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The Macau casino market offers Konami-branded slot machines “a lot of room” for growth in sales terms, says Matthew Loon (pictured), product and marketing manager of Konami Australia Pty Ltd. He adds that the Japan-based brand has seen “particularly good” sales in that segment in the Philippines, Malaysia and South Korea this year.
Gaming and amusement conglomerate Konami Holdings Corp operates outside Japan via Konami Australia and U.S.-based Konami Gaming Inc.
The newest slot product Konami displayed at the MGS Entertainment Show 2017 – a casino industry trade event at the Venetian Macao casino resort held from November 14 to 16 – was the “Fortune Streams” link (also pictured), which the group hopes to launch in the Philippines and in Macau next year.
Fortune Streams is a linked progressive slot game that is still under development, noted Mr Loon. The product features a coin push-style game that simulates – in virtual form – an arcade game. The video display graphics use perspective to give the player the impression that coin-like objects are being pushed out from the screen.
The product, the pinyin title of which translates from the Chinese as “money coming all year round”, is going to be launched in Macau with three base game titles: “Power of Riches”, “Wealth of Dynasty” and “Winning Animals”. The product had been shown in Macau in May during Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2017 trade show.
Cai Lai Si Ji is on the firm’s Concerto slot cabinet and has four levels of jackpot. It has been approved for launch in the Philippines – including at Resorts World Manila – and is currently awaiting clearance in Macau, Mr Loon noted.
He said the firm was also “looking forward” to launching some electronic table games next year.
Another popular Konami product is “Fortune Cup”, which features a mechanical horse racing game with modern twists, including high-quality video and electronic betting. The firm is looking at the possibility of introducing a version to the Macau market, but has no timetable yet for such a move and didn’t display the product at MGS.


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Nestlé develops two new packaging innovations for its Vittel water bottles that function like traditional plastic bottles but use less plastic.
Jet Technologies has teamed up with Grinders Coffee to change up its packaging so it meets the requirements of the RED Group REDcycle initiative.
Sappi Rockwell Solutions has launched a sustainable, coated lidding film.
Australian honey maker Capilano is shaking up the honey shelves with its new easy-pour pouch packaging.
Niche Gas Products (NGP) supplies modified atmosphere packaging gas (MAP) equipment by WITT that mixes, analyses and detects MAP gases.
Woolworths slashes 9000 tonnes of plastic as it transitions its Own Brand range to recyclable, compostable or reusable packaging by 2023.
Matthews is launching its iDSnet Cloud barcoding solution for Australia's fresh produce sector at Hort Connections in Brisbane from 7–9 June 2021.
The Ravenwood NOBAC 5000 range of linerless label applicators is suitable for general food manufacturers, meat, seafood and smallgoods as well as fresh produce brand owners.
The Sustain Paper range of PFAS-free, compostable and biodegradable flexible paper-packaging materials has a broad range of applications.
Vinpac International has partnered with Australian glass packaging company Orora to create a sustainable 750 mL sparkling bottle in an effort to reduce waste.
Using the KHS Innopack Kisters tray packers, the systems supplier now enables cans of food and beverage to be wrapped in paper.
The WSPP A is capable of processing three different types of secondary packaging — trays, cardboard pads and cylindrical containers.

domain: news


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According to a survey by the New York Times, as reported by Mashable, TV viewership seems to be diminishing generationally. The study finds that at least 1 in every 3 millennials watch less TV in favor of online video, or outright no TV at all.…Read More »
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has made a Facebook post mentioning that the Netflix subcribers watched a total of more than about 1 billion hours of video during June 2012, making it a first time in the history for Netflix:
Read More »
Congrats to Ted Sarandos, and his amazing content licensing team.


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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Lidl has a number of offers in the middle aisle every week – called the Middle of Lidl.
From BBQs to fitness gear, and scuba-diving equipment to weighted blankets – there are always some great deals to be found.
But what does the legendary m
Posted On Fri, May 20, 2022 By Michelle Cohen In Celebrities, Cool Listings, Upper West Side
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The Global Squeeze Tube Packaging Market report offers industry overview including definitions, applications, classifications, and chain structure. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the studied market, including key trends, historic data, current market scenario, opportunities,
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Oconomowoc police are investigating the theft of over $12,000 worth of construction items from the future home of the Lake Country DockHounds.
The theft took place between the night of Thursday, April 21, and the morning of Friday, April 22, at Lake Country Live.
The 17-acre site
The F50 was built to mark the legendary carmaker’s 50th anniversary, while the Bugatti EB110 once shattered records to be the fastest car globally.
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An exhibition of A
Dr John C Taylor is the inventor whose kettle controls are used one billion times every day. He has also invented a new type of clock with concentric rings of vernier slits that expose lights to indicate the time. Jon Severn met Dr Taylor to discuss the process of invention and the Corpus Cloc
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TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A federal judge has rejected a request by Native American tribes to stop Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals Inc. from preparing a planned new Arizona copper mine’s site in the Santa Rita Mountains near Tucson.
U.S. District Judge James Soto refused to issue a temporar


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Apple Unveils New $329 iPad With Pencil Stylus For Schools And StudentsApple unveiled a new version of its tablet franchise at its education event in Chicago on Tuesday, which it hosted at the city's largest high school.
Best Educational Gaming Apps For School Age ChildrenStart the school year off right with these fun and challenging games that will keep your kids entertained and learning for hours. These six apps will provide endless laughter while your little one's work hard to solve puzzles, work on new skills, and create.
Will We See The Newest iPhone? Apple Planning Product Launch March 21Analysts and tech blogs are expecting Apple will announce a new, 4-inch iPhone, a smaller iPad Pro and new bands for the Apple Watch
Report: Bears QB Jay Cutler Call's Microsoft's 'Surface' An 'iPad Knockoff'Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler described Microsoft’s Surface as “Knockoff iPads," according to CNET.
Doctor: Blue Light From Electronics Can Wreak Havoc On Children's SleepThe latest research shows that nighttime exposure to blue light – mainly from computers, smartphones, tablets and e-readers -- is particularly harmful.
Mom Claims 12-Year-Old Daughter Was Reading Erotica On School-Issued iPadA mother of a 12-year-old girl claims her daughter was reading erotica on the school-issued iPad.
Electronic Devices Can Cause Nickel Allergies To Flare UpWe use our electronic devices for all sorts of things – from talking and looking up information to playing games. But the frequent use of such gadgets is actually making some people sick.
Microsoft, Teachers’ Union Upset At School District For Buying iPadsThe L.A. Unified School District is under scrutiny for agreeing to purchase $30M in iPads for students. The plan was approved Tuesday by the Board of Education, who are using funds from a 2008 voter-approved bond issue to upgrade school technology.
Amazon Offers MP3s For Vinyl Record BuyersIn an odd combination of old and new, Amazon says that every time a person buys a vinyl record from its online store, it will give that customer a digital version of the songs for free.
Microsoft's Outlook Takes Aim At Google's Gmail With $30M CampaignMicrosoft is so confident it has the Internet's best email service that it's about spend at least $30 million to send its message across the U.S.
Amazon's MP3 To Become Available To iPhone UsersAmazon says iPhone and iPod Touch users will be able to buy music from its digital store for the first time beginning Thursday.
Kindle Customers May Get Credit From SettlementsSeattle-based Amazon has alerted its Kindle customers that they are entitled to a credit on prior electronic book purchases as part of settlements between some major e-book publishers and the government.


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Google was fined a hefty 220 million euros (or approximately $268 million) on Monday after France’s competitors authority observed the firm abusing its outsized job in the planet of electronic advertising.
These fines arrive adhering to a large investigation from France’s Level of competition Authority (the Autorité de la concurrence) following many media providers from the EU and elsewhere filed a complaint versus the tech giant back again in 2019. Two decades afterwards, it turns out their allegations experienced some pounds. On best of remaining lawfully obligated to shell out out a multi-million greenback settlement, Google agreed to tweak its ad-serving engineering that France—not to point out other authorities stateside—have claimed favors its have merchandise.
In a statement posted on Monday, Autorité president Isabelle de Silva mentioned that France’s decision was the to start with in the earth “to glance into advanced algorithmic processes as a result of which on-line display screen advertising will work.”
“[Google’s] methods have penalized competitiveness in the emerging on the web advertising and marketing market, and have enabled Google not only to maintain but also to improve its dominant position,” de Silva extra. “This sanction and these commitments will make it achievable to re-establish a level taking part in discipline for all players, and the capability of publishers to make the most of their advertising place.”
Just one of the big allegations the authority was billed with investigating was that Google’s promotion server—which is employed by most important web pages to auction off their advertisement space—gave Google’s on line auction residence an benefit against other auction operators.
In get to give by themselves the most bang for their buck, most website publishers—like the French newspaper Le Figaro, who was a single of the names driving the preliminary 2019 complaint—will depend on a solitary server at any offered time. The key task of this server is to consider to plug that publisher’s advert space into a number of auctions, so the greatest number of advertisers can put bids down on those areas.
According to the Autorité’s investigation, Google utilised “various methods” to guarantee that its very own ad auctions would ordinarily acquire on the company’s advertising and marketing server. Simply because of the way dollars flows as a result of the digital advert ecosystem, rigging the auction system did not only make sure that a lot more dollars flowed Google’s way, but it also stymied money from competing auctions that could have paid out these publishers a better volume. In other terms, this intended extra dollars for Google, and way much less funds for web-sites that use Google to promote.
Google didn’t refute the costs. “While we imagine we offer precious products and services and compete on the deserves, we are committed to performing proactively with regulators everywhere you go to make advancements to our items,” stated Google France’s lawful director, Maria Gomri, in a website post on Monday.
“That’s why, as element of an overall resolution of the FCA’s investigation, we have agreed on a set of commitments to make it simpler for publishers to make use of details and use our instruments with other advert systems,” she extra, noting that the company will be “testing and developing” these improvements over the coming months ahead of rolling them out on a broader foundation.
1 of the largest updates that Google’s promising is to not use knowledge from other, competing auction residences in order to improve its possess bids “in a way that other SSPs can not reproduce.” The organization is also promising to now give its publisher associates “at least a few months’ notice” to any key system adjustments the Google’s scheduling on making—unless all those alterations “are relevant to safety or privacy protections.”
Some of the other product or service alterations planned by Google are kinds “that make improvements to interoperability,” involving its possess auctions and third-occasion servers. The company also promised “to produce a solution that assures that all potential buyers that a publisher functions with,” will get equal amounts of details, so they can get the ideal bang for their buck—and publishers, in flip, can get a fair quantity for promoting off their advert area.
For each Reuters, Google will be introducing these updates in the to start with quarter of up coming 12 months. Google’s weblog notes that “some” of these modifications are going to be introduced globally—Gizmodo has achieved out for clarification on which variations these are.
Like just about every company blog from the business, the weblog is significant on PR-speak and light-weight on particulars. Google doesn’t make clear, for instance, why some of these transparency boosts just cannot be rolled out in numerous markets. It also did not explain how Google would be sharing data with all potential buyers to level the participating in subject when Google’s very own web site admits that sharing this info is not “technically possible” most of the time, merely since of the way most publishers’ adtech pipes operate. And of system, there’s no point out in the web site about how these improvements will mesh with Google’s strategies to destroy off third social gathering cookies, which are also dealing with their personal antitrust probes in the EU.
This isn’t the initial time that Google’s advertisement-brokering business—which raked in $183 billion for the corporation very last year—has been a source of antitrust-adjacent head aches for the company. A coalition of lawmakers spearheaded by Texas’s Ken Paxton sued the company back in December more than allegations that the firm monopolized the electronic ad market. Which is on major of the other antitrust investigations experiencing the enterprise proper now, each from the DOJ and from dozens of other states. Until eventually 2022, we just will need to sit and wait to see if these variations truly boost up competitors in the digital advert area, or no matter whether Google will continue to keep on staying Google.


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One of the biggest shopping days of the year is the last Saturday before Christmas, also known as Super Saturday. With many Americans free to shop all day, it will be a productive day for retailers.
Based on its annual survey conducted along with Prosper Insights & Analytics, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that 147.8 million U.S. consumers will participate, up from 134.3 million last year. That number includes both in-store and online activity.
“While many people started holiday shopping early, those who waited until Thanksgiving weekend are feeling the pressure due to the limited number of days this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas,” says NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “But there is still time to catch up. The last Saturday before Christmas has become the biggest shopping day of the year, and we expect an impressive turnout by procrastinators and those who just want to take advantage of really good deals.”
Despite the holiday shopping season starting earlier than ever, many still put off getting their final holiday gifts until the last few days. NRF’s survey found that more than half (56 percent) of holiday shoppers plan to purchase their last gift during the week before Christmas, and 62 percent are expected to shop on Super Saturday.
“Most of us are guilty of having that one last gift we need to buy,” says Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist. “Men and younger consumers continue to be the biggest procrastinators and are expected to turn out in force on Super Saturday.”


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Officials are doing their part to help save Las Vegas hospitality jobs.
The City of Las Vegas has been under fire lately by the federal government as being a hub of conventions and meetings that cause companies to spend too much money. Since then, the city has seen several meeting and event cancellations, resulting in a loss of jobs and revenue.
There are typically 22,000 meetings and conventions held in Las Vegas. Those help support 46,000 jobs and represent $8.5 billion in economic activity, according to an article by MeetingNews.com.
In an effort to combat its recent negative press, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has launched a comprehensive toolkit to provide information and resources for meeting planner customers and hoteliers at www.vegasmeansbusiness.com.
Through the toolkit, buyers can access statistics, client testimonials and other information showing why Las Vegas events are successful. Hotel partners will find tools to promote group travel and updates on local business and Congress.
The LVCVA also has a booking invenctive that awards planners with a new hybrid vehicle for any meeting booked and held between June 1 and August 31 through its eRFP program. It also will give away three VIP trips to Las Vegas for an event on those dates.
In addition, the LVCVA has launched several other incentives to address the current economic recession, including a massive sales call effort and attendance promotion programs for existing clients.
With any luck, these efforts will help restore Las Vegas’ hospitality industry. In March, the Las Vegas-Paradise area’s leisure and hospitality employed 265,500 workers, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 257,000 workers during February and a 5.8 percent decrease from last year.


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Right now in Washington, D.C., we are seeing nothing short of the deconstruction of America’s free-market system. To be blunt, the strong arm tactics of the Obama Administration’s Auto Task Force are crushing the dreams of many American business owners – and simultaneously putting our future prosperity in jeopardy.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve spoken with the GM and Chrysler car dealerships from my district that have been targeted for total or partial closure by President Obama’s Auto Task Force. They were given no reason, and really no recourse to challenge their closure. It is as if someone threw a dart at a dartboard to decide which dealerships would be given a pink slip. In fact, we still do not know the formula used to determine which dealers would remain open, and which ones would close.
At one dealership in my district, the owner received an envelope from FedEx with a closure agreement inside, informing them that their highly profitable and nearly century-old business was slated for closure, and that they had twelve days to sign the agreement, or face the consequences.
Unbelievably, if they chose not to sign the agreement by the prescribed date, GM would not offer a warranty on any of the remaining cars on their lot. If they challenged the contract in court, the dealers would not only have to pay for their own legal fees, but GM’s as well, to the tune of $1,500 per hour – and that was whether they won or lost. And, even if they opted to sign the agreement, they were obligated to send GM their customer lists and service customer lists. It is a lose-lose deal for the owners who are taking it on the chin no matter what their decision.
As the owners stressed to me – tactics like this are not the America they know and love. Columnist Michael Barone likened the actions of the Obama Auto Task Force to the tactics of a “gangster government,” and I couldn’t agree more.
In crafting their deals, government trampled long-held legal principles. For instance, unsecured creditors, the United Auto Workers labor union, were jumped ahead of secured creditors, the teachers and police officers’ pension funds in Indiana, in bankruptcy court. Government shouldn’t be picking winners and losers. And, government certainly shouldn’t be ignoring established law simply because it suits their political ambitions.
It is unthinkable, but today consumers and businessmen aren’t deciding what cars should be manufactured or what dealerships should be successful or how much advertising is enough. Government is making these decisions.
Simply put, politics and business operate in different ways and are vulnerable to different influences as they strive to reach very different goals. Each Member of Congress in Washington is looking out for his or her own state or district’s interests and sometimes that works against the interest of the company they are now essentially running. When Congress stepped into the Board Room, it set itself up to try to achieve two sometimes contradictory goals – protect their constituents and save this company. Government is simply ill-equipped to try to be both the governor and the governed – and it surely can’t do both well.
I am a proud cosponsor of the Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009 that would honor a car companies previous commitments to local car dealers. I have written to both President Obama and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and asked them to reverse course. And, I’m looking into whatever legal options might be available for Congress to give these dealerships a fighting chance. These businesses are community landmarks, important job providers, and local economic catalysts. They deserve better treatment from their government than arbitrary pink slips that wipe out a lifetime’s work and investment.
The American Dream is in need of saving, and it’s up to all of us to work hard to save it.
Michele Bachmann represents Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.


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This article originally appeared on August 20, 2021 at Baptist News Global.
Across the American South, it’s hard to sit in a coffee shop anywhere and not overhear a Bible study or a conversation about Christian faith. America’s obsession with coffee — whether from Starbucks or the hippest new local spot — has spilled over to conversations about faith.
The blend of talk about religion and coffee has become so pervasive that a number of larger churches have opened their own coffee shops to facilitate faith-sharing and Bible study.
Clearly, Jesus didn’t turn water into coffee — at least as recorded in any of the four Gospels. So how did faith conversations start percolating in coffee shops? The answer begins, like a good Bible story, with a goat herder.


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Etisalat has selected Ericsson’s Charging System and Ericsson’s 5G Business Support Systems (BSS) as part of its national 5G network evolution.
HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has announced two new additions to its entry-level smartphone family, the Nokia 3.4 and Nokia 2.4 and the Nokia Power Earbuds Lite.
Ericsson has acquired Cradlepoint, the US-based market leader in Wireless Edge WAN 4G and 5G enterprise solutions.
CyberKnight has strategically aligned with VirtuPort as the Official Distribution Partner for the MENA Information Security Virtual Conference 2020, taking place 5th to 6th October.
Huawei and 4sight Technology examined the capabilities presented by ‘Intelligent Infrastructure’ and how next-generation solutions such as Cloud, Big Data and AI are empowering businesses to meet the evolving demands of its customers.
Samsung Electronics has unveiled the next generation of its category-defining foldable device, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2. Packed
Huawei has announced the launch of its digital OptiX network solutions including Single OptiX, Campus OptiX, and DC OptiX solutions at the Huawei Middle East Digital OptiX Club 2020.
CNME Editor Mark Forker attended a virtual roundtable hosted by Charles Yang, President of Huawei Middle East, in an effort …
As communication service providers continue to deploy 5G globally, they are reshaping networks as service-based architectures, says Timo Jokiaho, telco partner technologist, Global Telco Technology & Architecture, Red Hat.
Technology’s role in effectively combating the spread of COVID-19 and boosting post-pandemic economic recovery was discussed by top industry minds during the Better World Summit, an online corporate-level event organised and hosted by Huawei.


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It's been 3.5 years since Sony announced the Sony A7S III. Many had predicted that we would see a refresh of the A7S III coming in late 2023 or early 2024, but that has been dashed by Sony Alpha Rumours, along with the idea that we will be getting a refresh of the Sony Alpha One. SO what is Sony expected to announce between now and January?
Sony registered three cameras in September. WW459276 was registered on September 20 and was released as the Sony a9 III last week, sporting a global shutter that has reverberated through the industry ever since. The Sony a9 III will start shipping in Spring, 2024 according to Sony.
That was the Sony a9 III, which was announced last week and will start shipping in the spring. But sony registered two other cameras one on September 20th and the other on September 4. One was believed to be the Sony a7S4, the other was conjectured to be an FX camera.
WW559681, which was registered on September September 4, 2023 is the Sony LR1, while WW279317 is for a video centric camera, which Sony Alpha Rumors believes to be a successor to either the FX6 or FX9. No specs are known at this time, but WW279317 is definitely expected to be an FX camera
Andrea Pizzini went further stating that “No A7S IV or A1 II [is] coming any time soon.”


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Meesho Job Openings: SoftBank-backed e-commerce firm Meesho said it will offer around 5 lakh seasonal job openings in its vendor and logistics network to meet the growing demand during the upcoming festive season. This is a 50 percent increase compared to seasonal jobs created by Mishaw last year.
Meesho aims to create around 2 lakh job opportunities through its partnership with third party logistics players such as Ecom Express, DTDC, Elastic Run, Loadshare, Delhivery, Shadowfax and Expressbees. More than 60 percent of these opportunities will be from Tier-III and Tier-IV regions. These roles will primarily include first-mile and delivery associates responsible for tasks such as delivery picking, sorting, loading, unloading and return inspection.
Saurabh Pandey, Chief Experience Officer, Fulfillment and Experience, said, “We expect a significant increase in demand this festive season. The creation of these opportunities is focused on enhancing the overall customer experience during the holiday season and empowering countless small businesses.
Besides, mishaw vendors are estimated to hire more than 3 lakh seasonal workers as part of their requirements for the festive season. These seasonal workers will assist Meesho’s salespeople in various capacities, including production, packaging and sorting, to meet increasing customer demand. Additionally, more than 80 percent of Meesho’s vendors are looking to introduce new products and venture into new categories such as fashion accessories and festive decorations. To ensure they are well prepared for increased demand, more than 30 percent of Meesho’s vendors are investing in renting additional storage space for their inventory.
Abhishek Bansal, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Shadowfax, said, “The festive season will see tremendous growth opportunities through Tier-III+ regions. “Some of the most underpenetrated markets have seen a transformation into dense seller clusters. Over the past year, Shadowfax has invested in large pick-up centers in cities like Lucknow, Surat, Ludhiana and Sagar.”
Meesho is also a major contributor to India’s third party logistics (3PL) ecosystem, with ambitious plans to double its 3PL shipments to over 1.2 billion in FY23.
As e-commerce companies gear up to meet high demand in the coming festive season, India is likely to see 500,000 new jobs for gig workers, according to staffing solutions company Teamlease. The country has about 200,000 open positions for gig workers, primarily in last-mile delivery space and warehouse operations. The number is expected to reach 700,000 by December.
Teamlease said this year’s festival recruitment is expected to see a significant 25 percent increase in gig jobs compared to the same period last year, reflecting the sector’s optimistic outlook and aspirations to boost positive sentiment.
Interestingly, the demand for warehousing operations, last-mile delivery personnel and call center operators is higher in Tier-II and Tier-III cities as compared to Tier-I cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Ahead of the festive season, Walmart-owned e-commerce company Flipkart recently said it will create over 1,00,000 new job opportunities across its supply chain, including fulfillment and sorting centers and delivery hubs.
Flipkart is gearing up to mark the 10th edition of its annual flagship event, The Big Billion Days (TBBD), early next month. As part of the festive season, Flipkart is looking to hire and create lakhs of seasonal jobs across its supply chain across India to meet customer demand during the festive season.
Online fashion retailer Myntra will increase the recruitment of women in its supply chain and contact center operations. This is being done as part of the festive season when Myntra hosts its annual marquee event, the Big Fashion Festival (BFF). As part of the festive hiring ramp-up, Myntra will increase hiring of women, taking it to over 21 percent over last year’s festive season.


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India needs to build greater scale to localise more: Skoda Auto Volkswagen2 min read . Updated: 23 Oct 2020, 08:34 PM IST
The top executive at the local unit of Volkswagen Group, one of the world’s largest passenger car manufacturers, said it is not possible to have localised parts so soon
A larger manufacturing scale is required for India’s passenger car market to drive deeper localisation of parts in line with the central government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat program, Gurpratap Boparai, managing director, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd told Mint in an interview.
Senior Union ministers including Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal in the government have been urging the automakers over the past months to reduce their dependence on imports, increase exports and make India a global manufacturing hub for automobiles and auto components.
The top executive at the local unit of Volkswagen Group, one of the world’s largest passenger car manufacturers, said it is not possible to have localised parts so soon.
“With these parts, if you change the source, you will have to once again go through the testing cycles and may need to re-homologate the car. These things take time and a lot of money," he argued.
Boparai said that India needs to build a greater scale as the domestic market, which continues to face several challenges including high taxes and economic slowdown, has not reached a point where localising every part makes sense.
“If there is to be a concerted strategy to make more cars in India, we need to also make it viable for the manufacturers to come and produce here, not only for the domestic market because that’s not enough but also for the global markets," he said, adding that to lure companies to India, the government needs to make it a more attractive manufacturing destination from other parts of the world where these OEMs are currently producing cars.
Skoda Auto Volkswagen India sees manufacturing of cars as an expensive affair in the country. This comes even as the Narendra Modi led central government aims to attract global investments in manufacturing while positioning India as a suitable manufacturing hub for the world.
“Land and electricity are extremely expensive in India as compared to several other countries, also our raw materials including steel, aluminum, are far more expensive than, lets say, China," Boparai said, adding that the local manufacturing units have to also face severe infrastructural challenges.
“The logistic costs are higher (in India) because traffic is slow moving, connectivity isn’t always great. I have to say that our industry as a whole is extremely cost efficient but if your raw materials, electricity and other overheads make it more expensive than the rest of the competing nations, your competitiveness does take a hit," Boparai said.
“If you want to be an exporter and if you are expecting others to open their markets for you, you also will have to open your own market a little bit. There should be no fear, we do have our own competitiveness. Where we do not have competitiveness is the input costs (in manufacturing)," Boparai said.
In an attempt to make India a globally competitive manufacturing destination, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, recently released a draft strategy paper with a slew of proposals to make India a globally competitive manufacturing hub for sectors including automobiles.


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Is the REI/West Elm collaboration a win-win?
REI, the outdoor chain, and West Elm, the home furnishings retailer, have partnered on a collection “aimed at helping people feel at home, outdoors.” The partnership marks the first time REI will sell gear through another retailer.
West Elm, owned by Williams Sonoma, has also partnered with Sherwin Williams on a line of seasonal paint palettes, but the collaboration with REI likewise marks the first time its brand will be sold on another retailer’s shelves.
A statement said the two began working on the collection about a year ago and have “a shared commitment to designing consciously made, quality products that invite people to enjoy the comforts of home while exploring outside — whether close to home or in the greater outdoors.”
The REI x West Elm collection of 35 products, most under $60, includes colorful folding chairs, a portable shade shelter, reusable tableware, a collapsible campfire table, punchy-patterned outdoor pillows and picnic blankets.
Said Paul Calandrella, REI general merchandising manager for camp products, in a statement, “We love the opportunity to partner with a brand that not only aligns with our values, but also shares our passion for curating great outdoor experiences.”
“We designed this modern collection of colorful everyday entertaining essentials and sustainably sourced outdoor textiles to complement REI Co-op’s high performing recreational gear,” said Jeffrey Hannoosh, SVP of design for West Elm. “Our collaboration with REI Co-op inspires families to bring the comforts of home to the great outdoors — from weeknights dining al fresco to relaxing summer weekends in the backyard.”
Many retailers have collaborated on in-store shops, including Sephora at J.C. Penney and Finish Line and Sunglass Hut inside Macy’s. Eddie Bauer has a bedding line at Target and J.Crew products can be found inside Nordstrom. Still, product collaborations between retailers remain rare.
- REI Co-op and West Elm debut retail partnership with co-curated summer collection Lifestyle products help customers enjoy the outdoors – REI
- REI Gets Glampy With West Elm Collection – MediaPost
- West Elm and REI’s New Outdoor Lifestyle Collection Is Here to Help You Make the Most of Summer – People
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do you see more advantages than potential conflicts in product collaboration between retailers, such as the one between REI and West Elm? Will well aligned collaborations remain rare or do they portend a new trend in retail partnerships?


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US firm Preventor analyzes that process and automation is increasingly gaining ground in both strategy and priorities for organizations in 2022, which are looking to leverage technologies such as identity verification.
In fact, global spending in the identity verification market is estimated to grow to US$18 billion by 2027, and not surprisingly, as it has become a non-negotiable area for onboarding new customers.
Other trends point to the "flexibility to incorporate dynamic flows according to each company in order to include other digital services, so that automation is total and not partial," says Preventor.
The company believes that "it is vital that the authenticity of a customer's identity is established from the outset and fraudsters are prevented from entering the system", so its portfolio includes solutions ranging from biometric to document verification tools to prevent fraud.
With a rising tide of digital services expanding today, new customer onboarding is shifting to a scenario where paperwork takes a back seat to faster, more flexible platforms.
And now, the pandemic has "accelerated the need for businesses and governments around the world to rethink their approach in order to enable remote identity verification through digital channels and facilitate everyday interactions," according to consulting firm Accenture.
Preventor has developed technologies that allow companies to accelerate the sales and customer enrollment process through mobile and remote digital channels. This is done through a platform that ensures the customer in question is who they say they are and prevents unwanted access to accounts.
To keep up with market needs, Preventor indicates that in 2022 it has implemented alternative solutions that are strategic, among these, proof of address verification, incorporation of digital signatures and document scanning and continuous identity monitoring.
An effective process of incorporating new clients requires the integration of different technological tools to track possible fraud and avoid possible money laundering. Preventor, for example, does it with artificial intelligence that shows through graphs the flow of money, allowing to identify possible patterns of money laundering and at the same time find hidden relationships that may exist.
Besides strategies in the field of technology, specialist firms consider it key that in addition to making the process as simple as possible, interruptions in the process should be avoided, which means that customers should not be redirected back to the physical offices of the institutions in order to complete identity verification registrations with physical documents.
It is also important to differentiate the needs of each industry in the process of incorporating new customers, bearing in mind that regulations vary between financial institutions, which must comply with all KYC regulations, and telecommunications firms, which have their own schemes.
In the midst of the global debate on the appropriate use of data, experts advocate that only the required data should be collected in the onboarding process, since too much information can overwhelm customers, making them distrustful and eventually give up.
In addition to the above, a culture of transparency is encouraged within the organizations regarding the use of personal data in the incorporation process, which gives customers more security in the process, while generating greater knowledge about KYC and anti-money laundering regulations that require firms to take these measures.
Onboarding is the financial institutions' letter of introduction to their new customers and is therefore considered a key process on the road to loyalty, which is becoming increasingly competitive in the face of the growing offer of digital services.
The digital solutions based on biometrics are becoming increasingly important in this scenario of disruption produced by fintechs, in which the immediacy of the incorporation of new clients requires agile but also very secure processes, as analysed by Preventor, a firm specialising in this market.
Given the boom of these solutions in the financial industry, it is also expected that the global market for biometric developments will maintain its current momentum and its valuation could reach US$84.27 billion by 2026, according to the report Global Biometrics Market, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities.
The fact is that the time it takes to onboard new customers in the era of digitization can define the success of a financial institution.
It is estimated that after 15 minutes, 55% of customers completely abandon the attempt to join a service, and after 20 minutes, 70% of them will give up, according to research by the specialized firm Signicat.
In this regard, it recommends that new customer on-boarding should be done in a 'short and sweet' process, which implies that it should be digitalised since 'more than half of consumers would be more likely to order a product if the process were 100 % online'.


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A few days back, Microsoft has released some new features for OneDrive for business. But it seems like the company has not done yet. Now Microsoft OneDrive Latest Update will bring more features. The company has also announced that it will roll out the new features in November.
Microsoft OneDrive Latest Update will improve MyAnalytics
Microsoft OneDrive Latest Update will include a feature that will allow you to block downloads of files that you share. Not only this, but users will also be able to block users from making copies of the file, copying text and pasting it into another app, and printing it. The company is also removing the ‘File trending’ marker.
The latest update will also improve MyAnalytics. Now the users will be able to make counts accurate, matching the stats that you see on the web. Furthermore, the Camera Upload for OneDrive is also available in the latest update. The new feature will allow the consumers to automatically upload the device’s images. Moreover, there will also be a limitation that OneDrive app user can choose only one account at a time i.e. from personal and business account to upload photos.


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Luxury clothing is still in demand in times of high prices
Sellers of exclusive clothing and accessories are still doing well, despite rising inflation and fears of a recession. Quarterly figures from French fashion house Hermès showed on Thursday that wealthy consumers still have plenty of money left over to buy luxury fashion items. Earlier this month, the parent company of Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior had already announced a sharp increase in its sales.
Hermès, better known as Kelly and Birkin handbags, had a turnover of 3.1 billion euros in July, August and September. This is about a quarter more than the same period last year.
It was partly because international tourism is picking up after two years of coronavirus restrictions. Wealthy American tourists in Europe constitute an important target group for Hermes and her peers. In the summer months, they would rummage in their pockets for fashion items. Additionally, sales in China have recovered, despite ongoing lockdowns that have largely shut down public life in major cities.
Despite the economic uncertainty, the company is also not changing its growth ambitions in the coming years. Next year, Chief Financial Officer Eric de Hallguet said Hermes plans to raise its prices by 5-10 percent. The company did not release quarterly earnings figures.
LVMH, the maker of handbags for Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior Fashion and Dom Pérignon Champagne, reported last week that sales increased by about a fifth. A strong dollar also plays a role in the good sales to American tourists. So travelers from the US are cheaper when they go shopping in Europe.
“Travel enthusiast. Alcohol lover. Friendly entrepreneur. Coffeeaholic. Award-winning writer.”


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We are living in an unparalleled time for technological progress. In 10 years, it will be almost impossible to describe to any child in India what life was like before the Internet. Internet users in India have reached to 150 million count making the country holding world’s third largest Internet population, after China which has 575 million internet users followed by U.S. with 274 million. According to the latest study one out of four students from Metro cities browse Internet in India over their mobile phone. The level of access is much higher as the majority of students across the country spend 1 to 2 hours accessing Internet every day.
The study conducted by TCS over more than 17,000 students in India, highlights various startling facts about “Generation Y” and how they are adopting Internet and get expose to information access. While 72% students access Internet from Home, penetration of mobile Internet is also on the rise as nearly one fifth of students are making use of mobile Internet, reducing their dependencies on School and Cyber Café. However, the slow infrastructure growth in Mini Metro cities is still pushing students to Cyber Café making it the best source of Internet access. Despite of the fact that schools in Metros are constantly improving their infrastructure and making education more digital, resulting in higher number of internet access points, nearly 83% students are still voting for Home as their favorite place to access internet.
Facebook: Digital Hangout For Indian Students
It’s an era of internet and mobile and social networking sites are the most popular online hangout place for majority of internet users in India, including students. However, due to the nature, maturity, interest and preferences, each social network has got its own market and community. In India 83.38% students have already registered themselves on Facebook and the trend of almost the same in Metro and Mini Metro cities. Others social networking sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Orkut are way behind compare to Facebook. However, the rise of Pinterest and LinkedIn in Metro cities clearly states the difference in mindset and online activities between students in Metro and Mini Metro cities.
Not to be surprised, Facebook and Twitter have become the primary source of mobile communication among students beating statutory mobile services Voice calls and SMS. 73.68% students across the country use Facebook/Twitter to communicate, followed by 53% via SMS and 43% by calls. No wonder telecom companies are worries about the dropping call charges as well as usage and actively working towards effective monetization of mobile Internet. In fact, the constant growing popularity of social media has also reduced the dependency of E-Mail among students as only 41% students in India are making use of it now.
Career And Online Shopping
Nearly four out of every 10 students are shopping online, thanks to E-Stores who are looking beyond Credit cards and offer other modes of payments like Debt card, Net Banking or even Cash-On-Deliver (COD). However, like social media, online shopping preferences are again different among Indian students as Movie Tickets are the most selling product; 61.71% students across India buys Movie Ticket online, surprisingly the numbers are higher in Mini Metro cities than Metro despite of the not-so-encouraging internet situation. Books/DVD/Music is the second best online shopping category by students with 47% students, followed by Airline/Railway Tickets booking done by 39.46% students across India.
So, what these most of the students do online? According to the study 73.65% students across India access Internet to Research School subject. However, other popular activity Chat is not too far as 62.35% students are busy with Chat/Blog/Connect, followed by 49.10% with Email and 45.47% in Listing or downloading music.
The report is based upon the finding from “TCS GenY Survey 2012” conducted by TCS among 17,478 students from 12 cities in India from August 2012 to December 2012. 1660 schools participated in the survey with their students aged 12 – 18 years.


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Supermarket chain Delhaize America has entered a multi-year agreement with Revionics to implement its Life Cycle Price Optimization solutions. The agreement also includes Revionics Advanced Analytics services, which features Key Value Item (KVI) Analysis, Item Clustering and Market Basket Analysis.
The implementation is expected to help Delhaize America leverage more data-driven and shopper-centric pricing, promotion and markdown strategies, as well as tactics to enhance price image, foster stronger customer loyalty and respond quickly to dynamic market conditions.
“We are proud that Delhaize America selected us to help them compete more profitably while enhancing customer loyalty in their highly-competitive market,” said Marc Hafner, CEO of Revionics. “This new partnership underscores the strong global market need for our proven life cycle price management and optimization solutions, which on average, provides a tenfold return on investment every year.”
- Offer prices that align with strategic and financial objectives;
- Create more targeted promotions that will incentivize shoppers to purchase more and more frequently; and
- Implement end-of-life and end-of-season markdowns as a means to clear inventory.


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Chuwi, the Chinese manufacturer specializing in tablets, 2in1 device, and personal computers, has so far expanded its range of notebooks by launching Chuwi LapBook SE, LapBook Air and other laptops with Windows 10 operating system. Despite this, the company’s numbers are ready to present another laptop: Chuwi Herobook.
It is the new laptop of the Chinese company that more and more space is being cut in our country, a device that will be launched next month on the Chinese market and on the international market. Chuwi, in fact, sells many of its products in Italy through Amazon, relying on its logistics.
The notebook will present itself to the eyes of users with a body with a premium design as well as extremely studied in size. The shell, completely in aluminum, has been designed to offer the best practicality and experience of use in all conditions. Inside there is a 14.1-inch screen.
A panel whose resolution is not yet known but which the engineers have treated to eliminate any glare. The display, like all the other components, will be powered by a 38Wh high capacity battery. This, on balance, should ensure excellent autonomy even with heavy use.
The heart of Chuwi Herobook will be the next generation Intel Quad Core processor Atom X5. A CPU supported in operations from the Intel HD Graphics N3000 video card as well as 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory. We do not know the hardware used for these memory banks but we trust that they are fast.
The notebook will then have a full-size keyboard and the best connectivity. Specifically, Chuwi Herobook will have to offer mini HDMI ports, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, a DC port for fast battery charging, the 3.5mm audio jack for headphone insertion and a slot for MicroSD cards so you can expand the memory.
This new Chuwi Herobook will hit stores in the month of January. No specific date has been given for now, but we will soon have data on its official launch. A new laptop that promises to be a success for the Chinese brand.


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In December last year, a report was also revealed that data of 267 million Facebook users has been stolen and posted online.
The company has long been standing in the dock of questions regarding the safety of Facebook users. Facebook, which has faced the charge of breach in every kind of security, big and small, is once again in the circle of questions. It is reported that hackers have sold personal information of crores of Facebook users. According to a latest report, hackers have sold data of 267 million or 26 million 7 million Facebook users for just 500 Euros (about Rs 41,600).
This data includes the user’s email ID, name, Facebook ID, date of birth and phone number. The good thing is that users’ passwords are still protected. Recall that in December last year, a report was also revealed, in which information of these 267 million Facebook users was stolen.
According to a report by Cyble, a cyber risk assessment platform on Medium, 267 million Facebook users have been sold for just 500 euros (about Rs 41,600) after stealing their data. According to the report, the stolen data of Facebook users include their email ID, name, Facebook ID, date of birth and phone number. However, it is a relief to the users in the report that passwords are not included in this data by hackers.
Cyble claims that their researchers have acquired the information of this cell and they are also able to download and verify this data. The company says (translated) “At the moment we are not aware of how the data was first leaked. This could be due to leaks or scraping in the third-party application programming interface (API).”
In December last year, a report came out that 26 crore 70 lakh Facebook users’ data has been stolen and posted online. The report was informed that this data has been posted by hackers in an online hacker forum.


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Brexit will send Britain tumbling from fifth to eighth in the world’s economic league table by the end of the next decade, a worrying new economic analysis has found.
Analysts at the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr) found that the country’s economic prospects will be damaged by Brexit’s negative impact on the value of the pound.
Sterling has dropped 18 per cent against the US dollar and 10 per cent against the euro since Britain voted to leave the European Union on 23 June.
As a result, modelling by the Cebr suggests consumer spending – in recent history the major driver of Britain’s economic growth – will be squeezed next year as the currency fall causes inflation to shoot up.
France is on course to leapfrog the UK to become the fifth largest economy as sterling's post-Brexit vote slump takes its toll on UK economic growth, the report states.
However, Britain is expected to catch up with the French in 2021 before overtaking them five years later. But it is not forecast to regain the levels seen in 2015.
Cebr president Douglas McWilliams said China remained on track to become the world's largest economy, while India would reach number three by 2024.
"Korea overtakes both the UK and France before 2030, as will Brazil. Indonesia reaches the top ten and the Philippines the top twenty by then also," he added.
Covering 188 countries the Cebr's World League Table forecasts that the UK will have the seventh largest economy between 2017 and 2025, before slipping back to eighth place in 2030.
The US is expected to hold on to to its place as the world's largest economy until China sweeps into the top spot in 2030.
World trade is expected to expand at a slower pace in the coming years as protectionist policies – driven largely by US President-elect Donald Trump – hold back growth, the Cebr said.
However, the "flat white economy", which combines the burgeoning creative and digital sectors, will continue to muster new growth avenues for nations such as the UK, Israel and Sweden.
Despite the Opec cartel's landmark decision to support oil prices by slashing supply, the Russian economy is still expected to take a hit from the lower-for-longer cost of Brent crude.
Russia is expected to drop back to 14th place in the league table by 2030 after climbing to 12th place next year, the report said.
Britain's economy is expected to grow by 0.4 per cent in the fourth quarter, down from 0.5 per cent in the previous three months, according to forecasts by the Bank of England.
The Bank predicted in November that inflation would jump close to 3 per cent in 2017, while the influential think-tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research has said it could hit almost 4 per cent next year.
The Office for National Statistics revised up UK economic growth for the third quarter on Friday, with gross domestic product (GDP) expanding 0.6 per cent, up from a previous estimate of 0.5 per cent.
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An international study by ECCO International has found that showed that 58% of global CEOs were active on LinkedIn, compared to only 20% of Indian CEOs. At the same time, for Twitter, the global average was 17% and 10% for India.
The study said that most chief executives in India remain relatively inaccessible to consumers on social media as compared to their counterparts in Europe and the United States.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Leads On Twitter
The study examined the top 30 companies by market capitalisation in each country. It was first conducted in 2017 and showed that CEOs in the US had by far the most number of followers online, despite the country ranking fifth in terms of total presence on social media.
The most popular CEO on Twitter is Apple CEO Tim Cook with more than 11 Mn followers, an increase of 120% over 2017. On LinkedIn, Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft, leads the way with over 6 Mn followers, an increase of 300% over 2017.
Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, CEO of Telefonica, Spain, is the most active CEO on Twitter and has published over 36K tweets since 2010. CEOs in France were the most active on social media, followed by those in Denmark. Australia and the Netherlands shared the third position.
Indian CEOs With Most Social Media Followers
From India, Uday Kotak, CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank, was rated as one of the leading CEOs globally on social media with nearly 1Mn followers on Twitter.
Bhavya Doshi, assistant vice president, ECCO in India, said, “More and more CEOs are active worldwide on the LinkedIn career network and in almost all countries Most CEOs continue to shy away from communication on Twitter, as the language is often more pointed on this platform and hence the risk of backlash from consumers is significantly higher. With LinkedIn, this risk is lower and [so], more CEOs are recognising opportunities on this channel.’’
However, due to the study considering only the top 30 companies, several Indian CEOs who are active missed making it to the charts.
Some notable business leaders in India with large Twitter following include Ratan Tata (7.65 Mn); Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group (7.2 Mn); Nandan Nilekani, Infosys (2.52 Mn); Ronnie Screwvala (2.13 Mn); Harsh Goenka, chairman, RPG Group (1.53 Mn); Kunal Bahl, founder, Snapdeal (249K); Sachin Bansal, cofounder, Flipkart and BAC Acquisitions (179K) and Kunal Shah, founder, FreeCharge and CRED (148K).


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Preuss Pets employee Greg Carlen had to say goodbye Monday to Buzz, his African, fresh-water dwelling, puffy companion.
During the past year, Buzz — an Mbu puffer fish — greeted customers from an aquarium at the entrance of the store in Lansing’s Old Town. Now Buzz, who is more than two feet long, is getting used to his new home at the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Ky.
Buzz came to the pet store after outgrowing his original home aquarium. Preuss’ owner, Rick Preuss, said customers and employees alike loved the fish. “We got really attached to the little guy,” he said.
Carlen was the most attached to the fish, “He was my puppy.” Buzz even acted like a puppy. Carlen was able to find the spot where the fish liked to be pet — his “tickle spot.”
Preuss said while moving Buzz for transit, the fish appeared stressed but Carlen was able to calm it down by petting the special spot.
Preuss and Carlen both attribute Buzz’s likeability to his personality. “ (Puffer fish) have a personality like you wouldn’t believe. They look like little humans swimming around with fins,” Preuss said.
Preuss said that Mbu puffer fish are rare: They are only found in the Lake Tanganyika in East Africa and its surrounding tributaries. Buzz is close to full maturation, which Preuss estimated could reach 30 inches, and had a tail span between eight and ten inches long.
Buzz is going to be a part of an exhibit at the Newport Aquarium that features other fish from the Lake Tanganyika region. The move also comes with a substantial upgrade in living space — Buzz is moving from a 150-gallon aquarium to a 1700-gallon aquarium at the exhibit.
The aquarium had wanted an Mbu puffer for the exhibit, but was having trouble finding one. That changed after a few Preuss Pets employees visited the aquarium and told workers about Buzz.
Carlen and Buzz won’t be separated for long. Carlen says he already has plans to go visit Buzz this April.


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If one thing is clear, is that Horizon: Zero Dawn is not only one of the most anticipated video games of 2017, but also one of the most promising PS4 exclusives in years. This is not only due to the game’s charismatic protagonist Aloy, but also due to it’s open-world gameplay and novel post-apocalyptic setting.
In Horizon: Zero Dawn’s world, humans live a tribal existence and must face giant robotic machines resembling dinosaurs which have taken over the planet. These robotic enemies sure are interesting, and will take different tactics to put down as we saw in an earlier gameplay video for Guerrilla Games’ upcoming open-world game.
And those looking forward to playing Horizon: Zero Dawn will be happy to know that two new videos have been released showing the game’s “Thunderjaw” and “Snapmaw” enemies in action (see below), which also reveal how players can take these behemoths down. For instance, using Thunderjaw’s “disc launcher” weapon against it will be the key to defeating the beast, while Snapmaw can be put to rest by destroying its “cryo sac” (the creature has an attack that can freeze players in place).
Thunderjaw and Snapmaw are two of the many robotic beasts which will feature in Horizon: Zero Dawn, meaning the game’s enemy variety and different tactics required to take each creature down could be one of its highlights. But what’s clear is that many gamers are holding their breath for Guerrilla Games’ upcoming post-apocalyptic title, a game which will hopefully live up to the hype when it ships later this month.
Note: Horizon: Zero Dawn will be released on February 28, 2017. Available on PS4.
Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games)


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Ford EcoSport has been one of the most sold mid-sized SUVs in the Indian car market. Ford will be making word debut of the facelift EcoSport on 14th this month. Test unit of the same has been snapped several times earlier in South America that indicates the arrival of the facelift EcoSport soon. Same will be launched in the Indian market by 2017 end.
- 2017 Ford Ecosport Design
As per images, the car looks better than ever. Hosting an all new design that looks inspired by its bigger cousin, the Ford Endeavour. The car will carry a host of visual updates such as a new hexagonal front grille and newly designed headlamps, new bumpers, striking new alloys and new tail end as well.
- 2017 Ford Ecosport Interior
On the inside, the car will sport a new steering wheel and new center console and SYNC infotainment display colours. While the dashboard is not all-new and hence will carry the same design as seen on the current EcoSport.
- 2017 Ford EcoSport Competitors and Price
The car competes against a bunch of famous compact SUVs in India including Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Renault Duster and Mahindra TUV300. While on the price part it is expected to start at Rs 10 lakh for the Indian market.


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Cotlook Reduces Forecast for Worldwide Cotton Surplus by 2.4%Marvin G. Perez
Cotlook Ltd. cut its forecast for a global cotton surplus by 2.4 percent as consumption gains in South Asia and Turkey.
In the 12 months that started Aug. 1, supplies will outpace demand by 3.53 million metric tons, Birkenhead, U.K.-based Cotlook, the publisher of a benchmark cotton index, said today in a statement. That compared with a forecast last month of 3.62 million and 5.66 million in the year ended July 31.
The research company boosted its estimate for global consumption by 1.2 percent to 22.5 million tons from last month. Demand in the Indian subcontinent was forecast to climb 1.9 percent to 7.93 million tons.
Last month, Cotlook cut its forecast for the global surplus by 1.8 percent as output dropped in the U.S., the world’s biggest exporter. Yesterday, cotton futures in New York reached an eight-month high, partly on speculation that demand will increase in China, the top consumer.
Cotlook increased its projection for global production by 0.7 percent to 26 million tons from a month earlier. Output in China, the biggest grower, was estimated at 7.21 million tons, up 3.9 percent.
Today, cotton for March delivery fell 2.9 percent to settle at 80.52 cents a pound on ICE Futures U.S. in New York.
Cotlook, which has published cotton news for 85 years, issues the Cotlook A Index, which reflects offer prices for cargoes delivered to the Far East.


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Mobile, social and crowdfunding. Those are three common terms in the start-up world. But at one firm, those qualities are being combined into one app, and it's being targeted to another buzzword: millennials.
"It is like a bite-size, simpler version of crowdfunding," said Tilt CEO James Beshara, describing his company.
Tilt is comparable to Kickstarter, whose users have received about $2.1 billion for a variety of projects, or GoFundMe, which helped raise more than $1 billion in the past year, according to figures from both companies.


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The Federal Government has banned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from transacting business with companies and other corporate bodies that are not duly registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission.
Mr Salisu Dambatta, the Director of information, Federal Ministry of Finance, said in a statement on Friday in Abuja that the directive to this effect had been issued to MDAs in a circular by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
He said that the directive was aimed at protecting MDAs from entering contractual obligations with fake or unregistered companies.
Dambatta said that the Minister of Finance would not honour payments for contracts by companies that did not comply with the requirements.
“For companies and other corporate bodies to qualify for business transactions with MDAs, their letterhead must…
Read More…..PM News


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Easy Pay, a disruptive digital payments platform offering financial inclusion in urban and rural India has announced the appointment of Vaibhav S Joshi as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In his new role, Joshi will build the MSME Neobank by leading the business expansion plans and key strategic initiatives for the growth of Easy Pay in addition to contributing towards developing the financial ecosystem of the country.
Joshi is a distinguished professional in the BFSI ecosystem with over two decades of industry experience and is an innovator at heart. He has launched multiple key programs including Aadhar, Smart City initiatives and one of the India’s largest financial inclusion program ‘which have led Indian banking into a new digital era. During his tenure with Equitas Small Finance Bank as the Chief Digital Officer, he played a crucial role in creating various leading fintech programs. The latest one being the fastest-growing consumer Neobank NiyoX and asset led Neobank FreoSave. In his previous stint with YES Bank, Mr. Joshi has built one of India’s first large CSP/BC agent networks under YES money in addition to working on some of the top Fintech programs in the country. To add to his achievements, he has bagged many adulations, including Global Top 100 CDOs, Top 30 Fintech Influencers India 2022, Trendsetter CIO 2022, India’s Inspiring Leader 2021, BFSI Gamechanger Award, ET BFSI Best Fintech Partnership Alliance Award, IDC Omnichannel Award, to name a few. Additionally, his programs have won multiple accolades both in India and overseas.
Speaking on the appointment, Nilay Patel, Founder Easy Pay said, “Vaibhav comes with an astute business mindset and has a knack for creating success stories in every endeavour. His passion and experience in building and growing companies will be instrumental in creating a culture of growth and success at Easy Pay. Vaibhav’s business acumen and deep market understanding will help us in creating the right strategic approach as we accelerate into the next phase of our growth trajectory. It also helps, that we have known each other for nearly two decades now, so there is a natural synergy and understanding which is very important as we team up to push the boundaries of innovation and business strategy. I am keenly looking forward to his journey, achieving the milestones which we have laid.”
Adding to this, Vaibhav S Joshi, Co-Founder and CEO Easy Pay said, “In my new role, I aim to leverage Easy Pay by unlocking the potential of Connected Banking which will revolutionize the accessibility to banking for over 63+ million MSMEs in the country. My vision would be to not only drive stellar business growth but also make Easy Pay the largest and the fastest-growing MSME Neobank in the country. The Fintech sector is at a very exciting juncture driving the digital transformation of the financial sector in the country and with Easy Pay, we march on this growth journey aligned to the vision of Digital India and the economic progress of the retail sector which in turn is financially empowering the nation.”


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An Exciting and Fun-Filled First Year with adidas
It has already been a year since Runtastic CEO & Co-Founder Florian Gschwandtner proudly announced the partnership between Runtastic and adidas. Right from the go, this collaboration opened up many new and exciting possibilities for our CEO and his Runtastics. We’d now like to look back on our first year together with adidas.
Eric Liedtke at Runtastic HQ
We Runtastics were quite surprised when Eric Liedtke (responsible for Global Brands at adidas) suddenly stood before us at one of our team meetings at Runtastic headquarters in Pasching. He inspired us with his motivating style, welcomed us into the adidas family and shared the company’s vision with us. What does Eric really care about? Sustainability. And you can see this in his work for adidas.
Festive atmosphere at the Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon took place on April 18, and two Runtastics were there. On the day before the race, they both got a chance to visit the adidas Runbase. Plus, they caught a baseball game together with other adidas employees. On the day of the marathon, they joined in the festive atmosphere and cheered the runners on until they lost their voices. Their goal: To go back to Boston next year and compete in the marathon themselves.
Interesting talks and infectious beats: GBCSS 17
In April, the entire Runtastic team had the incredible opportunity to attend the Global Brand Conference at adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach. Over the course of two days, we listened to exciting presentations, gave our best at the Silent LIVE Workout Party led by our Fitness Coach Lunden Souza and danced to the beats of Stormzy. Plus, we got the chance to meet other members of the adidas family. Certainly one of our personal highlights of the year !
GamePlan A – Straight from the experts
On adidas’ new digital platform GamePlan A (business lifestyle magazin), experts share their wealth of knowledge with their readers. Just like on the Runtastic Blog. Come to think of it, it’s no wonder that we have decided to cooperate on a blog project. At regular intervals, the experts at adidas will write blog posts for the Runtastic Blog, and in turn Lunden Souza and the Content team will offer healthy lifestyle tips on GamePlan A.
Unique kick-off event in Tokyo
In June, Tomoe, our Marketing Manager for Japan, and our Fitness Coach Lunden traveled to Tokyo. The occasion was a unique kick-off event organized by Runtastic, adidas Japan and NTT docomo, Japan’s largest telecommunications company. The goal was to promote a healthy lifestyle and to show people that fitness can be fun. We presented our latest bodyweight training app Runtastic Results to the Japanese press. In addition, Lunden got selected journalists, bloggers, athletes and other fitness trainers to work up a sweat during a LIVE Workout Party. An event that none of the participants are likely to forgot anytime soon.
Florian Gschwandtner at NOAH 2016
Also in June, Runtastic CEO Florian Gschwandtner got the chance to sit on stage next to the current CEO of adidas Herbert Hainer at Axel Springer’s NOAH Conference. Together they discussed new opportunities and challenges in the start-up world. Sound interesting? Then check out the video.
Picture credit: Heisenberg Media
The anniversary must be celebrated accordingly
Celebrating the successes is just as important as all the hard work. Our one year anniversary with adidas was definitely a good excuse for a party. In July, the entire Runtastic team got together at the Sandburg, a beach bar in Linz, to raise a glass to the previous year. We laughed, danced and racked up a whole lot of steps until the wee hours of the morning;-)
Photo credit: Sandburg
Did you know that there is a group Results workout twice a week near the Sandburg in Linz at 6:00pm every Tuesday and Thursday? Don’t live in Linz? Find a Results Group near you and get stronger together!
We at Runtastic are incredibly proud to be #teamadidas and are excited about what the next year holds in store for us.


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Only weeks into 2021, the Visalia Chamber of Commerce was hard at work to provide support and growth opportunities to members, local businesses and our community.
In February, the Taking Care of Business Fund was announced, which is a partnership between the chamber, the Groppetti Automotive Family and Momentum Broadcasting. The fund will assist small Tulare County businesses that are struggling to survive during the pandemic. Interested business owners can apply for grants at visaliachamber.org. In addition, donations can be made on the same website. The Groppetti Automotive Family has pledged a very generous donation to act as matching seed money. The hope is to provide multiple rounds of funding opportunities to local businesses.
The Visalia Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce that this year’s IMPACT Leadership Conference will take place on Wednesday, April 21.
The conference will be virtual but still provide the essential opportunity for business owners and employees in our community and beyond to participate in quality leadership and workforce training. The conference will kick off with a morning pep talk by executive coach Justin Patton and conclude with motivational speaker Rebecca Heiss, CEO/founder of Biologic Balance. Throughout the day, attendees will be able to participate in breakout sessions presented by local industry experts and community leaders. The full conference schedule, breakout session topics and more can be found at visaliachamber.org/impact. Early-bird tickets are available until April 1.
The spring Jr. CEO program launches in March. During the five-week digital program, participating students will have the opportunity to learn the basics of starting their own business, an orange juice stand (or another concept that they have created). Course topics include business fundamentals, cost models, safety and food prep, marketing and customer service, and money management. Save the date! On May 1, students will open their businesses across town on Jr. CEO orange juice day. For more information or to register your child, please visit visaliachamber.org/ceo.


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Amsterdam-based Duran Lantik is helping redefine sustainable fashion, tackling everything from its aesthetic through to the way the industry operates. He’s quickly gained acclaim for his unique spliced creations (including Janelle Monáe’s infamous ‘vagina pants’), which he creates by jigsawing different pieces of deadstock garments together. This past October, he worked with the London concept store Browns to create a capsule collection of one-off pieces made entirely from their surplus stock, as part of their new Be Conscious initiative.
Defining itself not as a fashion brand, but as a “platform for social issues and awareness” New York’s Collina Strada puts sustainability at the very heart of what it does. Helmed by designer Hillary Taymour, the brand’s runway shows exemplify this ethos. Previous outings have seen readings by indigenous environmental activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, and the brand pledging a list of eco commitments that includes using 75% deadstock fabrics, switching to biodegradable packaging and keeping manufacturing within the U.S.
Made to order by small-scale manufacturers from all over the U.K, Le Kilt pieces combine denim and cashmere offcuts with classic Scottish tartan. Taking an offbeat approach to the fashion industry, in the past they’ve eschewed presenting a collection during London Fashion Week in favour of a putting gallery show during London Craft Week, and they’ve run mending workshops to help people extend the lifespan of their clothes too.
This maverick Berlin duo first came onto our radar back in 2017, for clothes that were influenced as much by clubwear as the designers’ respective heritages. Right from their inception sustainability has been second nature to GmbH; their collections are created from the deadstock of high-end factories and upcycled lower-end brands like Helly Hanson. Since their 2016 launch, they’ve gone from strength to strength, earning a spot on last year’s prestigious LVMH Prize shortlist.
The phrase ‘vegan shoes’ probably doesn’t conjure up images of one of the coolest footwear labels around, but Mats Rombaut’s eponymous brand is proving otherwise. Produced in Portugal, his shoes are created from a medley of unlikely materials including natural fibres (like potato starch), cotton canvas, Piñatex and laser cut wood. His tongue in cheek lettuce sliders and cowboy boots have found fans in Lil Nas X, Tommy Cash, Bella Hadid and cult icon Paz de la Huerta.
Bethany Williams first caught our attention back in 2018, and in the short time since she’s been collecting accolades. As well as being part of the prestigious NEWGEN line up, she was announced as an LVMH Prize finalist in March, and won the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design in February too. What separates Williams from many of her sustainably minded peers is her focus on community; each collection so far has seen her collaborate with a charity, from Vauxhall Food Bank, to the homeless charity Spires.
Zero Waste Daniel
Not exactly a new figure to sustainable design, zero waste daniel has been around since appearing on nbc’s reality show Fashion Star back in 2013. Still, the New York designer earns his place on our lineup as an earlier adopter who isn’t afraid to keep innovating. As well as running his brand for four years now, last December he partnered with Google Pixelbook to relaunch his Brooklyn make/shop as a forward-thinking retail space, and he collaborated on his last New York Fashion Week show with the New York Department of Sanitation too.
Rahemur Rahman’s vision of sustainability reaches through every aspect of production; from the dyes used on his fabrics to the rights of the workers in the factories that produce his clothes. For the British-Bangladeshi’s SS20 menswear collection, ‘For The People Who Dream in Colour,’ this embrace of sustainability met a radical rethinking of masculinity too. He even worked with the Tower Hamlets charity Streets of Growth to create the set for his show from upcycled furniture.
Since Demna Gvasalia’s Vetements reign a couple of years ago, the Babushka aesthetic has entered the mainstream. With a list of unlikely adopters (ASAP Rocky and Frank Ocean to name a few) and bigger brands like Gucci jumping on the bandwagon too, this is a trend with plenty of mileage yet. New York label OCCHII is proving it can be sustainable too, with its range of blouses, jackets and shirts made from old Russian scarves salvaged from design duo Ilona Davidoff and Leonid Batekhin.
Since Richard Malone’s London Fashion Week debut back in 2017, the Irish-born, London-based designer has been pioneering, working with an impressive reel of eco materials in the space of just a few years. He’s used everything from the nylon substitute Econyl (as seen on our innovations in eco friendly clothing roundup) to recycled tarpaulin taken from the sides of trucks. As well as this, he makes savvy partnerships across the industry, including an Italian silk-weaving mill which uses chemical-free dyes and is committed to reducing water waste, and artisans in Tamil Nadu, Southern India.
One of our favourite trends to emerge from the new wave of sustainably conscious designers might also be one of the most unlikely: hybrid shoes. From Duran Lantik’s footwear, to Helen Kirkum (who featured on our last roundup of sustainable designers to watch), and now Ancuta Sarca, trainer/high heel mash ups have taken off. To create her pieces, Sarca sources old Nike sneakers from the likes of eBay and depop, and splices them together with second hand kitten heels.
We’ve spotlighted Priya Ahluwalia’s energetic menswear before, but as this past year has only seen her go from strength to strength, we thought it was worth singing her praises again. Made exclusively from recycled deadstock, her strikingly original pieces, which combine elements of patchworking, sportswear and the silhouettes of her maternal grandfather’s wardrobe, . Despite all the hype she’s getting, responsible design remains central to what she does; in a recent interview with the Evening Standard she emphasised that she’s focused on growing, “in a sustainable way.”
The sustainable fashion round up doesn’t end here either. Started by former Highsnobiety editor Alec Leach, Future Dust is an Instagram account documenting the most exciting emerging designers (who also happen to be sustainable). The feed is a mine of eco fashion intel; as well as assembling pieces by the likes of Marine Serre, Ancuta Sarca and 424, Leach posts articles, news and info on new initiatives.
Read More: 20 T-shirt Brands You Should Know in 2020.


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Underpaid 7-Eleven workers have been physically intimidated, and in one case beaten, to discourage them from seeking repayment, a senate inquiry has heard.
- 7-Eleven set up an independent panel to assess the claims of around 20,000 past and present workers over pay and conditions
- Senate inquiry told workers were physically intimidated to discourage them from seeking repayment
- Already around $2.8 million has been paid to 117 workers, an average of about $24,000 per claimant
Last year, ABC's Four Corners program and Fairfax revealed workers at the convenience stores were systematically paid about half the minimum wage. Many of those affected were foreign workers.
The convenience store chain set up an independent panel to assess the claims of about 20,000 past and present workers from the convenience store's franchises.
The head of the panel, Professor Allan Fels, has told a senate committee several employees faced threats from franchisees.
"You'll lose your job, you'll be reported to immigration and your chances of being deported are very high and, in any case, any money you get we will demand it back from you," Professor Fels said.
"And there have been some threats of physical intimidation."
Another member of the panel, Siobhan Hennessy from Deloitte, told the committee she was aware of one example where an employee alleged he was intimidated with physical violence.
"A claimant being beaten ... it's unbelievable," Ms Hennessy said.
She said the claimant went to the police but was told it was a matter they should sort out directly with their employer.
The inquiry has heard about $2.8 million has been paid so far to 117 workers, an average of about $24,000 per claimant.
Professor Fels told the committee he was concerned only 2,100 employees had so far indicated they might lodge a claim.
"At present, 60 per cent of stores have a claim against them and there are probably more that should have a claim against them," Professor Fels said.
He said the intention of 7-Eleven head office to recoup some of the cost of the repayments from their franchisees contributed to the problem.
He said that put an extra obligation on the head office to make sure claimants were not intimidated from coming forward.
7-Eleven chairman Michael Smith said the company was working with the independent panel.
"7-Eleven is working cooperatively with Professor Fels in a number of ways, including the provision of documents, enabling access to stores and promoting the existence of the panel and its work to encourage potential claimants to come forward," Mr Smith said.
Professor Fels told the committee initially 7-Eleven head office was in denial about the extent of underpayment and exploitation, and while they had improved, he said there was a considerable way to go.
He also told the committee his panel had concerns about some 7-Eleven regional managers being involved in the underpayment rackets.


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Hemp is commonly known as industrial hemp because its main use is in industries such as textiles, automotive, food, hemp is used to make paper, textiles, bird food, among others. It is not for nothing that it is known as the plant of a thousand uses.
Representatives of New Zealand’s industrial hemp industry are encouraging farmers to move to growing hemp as a way to reduce their impact on the environment.
The battle to legalize industrial hemp in Idaho has finally ended, as the state’s governor signed House Bill 126 into law on April 16.
Cannabis farmers and cultivation operators may need to hire seasonal workers to help fill labor demands and stay on schedule during peak season.
Many people think of hemp as being a sustainable, environmentally friendly plant. It uses less water than cotton, helps preserve trees, and can even be used to create nontoxic and biodegradable plastics and other products.
Hemp was not legal throughout most of the world for the last 80 years, it was never given a chance to compete on an equal footing with wood, or any other natural fibers.
Idaho, the only state that still bans hemp cultivation, could join its neighbors under a hemp-authorization measure that awaits the governor’s signature.
Since it was federally legalized in December 2018 by the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp—which is non-psychoactive cannabis—has had a rocky start


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Although Google Glass has been much maligned and some are questioning their continued viability as a product, several companies are working on plans to jump on the smartglass bandwagon. One of those companies is Toshiba which hopes to launch Toshiba Glass during 2015 and join Google, Vuzix, Sony and others in the market space for smartglass devices.
Toshiba announced an SDHC memory card today that comes with a built-in NFC chip. Starting in February, consumers will be able to purchase said memory card in 8, 16 and 32GB capacities. Toshiba used CES to show off these new cards. The cards use NFC to exchange data with just a touch. With help from the Memory Card Preview app, the memory cards give you a heads up as to the amount of storage the card has available plus up to 16 thumbnails of photos stored on the card. This way, you don’t have to pop the card into your computer in order to figure out whats on it.
Other than that it’s a pretty standard SD card with all the functionality that encompasses said card. As far as pricing is concerned, it’s unknown but we’ll update you when we know more. We have the presser after the break and be sure to check out our full coverage of CES.
Not wanting to be left out this holiday season, Toshiba has gone above-and-beyond simply keeping pace with its competitors. Today, the company has issued a press release unveiling what may be the gadget to purchase this December. It is a portable hard drive that is both wireless and capable of directly Casting to devices like the Chromecast.
Some products just require a simple question: what were they thinking? This time around it is Toshiba being asked the all-important question. The company introduced the Shared Board (TT301) that is technically a tablet, but the display is massive for the category. The 24-inch display will be placed on a stand or mounted somewhere because it is certainly too large for traditional tablet use.
Most major manufacturers are jumping into the connected wearables market in some way or another, whether that’s with a smartwatch or virtual reality headsets. Toshiba is no exception, and they showed off a new pair of smart glasses at a trade show in Japan this week.
The glasses, called Toshiba Glass, work similarly to Google Glass, but there’s a small difference; there’s a small projector built into the side of the arm of the glasses, right behind the lens. The result is a pretty bulky, goofy looking device, but it’s reportedly quite a bit cheaper than Google Glass, so there’s an advantage. The project displays information on the lens of the glasses, which is then reflected onto the person’s eyes. Again, not quite as sophisticated as Google Glass, but pricing plays a big role here.
In the market for a new laptop? We should mention giving a Chromebook a look. In the next several months leading up to the holiday season, there are going to be an abundance of Chrome OS devices released. The Chromebook 2, from Toshiba, is currently available through Amazon.
There are two models and both feature a 13.3-inch display. The base model’s display has a resolution of 1366×768 while upgrading raises this to 1920×1080. Regardless, you get an Intel Celeron N2840 processor. The upgraded model takes the base 2GB of RAM up to 4GB. Battery life for the base model is estimated at eleven hours and the 1080p display of the more expensive Chromebook 2 lowers it to about nine hours.
Source: Amazon [Base Model Link - $249] [Upgraded Model Link - $364]
One of Microsoft’s biggest threats has been Google’s Chromebook line. Chromebooks have been relatively cheap and functional, primarily using the Chrome web browser for “apps.” Since Google doesn’t charge high licensing fees for Chrome OS, and they’ve marketed the simplicity and virus-immunity heavily against traditional Windows laptops, Chromebooks have been steadily eating Microsoft’s laptop market share from the bottom up.
With Project Ara getting closer to its supposed release in 2015, many are wondering who will supply the parts for the devices. It turns out that the maker of processors for the device will be Toshiba, which is surprising considering the saturation of the market by the like of Qualcomm, MediaTek and Intel.
Toshiba will be providing three different processors for Google, for modules and for the phone itself. Reportedly, the partnership between the two companies started back in October 2013, resulting in the creation of chips that can “accurately control the flow of data and electrical signals between the modules and the phone itself.”
So far we have only heard of Project Ara smartphones, but couldn’t the concept also apply to wearables? According to Toshiba Senior VP and Technology Executive, Shardul Kazi, the answer is yes.
While at the Ara Developer Conference, Kazi showed the above slide that represents a module being removed from the phone and inserted into a smartwatch. At this point in the game, this is just a concept and not in development. Assuming consumers adopt this “module” way of thinking, you can clearly see that it’s inevitable that Project Ara could be used for so many other things, including wearables.
The latest Chrome OS laptop to go on sale is the Toshiba Chromebook. Announced back in September, it is available through Toshiba’s online store or through some retailers including Amazon. If you choose to go with Toshiba’s online store, this Chromebook will set you back $299.99; however, Amazon is carrying it for $279.99. Inside is Intel’s Celeron Processor 2955U (Haswell). There are two USB 3.0 ports and one HDMI port. On the device’s page, Toshiba claims you can get up to nine hours of battery life. Not too bad, right?
Hit the source link if you are interested in picking one up. Remember, Amazon is selling it for $20 less!
Source: Toshiba, Amazon


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For FY16, $ABC expects consolidated revenue growth of approx. 8% and growth in consolidated operating income to be 5-6%. The company expects free cash flow of $1.9-2.1Bil for the full year. $ABC expects to increase its repurchases which will total between $350-450MM.
$PYPL jumps 6% in after hours on strong results. I am bullish on this stock.
$TSCO stock remained active in the after hours trading and rose more than 2% after the retailer posted better than expected 1Q17 results.
Instagram has reached 700 million monthly active users. Looks like it will hit 1 billion soon. That would make it $FB’s fourth billion-user platform.


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Rumors about Apple working on its own cellular modem are not exactly new, but they became more frequent after the company acquired Intel’s modem business in 2019. However, according to a new Bloomberg report, Apple has finally started to develop its first cellular modem chip.
Bloomberg heard from sources that Johny Srouji, Apple’s vice president of hardware technologies, invited some employees to a meeting in town hall on Thursday to discuss development plans for the company’s first cellular modem.
During today’s meeting, Srouji confirmed that Apple has begun building its own cellular modem that will be used for future devices.
This year, we kicked off the development of our first internal cellular modem which will enable another key strategic transition,” he said. “Long-term strategic investments like these are a critical part of enabling our products and making sure we have a rich pipeline of innovative technologies for our future.
As expected, Apple will benefit from the $1 billion acquisition of Intel’s modem division to build its team of engineers responsible for Apple’s first cellular modem. The company currently designs some proprietary wireless chips, including the H1 chip used in AirPods and the ultrawide-band U1 chip found in iPhone and Apple Watch.
With its own cellular modem, Apple will have even more control over the functioning of phone calls and internet connection on the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad models with cellular. If it succeeds, Apple is expected to replace Qualcomm’s modems with its own chips. This should reduce costs for building new devices as Apple must pay licensing fees to Qualcomm.
The move extends Apple’s push toward greater reliance on its own parts at the expense of Qualcomm, Intel and others. Qualcomm gets about 11% of its revenue from Apple, while Intel gets roughly 7% of sales from the iPhone maker, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Following the announcement, Qualcomm’s shares dropped 6.3% in extended trading.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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Earlier this month we heard that Twitter's board of directors was considering a potential sale of the company, and today the rumor is out that some buyout bids are in, including ones from Google and Salesforce, "among other technology companies," as CNBC is reporting. As a result, Twitter's stock price, which has hovered between $16 and $19 per share for several months, is trading at $21.80 per share as of this writing.
According to CNBC, "Suitors are said to be interested as much in the data that Twitter generates as its place as a media company," which may not be great news for some of the existing staff should a sale go through. But let's not jump the gun!
The Business Times notes that the company has had less demand from advertisers so far this year than it had hoped, and in late July "slowing advertiser demand and a weakened revenue forecast walloped Twitter... pushing its share price down as the company scrambled to reassure investors it was on the right path."
Like Facebook, Twitter is moving into the live video space hoping that that will lure ad dollars. But the company's profitability has remained a concern for investors, and clearly for the company's board.
Salesforce, meanwhile, lost out to Microsoft in a deal to acquire LinkedIn earlier this year, and now as CNBC points out, Salesforce's "chief digital evangelist" Vala Afshar was tweeting this at 6:30 this morning:
Why @twitter?— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) September 23, 2016
1 personal learning network
2 the best realtime, context rich news
3 democratize intelligence
4 great place to promote others


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Seems each month this year will see us witnessing the gradual decay of what's left of Nokia, it's a horrible sight to see. We've recently heard that the company has already closed a few of it's online stores, including Netherlands, Spain and France. It's been reported that UK is next in line to be smashed by the hammer at the end of June this year.
The Nokia affiliate team spilt the beans to the affiliate network in an email:
"This message is to inform you that Nokia is closing their affiliate programme… in keeping with a strategic business decision to close down the Nokia UK online shop."
Unfortunately, this wont aid the company with their hold off until Windows Phone 7. In a strange sense you could look at Nokia members of staff as the people of Rohan from Lord of the Rings attempting to defend Helms Deep (Nokia), while everything is being thrown at them (Orcs and Uruk-hai). WP7 is Gandalf and the Rohirrim, just visible in the distance but still have a few months ride to go.
But this move is required, especially since carriers and retailers are able to offer enticing deals to consumers, so not many would choose to shop at Nokia when Amazon and high street stores are able to provide better offers. Let's hope the focus remains as I'm sure we will all remain truly excited to see what they'll bring to the table late this fall.