly developed, integrated manufacturing solutions based on 3D printing.
Engineers from the AMRC have turned up the volume on additive manufacturing to collaborate with a high-tech audio company to develop parts for some of its luxury products.
Boeing has announced its investment in Digital Alloys, Inc., a Burlington, Mass.-based company developing high-speed, multi-metal additive manufacturing systems that produce 3D-printed parts for aerospace and other production applications.
Berlin-based GEFERTEC has invented a new patented technology for metal 3D printing using a wire feedstock instead of powders. GEFERTEC’s 3DMP process is a hallmark of their arc603 and arc605 machines, both of which use modern arc welding-based workflows.
The first European training course in Additive Manufacturing for space applications has just finished at the Politecnico di Milano was offered to Laurea Magistrale and PhD students by Dr. Tommaso Ghidini, who is currently Head of the Structures, Mechanisms and Materials Division at the European Space Agency.
At the "Open House", interested parties can take a guided tour behind the scenes of the manufacturer of metal-based additive manufacturing technology. They can learn in the production area how the machines are made for 3D printing.
Surgeons and scientists at NYU School of Medicine and NYU College of Dentistry said that their implanted scaffolds were naturally absorbed by the test animals’ bodies as new bone gradually replaced the devices.
Formlabs, the designer and manufacturer of powerful and accessible 3D printing systems, has announced that it has raised USD 15 M in funding from global venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA), valuing the company at over USD 1 B and bringing total raised funding to date to over USD 100 M.
Sintratec wins L.corporation as distributor for South Korea. The leading Swiss 3D printer manufacturer wants to really get started in the eighth largest 3D printing market.
WASP announces the completion of Trabeculae Pavilion, a lightweight architecture completely 3D printed that fuses advancements in 3D printing with bio-inspired computational design.
Nano Dimension, a leading additive electronics provider (Nasdaq, TASE: NNDM), announced the expansion of its channel network with the addition of Fisher Unitech, a U.S. market leading technology provider of 3D product development software tools and 3D printers.
Conformis, Inc a medical technology company that offers patient conforming joint replacement implants, has announced completion of the first two Conformis Hip System implants.
At the Additive Manufacturing Conference at IMTS 2018, Marc Saunders, Director of Global Solutions Centres at Renishaw is giving a talk on the next phase of market growth in additive manufacturing.
The French start-up company SmartCatch is developing novel microscopic devices for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
CECIMO contributes to a new book, entitled ‘Additive Manufacturing – Developments in Training and Education’, which outlines all the latest strategies and teaching methods in the field.


text:
The Competition and Markets Authority has released its long-awaited report into the UK’s banks, announcing a package of reforms it says will “shake up retail banking for years to come” and ensure customers and small businesses “get a better deal”.
Alasdair Smith, chair of the two-year retail banking investigation carried out by the CMS, said: “These reforms will shake up retail banking for years to come, and ensure that both personal customers and small businesses get a better deal from their banks. We are breaking down the barriers which have made it too easy for established banks to hold on to their customers. Our reforms will increase innovation and competition in a sector whose performance is crucial for the UK economy.
“Our central reform is the Open Banking programme to harness the technological changes which we have seen transform other markets. We want customers to be able to access new and innovative apps which will tailor services, information and advice to their individual needs. This is backed up by a wide package of measures to improve the current account switching service, to make it easier for small businesses to shop around and open new accounts or get a loan, and to see how the quality of service provided by your bank compares with other providers.”
Here, we look at the reaction from across British business.
Mike Cherry, chairman, Federation of Small Businesses
Today’s banking market does not work well for small businesses. The CMA’s recommendations will help to create a more customer focused retail banking market by tackling some of the challenges small firms face. The FSB is deeply concerned about the worrying pace of branch closures and the impact this is having on some small businesses’ ability to make informed banking decisions, particularly in rural areas. Unfortunately, 2016 is already looking like a record-breaking year for closures. We are pleased the CMA has taken forward our recommendations of greater communication and support to affected small business customers, but we now want ministers to look at further options to protect small businesses’ access to their local bank.
Suren Thiru, Head of Economics and Business Finance, British Chambers of Commerce
The report fails to address the structural problems in the provision of business finance, which are holding back some of our most dynamic young firms. The CMA must also tread carefully in the sharing of data by finance providers via the Open Banking programme, to ensure that businesses retain control over who has access to their data – otherwise any trust between lenders and businesses could be destroyed. This report must be the start, rather than the end, of the drive to improve competition and greater choice in SME banking, as our recent survey work has shown that awareness of alternative funding options is low among businesses. The government must also address some of the deep-rooted problems in the provision of finance, such as the availability of long-term patient capital. Finance providers should actively promote the initiatives endorsed by the CMA too, if we are to see real change on the ground for business banking customers.
Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee
The CMA is relying on the rolling out of new technology to do the heavy lifting on competition. But many customers will not have the tools or skills to do this. Customers are also – understandably – wary of the data-sharing required for this to be effective. The Committee has been at this issue for six years. Its recommendations, and those of the Banking Commission, were unequivocal on the need for much greater choice. We are not giving up now.
Nic Beishon, Head of Commercial, Equifax UK & Ireland
The CMA’s order to improve SME lending services is a much-needed step to increase competition. We are in an uncertain environment for the UK economy and all moves to support our smaller businesses should be welcomed. Mark Carney has given banks ‘no excuse’ not to pass on rate cuts, and the CMA’s moves will help ensure that SMEs can borrow at the most competitive rates available. These tools will bypass time-consuming paperwork and make it much easier for SMEs to find out if they’re eligible for a loan. By speeding up the decision making process, and providing an early indication of interest rates, SMEs will be much more likely to shop around for the best deals.
The banks covered by the order need to prioritise implementation to make sure they have the right processes and technology to support robust lending decisions under the new regime. While only four banks are obliged to introduce the tools at this stage, we believe that other lenders, including challenger banks, should introduce the same tools to ensure their offering stacks up against larger players.
Paul Pester, chief executive, TSB
Banking must be the only industry that doesn’t tell its customers how much they are paying for their services. Consumers need to be equipped with the necessary tools in order to make informed choices about the best products and services for their needs. This is why we will continue to champion transparency over the true cost of banking through the creation of a Monthly Bill. The CMA’s report is only the first rung on the ladder and, while disappointing, it should not constrain the Government in its ambition to achieve a truly competitive banking market.
Gillian Guy, chief executive, Citizens Advice
The CMA’s move to force banks to be clear on their maximum overdraft charges is good, but banks really need to step up to the plate and set limits that are fair on consumers. Better use of data is a positive step and could make it easier to switch and unlock benefits for customers. The changes announced today need to be monitored closely to ensure they are effective – and stronger measures should be kept on the table if they are not working.
Adam Tyler, chief executive, National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers
The report is a giant step in the right direction. If the small business community is going to take advantage of the opportunities presented post-Brexit, the government must drum home the message that banks aren’t the only route to funding. With the diversity of funding options now available to SMEs, it’s staggering that most small business owners turn to their existing bank for finance.


text:
Digital streaming service and DVD rental firm Lovefilm has struck a deal with Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures in Germany. The deal will give Lovefilm subscribers the opportunity to stream Paramount Pictures’ releases during the first subscription TV window. It follows recent deals with Entertainment One and Studio Canal.
The arrangement includes the Coen Brothers’ True Grit, J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi thriller Super 8, and Michael Bay’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Simon Calver, chief executive of Lovefilm, said: “We are thrilled to announce this deal for exclusive subscription on-demand rights with Paramount and be able to offer their impressive range of films before any other pay TV provider. This agreement adds to the ever-growing, quality content that Lovefilm members are able to watch instantly, anytime they want.”
ICYMI: Amazon eyes $9bn deal for MGM, reports suggest digitaltveurope.com/2021/05/18/ama… https://t.co/IIDpJZDC32
18 May 2021 @ 20:00:00 UTC
ICYMI: Vodafone sees fall in TV base due to COVID-19 digitaltveurope.com/2021/05/18/vod… https://t.co/1jZ76LxsWh
18 May 2021 @ 18:00:02 UTC
Amazon launches free video streaming service MiniTV in India digitaltveurope.com/2021/05/18/ama… https://t.co/5POhJwcqIQ
18 May 2021 @ 17:00:02 UTC


text:
Charleston raises money to save coffee shop
CHARLESTON – Residents in eastern Illinois have raised more than $19,000 to help keep a Charleston coffee shop open.
The Times-Courier in Charleston and Mattoon Journal-Gazette reported there was a fundraiser Wednesday night for Jackson Avenue Coffee in the home town of Eastern Illinois University.
Both students and long-time residents pitched in to raise the money over five days.
If you have any technical difficulties, either with your username and password or with the payment options, please contact us by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
Final Fantasy Type-0 has a release date, and it's much sooner than we expected.
Final Fantasy Type-0's release date was officially announced at the Tokyo Game Show today.
The HD upgrade of the PSP action RPG arrives on PS4 and Xbox One on March 17 in North America, March 19 in Japan and March 20 in Europe.
That's much sooner than expected, as Square Enix only revealed the project at E3 2014.
It wasn't the only surprise for Final Fantasy fans: the publisher brought a playable demo to the show floor despite leaving the game off its announced TGS line-up. You can see a few new screens in the gallery below, along with a new trailer.
Square Enix has also announced that Type-0 will include a code to download a demo for Final Fantasy 15.


text:
Christina Martini was born and raised in Greece. She studied fashion design in London and worked as a shoe designer for Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and Iris srl. After ten years of living abroad, Christina decided to return to Greece in order to start a family and live in the island of Corfu.
Nikolas Minoglou was born in London and grew up in Greece. In 2006 he took over the family footwear business and four years later founded the online shoe store myshoe.gr, the leading online shoe retailer in Greece.
Christina and Nikolas met by accident and instantly clicked. They shared the same passion for shoes and soon created their own brand “Ancient Greek Sandals”. Christina started preparing the designs while Nikolas was responsible for the promotion.
Success came very quickly. Currently, the ancient sandals made in Greece are included in 300 sales points in 50 countries. They are being sold by the world’s most famous boutiques and selective online shops while some of their famous clients include Rihanna, Naomi Watts and Jessica Alba.
“We never expected such a success.” said the creators of the Ancient Greek Sandals in a recent interview with Greek newspaper Lifo.
They claim that their products are most successful in the U.S. market while the most “difficult” markets are those of Asia and especially China, which as a major economic power mostly prefers famous and more expensive brands.
The collection is inspired by ancient Greek Gods and myths, pottery, jewellery and sculpture. Ancient Greek Sandals are handmade locally by skilled craftsmen using traditional techniques.
The sandals were worn at the lighting of the Olympic Flame in Ancient Olympia, on September 27, 2013.


text:
More than 80% of all hacking-related breaches in 2017 were linked to stolen or weak passwords, according to Verizon. Stolen credentials remain the favorite tools for hacking in the current year too. If passwords are your best bet to keep infiltrators at bay, good luck!
Imagine sitting in the back of an Uber and using that time to order something healthy for yourself—let’s say, a salad or a fresh-pressed juice—and it’s delivered to you as you reach your destination and step out of the car. Or better yet, the very car you’re riding in stops to pick it up on the way. No more waiting—ever! Thanks to a new strategic partnership, this fantasy is now a reality.
Uber’s name is already synonymous with ride-hailing, even though competing services are popping up everywhere. In 2014, Uber jumped into the food delivery industry with Uber Eats.
Today is International Women’s Day and we’ve decided to mark the occasion by highlighting some of the top female influencers in the business world. Whether you’re a man or a woman running a small business, these industry luminaries aren’t only an inspiration – they can provide you with sound advice on how to succeed.
From marketing mentors to project management powerhouses, the women we’ve featured have reached the top of their game. Check out the selections of inspirational influencers from across a range of sectors that GetApp’s own team of hotshot writers have picked out:
The road to Rio for the 2016 Olympics in August is still littered with controversy and pitfalls. But there will be no such doom and gloom surrounding GetApp’s inaugural SaaS Summer Games 2016 – where the best cloud software apps for business will battle it out for medals, and where we’ll discover which countries produce the most successful SaaS apps.
You can be assured that no viruses will scupper the entrants into our SaaS Summer Games – in fact, by visiting software product profile pages on GetApp you can find out the security policies that the apps use to safeguard your data. We’re hoping for a clean competition without the threat of cheating – all of the top players in the cloud software world will be turning up for this one!
Everyone’s talking about Pokémon GO. Not since Flappy Bird has there been such an uproar over a mobile game. In case you haven’t read the news, been on social media, or gone outside in the past week, Pokémon GO is the virtual reality game sweeping the globe and breaking records, as people use their mobile phones to try and catch virtual Pokémon in real parks, shops, and streets. (more…)
Word of mouth has always been the best way to boost business, but are the right words coming out of the right mouths when people talk? (more…)
Buyers are demanding a mobile version of their small business software, according to new GetApp research. More than 90% of small business owners and managers polled place importance on the availability of a mobile app so that they can use their software on the go.
Social media is the key to improving the digital presence of a small business, according to GetApp research. More than half of business owners and managers polled by GetApp say that social media has the biggest impact on their company’s digital presence.
Choosing from a list of brand building techniques, mobile web sites are another factor that have a significant impact on digital presence. According to the survey, more than 28% of respondents say that their mobile site has the biggest impact, compared to 7.6% who say that their company’s mobile app is the top method for building digital presence.
Interestingly, digital signage solutions in a company were deemed to be almost as effective as mobile apps, with 5.8% of respondents saying that it has the biggest impact on their brand’s digital presence. According to the survey, just 2.2% of respondents believe that NFC solutions such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay reap the biggest benefit on digital presence.
Kanye West’s new album The Life of Pablo was recently hailed by TechCrunch as the first SaaS album ever produced. If that’s true, it’s not a very good example of how to release a SaaS product. If albums are like SaaS applications, a much better example of how to launch a product comes from the Queen B herself, Beyoncé, with her new record Lemonade showcasing what can happen when you release an innovative product.
Almost one third of small businesses are relying on manual processes to manage their expenses, according to new GetApp research. Of the small business owners and managers surveyed, 26.8 percent said that they currently use Microsoft Excel while 5.2% use paper-based methods to manage their business expenses.
More than a quarter of small businesses paneled said they use dedicated expense management software, while 15 percent rely on their accountant to take care of their expenses. A further 16.8 percent of those surveyed said they use their own system.
Taking these figures into account, almost three quarters of respondents are handling their expenses without using modern expense management platforms.


text:
Apple in Talks to Launch a Venmo Competitor
Apple appears to be considering the launch of a service that would compete with Venmo. Such a service would allow iPhone users to send money digitally to other iPhone users.
According to a report from Recode, anonymous sources are reporting that talks have begun between Apple and payments industry partners to create this service. These same sources say Apple would likely announce the official launch of the service during their fall iPhone event. Other sources report a release will come much later, as Apple is still in the early planning stages.
Whatever the specific timeline, sources report the service would include a partnership with Visa. Users would be given a prepaid Visa card that would work anywhere Visa is accepted. The cards would be tied to the service, and would allow users to have immediate access to their funds instead of waiting for the deposit to clear their bank. Since the cards would have their own numbers, they could also be used to pay for goods online.
The new prepaid card may also encourage adoption of Apple Pay, as it would allow users to add the card to their digital wallet and use it as they would any other credit card.
However, some bank executives may be worried about this new Apple prepaid card.
“Banks spent heavily in insuring their cards were top of wallet when they all built and rolled out Apple Pay,” Cherian Abraham, a digital payments executive at Experian, told Recode. “So it’s justifiable to be concerned that Apple will have its own card and could potentially be top of wallet. If you are top of wallet, you are top of mind.”
The company was first rumored to be working on such a program in 2015, when MacRumors reported that Apple was in talks with a collection of U.S. banks in the hopes of offering a Venmo-like product.


text:
în anul 2009, care oferă o metodă simplă şi rapidă de efectuare a plăţilor electronice prin cea mai mare rețea de terminale de tip self-service din România .
About: Bitcoin Romania with Zebrapay partnership provides a possibility to buy bitcoin at large network of terminals in Romania, where users can buy bitcoins for .
Japan’s Bitflyer Opens Bitcoin Exchange In The United States 22 Jun 2018. Tokyo-based BitFlyer has substantial operations, having launched this year in Europe and opened its doors in the US last year. The FSA's. Bitcoin Market Openbazaar Adds Features In 2.0 Beta An analytical piece on Bitcoin weekly price behavior and what it means for the upcoming week. China honestly deserves to be the
22 Oct 2018.
Bitcoin Romania, the first and largest crypto exchange on the.
towards crypto, including the Zebrapay terminals that allow people to purchase.


text:
On September 19, Jack Ma officially took over the crown of the wealthiest person in China thanks to the explosive $25 billion IPO of the company he founded, Alibaba. Jack isn't the first tech entrepreneur to rocket to the heights of China's rich list. In fact, Alibaba's ascendancy is just the latest step forward in a very distinct trend in China. Not that long ago, any list of China's wealthiest citizens would have been dominated almost exclusively by real estate investors. Today, a new generation of internet moguls are making their millions and billions in China and dominating wealth ranks. Half of the top 10 richest people in China this year are technology executives. All of the top 10 are men, but it should be noted that the 11th richest person in China is a woman named Chan Laiwa. Chan is only $100 million away from taking over the tenth spot.
Aside from Alibaba, other internet and technology entrepreneurs making the list come from Tencent Holdings, Ltd, a Chinese Internet conglomerate, search engine provider Baidu, smartphone maker Xiaomi, and the e-commerce company JD.com. This paradigm shift is significant for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that even though the Chinese real estate market is booming, only two major property investors made the top 10. The transition speaks to how quickly the Internet sector is growing in China and how investors who may have once looked to real estate, are now looking to technology for future growth over the next decade. China has had a record 15 Internet IPOs this year so far, raising a total of $29.2 billion. In 2013, there were just four Chinese Internet IPOs over the same period that raised a scant $91 million. Clearly technology is the place to be right now. So without further adieu, let's take a look at the 10 richest people in China today and find out how they earned their massive fortunes…
#10. Liu Yongxing – $6.2 billion
Liu Yongxing started out repairing electronics, but soon found he preferred to work with his brothers (Liu Yongyan, Chen Yuxin and Liu Yonghao) selling quail and feed in the rural Sichuan Province in the 1980s. They started the Hope Group, and under the economic reforms made available in the 1980s, were able to turn Hope Group into Hope Oriental Corporation, one of China's most successful private-sector businesses. The brothers went their separate ways in the mid-1990s and Liu Yongxing's Shanghai based East Hope Group has become one of the largest privately held industrial materials manufacturers.
#9. He Xiangjian – $7 billion
He Xiangjuan is the co-founder of Midea Group, one of China's biggest appliance manufacturers. Xiangjuan owns Midea, which, of late, has been struggling. The company had a greater than 30% plunge in revenue in the first half of the year. Sales of traditionally strong products for the company such as refrigerators have dropped by 65% from last year's sales. The company's washing machine business is down 50%. Midea has a joint venture in India with Carrier, a unit of United Technologies.
#8. Richard Liu – $9 billion
Richard Liu has made his billions as a wise investor. He co-founded Morningside China TMT fund in 2008 and was an investor in the Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, which is worth $10 billion. He also worked with the social networking service YY and with e-commerce giant JD.com. He is an investor in the Chinese version of Uber called Yonche. Unfortunately, we could not find a photo of Richard Liu.
#7. Liu Qiangdong – $9 billion
Liu Qiangdong is one of the Internet entrepreneurs on this list. In June 1998, Qiangdong started his own business in Beijing that he called Jingdong. He was a distributor of magneto-optical products. By 2003, he had opened 12 stores. The SARS outbreak in 2003 led to staff and clients of Jingdong staying home to avoid infection and forced Liu to rethink his business model. Liu launched his first online retail website in 2004, and founded JD.com later that year in 2005, Liu closed all of his brick-and-mortar stores and become an e-commerce business. The company has become one of the leading e-commerce businesses in China.
#6. Robin Li – $17.5 billion
Robin Li graduated from Peking University with a degree in Information Management and then earned his Master's degree in Computer Science from SUNY-Buffalo. His first job post graduate school was with IDD Information Services. While with IDD, he developed and improved various algorithms designed to improve search engines. In the mid 1990s, Li patented an algorithm for site-scoring called, Rankdex. In 2000, he launched his own search engine, Baidu, using his algorithm. Baidu is now the largest search engine used in China, and the third largest independent search engine in the world. Baidu is the first Chinese company to be part of the NASDAQ-100, and Mr. Li has been featured in multiple publications.
#5. Ma Huateng – $18 billion
Ma Huateng is a Chinese Internet entrepreneur. Nicknamed "Pony", Ma is the founder, president, chief executive officer, and executive board member of Tencent Holdings, Ltd., one of the biggest telecommunications companies in China. Pony earned his B.S. in software engineering in 1993, and, in 1998, Tencent with four friends. . One year later, the company launched Tencent QQ, an instant messaging service which became very popular in China and put Pony on the road to his great wealth. Tencent soon became the largest instant communication service network in China. Along with its expansion, Tencent added more employees and eventually Ma was named chief executive officer, executive board member, and chairman of the board. Tencent grew in popularity with the introduction of such popular online multi-player games as, "League of Legends". Billed as "the Chinese AOL", Tencent now encompasses web portals, e-commerce, and multiple social networks as well.
#4. Li Hejun – $20 billion
Li Hejun made his debut on the billionaire's list in 2014. He is the chairman of Hanergy Holding Group, one of the world's largest manufacturers of thin solar panels and equipment. Over the past year and a half, with an increased demand for solar energy worldwide, Hejun's company has seen dramatic growth. The company acquired California-based competitor MiaSole. Hanergy, under Hejun, has made the emerging technology of solar equipment a multi-billion business. Li Hejun also owns one of the world's largest hydro-power plants.
#3. Zong Qinghou – $21 billion
Zong Qinghou got his start selling milk to a mini-grocery story in the late 1980s. That small operation grew to include selling soda, ice, and office supplies. Eventually it became the Hangzhou Wahaha Group, which is China's largest and most successful beverage supplier. He was China's richest man in 2010, and was widely viewed as a figure of Chinese success over European influences. However, of late, his reputation has been tarnished by the revelation that he had a European Green Card, and allegations of tax evasion.
#2. Wang Jianlin – $24 billion
Wang Jianlin is a billionaire entrepreneur thanks to the success of his Dalian Wanda Group Corporation Limited. What started as a residential real estate company in 1988 has become one of China's largest conglomerates with interests in real estate, tourism, hotels, and entertainment. Jianlin has been the Chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group since 1989. Under his leadership the company has evolved enormously. Today the company has 71 Wanda shopping centers and 40 five-star hotels in China. In 2012, the company purchased US based cinema company AMC Theatres for $2.6 billion.
#1. Jack Ma – $27 billion
Just 20 years ago, Jack Ma was a modest English teacher who never could have even dreamed of the riches that would befall him in the following decades. In 1995, Ma visited the United States for the first time. He had recently started a side business, a translation company, to help capitalize on a recent Chinese export boom. It was during this visit to the U.S. that a friend showed Ma the Internet for the first time. This friend told Ma that anything he wanted could be found on the world wide web in an instant with the click of a button. So Jack searched for beer. In 1999, Jack brought 18 friends and family members together in his apartment and spent two hours pitching them his vision. Every single person bought in, giving Ma $60,000 to start Alibaba. On September 19th, Alibaba.com officially became the largest Initial Public Offering of all time. That $230 billion makes Alibaba $30 bigger than Facebook. In terms of market cap, it is also $30 billion bigger than eBay and Amazon COMBINED. Thanks to this smashing success, Alibaba founder, Jack Ma is now officially the richest person in China.