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Bigger mobile phone screens boost mobile video consumption: Study
Washington: Mobile phones with larger screens reportedly play an important part in increased mobile video consumption, a new study has found.
The poll conducted by analyst Strategy Analytics targeted more than 3,000 mobile users in the US, China, the U.K., France, Germany and Spain.
The respondents were asked as to which factors would make them watch more video on their mobile device.
Currently, almost three-quarters (72%) of consumers watch video on their mobile phone, according to the analyst`s data, but the frequency is low - with less than half (44%) doing so once a week or more, and less than 1 in 7 (15%) doing so daily, Tech Crunch reported.
The Chinese turned out to be the heaviest consumers of mobile video, with 59 percent watching mobile video every week against 40 percent of Americans.
Meanwhile, the largest portion of mobile video refuseniks were the French, with 38 percent saying they don`t watch any video on their handsets, followed by 37 percent of the British, the report added.
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Since 1990 the Electronic Frontier Foundation has defended free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights online. Bogus copyright and trademark complaints have threatened all kinds of creative expression on the Internet. EFF’s Hall Of Shame collects the worst of the worst.
DeBeer’s attempt to take down New York Times Special Edition website is listed on the EFF’s Hall of Shame. I am proud.

domain: news


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* ICDX hopes to launch tin futures in 2014
* Follows controversial physical tin contract
* Indonesia wants greater influence on tin prices
By Michael Taylor
JAKARTA, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Indonesia's main commodities exchange is planning to build on its physical tin contract by offering tin futures next year that it hopes could help win trade from the London Metal Exchange.
Indonesia in August forced all its tin ingot exporters to trade on the Indonesia Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (ICDX), before shipping the solder material, in a bid to raise prices and curb illegal mining, as well as to gain a greater say over global prices now dominated by the LME.
Since the new regulation was introduced, shipments have plummeted from the world's top exporter of the refined metal, with half the smelters in top tin-producing region Bangka Belitung halting operations and state-owned PT Timah declaring force majeure.
Undeterred by industry criticism, the ICDX business development team is now conducting extensive studies on a tin futures contract, with concrete plans due to be announced by the first quarter of next year with an eye on a 2014 launch, the bourse's chief told Reuters.
"It definitely has to be next year," ICDX Chief Executive Officer Megain Widjaja said of the tin futures plans. "There is a need to create a hedging mechanism built on the tin contract - it is something that we need to take a look at. Hopefully we can announce our strategic move in the first quarter."
Several top tier LME members, including JPMorgan Chase , have started to look at whether to join the Indonesian bourse, sources said last week, in a sign the physical contract was picking up momentum.
ICDX currently has 14 registered tin buyers and 17 tin seller members, Widjaja said.
As of Wednesday, around 700 lots of tin had traded on the exchange, eqivalent to 3500 tonnes, up around 6 percent from the full month of October.
This is still a fraction of the LME tin contract where 185,821 lots traded last month, equivalent to 929,105 tonnes.
"They've got to get the funds and consumers on board ... I don't think that is likely," a London trader said.
Southeast Asia's biggest economy has shown no signs of watering down the trading rule, contrary to some market expectations, as it has done with other regulations such as its tin purity law.
The Indonesian government is focusing on making the new tin contracts work before looking at rolling out similar domestic trading regulations for other commodities, Widjaja added.


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Why Apple is not taking its case to court over iPhone 4S sale
Apple is refusing to take its case against Samsung to the US court system, despite a recent ruling from a US district court that it should.
Apple is claiming that the company should be able to appeal a US judge’s decision in the case, but is refusing on the grounds that it has been wrongly blocked by the courts.
The case, known as Samsung vs Apple, has been going on for years, and was a huge headache for Apple.
It involved a US-based firm selling a new smartphone to a US court that the iPhone maker said had a right to a fair trial.
Apple argued that Samsung had violated the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruling by trying to get it to take the case to US courts, despite the fact that it did not have a case there.
“It is clear that Samsung’s request to intervene in the United States District Court is in violation of the law and the court’s order,” Apple said in a statement released to the media on Friday.
“The court’s ruling will not allow Apple to challenge the validity of the Federal Circuit’s order.
The court’s decision will be enforced by the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
Apple cannot take this case to the Federal Courts in San Francisco and San Jose, where Samsung has been granted a temporary restraining order.”
Samsung’s lawsuit claimed that Apple breached the US Constitution by trying not to take part in the trial, arguing that the FTC’s ruling on the issue had been made by a “secret, non-public, nonjudgmental, and unadjudicated court”.
“Samsung is not a party to this case, and Samsung does not seek to delay or impede the outcome of the trial,” Samsung said in the statement.
“Samsung will defend itself vigorously in the court proceedings, and will vigorously challenge any attempt by Apple to delay the trial or prevent Samsung from presenting its evidence.”
Samsung and Apple have not made any comment on the court order, which was issued in January, and it is not clear what it means for Samsung’s case.
However, Apple’s position is likely to be strengthened by a ruling from the Supreme Court in April.


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In a UK marketing stunt of epic proportions, a bus-sized dragon skull washed up on Dorset’s “Jurassic Coast” — known for its dinosaur fossils — to honour the arrival of “Game of Thrones” season 3 on streaming service Blinkbox.
The 40 foot long, 9 foot tall skull took two months to complete and is the coolest GOT campaign since February when HBO took out a two-page ad in the New York Times in which the shadow of a dragon eclipsed the paper’s copy.
Taylor Herring PR is responsible for the Blinkbox campaign. Last month it created a 12 foot statue of Mr. Darcy from “Pride and Prejudice” emerging from the Serpentine in London to celebrate the launch of a UKTV’s new “Drama” channel.
An ichthyosaur, a dolphin like creature which lived 220-65 million years ago, was found in the area in 2004. This is the first dragon.
Ichthyosaur, a dolphin like creature which lived 220-65 million years ago.
HBO took out a two-page ad, showing a dragon shadow over text, in February for the season three premiere.
But Blinkbox was responsible for this stunt, created to celebrate the show's arrival on the company's streaming TV and movie service.
Blinkbox worked with PR firm Taylor Herring, which put a 12 foot Mr. Darcy in the Serpentine last month for a TV channel launch.
The scene was inspired by a moment when GOT character Arya Stark finds dragon skulls in King's Landing on the show.
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NVIDIA, the prominent artificial intelligence chipmaker, just released its second-quarter earnings report after a boom year so far for its stock.
- Nvidia, the prominent artificial intelligence chipmaker, just released its second-quarter earnings report.
- NVDA shares have soared immensely this year, paralleling the skyrocketing popularity of artificial intelligence.
Notably, Nvidia's chips are integral to the operations of generative AI, which can produce new content ranging from text to images, underpinning the functionality of AI services like ChatGPT.
One of the first AI programs was created in 1965 by Carl Djerassi. It was named DENDRAL and it automatically discovered unknown forms of medications.
NVIDIA Earnings Summary
Nvidia, the chip manufacturer, saw a 5% increase in its share price during Thursday's morning trading session on Wall Street. This comes after the firm announced better-than-expected top and bottom-line figures and provided a promising outlook for the next quarter.
For the fiscal second quarter, Nvidia revealed an adjusted earnings per share of $2.70, surpassing the Refinitiv consensus projection of $2.09. Additionally, their quarterly revenue stood at $13.51 billion, compared to an anticipated $11.22 billion.
Analysts also emphasized the company's robust revenue projection for the forthcoming quarter. Nvidia forecasts roughly $16 billion for its fiscal third quarter, a significant 170% rise from the same period last year.
When the company unveiled its first-quarter results, they surpassed all expectations. Moreover, Jensen Huang, the CEO, hinted at bolstering supply to match the booming demand. In the midst of this anticipation, the stock recently peaked at $481 but has since burst through $500.
NVIDIA Stock Price Forecast
Source: TradingView FlowBank
After enduring a significant decline in 2022, mirroring the downturn experienced by the Nasdaq Composite and other tech stocks, NVIDIA rebounded in an impressive fashion. In October 2022, the stock found its floor alongside the broader market and embarked on a spirited rally. This culminated in the stock achieving a fresh all-time high of around $480 before pulling back to $400 before once again testing all-time highs.
Such resilience underscores NVIDIA's robustness, even in turbulent market conditions. But as past performance has shown, the stock is no stranger to substantial moves post-earnings releases.
One of the few tools that can provide a useful upside target to stocks in an uptrend is the Fibonacci extension. Taking the extension from the 2020 low to the 2022 high down to the 2022 low, the first upside target of 410 was hit, and the next target at 493 was narrowly missed. Should the uptrend continue, 597 is the next target based on the 1.618 Extension.
Upside potential for NVIDIA
Blowout earnings: Given the surging trend in artificial intelligence, Nvidia's projections are astounding. Their earnings are poised to spike by 116% in 2024 in comparison to 2023, with a further growth of 39% expected in 2025. This means their earnings per share might escalate to $10.04 in 2025 from a mere $1.45 in 2020. Such exponential growth within half a decade is exactly what delights growth investors.
Strong momentum: Nvidia's remarkable performance, with a staggering 212% surge in shares this year, has led the gains among the "Magnificent Seven" stocks, which comprises giants like Apple, Meta, and Microsoft. They even touched the $1 trillion market cap in May, an accolade only eight other companies hold.
However, it's not all rosy. Any slips in Nvidia's earnings could plummet its stock value and potentially impact other tech stocks. The volatility of Nvidia shares after earnings announcements cannot be overlooked. With the broader tech market showing signs of fatigue and factors like weak retail earnings and high Treasury yields exerting pressure, the stakes are high.
Supply Chain Complications: While NVIDIA's prospects seem largely optimistic, looming supply chain issues could temper this outlook. The capacity constraints related to chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS), an essential element in AI chipmaking, present a significant challenge. This high-end packaging technology has seen an unprecedented demand spike this year, with behemoths like NVIDIA, Broadcom, and Amazon escalating production to cater to the booming end-market interest.
Dependency on External Vendors: Taiwan Semiconductor, the globe's premier chip contractor, has grappled with the surging demand, causing potential bottlenecks in production and supply. NVIDIA, despite securing a sizable 40% of TSMC's CoWoS capacity for the year, has been compelled to diversify its sourcing. They've had to turn to alternative providers like the Arizona-based Amkor Technology and Taiwan's United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) to ensure they meet the demand.
As AI continues to shape the future, Nvidia's performance has the potential to sway the tech market's trajectory.
While NVIDIA's trajectory in the AI domain appears poised for impressive growth, potential supply chain hiccups could introduce uncertainties in their path. Investors should closely monitor the balance of these upside and downside potentials in the coming months.


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Wells Fargo, the US' third-largest bank, said profit remained flat in the first quarter of 2017 while it made progress on rebuilding trust with customers and investors after a sales scandal.
The lender reported net income of $5.5bn (£4.4bn) for the quarter to 31 March, which was flat compared with the previous year.
Diluted earnings per share increased to $1.00, up from $0.99 in the first quarter of 2016.
The company's total revenue was down slightly from $22.2bn in 2016 to $22bn, which was lower than forecasts.
Why it's interesting
Unlike rivals JP Moragan and Citigroup, which today boasted growing profits in their quarterly results, Well Fargo's account opening scandal is still weighing on the bank's performance.
John Stumpf quit as chief executive in October in the wake of the investigation into claims that the bank's employers opened as many as two million unauthorised new accounts using current customer names.
The firm is still cleaning up the mess. It agreed to pay $110m in a settlement of a customer lawsuit in March, and in September the bank paid $185m to settle regulatory charges and sacked over 5,000 employees.
What Wells Fargo said
Chief executive Tim Sloan said Wells Fargo made "meaningful" progress in the first quarter to rebuild trust with customers and important stakeholders.
We have taken significant actions throughout the company to date and we are committed to building a better bank as we move Wells Fargo forward. Earlier this week, the independent directors of Wells Fargo’s board of directors issued a report on their investigation into the company's retail banking sales practices. The findings are valuable to us and beneficial in helping to identify areas for further improvement.
While we have more work to do, I am pleased with all we have accomplished thus far. Our 273,000 team members have remained committed to helping our customers succeed financially, as reflected in improved retail customer service scores, record levels of deposits, more primary consumer checking customers, record client assets in wealth and investment management, and industry-leading mortgage originations


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Tea delivery business Ringtons has recorded a rise in turnover and profit – and issued a bullish update on trading during the coronavirus crisis.
The company’s accounts for the year ending June 28, 2019, showed that turnover rose 1.6% to £61.1m while operating profit shot up 30% to £3.7m.
The firm’s headcount rose to 560 during the year and directors said they were investing in improvements to its facilities and capacity.
CEO Simon Smith said the firm had seen a rise in enquiries for the firm’s traditional home delivery service as a result of the rise in number of people now working from home.
Some had decided to suspend the service, but other regular customers have been calling to see if their delivery is still on its way.
He said: “Broadly speaking, we have managed to, up to this point, maintain our ongoing fortnightly service to customers, and we’re now getting more.
“There are a lot more people now at home who know they can get a delivery, so we have taken on more new customers in the last couple of weeks.
“Tea consumption in periods of distress like this goes up. I’ve been into a couple of supermarkets and can see that people are stocking up.
“But I can’t see there being any huge increase in sales long term. It will all come back.”
Mr Smith said strict hygiene guidelines were being adhered to across the business and paid tribute to his loyal staff, revealing action has also been taken to streamline production of its stock lines, meaning just core products are being made for now.
“We are fortunate that the team we work with are enormously loyal and committed, and that goes for all areas of the business. They are dedicated to doing whatever they can.
“Numbers are down at the Balliol factory so we are restricting it to core products.
“There are usually 400-plus made there but it’s been cut to 100 products and that’s across all our customers.
“I think, bearing in mind the business is a long term business, it’s financially strong, we have a fully committed staff so I think we are in as good a position as we can be,
“It’s business as usual as much as possible.
“And financially we can cope. We believe in reinvesting in the business and in putting money away for a rainy day and this is the kind of thing we can cope with, I think.
“We are a 113-year-old business and we’ve been through two world wars. British bulldog spirit is everywhere - we will bounce back.”


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Halfbrick, the studio behind mobile megahits like Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, has partnered up with Krome, another Australian Studio, to bring some of its old games back… Continue reading
Halfbrick globally launches their old school beat-em-up platformer Dan the Man onto Android today
Halfbrick, known for their previous games like Jetpack Joyride, recently launched an old school beat-em-up platformer called Dan the Man in a location limited capacity. Today they have finally pushed the game into a global launch and is now available for download in most regions of the world.
[UPDATE: Game Released] Halfbrick begins beta testing their new skateboarding themed game called Star Skater
Halfbrick has begun closed beta testing their new game onto Android called Star Skater which, as the title of the game hints at, is themed around skateboarding. Since it is themed around this sport, this also means you will be able to bust out plenty of tricks as well.
We briefly touched on Back to the Future franchise’s upcoming birthday the other day in our post about Telltale Games’ impromptu Q&A session on Twitter. Unfortunately none of the Back to the Future stuff talked about was heading to mobile. The good news is that there is actually some Back to the Future goodness coming to mobile to celebrate its anniversary, but in the form of a new themed event in Jetpack Joyride.
Halfbrick’s fruit murdering game Fruit Ninja has been out for five years. It is actually hard to imagine this game having been out for five years but it has since today is the game’s 5th birthday. To celebrate, Halfbrick has released the game’s biggest update ever. In truth, it is a double milestone event as the game has also crossed a billion downloads.
[UPDATE: Game Released] Halfbrick will be releasing Radical Rappelling onto Google Play tomorrow
Tomorrow is turning out to be a pretty big day of game releases already for Android gamers to check out. Another game we can expect to arrive tomorrow is a new title from Halfbrick called Radical Rappelling. This particular game goes back to Halfbrick’s roots in a lot of ways, where it is all about getting a high score, similar to Jetpack Joyride.
Halfbrick has been doing a decent amount of updating to their games the past few months and today Monster Dash is the latest game to get an update. In this case it is Ghostbusters themed content that has come to the game but there also happens to be plenty of changes to the game as well with this update.
Were you on the lookout for a relatively cheap game that delivers twin-stick shooting action, zombies, and multiple weapons of destruction, all wrapped up in a package trimmed with silliness and some attitude? Then have I got a game for you.
Age of Zombies by Halfbrick has been getting consistent updates over the past month in what the company has been calling Zombie Month. Today the biggest update for the game during this Zombie Month has arrived and it is basically a whole new DLC which is called Season 2.
Just two weeks after having released a massive update to the venerable mobile hit, Fruit Ninja, Halfbrick Studios is at it again with yet another surprise up its sleeve: a Ghostbusters crossover! Right on time for Halloween and the Ghostbusters 30th anniversary celebration, Halfbrick has launched a themed update that adds all new weapons, animations and locations based on the beloved cinematic franchise.


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Apple Pay, the popular mobile payment service from the American tech giant, is soon to make its debut in Vietnam.
Vietnamese consumers who own iPhones and Apple Watches will soon have the convenience of making direct payments for services at retail outlets, eliminating the need for credit or debit cards.
On July 14, a prominent Vietnamese bank announced its forthcoming support for Apple Pay services, allowing users to easily link their bank's credit and debit card information to the Apple Pay platform via Apple Wallet or the dedicated app.
Moreover, individuals using an Apple Watch with their iPhone will also be able to independently make secure payments.
At least three other major banks in Vietnam are reportedly working on launching updated versions of their mobile banking applications to facilitate Apple's contactless payment system, with an expected rollout scheduled for the end of this month.
The introduction of Apple Pay in Vietnam marks a significant development in the country's digital payment landscape, offering users a convenient and secure alternative to traditional card-based transactions.
Apple Pay, initially launched in the United States in October 2014, revolutionised the payment industry by leveraging near-field communication technology.
Instead of relying on physical cards, iPhone and Apple Watch users can simply place their devices near payment terminals in supermarkets, stores, and restaurants to initiate transactions. Authentication methods such as fingerprint scanning (via Touch ID) or facial recognition (via Face ID) ensure the utmost security during the payment process.
Apple has reassured users that their credit and debit card information is stored securely on their devices, with encryption measures in place within the Bionic chip to safeguard against unauthorised access.
Each transaction is further authenticated using a unique and non-repeating code sequence, ensuring the privacy of customer data. This level of security surpasses that of traditional physical cards, as store employees or merchants cannot view card numbers or security codes during the payment process.
As Apple Pay gains traction globally, the service has grown in popularity among consumers and merchants due to its seamless functionality and the absence of additional service fees. This applies to the numerous markets where Apple Pay is already available, with the fees being covered by the issuing banks.
While Apple Vietnam has yet to issue an official statement regarding the reports, the upcoming availability of Apple Pay in the Vietnamese market is expected to transform the way individuals conduct transactions, bringing enhanced convenience, security, and efficiency to the country's payment ecosystem.
| ||Vietnam prepares for launch of corporate bond trading platform |
The Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) and Vietnam Securities Depository (VSD) are gearing up for the official launch of a dedicated platform for corporate bonds on July 19, having completed rigorous system tests and operational guidelines.
| ||Apple retailers set for price competition shake-up |
The latest introduction of a standardised framework by Apple’s online store in Vietnam is likely to redefine the competitive landscape, creating a level playing field for retailers and raising the expectations of customers.
| ||Vietnam grapples with challenges in cashless payments |
The evolution of cashless payments in Vietnam came under the spotlight at a recent conference convened by the Institute for Digital Economy Strategy (IDS) in Ho Chi Minh City. The seminar aimed to analyse the existing legislative landscape, identify barriers to advancement, and propose potential regulatory enhancements to bolster cashless transactions.


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Philips Lighting, makers of the popular HomeKit-compatible Hue lights, is announcing several major new initiatives at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. Not only is the company launching an updated version of it’s Hue app for iOS in coming months, an all-new Mac app will be debuting soon in coordination with an over-the-air software update for existing Hue products.
Finally, Philips has promised a line of new Hue products coming this summer…
Go to original Source
Author: Michael Steeber
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Founded in February by Tim Armstrong, former chief executive officer of AOL, dtx has created a platform called UNBOX that helps direct-to-consumer brands that have traditionally relied on social media to branch out and scale their sales with multichannel marketing that includes both online and offline marketing materials. It’s set to launch in September.
Quad has established a long-term partnership to provide multichannel marketing support for UNBOX, through which it plans to help brands acquire and retain customers with personalized data-driven experiences, integration of online and offline media, and the rapid creation of marketing content.
The legacy commercial printing company in recent years has been increasing its focus on multichannel marketing and digital products as it adjusts to the changing media market. For example, Quad invested a total of $20.7 million for a majority interest in Chicago-based digital marketing firm Rise Interactive in over the past few years, acquired Minnesota creative agency Periscope for $132.5 million in November, and acquired Chinese marketing and advertising firm Ivie & Associates Inc. for $92.5 million last year.
“We’re tremendously excited to announce this strategic investment and long-term partnership with dtx and UNBOX. We share a common vision for supporting the next generation of great brands and the direct-to-consumer economy,” said Joel Quadracci, chairman, president and CEO of Quad. “We are the ideal marketing partner for these brands as we can help them create personalized, multichannel programs that accelerate their business, efficiencies and outcomes.”
“Today’s consumers want instant and direct access to brands, and direct-to-consumer brands want instant and transparent access to consumers in an environment that allows them to manage their brand, customer acquisition costs, and data. With Quad’s help, we can provide an ecosystem that is a matchmaker, not a middleman,” said Armstrong, who was also formerly the CEO of Oath and held leadership roles at Google.


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- Journal Archives
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Connecticut begins investigating Groupon for possible violations of consumer protection laws that prohibit coupons from expiring.
Some believe the value of social media website Facebook may have reached the $100 billion mark.
Apple wins preliminary ruling that HTC infringed two of its patents.
Spotify officially launched its U.S. site this past Thursday.
Several state law enforcement agencies plan to equip their forces with facial recognition devices, raising controversy over civil liberties and privacy.
Google+, a new social networking site with millions of users, offers its users more privacy controls than rival company Facebook.
After admitting that the iPhone retains location information about its users, Apple may face class action lawsuit led by South Korean lawyer.
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- EU Charges Google with Antitrust Violations
- After Adobe, will more data breach cases survive a standing challenge?
- Can the FCC Create Net Neutrality?
- AT&T Levied with the Largest Privacy and Data Security Action the FCC has Ever Taken
- MLBPA Contemplates Legal Action Against the Cubs
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Swintt, a Malta-based online casino games provider, has announced David Mann’s promotion to the rank of chief commercial officer.
Mann, praised as being “instrumental to the company’s sustained growth and market position,” first joined Swintt as director of business development in early May 2019.
In the new position, via its global customer list and potential customers, Mann will take full commercial responsibility for Swintt, with the supplier announcing that it has a variety of new products lined up for 2021, as well as a multitude of new business entries.
Of the new position, Mann said: “Since joining Swintt from the very start I’m proud of our progress across all areas of the business. I’m honoured and excited to be taking on the new challenge as CCO for Swintt and continue to shape our forward momentum going into a huge year for us.”
In the igaming industry, Mann has over a decade of experience, including positions at Betway, Spigo, William Hill, and Wazdan.
Glitnor Group CEO David Flynn commented: “David has been the driving force behind Swintt’s explosive growth for the last 18 months, and has shown through his abilities, actions and performance that he is well placed to lead Swintt’s commercial progress into next year and beyond.
“I’m very happy for David and know he will excel in this role as we continue to build Swintt into one of the fastest growing and most innovative igaming suppliers.”


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On March 31, the Italian government issued a decree that would see cruise ships and large commercial vessels banned from the Venetian lagoon, and calling for tenders to be sought to construct a new port outside the lagoon.
Indeed, it arrived on June 3, taking the usual route past St Mark’s Square and up the Giudecca Canal, before parking up at the port to await the city’s first cruisers in 17 months.
Anti-cruise campaigners immediately swung into action. The Comitato No Grandi Navi, which opposes the cruise industry in the city, announced a protest for the ship’s departure on June 5, with campaigners occupying the waterfront along which it will pass.
This isn’t the only ship coming to Venice this year. MSC will have two based out of Venice, while the Costa Deliziosa will use the city as its homeport from June 26.
So what exactly is going on?


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London’s top female sommeliers
Close your eyes and think of a sommelier. What image springs to mind? Did you picture a middle-aged Frenchman with a bunch of grapes pinned proudly to his lapel?
While this stereotype has been unswervingly pervasive in the wine trade, particularly among consumers, it is one that is proving to be increasingly out of step with reality. In fact, it’s being smashed to pieces by a new tranche of fresh-faced female sommeliers.
Not only are sommeliers getting younger, perhaps a reflection of a rising interest in wine by millennial consumers, but the split between men and women working in the trade is getting narrower. True, of the 229 Master Sommeliers worldwide just 29 are women, giving an insight into the imbalance on a global scale.
However, the number of women working in the industry has expanded exponentially in recent years. This is particularly true of London, a city at the forefront of emerging wine trends and one that more readily welcomes those with passion and perseverance who may be lacking formal qualifications. Of the many female sommeliers working in the capital, six stand out as leading the charge in shaping the city’s wine scene and breaking the mould of what it means to be a sommelier.
Click through for an insight into the wine trade as seen through the eyes of some of London’s most dynamic female sommeliers…
One veteran of London’s wine scene is Loire-born Laure Patry, who has worked in the capital for over a decade. After a brief stint studying literature in north Yorkshire, Patry hit her sommelier stride in 2003, taking up the position of assistant head sommelier at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, becoming head sommelier at just 25. After helping launch Maze, Patry joined Jason Atherton’s culinary empire as group head sommelier in 2011, overseeing the launch of Pollen Street Social in Mayfair. This year she was handed the reins at Atherton’s latest casual dining venture, Social Wine & Tapas in Marylebone.
For Patry, London’s acceptance of experience over an MS qualification sets it apart from other cities. “All of the top restaurants in Paris have sommeliers and they are mostly male,” she says. “People stay in the same restaurant for a long time and the staff are much older.” By contrast, suggest Patry, “London is more about what you’ve been doing or where you’ve been working and your experience on the floor. You get more opportunities. I’d never have been a head sommelier at my age in France.”
Julia Oudill, who at 25 is head sommelier of Compagnie des Vins Surnaturelle (CVS) in Covent Garden, is a prime example of the opportunities afforded to young sommeliers in London. Oudill began her career working at a handful of two and three Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris.
“To have a young female sommelier was uncommon at the time, so I was already a little bit strange”, she says, admitting that people had trouble trusting her due to her age. Despite working at prestigious restaurants, Oudill felt compelled to do “something younger and more rock and roll” and left Paris for London in November 2013 to work at small grower champion CVS, founded by the brains behind the Experimental Cocktail Club. “I wanted to do something different and to be able to sell a great bottle of wine with a plate of ham while listening to Lenny Kravitz. Wine shouldn’t only be for rich people that can afford to spend £300 on a bottle,” she says, describing the scene in Paris as “a little bit more old-fashioned” than London.
“The top sommeliers are in the game for many years and the wines stay the same. London is more open-minded and everyone wants the best. They don’t care where it comes from, your age, gender or nationality,” she reveals. While keen not to pay too much attention to the prejudice that still surrounds being a woman in a male dominated industry, Oudill admits that she is mindful of how she presents herself on the restaurant floor. “Female sommeliers have to be more professional and work twice as hard as their male colleagues because if you make the slightest mistake then someone will blame it on the fact that you’re a woman”, she says.
Despite pockets of prejudice, Oudill believes that consumers now enjoy having a sommelier that “isn’t a 45-year-old Frenchman”, and equality within the industry has been achieved.
Compared to her French counterparts, US-born sommelier Sandia Chang had a very different introduction to the wine trade. Starting out in California then moving to cutting edge restaurants like René Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen and Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York, Chang felt very little prejudice, despite working in a male dominated industry.
In 2010 Chang moved to London to take up a sommelier position at the five-star Berkeley Hotel in Mayfair, which offered a more traditional experience than Noma or Per Se. “The sommeliers were all men and wore gold badges, but London has changed a lot since then. Today’s chefs have travelled and they come back with a new attitude to eating. Consumers are also a lot younger and know a lot more about food and drink,” she says.
Explaining how London’s attitude towards qualifications has changed, Chang believes people “don’t really care” about that badge on your uniform anymore. “Now when people say they want to get the diploma or MS people make fun of it. Who wants a badge? It’s very old school,” she says.
In 2012, she opened Bubbledogs in Fitzrovia with her husband James Knappett, ex-head chef of Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley. The gourmet hot dog and grower Champagne venue was partly inspired by Crif Dogs in New York’s East Village, which is accessed through a secret door. The couple’s fine dining concept, Kitchen Table, opened in a private dining room at the back of the restaurant shortly after. Asked why more women are choosing to become sommeliers, Chang believes the industry is a “little bit more human” now. “Everyone realised that there needed to be a better work-life balance, more women in the industry and less testosterone trying to prove something,” she says.
One woman who has achieved the notoriously difficult Master Sommelier qualification is Kathrine Larsen, who last year swapped the restaurant floor for the sales floor, becoming an account manager for UK wine wholesaler Enotria.
“I had a feeling that I would have to be off the floor if I wanted to expand my perspective and develop myself, which included getting to know the market from a different angle – and I’d be lying if I didn’t say the hours were more flexible,” says Larsen of the move. While no longer on the restaurant floor, Larsen feels negative reactions to female sommeliers are becoming “less frequent”, but that there is still an expectation that a sommelier should be male, middle-aged and have a southern European accent.
“London and New York are two of the most modern and open-minded cities in the world, and the idea of a female sommelier is more welcome and respected there”, she says, but concedes that in most people’s minds wine is still a male domain. “It has changed a lot over the past decade and is improving by the day. The best way to change people’s view is to expose the public to more female sommeliers,” she says. While as many women as men are now taking the top spots in the industry, there is a greater imbalance further down the hierarchy, which is still dominated by men. “We’re getting closer to equality. I think more women will continue to enter the industry and when younger women hear about their success, they’ll be encouraged to want to work in wine,” she says.
Echoing Larsen’s comments is 27-year-old Sunaina Sethi, co-owner and wine buyer for Michelin-starred Indian restaurants Gymkhana and Trishna, who believes it is the responsibility of the trade to communicate the opportunities available to women in the hospitality industry. “Working in hospitality is seen as a way of earning a bit of money before moving on to something else, but I’d love to see more people viewing it as a career choice”, says Sethi, who turned her back on a promising career in finance to work in catering at the age of 23.
“I worked closely with the then sommelier and realised I could have a career in wine. Before that I saw wine as a hobby. It never dawned on me that it was something you could do as a career,” she says. Recalling her first Bordeaux tasting, Sethi admits her early days in the trade were “tricky” given both her age and gender. “The room was filled with 20 men in suits all over the age of 50. It was as one of the most daunting experiences of my life. You think ‘What am I doing here?’ But I haven’t had an experience like that since”, she says. Having to prove herself to sceptical customers was also a challenge. “It’s quite daunting when you have a table of older gentlemen who know a lot about wine and are keen to order something they like. I was only 23 at the time. They would ask for the sommelier and I would say I was the sommelier and I’d get a few funny looks, but I always enjoyed the challenge. It was a chance to show them that I knew what I was talking about,” she says.
When asked about the perception of women working in the industry, Sethi notes a positive change. “There was a time when female sommeliers had a point to prove, but that’s over now”, she concludes.
Sommelier and wine consultant Emily Harman, who started in the industry 11 years ago as a waitress, is equally confident of London’s progressive nature. Underlining the city’s belief in the value of experience, Harman says: “A lot people come to London because it’s a lot harder to succeed in countries like Italy and France where you have to go to sommelier school. In London you can work your way up,” she says.
Harman’s CV boasts sommelier stints at the River Café in Hammersmith, with Xavier Rousset MS at 28-50 and Texture, and at Melbourne’s Attica. Her most recent position was as group wine buyer and sommelier for The Zetter Group, where she ran the wine list and training programme for Bistrot Bruno Loubet and oversaw the opening of Grain Store near King’s Cross in 2013.
Last year she founded her own wine consultancy Vina Lupa. “What’s great about London is that you have men and women from different backgrounds and cultures. When you put everyone together it’s a melting pot of talent, which is a great thing. A lot of male sommeliers have been a positive influence and have helped me along in my career,” she says.
Believing an increase in young sommeliers to be more significant than gender imbalance, Harman cites Bastien Ferreri, who at 25 became head sommelier at the two-Michelin-starred Hibiscus in Mayfair. “That probably wouldn’t have happened in the past”, she says, adding, “If you look at a lot of head sommelier positions in London there’s been a huge shift in style and age”. While acknowledging that there is still prejudice towards women in the industry, Harman hasn’t personally experienced it. “Everyone realises that they are there to do a job. A lot of women I know that work in the trade are fiercely independent, driven and ambitious,” she says. “Good luck to anyone who challenges them.”


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Broadcom and Symantec have been negotiating a deal this year but, it seems, they have ceased their talks, at least for now. According to people familiar with the conversation, the deal cannot continue because Symantec will not accept anything less than $28 per share.
Earlier this month—when it was announced that they were in advanced talks with Broadcom—Symantec share price surged, in hopes they would acquire the security software vendor. At that time, it was reported that the two sides had been negotiating a price that could have been around $1.5 billion.
And with these negotiations come to a close, Symantec shares plummeted 12.8 percent, to $22.30, resulting in a market value of about $14 billion. Broadcom shares, on the other hand, posted up 2 percent, at $291.32.
Now, Symantec has been criticized over the past few years as management turnover and a slowing core business have put a strain on them. Indeed, Symantec has had a hard time competing with new cloud security companies to come to the market, capturing a significant amount of shares thanks to new companies offering better ways to protect mobile devices. But the departure of several top executives, most notably CEO Greg Clark, has certainly made its mark.
This is also at a time when chipmaker Broadcom has been on a bit of an acquisition stride. Last year they bought CA Technologies for $19 billion. They also tried to buy Qualcomm but the US Department of Justice blocked that deal.
On top of that, Broadcom has also been looking to scoop up an infrastructure company, and Tibco may be at the top of that list. However, Vista Equity Partners had acquired Tibco in 2014 for $4.3 billion.
Should Broadcom manage to acquire a software company, it could give them a much needed boost while international trade tensions continue to hurt their semiconductor business. In particular, Broadcom has seen its relationship with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei take the biggest hit. Indeed, Broadcom reduced its chip sales forecast by $2 billion after Huawei was prevented—and blacklisted—from buy any US technologies, in May.


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When it comes to expenses, there can be a fine line between going above and beyond to cement a business relationship and taking advantage, so just how should an FD gain control over employee spend
It’s a key issue that businesses face, and one FD revealed an extreme case during the FD Surgery discussion that saw one employee spend an obscene amount as she took a group of friends to New York on company money.
While that type of employee spend is not commonplace, it highlights the many problems that FDs can need to juggle alongside their management of funds to drive business growth.
The executives who joined Real Business on a roundtable to discuss their experiences of employee spend were:
- Dafydd Llewellyn, MD, Concur”
- Chris Filer, COO and CFO, Ren Skincare” ?
- Mark Garratt, CFO, Harvey Nash
- Stuart Graham, FD and joint MD, Lansons
- Paul O’Leary, FD, Boden
- Ben Freeman, interim FD
- Simon Lee, FD
- Anzo Francis, director of finance and operations, London First
In terms of managing the numbers and employee spend, interim FD Ben Freeman detailed that a small company he worked at revolved around Excel initially, before it underwent a journey to introduce a system that could manage cost control.
On that note, Paul OLeary added: “I joined Boden when it was small. First thing we had to do was get control of what people were buying and what we committed to. That was a high priority.
“The difficulty as a fast-growth business is trying to plan six months ahead when you don’t know what growth is coming. Fundamentally it comes down to people and a cost culture.
As MD of expense management business Concur, Dafydd Llewellyn is well placed to know how tricky employee spend and costs can be for SMEs.
“Customers say when typical internal processes are small they can get away with it but as soon as companies grow in size, they need to be in control of costs. We hear all the time, there are big pains because they can’t address how that employee spend and control happens in the business.
On the theme of culture that OLeary touched on, Freeman added: “I find budgets interesting. As a finance person, it’s about the opportunity to find what cost drivers are.
As companies grow, you talk about top down policies, but you have different levels of expenditure among different departments. When you’ve done all that work you need to go to CEO and see what you have to save to nail those budgets.
Anzo Francis noted that at London First, which has a headcount of 50, the business is budget-driven and business plan-driven.
“When I think about expenditure, I want people to think about growth and income growth and then aim to break even. I think an employee culture has been set by the executive management team,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mark Garratt from Harvey Nash declared that from his point of view, returns need to be more than the employee spend. And if that can be quantified to him, he doesn’t mind what the amount is.
?We get the best prices and best deals without going over the top. It’s sort of centralised I do get involved to see what’s been booked and manage a central credit card purchasing function to have oversight of what we do,” Francis explained.
To that end, it’s a matter of considering where money can be saved when staff are travelling, for example. She added that team members sometimes share apartments, rather than paying for hotels, which keeps employee spend down.
On the theme of travel, the general consensus around the table was that trains are increasingly outpacing cars as the way to get around on business trips.
The idea behind that is that the ticket price is fixed and not up for discussion, whereas the FDs revealed cases where staff that had driven to destinations had taken advantage of mileage. Another benefit is safety as phones won’t be a distraction, while trains also cater for people to work, thereby increasing productivity.
Llewellyn detailed: A third of companies have rigid travel policies, but people read it when they join and never see it again. Who enforces it as managers?
?From a business point of view, you have to have visibility. Who’s the biggest spender” Which department spends the most” Clear policies and reporting allows you to change behaviour around employee spend.
Simon Lee admitted that his previous company had implemented Concur. Concur was massively helpful on that visibility point of view you can see everyone’s claims, and being able to follow up with individuals to say, ?you shouldn?t spend money on this?, conveys that people are watching.
Lansons FD and joint MD Stuart Graham explained that the firm’s structure as an LLP helps keep employee spend in check and staff accountable.
£25 per cent of profit goes back to staff and a third of people own part of the business,” he said. That builds a cost conscience and reminds people their bonus determines on how people are spending.
Revealing the extremes of their experience, one FD?recalled: ?Someone on the team took six friends to New York. We dismissed her, reinforced our policy and redistributed it. It’s incredible she thought she could get away with it!?
TheyAlso noted that the sales director was using Uber to get to business meetings instead of her all-inclusive rail card used for commuting, which she reviewed as “her personal train pass?.
OLeary said: ?People don’t think. As we ve grown I’ve had to take a lot of steps back. When people have been taking advantage, we ve had uniformed police in to march them out and that’s the biggest deterrent it says cross that line and we ll take serious action?.


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Verizon posts 4th-qtr net income of $5.07B, beats predictions, as subscriber ranks grow
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Verizon posted fourth-quarter net income of $5.07 billion, boosted by continued growth in the number of phones and tablets connected to its network.
The largest U.S. cellphone carrier reported increases in both the number connected devices and its wireless subscriber population. Its results reported Tuesday beat Wall Street predictions.
New York-based Verizon said overall service revenue rose 8 per cent to $17.7 billion.
The company added 1.7 million net retail wireless connections during the quarter, excluding acquisitions and adjustments. Of that total, 1.6 million were connections that involved monthly service contracts.
As of Dec. 31, Verizon had a total of 102.8 million retail connections, marking a 5 per cent increase over the same time a year ago. The 2013 total included 96.8 million connections with monthly contracts.
Francis Shammo, Verizon's executive vice-president and CFO, said on a conference call with investors that the company got a big boost from new contracts for tablet service, which totalled 790,000 and marked the largest quarterly total since tablets were first introduced in 2010.
Meanwhile, Verizon's overall population of retail wireless subscribers increased 4.5 per cent to 35.1 million, with each customer having an average of 2.8 connected devices.
The company's wireline division, which provides landlines along with the company's FIOS internet and TV services, also saw growth. Consumer revenues at that division rose 6 per cent to $3.8 billion, as FIOS-related consumer revenue jumped 15 per cent to nearly $2.8 billion.
Shammo also said on Tuesday's call that Verizon expects its $130 billion acquisition of Vodafone Group PLC's 45 per cent stake in its wireless division to close on Feb. 21. Once that happens, Verizon will no longer have to share its wireless revenue with the British cellphone company.
For the quarter ended Dec. 31, Verizon's profit amounted to $1.76 per share. The company lost $4.23 billion, or $1.48 per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time items, the company said it posted an adjusted profit of 66 cents per share.
Revenue rose 3 per cent to $31.07 billion from $30.05 billion.
Analysts polled by FactSet expected a profit of 62 cents per share on $31.04 billion in revenue.
For the full year 2013, Verizon earned $11.5 billion, or $4.01 per share, compared with $875 million, or 31 cents per share, in 2012. Revenue rose to $120.55 billion from $115.85 billion.
Also on Tuesday, Verizon said it reached a deal to buy chipmaker Intel Corp.'s cloud TV products and services business. Financial terms were not disclosed. Verizon said the acquisition will help speed the delivery of new kinds of video services to its customers.
Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. fell $1.31, or 2.7 per cent, to $47.04 in midday trading.
Bree Fowler can be reached at http://twitter.com/APBreeFowler
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A list designed to keep telemarketers from hassling Floridians has proven incredibly popular.
The list, supervised by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, does not take effect until July 1, but already about 100,000 people have registered 222,882 new phone numbers to the list, according to the Sun Sentinel.
The "Do Not Call" list was made free and open to the public by the state legislature during the last legislative session. Including pre-existing numbers, about 294,000 Floridians will be on the list when it is rolled out.
The registry will be updated on a quarterly basis and officials are pleased with the public response. "It's been unbelievable — we have been flooded with calls," Jay Levenstein, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, told the Sentinel.


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In a breakthrough moment for the widespread acceptance of digital currencies, X (formerly Twitter) has acquired a license to operate a cryptocurrency wallet in Rhode Island, USA.
The Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation dictates that a currency transfer license is necessary for anyone or any entity managing or conducting transactions on behalf of others with cryptocurrencies.
This license is crucial for offering crypto wallet services and marks a significant step for Elon Musk in transforming X into the much-anticipated ‘Everything App’. Following this announcement, DOGE, a cryptocurrency frequently endorsed by Musk, saw its price spike 10% in under an hour. Crypto enthusiasts reacted favorably, highlighting the powerful impact of mainstream tech firms on the crypto landscape.
Impact on Crypto Industry and X
Obtaining the Rhode Island Currency Transmission License underscores X’s commitment to regulatory compliance in the crypto sphere. This license is a requirement for legally offering crypto wallet services, allowing users to securely store, transfer, and accept various digital currencies. This pivotal development signals substantial shifts in the digital world and bodes well for the future of online transactions. Stay tuned as we unpack the implications of this monumental development and what it means for you. This isn’t merely news; it signifies the onset of a new epoch in digital finance.
The unveiling of plans to launch a crypto wallet could potentially facilitate Musk’s ambition to evolve the platform to incorporate additional financial services that utilize cryptocurrencies. This is separate from the envisioned stock market ecosystem that the billionaire intends to establish within the platform. During the 2023 X rebranding declaration, previously known as Twitter, Musk disclosed his strategy to introduce a financial markets ecosystem.
With the sanctioning of the license in Rhode Island, users on X can now securely store, distribute, and accept a range of cryptocurrencies. This will potentially revolutionize the platform’s payment realm.
This development could also serve to familiarize a wider audience with cryptocurrencies, thereby extending the crypto market to novice users. Of particular interest is the future role of Dogecoin (DOGE) within the platform’s crypto wallet plans, given its notable presence in Elon Musk’s Twitter commentary.
Vincent Munene is a freelance writer and a great blockchain enthusiast. Blockchain has changed his life in terms of financial freedom and in return, he likes to educate people and keep them up to date on everything blockchain. He is a Biochemist by profession and also loves to play the piano.


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OLD SAYBROOK, Conn., Oct. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- E-commerce jewelry retailer Eve's Addiction is proud to announce the launch of two scholarship programs, each catering to a specific student population and awarding one winner from each program a one-time award of $1,000 to invest in their education. The scholarships are as follows:
- Shine Bright Scholarship:
Eligible to high school seniors and all students enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited U.S. college or university, the Shine Bright Scholarship will grant one recipient $1,000 for the best essay answer to the question "How can the Web give a company a competitive advantage?"
- Just for Moms Scholarship:
Eligible to moms enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited U.S. college or university who have legal custody of at least one child under the age of 18, the Just for Moms Scholarship awards one recipient $1,000 for the best essay to the question "How has motherhood shaped your career goals?"
With the scholarships, the e-commerce company seeks to assist future graduates with their educational endeavors before they enter the workforce.
"We have great respect for student mothers who juggle multiple responsibilities while investing in their future and the future of their children," said Stacey Doornbos, Senior Director of Organic Marketing. "Our Just for Moms Scholarship aims to assist the winner in pursuing higher education that puts her in a stronger position for future career opportunities."
As for the Shine Bright Scholarship, Doornbos stresses that the increasing dependency on web properties, whether mobile, desktop, or tablet, creates a big opportunity for a new generation of digital savvy students.
"Our goal for the Shine Bright Scholarship is to empower our scholarship applicants to think about how their digital expertise, whether they want to go into supply chain management, journalism, or graphic design, can be a huge asset to any organization," said Doornbos.
The deadline to apply for both the Shine Bright and Just for Moms scholarships is January 15, 2016. All entries need to be submitted to [email protected]. For full details, visit the Eve's Addiction Scholarship page.
Established in 2004, EvesAddiction.com is a leading retailer of sterling silver jewelry and personalized jewelry, including monogram, engraved, and birthstone jewelry. Known for great quality and affordable prices, Eve's Addiction offers unlimited style options for all your fashion accessories needs. In 2013, the company was acquired by From You Flowers and operates as a subsidiary of the floral retailer.
Shoppers can conveniently make jewelry purchases 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week via the toll free number, 1-800-679-3837 as well as online at www.EvesAddiction.com.
SOURCE Eve's Addiction


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Video bonuses (also by Sue Byford) of Tim Magwood and the Riffers with Ho Hey, Four Strong Winds, She Will Be Loved & Bitter Sweet Symphony.
The Leaside Smokedown event in aid of Lake Scugog Camps for children in need was held last night at the Amsterdam Brewers on Esandar Road. It was a barbecue, music and social triumph attended by about 220 people, the limit possible at the facility. Friday morning Andy Elder, an organizer and caterer to the event reported the Smokedown had raised a clear sum of more than $25,000 for donation to Lake Scugog Camps. Watch for pictures and video during the day.
Tickets are now sold out for coolest food and music event takes place in Leaside. It is the Leaside Smokedown gathering at Amsterdam Brewers on Esandar Drive and its only two days away. Amsterdam is just beyond Leaside Village off Laird Drive. Most importantly, ticket and auction proceeds will go to Lake Scugog Camps, the well-known character-building experience for boys and girls. Items to be sold to bidders have the potential to really make your summer. Duncan Coutts of Our Lady Peace (who will be playing) has donated a signed guitar and VIP backstage concert experience. Outstanding. Andy Elder, congenial owner at Grilltime, is donating a backyard BBQ for twenty people. Andy and his friends will be at the controls of the huge smoker barbecue owned by Jon Burnside producing much of the evening’s food. Amsterdam Brewers will treat an auction winner to an outstanding adventure and windfall: Brewmaster for a Day, Beer for a Year. Many people are donating and working to make the Smokedown the most fun. Among them are Cathy Hawkins of Amsterdam, Tim Magwood, Bennington Heights businessman and musician. He is a director of Lake Scugog Camps and Duncan Coutts of Our Lady Peace, Elise LeGrow and Kevin McGroarty. The lead sponsor is Patrick Rocca with contributing sponsors COBs, Lexus on the Park, Interior Care, Ivy Glen Homes and Leishman Landscaping. A groundswell of sales in recent hours has sold every place available for the event, which will be held Thursday, May 28, 2015.
The days are counting down to the Leaside Smokedown. Those who love food, beer, good music and a great cause should check it out right now. It happens Thursday May 28 at Amsterdam Brewery on Esandar Drive and there are still tickets for this night of food (Grilltime) beer (Amsterdam) and music from an array of exciting local bands. Count them: Tim Magwood & the Drifters and friends, Duncan Coutts of Our Lady Peace, Elise LeGrow and Kevin McGroarty.
Most importantly, the proceeds will go Lake Scugog Camps, the well-known character-building experience for boys. Leaside Smokedown is the creation of public-spirited Leaside residents Andy Elder of Grilltime on Laird Drive, Cathy Hawkins of Amsterdam Brewing Company, Tim Magwood, Bennington Heights businessman and musician, plus many others. Mr. Magwood is a director of Lake Scugog Camps, a series of recreational sites where kids are offered life-altering chances to learn and grow up.
The camps have been in business since 1931 and have cared for thousands with a special personal attention that sets the camp apart. The cook and caterer to Leaside is Elder, always eager to get his hands of a giant smoker barbecue trailer, which in this case, is owned by Councillor Jon Burnside, another collaborator. Tickets are $100 per person and there are many wonderful prizes like “Beer for a Year”. There will also be a silent auction and other contributor-sponsors like Patrick Rocca, to help swell the final cheque to Lake Scugog Camp. The tickets are selling well so if you like the idea, best to buy a couple or four now.
Many Leaside couples will wish to save the date of Thursday May 28, 2015 so they can attend a unique charity event at Amsterdam Brewery on Esandar Rd. The Leaside Smokedown is being planned by a number of fun-loving and public-spirited residents. The collaborators include the Grilltime meat store’s Andy Elder, Cathy Hawkins of Amsterdam Brewery, music player and public speaker Tim Magwood and others. Magwood is a director of Lake Scugog Camp, a series of recreational sites where kids who need it are offered life-altering chances to learn and grow up. The camps have been in business since 1931 and have cared for thousands with a special personal attention that set the camp apart. The cook and caterer to Leaside, Andy Elder, is always eager to get his hands of a giant smoker barbecue trailer, which in this case, is owned by Councillor Jon Burnside, another collaborator. The simple themes of the party are food and music. Leaside’s Duncan Couttes of the group Our Lady Peace will be playing as will many others. Some of the events are hilarious. Amsterdam will offer a live auction prize called “Brewmaster for a day, Beer for Year.” Can you imagine. There will also be a silent auction and other contributor-sponsors like Patrick Rocca, to help swell the final cheque to Lake Scugog Camp. Tickets will be $100 per person when they go on sale.


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Audi Q3, the compact SUV that first appeared in April 2011 is set to get RS variant along with the Audi A7 Sportback for upcoming…
Isuzu Motors setting up truck manufacturing plant in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh
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2016 KTM Duke 390 spied, or is it the dawn of 390 Adventure?
2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution to get a ‘going away edition’, EVO XI not in cards
Tech Mahindra developing smart goggles for the blind, that will lead to creating algorithms for autonomous cars and space programmes
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Disney parks are constantly changing their refurbishment schedules, making it difficult for guests to keep up with the operating times and latest news regarding their favorite attractions, resorts, shops, and restaurants. Here are a few big, upcoming changes that are either confirmed by their respective parks or at the least very strongly rumored for the very near future.
On November 13, the long shuttered Blizzard Beach reopened as Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon closed for annual maintenance. Fantasmic! officially returned to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on November 3, after lying dormant since March 2020 due to COVID-19 theme park closures. At EPCOT we saw the return of Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360 attraction which had be closed due to the International Food & Wine Festival
In this month’s refurbishment update we continue to wait for news on a reopening date for the Walt Disney World Railroad at Disney’s Magic Kingdom and we still await news on rumors that one experience and one show may never return to Walt Disney World…
Dates: January 22, 2023 – Permanent
Splash Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom will officially close at the end of Sunday January 22, 2023 in order to begin its extensive transformation to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. News of this closure will come as sad news to Splash Mountain fans especially as many assumed Disney would keep it open until the end of the 50th Anniversary celebrations which ends of March 31.
Dates: November 13 – TBA
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon had its last day on the season on Saturday, November 12 and is now closed for its annual refurbishment.
We expected that this would be the plan, to close Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon when Blizzard Beach reopened and that is exactly what Disney chose to do. We currently don’t have a date for when we will see Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon reopening but a recent rumor suggests a possible February reopening but nothing has been confirmed on this just yet. We are certainly hoping that early in 2023 we will see both Walt Disney World water parks up and running again together!
Dates: (Select nights when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes place) November 8 – December 22, 2022
Currently on the official Walt Disney World page it shows Disney’s Enchantment as only being performed on certain nights and this is because of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party which kicked off on November 8. If you are visiting Disney’s Magic Kingdom and are wanting to catch Disney’s Enchantment then be sure to check on the official page before you go.
Below is a list of nights for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party which is when Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show will take the place of Disney’s Enchantment.
Dates: Now – TBA
Walt Disney World Railroad has been closed since the end of 2018 and though there have been further videos posted online of the continued testing, we still await official confirmation of a reopening date for this iconic attraction.
At the D23 Expo back at the beginning of September the Parks, Experiences and Products panel confirmed that TRON Lightcycle / Run is working towards a spring 2023 opening date. We expect the Walt Disney World Railroad will reopen alongside this new attraction so are still predicting an early April 2023 reopening date to coincide with the end of the 50th Anniversary celebrations and the potential beginning of Disney 100 Years of Wonder.
Although we had hoped that the Walt Disney World Railroad would be up and running again for the 50th Anniversary celebrations it looks more and more likely that this will not happen. We will keep you posted of any updates regarding the reopening date of the Walt Disney World Railroad here at Theme Park Tourist.
Co-founder of the site alongside her amazing Husband Nick who had the vision and inspiration to create Theme Park Tourist from scratch. Natalie has always been amazed by theme parks and thinks nothing beats walking around a Disney Park soaking up the sights, sounds and magical atmosphere hand in hand with the ones she loves.
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Digital advertising is supposed to be the fuel of the future, funding new companies (and IPOs) that provide us with services we never knew we wanted — Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. — while tearing away at our privacy.
But there’s a problem.
Digital advertising is annoying users and starting to creep us out.
I don’t want to see ads for lightweight jackets for the next three months just because I searched for one last November.
And by the way, isn’t that a bit backward? If I already bought the jacket, why is it still being marketed to me?
But advertisers aren’t deterred! In fact, they’re rather emboldened, spurred on by the fact that everyone from Facebook to PayPal will share the most intimate details of their users’ data, allowing companies to tailor their message and target their ads in ways that were unthinkable just a decade ago.
Investors get in on the act by extrapolating the digital advertising revenue of behemoths like Google and Facebook to other companies, then estimating that newcomers like Pinterest and Snap could be worth untold billions.
But what if that doesn’t happen?
Win for losing
What if digital advertising has already reached its plateau because consumers can only see so much social media in one day, which means ads are competing for limited viewing time, and consumers are becoming not just immune but hostile to much of the messaging?
Think about this: Do you watch the ads at the beginning of YouTube videos? Or do you click to another window and do something else for the 15 seconds?
The answers to those questions could lead people to either make or lose fortunes.
Twitter should be sending President Trump flowers for the way the Tweeter-in-Chief revived the struggling company’s presence before he entered into office. Now Twitter has staunched its loss of users and posted a $250 million profit last quarter.
That’s good money, but does it make the company worth its current market cap of $26 billion? Remember, the company has lost users. Can Twitter really drum up enough digital advertising to justify a 26 price-to-earnings ratio?
At least Twitter has a profit. Snap, which owns Snapchat, the mobile app famous for delivering pics that disappear in a few seconds, watched its shares soar recently when the company reported a 43% jump in revenue, which cut its losses.
During the conference call, CEO Evan Spiegal said, “This limited our Q4 losses to just 13 percent of our revenue, compared to just one year ago when our Q4 losses totaled more than 50 percent of revenue.”
This company carries a market cap of $15 billion.
And then there’s the latest darling, Pinterest. The newly public firm priced its shares at $19, and they shot to $24 when they opened for trading, valuing the firm at roughly $12.5 billion.
Pinterest earns almost all of its revenue from advertising and managed to lose about $50 million on $755 million in revenue in 2018. The numbers have been improving, and Pinterest might earn a full-year profit in 2019.
Or it might not…
At the same time that these firms are banking on higher advertising revenue, consumers around the globe are getting concerned over their lack of privacy.
There’s no question that the privacy genie isn’t going back in the bottle, but we’d like to see companies share less of our data with marketing groups, or else find a way to pay us for our data.
And that’s the rub. We’ve exchanged our personal details for access to seemingly free platforms like Pinterest and Snapchat, which then monetized the information by selling it to advertisers.
As many people have said: If something appears to be free, then you’re the product.
What happens when regulators demand better safeguards on private data as well as prominent disclosures of what information companies are sharing with others? At the same time that social media platforms are competing for our time, they’ll be restricted in the ways they can make money off of our demographic information and search history.
The result will be less fuel for the presumed profit machines, which should drive down their share prices. Investors who hold such names could take huge hits to their portfolios even as they regain a tiny bit of privacy.
I’m not wishing for anyone to lose money, but I wouldn’t be upset to see some of these companies go down in flames as online advertising takes a hit. If you own stock in Snap, Pinterest, Twitter, or something like it, keep a watch for new privacy regulations and stay updated on quarterly earnings. If you see warning signs, get out early.
You might leave some gains on the table, but you might also avoid ugly losses.
If that happens, you can tweet about it.
(Featured image by DepositPhotos)
DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.
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Oracle co-CEO and Samsung head of mobile met briefly to discuss partnership
OpinionDevelopers and consumers are starting to get angry at Apple for its lack of competency, but will Apple address this?
Industry voiceIn 2015 SMBs can take the fight to the big guns, with more tailored digital identities at the forefront of the battle.
UpdatedCortana integration, an optimized reading mode and enhanced functions strengthen Microsoft's web offering.
Industry voiceHalf of UK consumers feel they don't have control of their online existence – so we're discussing reclaiming it.
Yet another tech company that has basically nothing to do with entertainment is launching its own original video service.


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Will the SoftBank backed company be able to sail on the wave of EV revolution in India?
India is witnessing its major IPO wave in 2021. After Zomato made headlines in July 2021 by gathering jawdropping figures through its IPO, other unicorns and major Indian tech companies are lined up to gain from the frenzy- Paytm, Delhivery, Policy Bazaar, Flipkart, LIC, Kalyan Jewelers, among others.
Another big name has announced its plans to go public next year- the ride-hailing Indian firm Ola. In conversation with CNBC, company’s Chairman and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said that both Ola and Ola Electric will be launching IPO sometime next year.
Aggarwal told that the company has adequate capital and balance sheet to go public and has already been approved by CCI for $500 million investments from Temasek, Warburg Pincus, among others.
According to Bloomberg, Ola is already in talks with major bankers to handle its upcoming IPO, the exact date of which is yet to be decided.
INDIA’S EV REVOLUTION TO PLAY BIG ROLE IN OLA’S FUTURE
In July, 2021, Ola bagged $500 million from investors like Fort Canning Investments to raise its initial share issue. Founded in 2011 and based out of Bangalore, this Indian company also offers services in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. Currently, more than 1 million drivers are associated with Ola in over 100 cities in and outside India.
Earlier in July 2021, the company expanded its Employee Stock Options Pool (ESOP) with additional Rs. 400 crore in stocks for its initial public offering. Its ESOP then stood at Rs. 3,000 crore.
While the transportation sector has been hit severely due to COVID-19 pandemic, the future of Ola is actually bright. Ola Electric has the biggest role to play in this direction.
Ola Electric has set up a manufacturing site in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, spread in an area of 500-acres, to produce electric scooters. With an annual capacity of 10 million vehicles, Ola Electric has signed a 10-year debt financing agreement with Bank of Baroda to finance the first phase of factory.
The Krishnagiri manufacturing unit aims at the target of two million electric vehicles by the end of 2021. The company introduced its much-awaited electric scooters on the occasion of 75th Independence Day- Ola S1, with two variants- Ola S1, and Ola S1 Pro, priced at Rs. 99,999 and Rs. 1,29,000 respectively.
The models will be available for purchase from Sept 8. So far, Bhavish Agarwal has revealed company’s plan of selling electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers and cars. Soon Ola will also make a debut in the auto retail sector of India.
“We will start with India like markets soon, and we will start with the two-wheelers. There is a latent need for electric two-wheelers even in these markets, and there are yet to be players that have cracked it. Our product is at the top in terms of design, technology, and power. I guarantee even the top companies haven’t looked at EV the way we have.”
Founder and Group CEO Bhavish Agarwal explained company’s “mission electric“, a pledge to completely take over the petrol scooters sales in India by 2025.
Started in 2016, the leading Mobility firm of India gained the “unicorn” status in July 2019, gaining $1billion valuation in record time. So far, the total funding raised by the ANI Technologies (parent company of Ola) amounts to $4.6 billion from 48 investors. Ola’s IPO will be issued under the name of the parent company ANI Technologies


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The World Bank says the African Continental Free Trade Agreement is a major opportunity for African countries to diversify their exports, accelerate growth and attract foreign direct investment. So how ready is Africa to take advantage of this trade pact? Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, AFDB’s Director of the Industrial & Trade Development Department and Muda Yusuf, Director-General of the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry join CNBC Africa for more.
Get the best of CNBC Africa sent straight to your inbox with breaking business news, insights and updates from experts across the continent. Sign up here.


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By Conor O'Neill | April 16, 2012
Nielsen’s latest Global Trust in Advertising report, which surveyed more than 28,000 Internet respondents in 56 countries, shows that 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family, followed closely by 70% trusting online reviews.
Here are the highlight stats. Read the great piece about it over on Social Commerce Today.
We’ve been in the reviews business for quite a few years so we’re not remotely surprised by this data. But our experience over the past 12 months is that small businesses are now realising the importance of reviews and adding customer reviews solutions to their sites and Facebook. This is as true in rural Ireland as it is in Del Mar California.


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Kiss frontman Gene Simmons insists he doesn’t regret his controversial bid to trademark the devil horns.
He tried to register it as a trademark with the US federal copyright office but it was withdrawn two weeks after it had been filed.
He’d paid $275 for the application, in which he claimed that “no other person, firm, corporation or association has the right to use the said mark in commerce, either in the identical form or in such near resemblance.”
The attempt to trademark the hand genstre didn’t go down well with fans or other artists, Dio’s wife stated that Genes attempt to trademark the gesture as “laughable” and “disgusting” saying it belongs to everyone-it doesn’t belong to anyone.
Simmons stated in an interview with ‘Blabbermouth’ “I regret nothing, wake up every morning and let your conscience be your guide.”
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Go where the growth is.
That was the message delivered by Dee Kapur, president of Navistar International Corporation's Truck Group, in his presentation, “The Global Commercial Vehicle Industry: An OEM's Perspective.”
He said progressive companies are the ones that are exploring opportunities beyond America's borders.
“Times are changing,” he said. “There's only so much growth in America now. There's a lot more growth elsewhere. Many of you know it and are operationalizing it in different markets — in emerging markets particularly. Globalization is also good because it brings synergies and scales. And there is a growing convergence of companies, regulations, and technologies.
“It's essential to move that way. You look at the truck sales trend in the last 25 years, and there is a steady upward climb, albeit with different adjustments from time to time. But the trend is pretty clear.”
He said the global sales of trucks over six tons GVW have increased steadily each year, with 2.19 million in 2007 and 2.23 million expected this year.
The GDP growth rate over the next 45 years is expected to be highest in the emerging markets of India (8.7%), China (7.4%), Brazil (6.1%), and Russia (5.3%) — compared to just 2.5% in the US.
The countries with the most significant mineral resources will be Russia, Australia, South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, the previous Soviet states, and South America.
“Natural resources — be it crude oil, copper, zinc, or steel — are going up and being consumed in voracious fashion by the emerging economies,” he said. “Look at the parts of world that are wealthy in these. Couple that resourced wealth with one driving factor — large, underserved populations are now just beginning to get benefits and the support of governments to bring them out of the dark ages, most notably China and India. There's demand for commodities and resources, people being lifted out of poverty and joining the middle classes, and research development. That development requires infrastructure, infrastructure requires transportation, and that leads to growth of commercial vehicles.”
In 2005, North America, Western Europe, and Japan accounted for 59% of all major-truck production. But the shift is so dramatic that by 2012, those mature markets will account for just 52%, while the emerging markets of China, India, Russia, and Brazil account for 48%. America's share of that will decline from 27% in 2005 to an estimated 21% in 2012.
Kapur said an OEM's considerations are the economy, competitive landscape, government, supply base, infrastructure, brand/distribution, language, skills base, and workforce.
The focus is on three countries:
Kapur said there is 10% GDP growth, an expanding middle class, consumer-based economy, and an environment where road transportation is critical to growth.
“From emissions standards to rules on vehicle weight and the rules of the road, India has a solid base of safety rules and regulations aimed at protecting the public and the country's investment in the infrastructure,” he said. “India recognizes the challenges and is actively developing its road infrastructure, rules, and regulations. The country recognizes that road transportation is critical to its ongoing economic growth. Most prominent is the development of the ‘golden quadrangle’ — major national highways that draw a box (quadrangle) around the country and two more main arteries from north to south and east to west to improve transportation between and among the major economic hubs.
“Indicators that forecast growth: as the roads improve, trucks are able to travel farther and at greater speeds; as the economy grows, industry needs to be able to transport goods of higher value, requiring safer, more reliable and secure vehicles; Wal-Mart has entered the market and brings its expertise in logistics, so the whole industry can move from a focus on transportation to a more efficient view of logistics.”
He said global partnerships create win-win scenarios, combine complementary capabilities and resources, and accelerate growth for both parties.
He said that Navistar International decided India was a prime opportunity because of the economic growth and the government's commitment to be a major player in the automotive and commercial vehicle industry. Navistar International chose to go in with a local partner, Mahindra and Mahindra, a leading maker of cars and light trucks.
“Mahindra gives us local connections, local manufacturing, an established distribution channel, engineering resources, and local supply relationships,” he said. “International gives Mahindra North American technology, expertise in larger vehicles, strong brand reputation, volume, and scale.”
The Mahindra International joint venture consists of three components: the design, manufacturing, and marketing of vehicles for India and export; engineering services for other product programs; and purchasing resources to identify suppliers for our products and assembly worldwide.
“Also, a key to this or any business relationship is the cultural alignment,” he said. “In this case, we have been able to build upon goodwill and reputation from when our two companies worked together in the 1970s. We've entered this JV partnership with common goals and compatible corporate cultures.”
“There is huge growth and a large population,” he said. “It's a large country driven by a different set of behaviors and a different set of standards, but nonetheless there is huge growth. They have more miles of paved road than the US does now. They're going to tighten emissions standards. Leading up to this summer and the Beijing Olympic Games, there has been a frenetic pace of construction to showcase the country for the world, followed by the Shanghai World Fair in 2010. In 2007, in the six-ton-and-up space, China surpassed the US as the largest market. So you can't ignore it.”
Kapur said the heavy-truck sector has been growing at an average rate of eight vehicles per kilometer since the beginning of the decade.
“There is a commercial-vehicle frenzy involving all the major players,” he said. “The most profitable business GM had in 2007 was in China. We're seduced by the size of the market.
“The laws require 50/50 ownership. You have to go in with somebody. Their growing self-confidence and demands and the provincial pressures make it a dicey thing. You have to feel it out. Is this an organization, a person, you can trust? Some of the things I talked about in India don't exist in the classical sense — the same court system, laws, communications, etc. We approach it with some circumspection.”
“Over the next few years, we expect to see a total increase in truck sales in Russia,” he said. “Within that, the largest increases will be for imported new trucks. Today, used-truck imports are mostly from European manufacturers, with a pocket coming from the US, often older cabover trucks from JB Hunt and other large fleets. But Russia's used-truck imports are becoming younger and younger-from 7 years old to 5 years old recently — and as the age gap shrinks, we expect to see a rise in imports of new trucks.
“When we look at where the new trucks are being imported from, we see it's almost entirely European makes. So as an American OEM, we see this is an opportunity to sell new trucks into Russia. Since a true export does not make financial sense, we are opening a local assembly operation, where our partner, Goodwill Holding, will assemble kits and distribute through a broad dealer network.”
He said the reasons for optimism include: the North American driveline earns respect in the Russian market for durability, simplicity, reliability, and longevity; the continued weakening of the US dollar starts to strongly favor US-supplied trucks; and today's Russian domestic products are outdated and will have a tough time competing with US and European technology.
“There is growing appeal for North American product,” he said. “Why? Distances are huge. The comfort aspects of North American sleepers have appreciated. There's probably a kind of stealth factor here. A lot of drivers in North America are from Russia. I'm sure word gets back that these are great trucks.
“We think ultimately local assembly will be required if we want to get into high volume, because shipping things to Russia from here is not a long-term strategy. The question is, do we get a partner? If so, who do we get?”
Kapur said the process of going global will be eased even further by the convergence of standards.
“When the Europeans get their standards accepted in other parts of the world, the European manufacturers have a natural competitive advantage going into those markets,” he said. “I submit that the United States, backed by everyone here, needs to more actively promote the acceptance of US standards throughout the developing nations. And here's a case in point: Length restrictions are the key reason many countries use cabover vehicles.
“We have to work with our government, diplomatic missions and other government agencies, and other manufacturers and industry associations to get a consolidated position accepted in other parts of the world. It is very important for our industry and our country to be on this level playing field.”


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The global provider of contactless mobile payments and financial services software, Youtap has launched a QR code solution as well as smartphone apps for mobile money in Africa and Asia.
Youtap’s solution enables customer-initiated or merchant-initiated QR code payments for smartphones and smart point-of-sale devices.
According to a statement by Youtap, the solution complies with the industry standard that was developed by Bharat, Mastercard and Visa.
“Youtap’s apps can be white-labelled and branded with the logo colours of the mobile money service,” the statement stated.
“The new solution gives any merchant or small business owner with a smartphone the potential to download Youtap’s Merchant App, self-register, and start accepting mobile money payments. Likewise, any subscriber with a smartphone can download the Youtap Pay App and start making payments. Merchants who do not own a smartphone could be provided a printed QR code to accept mobile money.”
The company’s QR code solution makes it possible for users to have a full range of mobile money transactions, this includes cash-in and cash-out transactions, airtime top-ups, bill payments and also in-store payments.
These QR codes also allows change to be given back when a customer uses cash. According to Youtap, smartphone penetration across emerging markets is remarkably increasing.
“Recently MTN Group published statistics on the growth of smartphones across its operating companies, including South Africa (15%), Nigeria (36%), Ghana (64%) and Côte d’Ivoire (100%),” they stated.
According to the association that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, GSMA, the adoption of smartphones is expected to reach 50% by the end of 2018.
– BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE


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Square Enix has revealed that it plans to "establish new studios" and acquire others, just a week after it sold Eidos Montreal.
Just last week, Square Enix announced that it was selling Eidos Montreal, Crystal Dynamics, and Square Enix Montreal to Embracer Group for $300 million. Following that announcement, it also revealed that it was planning on putting some of the money from the sale into blockchain and NFTs.
Square Enix's recent financial report has now revealed that it plans to "establish new studios" as well as acquire others. This part of the presentation was spotted and reported by Axios' Stephen Totilo, who shared it on Twitter.
The financial report talks about how Square Enix plans to strengthen its IP ecosystem. One slide of the presentation says it plans to, "cultivate robust IP (including creation of new IP)" and "boost game development capabilities by establishing new studios, (mergers and acquisitions), etc".
Another slide of the report further shows off Square Enix's plans to get into blockchain and NFTs, saying, "accelerate launch and monetization of new businesses by moving forward with investments in focus fields (blockchain, AI, and the cloud)".
One slide of the presentation explains the sale of Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics a bit more, saying that it was for "selection and concentration of company resources" in response to how the market is changing.
This news comes as a bit of a shock considering Square Enix just sold off some pretty big IPs and developers for only $300 million, a small amount when compared to other recent acquisitions.
Recent rumours have also implied that Square Enix might be getting acquired itself, but if it's planning on creating new studios in the next fiscal year, that rumour looks to be a little less likely.
All of this makes it seem like Square Enix's plans for the future are to focus more clearly on its Japanese studios instead of its overseas ones, although it did confirm in a statement that it would still be publishing some like Life is Strange.
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