text:
- Digital Identity Key to Accessing Social Services – NIMC DG
The Director-General, National Identity Management Commission, Aliyu Aziz, has identified digital identity as a critical factor for individuals to access social benefits.
The social benefits and services that can be enjoyed with digital identity, according to him, are subsidies, social safety net, eligibility to vote in elections, agriculture, pension and education, among other entitlements.
The NIMC DG made this known while delivering a keynote address entitled ‘Digital Inclusion: Opportunities, Challenges and Strategies’ at the 27th Annual Conference of the Nigeria Computer Society in Ibadan.
According to Aziz, since public and private sector agencies require proof of identity as a prerequisite for providing services to individuals, failure to prove identity forms a major barrier to accessing social benefits.
“Inability to prove identity is one of the biggest barriers preventing access to benefits, subsidies, an exercise of basic rights as well as claiming entitlements,” he said.
He added, “Without knowing who the people are, no government or private sector will be able to effectively deliver important services such as social safety net, elections, agriculture, pension and education.”
“Identity is a pre-requisite for a country’s economic, social and political progress and development. Good identification works hand-in-hand with greater use of Internet, payments and skills for a vibrant digital economy.”
Describing NIMC’s role in providing digital identification through the enrolment and issuance of a unique identifier National Identification Number, Aziz stated that beyond the term digital inclusion were issues about “quality of life, democracy, exclusion and who gets what, when and under what circumstances.”
Crowdyvest Attracts New Investors and Appoints Tope Omotolani as CEO
Crowdyvest Limited, an impact-driven fintech platform, launched in 2019 by Onyeka Akumah and four other Co-Founders has today announced a big change in its leadership and additional investment in the company, in a bid to scale up as a digital savings company.
Crowdyvest was created to provide all-in-one financial solutions for individuals and businesses to achieve short or long-term goals while facilitating impactful growth in line with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The Fintech company went live in beta-stage in August 2019 but launched fully as a crowdfunding platform in January 2020 where its users and sponsors can sponsor high-impact opportunities that yield good benefits through its pooled sponsorships and individual projects.
Today, however, the company announced Onyeka Akumah will officially step down as the CEO of Crowdyvest and Tope Omotolani who is currently the Managing Director and also a co-founder, will become the new Chief Executive Officer of the startup, effective immediately. Notwithstanding this change in leadership, all the management and staff of Crowdyvest will be retained. And as a result of the new investment in Crowdyvest, the fintech startup will completely exit the EMFATO Holdings group and also transition from its previous crowdfunding model to making strides as the go-to digital wealth management and savings platform under Tope’s leadership.
Onyeka Akumah speaking on this development said, “I have taken this decision to step down as the CEO of Crowdyvest as a result of the new investment in the company which gives it good footing for scale. Today, Crowdyvest is exiting fully from EMFATO Holdings and we are very happy about the new investors led by Tope, and excited to see how Tope will lead this business to new heights. I will now focus more on leading Farmcrowdy and Plentywaka as CEO of both companies into new markets in 2021. Tope is a strong and amazing leader and I see her leading Crowdyvest to become one of the leading wealth management companies in Nigeria within the next 3-5 years. I wish her and the team all the best and will continue to advise them on their journey when needed’’.
The new CEO, Tope Omotolani also said, “It’s an honor and a privilege for me to be able to lead the team to the next level and next chapter of the business. Onyeka founded this company on the ethos of integrity and strong customer satisfaction and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead this technology company into it’s next chapter. Our major goal and focus as Crowdyvest is that we see a lot of people become financially free and we’re able to do this by the products that we create on the platform”.
The emergence of female leaders has become a centrifugal force for good in the world and many organisations. For the first time, we’re seeing examples of female leaders emerging from across the generations to cross-weave their knowledge and drive for change and Crowdyvest is joining the wave of change having a Female Leader and CEO.
Crowdyvest is today launching the Crowdyvest Savings Platform to give savings options to over 10,000 subscribed members on it’s platform. This savings platform will give its members a variety of plans to help build a savings culture based entirely on their pace, so they can reach their life goals faster.
This savings platform has four products that are properly tailored to fit all categories of individuals, including the Millenials, Gen Z, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, and each of these products have their unique features and benefits. They are;
Flex Savings which speaks to our young and trendy Gen Zs and Millenials, gives them the opportunity to save as much as they like with the option of withdrawing their money at any time during the year with a withdrawal fee of 2%. The Flex savers also have the opportunity of 7 official withdrawal days which comes without a withdrawal fee.
Vault Savings here, users have the opportunity to safely deposit money into their vaults and lock it for a period of time (3 months, 6 months, or for years). Funds deposited in the vault will be locked and ineligible for withdrawal throughout the locked period. The vault savings is for long-term savings and is targeted at pensioners, trust funds savings, legacy savings, etc.
Pace Savings, savers have the opportunity to deposit money as they wish for a set target. The pace savings option is recurring starting with the least period of 3 months. The money can be deposited automatically into the plan or manually based on the saver’s preference. The plan is targeted at salary earners, entrepreneurs, etc.
Flex Dollar Savings gives savers the opportunity to save and earn returns in dollars. Crowdyvest Members have the opportunity to grow their savings in a more valuable & stable denomination.
Every saver enjoys the benefits of good interest rates from 12.5% to 15%, zero bank charges, plans tailored for everyone, and effective and prompt customer service. We also have referral opportunities where you can earn as much as NGN 1000 for every person you refer to Crowdyvest. For more information, visit the Crowdyvest website.
Previously as a crowdfunding platform, Crowdyvest was able to create an impact by funding 24 projects across various sectors including Agriculture, Real Estate, Transportation, etc, has worked with 9 project partners, has operated in 17 states with over 10,000+ active sponsors, over 90,000+ total users, and over 8,000 Monthly Active Users. Today, the company is a Digital Savings platform with closed membership, Crowdyvest will provide financial solutions for her community of individuals and organizations that are committed to long-term growth and financial freedom.
FirstWave Signs Level 1 Partner Agreement with pan-African technology company Moja Access
Leading Australian-headquartered, global, cybersecurity-as-a-service company, FirstWave Cloud Technology Limited (ASX: FCT) (FirstWave), is pleased to announce the signing of a three-year Level 1 Partner Agreement with Moja Access, part of CSquared Group (www.csquared.com), a pan-African technology company.
Moja Access is the Kenya-based operating company of CSquared, a joint venture between Google LLC, Japan-based Mitsui & Co, investment firm Convergence Partners, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC, part of the World Bank Group), with the goal to make commercially driven investments to improve and increase connectivity and internet access in Sub-Saharan Africa.
CSquared currently operates fibre and last mile WiFi networks in several cities across Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Liberia, with over 40 mobile operators and internet service providers relying on its infrastructure for serving mobile consumers and corporate customers. These four African nations had over 10 million Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and over 70 million internet users at the end of 2020.
In the initial phase of this partnership, FirstWave has deployed its recently launched FirstCloud™ WebProtect DNS platform for each of CSquared’s four territories for use by CSquared’s operating companies and Level 2 partners. CSquared’s operating companies’ partners and their end-customers will get the web security solution as part of their internet service on an “opt-out” basis.
As a consequence, revenue generation will commence immediately, and end-customers can ‘opt-out’ if, for any reason, they decide they do not want the service. Moja Access is currently in conversations with customers for uptake of this service.
The Partnership Agreement is for a 3-year term with rolling 6-month extension options thereafter and in keeping with FirstWave’s unique service proposition – democratising enterprise-grade cybersecurity-as-aservice – the vast number of MSMEs and Internet users across these 4 African nations can now be protected on CSquared’s network from cyber intruders, on a consumption basis, at an affordable monthly price.
FirstWave’s business head for EMEA & North America region, Sundar Bharadwaj, said, “CSquared Group’s Kenya-based entity Moja Access is a truly innovative partner for FirstWave in Sub-Saharan Africa with excellent credentials with its Telco and ISP client base. We look forward to expanding the reach for our Enterprise-grade cybersecurity solutions to small and large end-customers through this partnership.”
Lanre Kolade, Group CEO of CSquared, said, “We are very excited to have signed this partnership with FirstWave. Our clients, including Telcos and Internet Service Providers, will benefit from FirstWave’s differentiated SaaS products. It will allow us to rapidly deploy and sell on a consumption based monthly pricing model, enterprise grade cybersecurity services to all our clients and their end-customers, large and small.”
FirstWave’s CEO, Neil Pollock, said, “I’m delighted to welcome CSquared Group’s Moja Access as our 8th Level 1 partner and see initial revenues already flowing from the partnership. CSquared is a fast-growing pan-African service provider backed by two large global corporations Google LLC and Mitsui & Co. CSquared already delivers robust fibre connectivity and internet access to thousands of end-customers via its 40+ mobile operator and ISP clients. With revenues already delivered, the partnership has had a really positive start.”
This announcement has been approved for release by the Board of Directors.
Fintech Startups Hit $121.7B in Total Funding, a $20B Increase in a Year
Fintech Startups Raises $121.7B in Funding in 2020
Recent years have witnessed a surge in the number of fintech investments, with record funding levels and rising valuations. The strong investment activity in the fintech sector continued in 2020, despite the global slowdown in venture capital deals caused by the COVID-19.
According to data presented by AksjeBloggen.com, the cumulative value of funds fintech startups raised over time hit $121.7bn in February, a $20bn increase in a year.
Asian Fintechs Raised $50.3B, 40% of Total Funding
The financial services industry continues attracting tech companies that transform how people and businesses spend, invest, save, and borrow money. The rapid growth of the entire sector has been followed by the increasing number of venture capitalists willing to invest in fintech companies and support their business.
In 2018, fintech startups raised $31.3bn with the cumulative funding value reaching $71.3bn that year, revealed the Crunchbase data. By the end of 2019, this figure jumped to $95.8bn, a $24.5bn increase in a year.
Statistics show that 2020 witnessed $20.3bn of investments into the fintech sector, despite a significant drop in global venture capital funding caused by the pandemic. The cumulative value of investments hit $116.1bn last year, and this figure rose by another $5.6bn in the last two months.
Statistics show that Asian fintechs lead in the total value of investments, with $50.3bn in funding rounds so far. The North American companies raised $47.8bn in funding, ranking as the second-leading region globally. European fintech startups follow with $18.2bn worth of investments.
The Number of Fintech Startups Tripled in Two Years
Although the COVID-19 may have influenced the investment activity in the fintech sector, the pandemic also triggered a surge in the use of fintech solutions, creating a huge space for new companies.
The BCG data revealed the number of fintech startups worldwide tripled in the last two years, rising from over 12,200 in 2019 to 26,000 in 2021.
As of February 2021, there were 10,605 financial technology startups in North America as the leading region, up from 5,800 in 2019.
However, statistics show Europe, the Middle East, and Africa have witnessed the most significant increase in the number of fintech startups. In 2019, almost 3,600 companies were operating in this sector. Since then, the number of fintech startups in the EMEA region surged by 160% to more than 9,300.
Asia and the Pacific ranked third with more than 6,100 fintech startups as of February, up from 2,800 in 2019.
News3 weeks ago
Doctors Warn Covid Will Become Endemic and People Need to Learn to Live With it
Bitcoin2 weeks ago
Bitcoin Surges Above $50,000 Per Coin on Tuesday, Sets a New All-Time High
News1 week ago
U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Hit 500,000
Economy2 weeks ago
Petrol Subsidy May Hit N11.2bn Per Week
Economy3 weeks ago
Petrol Landing Cost Rises to N180, Oil Crosses $60
Cryptocurrency4 weeks ago
Why CBN Bans Banks from Facilitating Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Bitcoin1 week ago
Bitcoin Rebounds To $50,881 Per Coin on Wednesday
Banking Sector2 weeks ago
Banks Turning Female Marketers to Sexual Slaves – Senator


text:
Handelsinvest Investeringsforvaltning grew its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Rating) by 24.2% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 41,031 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,000 shares during the period. Handelsinvest Investeringsforvaltning’s holdings in Apple were worth $7,164,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cardinal Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 5,525.0% in the first quarter. Cardinal Capital Management Inc. now owns 225 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. Shore Point Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. St. James Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth about $57,000. Econ Financial Services Corp bought a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth about $58,000. Finally, Emerson Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 363.6% in the first quarter. Emerson Wealth LLC now owns 408 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.98% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity at Apple
In related news, SVP Katherine L. Adams sold 25,000 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.72, for a total value of $4,043,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 452,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $73,151,454.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research analysts have recently commented on AAPL shares. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, June 8th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Apple from $185.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 20th. Rosenblatt Securities dropped their target price on shares of Apple from $184.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 2nd. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, March 31st. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Apple from $200.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, twenty-four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $179.64.
Apple Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $151.60 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.45 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.61, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.19. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $129.04 and a 12 month high of $182.94. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $143.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $157.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.88.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 28th. The iPhone maker reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $97.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $93.99 billion. Apple had a net margin of 26.41% and a return on equity of 152.88%. The business’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.40 EPS. Analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 6.09 EPS for the current year.
Apple announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Thursday, April 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase $90.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the iPhone maker to buy up to 3.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.
Apple Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 12th. Investors of record on Monday, May 9th were paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 6th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.61%. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.94%.
Apple Inc designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories worldwide. It also sells various related services. In addition, the company offers iPhone, a line of smartphones; Mac, a line of personal computers; iPad, a line of multi-purpose tablets; AirPods Max, an over-ear wireless headphone; and wearables, home, and accessories comprising AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, HomePod, and iPod touch.
Receive News & Ratings for Apple Daily – Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts’ ratings for Apple and related companies with MarketBeat.com’s FREE daily email newsletter.

domain: news


text:
Vegetable prices are surging at an even greater rate than pharmaceutical medicines – and it’s not because of coronavirus.
The effects of the drought are still being felt in supermarkets, despite the advent of heavy rain along the east coast in February.
Westpac, Australia’s second biggest bank, has calculated vegetable prices rose by nine per cent in the first three months of this year.
By comparison, pharmaceutical prices were expected to increase by five per cent in the March quarter, as COVID-19 fears sparked a flurry of repeat-dose prescription medicine purchases.
While the pandemic was expected to disrupt supply chains in 2020, items like laptop computers, television and furniture and local resort holidays were expected to become much more affordable in a year from now.
Westpac senior economist Justin Smirk said the effects of the dry spell were pushing up vegetable but not fruit prices.
‘When you have, for example, a shortage of lettuces because there’s a drought you get a price rise,’ he told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.
‘They’re quite volatile quarter-to-quarter because of seasonal conditions.’
Late last month, iceberg lettuces at a Brisbane Foodworks were selling for $10 while tomatoes at a nearby Coles were selling for $9.90 a kilogram.
The return of rain has generally contained increases in food prices.
Westpac is forecasting a four percent fall in fruit prices for the March quarter, even though bushfires destroyed some apple orchards, including Montague’s Batlow plantation in the New South Wales part of the Snowy Mountains.
Westpac senior economist Justin Smirk said the effects of the dry spell were pushing up vegetable but not fruit prices. Pictured is a Woolworths iceberg lettuce
‘There were some signs that apple prices did rise but overall there were fairly good seasonal conditions in most of the summer fruit crops, particularly around stone fruits and that helped hold prices down,’ Mr Smirk said.
CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 6,619
- New South Wales: 2,963
- Victoria: 1,329
- Queensland: 1,019
- Western Australia: 545
- South Australia: 435
- Tasmania: 197
- Australian Capital Territory: 103
- Northern Territory: 28
TOTAL CASES: 6,619
He predicted COVID-19 would make some items cheaper in early 2021, as China began exporting goods at the same pace again.
This should see prices fall for electronic goods like laptop computers and televisions, with consumers no longer needing new items they had bought during the coronavirus lockdowns in March and April this year.
‘How that all pans out in 12 months’ time when everyone’s got a new computer, and everyone’s got a new television and everyone’s got a much more conservative consumption setting, that’s the discounting becomes wider,’ Mr Smirk said.
‘There’s going to be, in the short-run, further discounting around the retail space.’
Furniture, clothing and shoes are expected to become cheaper too, as Chinese supply lines opened and consumers the world over cut back on spending as the world economy slowed.
Westpac said prices by 2021 should fall for electronic goods like laptop computers and televisions, with consumers no longer needing new items they had bought during the coronavirus lockdowns in March and April this year. Pictured is a JB Hi-Fi store in Sydney
‘There’s less demand globally so it looks like potentially, within the next 12 months China will be normalizing trying to get its volume out – there will be lots of goods in the world looking for a home,’ Mr Smirk said.
‘This sort of shock is going to be deflationary: there’s going to be a lot of excess goods floating around the world.’
With Australia’s borders closed, places like Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Cairns that traditionally catered to foreign visitors would be offering discounts to lure Australians, who this year can no longer go overseas so easily.
‘Those particularly focused on international tourists will be now trying to get Australian tourists to stay there and that could be quite competitive,’ Mr Smirk said.
With Australia’s borders closed, places like Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Cairns that traditionally catered to foreign visitors would be offering discounts to lure Australians, who this year can no longer go overseas so easily. Pictured is a deserted Surfers Paradise in April
‘A lot of the foreign tourists, especially the Chinese tourists, were coming to see Sydney and Melbourne, spending lots of money in the tourist areas here, so that’s going to be a bit of shake-up.
‘Some of those big names like Cairns and the Gold Coast are going to be under pressure.’
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is releasing its consumer price index data for the March quarter on April 29.
Westpac is expecting the data to show an annual inflation rate of 1.9 percent, a level below the Reserve Bank of Australia’s two to three percent target.


text:
China posted a record high trade surplus of more than $101 billion, Bloomberg reported. The trade surplus was driven upwards by rising exports, which climbed above the projected level of 14.1%.
According to China’s General Administration of Customs, the country’s trade surplus rose to $101.26 billion in July, an 81.5% increase from a year earlier. China’s trade surplus jumped to the highest level since 1987.
Customs statistics show the total import and export value increased by 11% and stood at $564.66 billion. Exports went up by 18% to $332.96 billion, while imports grew by 2% to $231.7 billion.
Rising exports, which exceeded the expected 14.1% increase in line with Bloomberg’s forecasts, were the main driver for the trade surplus, analysts say.
“China’s export growth surprised again on the upside. It continues to help China’s economy in a difficult year as domestic demand remains sluggish,” Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management said. Exports fuelled Chinese economic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they are unlikely to help the country’s economy now, as numerous countries face soaring inflation.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Chinese economic growth to slow down amid new outbreaks of COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns. The ripple effects of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine are also likely to weigh down on the Chinese economy. The IMF sees the country’s economy climb by 3.3% by the end of 2022, below its April’s forecast of 4.4%.
Emerging signs of a slowdown in the US, China, and the EU, the world’s three key economies, are threatening global economic growth. The IMF has slashed its global GDP growth outlook to 3.2% from 3.6% projected in April.
Europe may repeat crisis of 2008
Throughout its history, the European economy has come across numerous crises. The current situation faintly resembles the financial crisis of 2008. However, its magnitude is likely to exceed the then financial collapse.In 2008, the catastrophe began with the housing market bubble. In this case, the key reason lies in the halt of Russian gas supplies.
08:34 2022-10-05 UTC+00
US at rising risk of recession
While the US government continues to struggle with worsening inflation, its economy is increasingly at risk of falling into a serious recession.According to recent studies, most analysts expect the United States to face another large-scale economic crisis.
14:48 2022-10-04 UTC+00
Oil shortage to cause food crisis
Following the energy crisis, the world may face a food crisis. Notably, the reason for both crises is the same – the ban on Russian oil imports. Analysts warn that the boycott of Russian oil could trigger a food crisis in many European and other states.The Times has recently unveiled a gloomy forecast of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
14:32 2022-10-04 UTC+00
Joe Biden calls on oil firms to bring down prices
In an attempt to tackle surging gasoline prices in the country, US President Joe Biden decided to ignore the basic laws of economics and demanded that oil companies reduce their selling prices.
14:14 2022-10-04 UTC+00
Fed statements affect global economy
The US Federal Reserve System proved to be the world's most influential financial regulator. Its influence is so powerful that just one statement is enough for global economic shifts, even without the use of any financial instruments. CNBC analysts confirm that Fed’s statements have such a far-reaching effect.
14:04 2022-10-04 UTC+00
Fed raises rates once again to combat inflation
The US Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rate for the third consecutive time and is expected to do the same by the end of the year. This measure is supposed to help reduce global prices of oil, gas, and metals as well as other goods. The thing is that commodities are denominated in US dollars and most international settlements in the commodities markets are carried out in USD.
13:31 2022-10-04 UTC+00


text:
The submission was made through the listening to of a plea alleging that Google Pay or GPay was facilitating monetary transactions with out the requisite authorisation from the Central Bank.
The RBI advised a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan that it doesn’t function any fee programs as it’s a third-party app supplier (TPAP).
The petitioner, monetary economist Abhijit Mishra, had additionally contended that
Nevertheless, the RBI stated that the operations usually are not in violation of the Fee and Settlement System Act of 2007.
The matter has been listed for additional listening to on July 22.
Final month, Google Pay additionally introduced that it is ‘Close by Spot’ function to assist customers see which shops, offering important items, are open of their neighborhood, is now accessible in 35 cities throughout the nation.


text:
Google has announced that it has 50 million customers subscribed to or attempting YouTube Music and YouTube Premium, which is a marked improve from the 30 million subscribers it reported in December 2020. This appears to mark a continued pattern in individuals seeking to make the soar from the free variations of YouTube and YouTube Music, at the same time as extra companies are competing within the area.
Google doesn’t break down that fifty million quantity any additional, so we don’t actually know the way many individuals are subscribed to YouTube Music or Premium and what number of are utilizing the companies’ free one-month trial. Nonetheless, its blog post spends plenty of time speaking about music, hailing YouTube because the fastest-growing music-subscription service. Selection additionally compared Google’s numbers with different streaming companies. It stories that Spotify has round 165 million subscribers, and the Monetary Occasions quotes estimates of Apple Music having 78 million. (The final official phrase was in June 2019 when Apple mentioned its service had handed 60 million subscribers.)
YouTube Music Premium prices $9.99 a month and lets customers hearken to and obtain ad-free music. YouTube Premium goes for $11.99 a month and provides subscribers entry to the entire advantages of YouTube Music, with the power to additionally obtain and watch common movies ad-free. Premium subscribers may have movies play within the background whereas they’re utilizing one other app or their cellphone is locked. For individuals who spend plenty of time watching non-music content material on the platform, that’s a a lot better expertise for not that rather more cash.
Google hasn’t commented on what precipitated the 20 million-subscriber improve, but it surely’s in all probability price preserving in thoughts that final 12 months’s rely was reported proper across the time when Google was shutting down its Play Music service. It’s onerous to inform how many individuals had been subscribed to it — however each Google Play and YouTube Music reportedly had 15 million subscribers mixed in 2019.
With out understanding the breakdown, it’s onerous to inform precisely what this implies for Google. Had been extra individuals all for letting movies play within the background with out advertisements, or had been they on the lookout for another or addition to Spotify and Apple Music? Taking a step again, it’s clear extra individuals are a minimum of all for YouTube’s paid choices. Whereas there have been loads of (admittedly justified) complaints concerning the glut of video and audio streaming companies, it appears there’s nonetheless room to develop, if Google is any instance.


text:
Beck Street Capital, a private real-estate investment firm, has made an impressive profit on its sale of six Bleecker Street stores.
The firm began buying the properties in 2003, eventually paying $17.8 million for all of them. Beck Street won’t disclose how much more it invested into them. But it clearly made money off their sale. The firms sold the residential units for $23.6 million. And now it’s sold the retail condominiums to American Realty Capital for $34 million, or $6,662 a square foot, one of the highest prices paid for New York retail property.
The store’s tenants include Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and Mulberry. The high price also reflects the properties’ strong net income. It will be $2.16 million in 2011, which will represent a 6.35% yield on the $34 million sale price.
Rents at the peak of the market were in the $700 a square foot range on Bleecker St., according to market experts. While rents fell about 20% during the downturn, they’ve resumed their upward course this year.
The properties are at 367-369, 382-384 and 387 Bleecker St. Massey Knakal Realty Services was the broker.


text:
PREVIEW FEATURE JULY 2020 Rhian Ramos Opens Up About Taking a Break from Show Biz and Finding Herself|Read more »
Tag: Humberto Leon
Just in time for the season three premiere!
Start your week with all the latest happenings in the world of fashion:Nike will bring you back to 1985 and in the Stranger Things realm with their new Hawkins High collection. The collab is set to drop on June 27, featuring "Hawkins
Mark your calendars!
The much-anticipated capsule collection from H&M in collaboration with Paris designer house Kenzo is about to drop real soon. From the sneak peek of their campaign last month, we’re now given a preview of what are about to hit the stores on November


text:
These are the tourism trends we were talking about this week.
Every week we post hundreds of stories across various sectors in travel, connecting the dots across various global trends, and in these weekend posts we highlight the stories that tackle these trends. This one looks at top tourism trends.
For all of our trends roundups, go here.
>>The “Rhinos Without Borders” conservation effort is not just an ambitious project to save wildlife: Safari Companies Turn to Rhino Relocation for Better Branding
>>It’s surprising that more destinations don’t create virtual trade shows like this: Spain Tries to Lure Next-Gen Meeting Planners With Virtual Trade Show
>>Brazil will provide lessons in tourism development for years to come: Video: How Brazil Builds Tourism Around Big Events
Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch
Photo credit: Rhinos are tranquilized and blindfolded for their flight to Botswana. Rhinos Beyond Borders


text:
Consumers 'confused' over data protection
Flood of mailers from firms cause doubts even as Act takes effect
Published on Jul 2, 2014 6:14 AM
A new era starts today with the full implementation of Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act, but consumers have only a foggy idea of what it entails for them.
They put the blame on the "confusing" privacy mailers, e-mail and Web notices put out by many companies over the past few weeks in their effort to comply with the new Act.
But the Personal Data Protection Commission pointed out last night that from today, the new law requires fresh consent to be obtained "if customers' personal data is used or disclosed for new purposes".
The legislation seeks to provide safeguards against the wrongful collection, use and disclosure of personal data for marketing. It requires organisations to inform individuals of the purpose for collecting, using and disclosing personal data.
To continue reading, log in if you are a subscriber
Enjoy 2 weeks of unlimited digital access to The Straits Times. Get your free access now!


text:
A key Israeli parliamentary committee got here to a consensus on the pressing have to approve medical cannabis exports – which insiders think about essential for the creation of a sustainable MMJ business – and vowed Monday to push for a fast decision.
That clears an necessary hurdle for the issuance of export permits, placing the ball in the courtroom of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has requested for a evaluate of the export plan.
The Israeli Ministry of Public Security stated it might drop its opposition to medical cannabis exports so long as price range financing is in place to implement laws and stop “leakage” into the unlawful leisure sector, in accordance with briefing notes of the assembly obtained by Marijuana Business Daily.
At Monday’s assembly, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Uri Ariel disputed media reviews that U.S. President Donald Trump had a hand in delaying the approval of medical cannabis exports, calling the stories false.
A Ministry of Finance consultant stated the minister helps exports, claiming it might add 1 billion-Four billion shekels ($286 million-$1.1 billion) in tax income per yr to Israel’s coffers.
The parliamentary committee assembly got here after the marijuana business took the federal government to courtroom to approve exports sooner relatively than later.
Hagit Weinstock, the lawyer behind the authorized motion, referred to as stories of Netanyahu bowing to U.S. pressure and blocking exports “fake news.”
“Netanyahu asked his chief economic adviser to review the potential economic options,” Weinstock stated.
“This is just something a prime minister has to do. We’re arguing ‘when’ exports are approved, not ‘if.’”
Matt Lamers might be reached at [email protected]
To join our weekly Canada marijuana enterprise publication, click on right here.


text:
2021-01-14T00:00:00+00:00By Jessica Newman
Acuitus chairman says that retail will remain popular, making fundamental understanding of asset class critical.
2021-01-07T00:00:00+00:00By Jessica Newman
Auctioneers from Allsop, Savills and BidX1 on the direction of the market and whether ballroom sales will return.
2020-12-21T11:40:00+00:00By Jessica Newman
Allsop raised £53m at its sixth online residential auction last week– its final sale of the year.
2020-12-17T15:51:00+00:00By Jessica Newman
Savills raised £27.4m at its final auction of the year, selling 79 lots – or 73% - of its 109-lot catalogue.


text:
Mazda Ute Range
Thinking of buying a new Mazda Ute? Here are all Mazda models available in a Ute bodystyle.
Mazda Ute Reviews
Latest Mazda Ute News
Best utes arriving in 2020
Is a new dual-cab ute worth it? The three reasons you'll want to splurge on the new Toyota HiLux, Mazda BT-50, Isuzu D-Max and Great Wall Cannon
Australia's cheapest new cars have gotten a lot more expensive
New Mazda BT-50 2021 rendered: New images nail what we think the Isuzu D-Max twin will look like
New Mazda BT-50 still on track for 2020 launch? Early mark for Toyota HiLux rival still in works as Thai factories reopen
There has never been a better time to buy a new car
No car is perfect, so we've gathered everything relating to the Mazda reliability here to help you decide if it's a smart buy.


text:
According to the New York Times and Forrester Research, people in the US of A are moving forward and everyone is getting on the tech bandwagon.
63% of American Households have a broadband Internet Connection
75% of households have cellphones and PC computers
10 million households have added an HDTV last year (a 27% jump)
Total market penetration […]


text:
KUALA LUMPUR: The world’s fourth-largest cocoa grinder, Guan Chong Bhd has set aside between EUR50 to EUR60 million (approximately RM230 to RM280 million) to construct a new 60,000 metric tonne (MT) cocoa grinding facility in a West African country, Cote D'Ivoire.
Its group managing director and chief executive officer Brandon Tay Hoe Lian said the new facility would see GCB operations expand to a major cocoa bean producing country and at the same time allow the group to grow its Europe market presence due to the close proximity and similar time zone.
"We would benefit from improved cost competitiveness through savings in shipping costs, storage and handling, as well as export taxes.
"These factors would further strengthen our competitiveness and capabilities, thus enabling us to improve sales to the rest of the world, as well as enhance our reputation as one of the biggest cocoa ingredients producers in the world, ” he said in a statement, today.
The new factory is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2021, which would
bring the group’s total grinding capacity to 310,000 MT, from 250,000 MT currently.
The investment into its West African facility will be funded via combinations of internally generated funds, bank borrowings, and proceeds from Guan Chong’s recently completed private placement. - Bernama
Did you find this article insightful?


text:
The increasingly competitive cannabis market is fostering a pay-to-play mentality among both marijuana retailers and the brands they carry.
Known as slotting fees, the practice requires brands to pay anywhere from $500 to $15,000 a month for premium space on marijuana retailers’ store shelves.
Cannabis industry experts recommend marijuana brands build the fees into their budgets because they can cut into their profit margins. The fees are not tax deductible.
While slotting fees are common among mainstream retailers, many in the cannabis industry are just starting to encounter them.
Slotting fees could have repercussions in a fledgling industry such as cannabis, though they already are common in California.
“In an early market, it’s a slippery slope because it can really affect the customers’ perception of a product’s quality,” said Shane Terry, CEO of TapRoot Holdings, a vertically integrated cannabis company in Las Vegas.
“I don’t think it’s something we can stop unless the state decides to regulate it, but as a practice, I’m personally a little concerned about it for the industry.
“As customers are pushed toward a product and don’t have as good of an experience as they would with another brand, it could damage the dispensary operation.”
Wana Brands CEO Nancy Whiteman said slotting fees in high-volume stores such as Las Vegas marijuana retailer Planet 13 could make sense for companies seeking to expand their distribution and brand recognition.
But it’s important that cannabis brands project their sales carefully and understand what slotting fees would do to their margins, she noted.
“It would be a high-volume store that sells 5,000 units a month,” Whiteman said. “If you’re paying $5,000 a month in slotting fees, you’re taking at least a dollar off a unit.
“If you’re selling 1,000 units, you’re taking $5 off your price. There’s no scenario where that makes any long-term sense.”
Then there’s the 280E issue.
Under Section 280E of the IRS tax code, marijuana businesses are barred from taking federal tax deductions for expenses that are related to selling federally illegal goods. That situation, Whiteman said, makes slotting fees in the cannabis industry different than when mainstream retailers use the practice.
She noted that, “in any other industry, it would just be considered a marketing expense and you would deduct it.”
Paying for merchandising
Slotting fees in cannabis first cropped up in 2018 in California, where some retailers were asking anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000 a month, depending on how much shelf space they wanted and in how many stores.
Now, it’s spread to other states like Nevada, and companies like Planet 13 – which serves 130,000 people a month – have created premium partnership packages available to all vendors.
For $10,000 to $15,000 a month, Planet 13 provides its vendors such benefits as:
- In-store promotions.
- Pop-up demonstrations.
- Posts on its social media accounts.
- Photography and menu board advertising.
Planet 13 has 50 televisions throughout its complex that vendors can use to expose consumers to their brands.
Planet 13 also allows select partners to participate in its Planet Palooza event, which showcases the retailer’s premiere brands to its customers, 85% of whom are tourists.
“What we try to do is provide value for those brands,” said David Farris, Planet 13’s vice president of sales and marketing. “The idea is that it translates into revenue for them.
“We provide services, and we hope that that provides value for them. Las Vegas is a destination, and we’re a destination.”
Planet 13 vendors that paid the store for shelf space early on are grandfathered in at lower prices.
Shauntel Ludwig, director of sales and marketing for Las Vegas-based vaporizer manufacturer DaVinci, said many dispensaries that charge for shelf space refer to it as merchandising fees.
“They provide a lot of services in terms of allowing brands to come in and do training and pop-up events,” she said. “What we’re doing is trying to play it smart.
“Retail activation is a huge opportunity. You have a captive audience already in the store looking to make a purchase.”
Merchandising fees give brands control over how their products are positioned and displayed.
DaVinci, for example, asks dispensaries to display its vaporizers inside the open box rather than exhibit them outside of and in front of the box. The company also asks retailers to display all the colors the vaporizers come in.
“Even if the person selling isn’t knowledgeable about our products, the consumer can see it and make up their mind whether that’s for them or not,” Ludwig said.
DaVinci is creating a portfolio of programs that can be implemented in stores of varying sizes, Ludwig said.
The plans range from purchasing top-shelf placement to displaying posters. For larger spaces, DaVinci could have a free-standing podium displaying collateral about the company.
Cost of doing business
DaVinci views merchandising fees as the cost of doing business and is building the expense into its business-to-business marketing budget. The company will measure store sales month-over-month to determine whether its efforts are effective, Ludwig said.
“We’re going to the retailers before they demand the slotting fee and just offering it,” she said. “It’s more important not to just hope you can put a podium in a store. It’s also making sure you have opportunities to go in and do full-store trainings and have employees guide the customer to a fully set-up display.”
More established brands are prepared to create higher levels of in-store merchandising – and are willing to pay for it, Ludwig said.
But smaller companies are going to have issues with it. She also said that larger, corporate dispensaries rather than smaller mom-and-pop shops are more likely to charge slotting fees.
“The slotting fees are still relatively new in the cannabis space, but they’re so common in other retail,” Ludwig said. “We look at this as an opportunity to control position, layout and customer display.”
Some larger brands spend money on marketing and shelf space but don’t produce much of their own product to put there, said Nic Easley, CEO of Denver-based cannabis consulting firm 3C.
Instead, they’re purchasing products from other companies and repackaging them as their own.
“It’s not just that they’re mass producing,” Easley said. “They use their licenses, invest in marketing and shelf space, then loop back around and find supply.
“They won’t have consistent quality of products.”
Margaret Jackson can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
BBL DESIGN – UPDATE
Following on from the initial logo design and the development of their business, BBL design decided to change their brand colours from Pink to an Earthy Green. The logo above reflects this change.
Bouquets by Lee sold their business last year to new owners, who understandably wanted to reband their new business with their style. LW design where commissioned to create a new logo and brand identity after being shown designs from other suppliers. The new logo is both modern and legible across media types whilst retaining an element of creative flair.


text:
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Following several delays and much anticipation, the new BlackBerry smartphones will be unveiled this morning in New York.
Research In Motion (TSX:RIM), the company behind the once dominant smartphones, is holding a splashy event in Manhattan to usher in the new devices, which were originally due for release last year.
The debut is expected to showcase the device as well as provide key launch details.
That will likely include its release date, which is expected in the next four to six weeks, the phone’s features and how much it will cost.
The company says the new BlackBerry will be released first in a touchscreen version, while a keypad alternative will follow in the weeks or months afterward.
The new phone launch is RIM’s attempt to regain its position in the highly competitive North American and European smartphone markets, which are now dominated by iPhone and Android devices.
While the first hurdles to overcome are the opinions of tech analysts and investor reaction, the true measure of success — actual sales of the phones — is still weeks away.
The BlackBerry has dramatically lost marketshare in recent years after a series of blunders.
Several network outages left customers without the use of the smartphones they had come to rely on, while the BlackBerry’s hardware hasn’t received a significant upgrade in years.
RIM chief executive Thorsten Heins has already offered a glimpse of some features on the new devices. They include BlackBerry Balance technology, which allows one phone to operate as both a business and personal device entirely separate from each other.
The new BlackBerry will also let users seamlessly shift between the phone’s applications like they’re flipping between pages on a desk.
In the coming weeks, RIM will launch an advertising blitz to promote the phones, including aggressive social media campaigning, which includes plugs from celebrities on their Twitter accounts, and a 30-second advertisement on the Super Bowl, the most watched television program of the year.


text:
New York: MPG, asterisks, bad grammar
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The conclusion of the New York Auto Show on May 1 also ended the international auto show season for 2011, affording us an overview of a recovering automotive industry facing a struggling economy with rising fuel prices, and the coinciding demand for inexpensive vehicles with good fuel economy.
The New York show, at Jacob Javits Center, is now the nation’s largest-attended auto show, and indicates strides U.S. companies are making to take on the levels of style, technical, and luxury of the top European companies, and the price and fuel-efficient leadership from Asia, where Japanese companies themselves are challenged by the surging Korean tandem of Hyundai and Kia.
At the A7 introduction, lead designer Ulrich Beierlein gave a presentation of what inspired him to draw all the curves and grooves on the sleekest Audi yet, a car that begins with an enlarged Audi family grille, and two parallel crease lines tracing the sides, with the upper crease curving upward to meet the rear pillar. The effect is a unique accent angle to make the sleek four-door sedan emphasis the fastback, coupe-like roofline. The A7 is loaded with futuristic connective technology, emphasizing new partnerships with Google-Earth, Wikipedia and T-Mobile, making the A7 a rolling WiFi hotspot. It is built with a lot of structural high-strength aluminum, and powered by a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with 310 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque. Thanks to an 8-speed Tiptronic transmisison, it claims instant responsiveness and highway mileage up to 28 miles per gallon.
German companies always have justifiable pride in their engines, but this time Audi is promoting a bit of confusion because of a “3.0T” badge on the A7 rear decklid. In Audi and VW nomenclature, “T” has always meant turbocharging, which is an exhaust-driven turbine that sends a blast of increased air-fuel into the engine, whether a TDI (turbo diesel injected) or the 2.0T (for turbo). Supercharging is a belt-driven power fan that force-feeds air to do the same thing. The 3.0T badge should thus mean the 3.0 is turbocharged, but another little badge on both sides of the A7 says “supercharged.” Audi executives tried to be flippant about it, saying we should now consider “T” to mean “charged,” whether turbocharged or supercharged. Since the two systems are so different, and Audi has always been so precise, that doesn’t add up, and when cornered, an Audi executive said,”I’ll look into it.” The charged-up new A7 is, officially, supercharged, thank you, and will be available by mid-May, at a sticker price of $59,250.
The show itself had numerous new attractions that were either global or at least getting first North American display after being shown in Geneva or Shanghai last month. The Javits Center is located just far enough from Midtown that we can declare it Off-Broadway, and if is an Off-Broadway show, Hyundai and Kia, which show no signs whatsoever of leveling off from their recent meteoric rise in stature, did their part to steal the show.
The U.S. “Big Three” also has been promoting high-mileage entries throughout the auto show season. The four major U.S. shows — Los Angeles in November, Detroit in January, Chicago in February, and New York in mid-April — have featured Chevrolet’s Volt and Cruze, and upcoming Sonic. Ford has the Fiesta and Focus. Chrysler has a highly efficient new V6 and its new owner, Fiat, offers its tiny new Fiat 500. While pushing high-mileage cars makes sense, the American “Big Three” tastefully withheld the recent heavy promotion of earlier unveiled and overpowering cars, such as GM’s Camaros and Cadillacs with supercharged Corvette 6.2-liter V8s, Ford’s variety of high-powered Mustangs, and Dodge Chargers and Challengers, plus the newly unveiled Jeep Grand Cherokee with available Hemi V8s up to 6.4 liters without supercharging.
Ford previously introduced its compact Focus and subcompact Fiesta, both attaining 40 mpg with special models, preceding the New York introduction of a revised Taurus, which will add the new 2.0-liter4-cylinder EcoBoost engine as an option. The EcoBoost indicates turbocharging, which will deliver 237 horsepower and 250 foot-pounds of torque, and will also get “at least” 30 mpg. Standard in Taurus will be the 3.5-liter V6 with increases in horsepower and torque to 297 and 255, respectively. The SHO high-performance Taurus continues with new styling touches and the EcoBoost 3.5 V6, turbocharged and with all-wheel drive.
Chrysler showed several new 300 models, and introduced the SRT-8 model of its totally new 2011 Grand Cherokee, meaning its Hemi can lay four patches of rubber, presumably, on burnouts, while taking you to the mountains it can also scale. Chrysler downplayed its outstanding new 3.6-liter V6 that will supply very good base power to all its vehicles. New owner Fiat has done some impressive things with the interiors of all Chrysler and Dodge models, and it goes its own way with separate Fiat 500s, including the unveiling of a cabrio model that has a nicely arranged full sunroof that slides back over the cabin.
Hyundai president John Krafcik assured any reluctant buyers that Hyundai’s rising residual value will now be bolstered by a guaranteed future trade-in value. Krafcik also tossed a clever dart at the misleading promotion of high-mileage competitors. He said that high price and lack of recharging infrastructure limit the new plug-in-electric Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, but there are others promoting 40 mpg — the Honda Civic FX, Chevrolet Cruze Eco, Ford Fiesta Super-Economy, and the Focus Super-Economy, the Smart fortwo, and the Elantra.
Krafcik said he wondered how they were all selling so Hyundai asked Edmunds.com for sales figures on all those special 40-mpg models for the first quarter of 2011. “Altogether the others sold just under 5,000 units,” said Krafcik. “We sold over 30,000 Elantras in the same time, so we were outselling all the other 40-mpg cars six to one for the first three months. We wondered why those others were not selling.”
The answer, he suggested, was the asterisks required on ads by competitors, which indicate, in fine print, that the car pictured wouldn’t get 40 mpg, and only specialty models costing a couple thousand more can attain 40-mpg.
Kia, with the benefit of Hyundai’s recent engineering brilliance as a subsidiary partner, unveiled its 2012 replacement for the subcompact Rio in both sedan and hatchback, sharing the same 1.6 GDI engine. An engine shutoff at idle should help the Rio fuel economy even more, and for less than $13,000, the Rio will be built out of 85 percent recyclable material.
High mileage was the buzzword from Japan, which started the trend years ago, but which is currently faced with production slowdowns because of the recent earthquake and tsunami. Mazda promises a makeover of its mainstream engines — major news from a company that will add “green-greeen” to its traditional “zoom-zoom.” Mazda officials vow their new Skyactiv gasoline engines will get the fuel-economy of a diesel, which is very good, and will bring to the U.S. a turbodiesel that will get the fuel-economy of a hybrid, which is even better. The diesel is coming to North America in two years. Meanwhile, Mazda said the Menagi concept SUV first shown in Geneva and on display at New York, will be built as the CX-5, using an all-new platform with Mazda’s all-new engines.
Honda introduced the long-awaited production model of its new-generation 2012 Civic, and features its extra-cost HF, which will reach 40-mpg. The same 1.8-liter engine remains in the new-bodied Civics, as does the unchanged 5-speed stick or 5-speed automatic transmissions, which drop Honda behind several competitors that now offer 6-speeds in both transmissions. The Civic Hybrid changes from nickel-metal hydride to a lithium-ion battery pack that is smaller and more potent, to combine with the 1.5-liter out of the Fit. The sporty Si is the only model that will get a 6-speed stick, although its “new” and larger engine with “more power” turns to have only four more horsepower by replacing the higher-revving — and more fuel-efficient — 2.0-liter gem with the larger 2.4 Handa has used with larger vehicles for two decades.
Nissan, which has moved past Honda as Toyota’s top challenger in homeland Japan, introduced a new Versa subcompact, which looks good, and should be a bargain with a base model starting at $10,990. However, after delivering the Leaf all-electric car, the subcompact Versa offers a disappointing highway maximum EPA rating of 37 mpg amid the flock of competitors’ 40-plus cars.
Toyota displayed its new iQ model of Scion, a tiny runabout which will be rolled out first on the East and West Coasts before venturing to the Midwest. Scion also will get the new FR-S sports car, so far only a concept, with a front-engine/rear-drive plan, with a Subaru-built “boxer” engine, low and flat-opposed pistons for a lower and sleeker set-up.
From Germany, Volkswagen has redone the “new” Beetle into, simply, the Beetle, with its arching silhouette peaking just slightly more toward the rear, as if hinting at more of a teardrop restyling, and it touts its 2.0 TDI turbodiesel which is clean and quiet and already proven for getting more than 40 mpg, with gusts to 50, along with the slick 6-speed DSG (direct sequential gearbox) automatic. March sales were reportedly the best for the company in seven years for VW, with the new Jetta doubling sales from March of 2010. Loyalty rates are up 46 percent among buyers, and conquests are up 106 percent. There is a hybrid engine in the Touareg SUV, but VW is most proud of its turbo-diesels. Jonathan Browning, CEO of VW of America, said customers are becoming more aware of the TDI models of Golf, Jetta, Passat and Touareg.
Along with Audi, Mercedes commanded plenty of attention with the North American showing of its new C-Class Cope and C63 AMG Coupe, and captured some economy-car impact with the Concept A-Class debut, with a live, but apparently lip-synching group of energetic folks from Mercedes TV ads, emerging from the audience to sing, “Oh lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedez-Benz?”
Mini, a subsidiary of BMW, attracted a large gathering to start the second press day with a performance by legendary rock band KISS. Photographers pressed close, prepared for a loud and raucus show, but when the curtains opened, there were only three members. Paul Stanley was away, tending to personal business, and apparently he’s the only member who can sing, because there was no music. Four custom-painted Mini Countryman 4-doors will be given away as Unicef charity auction donation, but the whole show fell flat because painted-face guys repeatedly sticking out their aging tongues, and a PR man painted up to look like a short and pudgy KISS member, were humorous parts of a much-hyped show that misfired.
As cars get more high-tech, sometimes the advertising and promotion can’t keep up. Advertising copywriters for Honda appear to be trying to dumb down prospective buyers of the new Civic. Honda’s advertising and promotion have lagged sadly behind the company’s technical brilliance for two decades. Recently, Honda’s television ad campaign about really big deals shows salesmen trying to operate enormous, 20-foot tall calculators, or saying everything in the showroom is such a big deal that salesmen are shown crushed under gigantic donuts. We come away more convinced that their electronic gadgets and their snacks are bigger than the bargains. Ads accompanying the 2012 Civic introduction have hit a new low, however. The Civic was introduced as it sat on a raised stand, behind which giant letters spelled out: “TO EACH THEIR OWN.” Of course, the old saying “To each his own,” uses “his” as a collective meaning both genders. Apparently RPA, Honda’s ad agency of 29 years, couldn’t think of any other phrase, and decided that to be more politically, and genderly, correct, it had to ruin the phrase and slaughter proper English usage.
I caught Mandel privately afterward, and asked him: “Did the teleprompter really say ‘To each his own,’ or did it say ‘To each their own?’ ”
Mandel caught on immediately, smiled, and said: “I’ll never tell. That’s going to have to go down as a mystery of the ages…But I will say, I live with an English teacher.”
Perfect. At least Honda is still trying to be high-tech, even while its advertising agency is proving itself to be semi-literate.


text:
Broadcast TV will boast the lion’s share of ad dollars, at nearly 52%, and the majority of those dollars will be spent on national campaigns.
US digital political ad spending will leap almost 9,000% to pass $1 billion next year—nearly seven times more than $159.2 million in 2012, the last presidential election year.
Identifying the right influencers was the biggest challenge when rolling out an influencer engagement strategy, cited by 75% of marketers.
Just 15% of senior marketers in North America consider their demand generation strategies to be highly or very effective.
Some two-thirds of marketers currently use behavioral research (consumer behavior insights) to influence their marketing decisions.
CMOs are no longer investing the majority of their budgets to customer acquisition, instead spreading their spending more evenly across the customer journey.
The biggest pain point for client-side marketers today is the major bottleneck presented by IT and web development teams.
More than 7 in 10 US SMBs are buying some type of digital services today.
Streaming video ad completion rates were lower on devices with smaller screens last year.
Estimates for 2014 wearables shipments made by multiple firms showed a gap of 10 million units between the most conservative and most aggressive projections.


text:
comScore Inc’s July measurement of internet usage in India found that more than 33 million internet users 15 years and older in India visited social networking sites, representing 84 per cent of the total internet audience. While total internet users increased by 13 per cent between July 2009 and July 2010, social networking in India grew by a whopping 43 per cent.
Facebook.com topped social networking with 20.9 million visitors in July. Orkut ranked second with 19.9 million, followed by BharatStudent.com with 4.4 million. Twitter.com grew the fastest, by 239 per cent, among the top five social networking sites, to 3.3 million visitors.
Yahoo! Pulse (3.5 million visitors) and Yahoo! Buzz (1.8 million) were among the top 10 social networking sites.


text:
Does Angela Ahrendts’ departure from Apple signify a pivot in retail? Then, Microsoft’s earnings highlighted how the company has benefited from its focus on being a horizontal company.
Apple’s decision to stop reporting unit sales is defensible; the company, though, should provide more data to support its new growth story.
Sears has (finally) filed for bankruptcy, thanks to a business model that was obsolete well before the Internet came along. Still, there are lessons to be learned from the Sears businesses that continue to succeed.
Olympic Ratings are down, but less than expected! Unfortunately for NBC, so is revenue. That, though, is expected: sports and its advertisers remain interconnected. Then, at least NBC finally figured out how to manage multiple mediums.
The Disney-21st Century Fox was certainly the biggest acquisition that happened last week, but it wasn’t the only one. Netflix may loom large, but Amazon arguably looms larger.
A follow-up on The Athletic’s potential and challenges, then Amazon’s earnings and the mystery of its increased investment. Then, a reminder of why Amazon is a threat to Netflix in the long run.
The key to understanding Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods is to understand that Amazon didn’t buy a retailer: the company bought a customer.
Amazon is shutting down Quidsi, and taking the fight for CPG goods to Wal-Mart.
In case I wasn’t clear in yesterday’s article, Walmart really has no chance to catch Amazon in e-commerce. Then, the news that P&G will reduce targeting isn’t a surprise, but it’s not necessarily that much of a problem for Facebook. Plus, notes on Facebook’s earnings.
Walmart wasted years trying to retrofit their model to ecommerce. Buying Jet.com will give them a better chance, but it’s almost certainly too late to compete with Amazon.


text:
Hackers attacked unnamed U.S. law firm
One in five companies know or believe that their trade secrets have been stolen, with the healthcare industry most likely to be targeted, according to a survey by international law firm Baker McKenzie. The survey, which realed the growing importance of trade secrets, also found, however, that only one-third of companies maintain inventories of their trade secrets and have action plan for responding to trade secret theft.
Race to innovate
The fast pace of technological advancement has spurred on the issue and, as a consequence, trade secrets have become an increasingly preferred method of intellectual property protection, pushing the issue of trade secrets into corporate boardrooms. By industry, 46 per cent of the financial services executives said they consider trade secrets essential to their corporate strategy – the highest of any sector, followed by industrials and ICT (both 41 per cent). This compares with 27 per cent among consumer goods and retail executives.
Basic measures to protect
'Throughout modern corporate history, some companies have gone to great lengths to safeguard their trade secrets. Colonel Sander’s handwritten original recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken was famously kept locked in a safe at KFC Corporate headquarters. Today’s trade secrets are more susceptible to the threat of being hacked or downloaded, but they are of no less value to the companies that own them,' says Paul Rawlinson, global chair of Baker McKenzie. 'One of the more concerning survey findings was the fact that less than one-third of companies have taken basic measures to protect their trade secrets.'
The report, 'The Board Ultimatum: Protect & Preserve,' revealed that four out of five (82 per cent) senior executives saw their trade secrets are an important, if not essential, part of their business, while 60 per cent say protecting trade secrets is a board-level issue. Theft by ex-employees and third-party suppliers are the biggest sources of anxiety among two-thirds of executives. The healthcare industry is by far the most targeted, with 33 per cent of executives reporting that they have suffered trade secret theft. Notably and somewhat surprisingly in light of recent hacker attacks, corporate leaders most fear theft by former employees and third-party suppliers. 'Given that trade secrets are no longer protected once they become public and companies have no legal recourse unless they can prove the information was both valuable and secret, the question is whether the corporate world should be doing more to manage this risk,' says Kevin O'Brien, chair of Baker McKenzie's North America intellectual property practice.
The survey calls for companies to implement appropriate protective measures — from securing computer networks and monitoring employee electronic use to providing training, developing corporate policies, and requiring anyone who comes into contact with trade secrets to sign non-disclosure agreements. 'Companies are on the front line of the battle because they are the victims,' says David Lashway, co-chair of Baker McKenzie's global cybersecurity practice. 'They do have an obligation to identify and protect trade secrets. But if a nation state actor has prioritized stealing their trade secrets as part of its national agenda for economic growth, the idea that a company is going to be able to successfully protect itself by itself is challenging to say the least.'
New laws came into force last year to protect this type of valuable information — the US Defend Trade Secrets Act and the EU Trade Secrets Directive. Both laws reinforce the fact that corporate executives can no longer ignore their obligation to safeguard their trade secrets.


text:
BEIJING— A government newspaper says Chinese regulators have concluded Qualcomm Inc., one of the biggest makers of chips used in mobile devices, has a monopoly. Citing a planning agency official, the China Daily on Friday said the results of an investigation into Qualcomm will be released soon.» Read More
*Qualcomm has already placed orders with Samsung- newspapers. TAIPEI, July 17- Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd fell as much as 6 percent on Thursday after an analyst and Taiwanese media reported the likely loss of orders for next-generation chips from Apple Inc and Qualcomm Inc..
SEATTLE, July 17- Microsoft Corp is set to cut more than 6,000 jobs in an announcement expected early Thursday, according to sources familiar with the matter, as it trims its newly acquired Nokia phone business and reshapes itself as a cloud-computing and mobile-friendly software company.
TAIPEI, July 17- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd is likely to lose orders for its next-generation chips from Apple Inc and Qualcomm Inc to rival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, according to an analyst and Taiwanese media.
Noriega was military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989. He was an informant for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, according to historical accounts. He also worked with Colombian drug cartels and was eventually indicted in the United States on drug and racketeering charges.
TAIPEI, July 16- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, expects revenue to grow at least a record 20 percent this year thanks to increased demand from smartphone makers like Apple Inc..
NISKAYUNA, N.Y.— New York state is teaming with General Electric Co. and other companies on a $500 million initiative to spur high-tech manufacturing of miniature electronics, Gov. The state will invest $135 million for the collaborative program, which will be based out of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 15- Google Inc's Nest Labs on Tuesday unveiled an industry group to encourage makers of "smart" home gadgets like locks and lightbulbs to use Thread, a new standard for devices to communicate on a network.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 15- Google Inc's Nest Labs on Tuesday unveiled an industry group to encourage makers of smart home gadgets like locks and light bulbs to use Thread, a new standard for devices to communicate on a network.
SEOUL, South Korea— Samsung Electronics Co. said it has suspended business ties with a Chinese supplier that allegedly hired children. The South Korean company, which is the world's biggest smartphone maker, said in its blog Monday that it had found possible evidence of child labor and illegal hiring at Dongguan Shinyang Electronics Co..
TOKYO, July 14- Japan's Nikkei average rose modestly on Monday, ending its longest losing streak since the current "Abenomics" rally started in November 2012, as retail investors picked up shares of small- and medium-sized companies.
SEOUL, July 8- Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Tuesday issued unexpectedly weak quarterly earnings guidance which put it on track for its worst results in two years and cast doubt on the smartphone leader's strategy against cheaper Chinese rivals.
SEOUL, July 8- Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Tuesday said operating profit likely fell 24.5 percent in April-June, its lowest in two years due to slowing growth in the company's cash cow smartphone business and the strength of the South Korean won. The South Korean company said operating profit likely fell to 7.2 trillion won during the quarter.
"Until now, we just couldn't take the plunge," said Takashi Nanki, director and general manager at Shima Seiki Mfg Ltd, whose knitting machines make sweaters and knitwear for the likes of Gucci, Prada and Benetton. As a result, corporate Japan sits on a cash pile of some 232 trillion yen, according to Bank of Japan data.
TAIPEI, July 7- Investors wanting a slice of the crazy demand expected for Apple Inc's next version of the iPhone are rushing for what they believe is more profitable than investing in the U.S. smartphone maker: Taiwanese Apple component suppliers.
*Google, Apple lead; Nokia, TomTom face make-or-break moment. Chip-makers or tech giants such as Infineon and Google are among a variety of companies involved in the rapid development and testing of intelligent cars from those that drive themselves to those allowing a driver to use mobile phone apps through the dashboard.
LONDON, July 1- A U.S. law on conflict minerals is curbing African warlords' presence around mines in Congo, campaigners say, but its full impact remains unclear, with most firms failing to pinpoint the origin of their metals by a June deadline.
*Alibaba the king of online retail on personal computers in China. *Alibaba headed for big IPO in New York this year. BEIJING, July 1- Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd may have dominated online retail on personal computers, but is some way from replicating that leadership in shopping by smartphone and other mobile devices.
Under Chief Executive Frans van Houten, the Dutch company- which started out 120 years ago as a pioneer in electric lighting- has been shifting away from the consumer electronics sector in a restructuring which has involved more than 5,000 job cuts and the sale of its television business.
TOKYO, June 26- Sony Corp's movie and TV unit will snap up Britain's CSC media network, adding to a string of acquisitions by the Japanese company to shift its focus from movies to higher-margin television programming.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 25- Oculus VR, the technology startup that Facebook Inc is buying for $2 billion, has denied improperly using video game publisher ZeniMax Media Inc's trade secrets to create its virtual reality gaming headset.


text:
Over the summer, Sam Hira’s Silly Bandz collection stretched from his wrist to his elbow.
Last spring, the 10-year-old was one of the first kids at his River Falls, Wis., elementary school to wear the colored silicone bracelets that spring into shapes of anything from a harp to Harry Potter. When he starts fifth grade this week, Sam plans to sport his latest acquisitions: color-changing bands.
“I’m probably going to wear a lot to school and give some away,” he says. “They’re pretty cool.”
Cool — and boundary busting. Silly Bandz aren’t your usual kid fad.
For starters, they gained popularity over the summer when most school-year crazes fizzle. And while other recent hot sellers like Zhu Zhu Pets or Kooky pens were popular primarily among a targeted group — middle-school girls, for example — Silly Bandz are collected by both girls and boys, tots and teens. Kindergartners are trading bands with their college-age baby sitters, and even style icon Sarah Jessica Parker has been seen wearing a neon green band, reportedly a gift from her son.
“It’s social currency right now,” says toy expert Chris Byrne, director of content for timetoplaymag.com. “Culturally, it’s one of those things that marks this time. It’s going to be like Beanie Babies.”
But cheaper. A pack of 24 bracelets sells for around $5. “I can buy one pack and split it up among my three kids,” says Sam’s mom, Trina Hira.
Hira teaches fifth grade at Birch Lake Elementary in White Bear Lake. She saw Silly Bandz appear “literally overnight” at her school last spring and watched them spread like wildfire. The bands first rose to popularity in the South, and in some cities around the country, schools have banned them as a distraction — which, of course, only makes them more appealing to kids.
That got this teacher thinking like an entrepreneur. Hira and her husband, Fran, recently opened Bandzilla, a Mall of America kiosk that sells bands and only bands — seven brands, more than 350 styles from animals and rainbows to princesses and sports teams.
The Hiras signed a three-month lease. “We knew it was going to be a trend at least for a little while,” Hira says.
Toy retailer Creative Kidstuff expects the start of school to give Silly Bandz a charge that could burn through the fall. “Kids will see other kids’ styles and want them,” says Happi Olson, director of sales and marketing for the Minneapolis-based chain. “And they are great birthday party add-ons.”
Halloween bands are already on the shelves at Bandzilla, and Rudolph is on the way. Also coming soon: glitter bands, bands that change color with the temperature and “I heart Justin Bieber” bands.
But even as they stock up, retailers are looking ahead. Creative Kidstuff just introduced a new line of wide rubber-band bracelets that spell out statements, and the rubber pencil toppers known as Squishies are threatening to steal Silly Bandz’s thunder. Olson reports Creative Kidstuff has sold 8,000 Squishies in just the past few weeks.
No doubt, the biggest collections will soon belong to teachers.


text:
Buena Vista Home Entertainment announced in January that it would be releasing movies on Blu-ray discs by the summer.
It has now been confirmed that the Blu-ray movie titles will come out in September.
The first release will see ten titles hit the market, including Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Hero, Dark Water, Ladder 49, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
At the time when the announcement of the decision to bring out Blu-ray movies was made, BVHE president Bob Chapek said, "The Blu-ray Disc represents a major technological advance in our industry and just as DVD revolutionized home entertainment, the Bue-ray Disc promises to be the next step in our ability to satiate the consumer's appetite for entertainment by provide the ultimate user experience".
The studio's films will join ones promised from Warner Bros, Sony, and Lionsgate.


text:
“The tourism sector in the Maldives is booming“, said a delighted Moosa Zameer, the country’s tourism minister. Last year’s partner country of ITB Berlin recently set up its own embassy in Berlin, “an important step for tourism in our country“, the minister said. Hussain Afeef, vice chairman of the Maldives Association of the Tourism Industry, added: “Tourism is important for economic development in the Maldives.“ Looking at the figures, the prospects are good: as early as January a 15 per cent rise in tourism gave tourism professionals cause for joy.
Amid widespread media coverage the tourism minister took the opportunity offered by ITB Berlin 2017 to declare the Maldives’ first TV channel operational: Maldivestv.mv is the country’s first TV channel that broadcasts internationally and will aim to give viewers a glimpse of the travel and tourism industry in the Maldives. “We want to draw people’s attention to the Maldives and promote our country as an attractive destination on the world market,“ said Zameer.
Situated near the equator, the Maldives consist of two rows of atolls in the Indian Ocean, 1,190 coral islands in all. The climate is mild and sunny and at night time it is cool. Temperatures hardly vary so there are no clothing decisions to be made when packing. The average temperature is about 30° C the whole year round and on most days the sun shines all the time.
Hall 5.2a, booth 107
Press contact: Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation
c/o Kaus Media Services
Tel.: +49 (0)511 – 899 890 – 0


text:
November 25, 2013
In a public letter dated November 22, the Food and Drug Administration has instructed personal genome startup 23andMe to immediately stop selling its testing service until the offering receives de novo 510(k) clearance. Regulatory Focus first spotted the letter.
"[M]onths after you submitted your 510(k)s and more than 5 years after you began marketing, you still had not...
March 19, 2013
UC Irvine researcher Gene Tsudik (Photo by Steve Zylius)
A team led by University of California-Irvine researchers has developed what's been called an Android-based smartphone paternity test. The app would allow two people, if they had access to their digitized genomes, to run a paternity test comparing their genomes, determine how closely related they are, and even scan their genome for...
January 7, 2013
Digital health incubator Rock Health has released it's 2012 year in review report, and it shows that venture capital investment in digital health is robust, if still tentative by some measures. Overall investment is up, but a large percentage of the numbers are accounted for by a few big deals and a few big investors.
Venture capitalists invested $1.4 billion in digital health in 2012, a 45...
October 28, 2009
At the TEDMED event here in San Diego this week, personal genomics company 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki announced that the company now had more than 30,000 "active" genomes in its database and that it would soon launch a "Relative Finder" service for its users.
As part of the new service, users can explore connections to other users of the site to determine how related they are to each other...
June 10, 2009
At the Consumer Genetics Show in Boston today, genome sequencing company Illumina's President and CEO Jay Flatley announced that Illumina had partnered with four major direct-to-consumer genomics companies and demonstrated a very rough concept for a mobile application that leveraged a consumer's genomic profile.
Illumina inked partnerships with consumer-facing genome analysis services 23andme,...


text:
Following the success of our first digital conversation last month for Earth Day 2020, we decided to make it a regular fixture in the calendar and hosted part two. Same format, seven reps from our communities around the world.
Here's a few of the themes and trends I picked up from listening in:
A shift in mood
Following the success of our first Global Conversation last month for Earth Day 2020, we decided to again host a conversation around the world with a host of inspiring leaders from our seven global communities. They discussed the challenges and opportunities in their markets in moods that ranged from optimistic to grateful to excited. Quite a shift, compared to the mood of the industry a few months ago.
Through 2020, the world has been fundamentally disrupted with most businesses going through hardship, so it was inspiring to hear a collection of industry leaders speak with such positivity and optimism about what can and will be achieved by their organisations. The COVID situation has provided brands a chance to reassess and look at how they truly deliver value for their customers and how they provide a positive angle to society… it seems, perhaps, that the glass is now half full.
Empathy and flexibility
Could empathy be the buzzword of 2020? Whether it's praising the leadership of Jacinda Arden, showing more compassion for the people we interact with (social or work), or accepting that people make mistakes and we’re all fallible - this current situation has taught us to be more empathetic as leaders, which is only good for business, mental health and the planet.
One of the panellists shared an example of a high-end fashion brand who switched their manufacturing to make PPE (protective equipment) for hospitals. Another brand has changed their business model to twice-a-year seasonal lines to become more sustainable; in light of everything going on.
Empowering your frontline
A key theme that emerged was the empowerment of frontline workers - with their insight being respected now more than ever. There was an understanding that the need to be more agile has never been more important. This has led to the empowerment of call centre and frontline retail workers. They've provided insight into customer challenges and opportunities that leaders can now use to make key decisions.
Along with flattening of hierarchical structures due to furloughs and redundancies, it means that team members should feel more empowered than ever to make a difference.
Our outgoing Chief Executive, Gemma Greaves, ended by asking, ‘What’s the one piece of advice you would give to other marketers now?’ Our panel said: Be open to big new scary ideas, be conscientious and show empathy with everyone you meet, listen more than you ever have before, don’t let perfect get in the way of possible and let’s not forget when we come together and inspire each other we really can achieve anything.
This month’s panellists were:
Craig Inglis, (London) Chairman, The Marketing Society (former Customer Director, John Lewis)
Juhie Gorwara, (India) Head of Corporate Marketing, Philips
Adriana Rizzo, (New York) VP Global Marketing, Discovery
Mike Fairburn, (Dubai) GM, Sony Music Entertainment
Xiaowei Liu, (Singapore) VP External Relations, APAC, Shell
Enjoy this? Get more.
Our monthly newsletter, The Edit, curates the very best of our latest content including articles, podcasts, video.
Become a member
Not a member yet?
Now it's time for you and your team to get involved. Get access to world-class events, exclusive publications, professional development, partner discounts and the chance to grow your network.


text:
Google had grand ambitions in 2010 to reinvent television in the image of a smartphone. It introduced Google TV to "to find a way to bring the entire Web to television," as Google group product manager Rishi Chandra put it at the time.
Google TV was going to bring search and apps to television. It was going to help people discover and manage content through personalization. It was going to make picture-in-picture viewing possible, so people could view shows, apps, and websites at the same time. It was going to give developers a chance to craft Android applications tuned to the living room viewing experience.
The public wanted something less than that: easy access to compelling content at a low price. When Google TV arrived -- from Logitech and Sony -- it had several problems. It wasn't as easy to use as a traditional TV, even with the complexity of added cable boxes, DVRs, and game consoles. Its content was no better than you could find on TV, and it cost too much.
What's more, the public grew fond of using mobile devices while watching TV. They saw the web as a way to complement TV viewing, rather than as a missing ingredient in their entertainment.
[How connected will future vehicles be? Read Honda Tests System To Warn Drivers Of Red Lights.]
The NPD Group suggested in late 2012 that efforts to marry the web and TV created something too complex for consumers. Despite interest in viewing broadband content on TVs, NPD argued that technology companies needed to focus on simplifying the user experience, rather than innovating. Anyone who has counted the number of remote control devices in the typical US home could come to the same conclusion.
Ironically enough, Logitech did just that but came to the wrong conclusion. It conducted a count of remotes in 2010 and found that almost half of all living rooms in United States, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, and Australia had four or more remotes. From this data, it concluded that consumers needed a single, unifying remote.
But remote controls are merely one symptom of the complexity of managing multiple sources of content. The issue is control in a larger sense -- not which handheld device controls what's on TV, but which entity controls what's on TV and who gets paid.
Despite the theoretical appeal of greater choice and simmering resentment about being forced to pay for unwanted cable channels, few TV viewers have shown interest in unleashing the chaos that comes with user-driven computing. Mostly, they still prefer the structured, familiar entertainment experience orchestrated by TV content and service providers.
That appears to be fine with content makers, which would rather not worry about the consequences of giving TV viewers the control they have on the web: the power to reprogram the experience, to copy content, and to block ads.
The answer, then, is not to provide one remote to rule them all, but to provide one remote with fewer buttons. That, apparently, is where Google is headed with Android TV.
Android TV, according to documents obtained by The Verge, represents Google's forthcoming attempt to deliver something less ambitious but more appealing than Google TV.
Google declined to comment. The Verge cites Google documents that describe Android TV as "an entertainment interface, not a computing platform" and as a service that's "all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction."
In other words, Android TV can be expected look a lot like Amazon's Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku streaming devices. And it appears that it will coexist with Google's Chromecast, because the company seems to like having its two software platforms -- Android and Chrome OS -- compete with each other. Expect some apps, but they will be straightforward entertainment apps, in keeping with Android TV's less-is-more ambition.
Streaming hardware appears destined to differentiate itself via exclusive content. Netflix, with House of Cards, has already demonstrated that people will watch exclusive shows. Amazon has done so as well with Alpha House. Microsoft said Monday that it had struck a deal to remake a Swedish series called Real Humans for its Xbox. And Yahoo, according to The Wall Street Journal, is close to ordering four original web series (subscription required).
If Android TV succeeds, it will be a consequence of what's showing, rather than the hardware under the hood.
Far from fading away in the face of consumer-class competition from Google, Skype, LinkedIn, and others, unified communications is enjoying new relevance in enterprises -- there's even an SDN connector for UC. To reflect these updates, InformationWeek revamped its UC survey for 2014. Take part in the InformationWeek 2014 Unified Communications Survey and be eligible to win a great prize. Survey ends April 18.


text:
Shares in United Spirits Ltd gained as much as 15 per cent to a record high of Rs. 2,940.80 after Diageo Plc announced a tender offer to acquire up to an additional 26 per cent stake in the Indian firm at Rs. 3,030 a share. The offer will be launched in June.
Diageo is seeking to acquire additional shares in United Spirits at Rs. 3,030 a share, up from its Friday’s closing price of Rs. 2,557.25. The offer will be launched in June, said the statement.


text:
The Hut Group (THG) selects Earth Capital portfolio company, SoftIron, for Eco-Friendly Mission-Critical Enterprise Storage
SoftIron Ltd., the leader in purpose-built and performance-optimised data centre solutions, today announced that The Hut Group (THG), the UK’s leading multi-product, multi-website online retailer, has selected SoftIron’s HyperDrive® as the storage backbone for its global THG Ingenuity e-commerce platform. The partnership demonstrates the vital role of technology in achieving carbon neutrality whilst delivering superior performance.
SoftIron’s HyperDrive storage solution excels in power, performance, and efficiency using up to 80% less energy and generating up to a fifth of the heat of other data centres and supports mission-critical issues such as scalability, resiliency, and cloud-native flexibility. The implementation helps the e-commerce giant achieve a resilient, agile infrastructure to power its world-leading retail platform while retaining its CarbonNeutral® certification.
The integration of SoftIron’s HyperDrive comes as THG prepares for growth after raising £1.88 billion in its initial public offering (IPO) in September 2020 – the largest UK IPO on record. With plans to scale globally, THG has built a state-of-the-art e-commerce platform called THG Ingenuity that delivers enterprise-class scalability and resiliency, is cloud-native, provides superior efficiency and exists within its carbon-neutral THG Eco initiative.
“At THG, part of our success is a result of our bold ambition to do things differently, and by so doing, to create new efficiencies and opportunities that put ourselves and our customers ahead of the curve,” said Schalk Van der Merwe, CTO at THG. “We love the ‘task-specific’ approach SoftIron is taking to make open-source Ceph deployable and manageable at scale for enterprises like ours, while at the same time creating efficiencies that reduce our environmental footprint.”
As THG grows and the trend towards more edge infrastructure deployments gains momentum, Schalk and his team will continue to add to their 24 data centers across the UK, Europe, USA, and Asia. “SoftIron’s solution offers superior management & resilience capabilities without sacrificing efficiency, which perfectly support our short and long term objectives for the business,” says Schalk. “ We’re already operational with HyperDrive in the UK, Germany and the US and look forward to working together to deliver a new class of service and support for our customers across the globe.”
Phil Straw, CEO of SoftIron said “SoftIron’s HyperDrive storage appliances are the ultimate productisation of Ceph, providing enterprise-grade capabilities in a package that delivers the best of both worlds in raw performance and green efficiency.”
Avent Bezuidenhoudt, Investment Director of Earth Capital said: “Congratulations to SoftIron for securing this long-term partnership which highlights THG’s commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality. It is great to see further recognition of SoftIron’s impressive storage capability resulting in up to 80% less energy usage and heat generation compared to other technologies, whilst still delivering improved efficiency, performance and reliability.”
- Eltropy to Host Webinar on How CFIs Can Set Themselves Up for Success with ChatGPT Read more
- Profile Software Offers Digital and Core Banking as SaaS on AWS Read more
- Truist to Present at the Morgan Stanley US Financials, Payments & CRE Conference Read more
- RIBBIT Acquires ValidiFI, Bolstering Data, Products and Market Presence Read more
- BridgeFT Named a Finalist in Three Categories in the 2023 WealthManagement.com Industry Awards Read more


text:
MORE than 90 percent of primary and secondary schools have stores selling cigarettes within a 100-meter radius, and less than half of the sellers have posted warning signs, according to a report released by the Shenzhen Tobacco Control Association yesterday.
The association last year commissioned the city's chronic disease prevention and control center to launch an investigation into sales outlets around the city's schools and also the prevalence of cigarette smoking among students.
A total of 72 primary and secondary schools, as well as vocational schools, across the city were randomly selected and 173 tobacco selling sites within 100 meters of the schools were investigated. Some 5,611 primary and secondary school students aged 9 and above were surveyed.
Of the 72 schools, 93.1 percent have tobacco sales outlets within 100 meters.
Although the city's regulations on smoking control clearly specify that sales outlets should have warning signs posted in clear sight, fewer than half of the store have complied.
In terms of prices, 7.5 percent of sellers offer prices less than 3 yuan (US$0.46) per packet, while nearly 60 percent of them sell at prices between 3 and 5 yuan.
According to the survey, 71.1 percent of students who have purchased cigarettes said they had never been asked about their age, and 77.7 percent said they had never been refused.
The survey shows that among the students who have smoked, 35.5 percent of them obtained their cigarettes from friends or classmates. The number of students who had heard of, seen or used electronic cigarettes also exceeded that of the city's adults in a survey conducted in 2014.
"Electronic cigarettes should also be added to the smoking control rules and banned in smoke-free places," said Xiong Jingfan, an official with the city's Smoke-free City Project.
It is suggested that the government strengthen law enforcement and severely punish those who sell tobacco to minors.