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Network Computing is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC
F5 Announces Q2 Results
SEATTLE -- F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) announced revenue of $159.1 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2008, up 3 percent from $154.2 million in the prior quarter and 25 percent from $127.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2007.
GAAP net income was $17.7 million ($0.21 per diluted share), compared to $17.8 million ($0.21 per diluted share) in the prior quarter and $20.0 million ($0.24 per diluted share) in the second quarter a year ago.
Non-GAAP net income was $28.9 million ($0.35 per diluted share), compared to $28.8 million ($0.33 per diluted share) in the prior quarter and $29.2 million ($0.34 per diluted share) in the second quarter of fiscal 2007.
A reconciliation of GAAP net income to non-GAAP net income is included on the attached Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Overall, F5 achieved solid results in both our core application delivery controller business and our recently acquired storage virtualization business, said John McAdam, F5 president and chief executive officer. Application delivery controller revenue grew sequentially in Q2 and was up 19% from Q2 a year ago. Revenue from ARX, our line of storage virtualization products, also grew sequentially, up 5 percent from the prior quarter.
F5 Networks Inc.
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GM, DaimlerChrysler to build hybrid engines
General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG are teaming up to develop fuel-saving hybrid engines in hopes of cashing in on an expanding market already dominated by hybrid leaders Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.
Financial terms of the agreement between GM, the world's largest automaker, and its German-American rival weren't disclosed Monday, but Tom Stephens, GM's group vice president for powertrains, said the collaboration likely will involve an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars.
The first of the vehicles is scheduled to debut in 2007 - when Toyota has said it hopes sales of its hybrid models total several hundred thousand worldwide.
Although hybrids overall make up only a minute percentage of global auto sales, Stephens noted that some analysts believe hybrids eventually could account for 5 percent to 15 percent of global volume.
GM, which has worked with DaimlerChrysler on transmissions, has also said it considers hybrids a bridge to longer-range hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which require no fossil fuel and release no toxic emissions.
Hybrids draw power from two energy sources, typically a gas or diesel engine combined with an electric motor. Demand has grown worldwide because of concerns about the dangers of global warming, decreasing natural fuel supplies and the rising cost of those fuels.
GM and Chrysler already sell hybrid pickups, but the systems are less advanced and fuel-efficient than those used on cars sold by Toyota and Honda and on Ford Motor Co.'s hybrid version of its Escape sport utility vehicle, the world's first gas-electric hybrid SUV.
While GM and DaimlerChrysler clearly lag some rivals in hybrid offerings, the two automakers contend the codeveloped system will be more sophisticated than those currently on the market because it will use smaller motors and provide better fuel economy and towing capability at highway speeds.
The technology is derived from an advanced hybrid system developed by GM that's in use in transit buses in some U.S. cities. In the Seattle area, for example, the 60-foot mass-transit vehicles, which are more expensive than standard diesel buses, deliver up to 60 percent greater fuel economy and can reduce emissions by as much as 90 percent.
GM and DaimlerChrysler said the project will be open to other partners and may result in GM and DaimlerChrysler licensing hybrid technology to rivals.

domain: news


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New Final Fantasy 7 trading cards come with NFTs
Square Enix has announced a collection of physical Final Fantasy 7 trading cards that also come with 'digital cards,' or…
Sony has filed a patent for NFT use, transfer, and sales
A new Sony Interactive Entertainment patent indicates the company is working to better utilise NFTs and blockchain technology.
Square Enix launches trailer for NFT game, Symbiogenesis
Square Enix has revealed Symbiogenesis will feature 10,000 collectible artworks with 'real game utility'.
The Pokemon Company is hiring an NFT and blockchain expert
The Pokémon Company International has posted a new job listing, seeking someone with knowledge and connections in the Web3 and…
Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda set to be replaced
Yosuke Matsuda will be replaced as Square Enix CEO, following shareholder approval in June 2023.
Crypto gaming company Immutable lays off 11% of its workforce
The Australian crypto start-up had previously laid off several senior staff members in mid-2022.
Ubisoft cancels Project Q, rumoured NFT blockchain game
Project Q was first announced in mid-2022, and immediately caught the ire of gaming fans.
Pokemon NFT game creators sued by The Pokemon Company
The Pokemon Company has filed a claim against Kotiota Studios for advertising a fake Pokemon NFT game.
Sony may be exploring NFTs and blockchain tech
A new patent seems to imply Sony is investigating the usefulness of NFTs and blockchain technologies.
Symbiogenesis is an NFT project, not a Parasite Eve revival
Square Enix has lifted the lid on Symbiogenesis, an NFT project originally assumed to be a new Parasite Eve game.


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Los Caidos, a relatively new cigar brand from New Jersey, will now be distributed by Sutliff Tobacco Co.
The brand started in 2018, though the roots of the company go back to 2012 when Steve Zengel opened up a retail cigar store in Seaside Heights, N.J. After a series of events, Los Caidos was launched with a mission to give $1 per cigar sold to charities that benefit the families of fallen firefighters and police officers.
“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to work with Jeremy and the rest of the cigar team at Sutliff Tobacco,” said Zengel in a press release. “It’s by far one of the biggest moves for the company since its inception. Partnering with Jeremy and Sutliff enables me to spend time with those brick-and-mortar retailers who served as the foundation on which the growth of the company was built while also allowing me to build new relationships with other retailers”
Sutliff is a pipe tobacco company that was spun off from Altadis U.S.A. and sold to Mac Baren Tobacco Company A/S in 2013. Mac Baren is a nearly 200-year-old pipe tobacco company based in Denmark that also doesn’t have any cigar brands though it does distribute Platinum Nova.


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- The resolution to approve BT cotton farming in Kenya was reached after successful completion of field trials that were conducted over a period of five years
- State House said the move would ensure the country re-establishes itself as the regional leader in textile production
- The commissioning of the revamped Rivatex factory by Uhuru in June 2019 was expected to change the fortunes of cotton farmers across the country
The resolution was reached after successful completion of field trials of the genetically modified (GMO) product that were conducted over a period of five years.
A statement by State House on Thursday, December 19, said the move would ensure the country re-establishes itself as the regional leader in textile production.
“The commercial farming of BT cotton is set to ensure farmers earn more from the crop through increased production. It will also boost the manufacturing pillar of the Big Four Agenda where Kenya seeks to establish itself as a regional leader in textile and apparel production,” part of the statement read.
The opening of the factory was expected to change the fortunes of cotton farmers across the country and now with the approval of BT cotton farming, production of the crop which had dwindled is expected to improve.
The move to approve BT cotton had netizens expressing their opinion on social media.
While other expressed their support, others raised concerns saying the safety of GMO crops had not been ascertained.
In October 2019, the Greenpeace Africa’s Food for Life campaigner, Claire Nasike, said adopting the controversial technology was akin to a coup d’état on the country’s food system.
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Google’s Chrome OS is no longer Chrome OS. Now it’s ChromeOS. Yes, ChromeOS.
While such a dramatic branding change may be a head-scratcher for some, this one makes a lot of sense to me and will hopefully bring some consistency to coverage of Google’s Linux-based Chromebook operating system.
The Verge reported on the change, noting that Google’s senior director of marketing for ChromeOS, James Croom, confirmed the change. However, Croom also acknowledged the company hasn’t finished converting every instance of Chrome OS to ChromeOS, so don’t be surprised if you see the occasional Chrome OS out in the wild.
Oh, and in some official branding, Google stylized the name as chromeOS instead of ChromeOS, but that appears to be only a stylistic choice. The correct term is ChromeOS.
The Verge highlights several places where the new ChromeOS brand is on display and a few places where it isn’t if you want to go looking.
For a product that’s been around over a decade, removing a space from the name hardly counts as a major rebranding. Still, it’s nice to have it officially confirmed as the way to go considering people have been all over the place with it for years. Looking back at MobileSyrup’s coverage, over the last couple years we’ve written both ChromeOS and Chrome OS.
Finally, we can have unity.
Source: The Verge


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Argo will launch robotaxis on Lyft’s ridesharing network in Miami by the end of 2021, and in Austin in 2022, according to both a press release last week and an article by CEO Brian Salesky announced in the company’s Ground Truth online magazine.
“Companies with the three key aspects required to launch, validate and scale an autonomous ride-hailing service in cities are directly working together: the self-driving system developed by the Argo AI team; the vehicles manufactured by one of our partners, Ford Motor Company; and the riders on Lyft’s transportation network.”Argo CEO Brian Salesky
The term that catches my eye in that quote sentence is “riders.” Argo is working with Lyft not because of the ride-hailing network, or the app, but rather because Lyft is where the customers are. Aurora has recently been emphasizing a similar line of thinking with its Uber partnership.
For years, Stratechery analyst Ben Thompson has been developing Aggregation Theory, which purports to explain the most dominant companies that run two-sided networks. The “aggregators,” as Thompson calls them, increase their power by aggregating customer demand and ultimately bringing suppliers onto the network on the aggregator’s terms.
Thompson has labeled and analyzed Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Snapchat, Airbnb, and (most relevant to mobility) Uber as aggregators.
Salesky’s quote seems to validate Thompson’s theory that Argo is going to Lyft because Lyft has aggregated the customer demand.
On the one hand, that is the fastest way for Argo to tap into demand, gather data, and get to “scale,” a term Salesky emphasizes in his article. On the other hand, Thompson has emphasized again and again that the goal of aggregators is to modularize and commoditize suppliers, reducing their market power.
The reliable route to success in an aggregation-friendly market is to maintain your own customer relationships.
2 thoughts on “Argo, Lyft, And Aggregation Theory”


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Prom season is here and a local organization is helping girls find the perfect dress — for a good cause.
The nonprofit Crawfordsville Country Club Kids Charity Organization will offer new and unworn prom dresses during an event from 1 to 5 p.m. April 11 at the Country Club. A goodwill donation is suggested.
Proceeds benefit the organization’s Coats for Kids program, which in 2019 gave nearly 200 coats to children from all three Montgomery County school districts.
Money will also go to Mountie Mission, which received 300 pounds of meat from the organization at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to give families.
The dresses were donated by the Lafayette Macy’s store. After stores were shut down last year due to the pandemic, the department store chain made its entire collection of prom dresses available to nonprofits.
Kids Charity Organization board member Kerrie McClaskey, a Macy’s employee, applied for dresses on behalf of the charity. The group received nearly 100 dresses.
“I hope there are kids that are needing dresses [and] that they can definitely come,” McClaskey said.


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Breaking news: fans of the automotive giant Toyota/Lexus have discovered that the long awaited and recently announced hoverboard is not equipped with any functioning brakes. The only way to get off this out-of-control ride would be crashing into something or someone. We received a statement from the MIT, condemning such irresponsible engineering and expressing hope that Lexus never build a motorcycle or an airplane.
It seems, however, that this is fully intended, with the Lexus engineers actually having planned this feature. As Lexus mastermind told us anonymously:
Hoverboard is an aviation vehicle requiring a special piloting license. Technically, it’s an airplane. And just as airplanes do not have brakes, neither does our hoverboard.
After the news about the absence of a braking mechanism on the board have been confirmed to the public, it emerged that barely anyone was aware that planes have no ability to stop while airborne.
In an attempt to save the image of their product, Lexus have released a list of accessories that can be acquired along with the board that would solve this problem. One of the many suggestions is carrying an anchor, which can also be used to shackle the hoverboard to lampposts when not in use.
Alternatively, a pair of nordic walking sticks, which everyone has lying around idly somewhere at home, could actually be used to help operating the hoverboard. Reputedly, the product designers are also working on a sophisticated airbag system and a full body protection.


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Jewelry, watches, beauty products and puffer jackets are the top choices.
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The activist-centric company’s new fight over public land seems to be doing well, judging by the business.
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With NYX and Samsung, beauty meets brains in the virtual world — and signals the rise of retail VR.
Rains opened its first U.S. store in SoHo.
Nest partnered with Ecopsis to develop a globally applicable solution for wastewater management, designed for small workshop production.


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Tata Motors is gearing up for a number of new launches in a bid to revive sales. The Kite hatchback will be globally premiered in December, to be followed by the Hexa crossover, which is expected to be launched during the 2016 Auto Expo.
Tata Motors is reportedly working on a compact SUV that is based on the Nexon compact SUV showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo, reports ZigWheels. The compact has been code named "Osprey" and will be built on a slightly modified X1 platform that also underpins the Bolt hatchback and the Zest compact sedan.
The Osprey in its production version is expected to be powered by the 1.2-litre petrol Revotron engine and the 1.3-litre Multijet engine that also does duty in Bolt and Zest. The previous reports had indicated Tata considering employing the new 1.5-litre multijet diesel engine Fiat is currently working on. It would be easier for Tata to get it manufactured in Ranjangaon and utilise the Fiat diesel engine. However, there is no confirmation on using Fiat-sourced engine or going with own engine.
The Osprey will lock horns against the likes of Ford EcoSport and Mahindra TUV300. The to-be-launched car is likely to replicate the TUV300 in terms of seating arrangement, which means the compact SUV will be a seven seater despite compact proportions. The compact SUV is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 6 to 10 lakh and the production version is expected in the second half of 2016 or early 2017.


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Tata Motors has joined hands with the Haryana Renewable Agency (HAREDA) to deploy Nexon EVs in the state, as a part of its tender with EESL. The company has handed over the EVs to the state today in the presence Tarun Kapoor, Secretary- Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. In turn, EESL also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Haryana to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and also to strengthen the charging infrastructure in Haryana.
Tata Motors is one of the major carmakers in India playing leading role in driving the adoption of electric mobility in the country. The company is closely working with other Tata Group companies including Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Auto Components, Tata Motors Finance and Croma, to contribute to the faster adoption of EVs in India through its EV ecosystem called the "Tata uniEVerse". With more than 2000 Nexon EVs already on Indian roads currently, Tata Motors accounted for about 67 per cent EV market share in India in H1 FY2021.
The Tata Nexon EV comes equipped with a permanent magnet AC motor, which is powered by a Lithium-Ion battery. Powering the motor is a 30.2 kWh battery pack offering a maximum range of over 312 km on a single charge, and the new electric powertrain offers an output of 245 Nm of peak torque. The carmaker claims that the EV can clock triple-digit speeds in 9.9 seconds while the battery can be charged up to 80 per cent in just 60 minutes using a fast charger. However, the regular charger will take up to 8 hours to do the same.


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Hammerson and Standard Life Investments have embarked on a public consultation on a £1.4bn redevelopment of Brent Cross shopping centre.
Brent Cross opened 40 years ago and Hammerson plan to revamp it with the addition of 200 new shops, 40 restaurants, a hotel, a cinema and around 6,700 homes.
The shopping centre is set to double in size, providing up to 3,500 retail jobs and 5,000 construction jobs.
The makeover is part of wider investment plans for the area. Hammerson and Standard Life have already received planning consent for a £4.5bn regeneration of Brent Cross and Cricklewood.
Due to the rapidly-changing tastes and demands of British consumers, the consultation period for the new project will be crucial, Hammerson and Standard Life said.
James Stevens, head of UK development at Standard Life Investments said: "Our plans for Brent Cross London are exciting and ambitious. We really welcome feedback as this is a major investment and we want to make the most of the opportunity to enhance one of London's best-loved shopping destinations."
Peter Cole, chief investment officer for Hammerson said: "Brent Cross has been an iconic part of retail in London and the local community for 40 years.
"The challenge we have set the design team is to create a destination for the best global brands and experiences and at the same time still retain Brent Cross’ distinctive character and personal touch which can be enjoyed by future generations."
A detailed planning application will be submitted to the London borough of Barnet in 2017.


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day hour and another Coronavirus update, as the latest news tells us that thousands of KFC restaurants have been closed down over in China after a worker involved in food preparation was diagnosed with it.
Featured Image VIA
The person affected works in a KFC restaurant in Xi’an, Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province and this has led to over 3000 of KFC’s 9000 restaurants in the country being closed down as they desperately try to contain the virus. This is only a temporary shutdown but it’s obviously going to majorly affect KFC’s income over in China for this year – provided that the virus is ever controlled that is of course.
A press release quotes Joey Wat – the CEO of Yum Foods, who hold the KFC franchise in China – as saying the following:
Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees and customers.
We have implemented various preventive measures across our restaurants and other workplaces to help protect our employees and customers.
We will continue to monitor this fluid situation and respond accordingly.
I guess that means that even more of them could be closing down as well then, which is kinda crazy when you think about how messed up the situation already is over in China. It only seems to be getting worse as well and it sounds like in a couple of months the whole damn place could be an abandoned ghost country. Let’s hope it doesn’t go that way.
For more of the same, check out KFC workers in the UK needing to be protected my metal bars these days. Seems like it’s bad for that franchise worldwide atm.


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Artistry in Silk's Kris Nolan to retire
April 19, 2012,
ATLANTA, Ga. - Kris Nolan, president and founder of Artistry in Silk, this week announced her retirement along with plans to close the company, a custom manufacturer of high-end faux botanicals, wall planters, trees and floor plants.
In a statement to clients, Nolan said, "We will be filling orders until our inventory is depleted and our original pre-made stock is sold, but we will not be showing at the April 2012 High Point Market."
"We sincerely appreciate the many loyal customers who enabled the further expansion in 2007 to a permanent showroom in Showplace at the International Furniture Market in High Point," Nolan's statement read. "It was in that location that we blossomed and we thank you for taking us from humble beginnings to the successful growing business that it is today, having our most successful High Point markets in 2011, and shipping our first container to Kuwait last summer. And if that wasn't enough, our customers delighted us by a nomination for the ARTS Awards two years in a row.
Nolan said she's looking forward to the "third chapter" of her life. "I'm looking forward to being a housewife once again, enjoying my husband who has been very supportive over these busy years, spending more time as ‘Nan' to my grandsons, traveling, and playing golf. For me it is time to smell the real roses."
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Jim Cramer on Starboard's Stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb and Papa Johns
Papa John's got a brand-new chairman.
Starboard Value LP will make a $200 million investment in the troubled pizza chain and the investment firm's CEO will become chairman, the companies confirmed early on Monday, reported TheStreet contributor M.
Starboard, known in the restaurant industry for its 2014 board coup at Olive Garden parent company Darden Restaurants Inc., secured the board chairmanship for its chief executive, Jeffrey Smith, who founded the firm in 2002, Papa John's said in a statement.
But Papa John's isn't the only company that Starboard is interested in.
The hedge fund has also reportedly invested in Bristol-Myers Squibb .
TheStreet's Tony Owusu reported that a phone message to Starboard and phone call and email to Bristol-Myers Squibb to verify and seek comment on the report weren't returned to TheStreet over the weekend.
Bloomberg also reported no official comment from either company.
The report follows last month's news that Bristol-Myers Squibb would buy Celgene Corp.
In a cash-and-stock deal with worth about $74 billion.
Jim Cramer responded that he still prefers Dominos and Pizza Hut over Papa Johns.


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Two million Australians used 'buy now, pay later' schemes in the last financial year, leading ASIC to increase regulatory activity.
Corporate watchdog ASIC has raised concerns about ‘buy now, pay later’ services such as Afterpay, which are used by a growing number of Australian businesses and their customers.
A review of the services by ASIC found that one in six users of 'buy now, pay later' services overdrew funds, delayed bill payments or became financially overcommitted and unable to pay late fees.
ASIC noted that the operators of ‘buy now, pay later’ services had made improvements that benefited consumers, including reviewing their standard contracts for potentially unfair terms
The regulator will nonetheless monitor the services to ensure they provide adequate consumer protections. It has also warned it will take regulatory action to address misconduct by ‘buy now, pay later’ providers.
"The exponential growth in this industry, along with the risks we have identified, means this will remain an area of ongoing focus for ASIC. One area we will be targeting is where consumers are paying more than they need to for using a buy now, pay later arrangement", said ASIC Commissioner Danielle Press.
Plenty of willing shoppers
If you are looking for a way to sell more to younger Australians, offering a ‘buy now, pay later’ arrangement could help. The number of Australians using them jumped from 400,000 in the 2015-16 financial year, to 2 million in the 2017-18 financial year, according to ASIC. More than half of those people are between 18 and 24 years old.
You also have various ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes to choose from. They include Afterpay, zipPay, Certegy Ezi-Pay, Oxipay, BrightePay and Openpay.
It’s not just big retailers such as Big W, Target, Harris Scarfe and Kmart using these services – many smaller businesses, such as specialty retailers, also offer the schemes.
Market leader Afterpay’s sales pitch to retailers is that its service integrates with their online stores and also settles transactions quickly and automatically.
It claims it “converts customers that would have otherwise abandoned, generating more sales from the existing customer base and creating new customers.”
However, because ‘buy now, pay later’ service providers don’t need to comply with responsible lending laws, there are growing concerns about misuse.
To protect consumers, ASIC can “take action where a buy now pay later provider engages in conduct that is misleading or unconscionable.”
Proposed changes to “product intervention” law could also give ASIC a “flexible tool kit to address emerging products and services such as buy now pay later arrangements”, the regulator reported.


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Private home sales have gone through a series of struggles during the past few years. However, they achieved the four year high during last month, which indicated signs of recovery. The adjustments to property cooling measures, which were introduced back in 2009, can be considered as the main reason behind the downfall of private home sales. It has taken several years to show some signs of recovery and with the obtained results, we will be able to keep our hopes high about the future.
During the last month, developers were able to sell 1780 new units. However, it is important to keep in mind that this figure has been calculated by excluding the executive condo units. The new units that were sold back in February were just 979. Therefore, you can clearly see that the sales have almost doubled. In other words, the sales have increased by 82%. The record breaking figures that we saw during the last month have been able to create an impact on the quarterly figures as well. During the first quarter of this year, a total of 3141 units have been sold. This is the best quarterly effect that we can see after the second quarter of 2013.
The official records about sales information was released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority a couple of days back. By taking a look at the records at a glance, we can clearly see that the market is recovering. As per the trend, we can believe that the private residential property sector would boost during the upcoming quarter as well. The demand is increasing regularly and the supply needs to be provided in order to cater it. It seems like the demand would not reduce in the near future and we cannot expect any decline in the market as a result of it.
As per Christine Li, who is the research director at Cushman & Wakefield, potential home buyers show a tendency to spend their money in order to purchase private new launch condos or resale condos. This has driven the residential market in Singapore one step ahead. With this step, the market has become closer to a well-deserved turning point.
What was the main reason behind the recovery of private home sales in Singapore? The government recently introduced some changes to the property cooling measures. In fact, the cooling measures were made easy by the government. Moreover, potential home buyers delivered optimism into the market, which contributed a lot towards the recovery. The seller’s stamp duty charges were reduced by the government during last month and holding period was reduced to three years. These steps impressed people who are looking forward to invest their money on private home sales. These buyers are now more prepared in order to spend their money and purchase homes. Moreover, procure land has become even more urgent for the developers because the unsolved inventory, which belonged to their projects have started clearing. Therefore, we will be able to experience better signs of recovery during the upcoming quarters.
There might be limited supply in the new condos that have obtained TOP, however we still have direct developer units for newly launch developments and upcoming new launches


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What you need to know:
- The digital economy that the government has been hyping will depend on the flourishing of books.
- The tourism sector, for the second year running, received a boost with the exemption of VAT for local tourist vehicle assemblers.
- Publishers have argued that a zero VAT rate on books is the best way to support reading, education and a thriving knowledge economy.
Books are the engines of knowledge acquisition and transfer.
The digital economy that the government has been hyping will depend on the flourishing of books.
However, this year’s National Budget was silent on the issue of Value Added Tax (VAT) on books.
The circulation of books is quite sensitive to price, making them especially vulnerable to VAT.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich has been lauded for zero-rating VAT on maize flour and bread, and expanding the tax bands by 10 per cent and personal relief by 10 per cent to ease the burden on low-income earners.
RECEIVED A BOOST
The tourism sector, for the second year running, received a boost with the exemption of VAT for local tourist vehicle assemblers.
In the 2016 Budget, park entry fees were exempted from VAT.
Also granted VAT exemption in this year’s Budget are pesticides, medical equipment and apparatus, and fishing.
Taxing books, as happened with the enactment of VAT Act 2013, restricts their circulation.
While this should be of concern to every Kenyan as we try to bridge the knowledge deficit and maintain a competitive advantage, it doesn’t seem to prick the conscience of our policy and lawmakers.
Publishers have argued that a zero VAT rate on books is the best way to support reading, education and a thriving knowledge economy.
It will show the government’s support for reading and writing, an area in which many children score poorly as confirmed in research findings by Uwezo, an initiative aimed at improving literacy and numeracy.
A key goal of the Ministry of Education is to offer quality education to the 12.5 million children in basic education.
Limiting access to learning materials through VAT compromises the quality of education, and undermines the country’s economic development agenda and the objectives of Vision 2030, as education is the backbone of any economy.
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has proved to be a man on a mission.
His credentials as a visionary leader have demonstrated by the far-reaching reforms he has undertaken in the education sector in just under 15 months.
While corrupt cartels in the book supply chain have rightly been blamed for the fiasco, VAT on books is equally to blame.
The government invests only Sh200 per child per year for textbooks and supplementary reading materials and a further Sh100 for teachers’ guides and reference materials.
Why, pray, would government tax this amount? It is a case of giving little with one hand and taking it away with the other.
Dr Matiang’i should make zero-rating of books the next mission in his reform agenda.
A zero-rate VAT on books has a direct impact on the price paid for a book. It is one of the most effective ways of promoting a book culture, literacy and reading.
CREATIVITY AND KNOWLEDGE
It will also guarantee creativity and knowledge. Given its position at the nexus of art and commerce, of education and entertainment, the publishing industry enriches culture and drives economic growth, both through its own works and those it inspires in other creative sectors such as theatre, cinema, television and music.
A zero-rate VAT on books will secure the national publishing industry with more employment and viable small and medium-sized companies.
It also provides an effective way of supporting the entire publishing chain, from author through to bookshops and libraries.
Publishers become final consumers and cannot claim a VAT refund on the goods or services needed to produce books.
In order to promote a knowledge economy, encourage reading, and bolster lifelong learning, Parliament should amend the Finance Bill 2017 to include books in the list of zero- rated items.
The poor will not only be glad to have cheaper ugali to feed their bodies, but also books to feed their minds.
Mr Waweru is the CEO, WordAlive Publishers. [email protected]


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TWILLINGATE AND NEW WORLD ISLAND, N.L., - In the name of conservation and lessening damage to the ocean, grocery stores across Twillingate and New World Island are abandoning the use of plastic bags.
Judy Hillier with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Twillingate detachment had been brainstorming for some time ways to cut back on the use of plastic bags in the area. In October of last year, she reached out to surrounding grocery stores to see if they would get on board with her idea.
“It’s a part of the Goodbye Plastics initiative that was started by the federal Fisheries and Oceans,” said Hillier. “We decided to take it a step further and see if these stores would do their part to get rid of plastic bags altogether.”
Now, as of the end of January, the Independent and Foodland in Twillingate, Stuckless Freshmart in Durrell, and Farr’s Foodland in Virgin Arm will completely end the distribution of plastic bags.
The DFO donated 1,500 recyclable fabric bags to each of the four stores, which will be distributed for free to customers over the coming weeks.
YOU SAID IT
Q: How do you feel about the new plastic bag initiative?
Jim Newman, Boyd’s Cove
“I made the switch myself long ago. I was tired of seeing all the plastic and everything around. We need to be thinking about the next generation and be throwing less junk away.”
Lynette Lambert, Twillingate
“It’s going to take a little time to remember to bring the bags and break into the habit but I think it’s a lot better.”
Linda Burton, Durrell
“When you see what’s been done to our oceans and everything else, I think it’s about time we started doing something. I’m quite satisfied with it.”
Bruce Coates, Cottlesville
“I’m in favour of the initiative, I prefer to use the recyclable bags.”
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For a brand that made its name on scarcity, Supreme sure does seem to be everywhere.
Last month, the streetwear brand announced a limited-edition partnership with Louis Vuitton. Now, Supreme is rumored to be partnering with Lacoste, a brand with a preppy Americana look that is largely dichotomous to Supreme’s streetwear aesthetic. The streetwear brand has already partnered with mainstream brands like The North Face, Budweiser and Brooks Brothers.
The partnerships piling up are a sign that what Supreme represented — sneaker culture — is now inextricable from mainstream culture. Just as rap music broke through from the underground to the suburban shopping mall, so too have “sneakerheads” become mainstream. After all, we live in a time when streetwear blog Hypebeast is one of the world’s most innovative companies, according to Fast Company.
“What’s happened is that you have these underground things that built up and became mainstream, which happens with time,” said Matt Halfhill, founder of streetwear site Nice Kicks. “I don’t necessarily see what Supreme is doing as a sellout move. Is it what they did in 1994 when they started? No, it’s not. But it’s not their fault that they got mainstream acceptance.”
Partnering with Louis Vuitton has essentially served as a gateway to the rest of the luxury market, said YouTuber Tyler Blake, who satirized Supreme for its release of a branded brick last fall. The key is that the exclusive products serve as one-off extensions of the brand, rather than a full shift of image and design. That’s why the pairing of Supreme and Lacoste works.
“The collaboration does not insulate them into a brand trap, where people associate Supreme as a country club brand,” Blake said. “People are able to look past that, because it’s just a brand extension. Every time they collaborate with someone they’re hitting a different market. I don’t think it’s them selling out, it’s just another way for them to grow the brand and tap into as much revenue potential as they can.”
On the flip side, these partnerships are often symbiotic in helping support luxury brands that struggle with targeting younger demographics that are synonymous with streetwear culture. “Louis Vuitton and many other brands that seek out these partnerships are driven by the desire, to retain relevancy in a culture and among a generation they historically haven’t been the first choice for,” Dominick Prinz, partner at strategy firm cg42, told Glossy in a previous article.
The added fact that Supreme continues to operate on a model of exclusivity, with high-priced, elusive product drops, has allowed it to maintain its hip factor.
“[The Supreme and Lacoste collabs are] a sign that streetwear is finally being taken seriously by the fashion industry,” said Patrick Galbraith, co-founder of streetwear site Sneakhype. “Not to mention that it’s still going to be almost impossible to get your hands on, just like every other Supreme drop. In my opinion, Supreme has been able to stay true to their roots despite their ever-growing popularity.


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By Caroline Jacobs and Sarah Young
PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - French market research company Ipsos <ISOS.PA> plans to buy Synovate, a unit of British marketing firm Aegis Group <AEGS.L>, for 525 million pounds in a move it said would propel it to the No. 3 spot worldwide.
Calling the deal "transformational," Ipsos said on Wednesday it would significantly boost the group's global capabilities and that unidentified synergies could come from global negotiations with suppliers and pooling of production centers.
Ipsos said it expected the acquisition to accelerate growth and improve margins in the medium term. No details were available as the group, which had revenues of 1.14 billion euros last year, will present its first-half earnings on Thursday.
The value of the sale, which Aegis had flagged in June when it said was in exclusive talks with Ipsos, was slightly higher than the 500 million pound value analysts had attributed to it.
Aegis said on Wednesday it planned to return to shareholders 200 million pounds of the proceeds from the sale, excluding Aztec, via a special dividend.
The balance of the sale proceeds would give Aegis, which also has a media buying arm, the means to make acquisitions in fast-growing countries and with digital expertise.
Analysts have said in the past the unit's sale could focus attention on the rest of Aegis, which has long been seen as a merger target for French group Havas <EURC.PA>, with financier Vincent Bollore the major shareholder in both companies.
Bollore, who owns 26.5 percent of Aegis's equity, has given his support to the deal.
Ipsos, which said it is the world's fifth largest market research company, will pay for the acquisition through new debt of 250 million euros, a rights offering of about 200 million euros to existing shareholders as well as available facilities and cash.
Shares in FTSE 250 company Aegis, which have risen 17 percent over the past three months, fell 1.53 percent to 161 pence, while Ipsos lost 0.7 percent to 31.1 euros by 0732 GMT.
The closing of the acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to happen on or around September 30.
(Reporting by Sarah Young and Caroline Jacobs; Editing by Adveith Nair and David Cowell)


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This week will see the launch of a great social media campaign where Pinotage winemakers will describe five words on video clips which users must try to identify.
Winemakers and influencers were asked to take part in an entertaining ‘30 Seconds’ campaign which promises to be a fun filled competition where online users can win daily wine prizes.
In this campaign , daily clips of winemakers / writers will be uploaded on the Pinotage social media platforms. In these videos winemakers were asked to describe the five words from a 30 Seconds card and users are invited to guess these words. Users who correctly identified the words stand a chance to win Pinotage wines from these winemakers, which will be delivered after lockdown.
The campaign will start on Tuesday, 21 April and will run for a week and videos will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where users can enter by using the hashtags #Pinotage30seconds and #ProudlyPinotage .
The Pinotage Social Media platforms:
Participating wineries include the likes of De Grendel, Kaapzicht, Spier, Springfontein, KWV, Neethlingshof, Rooiberg and Beyerskloof. Wine writer Emile Joubert will also take part in this campaign and will create a “30 Seconds” video.
Online users are invited to come and see how creative these winemakers are in their efforts to describe the words and they can also stand a chance to daily wine prizes.


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I recently read an article that reported that fewer people are buying books as gifts. The article focused on the United Kingdom and stated that fewer people buying books as gifts has contributed to an overall 4% decline in books sales in the UK over the past year.
In fact, the Nielson Book Survey of book buying habits showed that the share of books bought as gifts fell from 24% to 22% in 2013. The article reported that this equated to a decrease of nine million books.
This trend is concerning for publishers and authors. It is not unique to the UK. It has also been seen in the United States.
Traditionally, books have been viewed as good gifts. I still believe they are good gifts. I think that the reason fewer books are being given as gifts is not so much because people don’t see them as good gifts, but more because people read less. Think about it. Which would a young adult like more: an iTunes gift card or a good book?
Reading overall is on the decline. One recent study by the Labor Department found that Americans between the ages of 15 and 19 only spend an average of 4.2 minutes of their weekends and holidays reading for fun. This research also showed that 20 to 24 year olds spend an average of 10.2 minutes reading on weekends, while 55 to 64 year olds spend 26.4 minutes on weekend days reading for pleasure. This study seems to indicate that the average time spent reading goes up with age.
The Christmas season is coming very soon. Now is the time to start planning your marketing campaign for getting people to buy your books as gifts. In your marketing campaign, tell your customers to consider buying your book as a gift. Tell them who would most benefit from your book and encourage them to help others grow in their faith with their gifts. You could even use the statistics above that show that older generations enjoy reading the most and encourage your audience to buy a book as a gift for Grandpa or Grandma.
As authors and publishers, we can help reverse this negative book-giving trend by reminding our customers and potential customers that books still make great gifts. I believe they do, so do you. Now let’s remind our customers.


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Federated Department Stores, Inc.
The chain, which owns Macy's and Bloomingdale's, among other stores, received sales tax exemptions and cheaper energy from the city and state to consolidate merchandising offices in New York City. Federated Merchandising Group agreed to invest $16 million to expand its headquarters at 11 Penn Plaza.
GJNY takes a close look at the proposed subsidy package--worth nearly $130 million--for Fresh Direct to relocate to the South Bronx. In early 2012, Fresh Direct started a bidding war between New York City and New Jersey officials when it threatened to leave its current home in Long Island City, Queens. Learn more about the subsidies, job promises and the efforts of residents to block the on-line grocery retailer's move to their waterfront.
Good Jobs New York's analysis and recommendations regarding federal state and local resources used in the post-Hurricane Sandy rebuilding.


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Business Wire India
76 percent of consumers say their expectations of digital services have increased since the start of 2020.
60 percent of consumers now blame the application and brand when they encounter a problem with a digital service, irrespective of the issue.
57 percent of consumers claim brands have one shot to impress them and if their digital service does not perform, they won’t use them again.
Cisco AppDynamics today released the latest report in its App Attention Index research series, revealing consumer reliance on applications and digital services has soared since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The global study, which examined the digital behaviors of more than 13,000 global consumers, also identified consumers now have a zero-tolerance policy for poor application experience and automatically place blame on the application and brand, no matter where a performance issue stems from.
Consumers blame the brand when the application experience fails
Since the start of 2020, consumers have experienced a sudden and total reliance on digital services, altering how they engage with brands, consume goods and services, and make purchasing decisions. In fact, the research shows that people are using 30 percent1 more applications today than they did before the pandemic.
The research highlights that because of their increasing reliance and use of digital services, 76 percent2 of consumers say their expectations of digital services have increased since the start of 2020. Alarmingly for brands, when expectations aren’t met, 60 percent3 of consumers will now automatically blame the application and the brand no matter where the issue actually lives. Whether it’s within the application itself – such as pages loading slowly, downtime, or security failures; or external factors like internet connectivity, slow payment gateways or technical issues with third party services – to the consumer there is no distinction and they will now place responsibility firmly on the brand.
72 percent4 of people believe it’s the responsibility of the brand to ensure that the digital service or application works perfectly.
92 percent5 say they expect digital services to have reliable, consistent performance.
Loyalty lies with brands that invest in application experience
Consumers have not only come to rely on applications and digital services to function in everyday life, but they also used them to facilitate social interactions in the absence of traditional ways of connecting in person. The research found that the majority of consumers (85%)6 say that digital services have become a critical part of daily life, with 84 percent7 stating those services helped them get through the pandemic in a positive way. Additionally, consumers are now loyal to brands based on how significantly they invested in digital services during the pandemic.
72 percent8 say they feel grateful to the brands that invested in digital experiences during the pandemic so they could get access to the services that they love and rely on.
67 percent9 say they feel more loyal to brands that went above and beyond with the quality of their digital service during the pandemic.
Brands have one shot to get the ‘total application experience’ right
61 percent10 of consumers now state their expectations for digital services have changed forever and they will no longer tolerate poor performance. The research goes on to find that 72 percent11 of consumers believe it’s the responsibility of the brand to ensure that digital services work perfectly, and more than half (57%)12 state that brands have one shot to deliver positive digital experiences before they switch to another provider.
72 percent13 say they simply don’t care who is responsible for problems with digital services, they just want them fixed and to work.
68 percent14 consider it disrespectful to users for brands to offer a poor digital experience in this day and age.
57 percent15 believe most problems with digital services and applications are completely avoidable.
“Applications have become the lifeline to normality for people in every corner of the world and consumers are no longer willing to settle for anything less than a perfect digital experience,” said Linda Tong, vice president and general manager of Cisco AppDynamics. “Technologists are now under more pressure than ever to deliver the ‘total application experience’ to users within their first interaction. Cisco AppDynamics is the only provider that can help them meet users’ expectations by delivering a critical component of Cisco’s full-stack observability solution, which helps technologists see, understand, and optimize what happens inside and beyond their IT architecture – all through the lens of business impact.”
“People contact us under their most dire circumstances and need help resolving life-altering challenges immediately. We want them to know we’re the right people for the job, so our goal is to make sure our customers get connected with an advisor quickly, never getting disconnected or languishing in a chat queue,” said Chris Younger, senior vice president, Freedom Financial Network. “AppDynamics gives us the visibility and insights we need to make sure that every component of the workflow that delivers a customer directly to an agent instantly and seamlessly is working exactly as it should.”
73 percent16 of consumers stated that even as life returns to normal, they know they will continue to rely on the digital services they utilized during the pandemic. This means the pressure technologists are under to tackle the complexities of modern architectures in order to deliver flawless digital experiences isn’t going away.
Cisco AppDynamics is committed to helping technologists take on these challenges of leading technology health and performance to deliver the ‘total application experience’ to users. To learn more about Cisco’s full-stack observability solution and the AppDynamics Business Observability platform, visit appdynamics.com.
The research included interviews with more than 13,000 consumers, in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. The research was conducted by Insight Avenue in June 2021.
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your enterprise, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Network and follow us on Twitter.
About Cisco AppDynamics
Cisco AppDynamics, the industry leading Business Observability platform, is a key component of Cisco’s solution for full-stack observability with business context. AppDynamics helps technologists prevent digital performance issues by monitoring cloud-native technologies and traditional infrastructure to understand exactly what drives user experiences and impacts the bottom line for businesses. Core products include: Business iQ, Experience Journey Map, Secure Application and Cognition Engine.
AppDynamics has been recognized by Gartner as a leader in the APM market for more than nine years. It received Glassdoor’s 2019 Best Places to Work Award and Fortune’s #1 Best Place to Work in 2021 as part of Cisco.
1. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
2. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
3. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
4. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
5. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
6. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
7. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
8. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
9. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
10. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
11. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
12. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
13. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
14. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
15. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
16. The App Attention Index 2021: Who takes the rap for the app?
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210720005204/en/
Conviva and the Trade Desk Partner to Improve Contextual Advertising for Premium Streaming Publishers
Business Wire India
Conviva, the intelligence cloud for streaming media, and global advertising technology leader The Trade Desk, have entered a first-of-its-kind partnership to provide the streaming advertising industry the contextual content signals needed in the bidstream to improve their connected TV campaigns based on signals and effectiveness. Together, the two companies will help premium publishers supply programmatic buyers with the network, genre, rating, length and other detailed data sorely lacking in the streaming industry while still maintaining data control. Details of the partnership, product offering, participating publishers and how premium publishers can participate and benefit, will be available via a webinar in August.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210729005953/en/
The Trade Desk + Conviva (Graphic: Business Wire)
According to Conviva’s State of Streaming Advertising report, released in June 2021, only 39% of buyers believe they have the data needed to run streaming ad campaigns effectively and only 8% of buyers feel streaming content has context that is safe for their brand. The partnership between Conviva and The Trade Desk directly addresses these concerns and will enable The Trade Desk to be the first to provide its customers with streaming contextual advertising, a first for the industry.
“The simple truth is streaming advertising needs transparent, contextual data to continue to build confidence in the channel,” said Keith Zubchevich, CEO of Conviva. “By integrating The Trade Desk and our premium publisher partners, we will help unlock the multi-billion opportunity in streaming advertising and move the industry forward. Brands will have the detailed contextual data they need; publishers will remain in full control. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Conviva sources census, real-time content metadata straight from the video player of premium publishers making it the most reliable set of streaming content data in the industry. Specifically, its proprietary Stream Sensor™ technology is currently embedded in 3.3 billion streaming video applications, measuring in excess of 500 million unique viewers watching 180 billion streams per year with nearly 2 trillion real-time transactions per day across more than 180 countries.
“Our goal is to provide as much data as possible to our advertising clients as they plan and execute their digital media campaigns,” said Michelle Hulst, COO, The Trade Desk. “By partnering with Conviva to offer connected TV advertisers with even more data than what’s available in linear TV, we are opening up a new world of opportunity while maintaining the control and safeguards that are desired by both publishers and brands.”
Conviva is the intelligence cloud for streaming media. Powered by our patented Stream Sensor™ and Stream ID™, our real-time platform enables marketers, advertisers, tech ops, engineering and customer care teams to build, engage and monetize their audiences. Conviva is dedicated to supporting brands like CCTV, DAZN, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Sky, Sling TV, TED and WarnerMedia as they unlock the incredible opportunity in streaming media. Today our platform processes nearly 2 trillion streaming data events daily, supporting more than 500 million unique viewers watching 180 billion streams per year across 3.3 billion applications streaming on devices. Conviva ensures digital businesses of all sizes can stream better—every stream, every screen, every second. To learn more, visit www.conviva.com.
About The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210729005953/en/
Riskified Ltd. Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering
Business Wire India
Riskified Ltd. (“Riskified”), a fraud management platform enabling frictionless eCommerce, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 17,500,000 Class A ordinary shares at a public offering price of $21.00 per Class A ordinary share. The offering consists of 17,300,000 Class A ordinary shares offered by Riskified and 200,000 Class A ordinary shares to be sold by one of Riskified’s existing shareholders. Riskified will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares by the selling shareholder. The underwriters will have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,625,000 Class A ordinary shares from Riskified at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Class A ordinary shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on July 29, 2021 under the ticker symbol “RSKD”.
The closing of the offering is expected to occur on August 2, 2021 subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC are acting as lead book-running managers for the offering. Barclays Capital Inc., KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Piper Sandler & Co., Truist Securities, Inc. and William Blair & Company, L.L.C. are joint book-running managers for the offering. Loop Capital Markets LLC, Samuel A. Ramirez & Company, Inc., Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC and Stern Brothers & Co. are acting as co-managers for the offering.
The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. A copy of the final prospectus related to the offering may be obtained, when available, from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York, 10282, by email at email@example.com, or by telephone at 866-471-2526; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Attn: Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York, 11717, by email at firstname.lastname@example.org, or by telephone at 1-866-803-9204; and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, One Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10010, by email at email@example.com, or by telephone at 800-221-1037.
A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to these securities has been filed with, and was declared effective by, the SEC. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Riskified empowers businesses to realize the full potential of eCommerce by making it safe, accessible, and frictionless. Riskified has built a next-generation eCommerce risk management platform that allows online merchants to create trusted relationships with their consumers. Leveraging machine learning that benefits from a global merchant network, Riskified’s platform identifies the individual behind each online interaction, helping merchants—Riskified’s customers—eliminate risk and uncertainty from their business. Riskified drives higher sales and reduces fraud and other operating costs for its merchants and strives to provide superior consumer experiences, as compared to its merchants’ performance prior to onboarding Riskified.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210728006106/en/
Asia Pacific Spending on IT, Business Services Exceeds US $3B in a Quarter for First Time
Business Wire India
Asia Pacific’s spending on IT and business services surpassed US $3 billion for the first time in a quarter, with record levels of spending in Q2 for both cloud-based and traditional managed services, according to the latest state-of-the-industry report from Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.
The Asia Pacific ISG Index™, which measures commercial outsourcing contracts with annual contract value (ACV) of US $5 million or more, shows the region generated US $3.4 billion in combined-market ACV in the second quarter, up 59 percent against a soft quarter last year at the outset of the pandemic, and up 35 percent from the first quarter.
ACV for cloud-based services (as-a-service) came in at a record $2.4 billion, up 50 percent over last year, on 52 percent growth in infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), to a record $2.1 billion, and 38 percent growth in software-as-a-service (SaaS), to a record $312 million.
Managed services, meanwhile, turned in its best quarter in two years, with ACV soaring 87 percent, to a record $929 million. IT outsourcing (ITO) reached a record $800.1 million, up 80 percent, and business process outsourcing (BPO) rocketed 148 percent, to $129 million. Contract activity was at its highest level in the region in three years. Among the 62 deals signed during the quarter, 12 were valued at more than US $30 million of ACV – more of this size than were signed in all of 2020.
Within the region, most markets delivered sizeable year-over-year growth in managed services, including Australia-New Zealand (ANZ), China, Japan and South Asia, with only Korea declining versus the prior year.
“The second quarter was a real standout for the Asia Pacific region, with record demand in virtually every segment and strong growth across the board,” said Scott Bertsch, partner and regional leader, ISG Asia Pacific. “The results in ANZ, the region’s largest managed services market, were particularly encouraging. With more than $300 million of ACV this quarter, ANZ delivered its best performance since the end of 2018.”
For the first half of 2021, the combined market generated a record US $5.8 billion of ACV, up 32 percent. As-a-service, at a record US $4.5 billion, was up 33 percent, and managed services, at US $1.3 billion, was up 28.5 percent.
Within as-a-service, IaaS reached a record US $3.9 billion, up 34 percent, and SaaS hit a record US $614 million, up 23 percent. The battle for hyperscale cloud supremacy in the region continues, with Chinese providers adding to the competition. During the quarter, BMW Group opened a joint innovation base with Alibaba Cloud in Shanghai, and global mining firm BHP, based in Australia, signed cloud deals with both AWS and Microsoft Azure.
Competition is also heating up in the cloud-based ERP software space. In Japan, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group recently selected Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP to consolidate accounting functions, Toshiba chose SAP to replace its legacy financial systems, and Adobe remained active in the region by leveraging its digital media business and signing new clients such as Toyota and Bytedance.
On the managed services side, ITO reached US $1.1 billion, up 21.5 percent, on 77 transactions, with strength in application development and maintenance (ADM) services, even as infrastructure services declined. A notable ADM award was Accenture’s deal with Japanese telecom company KDDI. One of the larger awards this quarter was HCL winning a multi-tower IT transaction with a diversified financial firm.
BPO reached US $237 million, up 75 percent, spurred by industry-specific BPO and engineering and R&D services. Neusoft clinched a sizable ER&D agreement to supply Geely Smart Cars with infotainment systems, and Globant won a deal with Nissan’s customer service team.
ISG is forecasting the market for cloud-based services (IaaS and SaaS) will grow 21 percent globally in 2021, up from its 18 percent growth forecast last quarter. The firm also is raising its forecast for managed services growth to 9 percent, up from its prior forecast of 5 percent.
About the ISG Index™
The ISG Index™ is recognized as the authoritative source for marketplace intelligence on the global technology and business services industry. For 75 consecutive quarters, it has detailed the latest industry data and trends for financial analysts, enterprise buyers, software and service providers, law firms, universities and the media. In 2016, the ISG Index was expanded to include coverage of the fast-growing as-a-service market, measuring the significant impact cloud-based services are having on digital business transformation. ISG also provides ongoing analysis of automation and other digital technologies in its quarterly ISG Index presentations. For more, visit this webpage.
ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 700 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210726005821/en/
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Delegation of Cuban Revolution Defence Committees Visits Vietnam
National | May 18, 2023 | 17:08
A delegation from the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution of Cuba (CDR) led by its National Coordinator Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo visited Vietnam.
Vietnam News Today (May 18): Vietnam Leaves Deep Impressions at SEA Games 32
National | May 18, 2023 | 09:15
Vietnam News Today (May 18): Vietnamese Party official receives Cuban guests; Vietnam positive on trade links with Australia; Vietnam leaves deep impressions at SEA Games 32; Vietnamese goods promoted at African Investment and Commerce Forum.
Vietnam News Today (May 17): Vietnam and Russia Step Up Economic and Trade Co-operation
National | May 17, 2023 | 07:26
Vietnam News Today (May 17): Vietnam and Russia step up economic and trade co-operation; Vietnam becomes global production centre thanks to boom of foreign investment; Vietnam calls for stronger ESCAP commitments to realise SDGs; Vietnamese enterprises try to enter markets with new products.
Vietnam's Deputy Foreign Minister Attends EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum
World | May 16, 2023 | 18:20
Vietnam attends EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Stockholm
Vietnam News Today (May 16): Vietnam Firm on Top of SEA Games 32 Tally with 107 Golds
National | May 16, 2023 | 06:10
Vietnam News Today (May 16): Vietnam, Bangladesh agree to build a long-term vision for bilateral ties; Vietnam firm on top of SEA Games 32 tally with 107 golds; Vietnam underlines strengthening connectivity in Indian Ocean; Foreign invested sector - important growth driver of Vietnam: official.
Vietnam News Today (May 15): Halal Industry to Boost Vietnam’s Links with Muslim Countries
National | May 15, 2023 | 06:08
Vietnam News Today (May 15): El Nino to return and impact Vietnam this year; Halal industry to boost Vietnam’s links with Muslim countries; Second shipment of VinFast VF8 vehicles reaches US port; The Travel: Vietnam among most attractive destinations in Asia.
Vietnam News Today (May 14): New Vietnam Visa Policies to Boost Tourism Sector
National | May 14, 2023 | 06:08
Vietnam News Today (May 14): Vietnam attaches importance to relations with Japan: diplomat; SEA Games 32: Vietnam stays firm in top medal tally position; New Vietnam visa policies to boost tourism sector; Hue ceremony to honour UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site.
Vietnam News Today (May 13): Online Apple Store to be Inaugurated in Vietnam Next Week
National | May 13, 2023 | 07:19
Vietnam News Today (May 13): Vietnam, Cuba see ample room for trade-investment cooperation; Online Apple Store to be inaugurated in Vietnam next week; Vietnam carries out sustainable prevention of COVID-19: expert. Searches for Vietnamese tourism rise globally.
Vietnam News Today (May 12): Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Attends Retreat Session of 42nd ASEAN Summit
National | May 12, 2023 | 06:31
Vietnam News Today (May 12): SEA Games 32: Vietnam retains top position on May 10; Ample room to draw foreign tourists to Vietnam; Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends retreat session of 42nd ASEAN Summit; Petrol prices further decrease.
Vietnam News Today (May 11): Vietnam and Malaysia Vow to Enhance Strategic Partnership
National | May 11, 2023 | 06:11
Vietnam News Today (May 11): Vietnam and Malaysia vow to enhance strategic partnership; Vietnamese, Chinese business associations cooperate in industrial development; Vietnam to expand list of countries with visa-free entry; PM attends dialogues on ASEAN Community.
Vietnam News Today (May 10): Vietnam to Affirm Priority Areas of Co-operation at 42nd ASEAN Summit
National | May 10, 2023 | 06:18
Vietnam News Today (May 10): Vietnam highlights promotion of ASEAN’s solidarity, unity, strategic autonomy; Vietnam to affirm priority areas of co-operation at 42nd ASEAN Summit; SEA Games 32: Gold medals for Vietnam in ouk chaktrang, gymnastics; More foreign coffee chains compete for market share in Vietnam.
Vietnam News Today (May 9): Vietnamese Food Outlet Listed Among 100 Best Restaurants in New York
National | May 09, 2023 | 06:10
Vietnam News Today (May 9): Bright prospects ahead for exports to Japan and RoK; Vietnamese Karate fighters conclude competitions in SEA Games 32 with six golds; Vietnamese food outlet listed among 100 best restaurants in New York; Chip-based passports can be provided online, sent via post.
Vietnam News Today (May 8): Vietnam, UK Foster Strategic Partnership
National | May 08, 2023 | 06:17
Vietnam News Today (May 8): Vietnamese President attends coronation of King Charles III in London; Vietnam, UK foster strategic partnership; Dien Bien Phu Victory – from past to present; SEA Games 32: Vietnam secures more gold in karate, vovinam events.
Luxembourg Media Highlights Cooperation Potential with Vietnam
National | May 07, 2023 | 17:18
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and a high-ranking delegation of Luxembourg left Vietnam, successfully concluding their official visit to Vietnam from May 3-5 at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
JETRO Suggested to Help Japanese Firms Expand Operation in Vietnam
National | May 07, 2023 | 17:06
A survey by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) published recently showed that about 60% of Japanese firms planned to expand their operations in Vietnam, the highest rate in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam News Today (May 7): Vietnamese Real Estate Market to Rebound Thanks to New Policies
National | May 07, 2023 | 07:00
Vietnam News Today (May 7): State President meets Singaporean counterpart in UK; Tropical depression enters South China Sea; Luxembourg media positive of Vietnam-Luxembourg cooperation potential; Hoi An named among top 10 trending destinations in the world.
Vietnam News Today (May 6): Vietnam Remains a Magnet for FDI
National | May 06, 2023 | 08:06
Vietnam News Today (May 6): Vietnamese President meets Vietnamese community representatives in UK; Ceremony held to commemorate soldiers safeguarding national sovereignty; Vietnamese businesses seek investment opportunities in US; Vietnam remains a magnet for FDI.
Vietnam Upholds Trust-Building Measures to Prevent Conflicts
National | May 05, 2023 | 12:15
The Vietnamese diplomat stressed the importance of mutual trust and understanding between UN peacekeeping missions and local governments and peoples to build post-conflict peace.
Vietnam News Today (May 5): Vietnam Records US$6.4 bln Trade Deficit with RoK in Q1
National | May 05, 2023 | 06:19
Vietnam News Today (May 5): Vietnam upholds importance of trust-building in sustaining peace; Vietnam records US$6.4 bln trade deficit with RoK in Q1; Vietnam posts trade surplus of 6.35 billion USD in four months; Local tourism industry rakes in cash from bumper national holiday.
UAE Wishes to Strengthen Cooperation with Vietnam in All Fields
National | May 04, 2023 | 12:38
Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan met with President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on occasion of Xuan’s attendance at the 2023 Global Summit of Women.
100 Vietnamese Intellectuals in Japan Gather to Exchange
14:59 | 29/05/2023
Vietnamese Students Make Remarkable Achievements in Asia-Pacific Physics Olympiad 2023
14:21 | 29/05/2023
Vietnam, Venezuela Enhance Cultureal Exchanges
13:04 | 29/05/2023
Two Vietnamese Directors Win Prizes at 2023 Cannes
12:49 | 29/05/2023


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A dispute between a Apple it’s at Epic Games, which started last year continues to roll in US courts. And now, it’s left for another game company, Valve, the developer responsible for the Steam game store.
The dispute started in August 2020, when the Apple removed the game from your app store Fortnite, symbol of success of billionaire gaming market. A removal happened after Epic Games, the company responsible for the development of the Fortnite, tried to circumvent the fees that Apple imposes on products sold in its store – currently 30% of the sale value. The removal of the game was followed by Google, which also removed the Fortnite from the Android store.
The fight then became more ugly: Epic sued Apple for anti-competitive practices, which revoked Epic Games developer licenses for breach of terms, making it impossible for the company to distribute its applications.
Now Apple has summoned Valve to appear in court with data on PC game sales, which it says are essential to its case against Epic. But Valve has no interest in the fight between the two companies and claims that their proprietary information, irrelevant to Apple’s case, and that it would be difficult and costly to generate that data.
According to Apple, the information is essential for the company to confirm its point that it is possible to distribute the game Fortnite outside of the Apple ecosystem and that there are “economic substitutes” for iOS.
Valve disagrees and says it has nothing to do with this dispute. “Valve does not make or sell smartphones, tablets, or video games for mobile devices, or in any way competes in the mobile market,” wrote the company, which states that Fortnite (in the PC version) is not available on Steam and that Epic has already made it clear that it will not offer the game on the platform until Valve has changed its business model – which works similarly to Apple’s, charging a developer fee for selling games in a centralized store.
Steam is an initiative recognized for making it easier to purchase games for computers, especially when it was difficult to find and download games reliably.
Unlike smartphones, where the stores of the developers of the operating systems – Play Store from Google and Android; Apple and iOS App Store – guaranteed security to download apps and games, Microsoft has never centralized this on Windows, for example, and it has always been a problem to find out where to download games safely.
Third-party stores, such as Steam, and even Epic Games’ own store, partly solved this problem, centralizing game distribution around an easy-to-use tool, with financial support and security.


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Red Truck becomes first US brand to feature twistable cork
Major US wine brand Red Truck is to feature the world’s first twistable and resealable cork stopper, making it the first American label to take on the new closure.
The stopper, which is called Helix, was first launched by Amorim at Vinexpo Bordeaux in 2013, and has been designed to combine the premium image of cork with the convenience factor claimed by screwcap manufacturers.
Among the wine producers who have already adopted Helix are Tuscany’s Castellani and France’s Val d’Orbieu, but, until yesterday, no US company had taken on the closure.
However, on 5 October, it was revealed that Bronco, which owns the Red Truck label, would be using the innovative cork closure for one of its major brands.
Commenting on this decision, Fred Franzia, Bronco’s CEO, said, “Wine consumers in America have a growing understanding of the role quality cork and quality wine play in delivering their wine in a sustainable but yet premium format.
“At Bronco, we have been doing exactly that for many years, but with Helix and Red Truck, the U.S. market will now have access to all that plus the convenience of an easy-opening and easy-to-reclose bottle.
“We are proud at Bronco to be the first winery in America to deliver this incredible innovation.”
Antonio Amorim, the president and CEO of Amorim Cork, added, “Fred Franzia has been an innovator for decades now and Bronco’s leadership is again on display with Red Truck, bringing US consumers the most sustainable, technologically-advanced wine packaging innovation this side of the 21st century.
“Knowing Fred’s unique understanding of consumers’ preferences, we are certain that other wines using Helix will follow, enlarging Bronco’s offering of convenient yet 100% sustainable glass and cork packaging.”
Helix is covered by three patents, and features a helix-shaped groove cut into the bottle, which works with the cork’s natural elasticity to allow consumers to open the bottle with a simple twisting motion.


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Mr. Bulgheroni and his team are bringing to life a vision for the estate that will give an impetus to the entire region.
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 06, 2015
Marc de Grazia Selections is pleased to announce the reintroduction of Dievole Chianti Classico into the United States.
The Dievole property is located just outside of Siena in the Tuscan township of Castelnuovo Berardenga. The estate was purchased early in 2012 by Argentine entrepreneur Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni, shortly before he bought Podere Brizio, a Montalcino winery that has long been imported by Marc de Grazia Selections. Bulgheroni has since invested heavily in upgrading all aspects of the estate’s viticulture and enology, along with improving Dievole’s guest facilities and 4-Star accommodations, including its restaurants, spa, gardens and local hiking trails.
Marco de Grazia founded Marc de Grazia Selections in 1980, offering wine sourced from every corner of Italy. The company’s focus is on terroir and producers dedicated to expressing a sense of place, with emphasis on autochthonous grape varieties grown with sustainable methodology.
Says Iano de Grazia, Administrator of Marc de Grazia Selections, “Bringing a brand back into the market can be daunting, but we immediately recognized how extraordinary this Dievole project is. This is not just new owners and directors, Dievole is essentially reborn. Mr. Bulgheroni and his team are bringing to life a vision for the estate that will give an impetus to the entire region. The estate’s focus is purely Sangiovese and its old side-kicks, Canaiolo and Colorino.”
Dievole’s President Enrique Amalgro is also thrilled with the new business relationship, noting: “de Grazia Selections’ mix of old world culture blended with new world creativity makes them a perfect fit for Dievole. With 900+ years of history at the estate, we sought a partner for the US who would embrace and enhance our traditional values, not change them. Marco and Iano respect the land and our intentions for it. The de Grazia team is perfectly poised to represent Dievole, seeing to it that our wine reaches members of the trade and consumers who appreciate traditional Chianti Classico.
“When we arrived in 2012,” says winemaker Alberto Antonini, “we went right to work to revitalize the vineyards. It is a tribute to this terroir that the soils responded so quickly.” No additives are allowed, not even natural fertilizers. Antonio noted, “The representatives selling such products as yeast, herbicides, etc., no longer bother knocking on our door. Likewise for barrique sellers.”
Dievole wines have been withheld from the US market since the new regime arrived. “Absence doesn’t necessarily make the heart grow fonder” states Anne Zakin, President of de Grazia Imports, “but it gave us some breathing room, and will allow us to be certain that the trade and consumers are aware of the changes that have been made at Dievole. It’s the same name, but the wines are much improved. This relationship is a big step for MdG in terms of Dievole’s size and scope. Along with the improvements in wine quality, the estate is large enough that we’ll be able to ensure consistency in supply for our on-premise clientele, even as we rebuild Dievole awareness at retail.”
Marc de Grazia Imports has received the 2013 Dievole Chianti Classico and is available immediately. The wine will be featured at the de Grazia Imports trade tasting in New York City on April 15th and will be poured during the Grand Tastings at Pebble Beach Food & Wine on April 11 and 12.


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What the Heck is 3.5G?
How do we know which mobile technology we're being offered?
Read Frank Puranik's latest blog about mobile phone operators' marketing descriptions actually mean More>>
iTrinegy is often referenced in the IT press. Below is a sample of our more recent coverage:
Teenagers leaving businesses behind in the cloud?
In the world of big business, what can a teenager's opinion towards consumer share and sync services tell us about how we should approach the cloud adoption process in the workplace? A lot more than you think, according to iTrinegy's Debra Wilkins. More>>


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NEW DELHI: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) could bring in transparency in the functioning of the real estate sector and even reduce the cost of ownership of homes for buyers, especially if the GST rate is lower than all the current rates put together, said builders and tax consultants.
These consultants, however, said there’s one problem in the Model GST Law for the sector that has been overlooked so far, and this issue could increase the total tax (including stamp duty) a homebuyer pays when buying a home to almost 20-22% of the property value as opposed to around 14% at present.
The Model GST Law says that input tax credit will not be available in cases where the end product made using the goods and/or services is an immovable property, other than plant and machinery.
“Input tax credit shall not be available in respect of goods and/or services acquired by the principal in the execution of works contract when such contract results in construction of immovable property, other than plant and machinery,” said the model bill. In the case of builders making homes, the end product is a building which is an immovable property.
“This would mean multiple taxation on homebuyers as the builder will pass on non-creditable tax to home buyers even as they pay GST on the consideration charged to them for the home and then stamp duty for registration,” said Abhishek Jain, tax partner at EY India.
According to back-of-the envelope calculations, homebuyers will end up paying around 20-22% in total tax compared to 14-16% if builder gets tax credit.
Prashanth Bhat, partner at BMR & Associates, however, said that under GST, credits will be denied to developers building commercial properties but it should not impact residential property developers. Builders ET spoke to were unclear about this aspect in the Model GST Law but said that it will be a negative if they were not allowed input tax credit.
Getamber Anand, national president of industry body CREDAI, said GST could reduce harassment that is there today due to multiple taxes. “It will create a level playing field for sure.” GST will replace the many different taxes that builders currently pay, many of them bordering on double taxation, with one single tax.
Anand, however, also said that if credit on input tax is not allowed to builders, it will get added to the price of the property and impact home buyers.
JC Sharma, managing director of Bengaluru-based Sobha Ltd, said if GST reduces the compliance cost for builders and also reduces the overall cost of inputs, it will be a positive for the industry.
Courtsey: Ravi Teja Sharma | ET Bureau | 05-Aug-2016


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Yogurt: The superfood you can make at home
For all the positive health benefits associated with yogurt, it seems that this ancient food deserves a more prominent role in the daily diets of Americans and Guamanians alike.
Its origins can be traced to 2000 B.C., when Middle East travelers carried it in animal skins. Today, this semi-solid, sour-ish food prepared from milk and fermented with live bacteria isn’t that hard to enjoy. It’s loaded with nutrients, and numerous studies link yogurt consumption with digestive benefits, an enhanced immune system, reduced blood cholesterol and lowered risk of diabetes.
Moreover, says University of Guam associate professor and certified food scientist Jian Yang, yogurt is easy enough to make at home with a little bit of practice.
“I feel that commercial yogurt is too expensive. I have three kids, so eating commercial yogurt every day, it costs a lot,” he says. “You have to eat yogurt continuously to maintain the health benefits. Self-made yogurt is less than 50 percent of the store price.”
Yang offered a yogurt workshop at UOG on Dec. 4, hoping to spread awareness about yogurt’s benefits while teaching people how to create the creamy superfood at home. Extension associate Clarissa Barcinas and research associate Stephanie Motroni, who practiced yogurt-making with Yang in the days before, assisted in the class.
The handful of students who attended the four-hour workshop learned what bacteria yogurt contains, what makes yogurt thick or thin, how to safely prepare yogurt from scratch and how to add flavors.
Begins with bacteria
Yogurt must contain at least two starter cultures (live bacteria) — Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus — in order to be labeled as yogurt under U.S. law. Many commercial yogurts also include other beneficial bacteria. Provided they are live and active, they should provide the probiotic health benefits as advertised, when consumed regularly and in sufficient amounts.
The easiest way to make a basic yogurt requires just two ingredients: a quart of store-bought milk and a quarter-cup of plain yogurt (making sure the label indicates a live culture). This makes a runny, mildly tart yogurt that would make a healthy drink. Add some honey or fruit juice, and you’ll have a product as good as any yogurt drink on the market.
But commercially, yogurts are made by heating, then cooling milk, adding a starter culture and incubating the yogurt at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, anywhere from six to 10 hours.
These starter cultures are available in freeze-dried forms (available by mail order on Amazon.com), from commercial, unflavored yogurts or from a previous batch of fresh yogurt.
Yogurt is usually made from cow’s milk, though other animal milk from goats and sheep are used. It’s possible to make yogurt from non-dairy milks such as soy, coconut, almond and cashew, though the process used is different from animal milk yogurt.
When these cultures are added to milk and kept at a specific temperature for several hours, the bacteria multiply and chemically change the milk, producing the characteristic flavor and textures associated with yogurt.
Other optional ingredients such as milk powder, stabilizers and sweeteners are often added to increase flavor appeal to a wider audience. Desired tartness and textures are a result of controlling the types of bacteria used, the length of fermentation, the amount of additives and the type of milk used, says Yang.
Different methods create different yogurt products such as Greek yogurt, yogurt smoothies, yogurt drinks and flavored yogurts — the same you’d see on your grocer’s shelves.
“I learned how easy it is to make. It’s better for me in terms of being in control of what goes in my yogurt,” says Barcinas, who eats yogurt three times a week. “If I had more time, I’d like to see how local fruits could be incorporated, such as sour sop, mango, papaya and even the local mulberry.”
Yang says that people who take their yogurt seriously will invest in a yogurt maker, which regulates temperature during the crucial fermentation period.
And there’s no limit on how to flavor the finished product, he says, though he prefers a simple drizzle of honey for his family’s tastes.
“The first step is making it at home, use local ingredients,” says Yang. “Then maybe someone will be interested in making a commercial yogurt on Guam. If they do, we can help.”
More to come
Jian Yang, along with the staff and faculty at the UOG Cooperative Extension Service and College of Natural and Applied Sciences, would like to explore making yogurt with non-dairy milks sometime in January. For more information, contact Clarissa Barcinas at 735-2029 or professor Yang at 735-2027.


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Home sharing giant Airbnb just raised $555 million and is seeking even more in a funding round that values the company at $30 billion, a source close to the company told AFP.
Users of ride-hailing firm Grab will be able to book driverless cars from Friday as it partners with a start-up testing the technology in Singapore, just days after rival Uber debuted its self-driving vehicles in the United States.
Amid an increasing demand for live video services, Twitter is strengthening its position in the same segment as it launches a new live streaming app for several platforms, all aimed at distributing live videos on otherwise non-traditional platforms.
Samsung said Wednesday it would limit recharging of the batteries of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones to lower the risk of explosions in a measure apparently intended to jolt users into returning their devices following a recall.
Facebook Inc. on Thursday launched a feature that allows users to upload photos with 360-degree views.
IBM on Tuesday said it signed a $300 million, ten-year technology services agreement with Dubai’s Emirates Airline.
WASHINGTON - Chinese technology titan Huawei said Tuesday it filed suit in the United States against Samsung, claiming its South Korean rival has infringed on patents on wireless connectivity for mobile devices.
Microsoft Corp. said on Wednesday it will trim down its smartphone business by cutting 1,850 jobs, most of them in Finland, and write down $950 million from the operation.
SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook Inc. said on Monday that it had changed some of the procedures for its "Trending Topics" section after a news report alleging it suppressed conservative news prompted a U.S. Congressional demand for more transparency.
CALIFORNIA - Alphabet's Google Inc. unveiled its answer to Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant along with new messaging and virtual reality products at its annual I/O developer conference on Wednesday, doubling down on artificial intelligence and machine learning as the keys to its future.