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By Peter Suciu
FORTUNE -- For the first time ever, sales of consumer electronics last year in Asia, led by China, exceeded sales in North America. To industry observers and demographers alike, the rapid growth of the Chinese market for consumer electronics comes as no surprise: There are now more than 160 cities in China with a population of more than 1 million people. In the United States, there are just nine.
This year, China's gross domestic product is also expected to rise, to 7.4%, and it is rising faster than that of the United States. Despite this growth, the sale of worldwide consumer electronics in Asia is predicted to drop 1% this year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.
The dip isn't out of line with the global outlook for the year: Worldwide tech sales are expected to fall to $1.055 trillion this year, down from $1.068 trillion last year. (Why? For one thing, the tremendous undertow that is price pressure: The prices for technology-related products tend to fall faster than demand rises.) Still, for a rapidly growing market, it is not unreasonable to expect China to buck the global trend.
Amid uncertain global economic trends, the Chinese economy slowed down. That led to a series of falling dominoes: first, a decline in consumer confidence, then, a drop in sales of products that are not considered to be daily necessities. Add the May 2013 cessation of government subsidies for consumer electronic products in China -- for several years, the country's consumer electronics market relied on them to help stimulate demand in rural and lower-class areas -- and the country's demand for consumer electronics began to flag.
"We had seen stories where people in China were buying electronics because the subsidies were in place," said Shawn DuBravac, chief economist for the CEA. "People buy products when they have the means, and the subsidies were a big part of this. The products that the Chinese were buying included large-screen TVs -- it was like in the United States after World War II, when having a radio and later a TV was a sign of a rising middle class. This is true of all countries around the world, whether it is in Africa, southeast Asia, or China."
Though the subsidies from Beijing have ended, it won't mean an end to China's growing middle class, DuBravac said. "Subsidies have played a role," he told Fortune, "but they are not the defining role."
Officials ended the subsidies because they believe they are no longer needed to drive growth. Disposable income levels in China have increased, they argue, and the replacement cycle for some products will shorten as consumers increasingly opt to upgrade their aging electronics.
Until now, China's urban markets have driven the country's growth in consumer electronics sales. But researchers say that the relatively small consumer base in the countryside is poised for growth as the income gap between urban and rural Chinese narrows.
"China's consumer market is young and educated, and Chinese consumers are keen on staying on top of the latest trends," said Josh Crandall, an analyst at NetPop Research. "To do this, they are constantly checking Weibo feeds, Renren updates, as well as tuning into news and information on television. They need their devices to stay in the game. Lowering governmental subsidies is a reflection of the market's current strength. While there may be short-term revenue shortfalls, the long view is strong for consumer electronics companies that serve the world's largest market."
Another reason for the consumer electronics slowdown: increased demand for smartphones, which Chinese consumers are now using to take photos, record video clips, and listen to music, threatening sales of dedicated imaging devices and portable media players. IHS Technology forecasts that shipments of digital still cameras in China by 2017 will have lost 75% of their volume compared to 2009, while personal media players during the same period will be down a debilitating 92%, mirroring trends seen in other areas of the world.
"Globally the smartphone market is about 1.1 billion people," DuBravac said. "Of that, 400 million is just China. The growth now is coming from domestic manufacturers, which is notable in a market that is worldwide dominated by Apple and Samsung. This is also true with most CE products, where more than 50% of sales are from Chinese makers. It is not a super-majority, but domestic sales are still very, very strong."
Consumer electronics sales in China could rebound as early as 2015, even if unit shipments continue to decline slightly. In the meantime, Chinese consumer electronics manufacturers may look to new markets outside of their home country for growth.
"China's makers will continue to develop new markets due to lower or negative growth ratio in domestic, North American and European markets," said Horse Liu, an analyst at IHS Technology.
Further, manufacturers are expected to turn their focus away from shipments now that the growth-stoking subsidies have disappeared. Already, they are putting more energy into high-end products with larger margins to push sales revenue.
"China's leading CE makers will pay more attention to profit margin," Horse said.
The Street is looking for 0.4% earnings growth with revenues off -0.1% from last year.
FORTUNE -- A ho-hum three months.
That was the consensus of Apple (AAPL) analysts Saturday, the last day of the company's second fiscal quarter of 2014. (See Yahoo snapshot, attached.)
Ho-hum also describes the performance of Apple's share price for the quarter -- down about $20 (-3.5%) while the broader market was scoring modest gains (S&P 500 up 0.8%).
That's a bit out of character, given Apple's past and its future prospects.
The spreadsheet below shows the MOREPhilip Elmer-DeWitt - Mar 29, 2014 1:16 PM ET
Is there return on investment for showing at consumer technology's biggest annual event? It's a bit fuzzy.
By Alex Halperin
FORTUNE -- Klipsch Group Inc. came to the International Consumer Electronics Show this year to make a statement. Speakers blasted AC/DC at the company's booth, and signs featured burnished electric guitars and irreverent slogans like, "Your music could sound better, just sayin'," "Big sound, no bullshit" and "A little heresy is MOREJan 14, 2014 1:09 PM ET
Forget the product announcements and press events. For a true taste of consumer technology's biggest annual gathering, we hit the show floor and shadow vendors in action.
By Alex Halperin
FORTUNE -- Sean Simone is looking for attention at the Consumer Electronics Show.
The scruffy, 24-year-old tech executive is standing in a distant corner of a humming hall packed with technologists, marketers, and journalists. Behind him is a sign for his company, the Baton MOREJan 13, 2014 11:15 AM ET
Turnarounds at Dell, HP, and Yahoo generate more headlines than fast results. And then there's Best Buy -- lower-profile but showing progress against all odds.
By Kevin Kelleher, contributor
FORTUNE -- When was the last time you went to a Best Buy? And more importantly, would you consider going back? I ask question knowing that some of you -- you know who you are -- are laughing, or smirking, or at least have written MOREJun 12, 2013 9:35 AM ET
"Family Together" came in No. 7 in a recent survey. "Good Health" was No. 8.
One of Apple's (AAPL) public relations operatives e-mailed overnight to let me know that a Consumer Electronics Association survey -- one that put the iPad No. 3 on this year's holiday wish list -- was likely to be highlighted in a CEA webcast scheduled for 2 p.m. ET Wednesday.
I can see why Apple would be pleased MOREPhilip Elmer-DeWitt - Nov 10, 2010 10:02 AM ET
Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPod on Oct. 23, 2001, nine years ago today
Here are the stats:
Age: 9 years
Units sold: 278,545,000
Net sales: $47,833,000,000
Note the seasonal patterns of quarterly sales in the chart, with Sonic-the-Hedgehog-style Christmas spikes. Note also the major inflection points, when sales accelerated:Philip Elmer-DeWitt - Oct 23, 2010 11:26 AM ET
The Jumbotron comes home --and the computer goes in the pocket.
Even before the recession began two years ago, people were talking about the need for Americans to downsize. What this means for the world of consumer electronics is unclear.
Our television screens just keep getting bigger and better. In 2009, the average screen size was 36 inches, up from 22 inches a decade ago.
For LCD and plasma screens greater than 60 MOREJessica Shambora, Writer-Reporter - Jan 15, 2010 6:00 AM ET
Apple's gadgets win adulation, but research shows the sector needs a jolt if it wants to grow
By Wouter Koetzier, global managing director-Accenture's Innovation Performance Group, and Adi Alon, North American managing director-Accenture's Innovation Performance Group
Large consumer technology companies are underperforming in the global innovation battle.
The culprit: Widespread flaws in how they manage and invest in innovation.
If tech companies want to grow, they need to invest in breakthrough, high-impact innovations MOREDec 7, 2009 10:00 AM ET
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|New York's hottest nightclub... for kids|
|'A scammer stole my tax refund'|


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Monday, March 29
Congress on recess until April 12
8:30 a.m.: Personal income and consumer spending for February, at the Commerce Department
Tuesday, March 30
9 a.m.: Case Shiller home price index for January, released by Case Shiller.
10 a.m.: Consumer confidence for March, released by the Conference Board.
Noon: Paul Volcker, chairman of the White House Economic Recovery Advisory Board, speaks on financial reform, at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Wednesday, March 31
8:15 a.m.: ADP private-sector payroll report for March, released by Automatic Data Processing.
9:45 p.m.: Chicago PMI report on business activity in the Chicago area, released by Purchasing Managers Institute.
10 a.m.: Factory orders for February, at the Commerce Department.
Thursday, April 1
8:30 a.m.: Initial weekly jobless claims, at the Labor Department.
10 a.m.: Construction spending for February, at the Commerce Department.
Friday, April 2
8:30 a.m.: Nonfarm payrolls and unemployment report for March, at the Labor Department.

domain: news


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Tencent Music Sets 2018 U.S. IPO, Spotify Could Net $2B
After speculation that Tencent Music would delay its IPO until 2019, the streamer filed paperwork Monday to move forward with a U.S. stock offering before the end of 2018. The IPO could also be a big win for Spotify.
The music division of Chinese tech and shopping giant Tencent Holdings hopes to raise between $1.07 billion and $1.23 billion from a New York Stock Exchange IPO, according to today's SEC filings. That's well below the $2 billion the company had originally hoped to net.
IPO shares are expected to price between $13 and $15 per trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol "TME."
Tencent Music will IPO with valuation of between $22 billion and $25 billion. Spotify went public earlier this year with a market valuation of $24 billion.
The IPO comes at a rocky time in the public stock markets. But sources say that the company decided to launch the IPO now over concerns that tense U.S. and China relations may only get worse next year.
Spotify Could Gain $2B, Increased Investor Confidence
Late last year, Tencent and Spotify did a stock swap, taking an estimated 9% non-controlling interest in the other. In a filing at the time, Spotify told investors, “Spotify believes the Tencent Transactions allow Spotify to invest in the long term potential of the music market in China and, in turn, TME to invest in the long term potential of the music market outside of China.”
In addition to opening up potential new opportunities for both companies, the stock deal aligned two of the worlds top streaming services music streaming services in future licensing negotiations with labels and music publishers.
If Tencent Music were to successfully IPO at a $22-$25 billion valuation, Spotify's share of TME could be worth more than $2 billion. A successful TME IPO could also further bolster investor confidence in Spotify and its yet-turn-a-profit business model.


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Black Diamond laid off 70 employees last week in its manufacturing division of the Salt Lake City, Utah, headquarters, a 22 percent reduction of the Utah workforce and 53 percent of the manufacturing division. News spread quickly on Reddit. A screenshot of a Facebook post—with ...read more
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam climbed into a kayak along the marshy shore of Carvins Cove Natural Reserve on Thursday. Wearing a "Virginia is for outdoor lovers" T-shirt, he spent part of his day paddling the lake, enjoying one of the places that will be protected by a new state ...read more
Believe it or not, a zero-waste trade show is within our reach, especially if the industry rallies around the idea in the same way they did to ditch single-use plastic at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market last month in Denver, Colorado. Not only were single-use water bottles few and ...read more
The Voice drops on Day 1 of each Outdoor Retailer (January, June, and November) so you can arm yourself with everything you need to hit the show running: big ideas and conversation starters, expert product knowledge, and a deep understanding of the issues facing our industry. ...read more
Since 1984, SNEWS has been the outdoor industry’s most trusted source for trade news, company and retailer profiles, outdoor politics and issues, gear trends, and important interviews with power players.


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Each year, in memory of company Founder Robert E. Rich, associates gather around the world to celebrate our past and our future, and commemorate our founder’s true passions: our unique spirit of innovation, our unwavering commitment to the success of our customers, and the unparalleled dedication of Rich’s associates around the globe.
For more than 60 years, our founder’s passion fueled not only growth of Rich’s, but also the growth of the global food industry, On Founder’s Day we celebrate that passion with each other and in the communities where we live and work.
This year marked our 6th annual Founder’s Day celebration. On March13, we paused to watch a compelling video about our global business success, and present innovation and manufacturing excellence awards to key associates from around the world. We also took a moment to spotlight one of the cornerstones of our success: our customers.
At our World Headquarters in Buffalo, Chairman and Vice Chair Bob and Mindy Rich hosted an Innovation Expo, and hundreds gathered to share stories, sample delicious new products and celebrate together.
It was an enriching time to remember our past, and envision our future together.


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"Do you want a flat near ___?" "Are you interested in learning English?" "We can offer you a ___ loan…" These harassing phone calls are not uncommon to many in China, some unlucky people even receive several on a single day.
But who is making these phone calls? At the annual "3.15 Gala" for consumer rights protection, China Central Television (CCTV) has discovered the inside story.
The reporter visited a number of companies providing outbound call systems, and found that the use of bots to make harassment calls is gradually replacing the traditional human ones. Not only does this lower the cost for the phone company, it also allows the volume of harassment calls to increase significantly.
A human can make 300 to 500 phone calls per day; an automated line can make roughly 5,000 calls per day, according to tech companies.
ZK-Link, a Shenzhen-based tech company, sells their outbound-call bot for 3,000 yuan (about 447 U.S. dollars). A manager surnamed Wang said it's popular with telemarketing companies.
"The program is specifically developed for telemarketing companies. A number of technology companies have introduced crowd-calling systems," said Wang.
Another tech company "Egosai" showed the reporter how the call is made. The replicated voice in the call is almost indistinguishable from that of a human.
The real estate, automobile and financial loan industries, as well as education and training sectors, get involved with these companies in order to bombard their target customers.
The companies providing the bot call services use special methods to hide their real phone numbers, meaning no call records are left on the users' phone. Even if the user complains, the regulators often have no evidence to check on.
Probe boxes and apps can steal your data
Apps are prone to steal your data, according to experts. (Photo: VCG)
A little box can be a data thief.
When the wifi of a user's mobile phone is on, it will send out a signal to look around for the wireless network. Probe boxes can find this signal and quickly identify the MAC address of the user's mobile phone, and eventually convert it into a phone number.
Collecting cell phone numbers from nearby users and making harassing calls is one of the main functions of these probe boxes.
And the apps you use can also leak your data.
Insiders told the reporter that the vast amount of data that the boxes collect mainly come from the apps.
Data can be leaked when users agree to the user service policy, fill out their information while registering an account or when the app is allowed to access the address book, text messages, and other personal information.
Usually, there will be obscure clauses in the policy to skirt the laws, said an expert from China Electronics Standardization Institute.
He called on users to be cautious while installing apps, particularly ones concerning social insurance checks and ticket reservation.
"Any unofficial app is possible to collect your data," he said.
(Cover via VCG)


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Samsung Unpacked 2012 Live Streaming Links
Samsung is all set to announce THE NEXT GALAXY today in London. Samsung Galaxy S III is just a few hours away from the official unveiling of their next flagship device (at 7pm UK time) that has been in rumours and speculations for months now.
Galaxy S3 has been in the rumour mill since forever now. We have seen dozens of leaked photos and many of them show a different (prototype) device of the Samsung Galaxy S III in each photo. We are also not sure if Samsung plans to unveil any other new product as well of the Galaxy series. The Samsung Mobile UNPACKED 2012 event will be live-streamed by Samsung on their official website and at a number of partner websites and Facebook pages – plus, the event will be live-blogged live from London as well.
Here are the various sources where you can catch the event live:
Watch Samsung Unpacked 2012 Live Stream Online
Samsung Unpacked 2012 will be live streamed online at the official THE NEXT GALAXY website. You can watch it from the following link:
Samsung Unpacked 2012 Live Blogging Links
Apart from the live video stream, Samsung Unpacked 2012 event will also be live-blogged by many bloggers present at the event. Here are a few links that you can follow to catch what’s been unveiled at THE NEXT GALAXY event:


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Blade Runner will be returning as the developer announced the Enhanced Edition which will bring the classic game to Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and PC. What is more exciting is that there will be a physical release but there won’t be much to go around.
According to Limited Run Games, the Switch and PS4 will both be getting physical versions which would make it a great collector’s item but there will only be limited numbers of it so you might want to act fast if you plan to secure one.
The updated version of the game is being worked on by Nightdive Studios which is also the same company behind the Doom 64 game. Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition will be released this year but so far, the developer has not provided us with an actual date or release window yet. Hopefully, that will be announced soon.


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A well-known Saltburn pub has defended itself after a scathing review surfaced online.
A customer left the review on TripAdvisor, calling landlord Ian Burton abusive names after he clamped two vehicles in the car park of the Ship Inn.
The customer - called Daniel P, and believed to live in Singapore - alleged he was threatened for money to release the wheel clamp, after going surfing at Saltburn.
But Mr Burton rubbished the claims, saying parking rules have to be in place as the business cannot accommodate visitors who have no intention of using the pub.
He has suffered a sleepless night after the review was shared on social media.
“There are faceless people behind a keyboard who can ruin your business, and when it is shared people simply believe it wholesale,” said Mr Burton.
“We have put £100,000 into the business over three years, we care, but sometimes you wonder why you bother.
“I would never park my car over somebody’s driveway and stay for four hours, stopping them from earning a living - this is just the same.”
Mr Burton sold the customer a £20 voucher for food, and explained that they’d need to order within the hour.
The customer claims he came back 20 minutes later and asked for a refund after being told there would be a 45 minute wait for food, on December 27 - the pub’s busiest day since Ian and his wife Lisa took over three years ago.
However Mr Burton checked CCTV which he said showed the customer was parked for closer to an hour.
The pub was incredibly busy, had opened early to accommodate a local charity, and eventually served 522 meals.
When the customer left, the landlord thought that was the end of the problem - but after receiving complaints from other customers who missed bookings because the 37 space car park was full due to “surfers being parked there”, he went to investigate.
The frustrated landlord saw two cars - belonging to the customer and his brother - and clamped them.
“We have a number of problems with people parking at the pub to go surfing or walking, because they don’t want to pay the prices at the council car parks,” said Mr Burton.
“So we produced vouchers for people who wanted to surf first, and we’d even relaxed that rule to allow him to use it another day.
“He’d tried to tell me he was too busy to wait for food - but he wasn’t too busy to leave his car and go surfing.”
Mr Burton said he’d only ever clamped a car once.
“It’s not about money, it’s to try and protect our customers,” he said. “On that day, hundreds of people had made a decision to spend part of the festive period with the Ship Inn and they couldn’t even get in the car park.”
When the customers returned to the cars two-and-a-half hours after first parking, Mr Burton said he was so frustrated he left on the wheel clamps to “teach them a lesson”.
He had told them that customers parking usually spend £50 an hour, meaning he had lost out on £250, but claims he never asked for any money.
The customer’s review said he had been “intimidated” by a number of “neanderthals” who backed up Mr Burton - but the landlord claim that was an unfair and unflattering way of describing some regulars who had come out to see what was happening of their own accord.
Police were called, and Mr Burton eventually released the clamps.
The Gazette has tried to contact the profile which left the review, but it has since been taken down from the TripAdvisor website.


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Business travel is largely buoying the health of the domestic travel industry. According to a new report from the U.S. Travel Association, overall travel volume grew at a faster year-over-year pace in December of last year than in November.
The report also found that all travel segments grew in December but an acceleration in domestic business and leisure travel more than offset a modest deceleration in international inbound travel.
“With all 12 months’ data now in, the Travel Trends Index shows that travel to and within the U.S. grew faster in 2018 than in 2017. While international and domestic leisure growth was steady, the most impressive news is that business travel had its best year since 2010,” said David Huether, senior vice president, research for U.S. Travel.
The Current Travel Index (CTI) indicated that travel to or within the U.S. grew 3.6 percent in December 2018 compared to 2018, and overall data shows the industry nearing its 10th consecutive year of expansion.
The Leisure Travel Index (LTI) shows travel growth moderating through June 2019 and will be supported mostly by growth in domestic travel demand. According to the LTI, U.S. travel volume is expected to grow at a rate of around 2.4 percent through June 2019. Domestic travel is expected to grow slightly faster at 2.6 percent and international travel growth is expected to decelerate to 2 percent over the same period.
“A projected global economic cooling and persistent trade tensions will continue to threaten international inbound travel growth,” said Huether. “The expected softening of the dollar and the de-escalation of the U.S.-China trade conflict should be positives for the international segment, but the market will not be able to fully capitalize on those advantages without some help.”
Adam Sacks, president of Oxford’s Tourism Economics, echoed this sentiment.
“Strong growth in travel activity in December reflects the end of a robust year for the overall U.S. economy,” said Sacks. “As we enter 2019, both domestic and international demand are showing signs of deceleration, but remain positive. Though leading indicators are generally encouraging, financial market volatility and a slowing global economy pose real risks to the near-term travel outlook.”
While demand for travel to the U.S. may be slowing, travel agents within the U.S. see the market heating up. Research from Strategic Vision shows that travelers are looking to travel outside of the U.S. and that increased wealth and social media channels are inspiring them to book more vacations.
You can read more of the news on source


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Internet News has published a story by Nicholas Carlson called “Commercializing the World, Google Style“. In the story he quotes John Hanke, former CEO of Keyhole and now the general manager of Google Earth, about his vision of Google Earth. The quotes have to do with the evolution of the product while it was still Keyhole and how even he was surprised at how “people had begun to collaboratively figure out” new ways to use the application. I don’t believe Carlson was able to get new quotes from Hanke in this article. Google, as a public company, is very careful about making statements about its business strategy. None of the Hanke quotes talk about current of future strategy. Hanke is quoted about the costs for deploying all of this satellite photos and the huge bandwidth demands of GE: “It is really expensive to collect and provide all this data”.
So, what is the business model?
Carlson does get quotes from other businesses. He quotes Zillow.com as a “naysayer” who thinks Google Earth’s openness to allowing cultural content (i.e. non-business oriented content) is of no use to a business. Of course, Zillow.com has a business alliance with Microsoft – so what do you expect? He also quotes Tim Hibbard (of “Where’s Tim?” fame) who has built a way to allow people to track his movements with his GPS phone using Google Earth/Maps. His employer is a GPS tracking company and the publicity from the tracking site has enabled his business to grow.
Some interesting speculation in the article, but nothing really new. Read some of my thoughts back in August about business opportunities surrounding GE. There have been a few notable revenue generating changes at Google in the last few months: 1) Google bought SketchUp which had its own profitable revenue stream; 2) Google has made some joint marketing content pushes like National Geographics, Discovery Channel, and Las Vegas; and 3) ads have been deployed in Google Earth. In my opinion, Google has only scratched the surface on the possibilities for monetizing Google Earth and Maps. If they are smart, and Google has a lot of smart people, they have been working on these possibilities. One thing is for sure, Microsoft has definitely been working on new things to compete with Google Earth/Maps. I expect the next few months are going to be very interesting in the way of new software releases.


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Wednesday, April 23, 2014
RetailMeNot In Deal With Major Mall Owner
Austin-based digital coupon site and app provider RetailMeNot said Tuesday that it has linked up with a large mall owner on a deal to help market the mall's retailers and properties. According to RetailMeNot, it signed a strategic partnership agreement with General Growth Properties, a real estate investment trust which is based in Chicago, which owns 120 malls across 40 states. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. RetailMeNot will be the preferred digital coupon provider across GGP's many malls, which include everything from the big Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Water Tower Place in Chicago, and the Glendale Galleria in Los Angeles, California. The move apaprently also includes testing of in-mall marketing formats by RetailMeNot to help mall retailers increase their foot traffic and store sales, as well as location-based mobile ads and offers.


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Sberbank continues to expand its medical direction. The company, together with the R-Pharm group, signed an agreement to purchase 90% of shares in the Internet pharmacy Eapteka. The partners will acquire 45% each after regulatory approvals, 10% will be retained by the founder and CEO of the company Anton Buzdalin. The amount of the transaction and its details were not disclosed. The company will continue to operate under the SberEapteka brand. The parties expect to close the deal in the Q4 2020.
Eapteka will be integrated into SberZdorovye, SberLogistics, a subscription with discounts for SberPrime services. In the future, the company also allows integration with other services from its ecosystem.
The bank explains that the emergence of Eapteka in the ecosystem is a consistent step towards the development of SberZdorovye. This area combines telemedicine, appointment service and other services. The company renamed the DocDoc medical service to SberZdorovye in June 2020. At the same time, the company announced the online sales of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
Original (in Russian)
Moscow News Agency


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FARGO, N.D. (KABC) -- Popular secondhand store Plato's Closet is banning children under the age of 7 at one of its North Dakota locations.
The owner of the Fargo store said staff put a sign up about the ban after dealing with situations involving kids that people "wouldn't believe."
The owner also claimed she talked to police about those "situations." She would not explain what those "situations" were.
Plato's Closet in North Dakota bans children under age 7
More TOP STORIES News


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AirAsia Food Launches in SG; Offers Unlimited Free Delivery for Two Weeks
Updated: Sep 10, 2021
AirAsia’s food delivery service, airasia food, is now in Singapore!
AirAsia’s rapidly growing food delivery platform was launched in Singapore on 2 March 2021. The delivery platform is offering unlimited free deliveries for two weeks until 16 March 2021 for deliveries within eight kilometres from the order point.
Users of the AirAsia super app will be able to earn BIG points for ordering through the app as well as use them as payment for their food. They will also be able to order ahead of time with the app’s advance order feature.
AirAsia Group CEO, Tony Fernandes, said that their expansion into Singapore is a key milestone for their company’s super app since its launch in 2020. He also added that they are thrilled to be a notable player in the food delivery scene in Singapore.
Fernandes also mentioned that the company’s food delivery service will offer a much lower commission rate to help local food businesses keep their cost low. As a result, customers will get to enjoy lower prices for their favourite dishes.
An AirAsia food delivery team member Credit: AirAsia
Lim Ben-Jie, AirAsia super app Head of e-Commerce, stated that delivery riders can earn up to S$700 a week on average based on the company’s incentive scheme. He is sure that it will be a very viable option for riders whose take-home income have been impacted by recent petrol price hikes. “We want to contribute positively towards the whole food delivery chain in Singapore and to further grow this segment,” Lim Ben-Jie added. Those who would like to join the AirAsia Food delivery team can visit the Teleport sign-up page to enter.
Lim Ben-Jie also said that food and beverage operators only need to fill up a form and wait for an AirAsia Food agent to contact them to be one of the merchants in the food delivery platform. He further stated that the food delivery platform will provide dedicated teams who will assist merchants in the integration procedures at the soonest possible time and enable them to go live within 48 hours with no registration or setup fees.
Written by John Paul Joaquin


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Unless you've been actively avoiding checking the news (we don't blame you), you should by now be aware of one of the biggest business deals of the past decade: Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods. What, exactly, does that look like when it comes to our shopping habits? Lower prices.
In a recent joint press release, the two companies announced the immediate slashing of prices of some of Whole Foods' best selling items.
The press release reads: “'We’re determined to make healthy and organic food affordable for everyone. Everybody should be able to eat Whole Foods Market quality—we will lower prices without compromising Whole Foods Market’s long-held commitment to the highest standards,' said Jeff Wilke, CEO of AmazonWorldwide Consumer. 'To get started, we’re going to lower prices beginning Monday on a selection of best-selling grocery staples. [...] There is significant work and opportunity ahead, and we’re thrilled to get started.'”
Just in time for your weekly grocery shopping, here is a list of products that will be cheaper starting today:
- Organic large brown eggs
- Organic avocados
- Whole trade bananas
- 365 Everyday Value organic butter
- Organic responsible-farmed salmon and tilapia
- Organic rotisserie chicken
- Creamy and crunchy almond butter
- Organic baby kale and baby lettuce
- Animal-welfare-rated 85% lean ground beef
- Organic Gala and Fuji apples


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Shovel Knight is coming to the Nintendo Switch, developer Yacht Club Games has announced.
The NES-inspired sidescroller will also be seeing some adjustments to its pricing scheme. Rather than including its DLC campaigns as free updates within the original game, both Shovel Knight and all expansion content will be available to purchase as standalone titles.
The change won’t affect Yacht Club’s original promise regarding release of additional content. You’ll still be able to access all the spinoff titles for free if you own the original game, but those who’ve yet to dive into the blue hero’s trowel-some adventure will now be able to select which campaigns they experience, without needing to complete the original first.
The change will be implemented across the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Linux, with the full collection being renamed Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. Alongside the original game, Treasure Trove will include the previously-released Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, and looming Specter of Torment DLC. Players who already own the game will receive this new version through an update. The original will also be renamed Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope.
The subsequent King Knight DLC will also be available to purchase separately later this year, as well as being added to the Treasure Trove bundle.
“We want to keep our promise of releasing free content for all players.” Yacht Club commented via an official FAQ, “It’s difficult for many players out there to find everything or even know that these campaigns exist. We believe that providing standalone versions will provide better entry points for different types of players and allow more people to continue enjoying each adventure on their next favorite platform.”
However, Yacht Club will soon be raising the price of the game, and players who wish to access Shovel Knight’s additional content for free have been advised to grab the game now before the change is put into effect.
Yacht Club also announced that the new Body Swap Mode is complete; a fun add-on that offers fresh, body-swapped designs of the game’s main characters. A four-player Battle Mode will be hitting systems this year (excluding the 3DS and Vita), allowing up to four players to rally against one another as one of the Shovel Knight crew. The mode will launch alongside the up and coming Specter of Torment DLC, scheduled to appear this Spring. A trailer was released last month, showing the fearsome phantom in action, which you can see here.
If you’re hankering for a little more of Yacht Club’s whimsical charm, the dev also expressed a ‘vow’ to begin work on an entirely new project this year, separate from the Shovel Knight saga. For more information, you can check out Yacht Club’s official website here, or follow the developer on Twitter.


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NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – FIVE families will receive a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to Europe following the launch okf KSh 17 million reward programme launched by a regional retailer.
Nakumatt has launched the initiative which has a grand prize chance for families to win an all-expense paid trip to Denmark.
In conjunction with global toymaker, Lego Group, and several local business partners, Nakumatt, has unveiled the Easter season customer reward campaign dubbed: “Build Your Perfect Easter with Nakumatt and LEGO® brick.”
It is open open for shoppers spending KShs 2 000 or swiping their Nakumatt Global Prepaid Debit Cards, at any of the firm’s stores countrywide.
“At Nakumatt, we are excited to present this customer rewards programme with a trip for five families to the world acclaimed Hotel Legoland,” Nakumatt Holdings Regional Strategy and Operations Director, Thiagarajan Ramamurthy, said.
“This Easter campaign is also tailored as a joint thank you platform for Nakumatt and several local and international suppliers wishing to extend their gratitude to our loyal shoppers.”
Lego Group, the makers of the iconic LEGO brick range of toys and a key supplier to Nakumatt’s Kids&Co Departmental store, will be at hand to host the five families who will ultimately win the grand prize.
Consolation and related instant prizes including Kshs 6million worth of Nakumatt Gift Vouchers will also be up for grabs.
– CAJ News


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Retail inflation in the country eased in July to 6.71% due to moderation in food inflation but stayed well above the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) tolerance limit of 4-6% for the seventh consecutive month, data from the National Statistical Office showed today. Food inflation in July 2022 moderated to 6.75% as against 7.75% in June, according to the data. In the first three months of the current fiscal, retail inflation remained above 7%.
Meanwhile, India's factory output, measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), came in at 12.3% for the month of June, compared with 19.6% reported in May, the government data showed. The coronavirus pandemic had weighed on Industrial production since March 2020, when it had contracted 18.7%.
The manufacturing sector's output grew 12.5% in June 2022. The mining output climbed 7.5%, and power generation increased 16.4% in June this year. The IIP had grown by 13.8% in June last year. The index rose 12.7% Apri...
Factory activity in India hit 3-month low in September
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After a 50 basis points (bps) hike in repo rate on 30 September, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ...Read
5G service launched by PM Modi: Here's what will change
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in India today at a telecom event in Delhi. The ...Read
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Medicinal cannabis guidelines being put together
Author: Tamar Kahn
Source: Business Day
PARLIAMENT has heard that the Medicines Control Council (MCC) is simplifying the legal framework for medicinal cannabis to make it easier for patients to use these products. It has already re-classified medicinal cannabis from a tightly-restricted schedule 7 product to a permitted schedule 6 or schedule 4 product, depending on its composition, and next week is expected to approve the final guidelines governing the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes.
Little will immediately change for patients, but these developments mean that doctors will be able to prescribe cannabis-containing medicines once they have been registered by the MCC. And the door is about to open for individuals or companies that wish to cultivate the plant to make a medicinal product. The regulatory push to ease access to medicinal cannabis is taking place independently of the legal challenge launched by two Johannesburg residents who have asked the High Court in Pretoria to find the ban on adult dagga use unconstitutional and to instruct Parliament to make new laws reflecting this.
The two key compounds of interest in cannabis are THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and cannabidiol: products containing THC, which has psychoactive properties, are now schedule 6, while those that contain only cannabidiol are schedule 4. No such products have been registered by the MCC, nor have any companies applied for approval, the MCC’s deputy director for law enforcement Griffith Molewa told parliament’s portfolio committee on health. This means doctors still need to apply to the MCC on a patient-by-patient basis for permission to prescribe unregistered medicinal cannabis products, which can be imported under what is known as a section 21 exemption to the Medicines Act. Scientists can also apply for section 21 exemptions for medical research.
The MCC recently approved two section 21 applications from universities doing medical cannabis research on mice, and one for a patient using dried cannabis flowers. It was currently considering 31 section 21 applications for Tilray medical cannabis extracts. Molewa said the MCC had received almost 400 comments in response to the draft guidelines for cultivating cannabis it published in March. Industry concerns centred on the distribution of medical cannabis products, which he said would be governed by the same regulatory framework as other medicines.


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Associated Students Inc. addressed food insecurity concerns at Wednesday’s Senate meeting by discussing ways to introduce more nutritious and affordable choices for students. During the public comments portion of the meeting, Josh Haber, a fourth-year community health education major, took to the podium to direct attention to the food insecurity problem among students.
“Forty-one percent of students in the CSU system are food insecure,” Haber said. “This is a big problem. Our campus has great resources to help these students, but no single resource fully helps these students deal with this issue. All of them have some sort of trade off.”
In his speech, Haber introduced a food insecurity app, “Peri,” that he and his classmates created to help combat the growing problem. He explained to the Senate that the app helps notify users of discounted goods, with a focus on affordable protein options.
“Peri” won third place at the 2019 Pitchfest, a competition for new business ideas from the CSULB Institution for Innovation and Engineering.
“We take local markdowns for meat and dairy and post them directly to the app so students know exactly where the best deals on protein are that day,” Haber said. “For example, today, there were about 100 pounds of chicken breast being marked down at Food 4 Less and a student would usually have to go [there] to see that deal, but with Peri, they could check it at home on the app and know where to go for the markdowns.”
He said the app shows markdowns up to 70% off retail prices, and gives “really significant savings for people on fixed income or limited budget.” He asked the Senate to consider collaborating with his team to help bring more affordable options to students with social media promotion and at ASI tabling events.
ASI Vice President Leen Almahdi acknowledged Haber’s efforts and recommended him to meet with the Dean of Students, Piya Bose to combine efforts in aiding the student body.
“This is amazing,” Bose said. “This is brilliant and we’d love to hear more about a collaboration.”
In addition, Sens. Sumaiyah Hossain and Jireh Deng addressed concerns about healthier food options at Beach Pantry, where students have voiced complaints over what is being offered. Hossain said that it needs more nutritious additions instead of “only ramen packs.”
The ASI Beach Pantry is the university’s official food operation that strives to provide non-perishable food items to students in need.
The next ASI Senate meeting will be held Oct. 30 at 3:30 p.m. in USU 234.


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After a new device has been launched, there’s the initial hands-on time, followed by a complete review, and of course the teardown comes at some point so that we can know what the “guts” of the device are. UBM TechInsight has taken a BlackBerry Z10 unit apart and found that BlackBerry is using a Qualcomm SnapDragon S4 (MSM8960) in the company’s latest smartphone. We expected as much in our own […]
In a day filled with rumors and leaks to do with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3, yet another one has landed. This time, the folks over at PhoneArena have gotten their hands on what is claimed to be the benchmark results of the alleged Samsung Galaxy S3. To clarify, there is a chance that it is not but it has been long rumored that the device will carry the same […]
Qualcomm has announced that it underestimated the demand for its new S4 processor for use in mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. Apparently, the increase in adoption of mobile devices to Qualcomm’s S4 Snapdragon chipset line is creating shortages that the company might not have the capacity to handle until the end of the year. The chipset can be found on devices like the HTC One X.
The HTC One X is reported to be headed AT&T’s way and will be compatible with the carrier’s 4G LTE network. Unfortunately this means that the device will not be sporting NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 quad-core processor, but will instead rely on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 processor instead. However according to recent reports, TSMC, the manufacturer of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 has apparently put a halt to production about three weeks ago in […]
Here is some news for those of you who have been looking forward to what Qualcomm has on offer where the tablet scene is concerned – their souped-up Snapdragon S4 Liquid mobile development platform (MDP) tablet was recently on the receiving end of an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update, where said tablet runs on a version of 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich. This tablet is no slouch when it comes […]
Qualcomm and their Snapdragon processors have certainly made quite a splash in the market for some time now, with many an Android-powered smartphone running on a Qualcomm processor inside. Well, one of their upcoming processors is known as the Snapdragon S4, where it is touted to be the world’s first mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC) that was built on 28nm process technology while boasting a fully integrated LTE multimode modem. Sounds like […]


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Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the government body that took on global social network Facbeook (and won) over its privacy and security issues released data from a new poll this morning. The poll looked at how Canadian businesses are storing customer information in this digital age that we live in as there continues to be increased concerns of security tools and methods to ensure consumers are protected. An independent third party was commissioned to conduct telephone interviews with 1,006 companies across Canada, and as part of the process found they to use desktop computers (55%), servers (47%) and portable devices (23%). Most (73%) are using some type of technological tool, such as passwords, encryption or firewalls, to prevent unauthorized access to the personal information stored on these devices.
However, the survey also suggested that many businesses may not be adequately using technology when it comes to protecting the personal information they store digitally.
For example, passwords are the most popular technological tool used by businesses to protect personal information (96%). However, of those using passwords, 39% do not have controls in place to ensure that those passwords are difficult to guess, and 27% never require employees to change passwords.
“Using passwords is like locking your front door. They can be a very simple and effective way to protect valuable personal information,” says Commissioner Stoddart. “But simply setting a password is not enough to thwart today’s savvy online criminals—passwords must to be complex and dynamic.”
The poll, conducted in late November and early December 2011 by Phoenix Strategic Perspectives, also found that nearly one quarter of businesses are storing personal information on portable devices, such as laptops, USB sticks or tablets, which are more vulnerable to theft and loss. Nevertheless, almost half of those who do (48%) indicated that they did not use encryption to protect the information on these devices. Encryption refers to the use of a secret code as a key to scramble information to make it unreadable. Once the information is scrambled, only the same key can be used to unscramble the information and make it readable again.
“Encryption is one step better than locking your doors— it is like putting information into a safe—and it can really help limit the risks if a laptop is stolen or a USB key is misplaced,” says Commissioner Stoddart. “Businesses that lose their customers’ data, lose their customers’ trust, so they need to take every precaution to ensure they safeguard personal information they hold.”
The survey did find that many Canadian companies attribute considerable importance to protecting privacy (77%).
“I am encouraged to see that companies are beginning to realize the importance of building privacy into their business processes,” said Commissioner Stoddart. “Smart businesses know that taking the time to build privacy in from the beginning is much easier than cleaning up a privacy breach down the road.”
In fact, survey responses seem to suggest that companies are becoming more sensitive to the potential for data breaches. Only 40%, however, indicated that they were concerned about data breaches that might compromise the personal information of their customers and 31% indicated that they have guidelines in place for responding in the event of a breach.
Other highlights of the poll include:
- One third (32%) of businesses have staff that has had training on appropriate information practices and responsibilities under Canada’s privacy laws.
- Almost half (48%) of businesses have procedures in place for dealing with complaints from customers who feel that their information has been handled improperly.
- Many companies (39%) view protecting privacy as a competitive advantage, with 24% seeing it as a significant advantage and 15% a moderate advantage.
While some businesses may shrug off a phone call regarding privacy, it is now something that can make or break your business, and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada means business when it comes to protecting consumers. Facebook is not the only company they have gone after and make they adjust their process, but the office has also gone after Google, and Canadian social network Nexopia.


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Scuti is revealing a new way to monetize games today. The company helps folks earn rewards while playing games and then use those rewards to buy real-world goods from a store embedded inside the game.
The creators of Scuti (pronounced scoot-ee) — game veterans Nicholas Longano (the company CEO), Kym Nelson, among others — believe that monetization is broken in games, as they say it annoys gamers. The popular forms of monetization in games today will slow players down by forcing them to grind. It puts paywalls in front of them, makes them watch video ads they don’t care about, or fools them into buying goods that don’t really have much value.
Scuti is expected to launch this summer, and it’s another part of what I call the Leisure Economy, where one day we will all get paid to play games in exchange for our engagement.
“In-game advertising hasn’t evolved in the last decade or more,” said Nelson, chief strategy officer at Scuti, in an interview with GamesBeat. “It’s intrusive. It’s disruptive. There is trickery to it. It really turns users off.”
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Longano, who was one of the founders of in-game ad firm Massive (which Microsoft bought in 2006), started Scuti in early 2019 to benefit not only gamers but also developers, publishers, brands, and e-commerce companies. He heard his son and friends talking about how it would be cool to buy something from within a game.
“It all boils down to one thing,” Longano said in an interview. “Listen to the players. How do you do something that enhances the player experience?”
How it works
Game developers add the Scuti button to a game and then let Scuti handle the rest. It runs the store, purchasing, supply chain management, fulfillment, data, analytics, upselling, merchandising, promotions, and more. Players can hit the Scuti button and spend what they earn in-game on real-world merchandise, like a pair of shoes for gamers. Scuti shows them the stuff that the people say they like.
Scuti creates a button in a corner of the game lobby or main menu, and it is passive, so that it doesn’t consume resources during gameplay. Players must opt-in to access the store and rewards, which it’s dubbed “Scutis.” The gamer can shop and stay inside the game’s lobby or main menu while doing so. The ads within the store are compliant with the Internet Advertising Bureau.
The rewards give the players recognition for being engaged with a game, or basically rewarding them for something they love to do. Game developers can choose how the Scuti button should be integrated. Game developers get half the proceeds, and that means the game will monetize better.
“This is enhancing the game experience,” said senior adviser Jim Veevaert in an interview.
Brands can seek merchandise directly to gamers, who are hard to reach because they don’t watch much TV or tolerate advertisements. Scuti vets the store merchandise to make sure that it’s something that players would like. When they view merchandise in the store, the pages rotate, showing more merchandise if the player doesn’t see something they like right away.
“One nice thing about Scuti is it never interrupts gameplay,” Nelson said. “We are a platform that people will want to engage with.”
Scuti claims that a survey by Powell Consulting (working with Scuti) found that 90% of console, PC, and mobile players (both premium and free-to-play gamers) said they would shop using Scuti. Players can earn Scutis within the game or by doing things like watching a movie trailer; 10,000 of Scuti currency is worth $1.
“One of the developers asked us if a player could use in-game rewards to purchase products and we are exploring that option,” Nelson said.
And Scuti will take advantage of artificial intelligence and machine learning, figuring out product interest and buying intent. Then it can curate offers for the players appropriately.
Scuti is in closed beta testing now and it is expected to launch this summer. So far, about six developers with 40 million customers are testing product sales through Scuti, which uses the Unity game engine. Scuti will start with mobile and PC games, then move on to support for Unreal Engine, HTML5, consoles, esports platforms, and influencer profiles.


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|Company Name||CEO||Fund Raise||Led By||No of Investors|
|Talon Cyber Security||Ofer Ben Noon||$26 M||Ofer Ben Noon (CEO) and Ohad Bobrov (CTO)||3+|
Talon Cyber Security 26mtrabelsy
Talon Cyber Security, an Israeli company based in Tel Aviv that offers solutions for cyber security for the distributed workforce, has raised $26M in seed money. The round was led by its CEO, Ofer Ben Noon, and CTO, Ohad Bodrov with Backers like Team8, Cyber Angel Investors, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Serial Entrepreneur Zohar Zisapel.
Also, read Resolve 60m Initialized Azevedotechcrunch
The goal of the company is to expand the development team and advance its technology with the help of money raised in funding.


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The OverClocker has seen its first release of the year, with issue 23 now available to all. Issue 23 sees KINGPIN sealing a motherboard permanently for some LN2 fun, as well as a talk with veteran overclocker "Chispy" and his thoughts on the hardware industry.
There's the usual reviews, which include ASUS' Rampage IV Gene, OCZ's Vertex 4 512GB SSD, Corsair's H100i cooler, ASRock's 990FX Extreme9 motherboard, Cooler Master's Seidon 240M, Intel's 335 240GB SSD and finally, MSI's GeForce GTX 660 HAWK GPU.
You can read the latest issue right here.
Further Reading: Read and find more Internet & Websites news at our Internet & Websites news index page.


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Patt Gallagher knows that the fluorescent lights she sells through her electrical supply business have a dark side: If improperly discarded, their mercury content can be released into the atmosphere.
Those concerns prompted her to start a company that reclaims the used bulbs and transforms them into fiberglass and other useful materials.
Running a commercial print shop can be a dirty business. But Marilyn Jones, owner of Consolidated Printing in Chicago, knew it didn't have to be. So she adopted strict environmental standards that include making recycled paper her "house" brand.
Gallagher and Jones are examples of a growing number of women business owners who are making a conscious choice to meld business decisions with their concerns for the environment.
Gallagher makes no profit from her recycling efforts, and there is no law that requires Jones to use less toxic chemicals and solvents in the printing process. These are choices that business owners have to make constantly, and consciously.
"Making money can be an all-consuming thought," Jones says. "You have to put your humanity into it."
Gallagher, who began EVERLights in Mokena five years ago, echoes the thought: "There is satisfaction in doing something to protect the environment."
While their raison d'etre may be pure, business owners like Gallagher and Jones are finding that being good to the environment can be good for business. Gallagher says customer loyalty is a byproduct of her decision to represent the needs of her business customers, who now are required by Illinois law to recycle fluorescent bulbs.
Jones eagerly embraced soy ink when it became available more than 10 years ago. "I can't remember the last time I used petroleum-based ink," she says. Her company also recycles used film negatives, plates and solvents.
Jones' sweeping environmental changes earned her a designation in 1997 as one of the first Illinois Great Printers. This "green" distinction, she says, "matters a great deal to some customers."
A number of Chicago-area women business owners are integrating concepts such as recycling, buying recycled and protecting the environment into their business plans. In the process, they are becoming what Victoria Cooper, director of the environmental technology program at Wright College in Chicago, calls "good corporate environmental citizens."
Still, Cooper says, despite the cachet attached to being environmentally responsible, business owners sometimes fail to realize the value of weaving their environmental commitment into their public identity. "Women who own small businesses can create a niche for themselves that sets them apart," she says.
Maggi Hayes, owner of Joma International in Winnetka, thought she found that niche when she began producing sweaters made from recycled cotton yarn for customers in California. The shorter cotton fibers resulted in a slightly stiffer, more delicate product, says Hayes, that in the end did not draw a large enough market to fuel her business.
"I liked the idea of reusing the fabric and thought it would be a nice extra if the clothes had a story," says Hayes, who no longer uses recycled cotton in her sweaters. "But I don't think it's the story that sells the goods."
Kathleen Connors, executive director of the Oak Park-based Illinois Recycling Association, says that over the past 30 years there has been a growing consciousness among Americans to make environmentally sound decisions. During this time, women business owners have been making important, creative contributions in preserving our planet's natural resources.
"Women are more the newcomers to industry and therefore less prone to doing things the way they have always been done," Connors says. "By not being entrenched in the old ways of doing business there is greater opportunity to see the full gamut of possibilities out there."
Jodi Murphy makes no apologies that she stumbled into an environmentally friendly business by accident. While com-panies already existed that reclaimed materials from vintage homes slated for demolition, Murphy said she saw that no one was capitalizing on the value within ordinary, quality homes being torn down.
"What began as a way to help myself and feed my family has turned into sheer advocacy," says Murphy about her Murco Recycling Enterprises, the company she began in 1989 from her La Grange Park home.
With a subscriber list more than 600 names long, Murphy's company offers weekend auctions on houses slated for demolition throughout the Chicago area. Successful bidders walk away with items such as roofing tiles, dishwashers, oak flooring and even whole flower gardens.
"This is not a glamorous business," Murphy says. "But it just makes sense to reuse the materials, many of which would end up in landfills."


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From the monthly archives: "January 2012"
October 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Summer Marketing Internship
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Iowa State Fair POSITION SUMMARY Be part of the team that coordinates all marketing, social media, advertising and public relations efforts for the Io ...
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ZLRIgnition Assist with the planning, coordinating and placing of media across all mediums and markets for multiple clients. Investigate media options ...
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On Wednesday, the Puffin and Petrel Patrol kicked off their 14th season rescuing stranded juvenile puffins, or “pufflings,” and this year they’ll get a little boost from an unlikely source – beer.
Pufflings sometimes get lost this time of year when they’re making their way out to sea because they confuse artificial lights along the coast with the moon and stars, which the birds use as a navigational aid.
The patrol, organized by Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter (CPAWS-NL), rescues the birds and sets them on the right course.
It’s a cause that Mill Street Brewpub sales manager Jordan White said he “can really get behind.”
“Newfoundland is really well known for puffins, but not many people know about the dangers that they face, and the acts that group does to sustain the population,” White said.
The brewpub approached CPAWS-NL about doing some kind of fundraiser, and after some discussion, Puffin Plunge – a dry hopped lager – was created.
The beer is set to go on tap by Aug. 22, and $1 from every pint sold that day will be donated to CPAWS-NL.
White described the lager as “quite smooth and very easy-drinking” with “lots of really nice tropical flavours and smells.”
It’s currently cold aging for about another two weeks “to let those flavours and characteristics really pop.”
Once the aging process is complete, it will go on tap.
Mill Street made two batches of it that can be purchased at the brewpub in the restaurant, in their retail section, and also at other restaurants that serve their product and want to participate (such as Chinched Bistro, Blue on Water and several other restaurants).
The exact fundraiser date may change depending on the cold aging process, so it will be announced on Mill Street Brewpub’s social media channels closer to the day.
CPAWS-NL conservation co-ordinator Kathy Unger said they’ve also created special coasters that will be given to restaurant guests when they order a pint of Puffin Plunge.
The coasters have information about the puffin patrol and how people can help and donate.
“We’re really excited,” she said. “The beer sounds like it’s going to be delicious.”
White said the brewpub’s goal is to sell at least 500 pints the day it goes on tap, raising at least $500 for the patrol.
“I’m hoping that using our social media and our reach we’ll be able to get a ton of bodies down and enjoying the beer and raise a ton of money for those guys.”


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Take in these facts:
- Nearly 100% of the founders of companies in Silicon Valley are either white or Asian
- Less than 1% of the founders in Silicon Valley are African American or Latino
- Only 15% of venture capital -funded companies in the States have a woman on the executive board
- Only 3% of total venture capital dollars go to female CEOs
Intel is investing up to $125 million to back startups that are women and minority led. Brian Krzanich, the chief executive of Intel, made the announcement today, which is part of Intel’s overall diversification of talent in the technology industry commitment. This is huge effort than is incomparable with any other attempts to make changes to Silicon Valley.
Minorities, in this case, would be African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. The reason Asians aren’t considered is due to the fact that many Asians already dominate the tech industry.
Lisa Lambers is Intel Capital’s team leader for software and services investments, and she said:
“The big issue we have seen, because venture capitalists are on the leading edge, is that we need to engage here,” “We see a lack of engagement and involvement across the industry as a whole. We want to be a catalyst. We believe it’s good business. Half the population is women. Women are leading in every other industry. And there is a tremendous demographics shift.” “If you look at the population growth, it is coming from underrepresented minorities. We need to support them directly. We think this is smart on a number of levels.”
The investments are going to technology companies as well as gaming. So far Intel has already invested $16.7 million today with Brit+Co. CareCloud, Mark One, and Venafi. All this being said, Intel is looking specifically for global tech companies mainly, while showing some room for flexibility.
Krzanich said in a statement:
“We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace is fundamental to delivering business results. Our goal with this new fund is to meaningfully support a technology startup workforce more reflective of society, and ultimately to benefit Intel and the broader economy through their successes.”
This is a great starting point to diversify an industry that is in desperate need of it. It looks like Intel is headed in the right direction, but time will only tell if other tech giants will follow suit.


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Nokia hired SRK and used the Nokia City lens with Augmented Reality app to sell the complete Lumia series. It was quite the capable application and following in its footsteps in another application which has been launched by India’s largest media group in India. The Times of India has launched an Augmented Reality News application and has been named Alive. It was launched on the 16th of December with an estimated 15,000 downloads a day but it went on score 2,50,000 downloads with 3,00,000 augmented reality views! That is quite a number for any application, let alone a news application.
Now let us explain to you what augmented reality is and what the fuss is all about. It is a technology which is the link between online and offline worlds. It is like an advanced version of your QR scanners. You point your mobile at a QR code and you’re redirected towards a page or something is saved in your mobile for viewing. This is precisely what Augmented Reality does. You don’t really point towards a QR code but instead you point towards an image or are a place and your smartphone takes you to a video or a piece of news or simply a webpage.
Alive is the first AR app launched by a media company in India. Companies are launching more and more apps related to their products. It was only a few days ago that Mahindra launched an app for their flagship XUV 500. The most watched video on the first day of launch of the app was an interview between Arnab Goswami and and Salman Khan about his darkest days which had over 65,000 views.
Everybody’s world has shrunk to their smartphones and a lot of your small gadgets such as the calculators , alarm clocks etc are becoming redundant. You might not have the time every morning to read your newspaper. Alive just helps you read it on the go in an interesting manner.
You can download the app at http://aliveapp.in , available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Nokia handsets.


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10, Reebok will donate one pair of JJ III’s, up to $90 in retail value, to the Mission of Yahweh in Houston, an organization for women and children that offers shelter and programs focused on ending homelessness and dependency.
We admire Kevin for his hard work on the court, in the gym and in the locker room, said Toby Gubitz, vp-marketing for Right Guard.
LeBron James $88 million $28 million $60 million NBA 6.
NYSJ: Your company signed an alliance in May with the PGA Tour and LPGA to bring Topgolf to more golfers and more golfers to Topgolf.
Reebok retail store from launch day through Dec.
Kevin Durant $63 million $28 million $35 million NBA 8.
McGregor currently has deals with Anheuser-Busch and Beats by Dre, but is expecting more to come based on the global high-profile nature of the fight.
Among the things that Jackson does not do these days is watch football.
The network will air Capital One’s , presented by Autotrader leading up to the event.
2016 will see an accelerated growth of non-endemic consumer brands’ engagement in eSports, according to Heinrich Zetlmayer, managing director for eSport gaming and platform company Turtle Entertainment ELS.
• Reebok and JJ Watt have released the JJ IV training shoe collection, which includes the franchise’s first woman’s-specific shoe.
Blaise Matuidi 10.
It was the Bears’ seventh win in a row in a rivalry dating to 1921 and they’d win the rematch in Chicago two months later to make it a record eight straight.
In May, Topgolf opened its flagship location in Las Vegas , adjacent to the MGM Grand, which features across 100 square feet over four levels more than 100 hitting bays, 100s of TVs, a concert venue that holds upward of personalized jersey guests, VIP cabanas and suites and a bar in the middle of a pool.
Lucas Zelarayan 24.
• MLB said that Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully has narrated the official World Series documentary, The 2020 World Series, , which chronicles the first Dodgers championship since 1988.
The collaboration, Topps x Steve Aoki, features current and all-time MLB stars, showcased on a card design themed design your own jerseys one of Steve’s favorite hobbies – throwing cake.
Walker Zimmerman 23.
Stephen Curry $74 million $30 million $44 million NBA 7.
District Running Collective, Institute of Notre Dame of Baltimore and Berlin Running Society.
Louis Cardinals, May 5.
Lucas Zelarayan 24.
Full story here.
Johnny Russell 19.
6 NBC • Super Bowl LVII State Farm Stadium Glendale, AZ Feb.
Chris Wondolowski 20.


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Tired of requesting a new development machine for your application? Sick of setting up a new test environment? Have no fear OpenShift is here!
Red Hats popular platform as a service (PaaS) offering, OpenShift, will be fully open source in the very near future, according to a recent update to the products FAQ
Red Hat have acquired Makara in an effort to boost their PaaS solution.


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A new Mexican restaurant from the team that runs Tres Gatos and Centre Street Cafe is planned for the longtime Ghazal space. That's the word from Tres Gatos co-owner David Doyle. Here's how he describes the concept:
"We know we want the restaurant to be a casual, affordable, family-friendly Mexican eatery featuring tacos, ceviches, and other traditional fare, made with locally sourced ingredients whenever possible." Doyle said the new spot would have a large selection of draft beer, plus wines from the U.S. and South America. Jamaica Plain News hasn't spoken with Ghazal's owners, but Doyle Tweeted that the owner is selling Ghazal to pursue another venture.


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Submitted by MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth
HDFC Bank, Mastercard, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a $100 million credit facility to promote and encourage small businesses in India to digitize, while also helping Indian businesses, particularly those that are women-owned, to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic.
COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on small businesses, forcing many to close prematurely. Additionally, the accelerated shift to digital payments engendered by the pandemic means that small businesses must adapt to changing market dynamics and consumer preferences to remain competitive and retain customer loyalty.
The new credit facility aims to expand lending to small businesses that need financing to maintain and grow their operations, and enable recovery through digitization, with an emphasis on supporting women-led businesses.
“HDFC Bank is proud to join hands with Mastercard, USAID, and DFC in the endeavor to support small businesses in India. MSMEs are the backbone of the Indian economy and the ongoing pandemic has affected their lives and businesses. This partnership, we believe, will not only help extend credit, but also advise and assist them to modernize and digitize their businesses. The highlight of this initiative is our commitment to encourage women entrepreneurs in India and be a meaningful partner in their entrepreneurial journey,” said Rahul Shukla, Group Head – Commercial and Rural banking, HDFC Bank.
“At USAID, we believe gender equality and women's empowerment are not just a part of development but are its core. Women have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, facing economic hardships that directly affect the livelihoods of their families and communities. Through this partnership, USAID will help facilitate access to finance and support the digitization journey for women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them recover from the pandemic and reach their full potential,” said Veena Reddy, Mission Director, USAID India.
“DFC is proud to support this partnership to expand financing for small businesses, especially those owned by women, in India as they look to digitize, modernize, and become more resilient,” said Algene Sajery, Vice President of DFC’s Office of External Affairs and Head of Global Gender Equity Initiatives. “This financing will enable women in India to remain in the workforce, succeed as entrepreneurs, and become more economically empowered, leading to post-COVID-19 economic stabilization, GDP growth, and increased employment regardless of gender.”
“Partnerships that align the strengths of the private sector, government, and philanthropy are critical to building back stronger from the pandemic,” said Nikhil Sahni, Division President, South Asia, Mastercard. “Mastercard’s partnership with HDFC Bank, USAID and DFC is timely as it will provide much-needed financing to support MSMEs in their digitization journey, building resilience through greater participation in the digital economy.”
How will the partnership work?
For more information, please log on to: www.hdfcbank.com.
About U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is America’s development bank. DFC partners with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today. We invest across sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology. DFC also provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in order to create jobs in emerging markets. DFC investments adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights. To learn more, visit www.dfc.gov.
USAID is the U.S. Government’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID works to help lift lives, build communities, and advance democracy. USAID's work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity; demonstrates American generosity; and helps countries progress along their development journey. To learn more, visit www.usaid.gov.
About Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.
Check out more content from The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth focuses on promoting equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. As an independent Mastercard subsidiary, it combines data, expertise and technology with philanthropic investments to empower a community of thinkers, leaders and innovators on the frontlines of inclusive growth. Follow us on Twitter @CNTR4growth and subscribe to receive our latest insights.
More from MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth


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The finance ministry has confirmed that Hungary and Kazakhstan have signed agreements on cooperation in farming, logistics, city management, green innovation and health care.
According to MTI, the agreements were signed within the framework of a business forum in Nur-Sultan organized by the Kazakh Chamber of Foreign Trade and the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK) which was addressed by Finance Minister Mihály Varga. The minister travelled to Kazakhstan with a delegation of close to 50 Hungarian business leaders. At the forum, he noted that Hungary’s exports to Kazakhstan, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals and livestock, rose by almost 60 percent last year. Bilateral trade between the countries exceeded 330 million dollars in 2020 and thanks to the meetings between Hungarian and Kazakh business leaders organized in recent years, Hungarian companies have been successful on the Kazakh market. Minister Varga said economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Hungary extends to the commerce, farming, energy, renewable energy, finance, food industry and construction sectors. Kazakh Minister of National Economy Aset Irgaliyev also participated at the forum.
Photo credit: Facebook/Varga Mihály


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The chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation said this week that joining California’s plan to ban gas-emitting vehicles will be “difficult” to achieve, and that battery-powered cars will take longer to implement than it does. the “mainstream media” think so.
“In realistic terms, it seems rather difficult to achieve them,” Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda told reporters Thursday through an interpreter, discussing California’s new mandates.
“But just like the fully self-driving cars we were all meant to drive now, BEVs are going to take longer to become mainstream than the media would have us believe,” Toyoda told car dealerships at the event.
Toyoda’s comments come after California’s Air Resources Board, under the state’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, passed rules that would require all new cars, pickup trucks and SUVs to be electric or hydrogen-powered. 2035.
TOYOTA INVESTS $5.6B IN EV BATTERY PRODUCTION IN US AND JAPAN
In August, Toyota announced it would increase its planned investment in a new battery plant in the United States from $1.29 billion to $3.8 billion, partly in response to growing consumer demand for electric vehicles. Toyota, California’s top-selling auto brand, last month recognized the state’s authority to set vehicle emissions standards under the US Clean Air Act.
“This is the most impactful action our state can take to address climate change,” Newsom said in 2020 when outlining the emissions plan. “For too many decades we have allowed cars to pollute the air our children and families breathe. Californians shouldn’t have to worry if our cars give our children asthma. Our cars shouldn’t not make wildfires worse – and create more days filled with smoky air.Cars should not melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coasts.
Toyoda, the grandson of the company’s founder, said in Wednesday’s video that “playing to win means playing with all the cards in the deck – not just a few. So that’s our strategy, and we stick to it.” let’s hold.”
CALIFORNIA ‘BLEEDING RED INK’ AS NEWSOM EYES WHITE HOUSE: REP. DARRELL ISSA
Toyoda likened the automaker to a “department store” selling a variety of vehicles to customers with different needs.
Toyoda highlighted the challenges of adopting electric vehicles, including impacts on the power grid and the lack of easy access to electricity for around 1 billion people around the world.
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This week, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul said her state was close to adopting a plan similar to California’s, saying she had ordered a state environmental agency to propose and to finalize rules establishing increasing annual rules for zero-emission vehicles from 2026 on sales of new gasoline-only cars by 2035.
Reuters contributed to this report


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“Mario was much loved and admired and his loss was felt by many members of the Metricon family. No one foresees these things,” Langfelder said.
“I ask for our customers’ patience and consideration as our leaders and staff deal with their loss. As you can imagine, it may take us a little longer to manage requests.
A state government spokeswoman confirmed that Metricon requested a meeting earlier this week. She said Metricon did not seek a bailout, but said the company was under financial pressure.
Sources familiar with Metricon’s financial situation said the group had not yet engaged in any dialogue with insolvency specialists.
The Commonwealth Bank generally prefers for its clients in difficulty to work with the consultancy firm KordaMentha in the event of administration. A bank spokesperson declined to comment.
Industry sources said Metricon was looking to buy out contracts from customers that were made before the cost of goods, labor and materials skyrocketed due to inflationary pressures and market constraints. supply chain.
They said there was hope the company would be able to renegotiate larger contracts to reflect the significant increase in costs.
Inflation and supply chain issues have hit the construction industry particularly hard. One of the country’s biggest construction companies, Probuild, appointed administrators earlier this year after it collapsed.
Biasin says age in December, that global supply chain blockages extended the time needed to build a 200 square meter single-storey house by a month. He said he had never seen such a situation in nearly 50 years in the industry.
Rebecca Casson, managing director of Master Builders Victoria, said Biasin was an exceptionally strong advocate for the industry.
“During the pandemic, Metricon has been a key supporter of MBV’s COVID-19 advocacy campaigns to ensure Victoria’s building and construction industry remains safe and open for business, safeguarding hundreds of thousands jobs.
“Mario’s passing leaves a huge void in our industry, and he will be greatly missed by Master Builders Victoria,” said Casson.
She cautioned against creating a “rumor story” about Metricon’s future and urged customers and suppliers to stand together as they “navigate these unprecedented challenges”.
Graham Wolfe, chief executive of the Housing Industry Association, described Biasin as a “true gentleman.”
Support is available from Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, headspace on 1800 650 890, Head to Health on 1800 595 212 and Lifeline on 13 11 14.


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Things are looking up for the refrigerant phaseout scheduled to begin in 2010. Emerson Climate Technologies, a business of Emerson, says results from the company’s second contractor and distributor survey has found 70% of respondents are quoting R-410A and R-22 equipment, while 64% say they are training their technicians to service and install R-410A equipment
Emerson conducted the surveys as a way to measure contractor readiness for the 2010 transition away from R-22 equipment.
The 64% who say they’re engaged in R-410A training represent an 11% increase over responses to the question six months ago.
Emerson says a key finding of the new survey is that more customers are requesting R-410A equipment; 15% of those surveyed (up from 10 percent in the last survey) reported that more than 40% of their customers are requesting R-410A equipment. Emerson links this trend to the increasing importance among end-users that equipment be more efficient and environmentally-friendly, as well as the growing awareness that R-22 equipment will become expensive to maintain in future years.
Two-thirds of those surveyed said they cite both environmental concerns and long-term costs when explaining the benefits of R-410A equipment to their customers.
"We're glad to see that more HVAC professionals are beginning to transition their business toward R-410A bearing equipment in advance of 2010," says Scott Barbour, president, Emerson Climate Technologies Air Conditioning Division. "This latest survey tells us that the industry is accelerating the transition, but we need to continue increasing the forward momentum to ensure we’re all prepared to provide the best, most responsible options for our customers.
"With contractors and distributors already reporting significant price increases for replacement R-22 refrigerant, the industry must focus on the realities of long-term cost and availability of replacement parts and refrigerant, and thus the importance of making the switch to HFCs like R-410A as quickly as possible."
Thirty nine percent of survey respondents say they will wait until 2010 to convert the majority of their sales to R-410A equipment. When asked why they recommend R-22 equipment over R-410A, retrofit concerns and short-term economics were the predominant answers. They pointed to the fact that R-22 has a lower price to their customers for outdoor and indoor equipment.
Both contractors and distributors have noticed that R-22 refrigerant is getting more expensive, and report increases from 20-100% over the past two years. In addition, 44% reported they worry about the availability of R-22 refrigerant and parts for service after 2010. Finally, 52% reported concerns over retrofit issues, including line set change-outs, equipment mismatch and size differences of the new equipment.
For additional information on R-410A readiness, including Emerson technical white papers, contractor checklists, and more, visit EmersonClimate.com/refrigerant/ac.


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Mumbai Angels invests in Dr Sheth’s
Mumbai-based Dr Sheth’s, a celebrity dermatologist backed vegan, luxury skincare line, has raised ₹4 crore from investors, including ₹3 crore from Mumbai Angels Network. Founded in 2016, Dr Sheth’s range of personal care products is designed exclusively for the Indian skin and embraces the clean beauty movement. The company will use the money to scale operations, build brand awareness, develop new product line and launch in international markets.
GUVI gets ₹1-crore funding
GUVI, an online skill acceleration and hiring platform, has raised ₹1 crore from US-based impact investor Gray Matters Capital. The IIT Madras-incubated EdTech start-up, which trains coders in regional languages, will use the money to create one million coders by 2020. It will improve employment prospects by producing small duration technical videos in regional languages. Gray Matters Capital has made this investment through its edLABS initiative.
Sixth Sense Ventures pumps ₹21 cr into MyHealthcare
MyHealthcare, a digital integrated healthcare platform, has raised about ₹21 crore ($3 million) from Sixth Sense Ventures, a leading consumer centric venture capital fund, as part of its ongoing Series A fund raise. MyHealthcare works with hospitals, diagnostics and speciality health institutions in building their digital health business.
Fresh funding for DoubtNut
DoubtNut, a multi-lingual online learning platform that leverages artificial intelligence to offer solutions to students’ mathematics queries, has raised an undisclosed amount of funds led by Surge, an initiative of Sequoia India, with participation from existing investors WaterBridge Ventures and Omidyar Network, and new investor AET, Japan. It will use the money to widen its product offerings in terms of subjects, languages and classes and expand the team.
Mumbai Angels Network invests in Leadstart Publishing
Leadstart Publishing, a media-tech publishing house, distributor and rights agency platform, has raised Rs 3 crore in a round led by Mumbai Angels Network, with participation from JITO Angel Network and SucSEED Venture Partners. The Mumbai-based company will use the money to scale operations, develop technology and for customer acquisition.
Blackstone, Essel Propack in pact
Private equity company Blackstone has signed an agreement to buy a majority stake in Essel Propack Ltd for up to ₹3,211 crore ($460 million). Through funds managed by it, Blackstone will buy a 51 per cent stake from Ashok Goel Trust at ₹134 a share and will make a mandatory open offer to buy an additional 26 per cent stake. The company has fixed the open offer price at ₹139.19 a share. At present, Ashok Goel Trust and its affiliates hold about 57 per cent in Essel Propack.
Enkash, run by Nehat Tech Solutions Pvt Ltd, has raised about ₹21 crore ($3 million) in a Series A round from Mayfield India and Axilor Ventures. Enkash, a business-to-business payments management and automation platform, will use the money to bolster existing technologies and for building the leadership team.
CleanMax Solar raises ₹275 cr from UK fund
CleanMax Solar, which provides rooftop solar and open-access solar power solutions to the commercial and industrial segments, has raised about ₹275 crore ($39 million) from UK Climate Iinvestments LLP. The company will use the money to expand its business, including renewable energy purchases for corporates through the construction of a network of private solar farms across the country. The company had earlier raised a total of $115 million in two rounds from private equity player Warburg Pincus and the International Finance Corporation, the private sector financing arm of the World Bank.
Agri start-up Ninjacart raises ₹625 cr from Tiger Global
Agri-tech platform Ninjacart, which connects farmers with retailers, has raised ₹625 crore from Tiger Global. The platform moves 350 tonnes of fruits and vegetables from a sourcing network of 4,500 farmers to 9,500 retailers in Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. With this round, Ninjacart has raised ₹935 crore in all. Its investors include Trifecta Capital, Accel Partners, Qualcomm Ventures and NRJN Trust of Nandan Nilekani. The company is strengthening its platform to handle 1,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables a day.
Quess Corp buys Allsec Tech
Quess Corp, a leading business service provider, has, through its subsidiary Conneqt Business Solutions Ltd, acquired a majority stake in Allsec Technologies Ltd. The transaction involves Conneqt purchasing 35.35 per cent from the promoters, 26 per cent from First Carlyle Ventures Mauritius. Conneqt will also make an open offer to the public shareholders of Allsec to purchase up to 26 per cent shareholding. Allsec, which started operations in 2001, has expertise in providing business process solutions across various industry verticals.