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According to a consumer survey was carried out among 700 internet users in Kenya in December 2018 to January 2019, conducted by the Odipo Dev team using our influencer intelligence product, KingMaker 82% of Kenyans think influencer marketing doesn’t affect their purchases, but wait, there’s more…
1. Kenyans Do Not Trust Influencers To Recommend Products
Partnerships between brands and influencers are now a common practice on social media. Many brands have hoped to tap into the access and relationship influencers have with their audiences to create favorable associations. However, our study shows that very few Kenyan consumers actually trust influencers to recommend brands or products to them.
this distrust has been largely brought about by the influencers
themselves. As more brands ventured into influencer marketing, many
influencers bartered their credibility for advertising dollars. This has
led to influencers endorsing too many brands (even some that are in
direct competition) or recommending products they’ve never actually
tried nor use in their daily lives. The data shows that consumers have
since picked up on this trend and have returned to directly evaluating
brands for themselves or relying on close friends they can trust.
Essentially, brands have ended up with a dramatic opposite effect of what they hoped to achieve with influencer marketing.
2. Want to Be An Influencer? Being Entertaining Is Your Best Bet
When we asked Kenyans why they follow influencers, the leading answer was entertainment. This corresponds with the data we have collected over the past one year, that clearly shows that the most dominant category of influencers across all the three main social networks is comedians. Both online comedians and those with traditional media affiliations consistently rank in the top 5 in terms of number of fans and engagement. Musicians also rank very high because they largely provide entertainment value to their fans. Musician Akothee, a musician and Njugush, a comedian were the top two most engaging personalities on Instagram in Kenya in 2018. These personalities manage to not only entertain fans through their artistic content but also through showcasing their personal lives in a highly resonant fashion. Akothee has been an industry leader in this aspect.
A large number of respondents also reported not having a specific reason for following influencers. This shows that many Kenyans follow influencers just because they are a big deal or because they come off as the ‘cool kids’ of social media. Additionally, many social networks often recommend personalities with large following to new users. These users will often accept these recommendations since they are unfamiliar with the platform.
Expertise and product recommendation rank low among the reasons why audiences follow influencers. A large majority of influencers have ventured into areas like fashion, fitness, food and parenting where they share experiences, give advice and recommend products. However, our data shows that the majority of Kenyans do not perceive influencers as experts in their respective areas. This may be largely affected by the tendency of many influencers posting content that cuts across many topics; thus not clearly positioning themselves with audiences. This dilution of authority means that brand recommendations become ineffective because the influencer has not cultivated enough trust with the audience within any particular topic.
3. Most Influencers are Followed on Facebook, But Instagram Drives Way More Engagement
While influencers have become synonymous with Instagram and Twitter, Facebook is where majority of audiences actively report following influencers.The top influencer accounts on Facebook have a higher number of followers on average in comparison to the top ranks on Twitter or Instagram. This is testament to Facebook’s reach and prevalence in Kenya.
However, when its comes to engagement, Instagram leads the way by a large margin, followed by Facebook then Twitter. Instagram and Twitter have managed to cultivate their own native stars and are generally perceived to be more favorable towards influencers. There is a higher number of personalities on these two platforms than on Facebook, and they tend to post more on them as well.
4. Even Online, Traditional Media Still Matters
at the top accounts on social media, it becomes very clear that
influence online in Kenya is still heavily influenced by prominence on
traditional media. As a result, politicians, musicians, comedians and
other mainstream media celebrities have emerged as the cream of the
crop. This is especially clear on Facebook which is still the largest
social network in Kenya.
There seems to be very little room for ‘purely online’ celebrities on the platform unless they pay to play. Robert Alai and Cyprian Nyakundi are the only top influencers on Facebook without a traditional media presence. Instagram’s top ranks are dominated by musicians and comedians who have heavy traditional media circulation. Twitter seems to be the best at creating digitally native influencers, with five of the top ten most engaging personalities on the platform in 2018 having almost no presence on traditional media.
5. Lifestyle Categories Do Not Have Mainstream Appeal
Niche categories such as fashion, food, fitness and travel still have a long way to go in terms of mainstream appeal. While these categories tend to attract a large number of influencers, they rarely garner a large following, indicating that their mainstream appeal is still quite low.
infer the reason behind this is that a lot of the content made by these
influencers is already being produced by bigger and better funded
global influencers and publishers, who can also be easily found online.
In addition, many of them have no presence on mainstream media, which we
have seen is still the leading platform of influence in Kenya. As a
result, local influencers in niche categories may not be top of mind for
consumers in times of need or when doing a Google search. The context
of consumption of these influencers is more within discovery than
intentional pursuit of their content.
They however, have small but passionate audiences, who from our data, have very high engagement rates that even surpass some media celebrities. This will continue to be an asset for them going forward.
Influencers have become a big talking point amongst Kenyans. In 2018, there were 22,000 mentions about influencers in Kenya. However, sentiment towards them was overwhelmingly negative (46%). Such high levels of negative conversation about influencers definitely has an effect on consumer attitudes towards the practice and as a result affects their willingness to purchase based on influencer recommendations. We await to see how 2019 unfolds for influencers.


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The upgraded network platform could allow for theoretical peak speeds of 7.2Mbps.
And this well in advance of their planned transition to 4G LTE networking in early 2011. Curiously, AT&T updated their EDGE platform just before the original iPhone 2G was released, and their 3G platform was made -- okay, slightly less thin -- before the iPhone 3G launched. So whatever could be prompting this latest speed boost?
(Thanks to Phil from WMExperts for the tip!)

domain: news


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Reducing crime in businessDate posted: 20.09.2013 | Author: Harry Bovensmann
Business Against Crime commented on the latest statistics on crime in business. While copper theft declined, corruption remains a hot topic.
Social conditions, such as poverty, loss of employment and a lack of family support, besides others, impact on crime, despite the significant efforts made by government to affect effective law enforcement, Business Against Crime South Africa (Bacsa) CEO advocate Simi Pillay-van Graan said. Experience confirms the importance of a public-private-partnership between business and police to turn things to the better.
Commenting on the 2012/13 crime statistics, released in Pretoria, she pointed out that this year had seen a rise in the number of small business robberies and that corruption continued to be an issue. On the other hand, actions taken against copper theft show impact by declining numbers. [Read article]


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Selling travel insurance is 'no laughing matter'
02 April 2009 12:05
April Fool's Day might be a time for japes, but holidaymakers have been urged to ensure that the joke isn't on them as new statistics reveal that a quarter of travel companies are not complying with new rules on travel insurance selling.
World First Travel Insurance has warned that despite the introduction of new regulations by the Financial Service Authority (FSA) on January 1st, 25 per cent of firms are still flaunting holiday insurance rules.
A study of 400 sites by the specialist provider revealed that appointed representatives (AR) are failing to display the insurer on whose behalf they act, while non-AR operators continue to claim they can arrange travel cover, directly contravening the FSA ruling.
What's more, World First Travel Insurance also found that non-regulated travel companies continue to advertise cover and 'recommend' specific providers, further breeching the regulations.
Martin Rothwell, managing partner of the firm, said that many agents have failed to update their paperwork and websites to update the industry revisions.
"They need to realise that if they don't make the changes they are in contravention of FSA rules and this could have real consequences," he added.
Prior to the introduction of the new legislation, Sainsbury's reported that as many as five per cent of people buying travel insurance from their holiday agent in 2008 had been falsely told that they had to do so.


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TAWA members were able to get a full experience of the vehicles driving on rough terrain, climbing rocks, crossing creeks, and dodging exotic wildlife.
Vehicles were measured on their interior, exterior, value, performance, and personal appeal. Ford’s 2018 F-150 Pickup, boosted by its extreme performance 2018 Raptor model along with updated EcoBoost engines and 10-speed transmissions, emerged with the coveted title, Truck of Texas.
The other category winners are listed below.
Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck: 2018 Ram 2500 Limited Tungsten
Best Commercial Vehicle: 2018 Nissan Titan King Cab SV
Luxury Pickup Truck: 2018 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Southfork
Off-Road Pickup Truck: 2017 Ford F150 Raptor
Full-Size Pickup Truck: 2018 Nissan Titan Midnight Edition
Midsize Pickup Truck: 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
“The competition was incredibly fierce at this year’s Texas Truck Rodeo,” TAWA President Nic Phillips said. “More than 70 member journalists put in more 300 hours of driving time evaluating the vehicles presented. The results in several categories are separated by the narrowest of margins, just tenths, and hundredths of a point, confirming just how competitive the trucks and utility vehicles are today.”
Frederick J. Goodall is the Editor-in-Chief of Mocha Man Style, media spokesperson, event host, photographer, and a top social media influencer in Houston, TX. He likes to write about fashion, cars, travel, and health.


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Bangladesh earns $55.55b in export receipts in FY23
Earnings from merchandise shipment rose 6.67 per cent year-on-year to $55.55 billion in the just-concluded fiscal year, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) today.Shipment fetched $52.08 billion in the previous financial year of 2021-22.In June of 2022-23, exports grew 2.51 per cent year-on-year to $5.03 billion.
Inflation falls slightly to 9.74% in June
The monthly inflation rate has slightly fallen to 9.74% in June, a drop of 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, according to data released on Monday by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The country recorded an inflation rate of 9.94% in May, the highest in a decade, according to BBS data.ood inflation stood at 9.73% in June, an increase from 9.24% in May, while non-food inflation hit 9.6%, down from 9.96% the previous month. In the new monetary policy effective from 1 July, the Bangladesh Bank, as part of its contractionary stance, hiked key policy rates to make loan costlier in the hope of taming runaway inflation.The repo rate, also known as the policy rate, was raised from 6% to 6.50% and an interest rate corridor has been set adding 3% to the six months’ average of treasury bill rate.
Chattogram Customs House earns record Tk61,465cr revenue in FY23
Chattogram Customs House collected a record revenue of Tk61,464.72 crore in FY23, riding on higher imports in the final two months of the just concluded fiscal year. This amount is 3.90% higher than that of the previous fiscal year when revenue was collected at TK59,159.83 crore. However, the collected revenue fell Tk17% short of the Tk74,206 crore target.If imports in FY23 were not affected by economic slump, the revenue would have been around Tk70,000 crore. Revenue collection at Chattogram Customs House was Tk4,781.21 crore in July, Tk5,498.48 crore in August, Tk5,105.18 crore in September, Tk4,918.65 crore in October, Tk5,479.56 crore in November, Tk4,388.05 crore in December, Tk 4,744.61 crore in January, Tk4,287.79 crore in February, Tk5,052.52 crore in March, Tk4,534.05 crore in April, Tk6,308.91 crore in May, and the highest Tk6,365.71 crore in June.


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Nostalgia alert! Nickelodeon launches an ICE CREAM version of its iconic green slime - 40 years after the gunge made its on-screen debut in You Can't Do That On Television
- The slime-inspired ice-cream will be available exclusively at Walmart
- Available in two versions, the cups consists of a combination of vanilla flavor with green frosting while the bars are orange and lemon-lime flavored
- A 12-pack of the ice-cream cups will retail for $4.97
- Meanwhile, a dozen of the ice-cream bars will cost a slightly cheaper $2.97
- Nickelodeon's iconic green slime made its debut on You Can't Do That On Television back in 1979
- Contestants on the show would be 'slimed' if they said the words 'I don't know'
- It has since gone on to be used in various shows on the network, and also at the Kids' Choice Awards throughout the years
Nineties children are in for a treat as it has been revealed that ice-cream inspired by Nickelodeon's iconic green slime will soon be available in Walmart.
Available in both cups and bars, the cups consists of a combination of vanilla flavor with green frosting while the bars are orange and lemon-lime flavored. They will be available at the superstore from Monday, April 29 onward.
The green slime became known for being thrown over both characters in various shows on Nickelodeon, as well as being launched at celebrities who graced the stage at the annual Kids' Choice Awards.
Wow! Nickelodeon has released slime ice-cream, that will be available in Walmart, inspired by the network's iconic green slime that was regularly thrown over actors and celebrities
The slime-inspired ice-cream will be available exclusively at Walmart stores from next Monday onward, according to People.
A 12-pack of the ice-cream cups will retail for $4.97, while a dozen of the ice-cream bars will cost a slightly cheaper $2.97.
The ice-cream will be available in two flavors - the cups will be vanilla while the ice-cream bars will be a tangy orange and lemon-lime flavor.
Delicious: Available in both cups (pictured) and bars, the cups consists of a combination of vanilla flavor with green frosting while the bars are orange and lemon-lime flavored
And sticking with the slime theme, the pops boast luminous green and bright orange shades.
The cups, meanwhile, will feature small swirls of the classic green shade throughout the vanilla ice-cream.
The green slime has been associated with the brand for years.
It became known for being thrown over both characters in various shows on Nickelodeon, as well as being launched at celebrities who graced the stage at the annual Kids' Choice Awards.
The slime made its debut on the network in 1979 when the first slime bucket was dropped on You Can't Do That On Television cast-member Tim Douglas.
The contestants on the show would be slimed if they said the words 'I don't know'.
According to Vox, children who were 'slimed' on the popular nineties show even earned a bit of extra cash, as they awarded $25 for having the slime thrown over them.
The recipe for the green slime was revealed when Nickelodeon TV personality Marc Summers, 67, who hosted Double Dare, shared the exact ingredients needed to make it.
In a video for TechInsider Marc said: 'It started off as vanilla pudding, apple sauce, green food coloring and a little oatmeal.'
Original: Nickelodeon's iconic green slime made its debut on You Can't Do That On Television back in 1979, when it was dumped on contestants who said the words 'I don't know'
Yikes: Since making its debut, the slime has been thrown over countless celebrities, including Chris Pratt (pictured) at the annual Kids' Choice Awards event
And ever since making its debut, the slime has been thrown over countless people, some of which were celebrities.
It was featured on the network's game shows Double Dare and Figure It Out, and was also regularly featured at the Kids' Choice Awards.
Classic! The green gunge is launched at celebrities, including Adam Sandler (pictured) when they least expect it during the annual event
The publication reports that Les Lye, Bill Kirchenbauer, Dave Coulier, and Wil Wheaton were among some of the first celebrities to be slimed.
At this years Kids' Choice Awards event, which took place on March 23, DJ Khaled and Will Smith were among the stars to be drenched with the slime.
Dance Moms star and and actor Jojo Siwa, 15, spoke to iHollywoodTV at the event, where she admitted she has been slimed 'tonnes' of times.
'I got slimed last year at the Kids' Choice Awards, I get slimed at SlimeFest all the time, I've gotten slimed for commercials.
'I've gotten slimed tonnes, and tonnes, and tonnes,' she added.
Actor and professional wrestler Paige said she associates the iconic green slime with her childhood, as she has memories of watching it on TV.
The 26-year-old, from the U.K. said: 'Oh my gosh, I want to be slimed.
'Like literally growing up watching Nickelodeon you always see someone getting slimed [and] I'm like "do it to me", I'm all for it,' she added.
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Hui Renjie, 25, who purchased a Note7 in China that was deemed “safe” with a non-defective battery, claims his phone blew up Monday and burned two of his fingers and damaged his MacBook Pro in the process, according to Bloomberg.
In China: Samsung customer says his new Note 7 phone burst into flames https://t.co/IFbBz69ETG
— Charles Riley (@CRrileyCNN) September 27, 2016
The phone was charging when it started to smoke, before bursting into flames, he said.
A Samsung representative visited Renjie to obtain the phone for investigation but he declined, fearing the company wouldn’t reveal the real reason for the fire. Renjie told Bloomberg he planned to publicize the incident.
Renjie provided several photos, a receipt and a video (the latter two weren’t published online) of the destroyed Note7 to CNNMoney, which you can see at the top of this story and below.
A man says his new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 caught fire while charging and it could lead to another country added to the large recall. BU-114TU pic.twitter.com/6dpfQtoVb3
— CNN Newsource (@CNNNewsource) September 27, 2016


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Lynchburg's Mad Dash before Snowstorm
Lynchburg, VA - At F&L Market in Lynchburg, cash registers have been humming all day Monday. And down the street at True Value Hardware, they have spring and winter stuff on the shelves. After all, it's March, so what else can you expect!
This storm is still a day away, but folks aren't wasting any time. They are stocking up faster than you can say "snowstorm."
"We kind of enjoy it. Generally speaking, people are more friendly," said Todd Ramsey, GM, F&L Market.
For GM Todd Ramsey, the rush doesn't phase him an ounce; it's the storm knocking out power to his coolers that has him up at night.
"If you're down for more than 36 hours, you got trouble," said Ramsey.
The Elliotts feel the same way. Not willing to risk it, they're stocking up two big items. The first is lamp oil.
"In case those lights go out, I'll be prepared," said Linda Elliott, Rustburg.
"Lamp and lamp oil are very popular in the winter time for potential power outages," said Chuck Overstreet.
Chuck Overstreet owns True Value Hardware in Lynchburg. His store's lined with winter storm essentials.
FEMA has its own storm prep list. It includes a NOAA Weather radio, sheltering animals where water won't freeze and keeping generators, or anything that burns fuel, vented to the outside. And while some are getting ready for the next big snowstorm, getting the salt and getting the shovels, store owners are already getting ready for spring.
"All of this is fertilizer and people have been buying it," said Overstreet.
That's the funny thing about March, there's a snowstorm brewing at the same time bird's are chirping. Oh yeah, that's the second thing on the Elliott's store list: "Birdseed" said Robert Elliott. "We have to feed the birds. We keep our bird feeders full," said Linda Elliott.
The owner of True Value Hardware says the derecho last summer changed the way Central Virginia prepares for all storms. Basically, people prepare more than they used to - losing power for a week can do that to people.


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Yet the more monumental retail push occurred last summer, when Amazon purchased grocery chain Whole Foods for $13.7 billion and proved, yet again, that Bezos is willing and able to buy his way into a new market when it’s unfavorable to start from scratch. Amazon now uses Whole Foods’ grocery pick-up and delivery perks and in-store discounts as a way to reward its Prime subscribers. It’s also using its massive resources to lower Whole Foods prices, making it more competitive with Kroger, Target, and Walmart. In response, Walmart has begun investing heavily in e-commerce and grocery delivery to protect its turf from Amazon, setting the stage for an unprecedented retail war.
In response to criticism that Amazon doesn’t pay its workers a livable wage, Jeff Bezos announced beginning November 1, 2018, all U.S. and U.K. Amazon employees will earn a $15 an hour minimum wage. Amazon will also lobby to make $15 an hour the federal minimum wage. At the same time, Amazon also eliminated stock awards and bonuses for hourly employees.
Opt for the second-best deal to stay a step ahead of the madness. “A few years ago, my husband needed a new iPad and we decided to brave the Black Friday crowds,” says Slickdeals’ Conway. “We went to two different Target locations, both of which were sold out on the specific product, even though we were there within an hour of the sale start time. We ended up purchasing the iPad at Best Buy, which had it listed for about five dollars more, but had more inventory available. It was still a great deal and easier to access.”
But one of the biggest differences between Cyber Monday and Black Friday remains: the style of shopping, says Vice President of PR and Events at Slickdeals, Regina Conway. “For example, we see more sitewide discounts or category-wide discounts on Cyber Monday, whereas Black Friday will often have very specific products such as electronics and home goods at deep, deep discounts,” she says. “However, more merchants have started advertising specific product deals on Cyber Monday and vice versa, so the holidays are starting to have more crossover.”
Stop searching for the perfect gift! Give Amazon Prime for only $33 for three months! Your gift recipient will get everything that comes with Prime, including unlimited 2-day shipping, exclusive coupon codes, cloud storage, unlimited Amazon Video streaming, free Kindle e-books, access to special sales and discounts, and so much more! It's the best gift around, so start giving today!
Many U.S. states in the 21st century have passed online shopping sales tax laws designed to compel Amazon.com and other e-commerce retailers to collect state and local sales taxes from its customers. Amazon.com originally collected sales tax only from five states as of 2011, but as of April 2017, Amazon collects sales taxes from customers in all 45 states that have a state sales tax and in Washington, D.C.
Cyber Monday generally means more retailer-wide discounts, rather than product-specific ones that pop up on Black Friday, says Novickis. But occasionally, the specific products that do get marked down on Cyber Monday are serious steals. "If a merchant stocked up on a product for Black Friday and then it didn’t sell as well as expected, there could be a deeper discount on Cyber Monday," she says.


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Last year a team from Google achieved what it called "quantum supremacy" when its quantum computer performed a calculation faster than a conventional computer could.
"Our machine performed the target computation in 200 seconds
, and from measurements in our experiment we determined that it would take the world's fastest supercomputer 10,000 years
to produce a similar output," said Google.
This will be a game changer for Cybersecurity!


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Product is king in the Made in Italy scenario.
Before the explosion of homegrown fashion labels in the Eighties, Italy was already filled with small to midsize companies making high-quality clothes and accessories. Later, as European luxury brands began to dominate the market, they became these factories’ best clients, eager to buy impeccable Italian-made products, and take advantage of the quick service and competitive prices.
But markets can change quickly. With many fashion firms bringing production in-house — from Prada, which acquired an old French tannery, to Kering, which recently opted to manufacture its brands’ eyewear collections, formerly licensed to Safilo — numerous Italian manufacturing companies have decided to establish their own fashion labels.
This change is visible across sectors from ready-to-wear and accessories to yarn spinners, such as Botto Giuseppe or the Tollegno 1900 Group, which both introduced knitwear lines.
“Realizing that we had developed very specific skills, we started thinking about launching our own brand…with a product that looks good and offers great value for the money,” said Marielle Srl owner Andrea Distante, who established the Distante Cashmere label in 2013.
Designed by Siglinda Paoletti, the women’s luxury knitwear brand is sold in 24 stores internationally, with a heavy concentration in Russia, Korea and Japan. It accounts for 20 percent of Marielle’s total revenues. The brand’s wholesale prices range from 80 euros [$91] for accessories, to 320 euros [$363] for cashmere coats.
Founded 60 years ago in Florence, Marielle got its start producing children’s knitwear for important Italian and international labels and retailers.
About 20 years ago, the company decided to set aside children’s wear and instead focus on different product categories: knit accessories, including gloves, scarves and hats, and then knit men’s and women’s rtw. The high-quality manufacturing and attractive pricing soon got the attention of a range of European luxury brands.
To satisfy the growing number of fashion company clients, Marielle, which used to manufacture everything internally, shifted gears in the Nineties, creating a solid network of factories located across Italy — especially in the Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Umbria regions — that work exclusively for the Florentine company, making about 120,000 pieces a year.
Asked about the relationship between the in-house brand and those the company produces for other labels, Distante said: “We don’t want to copy anyone. We want to offer high-quality, artisanal knitwear. One of our first goals is finding the right fit.”
Managing the portfolio is crucial, according to Angela Picozzi, chief executive officer of Castor. The Mantua-based company, which manufactures the collections of a range of luxury labels, including Giles Deacon, Antonio Marras and emerging designer Caterina Gatta, launched Mantù, its in-house women’s rtw label, in 2010.
“Every season, the Mantù line is the first we start developing and producing to avoid any kind of problems with other labels,” Picozzi said. She noted that after years of supporting designers in the creation, production and distribution of their lines, she realized there was room in the market for a different type of brand.
“At a certain point, we saw there was a lack of lines that are design-driven but respectful of the body proportions of real women,” said the entrepreneur.
Mantù accounts for 40 percent of Castor’s revenues, which in 2013 hit 6.4 million euros, or $8.8 million at average exchange.
“Mantù’s prices are about 20 percent lower than the designer brands we compete with, but we haven’t compromised on quality,” said Picozzi, adding that the label’s average wholesale price is 350 euros, or $397.
Mantù collections are now available in 60 high-end stores around the world, such as Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Joseph in London and New York, Isetan and Takashimaya in Japan, as well as Al Ostoura in the Middle East.
Another Italian family company, Lardini, was also able to put its skills to use, establishing a well-respected, international namesake brand. Since the early Eighties, the firm has produced for about 20 prestigious fashion companies, including Burberry, Brooks Brothers and Etro.
Launched in 2013, the Lardini men’s wear label, focusing on high-quality fabrics and fresh color palettes, offers an updated version of traditional tailored men’s wear. Last year, the brand, which sells to about 600 multibrand stores around the world, also kicked off a partnership with North American men’s fashion blogger Nick Wooster, launching a successful capsule collection, now in its second season.
Even though the brand’s sales have been steadily growing, according to Lardini, the firm — which produces more than 200 blazers every day — still relies heavily on its portfolio of brands, which account for 70 percent of total revenues: last year, they totaled 71 million euros, or $86.6 million, up 30 percent from the previous year.
Raised in the midst of knitting machines in his family’s Genoa-based company, Mirko Ghignone is at the helm of Liapull, a knitwear firm founded by his mother, Lia Gambetta. Liapull produces for a number of international luxury brands. Ghignone, who is not only an entrepreneur but also an artist, in 1994 founded high-end brand Avant Toi, controlled and manufactured by the family’s enterprise. The label is sold worldwide, including at about 50 multibrand stores across the U.S., and is best known for its one-of-a-kind scarves and sweaters, painted with a hairbrush and treated to have a lived-in effect.
Italy is also home to many leather goods companies that have launched their own labels. Case in point: Bottega Manifatturiera Borse, which started producing for third parties in 1968. About 15 years ago, company founder Gianfranco Lotti teamed up with DFS, Duty Free Shoppers Galleria, to start his namesake luxury bag brand, which launched at about 70 stores, especially across the Asia Pacific region.
In 1997, when French luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton acquired a majority stake in DFS, the Gianfranco Lotti brand was not part of the deal, and Bottega Manifatturiera Borse discontinued the line, focusing instead on production for other high-end brands.
In 2013, Lotti finally found a business partner in German fund Halder, which invested in developing the brand and expanding its retail strategy. According to Gianfranco Lotti ceo Franco Lucà, 30 flagships will open within five years. Two boutiques have already been unveiled in Florence and Paris, while another will open on Milan’s Via Montenapoleone at the end of April.
“We are also going to introduce a wholesale business,” said Lucà, noting that the label accounts for 15 percent of Bottega Manifatturiera Borse’s total business, valued at 35 million euros, or $39.7 million.
“The goal is to have Gianfranco Lotti generating 50 percent of the company’s revenues within five years,” Lucà said.


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Also in this playlist...
This transcript is automatically generated
Everybody I'm Lawrence and in -- and joined by Fox News is the science and technology editor Jeremy cap when he Darren.
-- from this morning Microsoft released windows eight point one that's the upgrade to windows eight there was a lot of gripes about windows eight hours.
It's -- -- -- point one next generation better.
That's -- question here there was.
Complaints galore of course for the first version.
Which sort of was Microsoft's efforts to embrace the growing world of tablets and at same time do you with a billion PCs -- still up and is still exist out there -- -- we really like what they did let's be frank here eight point one.
Kind of steps things back a little bit it's almost a retreat for them they brought back that start menu for one thing that there was complaining where to start menu you can now -- -- start menu again.
He also -- an option to allow you to sort of ignore the entire tile based interface which is the big thing that ever complained about the -- these.
Flicking things that are great for tablet but really kind of -- you can use a computer so as an option to bypass those partly.
What makes a few concessions towards people but I think largely it's still gonna have the same complaints from people.
Okay and now on Monday if we fast forward a little man that -- the official release.
Yes this surface to the next generation the surface and the -- one of the sales numbers have been pretty -- another.
Hard spot for my -- fans.
Still a massive technology come I counted -- -- -- Obama and I mean you know they're looking for and you see I'll let go ahead tell us about what we can expect from surface to.
-- surface too is.
Yet another effort by Microsoft addressed some complaints from people and I think it's gonna have the same sort of issues wouldn't wait newseum on looking -- to get my hands on it but it.
It's essentially a super powerful computer -- the new tablet format the challenges it doesn't really do we did them particularly well.
In the end expensive here you're trying so hard to be positive on these new in donations from Microsoft -- -- -- -- -- -- wonderful stuff -- The device itself the surface it's beautiful isn't probably if you ever touch eye to eye on that one of the events -- -- -- one of the most computers and it used.
I was just I don't know doesn't -- keyboard to it the price tag is high.
And you it seems like these days if you're not Samsung or apple you're kinda lost in the next.
Tuesday it's apple day they're gonna have their big unveil probably the fifth generation iPad.
Fifth generation iPad exactly.
Like the media colorful one that you -- this and an invite they had a ton of little colors on that that is going to be very very colorful.
To go along those new iphones and the -- -- is the biggest seller.
I -- heard that at five that's involved I couldn't get my only goal lasted -- You haven't thought they said they think you're ready -- in the -- Uncle iPhone 5 that's what else -- -- to -- do you suffer from them the mavericks operating system yet to come out.
Were probing to see the new laptops are new desktops isn't new computer from them so big day from from apple coming up and we discovered the first two days and next week Monday and Tuesday definitely a -- -- -- pretty attorney Alan thank you so much for coming thank you.
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Till now, domestic shipping companies had the first right to transport export-import goods, coastal oil and bulk cargo owned by state-run firms. That may change soon.
To a question if the government is considering to withdraw the right of first refusal given to local fleet owners, Nitin Gadkari, minister of road transport and highways, shipping and water resources, told, “It’s in process. I can’t divulge more details.” He was speaking on the sidelines of an event in Delhi.
Under Indian cabotage law, the right of first refusal ensures local shipping companies carry bulk dry/liquid cargo of Indian public and private sector companies by matching the lowest rate quoted by foreign shipping lines. While it doesn’t increase the costs of the importer or exporter, it provides an assured business to the national fleet. Foreign shipping lines can carry cargo when local fleet owners face capacity constraints.
According to the Ministry of Shipping, around 95 percent of India’s trade by volume and 70 percent by value is conducted through maritime transport.
Cargo traffic at major Indian ports in the year ended March was 679.36 million tonnes. In April-May 2018, traffic at major ports increased 2.41 percent year-on-year to 116.26 million tonnes.
“The government is mulling over this proposal because there’s sufficient capacity in the domestic industry,” Hemant Bhatt, chief executive officer of HMSA Consultancy Services, told. “The right of first refusal is acting as an impediment to the movement of cargo.”
Once implemented, the proposal, Bhatt said, will enable international shipping lines to deploy their fleet to tow cargo from one port to another consistently. “This will lead to increased competition in the shipping industry.”
Domestic shipping companies, however, opposed the move, saying it will hurt their business. Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Corporation said in a statement: “Such a step would also be a huge setback to the continuation of India as a nation with a national flag maritime fleet.”
“The right of first refusal gives Indian companies the opportunity to conduct business at the lowest rate offered by a foreign line, at no extra cost to the consumer,” the statement read. “It’s a measure of protection that provides a benefit to Indian shipping at no cost to the economy (unlike, say, an anti-dumping duty).”
The statement referred to a government circular issued in June last year that said all government and public-sector undertaking entities were to give right of first refusal and price preference to local companies as part of the Make in India scheme. “This covered the procurement of both goods and services.” The proposed removal of right of first refusal goes completely against the spirit of this, the statement said.
The Economic Survey of 2017 had noted how local fleets are losing prominence in Indian trade. “Indian ships saw a sharp decline in their share in carriage of country’s overseas trade while about half of the domestic shipping fleet is aged,” the survey had said. “There’s been a sharp decline in the share of Indian ships in the carriage of India’s overseas trade from about 40 percent in the late 1980s to 7 percent in 2015-16.”


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The New Rebel
Here's a picture of the new Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D.
The lens on the camera is not the new rumoured 18-135 IS with a silent AF motor. Below that is a picture with the new EF-S 18-135 IS STM (silent motor).
There are no confirmed specs at this time, we expect those soon.


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As We all know that Google CEO Sundar Pichai Came India last week on 16th December. It is his first visit to India and he announced several projects for india which is famous as “Google for India”. He said that Google’s vision is to develop products to improve access, Internet connectivity for Indians. Google has sent invitation for an event on December 16 with this massage “At Google, we believe that technology can change people’s lives for the better. Indians are coming online at an astonishing rate with affordable smartphones. These new users have a completely fresh view on what the Internet has to offer. Please block your date for an event with Google as we outline our vision for these users,”
Let’s talk about the top 11 takeaways from the event Google For India.
1) Tap to translate
With an objective to connect large numbers of Android customers in Indian in their own language, Google declared a new ‘tap to tanslate’ function for the OS, which will be combined out next year. To complete this goal Google launch Translate Community and it is also promoted on Google Home page below the Logo.
This feature give permit to translate any text written in either Hindi or users preferable language in app by just tapping on the content. With Tap To Traslate function user will not have to leave app to open Google translate and come back again on that app. You need to just tap on that app and you will get tranlate options
2) Google Faster Search
Google Search will work faster in India, especially for those slow internet connections in India. Google’s streamline will be more faster then before so that content and text load in a matter of seconds rather the current situation. Google Search Vise Preseident Tamar Yehoshua said that Almost 50% of Indian internet user were on 2G network. Few of Indian Use 3G network speed but still they are complaining that they get speed like 2G network. She also stated that “Google plans to fix those issue with its streamlined search pages,”
3) YouTube pause to buffer
Youtube user will now be able to pause video to get them buffer, they can also leave the app or site which did not effect on buffer. Buffering will be proceed with Google’s ‘pause to buffer’ feature.VP of YouTube Engineer Eyal Manor mentioned the video upload and download on youtube from India has almost double and time spent was growing at 150% ahead of global figures.
4) Google free WiFi at railway stations
Google CEO Sundar Pichai declared free Wi-Fi in 100 railway stations as he assured to Indian PM Mr. Narendra Modi on his visit to Silicon Valley before 2 months. He also mentioned that by January 2016 free WiFi service will be available in Mumbai Central and than it will be followed to other railway stations in India.Google become partnered with Railtel to make this project a successful.
5) Train 2 million Android developers
Google will work with the National Skill Development Corporation of India and provide training to 2 million Android developers for a period of 3 years.
6) Google Maps Offline Local Guides
Google Map now encourages turn by turn direction-finding in Indian and this process will happen even without an Internet access. Google also said that it would help more companies come online by getting them to list on Google Map.
7) Cricket score, Live Replays
As All Indian People like to watch cricket more, Google Search VP Tamar Yehoshua stated that Google will release enhanced editions of live cricket scores and replays on search beginning next year.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai during the ‘Google For India’ introduced that Asus Chromebit will be released in India in January 2016 at affordable price Rs 7999. The Chromebit is a candybar-sized PC-on-stick and allows customers update their old PCs get a quicker
9) New Hyderabad campus
Sundar Pichai announced plans to launch a “huge new” Google campus in Hyderabad. The company plans to recruit more Indians for engineering, and its business teams as well.
10) Project Loon For India
Sundar Pichai met the Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to start the pilot testing of ‘Project Loon’ in India. Basically Project loon will helpful to rural and Mountain based area to get Internet connectivity. Though Ravi Shankar Prasad, IT and Tele Communication Minister raised issue about Project Loon’s disturbance with telecom signal. Pichai sounded confident of beaming internet from balloons.
11) Android Next Version Name could be from Indian dessert
While dealing with students at SRCC in New Delhi, Google CEO Pichai said for the next form of Android operating system, the company could do an online survey and if all Indians elect, Android operating system N or Android operating system P could get an Native indian name. There were even sources of Android operating system P being known as Peda on stage and on a less heavy note, Pichai laughed of Android operating system P being known as Payasam, a popular sweet provided in Southeast Native indian.


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Candiria Streaming New Track “Invaders”
Candiria have launched a stream of their new track “Invaders“, which was apparently inspired by Iron Maiden‘s track of the same name. You can hear the songbelow courtesy of MetalSucks. The group will release “The Invaders” EP on April 29th on 7″ vinyl through Giant MKT. A digital release is also planned for the same date.


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Over the last couple of weeks we’ve seen a plethora of purported iPhone 5C casings being leaked. Today for the first time the alleged iPhone 5C specifications have leaked, they hint that Siri might not be dumped after all.
A couple of weeks ago we picked up on a research note that well known Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster sent out to investors. He predicted in the note that iPhone 5C will replace iPhone 4S in Apple’s smartphone lineup and will cost around $300 off-contract. He also predicted that Apple will not add Siri virtual assistant in its budget iPhone because it requires special noise cancellation technology to be baked into the processor. We haven’t really heard much about the specifications of iPhone 5C, this is the first time that they’ve been rumored in detail.
The smartphone will apparently have a 4 inch display that offers 1,136×640 pixel resolution. It is said to have a dualcore processor with 1GB of RAM. An 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front camera have been rumored as well. The smartphone is expected to be available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage options will five different colors being offered for each option. Said to weigh in at 106 grams, the expected measurements of iPhone 5C are 124.2mm x 58.4mm x 7.6mm.
Last but not the least, it has been rumored that Siri virtual assistant will be present on Apple’s budget iPhone. Naturally, one should be skeptical about this information since an official confirmation from Apple hasn’t been received yet. The company is expected to announce iPhone 5C next month.


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AT&T Inc. agreed to sell a majority stake in its Yellow Pages directory division to Cerberus Capital Management LP for about $950 million as part of an effort to dispose of units that are holding back revenue growth.
AT&T will receive $750 million in cash and a $200 million note, according to a statement from the Dallas-based phone carrier today. AT&T will keep a 47 percent stake in the business, which had about $3.3 billion in revenue in 2011.
The sale lets AT&T, which hung on to its Yellow Pages division as competitors fled the business, to reduce its exposure to a unit facing increasing competition from online rivals Google Inc., Groupon Inc. and Yelp Inc. To boost sales, AT&T, the biggest U.S. phone company, is focusing on its mobile-phone business, where it trails Verizon Wireless.
“It is a sensible step,” Craig Moffett, a Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst in New York who rates AT&T shares market perform, wrote in a report. “Unfortunately for AT&T, however, the transaction is barely material, either in the proceeds it returns or in the change it portends to AT&T’s overall growth rate.”
Sales at the Yellow Pages business declined 16 percent last year, compared with revenue growth of about 2 percent for AT&T as a whole. Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said in January that the company was looking “to either divest or restructure low-performing and non-strategic assets.”
AT&T fell 1 percent to $30.64 at the close in New York. The shares have gained 1.3 percent this year.
The company said it won’t change its earnings forecast or dividend plans as a result of the sale.
The advertising unit publishes about 1,200 Yellow Pages directories in 22 states. AT&T recorded fourth-quarter costs of 48 cents a share to reduce the value of assets of its directory operations. The company’s net loss was $1.12 a share in the quarter.
Private-equity companies have made several investments in Yellow Pages businesses since 2000, drawn by the traditionally steady cash flow. KKR & Co. bought France Telecom SA’s PagesJaunes SA in 2006, while Hicks Muse Tate & Furst Inc. and Apax Partners LLP bought BT Group Plc’s Yellow Pages unit in 2001.
Cerberus, a New York-based private-equity firm run by Stephen Feinberg, has been raising money, including a $4 billion flagship fund. Recent investments include the $1.02 billion acquisition with Chatham Lodging Trust of 64 hotels from Innkeepers USA Trust in October.


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UK: Langham Hospitality Group has announced the appointment of Bob van den Oord as chief operating officer, a newly created position at the company.
Van den Oord will report directly to chief executive Stefan Leser, and will support the company’s hotel operations and core business functions across four continents. At the corporate level, he will steer the food and beverage, spa, rooms and quality divisions.
He brings over two decades of experience to his new role, which will be based at the corporate office in Hong Kong. Van den Oord recently held the position of managing director at The Langham London, as well as regional vice president of operations for Europe, Middle East and the United States.
“I am honoured to lead as COO for Langham Hospitality Group as it has been an important part of my life for more than 20 years,” said van den Oord. “As we look toward long-term recovery, future growth and opportunity for our group and industry during these challenging times, I feel incredibly fortunate to work with outstanding colleagues who are dedicated and passionate in their service delivery and care for our guests and each other.”
Throughout his career, van den Oord has been involved in all aspects of managing hotels. At the Langham, London, he grew the hotel’s revenues significantly on an annual basis, oversaw the launch of The Wigmore, and opened the only cooking school within a five-star central London hotel, Sauce by The Langham.
Prior to this, van den Oord held the position of managing director at The Langham, Hong Kong, where he concurrently took on the corporate role as vice president, brands at Langham Hospitality Group. He first joined the group in 1999 as resident manager of Le Meridien Boston (now The Langham, Boston).
“Bob has been instrumental in guiding our flagship hotel in London to new heights in a highly competitive market and we have the utmost confidence in his expertise and abilities to lead our global operations team,” said Leser. “His outstanding reputation, luxury expertise and enthusiasm for our brands will position them for success well into the future.”


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Tollywood Actress & Famous Anchor Shree Reddy Launches the Dosa Festival at Hotel Vaishnaoi
99 Varieties of Dosa are being featured at the Dosa Festival which will be held from 13th June, 2015 to 27th June, 2015.
Hotel Vaishnaoi is Organizing “Dosa Feast-2015” A First of its kind festival featuring 99 Varieties of Dosa. A Scrumptious offering on the onset of monsoon makes the “Dosa Feast-2015”-A delectable treat, which can’t be missed out.
Dosa Feast-2015 features Dosa’s, Uttapam’s & Pesarattu’s of various flavours & varieties-Some of the special’s like Five Spice Dosa, Pizza Dosa, Corn Dosa, Pineapple Dosa, Fruit Chat Dosa, Betroot Uttapam, Cheese Corn Pessaratu are some of the mouth-watering must haves at the Dosa Feast-2015.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Hemachandra Yelishala-Executive Director-Hotel Vaishnaoi, Kachiguda said “It’s the onset of Monsoon and we at Vaishnaoi wanted to give the food frenzy citizens of Twin Cities something unique and creative offerings and here we are introducing “Dosa Feast-2015”.
Mr Hemachandra added that Dosa has fast become a staple food for every citizen, Dosa is todays every time food and people from all walks of life just love dosa’s. So to add a Twist in the tale we are introducing a two week long Dosa Festival which will have 99 Varieties of Dosa
Mr. Hemachandra further added the Chefs are special dosa Chef who have years of training in making the perfect Dosa “Dosa Feast-2015” , will feature unique, creative and special varieties of Dosa, which will be found at the exclusively at the Two Week long “Dosa Feast-2015” at Hotel Vaishnaoi, Kachiguda, Hyderabad.


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As we are approaching the second quarter of this year, we are nearing to witness the launch of the flagship smartphones slated to be launched in the coming months.
There notable launches that might be coming from Samsung, Xiaomi, Google, Apple and LG in the second half of the year. When it comes to Xiaomi, the launch of the Mi Mix 2 Mi Note 3 are eagerly awaited by the Mi fans. We have already come across a number of leaks and speculations revealing the major details about these upcoming smartphones.
Adding more fuel to the existing rumors regarding the upcoming Xiaomi flagship smartphones, an image has been leaked on Weibo. It is believed that the phone shown in the image could be either the Mi Mix 2 or the Mi Note 3 that are slated to be launched later this year.
Notably, the leaked Xiaomi phone seems to have a striking resemblance to that of the Galaxy S8. We say so as the phone seen on the image seems to have curved edges, extremely thin bezels at the top and bottom and there is no physical home button below the display. These aspects make it similar to the Infinity Display used on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.
It is worth mentioning that previous rumors have suggested that both the upcoming Xiaomi flagships will feature a dual-curved AMOLED display made by Samsung. Contradictory to this, another recent report tipped at the possibility of the use of the new JDI's full screen display on the Mi Mix 2.
Whatever it is, we need to take this image with a pinch of salt until Xiaomi reveals any official word regarding their upcoming flagship devices. We do warn that there are fair chances for this leaked image could be a fake one too.


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General Motors said Monday that veteran executive Nick Reilly, president of GM Europe, will retire in March.
He will be succeeded as president of the US carmaker’s European operations on Jan. 1 by Karl Stracke, who earlier succceeded Reilly at the head of GM’s Opel division.
Reilly, 61, has been with GM for 37 years. He was the first president and chief executive officer of GM Daewoo Auto and Technology in Korea when it was founded in 2002. He oversaw GM’s strong growth in Asia Pacific and Latin America and led a major restructuring at GM Europe in 2009.
“Nick Reilly has answered the call for GM at every turn,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson.
Stracke, 55, returned to his native Germany in March 2011 to lead Opel/Vauxhall. He accelerating the company’s restructuring and helped it achieve a modest profit ahead of plan, GM said. Stracke was previously the vice president of GM Global Vehicle Engineering, based in Detroit.


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Ford Motor Company now offers a new platform for owners of 2010 to 2016 model-year Ford and Lincoln vehicles not equipped with a modern access to a wide array of connectivity features.
The automaker said that through this simple device to be plugged into the OBD II port below the steering wheel, Ford SmartLink will enable access to the following features: smartphone-based remote start, lock and unlock, 4G Wi-Fi hotspot capable of accepting up to eight devices, vehicle health and security alerts as well as vehicle location assistance.
In addition, it also includes a dedicated App and Web Portal to activate remote features, receive alerts and schedule service appointments with the client's preferred dealer.
“Ford SmartLink will surprise and delight owners of recent model-year vehicles by adding some of today’s most popular connectivity features. Offering it through our dealerships is another way to keep us connected with our customers and earn their loyalty,” said Stephen Odell, executive vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service.
With more than two years of research and development invested, the Ford SmartLink team along with the the Delphi Automotive and Verizon Telematics, have ensured that the new platform will work seamlessly with Ford and Lincoln cars.
Ford has yet to list the exact models that will benefit from the new SmartLink device.
SmartLink can be purchased at any Ford and Lincoln dealerships in U.S. starting mid-2017. There is no word yet if the SmartLink device will be offered to other global markets.


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November 13, 2018
Recognizing the business challenges of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, Kynetec b² recently interviewed a panel of 100 top-level business managers across different industry and service sectors to fully understand the current and future trends that most significantly affect their businesses.
Results from the research identified two megatrends: the ‘smart era’ and the ‘new societal model’. The smart era trend includes technological intelligence and material science to enable businesses to optimise the personalisation of the goods, services and experiences they offer to their customers. It also includes digitisation and virtualisation to automate daily processes, changing the need for human intervention.
The key trait comprising the new societal model is that the individual becomes more important than the masses, and that ‘being’ is more important than ‘having’. Over the years consumers, customers and employees have become individualised to such an extent that they now expect to enjoy a unique experience. At the same time, sustainability and environmental impact are increasingly influencing choice, and a shared economy is on the rise. Finally, the new society will continue at a fast pace to influence the way we work to ensure the ever important work-life balance is met.
Pieter Goossens, Senior Research Director of Kynetec b², commented, “We wanted to provide clarity to help businesses and customers address the issues most impacting today’s professional world. By combining the two megatrends, we identified a significant number of business challenges.”
The business challenges identified include amongst others:
- Product developments meeting audience requirements beyond technological advancements, in a context where Corporate Social Responsibility becomes a basic requirement
- The need for service going far beyond product delivery in a customer-centric world
- Customers being increasingly in control over brand reputation, and the importance of co-creation
- Creating flexible and collaborative working models, led by customer and employee expectations
- Advanced digitalization of marketing processes to automate and simplify customer journeys whilst maintaining authenticity


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10 Boston businesses to follow on Instagram (slide show)
In 2012, Facebook and Twitter are a given for most businesses – but more and more Boston-area companies are flocking to the mobile photo-sharing app Instagram, with the logic that a picture packs an extra social media marketing punch.
Plus, savvy business owners have figured out that the audience is there: Instagram has 80 million users who have shared 4 billion photos to date, according to PC Magazine. Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) acquired Instagram for $1 billion earlier this year.
Many consumer-facing businesses – restaurants, hotels and retailers in particular – already have strong followings on Instagram.
- Click through our slide show to see 10 Boston-area businesses that use Instagram.
- Read the full story here about Boston-area businesses on Instagram in this week’s Boston Business Journal (premium content).
Instagram has captivated so many people in part because the app is easy to use to take photos with a mobile phone. And once the photo is taken people can apply a photo “filter” to the shot, to make it look grainy, sunlit or black-and-white, suddenly elevating a mundane photo – a pair of shorts or a doughnut – to art.
Instagram is available on smartphones, but it doesn't allow linking via the web. Some third party sites allow you to view and follow Instagram accounts on your desktop, including followgram.com.
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Bru Bash Draws 500 Industry Insiders During HeimtextilFRANKFURT—Bru Textiles, the largest fabric converter in the world with sales of about $150 million, celebrated its 25th year during Heimtextil. Gary and Jason Neiman, the two brothers who started Bru, hosted the event January 8 at Depo… Read more.
January 9, 2020
Visit F&FI Booth During Heimtextil: Hall 4.1, FOY 12
Free Copies of the F&FI Winter IssueFRANKFURT -- Visit the Fabrics and Furnishings International booth during Heimtextil 2020, Jan. 7-10, at hall 4.1, FOY 12. The F&FI team during Heimtextil 2019. Let us know if you have any news about your company or the textile business. The… Read more.
January 4, 2020
Richloom Buys Chambers Fabrics Mill, Now Offers Made-in-America Wovens
Target Furniture and RV Markets, Specifically With Fortress Clear, Richloom, and Solarium BrandsNEW YORK -- Richloom Fabrics Group Inc. has bought a mill, more than a decade after selling its last one, the Chambers Fabrics facility in High Point, North Carolina. Nolan Mitchell (left), Richloom vice president of upholstery sales/merchandising,… Read more.
December 23, 2019
A New Twist: Illustrator Agostino Iacurci Designs Proposte 2020 Poster
Proposte 2020 will be held April 27-29CERNOBBIO, Italy -- Proposte organizers usually collaborate with designers to come up with their annual poster/image, but for 2020 chose illustrator Agostino Iacurci to do it. Iacurci is a multidisciplinary Italian artist who lives in Berlin. The… Read more.
December 18, 2019
American and Indian Textile Partnership Hits Stride at Showtime: Epingles and Velvets Hot
American Silk Mills Launches New Brand and New Collections to Record AttendanceHIGH POINT, N.C. -- American Silk Mills, one of the oldest American textile brands founded in 1896, has turned a critical corner after being bought by Sutlej Textiles & Industries Ltd. in India. ASM officials say the working partnership came… Read more.


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To celebrate the release of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” Denny’s is bringing back its “Hobbit” themed menu from last year with a few changes.
New items this year include:
Bilbo’s Breakfast Feast, which includes honey cake French toast drizzled with honey, two scrambled eggs with cheese, spinach and mushrooms, sausage and hash browns.
Smaug’s Fire Burger, which includes “x-sauce,” jalapeno bottle caps and pepper jack cheese.
Bard’s Pumpkin Pie Milk Shake
Bowman’s Brew Pumpkin Coffee
Items returning to the menu include the Hobbit Hole Breakfast, Dwarves’ Turkey & Dressing Dinner and Radagast’s Red Velvet Pancake Puppies.


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Lockheed Martin said today in its most recent quarter it recognized $51 million in unrealized, after-tax gains from investments in its Lockheed Martin Ventures fund.
In a call with analysts this morning, Ken Possenriede, Lockheed's chief financial officer, said there were "some investments that actually went public that allowed us to make a gain."
Later, he added, the company will "make a determination whether it makes sense for Lockheed Martin to get out of those ventures" and continue to use the technology.
Lockheed Martin Ventures is the company's venture capital arm, which was reinvigorated in 2016. Jim Taiclet, the company's chief executive, told analysts during the same call that the unit is supporting Lockheed's technology roadmaps.
Meanwhile, Lockheed reported that sales in its most recent quarter totaled $16.3 billion, up almost 4% from the same three-month period a year earlier. The contractor reported sales gains in all four of its business units.
Lockheed said its quarterly profit hit $1.8 billion, up nearly 7% from the prior year.
Taiclet also noted the company’s planned acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne is moving forward. The Federal Trade Commission has requested additional information, but the company continues “to expect resolution of the regulatory review process by the latter part of 2021,” he said.


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WASHINGTON — Simmering tensions between the U.S. and China and the Obama administration’s ongoing negotiations on a new regional free trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership will continue to draw the attention of the trade community this year, industry experts said.
Sources said it also will watch for any activity in the stalled Doha Round negotiations aimed at reducing tariffs and other trade barriers among World Trade Organization nations.
Trade was perceived to have a low priority in the early days of the Obama administration as more pressing economic and foreign policy concerns took a front seat. But in recent months, President Obama has made some progress on trade, most significantly concluding negotiations on a free trade agreement with South Korea early last month. Obama’s emphasis previously was mostly on export promotion and enforcement of existing trade laws.
China, the top apparel and textile supplier to the U.S., remains an ongoing quagmire for the administration. Mounting pressure over China’s currency policies continued to escalate in recent months, with the U.S. pressing for China to allow the yuan to appreciate. Critics charge the yuan is undervalued by as much as 40 percent, which puts U.S.-manufactured goods at a disadvantage against cheaper Chinese imports.
Thus far, the Treasury Department has declined to label China a currency manipulator, but it delayed the release of its most recent currency report. China has said it will allow the yuan to gradually appreciate, but critics charge that the appreciation so far has been nominal.
The domestic textile industry cites China as a top priority in 2011, as it has been for many years.
“China remains at the very top of the list in terms of policy issues that need to be addressed and resolved,” said Auggie Tantillo, executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition.
Concerns include currency manipulation, intellectual property rights and the country’s “mercantilist” approach to trade, he said.
The U.S. relationship with China is complicated by pending disagreements at the WTO. Last month, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office requested a dispute settlement panel over alleged subsidies China gave to its domestic wind-power manufacturing sector.
Trans-Pacific Partnership talks are likely to accelerate in 2011 as an informal deadline set by the Obama administration approaches toward the end of the year, said Stephen Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Obama has indicated that he would like to have significant progress made on the negotiations prior to the 2011 meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Hawaii in November. USTR held the fourth round of talks on the nascent trade pact early last month in New Zealand.
Global trading relationships also will be impacted by the fate of the Doha negotiations. The talks have dragged on for years, but there are rumblings that a “do or die” moment could be looming.
“We continue to hear this is the year when Doha will be completed, but I don’t know if there’s enough momentum or consensus,” Lamar said.
Multilateral rounds of negotiations have a habit of dying many times and being revived, he said, adding: “We’re likely to see some activity, not necessarily movement.”
Reaching an agreement on Doha would require the U.S. to give more than it has in the past on sticky issues such as agriculture, said Gary Hufbauer, senior fellow at the Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics. It is possible the U.S. could offer concessions in another area where tariffs are perceived to be high, such as apparel, to grease the skids, he said, but “all of it is tough going.”
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews
“Stranger Things” is getting a new cast member for season 2. Meet @sadiesink_, the 15-year-old who will be joining the Netflix series for its new season. You may recognize her from “The Glass Castle” with Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, but the Texas native’s next role goes in an entirely different direction. She describes her character, Max, as “a rough and tumble skater girl [who] becomes friends with the boys at school.” The second season debuts on October 27. (📷: @jgreenery) #wwdeye
Amid the Harvey Weinstein controversy, there’s another sector that’s being put under the spotlight for sexual abuse: the modeling industry. While rumors about abuse and sexual harassment of female and male models — and the photographers, agents and others who perpetrated it — have circulated within the fashion world for years, model @cameronrussell started posting stories from models on Instagram last week about abusive situations they’ve encountered — from sexual harassment and molestation to attempted rape. Over 75 have weighed in so far. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews
To celebrate its 16th anniversary, @dylanscandybar tapped designers and celebrities to create mosaics out of candy. The mosaics will be auctioned off to support the philanthropic cause of each participant’s choice. Pictured here is the mural created by @aliceandolivia's Stacey Bendet. For a first look at some of the other artwork being unveiled tonight, go to WWD.com. #wwdeye
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye


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Times are tough at
, and the retailing behemoth's first-quarter earnings report likely will do little to inspire Wall Street.
The Bentonville, Ark., giant, which reports results before the bell Tuesday, is expected to post earnings of 68 cents a share on revenue of $87.1 billion, according to Thomson Financial. Wal-Mart has already warned, however, that its forecast of 68 cents to 71 cents would be difficult to achieve because of a tough sales environment in April.
The month indeed turned out to be tough for the world's largest retailer. Same-store sales slid 3.5%, significantly worse than the 1.1% drop Wall Street projected.
Goldman Sachs analyst Adrianne Shapira believes Wal-Mart likely will blame big-picture issues such as rising gas prices, the housing slowdown and lower consumer confidence for its sales woes. But she noted in a recent research report that "a variety of macro indicators continue to remain supportive for consumption (nominal wage growth, unemployment rate)."
Wal-Mart's problems, she maintains, are company-specific.
Wal-Mart isn't sitting back helplessly with subpar results. The company is remodeling stores in an attempt to appeal to a higher-end consumer. Additionally, it is focusing efforts on higher-margin items and departments.
On Monday the company announced an expansion of its electronics offerings, including a plan to sell
Skype phones. Wal-Mart also will sell larger big-ticket items such as
Investors will want to hear how these programs are going, and they likely will pay close attention to margins to see if there is any shift due to a better product mix.
I suspect Wal-Mart's margins will be pinched because of a host of factors, including markdowns, the store remodels and perhaps, to a lesser degree, currency issues.
With sales as weak as they've been, Wal-Mart likely engaged in discounting to move products off the shelves. Meanwhile, the store remodels not only increase expenses, they are also disruptive to sales. Lastly, with so much of Wal-Mart's merchandise manufactured overseas, the weak dollar may increase the company's costs, and the company is unlikely to be able to pass along those expenses to its customers.
I'll be keeping an especially close eye on international sales. In fiscal 2007, which ended in January, Wal-Mart's international sales comprised 34% of total sales, up from 28% in fiscal 2006.
Sales grew 30.2% internationally during the year, compared with just 7.8% growth in the U.S. Clearly, overseas sales are a vital component of the company's growth.
Wal-Mart has made some solid acquisitions in Brazil and Japan, which should aid growth. Without a strong performance internationally, the company's projected 12% long-term growth rate could be in jeopardy. According to the blog
Contrahour, Wal-Mart's price-to-earnings ratio is at a 20-year low. If the international business isn't as strong as anticipated, look for the P/E to head even lower.
Wal-Mart will be a buy again, perhaps even in the near future. Once the market digests the company's negative macro comments and investors start to see some progress on store remodels and movement of higher-margin merchandise, the growth projections may be more attainable, and as a result the stock's multiple should reflect that confidence.
But this isn't a story where I would try to anticipate the turn. You're better off waiting for proof that things are working.
In keeping with TSC's editorial policy, Lichtenfeld doesn't own or short individual stocks. He also doesn't invest in hedge funds or other private investment partnerships.
Marc Lichtenfeld was previously an analyst at Avalon Research Group and The Weiss Group and a trader at Carlin Equities. He holds NASD 86, 87, 7 and 63 licenses. His prior journalism experience includes being a reporter/anchor for On24 in San Francisco and a managing editor of InvestorsObserver, a personal finance Web site. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany. He appreciates your feedback;
to send him an email.


text: Lifestyle Food Tom Brady Is 'Back to' Eating Bread in Ad for Subway's New 1-Net Carb, 100-Calorie Hero "I'm pumped that I can get back to bread, all because of Hero," says the NFL star By Dave Quinn Dave Quinn Instagram Twitter Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 29, 2021 05:06 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Courtesy of Subway Tom Brady is famously picky about his diet, but even he is taking a bite out of Subway's new bread. The seven-time Super Bowl champion — who has joked in previous Subway commercials about not eating bread, despite earning the nickname "Bready" by the brand — is helping the quick service restaurant hawk their new Hero Bread sandwich rolls, a 1-net-carb and zero-sugar bread option that delivers the signature flavor fans love with added nutritional benefits. Brady is an investor in Hero Labs, Inc., makers of Hero Bread, alongside stars like Kevin Durant, Rich Kleiman, The Weeknd and Lil Baby. Each six-inch sub roll also features 12 grams of protein, 26 grams of fiber, and only 100 calories — something that seems to have swayed Brady to bite into his first sandwich in years. "As well noted, your boy isn't the biggest bread guy," Brady, 44, admits in a new ad shared to Subway's social media pages, before listing Hero Bread's nutritional information. "Now I'm pumped that I can get back to bread, all because of Hero." "Truly, unbelievable," he adds. Subway is the first chain restaurant to product test Hero Bread in its stores. They're testing Hero Bread sandwich rolls for a limited time in Savannah, Ga.; Des Moines, Iowa; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Boise, Idaho. Beginning Nov. 5, they'll allow fans to vote on other test markets for the Hero Bread test at hero.co/vote. Tom Brady Doesn't Eat Strawberries or Cheeseburgers Cheat Day! Tom Brady Eats His First Strawberry Ever and Impressively Chugs a Beer The move is all part of Subway's multiyear journey to evolve their menu through culinary innovation — a transformation being made to elevate the guest experience and deliver to Subway fans what the brand calls "better choices and craveable flavor." Eat Fresh Refresh menu changes began in July and included 20 updates — the most implemented by the brand since opening its first store in 1965. Updates included "11 new and improved ingredients, six all-new or returning sandwiches, and four revamped signature sandwiches," per a press release. Among new additions were artisan Italian and hearty multigrain bread options, hickory-smoked bacon, smashed avocado, parmesan vinaigrette and more. Subway Sees Its Highest Sales in 8 Years Despite Removing Fan-Favorite Menu Items Joe Raedle/Getty Images Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Their shifts appear to be paying off. In September, the company announced that their August sales in the U.S. were "the strongest Subway has experienced since 2013," with a 4 percent increase in sales compared to 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Subway also revealed that at their top-performing 25 percent restaurants, representing over 5,000 locations, they saw a 33 percent increase in sales this August compared to August 2019. And a survey of more than 66,000 customers concluded that 83 percent of people are satisfied with the menu changes. "We are getting an extremely positive reaction from our guests regarding all that is new at Subway. Our loyal regulars – in addition to many first-time guests – are commenting to our team that they taste a real difference in our new sandwiches and ingredients," David Liseno, a multi-unit Subway restaurant franchisee in Central New York State, said in the press release. "The Eat Fresh Refresh is just the beginning of the transformation ahead. With digital upgrades and more delivery options rolling out, I'm energized by the continued improvement happening at Subway."


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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has asked all subscribers of Loop Mobile to avail mobile number portability to avoid last minute rush. Telecom regulator also asked to Loop Mobile users to take facility at least a week before November 29, after which the Mumbai-based firm will not be able to offer telecom services.
The company had to buy spectrum afresh to continue its operations but it did not participate in the auction held in February.
"TRAI appeals to all subscribers of Loop to avail of the facility of mobile number portability to port their mobile number to any operator of Mumbai service area, preferably at least one week before November 29, 2014 to avoid the last minute rush," TRAI said in a statement.
TRAI had earlier directed Loop Mobile to inform the date of closure of its services in Mumbai to all subscribers either in writing or by sending an SMS or email. A week ago, India’s biggest mobile operator, Bharti Airtel had canceled its plan to purchase business and assets of Mumbai based small operator Loop Mobile for about Rs 700 crore. It has been reported that the merger deal between Airtel and Loop has been hampered by Department of Telecom (DoT).
DoT estimates that Loop Mobile and its sister concern Loop Telecom owe about Rs 808 crore in spectrum and other charges to the government.
The Loop mobile owned by Dubai based IP Khaitan and family, which operates only in Mumbai has three million users and Airtel has around four million users in Mumbai alone. The merger could have made Airtel the largest operator in Mumbai in terms of subscriber base.


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Irish property developer Aidan Brooks has amassed a fortune worth £500 million, but the new owner of Brixton Market has humble roots.
The 47 year-old started off installing TV aerials in his home town of Limerick, before moving into property.
At age 18 he began buying, improving and letting houses in Limerick city centre.
During the boom he spent €12.2 million doing up his house in Limerick, including a swimming pool, jacuzzi and treehouse. He later bought the Bishop of Limerick’s former house for €27 million, later selling it on and moving with his family to London.
His company, Tribeca Holdings, soon expanded from small-time Limerick apartment deals into top-end global real estate.
Last year Tribeca sold more than $500 million of retail buildings in the US, including stores leased to Hermes and Graff Diamonds on New York’s Madison Avenue and to Chanel in San Francisco.
The proceeds were used to buy out fellow shareholders in a €1.4 billion (£1 billion) property portfolio, which comprised more than 100 retail outlets such as the Brompton Cross Estate in Knightsbridge, stores on Bond Street and Old Spitalfields Market near the City of London financial district.
Brooks has signed up new leases with Rolex, Patek Philippe and several Estée Lauder brands.
In 2015, Tribeca Holdings appointed the prestigious Rothschild firm to sell or refinance its properties situated on Oxford Street, opposite Selfridges’ department store.
Brooks moved all his operations from Limerick’s Henry Street to Berkeley Square, Mayfair in London in 2011, escaping the economic storm which engulfed other property developers locally.
It was recently revealed that the famous market has been sold for £37.3 million to a private group of real estate companies, which includes Brooks.
He beat Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct, which had been in talks to buy the market for £30 million until the deal collapsed a month ago.
GCW, one of the selling agents for the vendor London & Associated Properties, said the deal with Ashley had fallen apart as the “previous party did not comply with the agreed time scales”.
London & Associated Properties has owned the site since 2006. Boss John Heller said: “Brixton Markets were in a state of decline when we acquired them. We are proud that today they are home to arguably the most vibrant restaurant scene in London.”
It is hoped Brooks will maintain the area’s cultural heritage, after locals criticised Sports Direct for buying up shops on Pope’s Road.


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New Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Trailer
A new trailer for Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games has been released. It has also been announced that the game will be released in Japan on February 18th 2016. There is currently no release date for Europe and North America.
Will you be picking up the new Mario & Sonic game when it releases? Let us know in the comments below!


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That’s right, folks.
Your desires for a super-watch that rivalsÂ Knight Rider, Predator, Star Trek and the Power Rangers is finally here. TheÂ SamsungÂ Galaxy Gear smartwatch allows for users to access the basic functions of modern smartphones in a conveniently small package.
The company has just released their Galaxy Gear adverts “Evolution” and “Long Time Coming.”
And they’re going viral.
Watch “Long Time Coming”->Â http://bit.ly/15hAry3
Watch “Evolution”->Â http://bit.ly/19vydIE


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Southern Land Starts Infrastructure Work on Luxury Downtown Fort Worth Apartment Tower
See full Fort Worth Magazine article by Scott Nishimura here.
Southern Land Co. announced it’s begun infrastructure work for its planned 27-story luxury high-rise apartment tower at 969 Commerce St. in downtown Fort Worth, the city’s first downtown high-rise of rental units.
Southern Land said it expected to break ground this fall on the 302-unit building at 969 Commerce St. and Ninth Street, a site it bought in 2017 from XTO Energy, which sold its downtown portfolio of properties after it announced its sale to ExxonMobil.
The 300,000-square-foot building will include 302 efficiency, one, two, and three bedroom apartments and penthouses, eight floors of above-grade parking, and “resort-inspired amenities,” Southern Land said. It will include retail and restaurant space on the first floor.
“These will be the first luxury high-rise rental residences in downtown Fort Worth, and we could not be more excited to have the off-site work underway,” Tim Downey, founder and CEO of Southern Land, based in Nashville, Tenn., said in a release, referring to the infrastructure work.
Location Mentioned: Deco 969


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BroadcastAsia 2013 presented the perfect opportunity to get a feel of the state of 4K adoption at this point of time. We take a brief look at the different faucets of Ultra HD ranging from creating 4K content, broadcasting it and getting it displayed on the right panels.
The father of Post-it notes talks to HardwareZone TV on innovation and why Post-it notes are yellow.
Canon Explorer of Light, Tyler Stableford has been named one of the seven "World’s Greatest Adventure Photographers" by Men's Journal, and has shot for prolific publications like The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler. We ask him for tips for the aspiring adventure photographer.
With the help of Mr. Mark Johns from Switch Media, we delve into the world of Over-the-Top services. What makes OTT tick? What special features can users expect? And most importantly, how is it beneficial to the consumer? To get the answers, watch the video.
During CommunicAsia 2012, we sat down with Mr. Amos Tio, GM for Toughbook Asia Group, Panasonic Systems (APAC), to have a quick chat about the upcoming 10-inch Android 4.0 ToughPad A1. For further follow-up, check out our news article.
Vincent Laforet kick-started the video DSLR revolution with Reverie, the first short film ever shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II. We catch up with him to talk about the new Canon C300 camera, how he made the transition from stills to videos and how you can do the same.
HardwareZone was invited to Research in Motion's First in Asia launch of the BlackBerry Bold 9790 and Curve 9380 in Jakarta, Indonesia on 15th November 2011. Here are highlights of our interview with Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO of RIM, and Gregory Wade, Regional MD, East Asia for RIM at the launch.
We paid a visit to HTC's office and had a glimpse of its upcoming dual-core smartphone, the HTC Sensation. Join us in this preview of the HTC Sensation and learn all about its unique HTC Sense 3.0 user experience.
Promising to be the D90's successor, Nikon's newest and latest DSLR, the D7000 makes its way to our shores with a rare launch event. We find out more with a hands-on of the new camera and thoughts from Nikon's Managing Director of Singapore.
Research in Motion (RIM) unveiled the new BlackBerry PlayBook at their 3rd annual Developers Conference in San Francisco. Catch the highlight of the opening keynote as Mike Lazaridis, President & Co-CEO of RIM, walks us through their new device.
- Spotify announces Spotify Family – music sharing for your entire family
- Which Android phones will be getting Google's Lollipop update?
- Replace all your passwords with images using Passage
- Fitbit's Surge aims to be the smart watch for hardcore fitness aficionados
- Rob Riggle to play Frank West in Dead Rising movie
- Apple will require all iOS apps to use 64-bit code starting in February 2015
- IBM to offload semiconductor tech business to Globalfoundaries for US$1.5 billion
- Jabra announces the release of the Jabra Move Wireless – headphones inspired by the city


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Where’s the hottest luxury real estate market in the world? Try Jakarta – for the second year in a row. Read More »
Feb 12, 2014
Living in luxury in Asia doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Certain high-end goods and services can be had on the cheap in cities like Jakarta, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur, compared to the prices demanded in some other cities in Asia, according to a new report out Tuesday from Bank Julius Baer.
Annual membership fees at an exclusive golf club in Jakarta will cost around $4,679, compared to $384,948 at one of Hong Kong’s top clubs. A bottle of 2000 Lafite Rothschild in Kuala Lumpur will lighten your wallet by just $1,979, versus $5,456 for the same bottle in Shanghai, according to the study. Read More »
Uber, the mobile phone app that allows users to summon a luxury sedan to their doorstep, is taking aim at Asia’s legions of style-conscious commuters.
The two-year old startup is looking to Singapore, where the English language dominates and bankers and execs blossom like heliconias, for a launching pad. The service has been in test mode in Singapore since mid-January and is up to 2,000 users. Company executives officially kicked things off this week with a party at Au Jardin in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Read More »
Indonesia now has more billionaires than Japan, as Southeast Asia’s largest economy’s expanding middle class continues to ignore the global economic slowdown and shop, pushing up the value of the companies that sell them new stuff and services.
Forbes Indonesia’s latest list of the country’s richest people, released this week, sets its billionaire tally at a record 32 people and families, edging out Japan, which Forbes says is home to 28 billionaires. Last year Indonesia had 26 billionaires, according to Forbes’ calculations. Read More »
A day after Mulberry Group PLC’s shares plunged by a quarter on a profit warning, the British fashion house launched its first Asia flagship store in Singapore, hoping to cash in on the region’s growing demand for luxury wares.
The store will complement Mulberry’s offerings across the region – including its three existing stores in Singapore, 24 in South Korea, and other stores in Hong Kong, Japan and other key Asian markets. But the flagship store in Singapore, spanning almost 4, 000 square feet and spread across two floors, will be the first to offer the full range of Mulberry products—an indication of the luxury brand’s push to grab a bigger slice of the Asian market. Read More »
SINGAPORE – The company behind the famed Eastern & Oriental Express train line between Singapore and Bangkok is laying out plans for a new luxury service – this time a new river cruise up Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady river.
The operator, Nasdaq-listed Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., hopes the new route up the iconic river scheduled to begin in July 2013 will tap into a burgeoning demand for new tourism products in Myanmar as the once-reclusive nation continues emerging after a half-century of military rule. Read More »
Singapore’s marinas have had a busy few weeks; playing host to massive superyachts, well-heeled potential buyers and some of the most expensive boats in the world – part of the city-state’s efforts to position itself as the prime destination for Asia’s new wealthy.
Over the past month, Singapore played host to the Singapore Yacht Show and Boat Asia; both focused on showcasing million-dollar boats luring wealthy buyers to Southeast Asia’s increasingly crowded marinas. Read More »
Content engaging our readers now, with additional prominence accorded if the story is rapidly gaining attention. Our WSJ algorithm comprises 30% page views, 20% Facebook, 20% Twitter, 20% email shares and 10% comments.
Indonesia Real Time provides analysis and insight into the region, which includes Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. Contact the editors at SEAsia@wsj.com.
Indonesia is facing growing pressure from foreign governments and activists as the clock ticks toward the execution of a group of convicted drug traffickers, most of them foreign.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and thousands of others have made last-minute appeals to Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare the life of a Filipina convicted of drug trafficking and slated for execution.
Indonesia has backed Asean's official stance on territorial disputes in the South China Sea, suggesting that talks on a binding pact in the region — now 13 years in the making — are the way forward.
China's reclamation efforts in the South China Sea dominated talks at a gathering among members of Asean's trade and security bloc in Malaysia, while at home in Indonesia the execution of several convicted drug smugglers moved a stop closer.
Leaders from dozens of Asian and African countries gathered in Bandung to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference.


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Reichelderfer is at the center of the litigation because he received draft legislative and congressional maps from Pepper weeks before they were released publicly in 2011 a fact Reichelderfer testified about for more than five hours on Monday.
going to be honest brokers in redistricting and other issues. To bridge that, both sides turned to lobbyists Rich Heffley for the Senate and Marc Reichelderfer for the House to engage in back channel communications.
Pepper now works for Cannon's lobbying firm, and testified his boss told him it was "dumb" for him to have transmitted the maps to Reichelderfer.
was just a lot of discord and distrust between the chambers at the time, Pepper testified. was essentially zero conversations between the Senate President Office and the Speaker Office. led to concern within his own office about the House can trust that the Senate is Nike Uptempo Jd
Former legislative aide Kirk Pepper testified Tuesday that between the House and Senate and not a grander plan to gerrymander districts was behind the secret communications with lobbyists in 2011 12.
relations between Cannon, R Winter Park, and then Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R Indialantic, were horrible by the end of the 2011 session leading to a cataclysmic end in the early morning hours after sine die with both chambers blowing up each other priorities.
Pepper, now a lobbyist with former House Speaker Dean Cannon firm, testified that Nike Air Max Uptempo 95 Ebay
the larger of how the House was drawing its maps.
cause of lobbyist involvement
A group of voting rights groups has alleged in a two year court fight that GOP lawmakers intentionally re designed the congressional maps in 2012 to protect Republican incumbents. The Fair Districts amendments banned redistricting aimed at intentionally helping incumbents or political parties.
Pepper, the former aide to Cannon, R Winter Park, testified he had given the draft maps to Reichelderfer, a longtime friend, to give him a up on Nike More Uptempo On Feet
Reichelderfer testified he and other Republican consultants had wanted seat at the table but were denied one by GOP legislative leaders and their lawyers. He told the court Monday that while he had received maps that closely resembled the final congressional districts adopted particularly those in Central Florida Nike Air Vapormax Bred surrounding the oddly shaped District 5 seat held by Democrat Corrine Brown he didn draw any maps or have any input into the map drawing process of the House.
Pepper also testified he had very little involvement in the redistricting process as director of external affairs, and was primarily involved in other legislation and only once or twice at the Web site the House created to display maps.
TALLAHASSEE A key aide testified Tuesday that bad blood in the Legislature led by two Central Florida lawmakers was the cause of some interesting email and back channel use of lobbyists not an underhanded attempt to undermine the 2010 Fair Districts anti gerrymandering amendments.
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