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Microsoft-co founder, Paul Allen, has won the title of the world's wealthiest bachelor, with an estimated personal fortune of $15.3 billion.» Read More
The idea of giving to those in need seems to have become buried under a pile of boxes and wrapping paper. It's social media to the rescue.
Because of a surge in business from Black Friday, the auto industry posted its best monthly sales since February 2007.
Featuring vehicles taking their first international bow, the exhibition offers fun and functionality as well as excess and efficiency.
CNBC's Courtney Reagan reports the best online sales day ever on Cyber Monday for Wal-Mart. Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday was the highest 5-day stretch in online sales in company history.
CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports the November auto sales rate for November is 16.41 million vs. 15.32 million a year ago.
Nieman Marcus's Christmas Book isn't just a marketing gimmick anymore. Nieman's CEO said they actually sell half the fantasy gifts in the book each year.
Shares of the tech giant are bucking the trend and moving higher after its upgrade at UBS, reports CNBC's Josh Lipton.
Breaking down the reasons for the contrasting Black Friday weekend shopping data released by the National Retail Federation and ShopperTrak.
Durban Capital portfolio manager Steve Kernkraut discusses his retail investment strategy and if e-commerce has put an end to traditional retailers.
Even if you have $1.4 million to buy a LaFerrari, you probably can't get it. The supercar's sold out.
Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley head of global auto research, discusses his bullish call on Tesla and why Morgan Stanley has made it a top stock pick.
Wal-Mart's biggest Black Friday seller was a 29-cent towel, suggesting that while corporate profits are up, most Americans are still struggling. NBC News reports
CNBC's Phil LeBeau talks with Erich Merkle, Ford U.S. sales analyst about why the automaker saw sales rise 7.2 percent last month versus an estimate of 3.0 percent.
Yum Brands and Disney disappointed investors, reports CNBC's Dominic Chu, with an update on the sector.
McCormick CEO Alan Wilson says his company "nailed" their flavor forecast 10 years ago for its popular spice chipotle. He predicts 2014's top flavors, and shares his campaign with BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed president & COO Jon Steinberg, weighs in.
Pandora cannot work without a "lot more advertising," SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer told CNBC. "The competition for me has always been free" radio, he continued.
Neiman Marcus president & CEO Karen Katz discusses how her company is approaching the holiday season, and consumer behavior. "70 percent of our customers go online to do research before they come into the store," she says.
Pickup trucks continued to drive a resurgence in auto sales in November as the Big Three Detroit automakers all exceeded analysts' expectations.
Travel headlines for Tuesday include a frequent-flier dispute at the U.S. Supreme Court, a new low-cost airline and Hobbits.
CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports Ford beat sales estimates while production slightly dipped by 2 percent compared to the first quarter last year.


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The airline intends to provide passengers with free in-flight WiFi on all of its flights as of July 1.
Singapore’s move comes at a time when international airlines are trying to expand their free Wi-Fi offerings.
Once up and running, free Wi-Fi on Singapore Airlines will join a select group of airlines offering it in all cabin classes. JetBlue has long offered free Wi-Fi to all customers in the United States. This year, Delta joined the wave and began providing free Wi-Fi to all travelers on domestic flights.
There may be more to come. In April 2022, Hawaiian Airlines announced plans for free Starlink Wi-Fi on transpacific flights. Delta also announced in March that by the end of 2024, it would offer free Wi-Fi on all its international flights.
Passengers must provide their KrisFlyer account information when purchasing their flights or at check-in to use in-flight Wi-Fi in Singapore Airlines.
To access free Wi-Fi, travelers without a KrisFlyer account can register for a free membership online or through Singapore’s digital content portal while flying.
High-speed in-flight Wi-Fi is crucial to the travel experience, according to Yeoh Phee Teik, Singapore’s senior vice president of customer experience.
He said in a statement, “giving [customers] access to free unlimited Wi-Fi is yet another milestone in SIA’s continuous effort to offer an exceptional end-to-end travel experience.”

domain: news


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Nintendo announced in a press release yesterday it will be promoting Wario Land: Shake It!, the Wii platformer starring the company’s gassiest antagonist, at participating Six Flags locations.
From the press release:
Nintendo has teamed up with Six Flags to take over 10 theme parks throughout the country this September. In celebration of the release of Wario Land: Shake It!, the new game for the Wii console, Nintendo will be giving park guests the opportunity to check out the game and win prizes.
As part of the theme park takeover, Wario Land: Shake It! game-play interactives will be available at the 10 Six Flags parks’ Wii Experience areas to allow Wario fans and park guests the chance to experience the game first-hand and reconnect with the long-running Wario franchise.
During the Sept. 27 stops in Los Angeles and St. Louis, guests will complete for prizes including a Wii system and a copy of Wario Land, a Nintendo DS, Six Flags gift certificates and even a trip to New York City to visit the Nintendo World Store.
Wario Land: Shake It! is scheduled to release next week.


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Manchester United allow fans to design 2017-18 third kit with winning strip decided by judging panel of club's most iconic players
- Adidas launched competition for fans to design their club's new third kits
- Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, AC Milan and Flamengo all involved
- Winning shirt chosen by judging panel of some of club's most iconic stars
- Winning kits go into production as official third kit to be worn next year
Manchester United have allowed their fans to design their new third kit for the 2017-18 season.
Adidas have launched an initiative to give fans responsibility for the design of the third kit, which will be worn by their idols.
Fans are given the opportunity to upload and share their ideas online with the community through the Creator Studio and use it to campaign for votes.
A tribute to the 60th anniversary of the Munich air disaster
Manchester United players could be wearing a kit with raccoon's on the sleeves next year
Newton Heath: Going back in time by rocking the colours worn in the club's early days
After fans upload their designs, the kits will enter Battle Mode, where fans are given the chance to vote for their favourite. The most popular 100 strips will be entered into a gallery.
Finally, the most tense part of the process. A judging panel, including some of the club's most iconic names, will decide the kit they want the team to wear next season.
Some United designs in the top 100 so far include raccoon sleeves, a large devil dominating the front of the shirt and a tribute to the Busby Babes.
United's fans aren't the only ones giving the opportunity to design their team's kit. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, AC Milan and Flamengo are all taking part as well.
Gareth Bale said: 'It’s an amazing opportunity for fans from all over the world to make their mark on their favourite club, and to be a part of the club’s history.
'Madrid fans are some of the most passionate in the world and I’m particularly excited to see what the club’s winning kit design looks like.”
One fan went for red and black horizontal stripes all over the shirt
A popular design that could be worn by the club's players next season


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Tap Apple Watch to buy UAE McDonald's meal
Fast food meets faster payments, right here in Dubai.
Credit cardholders will soon be able to use a range of devices – including contactless cards, mobile phones, and other NFC-enabled wearable products, including the soon-to-be-launched Apple Watch – to pay for their meals at McDonald’s restaurants in the UAE.
MasterCard and McDonald’s today announced a strategic collaboration to introduce e-payment solutions at McDonald’s restaurants in UAE and across other key markets in the Middle East and Africa.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is set to unveil its smart watch (unimaginatively known as Apple Watch) tomorrow, and all users will have to do is enter a passcode or unlock their Apple Watch with their iPhones to use Apple Pay, Eddy Cue, head of iTunes, Apple Pay and Apple’s other Internet software and services businesses let it known recently.
Read: #AppleLive: How to watch Apple Watch event 'live'
Using the passcode to use Apple Pay through Apple Watch is exactly the same as using it to pay through iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and you’ll need to sync it up with a working and willing credit card for the transaction to go through.
“This integration of MasterCard’s state-of-the-art smart payment technologies across our restaurants will accept all major credit cards, and will add to our customers’ convenience and ease of accessibility,” said Yousif Abdulghani, Vice President & International Relationship Partner at McDonald's Middle East Development Company.
In a media statement, the firms said that McDonald’s customers will soon be able to swipe, insert or even tap their payment solutions to pay for purchases.
How Apple Pay works on the latest iPhone models (iPhone 6 and 6 Plus) is that it allows users to tap their smartphone to payment terminals and then touch their devices’ TouchID fingerprint sensors to conclude a transaction.
For such a ‘handshake’ to work between the smartphones and the terminals, both must have near-field communication (NFC) chips that store payment credentials. Since Apple launched NFC only in its latest iPhone models, only iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus-owners can currently make the transactions.
With tomorrow’s launch of the Apple Watch, however, even those with older versions (starting iPhone 5) will be able to make contactless payments through the Apple Watch platform.
“Teaming up with McDonald’s is a great opportunity for us to offer consumers innovative payment options that are safe, simple and secure,” added Raghu Malhotra, Division President, Middle East and North Africa, MasterCard.
Starting with the UAE and select regional markets, the in-store and online payment technologies will be rolled out in phases in all McDonald’s restaurants across the Middle East and Africa, it noted.
In addition, MasterCard’s digital wallet solution, MasterPass, will be available for McDonald’s online ordering in countries where the option is available, it said.
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.


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Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, says the key areas for investment in the state are tech, communications, financial services, creative, and consumer products.
The governor said this during an interview on Sky News on Friday.
He said the tech industry is very important in the state.
“For the past 3 to 4 years, Lagos has remained the tech startup capital in Africa so there’s still a lot of depth that we need to bring into that space,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said there are a lot of financial products that need to be deepened.
“So we want to see a lot more international financial organisations come into Lagos,” he said.
“We want the creative industry to also have a play in our economy — then of course the general consumer products.
“Because of the population we have, we believe anything, indeed, could have a market, you could have your own share of the market — petrochemicals, consumer products.
“Any of those three to four areas will indeed do very well in Lagos.”
Speaking on the establishment of the Lagos international financial council, he said the rationale was to expose Lagos to the international community.
“The whole idea is for us to be able to let the world – starting with London because we’ve got a lot of history with the city of London– to get them to know what is happening in Lagos,” he said.
“But the council will set up strategies where we can hand-hold companies; British companies and foreign direct investors that want to come into Lagos.
“Let know what the red tapes are. What are the things that they want us to do — regulatory framework, legal framework? What kind of permits do they need? What kind of approvals do they need?”
Sanwo-Olu said the council will set up structures where communication and collaboration would happen.


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“Mixed reality” AKA “spatial computing” headsets combine the real world with digital content. Using passthrough video that blocks out all light, users rely on headset cameras to take in the external world via real-time video playing on tiny screens. They physically interact with their environments and perform daily activities with added digital content displayed. The tech industry hopes that users will wear the headsets from dawn to dusk—or midnight, for a different brand of social interaction.
Stanford researchers recently conducted field tests alongside longitudinal analyses of their personal journeys and interpersonal interactions and published their study in Technology, Mind, and Behavior. There were moments of awe and unsettlement, caution recommended for prolonged headset use, and a call for a longer-term assessment.
Pros and Cons
Researchers engaged in various activities, including conversations, walking outdoors, playing games, and eating and cooking food. For safety reasons, a chaperone not wearing a headset was always present. They found it enjoyable; some said it was “mind-blowing,” and the color, visuals, and making things disappear were mentioned, as well as the fact that our eyes and brain typically can’t tell the difference.
The longer they were immersed in passthrough video, the more imperfections became apparent that impacted how they felt, and that would pose problems for frequent headset wearing. For example, peripheral vision is lost, so they take in half of what humans typically see, and the system is no match for the sharpness of natural vision. Distortion and a just-noticeable lag in the display change occur when users move their heads to a new view. These issues caused underestimating distances to objects—a potential concern in several real-life scenarios. People also experienced simulator sickness, a motion sickness long-documented in virtual reality and first-person gaming.
Given their experiences, the Stanford researchers recommend that mixed reality headset users proceed cautiously as they adjust rather than dive into day-long binges.


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LUXlife Magazine Announces The Winners of the 2019 Winter Sports Awards.
United Kingdom, 2019- LUXlife magazine announces the winners of the 2019 Winter Sports Awards.
Making its debut at LUX magazine, the 2019 Winter Sports Awards aim to provide recognition and reward those deserving candidates within this diverse and exciting sector. With indoor skiing and snowboarding becoming ever more popular, the world of winter sports is now more accessible than ever before.
Commenting on the success of the awards and their deserving winners, Coordinator, stated: “These awards showcase the companies, resorts and venues who have strived to enhance and improve peoples’ experiences within the winter sports community, whether it’s providing top class sporting equipment, instructing beginners or serving hot food and drinks after a day of adventure. I am proud of all my winners and wish them the best of luck for the future.”
To find out more about these prestigious awards, and the dedicated establishments that have been selected for them, please visit http://www.lux-review.com/ where you can view our winners supplement and full winners list.
Notes to editors.
Published quarterly, LUXlife informs readers on all aspects of high end lifestyle, including the finest, food and drink, hotels and resorts, health and beauty, automotive, jewellery, art and technology from around the world.


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Tesla shares slump in S&P 500 debut
Shares of Tesla slumped in their debut on the S&P 500, retreating from record-high levels, as worries over a fast-spreading new coronavirus strain in Britain weighed on markets.
Reuters brings you the latest business, finance and breaking news video from around the globe. Our reputation for accuracy and impartiality is unparalleled.
Get the latest news on: http://reuters.com/
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Southside Park will be the center of the world on Sunday, when Sacramento residents gather there for Earth Day 2013. The family-friendly event celebrates all things eco, from alternative energy and cats to sustainability and bats.
Yes, bats. The not-for-profit rescue and rehab group Northern California Bats will be on the scene so visitors can meet and learn about the helpful little creatures.
Other local shelters and rescue groups will have a presence as well, some with animals to meet and adopt. Animal Outreach of the Mother Lode, City of Sacramento’s Front Street Shelter,
Happy Tails and Friends of the Swainson's Hawk will be there for the event.
Earth Day is put on by the nonprofit Environmental Council of Sacramento, known as ECOS. The intent is for Earth Day to be a one-stop-shop of sorts, providing information, products and services to help people spend less money while improving the health of their families and of the planet.
With five live bands, electric automobiles, plenty of vendors, cultural and community booths and interactive exhibits, the event promises to be a perfect way to spend a beautiful spring day.
The event this year is particularly geared towards inspiring the younger generation to take an active role in understanding, enjoying and protecting the planet.
A perfect example is the free Children’s Solar Workshop taking place at the event.
“School-age kids can actually assemble low power circuits from small pieces of solar panels”, says ECOS board member Earl Withycombe. They will be taught how to connect the panels in circuits and hook them up to operate small appliances.
Fresh produce from local farms will be available to purchase, as will food from a number of local vegan restaurants. While vegetarians choose not to eat meat, vegans avoid the use of any animal products, including eggs, animal fats and honey.
Anyone thinking that a vegan diet is too limited to be interesting will be pleasantly surprised by the delicious alternatives available at Earth Day.
Visitors who bicycle to the event get an extra bonus for their green and healthy mode of travel.
“Ride a bike, get free valet parking. Drive a car, you’re on your own.” says Withycombe with a laugh.
Well-behaved pets are welcome to the event and animal lovers will have plenty of pet related goodies available to buy. Visitors can show their community spirit by shopping at booths of Sacramento small businesses like Couture Canine Creations.
Owner and designer Guenhwyvar Kelly not only donates to local shelters, she has volunteered at and fostered needy animals for numerous area rescues.
- Earth Day Sacramento 2013
- Sunday, April 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Southside Park
- Seventh and T Streets, Sacramento, CA 95818


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Liveblogging Google Marketing Next 2017
Join PPC Hero as we live blog Google Marketing Next 2017. There will be updates about Google AdWords, Analytics, and DoubleClick.
This week’s Whaddya’know Wednesday expert, Chris McGee, is the Product Manager and Marketer here at Hanapin Marketing. One of the products he’s managing and marketing is Doppelpager.com, which allows you to copy and change existing landing pages to make them more effective for PPC. In this video, he goes over the top 5 landing page goals for e-commerce sites, and how to achieve them.
Last week on Whaddya’know Wednesdays, Abby Woodcock showed you how to use MSN’s implicit and explicit bidding strategy.
Two weeks ago on Whaddya’know Wednesdays, Bethany Bey told you all about the best way to utilize negatives.
Three weeks ago on Whaddya’know Wednesdays, Kayla gave you five tips to raise your quality score.
For even more videos, check out PPC Hero’s Video Blog Category!
Browse By Category
Beginning in early June, AdWords will be rolling out changes to Enhanced CPC bidding (ECPC). Read on to find out how these changes will impact you.
The Hanapin team has been really busy these past few months and we’re excited to announce the launch of a brand new website!
A bi-weekly newsletter packed full of resources and strategies that will help make you a better PPC expert.
Hanapin Marketing | The PPC Agency of Experts Behind PPC Hero
Read this 6 section checklist to evaluate a potential programmatic advertising vendor!
Google will be announcing their latest marketing innovations at the Google Marketing Next 2017 live stream event and we'll have you covered.
“Lead Nurture” is, by no means, a new term in the marketing world, however, it is a topic that has been trending in the marketing world lately, especially in PPC.


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Telstra has launched the world's first dual channel HSPA USB modem, promising typical download speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps).
The nation's biggest telco has thrown a spanner in the works for rivals hoping to compete with its BigPond Movies video on demand service, announcing today it had switched on high definition downloads on some platforms for some content.
Telstra and Microsoft gave journalists tantalising glimpses this week of how and when the software giant's upcoming range of Windows Phone 7 handsets might launch in Australia -- but without adding any real substantive meat to their local launch plan...
Telstra today unveiled its first smartphone on a Next G prepaid plan, the Android-powered HTC Wildfire.
In this video filmed before the launch of the iPhone 4 in Sydney last night, Telstra's group manager of corporate affairs Peter Taylor discusses what the handset means to Telstra, and what the big T has in store for customers at its midnight launch l...
This morning Telstra revealed it would upgrade the amount of data available to consumers purchasing one of several next-generation handsets on post-paid plans on the Next G network. The handsets include the iPhone 4 and 3GS, the HTC Desire and the No...
Apple's iPhone 4 is just days away from its Australian launch, and the telco price war is heating up. While people in the US got their hands on the iPhone 4 on 24 June, Aussies have been left with hanging until 30 July.
National broadband providers Internode and iiNet have cried foul with regards to a massive price cut unveiled yesterday by Telstra's BigPond internet service provider division on its broadband plans.
Telstra's BigPond internet service provider arm has dramatically cut prices on a range of its broadband plans, including a massive chop on its 200GB Elite plan which will see monthly prices drop from $179.95 to $89.95.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has described Opposition Leader Tony Abbott as "reckless" and election promises to save millions by dropping a training fund for Telstra employees and other sections of NBN Co's deal with Telstra as "senseless c...
Telstra is conducting a review of its management structure that could reportedly see up to 330 senior staff lose their jobs - many of whom are believed to be on six f...
Ericsson has won a contract worth an undisclosed amount to build a nationwide transmission network for mobile telco VHA, involving the construction of thousands of upgraded microwave radio and optic fibre links around the country.
One of Telstra's main unions has accused the telco of listening in on its conference calls with unionised staff in an attempt to pick up intelligence on its industrial action and bargaining plans.
Telstra and HTC this afternoon revealed that the telco had won an exclusive deal to launch HTC's Android-based Wildfire handset in Australia in August -- but details remain scant as to pricing and availability.
Telstra chief executive David Thodey tonight revealed that the telco was talking with its joint venture partner Foxtel to bring the payTV service to Telstra's T-Box internet television platform launched last month.
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Navigating with your in-vehicle mapping system is still pretty frustrating. So Broadcom is unveiling a new automotive chip that will improve the accuracy and power efficiency of global navigation.
The Irvine, California-based chip maker, which is in the process of being acquired by Avago Technologies for $37 billion, will show off the chip and a few others at the 2016 International CES, the big tech trade show this week in Las Vegas.
The BCM89774 provides better location and positioning while lowering power consumption for in-vehicle applications and reducing costs for car makers. It does so through simultaneous tri-band reception of all visible GNSS satellites, which access satellites deployed by the U.S., Russia, China, and Europe. The chip integrates a sensor hub and central processing unit (CPU) to reduce power consumption, and it is designed specifically to handle automotive requirements.
Market researcher Strategy Analytics estimates that car satellite system shipments are expected to more than double by 2022. The BCM89774 chip is currently available in sample quantities.
Broadcom also announced at CES a new combination chip that provides low-power Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. That chip has three times longer battery life compared to previous Broadcom combo chips. And the company also showed off a near-field communications controller, which makes global payments more secure. It also leads to faster transaction times and greater range for NFC readers.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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Apple adds Genius movie, TV recommendations to Apple TVApple has added its Genius recommendation system from iTunes to Apple TV, offering to suggest titles related to previous purchases.
The suggestions are available from new Genius menu options under both Movies and TV, opening listings of related content.
iTunes already provides users with related recommendations in its optional Genius Sidebar, so the change is primarily a convenience to users looking for interesting content.
Apple highlighted sales of over 4.2 million Apple TVs over the past five quarters since the company transitioned to an iOS-based device, although after noting the sales figures, Tim Cook said, "in the scheme of things, if you dollarize it, we still classify it as a hobby."
On Topic: Apple TV
- Mossberg: Steve Jobs continued work on Apple television set after resignation
- Fox Sports Go app for Apple TV lets viewers watch four games simultaneously
- Twitter looks to debut Apple TV app as part of NFL live streaming initiative
- Universal search on Apple TV goes beyond US services with Australia's Stan
- ESPN to launch subscription streaming service following BAMTech purchase


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World of Warcraft, one of the most important online games of all time, is going offline in China today.
Millions of players will have to bid an emotional goodbye to the fantastic character as the 14-year contract ends in a very public fallout between developer Blizzard and publisher NetEase.
Originally released in North America in 2004, Warcraft initially received a notoriously restrictive Chinese release license. gambling Market again in 2005.
Blizzard’s massively multiplayer titles since 2008 china NetEase also runs custom versions of several other popular western games like Minecraft.
Blizzard, owned by Activision Blizzard, Gaming giant Microsoft is attempting a record $69 billion (£56 billion) acquisition deal. – First announced that the deal with NetEase would be closed last November.
This affects Warcraft, which has about 3 million players in China, as well as Blizzard’s other hits, such as multiplayer shooters. overwatchCard game Hearthstone, sci-fi strategy title StarCraft.
Ugly Dispute Disclosure
In a condemning statement for the breakup, NetEase’s president of global investments, Simon Zhu, said they spent “10,000 hours” playing these games.
“One day, when we can find out what happened behind the scenes, developers and gamers will have a whole new level of understanding of just how much damage nerds can do,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
NetEase rejected an offer to extend the contract by six months earlier this month, describing the offer as “commercially illogical” and accusing Blizzard of “seeking a divorce but still being attached”.
Reuters reported, citing a Blizzard aide, that the dispute resulted in NetEase wanting structural changes that would affect the US company’s control over intellectual property (IP).
NetEase asserted that “all use and license of Blizzard IP is in accordance with the terms of the agreement and with the consent and approval of Blizzard” during the 14-year agreement.
A NetEase spokesperson told Sky News, “We want to make it clear that we have never tried to gain control of the IP from Activision Blizzard. This is an unsubstantiated accusation.”
They added, “The way we wanted to continue working with Activision Blizzard would be no different than how other companies in our industry license and operate online games.”
The two companies previously renewed their first 2008 contract in 2019.
More gaming news:
Game Over on Google Stadia
The Rise of the ‘Pro’ Controller
A player invited to put a character on ice
Before the deal closed on Monday, Blizzard took the unusual step of allowing Chinese Warcraft players to download their characters and progress. For some, it will take thousands of hours.
When Blizzard finds a new distribution partner in one of the world’s most lucrative markets, China, their data can be uploaded back into the game. despite government restrictions.
Click to subscribe to the Backstage whenever you get a podcast.
NetEase’s rise as China’s second-largest game company was largely driven by its partnership with Blizzard, but now its own titles account for more than 60% of revenue.
The country’s industry leader is Tencent, which not only makes its own games, but also owns American game giant Riot. League of Legends; It has stakes in major Western developers such as Fortnite creator Epic and Assassin’s Creed creator Ubisoft.


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Unity, the strategic communications agency, emerged this week as
the brains behind the global marketing launch of the new Star Wars film,
Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.
The project, believed to involve a spend of around dollars 100 million,
marks Unity’s biggest project since it launched in 1997.
The agency, which is run by Andy Tilley, Derek Morris and Ivan Pollard,
has been responsible for the entire communications plan for George
Lucas’s sci-fi blockbuster, which opened in the US this week. The agency
has advised on who the film’s target audience is, how much should be
spent on advertising and marketing the film, which channels should be
used and how advertising and publicity should work together.
Unity was appointed by Jim Ward, the marketing director of the film’s
production company, Lucasfilm.
The agency then worked with the film’s distributors, Fox International,
to brief each of the local markets. Pollard told Campaign: ’It’s the
biggest, most exciting project we’ve worked on.’
In the UK, the campaign was overseen by Fox’s UK marketing director,
Simon Hewlett, and the media agency, MediaVest. The planning
consultancy, Red Spider, was also employed by Lucasfilm to produce
market research on the global target audience for Star Wars.
Separately, Unity has also been appointed to work on the brand strategy
for BSkyB’s technology TV channel, .tv, alongside the media agency,
Tilley explained: ’We are looking at what the brand needs in terms of
total communications support - the advertising, PR, trade and consumer
routes to market.’
Comic Relief has also briefed Unity to work on a project for the ’drop
the debt’ campaign, looking at how the charity can lobby the Government
on the issue of Third World debt.


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Pungency testing on onions has fallen out of fashion, and that’s not good news to David Burrell, CEO of Collins, Ga.-based National Onion Labs, which is set up for that purpose.
Burrell said he expects that won’t change much during the 2014 Peruvian deal.
Retail buyers aren’t asking for testing, and that’s the problem, Burrell said.
“There’s really a lack of interest at the retailer and the industry levels to drive the process, which in reality is quite simple and cost-effective to do,” Burrell said.
If retail customers were demanding verified pungency results, as they do with, for example, third-party audits, the dynamic would change, Burrell said.
“If something is to be executed or sustained, there has to be a driving force behind it,” he said.
In the case of pungency testing, that force would have to come from retailers, and simply isn’t on any substantial level, Burrell said.
Buyers who can bypass the process will do so, Burrell said.
“The motivation of a buyer is to identify multiple suppliers, so that he can prove or sustain competitiveness between the suppliers, and the moment he starts saying, ‘OK, I want to have a tested product,’ there are limited suppliers, so that’s a buyer limiting his supply sources,” Burrell said.
Not enough suppliers are willing to go through the extra step, Burrell said.
“If the retailer required it, they’d all do it and we’d have a real cleanup in the products that are on the shelf, but buyers want multiple suppliers to assert that they’re getting the best value, so to limit the supply base to the product which is validated, a buyer says, ‘I want more people, not fewer people.’”
Times have changed in the last few years, Burrell said.
“Prior to 2008-09, there were enough players in the industry who were doing it to create multiple suppliers, but in 2008, the retail community just showed a real loss of interest and, now, the only testing that would be done is extremely miscellaneous in nature.”
National Onion Labs will test miscellaneous samples from Peru, Burrell said.
“But in terms of volumes of testing, it’s just no longer done in the industry,” he said.
Barry Rogers, president of Grant, Fla.-based Sweet Onion Trading Co, agreed that pungency testing at independent labs has fallen off.
“There’s nobody really doing any pungency testing anymore,” he said.
The process had a legitimate role, Rogers said.
“National Onions Labs, for so many years, was just basically the place that took some of the guesswork out of it,” he said.
It’s not that testing has gone out of vogue as much as support never was “what it needed to be” in order for the lab to be successful.
“There were a couple of us that were true believers — Keystone and ourselves — but it wasn’t enough to keep it going,” Rogers said.
Rogers praised Burrell’s program.
“David’s program was solid and he’d get solid results, but, you know, it’s an investment of a year-after-year thing,” he said.
The consistency of the Century, a sweet variety grown in Peru’s dry climate, mitigates the need for widespread testing, said Walt Dasher, co-owner of Glennville, Ga.-based grower-shipper G&R Farms.
“It’s a very late variety for Vidalia and sometimes you can run into problems with heat in Vidalia, but in Peru, it performs outstanding,” he said. “It loves the desert, sand, low moisture. It’s made for that sandy dirt. It’s very disease-resistant.”
That consistency is the key to rendering testing all but moot, said Karl Bonhomme, president of Miami-based Bonhomme International Trading Corp.
“You don’t see any testing at all, unless the U.S. client requires it, and they are not, and at the consumer level, you never find any complaints,” Bonhomme said.
G&R tests early cartons out of Peruvian fields, and they compare well to the Vidalia onion, Dasher said.
“To someone who knows onions, if you blindfold them, you can tell the difference in taste, but most people you couldn’t tell a lot of difference,” he said.
Vidalia, Ga.-based Bland Farms LLC tests its onions with the “Georgia method,” which company owner Delbert Bland describes as “a more strenuous process” than others in the U.S.
“The bottom line is these onions eat very, very well, very comparable to Vidalia. It’s the only onion we grow outside Georgia that has the flavor profile the Vidalia does,” Bland said.


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BALTIMORE -- One hundred scientists and physicians have written a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking for more regulation of increasingly popular energy drinks, according to a report by USA TODAY.
The letter, written by Roland Griffiths, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, said the drinks’ high caffeine content puts young drinkers at possible risk for caffeine intoxication and higher rates of alcohol-related injuries. It asks the FDA to require the drinks' caffeine content be listed on the can, to set a limit on the amount of stimulant allowed in the drinks and to require warning labels.
The U.S. market for energy drinks is estimated at $5.4 billion in 2006, growing at an annual rate of 55 percent per year, according to Packaged Facts.
The United States is the world's largest consumer by volume of energy drinks, roughly 290 million gallons in 2007, according to Zenith International, a British consulting group. Americans drink 3.8 quarts per person per year, USA TODAY reported.
The market in the U.S. began with the introduction of Red Bull in 1997 and has expanded rapidly. Today’s energy drinks are advertised as increasing endurance, reaction time and concentration, with names such as Full Throttle, Amp Energy and No Fear. It's the wide variations between brands that are a danger, according to Griffiths.
"You can pick up a can and drink it and get 50 milligrams, which is the amount in a Mountain Dew, or pick one up and get 500 milligrams, and that's enough to put someone who hasn't built up a tolerance to caffeine into caffeine intoxication," he said.
In a statement, the American Beverage Association said lumping mainstream energy drinks with moderate amounts of caffeine with "companies seeking attention and increased sales based solely on extreme names and caffeine content" was unhelpful. As for caffeine content, "consumers can easily find out how much caffeine is in a beverage by calling the company's 1-800 number or visiting its Web site" for those drinks that don't list content on their labels, the association stated.
FDA spokesman Michael Herndon said the agency does not comment on petitions.


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May 14, 2010
WASHINGTONU.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke presented NOW International, the export division of NOW Foods, with the Presidential award for significant growth in exports during the past three years. The E Star award was presented in a ceremony at the Department of Commerce Building in Washington. Accepting the award on behalf of NOW International was Al Powers, president of NOW Health Group; Jim Emme, chief operations officer; and Philip Pittsford, NOW International sales manager.
President Obamas National Export Initiative goal of doubling U.S. exports and supporting 2 million jobs over the next five years has raised the profile of the importance of exports to our nations continued economic recovery, said Secretary Locke. NOW International is being honored today for its achievement in enhancing export growth, which helps strengthen our economy and create American jobs.
In presenting the award Secretary Locke said, I want to congratulate you on your achievement, and for supporting critical export-related jobs for American workers. President Obamas initiative was designed with one overriding goal: to get people back to work in jobs that that provide security, dignity and a sense of hope for the future. Its businesses like yours with a proven record of success that are going to help us meet or exceed that goal.
The Presidents E Star award, the highest export award given by the US Commerce Department, recognizes previous recipients of the Presidents E Award for continued superior performance in increasing or promoting exports. This year E and E Star awards were given to 22 companies. NOW received its first Presidents E award in 2007.
The NOW International sales team deserves a big hand for continuing to grow our international sales in the face of much adversity with significant economic and regulatory challenges around the world, said NOW President Al Powers. This achievement represents a great team effort that could not have been realized without the dedication of our production and quality teams and all of our departments that regularly support our international sales efforts. The award recognizes that NOW is making an important contribution to the American economy and helping the United States to continue to be an important exporter of consumer goods around the world.
The President's "E" Award Program was established by Executive Order on December 5, 1961, to honor persons, firms or organizations that contribute significantly to increasing exports from United States. The period of consideration for an "E" Award covers the most recent four years of export operations.
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Women and youngsters are the two groups most likely to keep their mobile phones on them at all times, a survey has shown, even when they are sunning themselves on the beach during periods away from home and work.
A consumer poll conducted by Travel firm Kuoni found that 25 per cent of respondents to a survey would keep their mobiles by their sides while on holiday.
Given that the survey also found that 75 per cent of respondents considered holidays as important for strengthening (or in some cases ending) relationships, there is a high probability that persistent mobile phone use has far wider ramifications.
Over 2000 UK citizens took part in the survey, once again proving that mobile phones are a national obsession in this country.
With the cost of roaming on a downward spiral and data charges for mobile internet use abroad becoming ever more reasonable, the number of people who pack their mobiles along with their flip flops and sun cream can only continue to rise.
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Small-Formats Are Driving Both Store Closures & New Store Construction
NEW YORK — The retail industry is shrinking — in more ways than one.
According to Nielsen, between 2007 and 2018, more than 27,000 new retail stores opened in the United States. However, expansion stalled between December 2017 and December 2018, as the total store count fell by 2,248.
And as overall store count decreased, the stores that were opening decreased in size — reversing a previous trend toward megastores.
The growth of small-format stores — convenience, drug and dollar stores — has been a driving force in the long-term decline of store sizes — and closures. In fact, between 2017 and 2018, convenience and drug stores were the primary drivers of retail store closings. In total, more than 3,500 retail stores closed during that period, according to Nielsen.
The research firm found that small-format stores have been gaining ground on larger stores over the past decade. In 2009, large-format size peaked at 10,516 square feet. Since then, square footage at U.S. retail stores has dropped 4.4 percent. The average size is now 10,051 square feet.
The vast majority of stores that opened between 2007 and 2018 were small format:
- Dollar stores: 46 percent
- Convenience stores: 25 percent
- Drug stores: 16 percent
Five percent were super centers, and only 1 percent were warehouse clubs, Nielsen added.
"From a consumer demand perspective, it's clear that small formats and value players are winning in the marketplace. Convenience, drug and dollar stores have driven store count expansion since 2005, while growth across other formats has been less consistent," Nielsen said.
"More than 2,300 new supermarkets have come online since 2005, for example, but this channel has seen its fair share of closures, tear-downs and rebuilds as well," the research firm said, adding, that much of the growth in the supermarket channel has been driven by high- and low-end niche players like Trader Joe's, Sprout's, Whole Foods, ALDI, Lidl and Save-a-Lot.
According to Nielsen, consumer shopping trends shaping the physical store include:
- Fewer full stock-ups;
- More frequent trips for smaller baskets;
- An abundance of choice;
- Proximity to an array of options;
- Increased spending on eating out; and
According to Nielsen e-commerce measurement powered by Rakuten Intelligence, U.S. e-commerce sales of consumer packaged goods totaled $65.2 billion for the 52 weeks ended January 2019, up 29 percent from $50.5 billion in the previous year.
Nielsen also a 32.7-percent compound annual growth rate over the past three years.
"It's true that certain mass merchandise retailers have experienced difficulties over the past 10 years as well, but the closings associated with those difficulties have been more the result of format conversions and performance within certain companies than consumers switching to online options," Nielsen noted.


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UAE – Mubasher: Abu Dhabi-based blockchain and crypto solutions company Phoenix Group plans to float its shares on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), according to a press release.
Through its initial public offering (IPO), Phoenix Group became the first privately owned crypto and blockchain entity to be listed on a Middle East stock market.
The group is co-founded by Bijan Alizadehfard, the company's CEO, and Munaf Ali, the Managing Director.
Alizadeh and Ali commented: “The impending IPO will not only be a testament to our past achievements but a clear signal of our ambitions. We envision a world where our digital solutions, rooted in Abu Dhabi's innovative spirit, touch every life, every business, and every community across the globe.”
“Our aim is to be able to help create a more resilient, inclusive, and diversified global blockchain economy, and this IPO is just the first step towards achieving that goal,” the co-founders added.
They indicated: “Announcing our planned IPO is a pivotal moment for Phoenix Group; a significant stride aligned with Abu Dhabi's Economic Vision 2030. This landmark announcement offers local, regional, and global investors the opportunity to participate in making this iconic vision, a reality.”
The group has a total installed capacity of 725 megawatts (MW) across the UAE, Oman, the US, Canada, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.
It specialises in a range of services, including cloud mining, data centre hosting, crypto trading, as well as crypto mining products and equipment.


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ATM maker Diebold Inc. will soon showcase its virtual ATM as well as a new ATM that uses biometric and near-field communication technologies.
During an upcoming trade show in Las Vegas sponsored by VMware Inc., a Palo Alto, Calif.-based technology company specializing in the virtualization in Diebold’s new product, participants will see the “world’s first virtualized ATM,” according to DigitalTransactions.net.
A virtual ATM is similar to a central computer running a network of PCs. A single server manages customer transactions such as cash withdrawals, deposits, balance inquiries and account transfers, which are normally managed at the end terminal.
The benefits of a virtual ATM include reduced unit expenses and enhanced efficiency in managing ATM fleets, according to DigitalTransactions.net.
"Virtualization will fundamentally change the way Diebold – and its customers – deploy solutions to the marketplace. It enables unified management of a wide array of services and paves the way for orchestration of multiple channels," Frank A. Natoli, Jr., the vice president and chief technology officer at Diebold, said, according to BetaNews.com. "This development is an important milestone on Diebold's road map to leveraging cloud computing technology in the retail financial space. This technology is a game changer for our industry."
Diebold has not yet selected financial institutions for testing.
Diebold is also showcasing its biometrics and NFC technology during the conference for a new product that the company has remained secretive about, according to DigitalTransactions.net.


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Dateline NBC recently ran a story about the dietary supplement industry focused on the issue of “dry labbing,” which involves laboratories that seem to have all the right equipment to do the proper testing of dietary supplements but do not actually conduct any testing, yet issue fabricated reports on the submitted products.
Dry labbing is part of the larger issue of dietary supplement adulteration and label accuracy. The Natural Products Association, as the leading representative of the dietary supplement industry, has taken several proactive steps in response to Dateline NBC’s story.
The important points we can share with our customers who may be concerned about dietary supplements after viewing the Dateline NBC program:
· Products that contain undeclared drug ingredients are illegal drugs, not dietary supplements.
· Selling products that contain illegal substances is a crime. Those products have no place in the legitimate marketplace.
· We support government action against any laboratories that use improper testing methods.
· Consumers can trust what they read on the labels of dietary supplements. We strongly support efforts to make sure that products contain what the labels claim and are not contaminated.
· Dietary supplements have an excellent safety record. They help millions of Americans address nutritional deficiencies and maintain and improve their health.
The NPA has submitted a statement to Dateline NBC that highlighted these and other important points.
Finally, the NPA’s full statement and response to Dateline NBC is the NPA believes it is vitally important that consumers hear loud and clear the message that dietary supplements are both safe and beneficial for the health of millions.


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THE FLUENCE ZE (Zero Emission) 390.
(photo credit:Nadav Shemer)
Israeli company Better Place dismissed Shai Agassi as chief executive officer
Tuesday, replacing him with Evan Thornley, CEO of its Australian
Agassi, who founded the company in 2007, will continue to serve
as a board member and shareholder. The reason for his dismissal was not made
Better Place unveiled its electric car network in Israel and
Denmark earlier this year, opening dozens of battery switch stations in both
countries to support the commercial launch of Renault’s Fluence Zero Emission
electric vehicles. Only about 1,000 cars have been sold so far, considerably
below the company’s expectations.
The electric car company has raised
around $800 million in funds since its establishment, but incurred $490 million
“Five years ago, I followed my passion to make the world a
better place and founded a company to materialize that vision,” Agassi said in a
press statement released by Better Place.
“Very few people are blessed to
see such a grand vision become a proven reality within a relatively short time
frame. I am proud of the Better Place people and the team that I am leaving
behind who will take this company to the next chapter.”
appointed CEO of Better Place Australia in January 2009. He came to the company
following a successful career as an entrepreneur and a politician, serving as a
member of parliament and as parliamentary secretary to the premier of the
Australian state of Victoria.
“Four years ago, Shai asked me to join the
Better Place mission and bring it to Australia. It has been my pleasure to lead
the effort along with my colleague CEOs in Israel, Denmark and now the
Netherlands,” Thornley said.
“Today, it is an honor for me to step up and
lead this fantastic global team on a day-to-day basis.”
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Jaguar F-Pace gets fresh look, new engines and tech for 2021
WHITLEY, ENGLAND - The 2021 Jaguar F-Pace doesn’t look all that different on the outside, but look beyond the subtly facelifted skin and you’ll see that a lot has changed, with the F-Pace gaining a completely redesigned cabin with the latest electronics, as well as fresh engines.
Jaguar South Africa has confirmed that the new F-Pace will hit South African shores in early 2021, offering four engine choices, of which three are new.
The diesel range kicks off with a revised 2-litre turbodiesel unit that produces 147kW, which is 15kW more than before, and there’s also a new straight-six diesel engine, similar to that which was recently announced in the Defender. The new 3-litre in-line engine produces the same 221kW and 700Nm outputs as the V6 engine it replaces.
On the petrol front, the V6 falls away, leaving only four-cylinder options until the SRV arrives, assuming it’s also on the way. As before, the petrol line-up commences with a 2-litre turbopetrol that’s good for 184kW and 365Nm, but the big news is the introduction of a plug-in hybrid variant that pairs a more powerful version of the aforementioned 2-litre with an electric motor for combined outputs of 297kW and 640Nm. That, says Jaguar, is enough to get the new flagship from 0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds, but if you’re not flat-pedalling it the vehicle should be able to cover 53km on electric power only, according to the British carmaker.
Moving inside, Jaguar has shoehorned its latest electronic vehicle architecture into the F-Pace, bringing with it a 29cm curved glass touchscreen. Not only is it three times brighter and 48 percent larger than the previous infotainment hub, but its simplified menu structure also makes it easier to use, with Jaguar claiming that 90 percent of tasks can be completed with two taps or less. The system has two LTE modems that enable it to carry out multiple functions simultaneously, such as streaming media and downloading updates from the cloud.
In keeping with the digital times, the F-Pace features a new 31cm digital instrument cluster with a highly configurable layout, and it’s complemented by Jaguar’s latest Head-up Display system.
To make parking easier, the F-Pace features Jaguar’s latest Surround Camera technology, which claims to deliver advanced 3D functionality and multiple view options.
Finally, we mentioned earlier that the 2021 Jaguar F-Pace doesn’t look very different to the current model, but it has been given a subtle exterior facelift that includes a new (and more sculpted) bonnet, enlarged grille and new front bumper with redesigned air intakes.
Lighting the road ahead are a pair of all-LED quad headlights with ‘Double J’ daytime running light signatures.
Moving to the back, you’ll see new ‘slimline’ taillights featuring Jaguar’s ‘double chicane’ graphic. The bumper has been resculpted too as has the tailgate.
Jaguar says that South African pricing will be released closer to the vehicle’s 2021 launch.


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Revolut launches personalised cards feature
Revolut users are enabled to create a design of their own choice and enhance the visual of their cards.
Revolut offers a rainbow card to celebrate pride month
Revolut has prepared a surprise for customers on the occasion of Pride Month, which is the month of pride of the LGBT + community.
Mastercard and bunq introduced cards with the True Name feature
The bunq and Mastercard's True Name service launched in Germany and will be available in 30 European countries.
Revolut partners with Anthony Joshua and launches glowing card
Revolut announced a partnership with boxing heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua to promote a new card design.
Starling Bank launches cards made from recycled plastic
The digital bank has introduced new Mastercard debit cards which are to be made from recycled plastic.
Exclusive: Interview with Ian Johnson, Managing Director (Europe) at Marqeta
Ian Johnson, Managing Director (Europe) at Marqeta, has given Everly.eu an exclusive interview in which he shared how the company has managed to build up a strong position in the market, in addition to lots of useful insights on the fintech environment.
Mastercard and Marqeta expand partnership
Marqeta, which offers a card issuing platform, and Mastercard plan to expand into new regions and launch additional card programs together. Their expansion plan will begin in Asia Pacific.
Recap of FinovateEurope 2023: Key Themes and Takeaways
With a focus on innovation and customer needs, the future looks bright for the industry.
Payoro: The New Contender in the Fintech Scene
Payoro is a new contender in the fintech scene, aiming to provide a user-friendly and affordable banking experience for consumers.
Real-Time Payments: Accelerating Business and Consumer Transactions
As the demand for real-time payments continues to grow, businesses that fail to offer this payment option risk being left behind in an increasingly competitive market.
A Major Acquisition by Neobank N26 is Blown Off
The German neobank N26, which conducts business in Switzerland as well, was looking to buy something that would let its clients trade stocks and index funds.


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New Delhi, May 8 : With Indians now being online like never before due to COVID-19 restrictions, searches for queries like e-learning, work from home jobs and recipe in 5 minutes have seen massive growth and these clues to digital searches can help brands craft a strategy for their marketers, says a report from global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
"...by leaning on digital footprints of their consumers, brands can optimise to show up in the moments that really matter the most to their users," said the report.
Almost half a billion people are active Internet users in India and one out of three Indian watch online videos.
"Even in the wake of COVID-19, consumers are looking for "the best" of whatever they need and business that can help them find it safely, quickly and conveniently," said the report.
"With little to no brand preference, Indians are rapidly converging online to build their consideration sets, even before an actual purchase," it added.
Time Spent on smartphones in week 3 of COVID-19 disruption inched towards 4.5 hours per day, according to data cited in the report.
The management consulting firm pointed out that it is imperative for marketers to hold a seamless dialogue with potential shoppers, from when they discover them online to before an actual purchase.
And finally, invest in post purchase redressal systems to be top of mind for consumers.
The insights in the report are mostly derived from Google's report "What is India Searching for?"
Some of the search items that saw massive growth in 2020, according to the report, are best headset, best/top 2W insurance, best skincare brands, best mattress, best movies on YouTube, best trading platforms, best way to lose weight, best way to learn English, best way to study and best Telugu movies 2020, among others.


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No one can deny the look of love radiating from Prince William and Kate Middleton in their romantic portraits celebrating their 10-year anniversary but we can't take our eyes off her jewels either!
The Duchess of Cambridge looked radiant in the newly released images wearing a blue floral print maxi dress from one of her favourite high street brands Ghost, who has just dropped another fantastic collection with M&S, and she dressed it up with some serious sparklers.
Today's top videos
The Duchess was sporting a brand-new piece of jewellery — and reports are speculating it could be an anniversary gift from Prince William — and if it is we have no doubt he scored tonnes of brownie points.
The MailOnline highlights that mum-of-three is wearing a daisy-shaped necklace from the British jeweller Asprey which costs £9,975 (more than €10,000).
While we know that the royal has a true love for the outdoors and she often wears nature-inspired jewellery, her latest addition to her jewellery box will no doubt be right at home.
The stunning floral necklace is described as the 'quintessentially English Daisy' and with micro marquise diamond petals and a pavé diamond in the centre all set in 18c white gold.
Asprey has been a signature on the royal landscape, as the high jeweller's pieces have shone on everyone from Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana and Meghan Markle.
Thrifty Kate also rewore one of her favourite pair of dazzling earrings for the portraits taken by celebrity photographer Chris Floyd.
The MailOnline also reports that the stylish royal rewore the matching earrings of the necklace, which come in at £17,300, which she first wore back on her trip to Ireland in March 2020.
While one of the real winners of her Irish visit wardrobe was the €6 hammered gold statement earrings from H&M which she wore with her glistening green dress by The Vampire's Wife, the Asprey earrings wowed just as much.


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Coastlands has announced Max Fashions will be opening in March 2018, with refurbishment of the site beginning in February.
With 39 stores and available online, Max Fashions is an iconic and leading women’s retailer in New Zealand that has been dressing kiwi women for over thirty years.
Max Fashions Executive Director, Simon West says Kāpiti has a growing demographic of Max customers.
“We can’t wait to offer our contemporary fashion collection to the women of the Kāpiti Coast. We’ve been looking to open a store on the Coast for some time. We know from our research a lot of Max customers live in the area and with the improvements in roading in the region we expect that number to grow.”
The launch of Max Coastlands will bring new employment opportunities to town and Max General Manager of Retail Karma Wetere will be recruiting a team of stylists.
“The role of a Max stylist is quite unique. Our stylists need to instill confidence in women. We’ll be looking to employ individuals for full-time and part-time positions who align with our values, understand the importance of working in a team, and who will work with our customers to style outfits to their personal needs. We will begin advertising and recruiting in January,” says Karma Wetere.
Jan Forrest, Coastlands Centre Manager says this is great news for the community and for Coastlands shoppers.
“We’re delighted to welcome Max Fashions into our community, and look forward to seeing more diverse brands for our customers and job opportunities for Kāpiti locals,” says Jan Forrest, Centre Manager, Coastlands.


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When President Joe Biden took control of the White House in 2021, he promised to change America’s automotive industry forever.
Those promises are now becoming a reality through a flurry of new regulations introduced over the past few months.
Together, these regulations promise to reshape not just the U.S. automotive industry but, specifically, the electric vehicle ( ) industry as well.
In fact, given these new requirements, companies you thought were going to win the EV Race may not win after all. And companies that didn’t stand a chance a few years ago could now become the new titans of the EV industry.
It will be a giant reshuffling of the deck in the EV world. Is your portfolio prepared?
Let’s take a look.
The New Electric Vehicle Tax Credits
Two major pieces of pending legislation have the potential to reshape America’s auto industry over the next 10 years.
The first has to do with EV tax credits. The second has to do with EPA tailpipe regulations.
Let’s talk about the tax credits first.
For years, the U.S. government has incentivized the purchase of electric vehicles via tax credits. These credits were rather broad and applied to a wide-range of vehicles. The government simply wanted people to buy EVs. It didn’t care much about who was building the EVs or where their critical materials were coming from.
Now, though, the government does care about that stuff, primarily because it can. (EV sales now account for 10% of total auto sales, so the industry is growing quickly.) Plus, now it matters. (if the U.S. converts entirely to EVs but all those EVs are built in China, then the U.S. economy will be entirely reliant on China – not good.)
Consequently, over the past few months, the U.S. Treasury Department has been working tirelessly to redefine the nature of EV tax credits to incorporate the origin of EV materials into the calculation.
And this week, it finalized and posted its decisions..
The full $7,500 federal EV tax credit will be broken into two parts:
- A $3,750 tax credit for EVs that build battery components in the U.S.
- Another $3,750 tax credit for EVs whose battery-critical minerals are extracted or processed in the U.S. or any country with which the U.S. has a free trade agreement.
In short, the U.S. Treasury Department is ensuring that only fully “made-in-America” EVs get the full tax credit. Everything from battery mineral extraction to EV assembly must be done in the U.S. or an allied nation in order for that EV to get the full $7,500 tax break.
And a lot of EVs don’t meet those standards.
For example, Rivian’s (RIVN) signature pick-up truck, the R1T, and its signature eSUV, the R1S, don’t qualify for the tax credit under these laws.
Even Tesla’s (TSLA) most popular vehicle – the standard range Model 3 – only qualifies for half the tax credit.
In other words, previously, pretty much every firm making an EV could count on a $7,500 tax credit. But now only fully “made-in-America” EVs get the full $7,500 – and that’s a rather small portion of the EV industry today.
The investment implication? It may be time to back-up the truck on “made-in-America” EV stocks.
The New EPA Regulations
The new federal tax credits are a big change. Arguably, though, they will impact the EV industry less in the long-term than the EPA’s proposed new regulations.
These regulations – announced last Wednesday in Detroit – target tailpipe emissions. Specifically, they put a new mandate on fleet-wide emissions of various greenhouse gasses.
And of, course, the biggest piece of these developments is a new carbon dioxide emission mandate.
The EPA is mandating that all fleets reduce carbon emissions to 82 grams per mile by 2032, which is about 75% lower than the 347 grams per mile of CO2 emissions that fleets averaged in 2021.
The regulations also call for fleet emissions of NOx, VOCs, SOx, etc, to drop by about 50% over the next 10 years.
And they apply to both passenger cars and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, like trucks, buses, vans, and more.
The EPA believes these regulations will meaningfully accelerate the adoption of EVs in the U.S.
The government was previously targeting ~50% EV adoption by the early 2030s. The EPA believes these new regulations put us on a path to ~60% EV adoption by then.
In other words, this new legislation could inject steroids into the EV Race. The already extremely-fast adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S. will become even faster, creating EV stock winners – and losers – faster than ever before, too.
The Final Word on the Shifting Electric Vehicle Industry
Big changes are coming to the EV industry.
Made-in-America EVs will have a huge advantage over other EVs going forward.
EV adoption is likely to accelerate in the coming years.
Synthesizing those two developments, it becomes pretty clear that the current titans of the EV industry may not remain titans for long. New titans primed to capitalize on these seismic shifts will emerge.
And we think we’ve found one tiny tech stock that could emerge as a new titan in the EV Race.
This stock is completely off-the-radar for most analysts and investors. Yet, the company is headed by a genius group of engineers who have collectively built what may end up being the most transformational piece of automotive technology the industry has ever seen.
The best part? This new flurry of electric vehicle legislation could be the exact catalyst this stock needs to skyrocket higher.
On the date of publication, Luke Lango did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.


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It has been a while since we've talked about anything new for the Desire S, but thanks to the Revolutionary unlock tool, this handset is getting its first taste of CyanogenMod. Nightlies for the device went live last night, joining the dozens of other handsets that have been missing over the last several weeks.
If there's one thing to be said about Verizon's 4G LTE network - aside from the speed, of course - it's that the devices equipped to run on it have been less than economically priced up to this point. Each device released with LTE connectivity has dropped with an initial price of at least $250 (usually more) -- a less than ideal price considering the accompanying two-year agreement.
Enter the Pantech Breakout, VZW's first affordable LTE handset.
Last week, we hooked
two three Android developers up with free tickets to the Android Open Conference on October 9-11, and now we have two tickets for the upcoming AnDevCon (Android Developer Conference), happening November 6-9 in San Francisco to give away. These three-day passes are normally $1295 each and will get you the whole kit-and-caboodle, with the exception of the pre-conference workshops.
Just like the previous giveaway, this is for tickets only.
App developer Audodesk is no stranger to the development game, as it has brought many incredible and useful tools to our devices (and even more to PCs), such as SketchBook Pro and AutoCAD WS. This time around the AD team is back with a fun photo-editing app called Pixlr-O-Matic that lets you add various effects to any photo in your gallery.
The app features several different post-processing effects, such as color filters to change the tone of the image, various lighting effects to alter the vibe, and borders to finish it off. Once you've reached the desired result, simple export the image back to the gallery or share it with friends through Facebook or imm.io.
One of the best things about Samsung in recent months has been its timely release of source code for new devices -- often times before they even hit the market. True to form, Sammy just dropped the Epic 4G Touch source in its Open Source Release Center.
This is quite exciting news for those picking up this monster device today (or who already have it in-hand), as only good things come from the development community once the source hits.
It looks like AT&T is finally ready to take the wraps off its long-awaited LTE network in an attempt to compete with Verizon's powerhouse 4G LTE, which now covers over half of the country. Ma Bell's speed-demon network will start its plan for world conquest in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, TX; Atlanta, GA; and Chicago, IL on September 18th, with plans of introducing another 10 LTE markets before the end of 2011.
When ARCHOS first announced its upcoming Android 3.2-powered G9 tablets back in June, we were surprised at the amount of raw power tucked away under the chassis of the duo. A bit has changed since then in way of both price and hardware spec -- but it's still not a huge deviation from the original announcement.
The 80 G9, named such for its 8-inch 1024x768 display, will come in three variants, each a step up from the last.
If you've been hiding your tablet lust until something larger than a 7-incher, but smaller than the current crop of 10s hits the market, then you've probably been eyeballin' the Galaxy Tab 8.9 since Sammy first announced it back in March. It has been a long wait indeed, but the pre-order page on Best Buy's website is officially live, with the 32GB variant coming in at $569, and its smaller 16Gb counterpart at only $469.
Boost Mobile, a pay-as-you-go subsidiary of Sprint, is set to add yet another Android-powered device to its lineup: the Samsung Transform Ultra. Like most other Boost phones, the Transform Ultra isn't as powerful as something that you'll find a post-paid carrier, but the lack of a required agreement makes this a very attractive product nonetheless.
While some of the more detailed hardware specs were left out of the official press release (see below), here is what we do know about the Transform Ultra:
- 1GHz processor
- 3MP rear camera, VGA front
- Slide-out QWERTY
- Android 2.3.x
As I said, it's far from a powerhouse, but it's nothing to scoff at, either.
We first told you about Serious Sam: Kamikaze Attack! back in July, and now, just two months later, it has officially landed in the Android Market.
Kamikaze Attack is a new take on a the cult classic action from the old school Serious Sam, putting you in the shoes of Sam's mortal enemy, The Headless Kamikaze. You'll blast, kick, and whatever else your way through 40 insane levels trying to rid the world of Sam once and for all.


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After announcing the end of his Apple Store retail blog, we now know why Gary Allen stopped writing.
Uber has announced its uberX service has launched today in Calgary.
How IBM converted a Windows-centric organisation to Apple.
Apple announces ResearchKit studies for autism, epilepsy and melanoma
Apple CEO Tim Cook has informed all of his employees of a new stock incentive program.
Uber is looking to launch their ride-sharing service in Winnipeg.
The Bank of Montreal is said to support Apple Pay in the near future, claims sources.
Rogers now supports net neutrality.
Apple has posted details on how its iOS 9 feature Wi-Fi Assist handles cellular data.
Now is the time to focus on your iOS app building dreams with this e-learning course!
New Skype for Business iOS app is now available in the App Store.
Fido has matched Koodo’s recent promo plans in Quebec for BYOD customers.


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Phase I Mergers
- M.7518 KENDRICK INVESTMENTS / ESSO IRELAND (25 June 2016)
- M.8083 MERCK / SANOFI PASTEUR MSD (15 November 2016)
- M.8146 CARLYLE / SCHÖN FAMILY / SCHÖN KLINIK (15 November 2016)
- M.8151 NAXICAP / TIMEPARTNER (11 November 2016)
- M.8177 AMC UK / ODEON AND UCI CINEMAS (15 November 2016)
- M.8231 KUONI TRAVEL HOLDING / MTS GLOBE (15 November 2016)
Commission imposes dumping tariffs on Chinese steel, iron tubes and pipes. On 14 November 2016, the European Commission (Commission) announced that it has imposed provisional anti-dumping duties on seamless pipes and tubes of iron and steel from China. This decision stems from the Commission’s investigation into the sale of Chinese products in Europe at allegedly dumped prices, which was initiated on 13 May 2016 following a complaint about the steel, iron tubes, and pipes from the industry; these products are typically used in power plants, in construction, and in the oil and gas industry. The Commission has imposed duties ranging between 43.5% - 81.1% “to provide EU companies with necessary breathing space”. The Commission believes such duties will “prevent damage to the European companies involved in the production of the steel tubes and pipes”. The Commission has six months to decide whether these provisional anti-dumping duties will become definitive for five years.
European tariffs on Asian fatty alcohols and their blends expire. On 12 November 2016, the Commission gave notice that dumping duties on Indian, Indonesian, and Malaysian fatty alcohols and their blends had expired. The tariffs were imposed provisionally on 11 May 2011, following a complaint from the industry to the Commission. After an in-depth investigation, the Commission decided to make the provisional anti-dumping duties definitive on 11 November 2011, and they have now run for the full five years. The Commission notes that it did not receive a request for review of these tariffs and has allowed the measure to be lifted with effect from 13 November 2016.
Commission imposes provisional tariffs on Korean lightweight thermal paper. On 17 November 2016, the Commission announced that it has imposed provisional dumping duties on Korean lightweight thermal paper “to prevent further injury being caused to the Union industry by the dumped imports”, which is used in applications such as retail receipts. Following a complaint by the European Thermal Paper Association in January 2016, the Commission initiated an anti-dumping investigation into the lightweight thermal paper. As a result of such investigations, the Commission has decided to impose provisional dumping duties of 12.1%. The Commission now has six months to decide whether these provisional anti-dumping duties will become definitive for five years.
Commission approves Austrian aid to Klagenfurt airport and orders recovery of incompatible aid from Ryanair and Tuifly. On 11 November 2016, the Commission announced that the results of its in depth investigation showed that State aid granted by Austria to Klagenfurt airport “boost[s] the connectivity of the region without unduly distorting competition in the Single Market”. The Commission held that the potential negative effects on competition, caused by the State aid provided to the airport operator, are outweighed by the benefits to the connectivity of the region. Therefore the Commission approved such measures, finding them compatible with the 2014 Aviation Guidelines. A scheme set up by Klagenfurt’s airport operator, Kärntner Flughafen Betriebsgesellschaft (KFBG), in 2005 was also investigated by the Commission. The scheme intended to incentivise airlines to increase traffic to Klagenfurt airport, which is a regional airport in Austria, located in a mountainous area, with the nearest airport over 80km away. Under this scheme, KFBG offered discounts to airport charges under certain conditions, for instance when a new route was opened or frequency was increased on an existing route. The Commission noted that this scheme was “expected to contribute to the profitability of the airport operator and that a profit-driven airport manager therefore would have been prepared to put in place such a scheme”. As such, the Commission found the scheme involved no State aid. However, the Commission noted that certain marketing agreements entered into between KFGB and various airlines formed “incompatible aid” as no profit-driven airport manager would have concluded such loss-making agreements. As a result, the Commission ordered that recovery should be made from Ryanair, HLX (which was merged with Hapagfly in 2007 into the new brand Tuifly) and Tuifly.
Commission approves Greek support scheme for renewable electricity and cogeneration. On 16 November 2016, the Commission approved the Greek support scheme for renewable electricity and high efficiency cogeneration, finding it to be in line with State aid rules; in particular its 2014 Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy, which conditionally allows member states to support energy infrastructure projects. In addition to making sure the State aid is necessary and is limited to the minimum amount of support required, the rules also ensure that the supported projects do not result in undue negative effects on competition and trade. The Commission noted that the Greek scheme will help Greece reduce CO2 emissions, in line with EU energy and climate goals, without unduly distorting competition. The scheme consists of State support either through a feed-in tariff (in cases of small installations and installations on non-interconnected islands) or through a price premium. State aid for larger installations above 1000KW will have competitive bidding processes. The Commission concluded that the scheme was likely to increase the proportion of green electricity and reduce pollution, while limiting distortions of competition due to the State support. The scheme will also help Greece to meet its 2020 target of producing 18% of its energy needs from renewable sources.
Commission clears Polish state support for closing coal mines. On 18 November 2016, the Commission announced its approval of the Polish State awarding 7.95 billion zloty (around $1.91 billion) in “support to alleviate the social and environmental impact” of the closure of uncompetitive coal mines in Poland. The Commission noted that such State aid was in line with State aid rules and concluded the support would not “unduly distort competition”. The State aid will be awarded to workers who have lost, or will lose their jobs due to the closures of the coal mines by way of funding severance payments, compensatory pensions and social security benefits for these workers. The fund will also be used to secure mine shafts and the decommissioning of mine infrastructure, repair damage to the environment caused by mining and re-cultivate land after the mine closures. The remainder of the support will cover production losses of the mines until their closure.
CMA accepts undertakings in acquisition by Future of Miura. On 14 November 2016, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its decision to approve publisher Future plc’s (Future) completed acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Miura (Holdings) Limited (Miura) and its acceptance of Future's divestments. Miura is the parent company of prominent magazine, bookazines, applications, and website publisher Imagine Publishing Ltd (Imagine). The CMA’s investigation found an overlap between Future and Imagine of specialist titles in computing, website design and 3D modelling, gadgets, gaming, sci-fi and photography. In lieu of a reference to a Phase II investigation, and to ease the CMA’s particular concerns of substantial lessening of competition in relation to the supply of sci-fi titles to consumers in the UK, Future offered to divest Imagine’s SciFiNow, a sci-fi, fantasy and horror TV and film magazine. SciFiNow is to be divested as a going concern, including all content, key licensing agreements, advertising customer lists, all relevant rights, and editorial team. The CMA accepted these undertakings and approved the acquisition, noting that there were no third party concerns in response to its consultation.
CMA approves acquisition of Hi-Life by State Bidco. On 14 November 2016, the CMA published their approval of the completed acquisition of Hi-Life Diners Club Limited (Hi-Life) by State Bidco Limited, a subsidiary of Bridgepoint Group Limited's affiliated entity Dining Club Group Limited. The CMA’s investigation found an overlap in the parties’ supply of subscription-based memberships for discounted restaurant dining (discount dining cards) to consumers and business customers in the UK. The CMA noted however that other sources of restaurant discounts may be considered when assessing the relevant market. For example, the CMA noted that business customers purchase discount dining cards as a means of providing benefits to their employees, members or customers, and thus the purchase of a discount dining card is not limited to gaining restaurant discounts. The CMA, therefore, believes that, for each customer type, the frame of reference in which the parties operate is wider than their overlapping products, although it was not necessary to conclude on the exact composition of products within each frame of reference. As such, the CMA found that the acquisition of Hi-Life does not affect the many alternative options available to both consumers and business customers, and therefore there was no realistic prospect of a substantial lessening of competition as a result of horizontal unilateral effects of this acquisition.


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• EURUSD rises as German factory orders beat forecasts
• Dollar weakens as Fed minutes maintain dovish stance
• GBPEUR steady as UK released better-than-expected construction PMI
• China to begin its Digital Yuan campaign in the South China Sea contested islands
EURUSD rose by 0.2% today after the publication of Germany’s factory orders data for February. It is currently hovering around 1.191 with some considerable volatility at press time. The German factory orders increased by 1.2%, beating the forecasts and finally bringing some positive push on EUR. However, this uptrend might be short-lived as the Eurozone is still plagued by pandemic lockdowns. Germany and France, two major economies in the region, are still under lockdown restrictions to contain the virus. Euro traders could watch tomorrow’s release on Germany’s industrial production figures for February and trade balance report.
EURUSD’s rise could also partly attributable to USD’s weakness, which was brought by the Fed’s minutes and the less promising jobless claims. The Fed has confirmed that its dovish stance will continue and will maintain the loose monetary policy. It did acknowledge that growth was expanding and that the US had an advantage at least for the next few months compared with the European continent. On the other hand, the latest weekly jobless claims in the US landed at 744k, worse than expected.
GBPEUR has remained steady today despite EUR’s strength. This is brought by the sharp growth in UK’s construction sector. The construction PMI jumped to 61.7, versus the prior release at 53.3. This is the strongest growth since 2014. EURGBP is currently trading around 0.8669, about -0.03% since opening.
China will soon begin its campaign on the Digital Yuan in Sansha City, a disputed island located in the South China Sea. The campaign will last 2 weeks to promote the adoption on the digital currency. The city was established in 2012 and is located on the front line of disputes on territorial claims. National commercial banks will provide lucrative discounts such as 99-yuan discount for 100-yuan purchases to encourage consumption adoption. Pilot tests have already been conducted in Suzhou, Xiong’an, Shenzhen and Chengdu, with more coming up in 2021 such as Changsha, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hainan, Dalian, and Xi’an.


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week, Nielsen released findings suggesting that Twitter can help boost TV ratings. The microblogging service can also help lift offline CPG sales as well, according to new research issued Thursday by
Twitter and analytics company Datalogix.
Twitter asked Datalogix to conduct studies for 35 CPG brands measuring the impact of organic and paid Twitter activity (Promoted Tweets)
across categories such as beverages, food, wellness, household products and alcohol. Among the key takeaways, users who engaged with a brand’s Promoted Tweets bought more from that brand than an
identical control group, resulting in a 12% average sales lift.
Those who simply viewed the Promoted Tweets, without interacting, saw a 2% average sales lift. “This proves that
both impressions and engagements from Promoted Tweets are valuable to a brand,” stated a Twitter blog post today about the study.
Similarly, the results showed that a
brand’s organic Tweets led to an 8% average sales lift. This rate was three times greater among those who saw five or more organic Tweets during the measurement period. “The implication of
this finding is that brands who actively build their follower base and regularly tweet to their followers can see an increase in offline sales,” according to Twitter.
Furthermore, followers who see Promoted Tweets tend to buy more, the study found. Those exposed to the ad units purchased 29% more from that brand than followers seeing organic Tweets alone. Beyond
the findings released Thursday, Twitter plans to offer tracking of the offline impact of Twitter activity in partnership with Datalogix on an ongoing basis. It also aims to extend the capability to
other industry verticals and countries.
Facebook last year entered into a similar deal with Datalogix, leading privacy advocates to complain to the Federal Trade Commission that the
arrangement violated the social network’s privacy consent decree with the FTC. The concern centers on the marrying of users’ online and offline data to track the impact of ads on purchase
Datalogix and similar companies collect loyalty card data from retailers and catalog companies in the U.S. that voluntarily provide all of the customer purchase history.
That information can include Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as name, address, phone number and email address.
Acknowledging the privacy issues online-offline tracking
raises, Twitter in its post emphasized steps being taken to protect its users’ privacy. Similar to how it works with Facebook, for example, Datalogix uses a process that hashes, or scrambles,
email addresses and other data to “anonymize” the information.
Among other safeguards, it said Datalogix never sends Twitter information about individual users’
purchases and that the reports created for advertisers include only aggregated anonymous information. Datalogix also segregates the information received from Twitter and doesn’t incorporate it
into its existing data base.
Twitter noted users can opt out of Datalogix measurement studies anytime by going to the company privacy page. If a user opts out, it won’t send the
user’s hashed email address to Twitter. The bigger question: how is a typical user to know they have the option of opting out of the studies unless they read Twitter’s blog post?
On the brand side, at least one major CPG company -- Mondelez International -- which was a beta test partner for offline sales impact, expressed confidence in the service.
our brands, like Trident, Oreo, and Wheat Thins, are very active in the Twittersphere, and with Twitter’s new offline sales impact capability, we will be able to measure the connections between
our organic and paid Twitter activity and in-store sales,” said Bonin Bough, vice president, global media and consumer engagement at Mondelez, in a statement included in the Twitter blog
But since Twitter is paying for the research, and the methodology isn't spelled out, brands and retailers generally may want to take the results with a grain of salt


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It’s consistently big information when Nokia announces a brand-new smartphone, and it’s looking increasingly likely that the Mobile Globe Congress in Barcelona on February 24th is readied to see a brand-new, budget handset sign up with Nokia’s expanding mobile phone ranks.
The Nokia X, also referred to as the Nokia X A110 or our beloved name – – the Nokia Normandy – is beginning to appear occasionally, with the most recent discovery of the new mobile phone coming through a Vietnamese online store. Initial seen by WMPoweruser, the seller had the Nokia Normandy readily available at a rate of around $ 110, which harmonizes the alreadying existing news that the unannounced phone will certainly be aimed squarely at establishing markets instead of those power customers that smartphone makers have the tendency to want.
This budget-orientation makes good sense provided the truth that the Normandy is believed to be based on Google’s Android os instead compared to Nokia’s common option Windows Phone. Although Android is the os of selection here however, don’t anticipate to be able to access the Google Play Store using a Normandy – – services will rather be offered by Nokia or Microsoft efforts such as Skype and HERE charts. Thinking about the phone’s moderate prices though, that’s not most likely to be way too much of an issue.
Presently it’s looking considerably likely that the MWC seminar later on this month is when Nokia will unveil its new budget plan smartphone, and we’re sure more information will emerge just before that time. It’s most likely that the Normandy will fly under many people’s radar many thanks to its budget plan attributes, however the reality that Nokia is messing around in Android ought to not be understated. Could we soon see a Lumia-class mobile running Google’s newest and best? Time will mention to, but we understand we ‘d definitely such as to see equipment style like Nokia’s being combined with a delightfully stock version of Jelly Bean or later.
We could hope, anyway.
We’re simply a few days away from MWC and all the items of the puzzle will certainly be total when we hear just what Nokia has in store for us. It’s strongly likely that we’ll see a new Lumia or more at the activity, in addition to the elusive Nokia X / Normandy, or whatever you such as to call it.


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Coronavirus impact | Commuting on Mumbai-Nashik special train now costs Rs 25,000 per month: Report
The monthly pass of Panchavati Express, which connects Mumbai and Nashik, which was earlier priced between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000, now costs passengers nearly Rs 25,000 per month.
October 07, 2020 / 09:30 AM IST
Representative image: Twitter/@RailMinIndia
Panchavati Express, that connects Mumbai and Nashik in Maharashtra, has resumed operations as a COVID-special train. However, this comes with hiked ticket prices of as much as Rs 25,000 per month.
While the train resumed services on September 12 after remaining suspended for months due to the nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, it does not allow purchase of monthly season tickets.
The train, running between Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Manmad in Nashik district, makes halts at Dadar, Kalyan, Devlali, Nashik Road, Niphad and Lasalgaon.
According to a report by Mumbai Mirror, passengers are required to either buy tickets online or through the reservation counter at costs between Rs 300 and Rs 500 for a one-way journey, depending on the seat. Essential workers are also required to purchase these tickets at hiked prices.
However, the greater problem is being faced by commuters who travel between Nashik and Mumbai on daily basis for work.
Passengers who are completely dependent on this service and have no other option said that it is unaffordable as per the report.
The monthly pass use to cost them between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 earlier.
Now, the price has risen to nearly Rs 25,000 per month.Click here for Moneycontrol’s full coverage of the novel coronavirus pandemic


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Chinese Startup Allegedly Offers Night with Japanese Pornstar as Employee Bonus [UPDATED]
[Update 2-19-14 10:43 p.m. PST] A representative at Qihoo 360 as released the following statement to NextShark:
“It appears someone manufactured a false document of what our bonuses are involving an adult entertainment actress. No such document ever existed. It’s an entirely false Internet rumor, and we can confirm it is patently false.”
With February comes the Chinese New Year, and for employees that means it’s time for bonuses to be handed out. Some companies offer cars to their top performers, others might just hand out straight cash, but one Chinese startup’s prize has people wondering if they are for real.
The Chinese site On.cc compiled a list they call the “Web Companies Annual Meeting Gift List 2015 (Confidential),” a collection of all the cool prizes that top tech companies offer their top employees. The Chinese startup Qihoo 360, an internet security company, listed three prizes for their top employee — a brand new Porsche 911, a week-long trip to Bali or a night with a 27-year-old Japanese pornstar named Julia. Apparently, Julia is a pretty big hit in China.
The site specifies that it has not confirmed whether or not this is a legit prize, but Qihoo 360 has not denied the offering either.
Say you worked for a tech company; which option would you pick?


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KUALA LUMPUR: Southern Cable Group Bhd is targeting higher overseas revenue in the financial year ending Dec 31, 2022 (FY22) on the back of improving regional demand in line with recovering economic activities.
As at March 31, Southern Cable is slated to fulfil RM628.6mil worth of orders in hand over the next two years, of which overseas represent less than 1%.
In a statement, the cable and wire manufacturer said it also hopes to penetrate into the United States market in the second half of 2022.
Managing director Tung Eng Hai said the group is ready to support the improved economic activity, especially in the existing markets of Myanmar and Singapore, as they accelerate the pace of infrastructure and development projects.
“Building on our strong track record in supplying power cables and wires, we are also undergoing final stages of testing and evaluation for our in-house developed XHHW-2 industrial cables for a customer in the US, for use in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
“We delivered the trial products to the customer this month, and barring unforeseen circumstances, hope to sign a distributorship agreement in the second half of FY22,” he said.
Tung indicated the potential growth in demand for cables and wires from the US, as players increasingly source from Southeast Asia as part of their supply chain diversification strategy, following China’s Covid-related lockdowns and trade war uncertainties.
“We have received numerous enquiries since mid-2020 from US distributors, and have undertaken the necessary quality certifications to meet their requirements.
“Once the pilot is successfully completed, we would endeavour for this to be a first stepping stone towards even more distributorships and meaningful contributions in the future,” he added.