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just-style authors and correspondents
Articles by Paul Cochrane
Fast fashion sourcing trends in Europe and north America are in flux due to the economic downturn, changes in consumer behaviour and growing awareness of industry practices, especially in the wake of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh last year. It is a trend noted by major retailers.
The Egyptian government has been mulling paying financial assistance to struggling state-owned textile factories, but ongoing political unease surrounding a key referendum has delayed such plans.
While Egypt's economy is reeling from ongoing political instability following the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood-led government in July, clothing manufacturers are still operating and completing orders.
A strike planned by 22,000 workers at Egypt's largest state-owned textile factory has been called off after the government agreed to their demands - but has prompted other Egyptian textile and clothing workers to threaten similar walk-outs.
- 2014: Year in review - Sourcing winners and losers
- COMMENT: The decline of the buying office
- 2014: Year in review - Brand winners and losers
- 2014: Year in review - Retail winners and losers
- Vietnam factories face fire safety challenge
- Report urges overhaul of Cambodia factory safety
- North Face debuts locally-grown "backyard" hoodie
- Triumph recalls 22,000 bras for underwire fault
- Investigation uncovers China's dog leather trade
- Apparel manufacturing leads US reshoring trend


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A steady job is a great indicator that it might be time to get a mortgage.
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) May 08, 2014
Debt Consolidation USA shared in an article published last May 2, 2014 the factors to consider when trying to figure out between renting or buying a house. The article titled “How to Know If You Should Buy A Home Or Continue Renting” highlights the advantages and disadvantages between the two. It aims to help consumers decide which between the two option is a better choice.
The article lists down factors to look into when a consumer reaches a fork on the road where one leads them to buy a house and the other makes them consider about renting a place.
Below are the considerations to know that buying a house is better than renting.
Cost between renting and buying - The article points out that the consumer must look into the cost difference of buying and renting out a place. This should be based on the monthly mortgage payments and not the monthly rent vs the price of the house. If taking out a mortgage is the same as or less than renting amount, it is better to purchase a house.
Down payment - If the consumer was able to save up for at least 20% down payment on the property, it is a good indicator that buying a house is better. The bigger the down payment, the lower the monthly payment will be.
Credit score - The article shares the importance of maintaining a good credit score. Just as with most credit facilities, taking out a mortgage carries an interest rate which is mostly dependent on the credit score of the applicant.
Employment - A steady job is a great indicator that it might be time to get a mortgage rather than renting out. The article points out that having a steady stream of income can provide for the monthly bills including the mortgage payment.
Below are the considerations to know that renting a place is better than taking out a mortgage.
Cost between buying and renting - The article shares that if the market for housing is high, it might be a better option to rent out a place in the meantime.
Debt to income ratio - There are certain points in a person’s life that expenses are eating a lot out of the income. It could be when a new item was bought or self improvement classes were charged on credit. Whatever it is, the article stresses the fact that it is better to rent when debt is taking a big chunk from the income.
Credit score - Interest rates are dependent on credit score so if it is reflecting a bad score, it might be a good time to rent a place first while fixing the credit rating. It is a good opportunity to fix it so interest rate in the future would not be as high as it is now.
The article also shares some of the things to look out for when purchasing a home. To read the rest of the article, click on this link: http://www.debtconsolidationusa.com.

domain: news


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Corinthia expands in Hungary and Libya
Corinthia Hotels of Malta continues its programme of rapid expansion with the opening of its second hotel in Hungary and its first in Libya.
The company which, five years ago, had just four hotels will end this year with 22 four- and five-star properties, most of them company-owned, in 10 countries in Europe and Africa.
The five-star Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal in Budapest, Hungary, has opened after a two-year reconstruction costing £44.8m. The French Renaissance-style building, built in 1896 and bought by Corinthia in 1997, had been empty for the previous 10 years. During its chequered history, it has served as a cinema, an office and even a Second World War Gestapo headquarters, as well as a hotel.
It now boasts 415 bedrooms, boutique and designer shops, a spa, a conference and exhibition centre to accommodate 1,200 delegates, and a Grand Ballroom.
The five-star Corinthia Tripoli Towers hotel in Libya is expected to open before the end of the year. The £64m new-build offers 299 bedrooms, a conference and banqueting centre for as many as 550 people, a spa and a shopping gallery.
The company, founded in 1962 by the Pisani family, is also eyeing properties in emerging markets such as Croatia and China.


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Increased Limited-Time Offer on Delta SkyMiles Cardsby Jess Farley
American Express has launched a new limited-time offer on its lineup of Delta Skymiles personal credit cards. The higher-than-normal welcome bonuses are available through April 3, 2019.
Bigger Bonuses – All 60,000+ Pointsby Howie Rappaport
If you’re shopping to fill a slot in your wallet, crack your knuckles and a take a look at what’s fresh on the market. Nine (9) updated offers have popped out in the past day; some have a defined limited life, and others we assume are temporary but don’t know if/when they’ll change.
Additional Delta MQM Bonuses for Amex Card Holders in 2018by Sam Helmy
Amex has announced a new MQM bonus tier for holders of the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card and the Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express. The bonus effectively adds a new spending tier and means you can earn an additional 10,000 and 15,000 MQMs respectively in the 2018 calendar year. It appears the bonus is for 2018 and not clear whether it will be carried into 2019 and beyond.
Four Ways To Receive Excellent Value With Delta SkyMilesby Howie Rappaport
Yes, SkyMiles have value! Here are a few reminders of some sweet spots within the Delta SkyMiles program, and things to avoid.
Two Complimentary Premium Drinks With Amex and Deltaby Sam Helmy
To bring some holiday cheer, Delta is offering holders of its co-branded credit cards two premium alcoholics drinks at participating Sky Clubs. This is the second time this year that Delta has run a promo offering free drinks to credit card holders. As during the last promotion, there are 21 participating Sky Clubs.
Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express Reviewby Sam Helmy
Delta and American Express have added to their stable of co-branded credit cards, with the introduction of the Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express. The card brings the total stable of Amex/Delta co-branded credit cards to seven.
Enhanced Companion Certificate for Delta Credit Card Holdersby Sam Helmy
Delta has announced that they are extending the booking classes of Companion Certificates for Delta Reserve Credit Card Members. The enhancement came into effect as of June 21, 2017, and will apply to holders of the Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express and the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card.
Fly Now, Earn Later: Borrow SkyMiles from American Expressby Sam Helmy
American Express has introduced a new perk for holders of its co-branded Delta credit cards. They’re calling it Fly Now, Earn Later, where you can borrow miles against what you’d earn on future purchases. Think of this as an interest-free mileage loan.


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Several days ago, a team of four developers unveiled a new unofficial and experimental Ethereum standard named 'ERC-404'. ERC-404 aims to be a hybrid of fungible ERC-20 tokens and non-fungible ERC-721 tokens (NFTs).
Currently, ERC-404 is merely a creative naming, and the project has yet to undergo the standard review process. However, the team is working hard to submit an Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) in order to officially establish this standard.
ERC-404 represents a novel concept, designed to address a critical challenge of many NFT tokens: liquidity. It also aims to bridge the gap between ERC20 and ERC721.
At its core, the standard encompasses two tokens (one ERC-20 and one ERC-721) that are mutually dependent. The ERC-20 tokens can be traded on decentralized exchanges, such as Uniswap, whereas the ERC-721 NFTs are tradable across all NFT marketplaces, including OpenSea.
When a user purchases such an ERC-20 token, the contract automatically mints a new ERC-721 NFT for them and sends it to their wallet. However, if the user sells this ERC-20 token (or part of it), the NFT is instantly burned. The user must own one full ERC-20 token for a new NFT to be minted. If the user sells their ERC-721 NFT on platforms like OpenSea, then they will lose their ERC-20 token, which will be transferred to the new owner.
ERC-404 offers the advantage of breaking NFTs into smaller parts to increase liquidity. This change makes buying and selling NFTs simpler, as users can sell their NFTs to a pool through the ERC-20 token without waiting for a direct buyer. Whenever a buyer amasses a whole token again then a new NFT will be minted.
A pioneering project launched by the ERC-404 founders, named Pandora, has achieved an impressive $250 million market cap within just a few days, boasting substantial trading volumes. The team issued 10,000 tokens alongside 10,000 NFTs. Currently, the fungible ERC-20 tokens are trading at approximately $25,000 each, while the NFTs are fetching around 12-13 ETH.
The rapid ascent of the Pandora token has ignited a raft of similar projects across Ethereum and other networks. Noteworthy among these is the Defrogs collection, consisting of 10,000 DeFrogs, marking the first ERC-404 profile picture project. This project now boasts a $17 million market cap.
As per CoinGecko, the collective market cap of ERC-404 tokens now stands at $276 million, a remarkable feat given the standard’s recent introduction.
However, it is crucial to acknowledge that ERC-404 tokens, like any other, are not immune to exploitation. The current craze has attracted numerous scammers, leading to the launch of many low-quality or outright scam ERC-404 projects. Therefore, potential investors must exercise caution.


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Nike supplier 'resisting pay rises' in Indonesia
The ethics of the sportswear giant Nike are under scrutiny yet again following claims that its supplier factories in Indonesia have pressured workers into renouncing their right to a minimum wage.
After protests by garment workers last year, authorities in Jakarta raised the minimum wage to 2.2m rupiah (Â£142.25) a month. But an investigation by trade unions and labour-rights activists has established that at least six Nike suppliers are resisting implementing the pay rise. Indonesia is the third biggest producer of Nike goods, after Vietnam and China, with 40 factories employing 171,000 people. Indonesian factory workers are among the lowest paid in Asia.
At one factory in the city of Sukabumi, in West Java, high-ranking members of the Indonesian military accompanied managers as they pressured the mainly female employees to sign a document stating their willingness to forgo the pay rise, according to Educating for Justice (EFJ), a US-based NGO. One woman, who filmed the incident on her mobile phone, told EFJ: "We got summoned by military personnel that the company had hired to interrogate us and they intimidated us."
The Jakarta Globe said investigators were also told that factory managers hoodwinked trade-union officials by asking them to sign what they thought was an attendance sheet. The sheet was then allegedly attached to a document stating that they supported the company's request.
Under Indonesian law, factories can apply to be excused from paying the minimum wage if they can demonstrate it would hurt them financially and that their workers back their position. Jim Keady, who runs EFJ, said all but one of the seven or eight Nike suppliers investigated were seeking exemption.
Nike's code of conduct says it expects its suppliers to pay workers "at least the minimum wage required by country law". The company said it was investigating the claims.


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Cloud-based platform uses the LoRaWAN® standard to monitor plants in real time.
Semtech Corporation announced that Communicate2Integrate GmbH, an intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) company based in Munich, Germany, has chosen to integrate Semtech’s LoRa® devices and LoRaWAN® connectivity for its Florja solution.
Florja is a Cloud-based plant management platform that allows users to monitor the current status of their plants from anywhere. Florja sensors enabled by LoRa and using LoRaWAN connectivity can monitor for the temperature, humidity and salt level found in the soil which then relays the data to the Florja platform accessible via desktop and smartphones for further intelligent analysis.
“Florja is innovating toward a new and easier way to manage plants,” said Michael Urban, chief executive officer of Communicate2Integrate. “Moreover, Florja is scalable from the everyday home plant enthusiast to large scale businesses that need real-time information, automated and intelligent plant care advice or a smart irrigation system. No matter how the platform is used, LoRaWAN is providing that necessary plant data in real time, combined with internal know-how and external data to maintain its health.”
According to a 2020 McKinsey article, advanced technology such as connected sensors “could further increase yields, improve the efficiency of water and other inputs, and build sustainability and resilience across crop cultivation and animal husbandry.”
With a renewed focus on sustainability for businesses and consumers, the plug and play Florja platform is an ideal solution for smart plant care for environmentally conscious users. The Florja system includes LoRa-enabled sensors utilizing LoRaWAN to measure temperature and humidity in soil and air, electrical conductivity in soil and light irradiation as well as a Florja Cloud platform for users to remotely view that data.
“Semtech’s LoRa devices and LoRaWAN are a complementary fit for the smart agriculture industry,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing and strategy for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.
“The long range coverage coupled with low power usage of the technology is making the lives of farmers and plant growers much easier and smarter.”


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Food group Nestle said it expected softer pricing and growth in line with last year in 2016 after full-year organic growth of 4.2 percent came in just below market expectations.
"We saw growth basically based on volume growth which is really what matters," said Nestle CEO Paul Bulcke, in a CNBC interview on Thursday.
"Last year, we had a soft pricing if you see that versus the last year's; our organic growth was basically built on volume growth. Soft pricing because of low increase in raw material prices and that's where it is, hence our margins continue increasing without the need for pricing," Bulcke told CNBC.
Nestle's net profit fell more than expected last year, by over a third, to 9.1 billion Swiss francs ($9.2 billion). The stock was down 3.3 percent in mid-morning trade.
Like its peers, Nestle has had to deal with slower growth and more demanding consumers in emerging markets, notably China, while sales in India have been dented by a Maggi noodle recall.
However, Bulcke told CNBC the company remains confident on China.
"In China, we have got used to a double-digit growth, [but] China is growing slower, but it's growing on a much bigger number to start with. It is also growing more and more based on consumption, local consumption, and that is where we connect as a company so I am upbeat for growth in China with a certain sense of realism," Bulcke said CNBC.
"We have invested heavily in the last years. The Chinese consumer is changing very fast also in his expectations so we have to play our strong portfolio of local brands and international brands and play into these expectations," he added.
Nestle has raised its dividend as expected to 2.25 francs per share, but did not propose a new share buyback program.
"We have, in spite of the strong Swiss franc, increased dividend payment and that is to honor long-term investors and that's what we have given priority," Bulcke told CNBC.
Bulcke also said the company was in the process of negotiating a joint venture with the UK's R&R Ice-Cream company to increase its presence in the ice-cream market.


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Sony has launched SA-D40 and SA-D20, the company’s affordable speaker systems. Price in India starts at Rs 7,490.
On the video front, the Sony a7R III can record 4K videos (3840 x 2160 pixels) with HDR.
SanDisk has emerged as the leader in the Indian microSD market in 2017, earning 51 per cent of the annual unit shipments recorded.
Sony promises to offer the best-in class experience with its new 1000X noise-cancelling headphones range
Japan’s Sony Corp said on Wednesday it has brought back AIBO more than a decade since it last made the robotic dog.
Sony’s latest premium smartphone the Xperia XZ1 takes cues from the company’s earlier 2017 flagship, the Xperia XZ Premium. Here’s our detailed review of Sony Xperia XZ1.
Sony Xperia R1 Plus and Xperia R1 will be available starting November 10 in black and silver colour options.
Customers purchasing the Sony Xperia XZ Premium will get a free Bluetooth Speaker (SRS-XB10) worth Rs 4990 and a Style Cover Stand (SCSG10) worth Rs 3490. The offer is valid till 31st October, 2017.
Sony’s new-generation smartphone will have an all-new design language, the company’s India managing director Kenichiro Hibi told indianexpress.com.
Sony Xperia XZ1 has been launched in India at a price of Rs 44,990. I got a chance to experience the Xperia XZ1 during the launch event, and here’s our first impressions.
Sony Xperia XZ1 has been launched in India, and the price is Rs 44,990. Xperia XZ1 will go on sale in the market starting today.
Sony Xperia XZ1 will launch in India today, and this is the company’s flagship smartphone for 2017. Xperia XZ1 will carry a premium price tag in the market.
Sony has had high-powered Bluetooth speakers for sometime now. The latest is the MHC-V50D, a large unit for the home, especially a home that hosts a lot of parties. Here is our review.
Sony XA1 Plus has been launched in India at Rs 24,990. It will be available in all Sony Center and major electronic stores across India starting September 22 in three colour options – Black, Blue and Gold.
Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra and Xperia XA1 will now be priced at Rs 27,990 and Rs 17,990 respectively.


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The owners of the Enchanted Badger game and hobby shop in Ithaca’s southwest announced Wednesday they’re not renewing their lease. A clearance sale starts Saturday.
“This has been the best five years of our lives, and we hope that the friendships and groups that have sprung up within these green walls thrive after the doors close,” they said in an announcement. “We want to thank all of you for being the most appreciative, loving, dedicated, and caring bunch of nerds anyone could ever ask for.”
Enchanted Badger sells games and gaming supplies, and hosts gaming events, some free and some not. “Despite our wonderful gaming community,” they say, “the numbers do not support the continuation of our endeavors.”
A clearance sale starts Saturday, August 5 with everything 25% off (or an additional 25% off for already-marked-down sale items) and the store’s last day will be Saturday, September 2. The Enchanted Badger is at 335 Elmira Road.


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Summary List Placement
Even an offhand Elon Musk tweet can cause fortunes to rise or fall. This week, his tweet apparently created an entirely new market. After tweeting he would be speaking on the audio app Clubhouse, demand for invitations to the app skyrocketed — so much so that people saw an opportunity to make a buck.
A black market for Clubhouse invitations, which are free, has emerged with people posting they’ll sell invites via Twitter, eBay and Craigslist for $15, $50, even $100.
The much-hyped app produces live-streamed, audio-only “rooms” where the app’s users can listen to real time conversations. There’s no transcriptions or recordings available after they end, meaning you’re stuck reading the reactions on Twitter if you missed it.
Musk — who interviewed Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on Clubhouse on Sunday — is far from the only celebrity to join. The app has previously hosted conversations with figures like Oprah Winfrey and Jared Leto, as well as many Silicon Valley tycoons.
Despite being less than a year old, the company says it has at least 2 million users and it was last valued by its venture investors at $1.4 billion.
The app is still in beta, so it’s not open to the general public just yet but everyone who joins gets two invitations they can extend to others. Currently, people can only join by signing up for the waitlist in the app store, or scoring an invitation.
$50 via Zelle or Cashapp pic.twitter.com/5LgaQoKyTh
— De’Vaughn Jones (@APPLEJACKS_33) February 1, 2021
Devaughn Jones, a Twitter user selling invitations for $50, said he’s had a few people interested in buying, but thought their offers were too low. He came up with the idea of selling them after seeing others do the same on Twitter.
“If there’s a market for it, why not try my hand?” he said.
Another user, Daniyal Shehbaz, sold two invitations for $15 each. He said it’s fair for people to pay considering how much work it took him to secure his own invitation.
“It was pretty hard to get my hands on one,” Shehbaz said. “It took around four to five hours of just constant DMing people and asking in comments.”
It’s worth noting that, once you invite someone onto the app, your name is tied to theirs. On a Clubhouse user’s profile, it says who they were invited by. If they break community guidelines or behave inappropriately, people can see who let them onto the platform.
There may be a limited time for users to capitalize on their unused invitations.
“We’re working to open up to everyone as fast as we can,” Clubhouse CEO Paul Davison told CNBC.
Until then, Shehbaz believe access to Clubhouse content is pretty much priceless.
“The amount of knowledge you can learn from an hour with a brilliant mind is sometimes more then you can learn in a decade,” he said.


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David Edlin was named senior vice president and national sales manager at Cohen & Steers, said John McCombe, an executive vice president.
Mr. Edlin replaces Kevin Crook, who left Cohen & Steers in summer.
Mr. Edlin will oversee Cohen & Steers external sales force. Mr. Edlin was national sales director for the broker-deal channel at AllianceBernstein Investments. AllianceBernstein spokesman John Meyers said Mr. Edlin hasnt been replaced.


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Cryptocurrency and payment platform Crypto.com announced a broad European launch of its Visa MCO cards. According to an article on the company’s blog that was published on May 15, the cards will soon be sent to 31 countries in the region.
The company’s European presence now includes all 27 EU member states plus Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Iceland and Norway. The company claims to have “the best available cryptocurrency card in the world” due to this expansion. The company had previously offered services in Asia and the United States.
When asked how difficult it is to get the green light from regulators in the region, Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com, told Cointelegraph that cards can be issued and distributed in Europe with a single license from EU as long as it has gone through all relevant jurisdictions. ” He explained:
“Every EU Member State should include AMLD5 in local law, which is reflected in slight differences in approach and interpretation. However, the general objective of the directive is well respected by all countries.”
All European Crypto.com cards are issued by the German financial service provider Wirecard. Marszalek continued:
“The classic start-up model consists of building a user base and infrastructure (equipment, technology, licenses) in cooperation with renowned financial institutions and then striving for vertical integration. We follow the same game book.”
The CEO of Crypto.com added that they are actively working in several new markets and that the company’s ultimate goal is to make its card available worldwide.
Will the cryptocurrency card industry find more acceptance in 2020?
The career in crypto debit cards has intensified since the early 2020s. Earlier this year, Coinbase was the first company to be licensed as Visa’s primary partner. This means that you can now issue your own cards without intermediaries.
In May, the Swipe cryptocurrency Visa card platform announced a partnership with Samsung Pay that would allow its holders to manage cryptocurrencies through Samsung smartphones and smartwatches.


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Last year saw the multipurpose (MPV) fleet recover some of the optimism seen prior to 2007 but now, rates have started to firm again and the demand outlook is steady for both breakbulk and project cargo, while the fleet supply is under control – this according to Drewry Maritime Research’s latest Annual Multipurpose Market Review & Forecast.
The report states that MPV market share continued to rise over 2011, as non-containerised cargo volumes benefited from the rise in general cargo trade. Those volumes are expected to continue to rise throughout the forecast period, however Drewry expects the MPV share to drop from 2014 onwards, due to competition from both the container and handy sectors.
One of the principal contributing factors to MPV demand is general and project cargo where there was a significant increase in volumes during 2011. Although the next couple of years are expected to see stable volumes levels, this sector faces the most competition from container ships and ro-ro carriers.
Susan Oatway, author of the Multipurpose report said: “Over the past year we have heard more and more stories of this type of cargo moving in containers. A number of the major lines have invested in open-top or flat-rack containers, designed specifically to carry the heavy, awkward cargoes that used to be the preserve of the project carrier fleet. And a number of lines have told us they are aggressively marketing this service.”
While the container market is depressed, then clearly anything is being taken to fill a ship, and equally bulk rates are not significantly lower than the container rate to make that stuffing uneconomical. However, the container market is expected to recover eventually – albeit slowly and not in the near future. Equally, although bulk rates are also expected to improve there is no suggestion that they will rise to levels anywhere near those seen over 2004-08, so keeping low-value cargo in low-freight vessels. There is little incentive to put a low-value, low-freight cargo into a container – especially one that is not full, unless container rates are equally low.
Meanwhile the MPV fleet is steadily growing and is forecast to grow at about 1.9% per year to 2016. The current orderbook is equivalent to 17% (in deadweight terms) of the operational fleet, with the larger vessel sizes still proving to be the most popular for new tonnage, as opposed to replacement, which appears to be the norm in the smaller sectors.
Drewry has analysed the fleets and orderbooks of the major operators in this sector and in nearly all cases the average vessel size on order is greater than the average vessel size currently operated. An important sign in the development of the fleet is that of increased lift capacity, where investment in new ships with greater specifications enables owners to create a niche sector for project carriers.
Susan Oatway added: “I think the outlook is much more positive than it was 12 months ago, demand is picking up in the near term and even though competition from other sectors is an on-going concern it seems to be mainly on a regional level, albeit that it needs frequent monitoring. Project cargo is on the rise and much, if not most, of it depends on developing economies, which are faring much better than the old industrial nations. However the niche market for the project carriers is not impervious to the competitive threat and added value must be the way forward for many carriers.”


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Your local auto dealers may be anxious to see 2018 in their rear windows. After selling 17.25 million new vehicles last year, dealers will find it difficult to achieve those same levels this year. Auto advertising is also undergoing huge changes. Spending is down this year, and manufacturers have adjusted how they’re handling co-op advertising.
in their new auto advertising outlook report, expects total auto industry ad spending to come in at about $34.4 billion for the year. That’s a serious drop from last year’s numbers. In percentage terms, here’s what the change looks like for 2018:
- Spending by dealers: ‑6.6%
- Spending by dealer associations: 0%
- Spending by manufacturers: ‑9.5%
Borrell analysts also took a look at what dealers are doing by media format this year. As you can see, only cable TV and cinemas have increased:
- Broadcast TV ‑27.7%
- Cable +13.2%
- Cinema +3.1%
- Direct mail ‑12.0%
- Newspapers ‑8.4%
- Online ‑3.9%
- Other Print ‑18.5%
- Out-of-home ‑12.8%
- Radio ‑10.0%
While auto dealers may have cut online spending this year, both manufacturer and dealer associations have increased their online spending, by 9.4% and 15.0%, respectively. According to Borrell analysts, "marketing services are likely to get far more attention as manufacturers and dealers spend more time and money on their ‘owned media’ channels in the future."
Co-op Advertising Levels
At Salesfuel, we’ve noticed another trend. In our AdMall service
, we maintain co-op plan data for auto manufacturers. In the past few years, these manufacturers have shifted the way they support auto dealers with co-op money. Manufacturers continue to make co-op money available for traditional media formats like TV and radio. However, they’ve consolidated some of the digital funding availability. In some cases, dealers that want to participate in these programs are required to use the turnkey vendors for access to co-op funding for formats like paid search or mobile apps. These vendors often have a nationwide presence and may be coordinating paid search campaigns for all dealerships in a specific region or on a national scale.
Other manufacturers have changed how they fund the cycle of co-op advertising. Historically, auto manufacturers issued a co-op plan that lasted for an entire year. Today, we’re finding some companies allocate funds on a monthly or bimonthly cycle and tie the availability of these funds to the unit sales of new or used vehicles.
The good news is that Borrell is predicting a slight rebound in auto advertising for next year. Start positioning your company now to capture these additional funds. And, to learn more about the kinds of co-op advertising funds your dealers may have access to, check out the details on AdMall from Salesfuel


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Peixe BR is the newest partner of ANUTEC BRAZIL 2020
Brazilian Fish Farming Association may benefit fromANUTEC’s reputation to achieve its main goal: market growth
ANUTEC BRAZIL 2020 has set a partnership with another important national key player: Brazilian Fish Farming Association (Peixe BR). The agreement strengthens ANUTEC’s position as a reference trade fair in the animal protein industry as well as its potential in the fish farming industry, whose figures speak for themselves: in 2018 alone, a total of 722 thousand tons were produced and the revenue reached R$ 5,6 billion.
“We consider that it was an excellent decision to make a partnership with ANUTEC BRAZIL, as it is a unique and renowned trade fair that strengthens its position in the animal protein industry every year”, says Francisco Medeiros, executive president of Peixe BR. “We want to be part of that process. Events such as ANUTEC encourage business and they are fundamental for continued growth”.
Peixe BR represents the entire farm fish production chain in Brazil, which ranges from producers to genetic developers, as well as from feed suppliers to equipment manufacturers. According to Medeiros, despite the significant results obtained in 2018, the Brazilian fish farming industry is like a sleeping giant. For this reason, growth is priority number one for Peixe BR. “We have several ongoing actions inside the fence (aiming at the productive chain) and outside the fence (aiming at partners and the consumer market)”, he says. According to CassianoFacchinetti, Koelnmesse Brazil Director – organiser of ANUTEC, the partnership with Peixe BR is a great opportunity for the fish farming industry since ANUTEC offers over the event a wide range of equipment and technology to enhance the production process of those companies.
Peixe BR has designed an expansion plan for the productive chain focusing on encouraging competitiveness. Much is being expected from fish farming permits for ponds and Union reservoirs, which could result in an increase in production from 720 thousand tons to 3,7 million tons annually.
A communication campaign is in progress through social media, supermarkets, bars and restaurants.Peixe BR seeks to increase the fish consumption in Brazil and the campaign uses the motto “Eat More Fish”, which is simple but it has high ambitions: increase the current consumption per person by 400 grams before July 2020, reaching 10 kilograms per person in total. Finally, Medeiros has mentioned the export market. In addition to the recent partnerships with The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and Itamaraty to promote the Brazilian fish industry abroad. It is worth mentioning that the government has started implementing a duty drawback policy for that sector, meaning that the entire production chain is exempt from federal taxes for exports to other countries –just as it has been implemented for pork and poultry.
About ANUTEC Brazil – ANUTEC BRAZIL, International Supplier Fair for the Meat and Protein Industries, gathers the key suppliers in the processing, packaging, refrigeration, food safety, ingredients and services sectors for the industry. The event takes place from 26th to 28th May 2020, in Curitiba. Over 4 thousand qualified visitors from Brazil and worldwide are expected of which 77% either participate in the purchasing process or are decision-makers. Key players such as Bettcher, Handtmann, Tecmaes, Multivac, Polyclip, among others, have confirmed their presence at the next edition of the event.
For further information go to: anutecbrazil.com.br
About Koelnmesse – Global Competence in Food and FoodTec: Koelnmesse is an international leader in organising food fairs and events regarding food and beverage processing. Trade fairs such as Anuga, ISM and Anuga FoodTec are established world leaders. Koelnmesse not only organises food trade fairs in Cologne, Germany, but also in further growth markets around the globe, for example, in Brazil, China, India, Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. These global activities enable us to offer our customers a comprehensive portfolio of qualified, which in turn grants access to different markets and thus create a basis for sustainable and stable international business network.
Further information is available at: http://www.global-competence.net/Global-Competence-in-Food-and-FoodTec/
Note to editors:
– Photos from ANUTEC Brazil are available for download at www.anutecbrazil.com.br
Press office information:
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FORMER AMAZON EXEC LED VERTICAL AND PRODUCT SALES ORGANIZATIONS FOR MORE THAN A DECADE
SAN FRANCISCO – December 29, 2021 – Samba TV, a global leader in omniscreen advertising and analytics, today announced the appointment of Robert Coon to Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Previously spending more than a decade at Amazon, a majority of which was spent heading up advertising sales teams, Coon brings deep advertising industry experience to extend Samba TV’s leading market position delivering omniscreen marketing solutions powered by first-party data and identity. During his tenure at Amazon, he was an early leader within the ads division, having owned the launch of Amazon’s connected TV (CTV) products and leading various vertical teams as Amazon’s ad business scaled.
“Bob has a track record of successfully launching and scaling ground-breaking technology and media products in the U.S. and internationally,” said Samba TV Co-founder and CEO Ashwin Navin. “We look forward to bringing his tenured expertise to our teams, as well as our global clients who leverage our first-party TV data to drive new innovation in the media industry around the world. Our vision for the future of media will employ a number of new currencies that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of advertising. The addition of a trusted industry leader like Bob will continue to accelerate this change.”
“As a board member at Samba and having worked with Bob for a number of years at Amazon, I’m confident that his tremendous track record of scaling media products to global heights will be complementary to Samba’s accelerating market leadership,” said Snap Chief Business Officer and Samba TV Board of Directors Member Jeremi Gorman.
Before Samba TV, Coon was instrumental in the launch of Amazon’s connected TV (CTV) products. He also led various vertical teams as the Head of Grocery Advertising Sales at Amazon where he focused on growing the company’s robust grocery business in the height of the pandemic. Previously, he served two other areas of Amazon’s core growth, including several years as the Head of Hospitality Advertising and as Global Head of Product Sales. Prior to Amazon, Coon held executive sales roles at InterActiveCorp, Bankrate, and Disney bringing TV and digital media products to market.
“Samba TV’s innovative products, market position, and impressive differentiators really resonated with me as today’s advertisers are looking to leverage Samba’s first-party data untethered to a walled garden business model,” said Samba TV CRO Robert Coon. “As CTV remains one of the fastest growing segments in the advertising industry, I’m thrilled to join the team at Samba TV to further solidify their leadership in the space.”
About Samba TV
Founded in 2008, Samba TV is a global leader in first-party data for Connected TV (CTV) and omniscreen advertising and analytics. Samba TV’s software is integrated at the chipset level into 24 of the leading, global CTV brands, providing first-party insight into viewership data across broadcast, cable, over-the-top, and digital media from millions of devices across the globe. The company’s AI-driven tech stack and comprehensive, highly accurate first-party data drives connectivity and discovery across viewers, brands, programmers, and platforms. The world’s leading brands and agencies leverage Samba TV to quantify and amplify media investments across Smart TVs and all of the screens consumers use to watch video. For more information, please visit www.samba.tv.


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Pokemon Sword and Shield demo news: UK gamers can play Nintendo Switch game next week (Pic: DS)
If you weren't fortunate enough to be at E3 this year, worry not – you may soon have the chance to get your Pokemon-loving hands on the newest games from Nintendo if you live in the UK.
This week, the developer and publisher announced that it would be bringing its games from the E3 showcase to the UK's HyperJapan Festival.
"Pokémon Sword, Pokémon Shield, Luigis Mansion 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening will all be playable for the first time in the UK at Hyper Japan Festival 2019!" reads a press release from Nintendo.
The game will be playable in a special Nintendo booth area that will feature the games listed above, as well as Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, DAEMON X MACHINA, Super Mario Maker 2 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
If we're correct in our assumptions – that this will be the same demo that Nintendo took to E3 – we can tell you the content of the demo.
The demo we played had us in Water-type Gym Leader Nessa's Gym, facing off against her devotees and fighting various new Pokemon introduced in Sword and Shield.
There is a basic switch-based water puzzle that you'll need to solve, and you'll have a team of six Lv. 50-capped Pokemon to use, including newcomers Corviknight, Wooloo, Yamper, Impidimp and more besides.
In a battle with Nessa, you'll be able to try out the newest Pokemon gimmick, Dynamax.
This means you'll be able to turn your Pokemon massive, and use special new moves to battle the Water-type leader and her team of Pokemon including newcomer Drednaw.
It's a fun little demo, and shows off what the majority of the game is going to feel like on the Nintendo Switch.


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Audytel, at the request of the President of NRA (UKE), has prepared the research report on the regulatory impact of the MTR regullation and the MTR asymmetry on the development of the Polish telecommunications market.
The report is based on the market data from the years 2003-2009 and forecasted results for 2010. The analysis shows, that the implementation schedule of the MTR reductions favorably influenced the level of competition in the market: it contributed to lowering consumer prices, removed barriers to development of new services and increased service innovation. MTR asymmetry facilitated the the market entry of new MNOs (such as P4 and Cyfrowy Polsat). As a result, consumers have enjoyed a total benefit of around 20 billion zł.
Quantitative analysis showed a strong correlation of MTR and retail prices – retail prices falling in the wake of the decrease in MTR on the the Polish market. There was no evidence for of so-called „waterbed” effect, predicted by some analysts a year earlier. The report recommends to the President of NRA (UKE) the continuation of the MTR reduction policy, including the asymmetry for new entrants MNO, for at least next two years (i.e. until the end of 2012).


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Apple TV adds HBO GO, WatchESPN, Sky News, Crunchyroll and Qello
Apple added five new streaming services to its Apple TV streaming box today in a move that will be particularly pleasing to fans of premium TV drama and major sports. The additions of HBO GO and WatchESPN were touted by Apple in the company’s own press release title, and while those are the most popular services being added to the Apple TV, they aren’t the only ones. London-based Sky News has also made it onto the platform, as has anime streaming service Crunchyroll and concert streaming service Qello.
We first heard about HBO GO for the Apple TV a few months back when HBO added the AirPlay feature to its iOS app. The move signaled that the company wasn’t opposed to having its content streamed to the Apple TV, and at D: Dive Into Media 2013, HBO president Eric Kessler even stated, “We will get on Apple TV. There is no problem. These things take time.”
Time, in this case, was a mere four months.
For WatchESPN, the Apple TV was the next logical progression for a service that has already shown up just about everywhere possible. Cable subscribers can already catch games on their iPhones and iPads, as well as on their Xbox 360s. WatchESPN has supported AirPlay in its mobile apps since October of last year, but the addition of a dedicated streaming channel on the Apple TV lets ESPN fans tune in without having the battery sucked out of their mobile devices.
As for Sky News, that channel will be a welcome addition for cord-cutters who want access to a live channel for breaking international news, though the fact that Sky is based in London means there is a slight cultural disconnect. For instance, I just watched a weather report on the United Kingdom followed by a 15-minute report on where the royal baby will be born. So it may not be the most optimal news viewing experience for those based on the North American continent.
And if you’re a fan of anime, or if you enjoy streaming on-demand concerts from the music world’s largest acts, you’ll find the Crunchyroll and Qello channels very useful.
What do you think of the latest additions to the Apple TV? Drop us a line below.
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MUMBAI | KOLKATA: After falling since the past four years, Hindustan Unilever's crorepati club has risen 27% during FY19, despite leaner management structure.
Around 143 executives at the country's largest consumer goods firm took home more than Rs 1 crore in annual salary last fiscal, compared with 114 such managers in 2017-18, according to its latest annual report. Nearly half the managers in the elite club were below 40 years of age. Over the past four years, the maker of Dove soap, Close Up toothpaste and Fair & Lovely skin creams saw number of crorepatis execs fall consistently as it merged several job roles. In 2014-15, the company had 169 such managers which shrunk to 129 a year later and 125 managers in 2016-17.
“The average increases every year is an outcome of company’s market competitiveness as against its peer group companies. In keeping with our reward philosophy and benchmarking results, the increases this year reflect the market practice,” said its annual report.
Managers in HUL — often referred to as ‘CEO factory’ — have the option to defer a part of their bonus and receive a larger amount (higher than what they deferred), based on the company’s performance in the following three years.
“The overall market does not show any reason for this spurt. The consumer index has been down and even the company's quarterly results hasn't been great. The assumption is that there may been several executives in the Rs 90-lakh odd salary bracket who may have got increments and crossed the Rs 1 crore mark,” said A Ramachandran, a senior partner at EMA Partners.
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) chairman Sanjiv Mehta's total remuneration fell nearly 3% to around Rs 18.88 crore for financial year 2018-19 even as the country's biggest consumer goods firm posted 15% increase in net profit. Mehta, who was also appointed president of Unilever South Asia and a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) in May this year, saw his bonus halve to Rs 2.73 crore during the year, compared to Rs 5.58 crore in FY17-18. According to the company’s latest annual report, the percentage increase in the median remuneration of employees also fell marginally to 4.2%.
According to company sources, the Gold membership is currently being offered on an invite-only basis. However, users with existing Pro memberships are being offered Gold subscriptions for three months.
2022 saw some significant changes in the e-commerce ecosystem in India. The industry primarily dominated by the two big wigs of e-commerce - Amazon and Flipkart, saw growing competition from giant conglomerates such as JioMart and Tata Digital and startups like Nykaa, Meesho, Udaan, and DealShare. Further, the launch of state-backed ONDC created waves of disruption in the established e-commerce market. Last year, also saw e-commerce players refocusing their strategies to tap the next set of internet consumers from the hinterlands.


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Advertising in live events in live streaming, grabs the attention of a large number of people which makes it easier to target a specific set of audience write Vinayak Shrivastav and Saket Dandotia, Co-Founders, Toch.
The year 2020 has seen a lot already and there have been massive shifts in the way India works. Be it in businesses, users or consumers – everyone everywhere has faced the wrath of 2020. Consumer behaviors are changing rapidly, due to the lockdown and spending more time at home.
Even though Unlock 3 has started, a vast majority of users are consuming more video on mobile, watching longer videos, and sharing video content like never before, since recreational facilities outside are still limited.
Yet it feels like video formats are largely stuck in 2003. People are taking notice – to the tune of 75 million Americans, which is the number of people blocking ads in the US. Despite this setback, brands have the power to take back control of their video and win the hearts and minds of consumers by transforming passive video into an active and engaging interactive experience.
OTT has emerged as the biggest winner in this situation, across sectors. Be it education or entertainment, OTT Players have seen a massive surge in their consumption. New set of users have gone to find solace in these tough times on OTT, producers have started making content and shows as per user demands and this is going to change the dynamics of this industry.
New movies which were not released in theatres are all moving to OTT, to offer its audience something new to kill boredom and maintain engagement amongst the audience. So how does this change the OTT game, in the future? More than 50 million subscribers are expected to ditch their cable and satellite boxes by next year. This is a steep increase from the numbers estimated a few years ago. So how can the platforms hold on to their audience they have gained in the past few months?
Does the answer lie in hosting live events? Let’s explore.
Cheap Data With the arrival of Jio, web penetration has reached the remotest of cities in India, making the scope of a lot of users to affix OTT platforms. Once it evolves to specialized programs like sports, premium film channels, and highly rated cable networks, subscribers will have to maneuver to a higher premium package. By being tone deaf to their customers, OTT developers have confiscated the chance to provide shoppers what they needed at a comparatively inexpensive price point.
Customers will currently avail live events at cheaper rates. This will help the operating individuals to relish the live events in their free time throughout work, so creating live streaming of events is a good chance keeping in mind the viability of the market Not able to be there physically Watching matches on-line from anyplace, anytime is what excites individuals and not everybody can be present physically to experience the joys of a match since the tickets are overpriced. Also, considering this pandemic situation, live events do not seem to be merchandising tickets for fans to attend events at the construction.
During this pandemic part, live events opt turning to OTT platforms and prefer serving in, channeling it to the individuals. Watching late-night live events from the place of your comfort square measures noticeably viable through OTT platforms. This once more shows the potential that streaming live events hold, in the nation and across the world Ad Placements and Monetization Thanks to the advanced content, advertisers now have a new opportunity to present their content in front of viewers, due to which the brands can now monetize better. In-video branding and advertising will compete strongly with traditional television marketing, as we know that OTT marketing has advantages over other forms of marketing. Advertising in live events or promoting any product in live streaming, grabs the attention of a large number of people which makes it is easier to target your advertising to a specific set of audience, always.
In-video Commerce In-video commerce or shopping within apps is an upcoming concept which has been rapidly adapted by users, especially young teens. Live event streaming opens a great opportunity for brands to capitalize and increase sales. The focus shifts back to the advertiser to find which content they want to place their OTT advertising in. It may seem complex, but the truth is, you develop your target market for OTT the same way you would for social media ad campaigns.
Products can be placed in video and targeted very specifically. If you have ever watched shows on a streaming platform that runs advertising, you know one thing for sure that there is no getting around the advertisements. This is a good marketing tool for the platforms to entice companies to advertise with them.
Fantasy Sports Entertainment Fantasy sports draw millions of players each year and with good reason. The leagues offer intense competition, the chance to own and manage your own team, socialization with other sports fans, the thrill of sweet victory and a hobby that requires little investment but offers great rewards. It helps you get closer to your favourite sport and understand it much better and get many in-game insights. Live streaming of these games holds massive marketing opportunities and growth prospects thereby bringing in fresh opportunities for your brand or company.
Another reason why live streaming holds great potential is because it will give users the opportunity to re-play any moment of the game/show at their ease and convenience. As mentioned before, working people in pockets of free time can glance at the reel of key/highlighting moments. It helps you to not go out of touch with the event and keeps you at the right pace. Fans crave a peak behind the curtain. They want to get to know the players, peak into the training ground and see inside the changing room. Even if you can’t show the game, there’s a lot of other exclusive content that only you can deliver.
By Co-authors: Saket Dandotia (Co-founder & COO) & Vinayak Shrivastav (Co-founder & CEO)


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Minecraft may have made its stance on NFTs pretty clear, but that isn't stopping the release of a new Minecraft NFT game. Minecraft OP Prison is a collaboration between official partner Meraki and blockchain studio Good Gaming, and it'll feature integration with NFT platform MicroBuddies.
Back in July, Mojang and Microsoft announced that NFT and blockchain games were not welcome in Minecraft worlds or servers. Despite this, official Minecraft partner and content creation studio Meraki has announced a new version of Minecraft OP Prison, a popular prison roleplay-style server created by Good Gaming, and it'll feature NFT integration.
According to a press release, the new version of Minecraft OP Prison will feature "cross-functionality between Minecraft and the MicroBuddies ecosystems". This will be facilitated through "an all-new GOO trading system", with GOO here referring to the cryptocurrency used to buy and sell MicroBuddies NFTs.
Mojang's guidelines regarding NFTs in Minecraft are pretty unequivocal. The studio says NFT integration in Minecraft is "generally not something we will support or allow". It goes on to say that blockchain tech is "not permitted to be integrated" into the Minecraft client or server apps, nor can it be used to "create NFTs associated with any in-game content".
Since Meraki and Good Gaming are tight-lipped about exactly how NFT integration in Minecraft OP Prison will work, it's entirely possible that they've found a way to circumvent these guidelines. After all, if you're not making Minecraft NFTs and are instead allowing players to earn currency that will let them buy NFTs elsewhere, that's different, I suppose.
When we asked Meraki about Minecraft OP Prison, managing director Dion Wichgers told us that to his knowledge, the game will feature "no direct blockchain integration", so it wouldn't constitute a violation of Mojang's guidelines. However, Wichgers also told us that this was Good Gaming's project, so we should get in touch with them (which we did, and we haven't heard back).
We asked for clarification regarding exactly what Meraki is contributing to this project, to which Wichgers told us the studio is "providing builds" (i.e. maps) for Minecraft OP Prison. Wichgers didn't seem worried about this, saying that there "isn't much [Meraki] can do" if its builds or services get used in projects that contravene Minecraft's NFT guidelines.
We also asked Mojang for comment on this story. They told us that they were unable to "share anything definitive at this time" as they were in the process of updating Minecraft's guidelines with reference to NFTs, and that examining the situation with Meraki and Minecraft OP Prison would require "deeper analysis".
However, it is worth saying that Mojang frowns on NFTs in general; the company says NFTs "are not inclusive" of the whole Minecraft community and that they "create a scenario of the haves and the have-nots", which they say runs contrary to the atmosphere they want Minecraft to create. As such, even if Minecraft OP Prison doesn't technically contravene Minecraft's guidelines, it arguably does breach them in spirit.
Meraki and Minecraft NFTs: a brief history
As a studio, Meraki has historically been involved with Minecraft NFT games and developers. The studio has worked on projects like Seabums' Conservation Coast, the Turkeys Megaverse, and the NFT Worlds project, all of which either directly or indirectly featured NFT integration. Since Mojang made its NFT stance clear, Meraki has stayed away from the subject, although it now seems the studio is still determined to find a way for the worlds of Minecraft and NFTs to meet.
The NFT Worlds project itself is currently working on a new game to rival Minecraft, bringing together "the top visionary developers" from the Minecraft content creation community to facilitate that project. It's not clear whether those developers include Meraki or Good Gaming, but NFT Worlds' new project will have similar core mechanics to Minecraft while also offering what the devs call "the modernization and active development Minecraft has been missing for years". Presumably, by that, they mean cryptocurrency integration.
This is yet another battle line being drawn in the fight between NFT games and those who are skeptical of them. Notably, Valve has banned cryptocurrency and NFT games from Steam (although companies are finding ways to circumvent that), and digital platform Itch.io has described NFTs as a "scam", although that hasn't stopped prominent industry veterans and studios from embracing the blockchain. It also hasn't stopped other storefronts from accepting NFT games; recently, the Epic Games Store listed its very first Web3 game in Blankos Block Party.


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MSquared (M2) is a creation toolset for interoperable online worlds that consists of a network, technology stack, and metaverse markup language (MML) for the creation of digital assets and experiences within these worlds. In other words, it is a metaverse creation engine and part of what Improbable co-founder and CEO Herman Narula referred to as a “stupidly ambitious project” and a “network of metaverses.”
Friday, Improbable, which was reportedly valued at $3 billion when it raised funding last autumn, granted early access to its MSquared tools and made the MML accessible to developers by open-sourcing it. People are already experimenting with the tools in the Construct metaverse ecosystem and sharing their creations.
The earliest Otherside demonstrations, which Narula said were created in collaboration with Bored Ape creator Yuga Labs, are the most prominent examples of the technology’s capabilities to date.
And indeed, as GG described in April, being among thousands of live participants felt like a completely unique gaming achievement.
Smaller, ad hoc online sessions, according to Narula, have yielded even more valuable insights for Improbable. He stated that the ability for a creator or celebrity to rapidly spin up an online session, drop a link on social media, and potentially pull hundreds or thousands of users into a shared web space could open the door to new economic models.
How the Developers of Bored Ape Plan to Reach the ‘Otherside’
This was not the case with Bored Ape Yacht Club developer Yuga Labs’ Otherside Second Trip playtest, which was conducted at the end of last month. I landed in a lobby populated with tens of thousands of other players who were all running, jumping, and flying through the air. And they were all speaking simultaneously. It was a sensory assault, but incredibly impressive nonetheless.
Andrew HaywardApr 30, 2023
“It is not necessary to organize elaborate, large-scale festivities. Certainly, you can construct them, and we intend to do so as well,” he said. “That’s really thrilling, because I believe it could lead to the creation of a number of novel and entertaining business models. And that is precisely what the metaverse requires: the demonstration of valuable use cases.”
Prior to Friday’s official inauguration, Narula and his colleagues tweeted links to a number of experimental spaces for impromptu play sessions. In May, Oleksandr Zinchenko, an Arsenal football player, interacted with supporters. In what is described as the second phase of a long-term plan, more and more individuals are utilizing MSquared technology.
Certain aspects of Improbable’s intentions have not yet been formally disclosed. The company announced on Friday that Google, Nvidia, and Dolby are providing cloud streaming technology to enable MSquared-powered environments, and Narula added that additional brand and content partners beyond Yuga Labs will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition, despite Narula’s assertion that MSquared “runs on Web3 principles” and that its network will be based on the concept of digital ownership, Improbable is not yet prepared to disclose all technical details. A transition to decentralized governance is also part of the long-term strategy, and creators have the option of integrating NFTs from other networks or avoiding them.
“MSquared’s fundamentals are powered by blockchain, while the experiences on top are blockchain-optional,” Narula said.
We believe this is a wonderful way to strike a balance.
MSquared’s public release coincides with waning enthusiasm for the metaverse, which had a brief period of popularity in late 2021 and early 2022 but has struggled to maintain its popularity. Narula attributed a portion of the waning momentum to a widespread “misunderstanding” of the metaverse, noting that the concept has been “conflated” with virtual and augmented reality.
Content Source: decrypt.co


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Microsoft has released optional cumulative updates for multiple versions of Windows 10, including one for Windows 10 version 1809 that fixes a Start menu problem when upgrading to this version.
A week after October Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has released the non-security update KB4520062 for Windows 10 version 1809. Microsoft highlights that it does address a Start menu issue but it appears to be different from the 'critical error' Start menu problem Windows 10 users have been experiencing this month.
A Microsoft employee this week said the Start menu and 'critical error' warning would be fixed in late October.
SEE: 20 pro tips to make Windows 10 work the way you want (free PDF)
For now, the Start menu fix for version 1809 is aimed at users who are upgrading to 1809 from an earlier version but it doesn't fix the issue for those who've already upgraded to 1809.
"Prevents the appearance of blank tiles in the Start menu when you upgrade to Windows 10, version 1809 from any previous version of Windows 10," Microsoft explains in the release notes.
"These blank tiles have names such as 'ms-resource:AppName' or 'ms-resource:appDisplayName'. However, if you have already upgraded to Windows 10, version 1809, installing this update will not remove existing blank tiles."
There are 35 fixes and improvements in this update, including one that addresses a bug that caused power consumption in Connected Standby mode to remain high, and an issue that caused a black screen at startup during the first sign-in after installing an update.
Users should no longer be blocked from opening the print dialog in Internet Explorer to print a web page. Now the Settings app should continue functioning even after changing a Theme. Previously it stopped working.
On Tuesday, Microsoft also released updates for Windows 10 version 1607 and version 1709, which most consumers should be off by now.
It also released what is likely to be the second-last update for Windows 10 version 1803, which is reaching end of service on 12 November for Home and Pro editions.
Microsoft has been nudging users on this version to upgrade to version 1903 for the past few months. However, if figures from one survey are correct, around half of all Windows 10 machines remain on Windows version 1803.
SEE: On Windows Phone 8.1? No more app store for you after December 16, says Microsoft
This update for 1803 also fixes a black screen problem at startup and another that causes a device to "repeatedly go into the Windows Out Of Box Experience (OOBE) restart loop in certain situations".
There are also non-security updates for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1, both of which are labeled previews of the monthly rollup.
Windows 7 is, of course, reaching end of support in January. Microsoft yesterday warned Windows 7 Pro users that devices that are not part of IT-managed infrastructure will start to receive notifications about the January 14, 2020 cut-off date for free support. Microsoft started the processing of nagging Windows 7 users to upgrade this April.
More on Microsoft's Windows 10 updatesWindows 10 Start menu problems: We'll fix them in late October, says Microsoft
Windows 10: Now you can take calls to an Android phone from your PC
Farewell Windows 10 1703: With its final patch, Creators Update hits end of lifeWindows patch causes more pain: Start Menu, boot and printer problems surfaceWindows out-of-band update: Microsoft's mandatory security patch is for all versionsWindows 10 users fume: Microsoft, where's our 'local account' option gone?Windows 10 1909: Microsoft pushes on with testing as 19H2 update rollout looms Windows 10 1909: Microsoft ends 19H2 confusion, puts all testers on same builds Windows 10: We're now gearing up for 1909 with new throttled release, says Microsoft
No more buggy Windows 10 updates? Microsoft makes it easier to flag early flaws
Windows 10 recovery: Microsoft borrows Apple's Mac cloud reinstall featureWindows 10 19H2: If you're on 1903, expect 'far faster' update, says Microsoft
Windows 10 yields more secrets: Microsoft plan to split OS from shell takes shape
How to delete the Windows 10 paging file on every shut-down TechRepublicTest Microsoft's Chrome-like Edge browser for Windows 10 CNET


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Online financial technology company Kabbage is furloughing several its employees in the US and closing down its Bangalore office in India due to the economic impact of Covid-19 pandemic.
A team of 500 staff are working for Kabbage in the US and an unspecified number of employees are being furloughed.
Kabbage is permanently closing the Bangalore office, while the company’s executive staff are taking a considerable pay cut.
In a memo sent to staff and seen by TechCrunch, Kabbage CEO Rob Frohwein said the economic fallout of this virus has rattled the small business community to which the company is directly linked.
Frohwein said: “While the duration of the furlough remains uncertain, please bear in mind that the full intention of furloughing is temporary. We simply have no clear idea of how long quarantining or its reverberations in the economy will last.”
Earlier this month, the fintech firm called upon policymakers to enable FinTech providers to help save small businesses.
The company said many are facing stressful economic choices due the Covid-19 threat, but state policymakers can help slow the effects in local communities.
Kabbage has also launched online hub to help increase sales for US small businesses impacted by coronavirus pandemic.
The company is actively working with organisations in the payments ecosystem to eliminate or significantly decrease any associated transaction fees.


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Dubai beats Tokyo on the fashion scene? That’s amazing!!
Well, Dubai is proudly ranked as # 11 fashion city while Milan topped the list surging New York after the latter dominated # 1 for 5 years.
“The global economic restructuring has affected the fashion industry just as it has touched everything else,” said Millie L. Payack, director and fashion correspondent for the Global Language Monitor. “The catwalks were still crowded though with the lights dimmer, the hype a bit more restrained, and ‘recessionistas,’ of course, thriving”.
“This exclusive ranking is based upon GLM’s Predictive Quantities Index, a proprietary algorithm that tracks words and phrases in print and electronic media, on the Internet and throughout the blogosphere. The words and phrases are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.” According to the Global Language Monitor


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Garlic is popular in cooking and is added to soups, sauces and other dishes. However, Professor Oksana Drapkina notes that you need to consume this product in moderation. “Doctor Peter” informs about this.
It is recommended to eat no more than 1-2 cloves of garlic daily. Excessive consumption can cause problems with the digestive system, especially in people with chronic gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis and stomach ulcers.
In addition, eating garlic on an empty stomach can cause unpleasant effects such as heartburn, bloating and diarrhea. Substances contained in garlic thin the blood, so before surgery or in case of a blood clotting problem, garlic should be avoided.
Among the new trends in cooking is black garlic. It has a milder smell and taste, but retains all the beneficial properties of its white counterpart.
Professor Drapkina advises consuming garlic raw for maximum benefits, but she warns against dangerous methods of use, such as pouring garlic juice into the nose or using it as a compress, which can cause burns to the skin and mucous membranes.
It became known earlierthat endocrinologist Pavlova recommended having breakfast before eight o’clock in the morning. After all, an early breakfast can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 59%.
It was also reported that nutritionist Poroshkova told how to properly use cooking oil so as not to harm your health. More about this read the material Public News Service.
Message Professor Drapkina told how to eat garlic without risk to health appeared first on Public news service.https://myboxingnews.com


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Dealers nationwide are experiencing or expecting shortages on their new car lots. Some manufacturers have fared better than others, but as a whole, the industry will have fewer new vehicles available for sale than shoppers looking for one. Goldman Sachs is forecasting that the microchip parts shortage will keep inventory levels well below normal through 2022, and Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares expects the back half of next year to be in better shape.
In the meantime, customers with off-lease units being returned need a vehicle. Service customers who can’t afford – or don’t want to sink money into – repairs on an aging vehicle are looking for a replacement. Local small businesses that liquidated their fleets at the beginning of the pandemic are ramping up production and need more cars. But what can a dealership do when their new car inventory is dwindling?
Some buyers are choosing a short-term solution: a model that’s shy on the options they want, and an over-equipped trim level, or even a model they weren’t really considering altogether. Many shoppers opt to buy a used car rather than wait for their desired new vehicle to be produced in the coming months, but to the same end as an ill-fitting new car.
The pain point is that dissatisfied customers won’t return and their loyalty is at risk. So how can dealerships get customers into a car now, then bring them back when their desired vehicle becomes available? The answer for some could be in short-term used car leasing.
Temporary solution with used car leases
If your dealership has a supply of used cars or has access to a healthy flow of used cars at auction as their prices start to soften, leasing used cars temporarily to new car shoppers could be a solution. To be sure, it effectively puts off the problem until new car inventory resumes. However, it can address the pressing issues.
Whether you structure an in-house leasing department or choose the services of a third-party lender, the effect is still the same. As a month-to-month lease or a 12 to 18-month program, your shopper can drive a replacement vehicle at a reasonable price. When their desired vehicle becomes available, it’s your dealership they’ll return to since they have a lease they need to return. Even more effective is if you integrate a portion of their payments or deposit that can be credited to their new car purchase.
Lowers used car inventory costs
Today’s elevated wholesale prices can be a tough pill to swallow and, if they continue to drop in the short term, can leave dealers holding inventory with eroding profit margins. Payments from leasing used cars can offset the inventory cost and, when the vehicle returns, it can be resold at a competitive price. It’s crucial to build the deal with accurate – even conservative – residual values.
Promotes sales today
A lack of inventory will be devastating for salespeople in the coming months. With fewer cars to sell, earning commission will be a tough task. By essentially creating a stopgap for your business, these leases can help keep salespeople afloat when the skinny sales season comes.
Used car leasing isn’t for every dealer, and it might require significant credit capacity if it’s kept in-house. For some, it could be a function that helps to keep some sales customers happy in the meantime.
Did you enjoy this article from Jason Unrau? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by submitting a letter to the editor here, or connect with us at email@example.com.


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No more import permits for horticultural products
Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
Government will no longer issue import permits for horticultural products as a measure to promote the growth of the sector and save foreign currency, a Cabinet minister has said. Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made said President Mugabe had directed him to ensure that rice production was also promoted across the country. He said Government was also working on the producer price for a tonne of the cereal.
“His Excellency has directed me and the Minister of Industry and Commerce to quickly stop the importation of horticultural products as they waste much needed foreign currency. This means that the importation of fruit and vegetables will be stopped immediately. We are finalising on the exact list of foreign-produced fruits that are occupying shelves in shops,” he said.
Minister Made said beneficiaries of Zimbabwe’s land reform programmes should take advantage of Government policies.
“This must be a positive development for our farmers, we now want them to improve on their production capacity and also to produce quality produce. The foreign currency being wasted on the importation of carrots and grapes will now be utilised towards the purchase of more fertilisers and pesticides,” he said.
On the producer price for rice, Minister Made said the move would reduce the crop’s importation.
“We have the water, land and climatic conditions, which suit the production of certain varieties of rice. We want to cut the importation of rice. Rice has become a very important source of starch, but is consuming a lot of foreign currency. Dams such as Tokwe-Mukosi must also irrigate rice plantations and this must spread across the country,” he said.
Dr Made challenged the Grain Marketing Board and the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe to open more satellites depots across the country so that farmers do not travel more than five kilometres to collect inputs.
“This year, President Mugabe wants every farmer to grow either cotton, soya beans or maize and other small grains that Government would promote through inputs from the Presidential Well Wishers Inputs Support Scheme,” he said.
Dr Made said GMB and Cottco should speed-up the opening of satellite depots, so that farmers could receive their inputs easily.
“They must continue opening satellite depots across the country so that farmers will receive inputs nearer to their homes. We want all remote parts of the country to be covered because the President wants everyone to benefit from this scheme,” he said.
Minister Made challenged GMB to speed up the payment of farmers, especially those who would have delivered small grains so that they could acquire additional inputs.
“The President also said farmers must buy additional inputs so that the area, which is planted across the country, increases. We, therefore, call upon GMB to speed-up paying farmers, especially those who delivered small grains so that they can prepare for the season timely,” he said.


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Kroger has opened its 1,000th ClickList store and also launched a new integrated digital shopping experience for its online shopping offering.
According to the company, the seamless digital experience focuses on providing Kroger customers with quicker and easier access to relevant products and recipes, digital coupons, weekly ads and shopping lists joined by an easy-to-use, fully integrated ClickList experience.
Yael Cosset, chief digital officer for Kroger, said, “Our customers tell us they want multiple ways to shop. We are committed to leveraging a combination of insights, advanced technology and our digital platform to give our customers the ability to shop when and how they want to make their lives easier.”
Kroger introduced its first ClickList store in November 2014 in Liberty Township, Ohio. The company’s 1,000th store with ClickList is located in Milford, Ohio, located near its headquarters in Cincinnati.


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Chicken nuggets are one of the hot favourite snack items for chicken lovers. Juicy, succulent chicken pieces encased in a crispy and crumbly coating - what's there not to like about this evergreen dish? A bizarre news about chicken nuggets recently surfaced on social media. Iceland Foods, a British supermarket chain, has sent a chicken nugget into space for the first time ever as a part of their 50th birthday celebrations. Take a look at their tweet to see the video of it being sent into space:
We don't know who needs to hear this, but we sent the first ever chicken nugget into space today ????????
Why? We have no idea, but it was out of this world! ???? pic.twitter.com/XGmkT9ShBO— Iceland Foods ❄ (@IcelandFoods) October 13, 2020
The video of the chicken nugget being sent into space has received over 600k views and counting on Twitter. Netizens couldn't get enough of the hilarious way to celebrate the 'out of the world' chicken nuggets. The video showed how the chicken nugget was thrown into space and its journey captured on camera. According to reports, the chicken nugget reached about 1.10 lakh feet above the Earth in a time period of 45 minutes. It then returned back and landed safely with a parachute as shown in the video.
Twitterati couldn't help but react to the unbelievable news. While some called it the first good news of the dreary year 2020, others wanted to know some more details about the 'out of the world' chicken nuggets. Take a look at some of the hilarious reactions:
We really DO deliver anywhere!! ????— Douglas Cramphorn (@Doug_Cramphorn) October 13, 2020
I thought "there MUST have been chicken nuggets in space, they send Americans up all the time" so I looked up all the known NASA menus...
They have sent chicken patties (larger, round), chicken teryaki & similar, but never nuggets. Well done! You beat America in this space race.— Bob Davies (@bobbigmac) October 14, 2020
Lots will ask 'Why?', but the real question is 'Why not?'
Well done, a applaud this.— Chris Amps (@ChrisAmps) October 14, 2020
What did you think of the unique birthday celebrations of the company? Would you like to see an Indian company attempt the chicken nugget feat too? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
About Aditi AhujaAditi loves talking to and meeting like-minded foodies (especially the kind who like veg momos). Plus points if you get her bad jokes and sitcom references, or if you recommend a new place to eat at.


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Negotiators came close but failed Tuesday to clinch a deal that could have helped boost the world economy by $1 trillion a year and cleared the way for a broader global agreement.
Diplomats from the World Trade Organization had been trying to forge an agreement before a trade ministers’ meeting next week in Bali, Indonesia. Achieving a deal in Bali is seen as a final effort to revive a broader 12-year effort to ease global trade rules.
The mini-deal discussed in Geneva had been intended, in part, to reduce delays and inefficiencies at national borders. Making it easier to move goods across borders could boost the global economy by nearly $1 trillion a year and support 21 million jobs, according to a report co-written by Jeffrey Schott, a senior fellow in international trade at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Individual countries still seek agreements among themselves. But experts say the failure to reach a global deal leaves poorer countries worse off.
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Michael Punke expressed “a great deal of sadness” over the failure in Geneva.
“We’re worried — alongside so many in this room — that a once-in-a-generation opportunity may have slipped our grasp,” Punke said. Schott said he’s hopeful that negotiators will salvage the deal.
“If this small test can’t be passed, there’s very little reason for confidence” that negotiators will ever reach the broader agreement, Schott said.


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Budding Jedi knights, Wookiees or roguish smugglers have been forced to wait a little longer to discover their destiny among the stars.
Galaxies is populated by strange creatures
Players could finally sign up for the Star Wars Galaxies game last week as Sony opened up registration to the public.
But software problems meant that, for many people, signing up took several frustrating hours.
Once players got in to the game they found that the game servers were offline because of database problems.
Star Wars Galaxies lets people live, adventure and explore the worlds depicted in the films and has been eagerly awaited by both players and pundits.
The game is set in the classic era of the Star Wars Universe during the star-spanning war kicked off by the destruction of the first Death Star.
The game has been tested by a few lucky players over the past few months, but last week the first proper players got the chance to sign up and start living in the Universe of Luke, Leia, Han and Chewbacca.
A copy of the game, which is currently only on sale in the US, costs $50 (£30). Players must also pay a monthly fee of between $12 and $15.
British fans will get their chance to sign up later in the summer.
But eager players keen to get to grips with Galaxies found that the futuristic world suffered some very old-fashioned problems.
On the first morning that the registration servers went live a series of bugs meant that many people had to try for up to five hours to complete the sign-up process.
Some players spent hours tuning their in-game characters only to find that crashes deleted all their hard work.
Sony put the problems down to the huge number of people registering.
The problems did not stop once people completed sign up and finished creating their characters.
The servers that sit behind the Galaxies game Universe had database problems which meant that some people had to delay their first foray into space.
Sony said all the problems were cleared up by Friday morning and it then had more than 17,000 people playing the game simultaneously.
Some Galaxies locations look familiar
The huge following that the movies enjoy is likely to mean that the game will be hugely popular and lead to many thousands of people spending weeks of their lives immersed in it.
Industry watchers are also keeping an eye on Galaxies and see it as a barometer for the future of the online gaming.
Many thousands of people play net-based, multiplayer games such as EverQuest but the staying power of such systems is yet to be proven.
The sheer number of people in the EverQuest world has made it a frustrating experience for many players and many are forced to queue to complete certain quests and adventures.


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SHANGHAI — Last September, a young Chinese laborer named Shi Zhaokun began working long hours at a huge manufacturing plant that produces Apple’s new iPhone 5C.
But on Oct. 9, Mr. Shi checked into a hospital, his family says. Soon after, he was pronounced dead of pneumonia. Although his identification papers said he was 20, Mr. Shi was in fact just 15.
In China, he was too young to legally work on a factory floor.
The Pegatron Corporation, the Taiwan manufacturer that employed him, said the workplace environment at the Shanghai plant was not the cause of his illness. But a spokeswoman acknowledged that several other young workers at the factory had also died in the past few months.
Labor rights activists say Pegatron has failed to explain at least five deaths. They say workers interviewed by China Labor Watch, a nonprofit group that monitors working conditions, have complained about long working hours and harsh working conditions at Pegatron, including some of the same pressures that in previous years led to safety problems at Foxconn Technology, Apple’s biggest contract supplier in China.
“Considering the sudden deaths of five people and the similar reason of the deaths, we believe there should be some relations between the tragedy and the working conditions in the factory," said Li Qiang, who runs China Labor Watch.
Apple released a statement Wednesday saying the company was saddened by the deaths and had sent independent medical experts from the United States and China to investigate the deaths.
“While they have found no evidence of any link to working conditions there, we realize that is of little comfort to the families who have lost their loved ones. Apple has a long-standing commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace for every worker in our supply chain, and we have a team working with Pegatron at their facility to ensure that conditions meet our high standards," the company said in a statement.
Apple has gone to great lengths over the past few years to improve conditions at the facilities that produce Apple products in China. It has insisted on new safety measures and supported higher wages and tighter restrictions on working hours.
While Pegatron says it strictly forbids its factories from hiring workers younger than 16, the legal working age in China, Mr. Shi was able to work using a falsified identity card. In his only month at Pegatron, he worked nearly 280 hours, often 12 hours a day, six days a week, according to work documents his family kept.
Apple’s supplier responsibility statement bars employees of supplier companies in China from working more than 60 hours a week; so does Chinese law. But Mr. Shi worked 79 hours in his first week, 77 in his second and 75 in his third, according to documents provided by his family.
The company said that the work logs the family kept were records of when the young man clocked in and out, and might not include breaks. The company said his hours did not exceed the legal limit.
In late July, China Labor Watch released a report claiming that Pegatron was violating Chinese laws and Apple’s own social responsibility code of conduct. Among other things, the group said that Pegatron was forcing employees to work unpaid overtime.
Executives at Pegatron, which has 100,000 workers in Shanghai, said they were taking the accusations seriously.
The company spokeswoman said that Pegatron was deeply distraught by the deaths of the workers but that an investigation of the working conditions in the Shanghai factory found nothing unusual.
The company tried to resolve the case of Shi Zhaokun by paying his family compensation of about 90,000 renminbi, or about $15,000, according to Shi Zhaokun’s uncle, Yang Sen.
But on Tuesday, Mr. Yang insisted the matter was still not resolved. He said something must have gone wrong at Pegatron. On Sept. 4, he said, his nephew passed a pre-employment physical and was declared healthy.


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Livent Corporation is investing US$5.5 million to advance E3 Metals Corp.’s proprietary ion-exchange lithium extraction technology towards commercialization.
The two companies have entered into an agreement to develop a process to produce battery quality lithium products from the lithium-enriched brines in the Leduc formation in Alberta.
Under the agreement, Livent will contribute up to US$5.5 million to the joint development project, with an initial US$1.5 million contribution to be made shortly upon closing of the agreement and following TSX Venture Exchange acceptance.
The first stage of the joint development project includes finalizing the commercial readiness of the ion exchange (IX) sorbent. The sorbent is used to produce a high purity lithium concentrate from Alberta brine.
Secondly the companies will build and operate a custom pilot plant in Alberta for testing of the IX process, and continue to process the concentrate into a saleable lithium project at a larger scale.
E3 Metals’ Leduc reservoir hosts a total of 6.7 million tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) inferred mineral resources within the Leduc reservoir formation in Alberta. The company’s plans are to deliver a process facility of 10,000 tonnes per year lithium hydroxide by 2022 and continue expansion to an eventual 50,000 tonnes per year.


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Fan queues and event-led marketing helped over 260 independent record stores to capitalise on the 2023 edition of Record Store Day. The annual event, conceived to drive a spike in vinyl music, proved a fillip to indie stores with fans queueing overnight to grab exclusive records and meet favourite artists.
Special vinyl releases made for the event were sold to mark the occasion. Chief among these were exclusive editions by The 1975 and Taylor Swift, whose exclusive double LP Folklore, sold out over 75,000 copies.
Record Store Day has an outstanding track record – pun intended – of bringing an old school feel to shopping for your favourite artists work.
Rough Trade West in Notting Hill hosted a festival worthy line-up performing throughout the day. Fans of Caitlin Rose, Oracle Sisters and even Master Peace clogged the streets, waiting for their favourite artists to perform an exclusive set.
Sales associate Rachel Still said: “It’s an annual event and it is our first year since Covid that we have had live bands, and it’s been really really busy. It’s a global event that’s great to be a part of.”
The 1975 released a Live with the Philharmonic Orchestra LP as well as accompanying CDs and vinyl. Frontman Matty Healy, who is an ambassador for the event, told Record Store Day UK: “We are really proud to be ambassadors, record stores are the lifeblood of the music industry and have played a crucial role in our story so far, it couldn’t be more important to support their vital community and culture.”
The band are no strangers to record store culture often encouraging their fans to tap into the tactility of vinyl for a humble approach to new music.
Conceived in 2007, the event is now in its sixteenth year of celebrating the people who make up the world of record stores. It’s safe to say that Record Store Day 2023 was a huge hit, and we look forward to what the next one brings.


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Food prices decline in June quarter
The price of food fell by 0.9% in the June quarter but still maintained a lofty 4.8% rate of inflation for the year to June.
The food group fell in all capital cities and offset rises in most other categories measured by the ABS.
The major catalysts for decline were vegetables (-6.9%) and fruit (-7.6%), both of which benefited from peak growing seasons and favourable weather patterns. Removal of a tax on milk and a weakened dairy environment contributed to a 3.0% fall in milk prices. Partially off-setting price falls were take away and fast foods (+1.1%) and restaurant meals (+0.8%).
Over the twelve months to June quarter 2009, twenty three of the twenty six food categories rose to ensure a 4.8% rise across the food group. Increases occurred in all capital cities and were mainly driven by general price rises in take away and fast foods (+5.7%), restaurant meals (+4.1%) and fruit – which still rose 7.7% for the year despite the substantial fall in prices this quarter.
Food commodity prices indicate further price declines ahead
The Westpac-NFF Commodity Index this week showed a 12.7% decline in the price of key food commodities, signalling that lower prices could be seen for a few more months to come given the time lag between lower commodity prices and lower grocery prices. The National Farmers Federation believes the lower prices are unlikely to last, however, as trends seen before the financial markets crashed begin to return.


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We have seen lots of different ways Nokia have been promoting Lumia 800 Windows Phone devices from the past. The latest one seems to be really cool. Nokia Germany as part of its promotion campaign for Lumia 800 have made this arrangement where a Lumia 800 was placed inside a huge block of ice and the passers were instructed that if they take the device out of the ice block, they can get a free Nokia Lumia 800 device ! !
If you remember, we have seen similar marketing concept was done by Microsoft France in the past to promote Windows Phone. You can watch the video of that event here.


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The company is reminding users that they won’t be collecting any more data than they were before and the new terms have several added perks–more accurate web search results, features that work across various platforms, and more targeted advertisements–however, as Internet watch dogs have expressed, folks aren’t buying it.
Google’s shift from profiling users separately on each of its products and sites to a single compilation of data found in profile form has users up in arms. Â The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a San Francisco-based nonprofit foundation that advocates for online privacy and digital right, stated: “Search data can reveal particularly sensitive information about you, including facts about your location, interests, age, sexual orientation, religion, health concerns, and more.”
Forget signing in
Many Google services don’t require users to sign in, so don’t even bother. If you are not logged into Google + or Gmail, Google won’t know who you are and, thus, can’t add data to your profile. Happy searching!
Turn off Google search history
Sign in to your Google account. Then go to www.google.com/history or go to “Account Settingsâ€ menu at the top of your navigation settings. Go to the “Servicesâ€ section and choose whether you’d like to view, enable or disable your web history.