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On April 13th, LG Display delivered a keynote speech on the future of OLED displays in the automotive industry at the “2023 OLED Korea Conference” hosted by market research firm, UBI Research. Sang-hyun Ahn, Vice President and Head of Auto Sales Division at LG Display, shared his insights on automotive display and OLED technology trends before touching on the future of OLED innovation within the mobility sphere. With the world’s transition to green cars underway, let’s explore the reasons behind the soaring interests in OLED technology and how it is ready to transform the way we move around!
Accelerating into the Future with Revolutionary Automotive OLED
In the 120 years since the automobile was invented, the advancement of exterior design has eclipsed that of the interior. However, with the new millennium giving rise to cars of the future (electric, connected, and autonomous vehicles), interiors have begun rapidly evolving with displays at the forefront. Once merely used to get from A to B, the car is now undergoing its transformation into a digital device where passengers can enjoy all kinds of content. As a result, displays are extending beyond the center console to the dashboard, seats, and side mirrors in forms such as integrated displays like LG Display’s pillar-to-pillar display, which connects between car pillars to maximize immersion.
The increasing desire for large, high-quality displays that cater to diverse content is leading to a growing adoption of OLEDs in cars. This trend is apparent from the rising proportion of OLED displays installed in automobiles, corresponding to the increasing number of displays. According to the report from Korean media, the market size for displays used in automotive is set to grow by 11% this year compared to last year, from about $8.6 billion to $9.6 billion. The expansion is driven by the surging demand for OLED panels and displays larger than 10 inches. Overall, this is a promising time for OLED technology, and the automotive industry can expect exciting advancements in displays.
‘LG Display’s P-OLED,’ the premium automotive OLED
OLED stands out as a premium display solution in the automotive industry, boasting a range of advantages. Its exceptional color accuracy, sleek design, and eco-friendliness make it a top contender in the market. What’s more, with each pixel emitting light, OLED delivers outstanding picture quality with perfect blacks and a wide color expression. The technology’s high design flexibility is another standout feature, allowing for Bendable and Foldable displays thanks to the absence of a backlight. This proves OLED to be an exciting and versatile technology that promises cutting-edge displays for the automotive industry.
P-OLED for automobiles, which combines Tandem OLED with a flexible plastic substrate, is ideal for electric cars as, compared to traditional LCDs, it reduces power consumption by 60%, weight by 85%, and thickness by 80%. This special display even received the first-ever Eye Comfort Display certification in the automotive industry for its low blue light emissions and low light reflection that offer users viewing experiences that go easy on their eyes.
LG Display’s innovative vision for the premium automotive industry
As LG Display’s market share in the automotive OLED market continues to grow with 65.9% of the market share according to the report from Korean Media, it is now collaborating with top global premium car manufacturers to unveil various solutions later this year. LG Display is not only developing curved OLED designs but is also working on new form factors such as slidable displays that leverage OLED’s ultra-thin nature. In addition, extensive research and consideration are being conducted on Transparent OLED technology, which was demonstrated at CES 2023 in the form of LG Display’s awe-inspiring concept car.
The automotive display market is rapidly evolving, exceeding expectations at every turn. And, LG Display remains committed to maintaining its position as the leading innovator in both current and future car markets, leveraging cutting-edge technologies. As we embark on a journey that will shape the future of the automotive industry, stay tuned to see what’s next for LG Display!


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Best known for being a sugar producer, Tate & Lyle processes a range of other food ingredients.
New York finance magazine Forbes said: 'After years of a sagging stock price and a seven-year hiatus from the FTSE 100, one of Britain's venerable manufacturers has returned to the vaunted index.'
The businessman spent much of his career at Unilever after studying chemistry and psychology. He took over at Tate & Lyle in May 2003.
Investors piled into Tate's stock last year on the back of rising profits and demand for its Splenda Sucralose product, used in low-carbohydrate food and drinks. This helped secure its promotion to the Footsie last month.
The group works at 61 sites across 28 countries. It employs 6,700 people in its subsidiaries and a further 4,800 in joint ventures.
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domain: news


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Welcome to our ‘News In Brief’ column in which we digest all the news releases for you in no more than five paragraphs. Below are snippets of all the media releases that we received from August 1 till the end of the week.
Walk to Work Day Supporting Diabetes Australia
Sydney, Aug 1: Walk to Work Day supporting Diabetes Australia is on Friday, Sept 2 and encourages employees and employers to build regular walking into their daily routines.
With millions of Australians living with all types of diabetes or at risk of type 2 diabetes there has never been a better time to get walking and start on the path to a healthier workplace and a healthier you.
Celebrating its 22nd year, the annual event encourages workplaces to walk to and from work, take a walk at lunchtime, and use the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.
For more information, please visit walk.com.au
COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Now Available Online
Sydney, Aug 1: The Albanese Labor Government has now made COVID-19 vaccination rates of aged care residents publicly available to increase vaccination uptake as part of the Government’s Winter Plan.
From Aug 1, the aggregated data for each residential aged care home will be available in both a list and an interactive map.
The data will be updated weekly on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website, health.gov.au.
The Labor Albanese Government’s Winter Plan to boost vaccination rates is already working.
At the start of June, less than 60 per cent of residents had a fourth COVID-19 dose but vaccination rates have now increased to 78.8 per cent of eligible residents in aged care facilities.
Alibaba LiveNOW 2022 Trains 300 Entrepreneurs
Kuala Lumpur, Aug 1: Alibaba Group successfully concluded its LiveNOW Training Programme this year, equipping 293 Malaysians across English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin sessions with fundamental skills of Key Opinion Leader live streaming and video production to unlock potential opportunities in the interactive e-commerce sphere.
Conducted in collaboration with special training partner MODEN KOL Academy, and supported by Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), MYNIC Berhad, Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec) and Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC), the second edition of LiveNOW was again a corporate social responsibility initiative by Alibaba Group dedicated to the Malaysian community.
It primarily targeted individuals interested in developing a career in e-commerce live streaming or video production, and business owners who wish to leverage interactive e-commerce marketing tools to boost their business growth.
On the foundation of KOL live streaming training covered by the 2020 edition, this year’s LiveNOW programme included an online video production component in view of the increased use of short videos as marketing means in recent years.
During the three full-day free online training sessions respectively conducted in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin, participants had the opportunity to learn from sharing sessions hosted by popular local KOLs including Kate Ke En, Kartini Ariffin, Jae C and Xiao Gu, as well as lectures by trainers from Taobao, MODEN KOL Academy, Lazada and homegrown video production house UNINESS.
“We are happy to have received an overwhelming response to our LiveNOW programme from the Malaysian community this year, indicating a strong demand for such capacity-building opportunities. This is especially evident post-pandemic with many individuals have started their journey in the e-commerce realm. We hope the programme has not only provided our participants with the relevant knowledge to explore this arena with confidence but also demonstrated through the stories of our KOL trainers that success is not unattainable if we have the will to reach for our goals,” Jess Lew, Country Manager, Tmall Taobao World Malaysia said.
Incentives For Early Childhood Education
Sydney, Aug 2: Up to $25,000 of financial support is now on offer for aspiring early childhood educators and teachers in NSW, as the Department of Education continues to boost staff numbers in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector.
Applications for the 2022-23 Early Childhood Education Scholarships Program and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Early Childhood Education Scholarships Program opened today to help students entering the workforce enhance their skills, thanks to the $281.6 million Workforce Package to attract and retain ECEC staff over the next four years.
Successful scholars would receive a boost of up to $25,000 to begin or complete an ECEC bachelor’s degree at TAFE or university. A $5,000 incentive annually over 4 years ($20,000) may also be available to help keep them working at a community preschool, mobile preschool or long day care service once they’ve finished their degree.
Applications for Round 2 of the Early Childhood Education Scholarships and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Early Childhood Education Scholarships program are open from Tuesday, Aug 2 and close on Sept 12.
Interested applicants are encouraged to visit the Department’s website for more information and to submit an application.
Australia Ranks 8th Globally
Sydney, Aug 2: The latest study by cybersecurity company Surfshark shows that Australia ranks 8th in government surveillance based on the number of accounts specified in data requests by the local authorities and law enforcement agencies. In total, over 5 million accounts were requested in 177 countries from 2013 to 2020, with a steady increase in the latest years. The research shows that the US and EU authorities request the most data. Apple complied with the most useful data requests (80 per cent) compared to Microsoft, Facebook, and Google (from 69 per cent to 72 per cent).
Surfshark’s research analyzes user data requests that Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft received from 177 countries’ local authorities between 2013 and 2020.
The cases of requests are related to government surveillance and law enforcement when digital evidence is needed in legal processes.
The research shows that Australia ranks 8th in the world based on the online accounts requested by authorities from 2013 to 2020 (257 accounts per 100k people), in comparison to the U.S. (1st with 585/100K), U.K. (3rd with 486/100K).
Create Change With Coway Run 2022
Kuala Lumpur, Aug 2: Dust off those running shoes as the highly-anticipated on-ground Coway Run is back after a two-year long hiatus.
Stretch out those limbs, flex those muscles and show your true spirit by giving it your all and leave behind nothing but smiles of satisfaction from October till November, this year.
Themed Unite to Create combines healthy living, wellness, fitness and art, participants can choose to join either the virtual run or on-ground run.
Participants who are choosing to run on-ground will also be able to run virtually!
In the virtual run, participants will be able to run at their own pace and leisure from Oct 1 until Nov 6.
For more details on Coway Run 2022, visit www.cowayrun.com.my.
Skysports Secures USD3.13M In Investment
London, Aug 2: Skyports, the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vertiport infrastructure and drone services provider, has completed the final close of its Series B capital raise with fresh investment from ST Engineering through its Corporate Venture Capital unit, ST Engineering Ventures.
ST Engineering, which has over 45 years of experience in the aerospace industry, will join as the final investor in Skyports’ Series B funding round, following the first close in March this year.
The addition of the Singapore heavyweight to Skyports’ roster of investors brings the total funding to USD $26.13 million.
The heavily oversubscribed Series B round highlights confidence in Skyports’ offering and industry direction.
Other Series B investors include Japanese conglomerate Kanematsu Corporation, global industrial property group Goodman Group; Italian airport platform 2i Aeroporti, backed by Ardian’s Infrastructure Fund and F2i Italian Infrastructure fund; and US-based Venture Capital firm GreenPoint.
YTL’s Founder Honoured
Putrajaya, Aug 3: As part of its year-long 10-year anniversary celebration, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (“HWUM”) honours the late Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay, the founder of the YTL Group, for his contributions to the University’s impact in Malaysia on July 21.
The YTL family has a long tradition with the UK University. Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) Yeoh’s son, Dato’ (Dr) Yeoh Seok Kian, attended Heriot-Watt University (“HWU”) as an undergraduate and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Building in 1981.
In 1988, the University awarded Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr) Yeoh with an Honorary Doctorate, Deng for his contribution to the industry. Similarly, Dato’ (Dr) Yeoh Seok Kian was recognised for his work and bestowed an Honorary Doctorate, DUniv in 2017.
In January 2019, Dato’ (Dr) Yeoh Seok Kian, who is the Managing Director of YTL Corporation Berhad, gifted £1,000,000.00 (RM5,340,313.08) to establish the “Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay Global Scholarship Programme” in memory of his father, who was known as a visionary leader by many.
The scholarship programme is aimed at widening Malaysian students’ access to UK higher education at the University.
Sarawak Consolidated Industries Bhd Signs MOU
Kuching, Aug 3: Civil engineering specialist Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with PT. Semesta Noor Berkarya and PT. Envy Manajemen Konsultansi to explore the formation of a partnership in relation to the construction of 4G telecommunications towers for Indonesia’s outermost regions.
Under the MoU, SCIB will anchor the formation of the partnership as well as provide the corporate management setup. SNB, a state-owned enterprise of the Republic of Indonesia is an engineering, procurement and construction specialist with expertise in handling large-scale domestic projects, will build and install the 4G telecommunications towers, including site survey and acquisition as well as other supporting infrastructure works.
EMK, which is involved in business advisory, consultation, project management and other corporate management activities, will provide project management services through operational and technical supervision.
The project, which comes under Indonesia’s Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (“Bakti”), is expected to take three years to complete and involves the construction and installation of 4G telecommunications towers in 3,704 villages. Bakti is an agency under the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology tasked to provide the telecommunications network.
MDEC Introduces IdeaKita
Cyberjaya, Aug 3: Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Malaysia’s lead digital economy agency, introduced the IdeaKita initiative to create and foster 200 new tech companies by the end of the year.
Chief Executive Officer of MDEC, Mahadhir Aziz, said that the programme is designed to facilitate the journey of budding entrepreneurs in establishing their own tech companies.
The programme is also part of MDEC’s new Malaysia Digital initiative which aims to catalyse and transform the capabilities and capacities of our digital ecosystem and accelerate the growth of Malaysia’s digital economy.
IdeaKita is aligned to increase the number of startups to 5,000 by 2025 as identified as one of the nine focus sectors under the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint.
To find out more on IdeaKita, visit https://mdec.my/IdeaKita.
Perfect Corp Partners With DOUGLAS
Berlin, Aug 3: Perfect Corp., the leading artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) beauty and fashion tech solutions provider, has partnered with DOUGLAS, Europe’s leading platform for premium beauty and health, to introduce a new digital skin type analysis tool powered by state-of-the-art AI deep learning technology.
Customers can use the digital skin analysis tool via the DOUGLAS app to determine their skin type and additional skin properties.
Users simply scan their faces with their smartphone camera and in just a few seconds the algorithm detects their unique skin concerns.
Once the skin type has been determined, along with levels of hydration, oiliness and facial wrinkles, specific product suggestions can be made.
These are precisely tailored to the customer’s unique skin type and individual needs.
Nigeria Into Cryptocurrencies
Sydney, Aug 4: Nigeria is the most cryptocurrency-obsessed country in the world, a new study reveals.
The research, carried out by crypto price tracker CoinGecko, examined Google Trends data of search terms frequently used by people interested in cryptocurrency.
These terms were then combined to give each English-speaking country a ‘total search score’ to discover which countries have been the most interested in cryptocurrency since the market crash in April 2022.
The study revealed that Nigeria ranks highest as the country most curious about cryptocurrency since April this year.
With a total search score of 371, Nigeria topped the list for its population having the highest search levels for the phrases ‘cryptocurrency’, ‘invest in crypto’ and ‘buy crypto’ worldwide while Australia ranks as the fourth most crypto-curious country worldwide.
Meta Malaysia launched #TakNakScam 2022
Kuala Lumpur, Aug 4: Meta Malaysia today announced new initiatives under the nationwide #TakNakScam awareness campaign in the presence of core campaign partners, including Royal Malaysian Police’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department (PDRM CCID), Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP), Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), Bursa Malaysia Berhad, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM), The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) and the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA).
Meta’s #TakNakScam campaign was first launched in July 2021 with the aim to create awareness and educate the public on how to spot, check and report against highly deceptive tactics employed by scammers.
The campaign which ran for five months was well received by the public and had a total reach of 2.3 million and 105,000 link clicks via various social online campaign channels
Meanwhile, the influencer campaign through Meta Marketing Partner had a total reach of 4.8 million and a total engagement of 23,007.
In addition, the campaign also received support from local celebrity Chef Wan, who through various social content on the campaign, had a total reach of over 1.38 million and a total engagement of 137,000.
“New consumer behaviours around online buying and browsing habits that emerged during the pandemic will remain entrenched amongst Malaysians.
We recognize that more Malaysians are going online to build meaningful connections with people, communities and businesses they love. Together with our partners, Meta is committed to providing safety tools and resources so that Malaysians can stay safe on our platforms. We will continue to find new ways to reach out to everyday Malaysians, raise awareness, encourage critical thinking so that people remain vigilant and empower them to take action to protect themselves,” Nicole Tan, Country Director,
Malaysia at Meta said.
According to The Commercial Crimes Investigation Department, PDRM, there were 71,833 cases with losses amounting to more than RM5.2 billion, from 2020 until May 2022 with 48,850 or 68 per cent of them involving online scams. E-commerce scams recorded 5,851 cases in 2020, 9,569 cases last year and 3,833 cases up to May this year. Job scams recorded 350 cases, while loan and investment scams also recorded a total of 11,875 between 2020 to May 2022.
Bigo Live Premieres ‘BIGO Gagaga
Kuala Lumpur, Aug 4: Bigo Live, the global leading live streaming platform has announced the launch of BIGO Gagaga, an all-new entertaining online game cum-talkshow variety program featuring Bigo Live’s very own broadcasters and some of Malaysia’s top radio personalities.
The inaugural three-episode variety program will air every Thursday at 9 pm MYT exclusively on the Bigo Live app. The first episode of BIGO Gagaga will premiere on Aug 4, with the series finale scheduled on Aug 18.
Viewers who missed the live streamed episodes will be able to catch an encore telecast on Bigo Live Malaysia’s Facebook page the following Fridays at 9 pm MYT.
Indonesian Mall Treated With Modern Parking System
Jakarta, Aug 5: One of the largest and most comprehensive malls in the country, Grand Indonesia, which is located in Central Jakarta, has officially implemented new parking technology innovations to increase visitor comfort and accelerate access to and from the mall parking area. This innovation is the result of the development of a service provider and parking technology company, PT Centrepark Citra Corpora (CentrePark).|
Through the CentrePark brand, PT Centrepark Citra Corpora was plotted as the parking manager for Grand Indonesia Mall in November last year. As an umbrella for cooperation, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Jakarta, on February 3, 2022. The signing was carried out by the President Director of PT Centrepark Citra Corpora, Charles Richard Oentomo accompanied by CenterPark Director Chris Haryadi, with two Grand Indonesia Directors Murali Daran and Harry Kusnadi. That way, since August 1 CenterPark has officially managed the vehicle parking area at Grand Indonesia Mall.
“CentrePark has the same mission as Mall Grand Indonesia, which is to call for an exclusive shopping experience through a number of global brands that are its tenants, equipped with condominium, office and hotel facilities with the same luxurious classification. Suitable for to see and to be seen, people.
Therefore, we are grateful for the opportunity given by Grand Indonesia,” said Charles Richard Oentomo.
In the signing ceremony of this cooperation, both parties were enthusiastic. CenterPark incidentally is known as a national parking operator company with various major projects in Indonesia. CentrePark’s experience includes managing various parking areas for skyscrapers and commercial areas, housing to townships in 50 cities in Indonesia ranging from Jakarta, Tangerang, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, Batam, Semarang and others.
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Additionally on this letter:
- Startups on CXO hiring spree
- ShareChat dad or mum raises $145 million
- WazirX to launch decentralised change
Paytm’s Sharma can appoint one board member
Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma will have ‘protective rights’ to appoint one member to the board, as long as he owns 2.5% fairness within the firm he based and continues engagement with it in an govt capability.
Sharma at present owns practically 15% of Paytm.
Particulars: These rights have been included within the new shareholding settlement that Sharma and Paytm signed final month. Underneath the brand new settlement, Sharma will now not be labeled as the corporate’s ‘promoter group’.
- If Sharma meets each circumstances, he could have the proper to nominate any individual of his option to the brand new board.
- If he meets one of many two circumstances, he’ll solely have the ability to nominate himself to the board.
- If he meets neither, he’ll lose the proper to board illustration fully.
Alibaba additionally will get one seat on the board, whereas SoftBank Imaginative and prescient Fund and Elevation Capital (previously SAIF), which personal stakes in Paytm, can nominate one director every.
Shareholders should approve: Whereas the brand new settlement is already in impact, the proposal to present Sharma protecting rights after its itemizing should be ratified by shareholders. Since all present traders — together with China’s Alibaba and its associates — that personal practically 40% of Paytm agree with the proposal, it’s prone to move uncontested.
Why? Many Indian consumer-tech startups resembling Paytm, CarTrade, Nykaa, Policybazaar, MobiKwik and Delhivery are in numerous levels of finalising their public listings. Forward of those high-profile IPOs, many within the startup business are looking for regulatory safeguards that give particular person promoters extra flexibility in exercising operational management over the businesses they based — even after they go public.
“It’s a well-established business norm to present founder members rights linked to board nomination, topic to public shareholder approval,” a supply informed us. “Within the present case, the shareholding of the founder is important and thus must be protected.”
Proper to first provide: Sharma and sure different traders in Paytm even have the ‘proper to first provide’ if any present shareholder seeks to divest their stake within the firm.
Indian startups are on an unprecedented CXO hiring spree
The massive digital push created by the pandemic has sparked an unprecedented CXO hiring spree by Indian startups. Flush with funds from danger traders, they’re budgeting more cash than ever earlier than to rent prime expertise.
Startups are spending as a lot as 30-35% of the funds they elevate to get the proper candidate, up from 10-15% earlier, CEOs, search consultants and business specialists informed us.
Zomato’s blockbuster public issue and a string of upcoming IPOs have prompted senior expertise from legacy corporations to hitch these comparatively small corporations in return for enormous pay packets that embrace worker inventory choices.
Instance? Some latest prime hires embrace:
- Vivek Gambhir, former managing director of Godrej Client Merchandise, who joined consumer tech products brand BoAt as its CEO
- Himanshu Verma, who left Amazon to join Licious as chief product and expertise officer
- Mrinal Sinha, who moved from Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance to Cars24 as chief HR officer
- Bhavesh Singhal, former head of development for Medlife and Myntra, who joined MyGlamm as chief development officer
- Sharad Sodhani, who left Rapido and joined Wakefit as its finance chief
One world, one market: “Prime expertise, particularly in a digital world, is globally cellular. One has to compete on compensation at a worldwide scale. One does must funds more cash to draw expertise when elevating funds,” mentioned Tushar Vashisht, founder and CEO of Healthifyme.
ShareChat dad or mum raises one other $145 million
Mohalla Tech, the dad or mum agency of regional language social media platform ShareChat and short-video app Moj, mentioned it has raised an additional $145 million in its Sequence F funding spherical led by Singapore’s Temasek and Moore Strategic Ventures. Mirae-Naver Asia Progress Fund additionally participated within the newest financing.
Valuation bounce: The newest funding values ShareChat at $2.88 billion, up from $2.1 billion in April, when it snagged $502 million in a spherical led by Tiger World. General, ShareChat has raised over $911 million to this point.
The place will the cash go? ShareChat mentioned the cash will assist it double down on its strategic priorities: enhancing their synthetic intelligence (AI) feed, attracting and incentivising a various creator base, and strengthening security on its platform.
The agency has lately employed senior executives within the UK and the US with experience in AI and machine studying, and is seeking to rent extra individuals in such roles, it mentioned.
In different deal information…
■ Singapore-Mumbai based mostly B2B funds platform Nium has raised $200 million in a funding spherical led by Riverwood Capital, valuing the agency at over $1 billion. The spherical additionally noticed participation from Singapore’s state investor Temasek Holdings, funds processor Visa and enterprise capital agency Vertex Ventures. Earlier this month, Nium had acquired fraud-hit Wirecard’s foreign exchange unit in India as a part of the latter’s insolvency course of.
■ On-line journey app Ixigo has bagged $53 million from traders led by Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, forward of its proposed preliminary public providing, in line with regulatory filings sourced from Tofler. “The corporate is taking a look at a valuation of $750-800 million for the IPO that’s scheduled for the fourth quarter of the present calendar 12 months,” mentioned an individual with information of the event. “It plans to lift Rs 1,200-1,500 crore by way of its IPO for which it should file its draft crimson herring prospectus subsequent month.”
■ Well being meals model The Entire Reality has landed $6 million in a Sequence A funding spherical led by Sequoia Capital India. The corporate has to date raised Rs 52 crore together with this spherical.
■ Medical expertise startup Axio Biosolutions mentioned it has secured $6 million in a funding spherical led by Truescale Capital. Current traders Omidyar Community India, College of California-Ratan Tata Fund, and Accel additionally participated.
■ Bengaluru-based social gaming and live-streaming startup Eloelo has raised $2.1 million in a funding spherical co-led by Waterbridge Ventures and Lumikai Fund. Higher Capital and Exceed Leisure additionally participated. The startup plans to make use of the funds to strengthen creator partnerships and support the launch of recent live-gaming codecs to scale the platform for the following 10 million customers.
Flipkart strikes Supreme Court docket to stall CCI probe
Walmart-backed Flipkart has moved the Supreme Court difficult final week’s Karnataka Excessive Court docket order which paved the way in which for India’s antitrust watchdog to probe corporations like Flipkart and Amazon India, in line with sources conscious of the matter.
- Final week, we reported that each corporations were likely to take the case to the apex court docket after the excessive court docket dismissed their appeals, terming them “devoid of any benefit and substance”.
Flipkart has filed an enchantment and the matter could also be heard later this week, an individual conscious of the matter mentioned. Amazon India can be prone to file the same petition within the prime court docket to problem the probe, the individual added.
What’s the case? CCI had initially ordered the probe in opposition to the 2 ecommerce marketplaces in January 2020, saying it had “prima facie” discovered proof to start an investigation below Part 26 (1) of the Competitors Act, 2002.
Draft e-commerce guidelines: These developments come amid proposals by the buyer affairs ministry to alter India’s e-commerce guidelines. These embrace a ban on flash gross sales and curbs on in-house labels. Learn our explainer on why e-tailers are upset over these draft guidelines.
A number of business teams are seeking major changes to those proposals as they consider they might damage development and negatively have an effect on shoppers.
Govt’s AI mission delayed, awaiting cupboard nod
A 12 months has handed since a government-appointed panel entrusted the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) to guide the implementation of its Synthetic Intelligence (AI) Mission, final approval for the marquee programme is still awaited from the cupboard.
- The five-year AI programme, which was introduced within the 2018 union funds, was already delayed due to a tiff between MeitY and Niti Aayog. This was resolved final September by a committee headed by the principal scientific adviser to the prime minister, Ok VijayRaghavan.
Sources mentioned Niti Aayog had earlier made a Rs 7,000 crore proposal for the venture, however the cupboard word ready by Meity had estimated a barely decrease funds.
Whereas MeitY will lead the roll out of the nationwide programme on AI, it should additionally contain tutorial establishments resembling IITs, business companions for superior R&D, and the ministries of well being, training and agriculture.
WazirX to launch decentralised change subsequent month
WazirX, India’s largest cryptocurrency change by quantity, is in the advanced stages of launching a decentralised change, cofounder Nischal Shetty mentioned.
What’s the distinction? Not like a centralised setup, the place an change is the custodian of a buyer’s cryptocurrency and controls who can or can’t open an account on it, a decentralised change operates with out an middleman organisation for clearing transactions. The trades are made utilizing self-executing good contracts.
“As a result of a decentralised change doesn’t personal the information, even the authorities cannot actually go to the developer of the change and say ‘I need the information’,” Shetty mentioned. The information is offered on the blockchain for everybody to see, he added.
This improvement comes as WazirX has found itself in the crosshairs of regulators. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a show-cause notice to the change in June, asking it to elucidate transactions value Rs 2,790.74 crore that allegedly violated overseas change guidelines. The change is believed to be getting ready its response.
Different Prime Tales We Are Overlaying
Grofers joins categorical supply rush: Grofers has launched a 15-minute online grocery delivery service in Gurugram, cofounder Albinder Dhindsa wrote in a weblog publish on Tuesday. He claimed the corporate delivered groceries in over 7,000 households inside quarter-hour on Monday.
Ola CEO ‘strongly disagrees’ with Tesla, Hyundai on import duties: Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said on Tuesday that he “strongly disagreed” with the views of Tesla and Hyundai on decrease import duties for electrical autos in India. He mentioned India ought to trust in its means to construct electrical autos indigenously whereas additionally attracting world producers.
Koo app calls on customers to use for its yellow-tick verification system: Following the furore over Twitter’s blue tick verification purposes and the choice standards, Indian microblogging platform Koo is calling on users to use for Eminence, it is yellow tick verification mechanism on the platform.
World Picks We Are Studying


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Because Christians and their belief in an invisible sky man must never, ever, ever be offended, forthcoming EA game Dante’s Inferno will have its motto – “Go to Hell” – censored when a commercial for the game runs during the Super Bowl.
In its place will be a new tagline: the far less convincing “Hell awaits.” This lily-livered spot of censorship was the work of the network CBS, which refused to let the “Go to Hell” tag stay in, deeming it to be too controversial. So once again, religion is preciously shielded from any potential offense. Just as a reminder, CBS, it’s now 2010.
Predictably enough, this isn’t the first time that Dante’s Inferno has found itself embroiled in controversy. The “baby-killing” Achievement that will appear in the game was chastised by the International Nanny Association, while EA has been accused of objectifying women in a Dante’s Inferno contest.
The game itself will hit stores on February 9th, two days after the February 7th Super Bowl. Expect much more theist huffing and puffing between now and then.


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In October 2015, the publication, Entrepreneur developed the Entrepreneur 360™ Performance Index, a comprehensive analysis of hundreds of privately-held, U.S.-based companies.
The purpose of their 360 degree assessment was to understand what makes a strong – and, more importantly, sustainable — entrepreneurial company.
Their analysis uncovered a subset of companies whose continued success is largely based on:
- Superior value creation for their customers
- Building an adaptive learning culture
- Aggressive geographic expansion
Entrepreneur has dubbed these companies the “Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America” and Acceleration Partners is proud and honored to have made their 2016 list.
To form their Entrepreneur 360™ Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America list, the publication’s team of editors and researchers asked hundreds of entrepreneurs, those who founded or managed their business, pointed questions about everything from market sector, sales territory, and target growth rates to expansion planning, business processes, culture and other company functions.
The answers to their questions revealed that the most successful entrepreneurial companies are sustained growers, have proven adept at navigating the changing challenges of their marketplace to win new business and grow their output capacity year after year, according to researchers at the Business Dynamics Research Consortium, a research partner of the E360 Performance Index.
A big congratulations to all the companies that made this year’s Entrepreneur 360™ Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America list. It is a privilege to be counted among companies who are identifying problems in the world, coming up with new, innovative, forward thinking solutions and building an enterprise around it.
To learn more about what makes Acceleration Partners one of the best entrepreneurial companies in the U.S., visit our Company page.


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Works from 100 galleries will be displayed at Art Basel’s OVR:2020 and OVR:20c viewing rooms, which open online this autumn.
The virtual rooms will showcase works made in the last year and from across the 20th century, respectively, with each gallery contributing six works.
Marc Spiegler, Global Director of the fair, said the online viewing rooms are in response to the ‘difficult times’ the art world is facing and will attempt to explore different ways of supporting galleries and keeping people engaged.
Any gallery that’s participated in an Art Basel fair already, from 2018 onwards, can apply, although a spot in the online viewing rooms runs to $5,000.
More digital rooms are set to launch later in the year, with OVR:2020 on display from 23 to 26 September, and OVR:20c opening from 28 to 31 October. Art Basel VIP guests will be able to access both and ask gallerists questions via live chat.


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Consumer sentiment towards retail has been consistently falling over the last few months on account of rising inflation, even as prices of everyday commodities climb. Major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon have indicated inventory overstocking, which could see them cutting down their imports to improve inventory turnaround times. With demand cooling from both the consumer and retailer segments, it is little surprise that ocean freight spot rates between China and N.America are seeing new lows this year.
“Ocean freight spot rates are continuing to drop fast. The SHIFEX index shows China to the US West Coast has gone below $7,000 per FEU while China to the US East Coast is moving downwards to below $9,000 per FEU. Consumer retail expenditure seems to be at a tipping point, inevitably reducing total volumes getting ashore. We expect this to push prices further down in the future,” said Shabsie Levy, the CEO and founder of Shifl.


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Opyn co-founders are leaving soon after the DeFi protocol came underneath regulatory strain from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Opyn’s founding staff resigned soon after legal strain from the CFTC
CEO Zubin Koticha explained on his X profile that he and co-founder Alexis Gauba have made the decision to depart the cryptocurrency marketplace. The cause for this phase is due to the latest legal moves towards Opyn.
Hey Crypto Twitter,
It’s been a whilst
This is difficult…
After the regulatory action towards Opyn, @alexisgauba and I manufactured the determination to abandon cryptocurrencies.
It’s truthfully truly thrilling for me and Alexis.
—zubin koticha (@snarkyzk) November 14, 2023
The CFTC explained final September that the company had launched an investigation towards Opyn and two other units working in the DeFi marketplace. Opyn allegedly failed to finish fundamental registrations and did not have ample consumer identity management measures in spot for its derivative merchandise. Specifically, Opyn is essential to spend a fine of $250,000 and comply with the legal rules of the CFTC.
>> Find out extra: The CFTC charged three DeFi tasks together with Opyn, 0x, and Deridex
“We spent 6 years working on and improving the limits of traditional financial markets. We thought we would dedicate our entire lives to cryptocurrency. However, unfortunately, this is a rest stop.” – shared CEO Koticha.
The Opyn founder also additional that Andrew Leone (the company’s head of study) will be up coming in line to get on the CEO part. It is regarded that Mr. Leone invested six many years as a vice president at Nomura (a financial institution in Japan) with expertise in the discipline of volatility index trading and structured derivative merchandise (Structured).
Join the discussion on the hottest troubles in the DeFi marketplace in the chat group Coinlive Chats Let’s join the administrators of Coinlive!!!


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The Ubuntu Edge was designed to be the only computing device you'd need: to serve as a phone in the hand and a PC when docked with a monitor.
Ultimately the Edge failed to win enough funding to get made, but the man behind the device, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth, claims the vision of having a single device serve as a PC and mobile lives on in Apple's iPhone 5s.
Upon launching the iPhone 5s Apple described the 64-bit Arm-based A7 processor at the heart of the system as "desktop class".
For Shuttleworth, Apple's decision to draw parallels between the phone and a desktop PC echoes Canonical plans to give the Edge PC-level performance.
"I think it [the Edge] may have accelerated the idea of convergence," he said: "You saw Apple's description of their new mobile CPU as 'desktop class' and I don't think that's accidental."
The first release of the Ubuntu operating system for phones, Ubuntu Touch 1.0, will be available on October 17, following on from the developer's preview released earlier this year.
Version 1.0 of Ubuntu Touch supports simple phone functions: basic phone and messaging capabilities, web browsing and support for data being swapped between apps.
No handset manufacturer has announced plans to ship phones with the Ubuntu Touch OS, but Canonical is aiming for Ubuntu to be available on two "mid-range" and two "high-end" phones in 2014.
Shuttleworth believes that a phone running Ubuntu will be available to buy in the first half of 2014, and a "tablet will take us another six months or so"
"A number of carriers have expressed interest. The handset manufacturers are putting time and effort into understanding Ubuntu and evaluating its performance on their hardware," said Shuttleworth.
"In due course we'll pick partners for a launch."
Ultimately, in line with Canonical's vision of a having a single computing device to serve as a phone and desktop PC, Canonical plans to merge the code base for every version of the Ubuntu OS, across desktops, phones, tablets and servers.
The desire for a converged OS has led Canonical to shift Ubuntu to a new display server software stack called Mir. Display server software plays a key role in supporting an OS's graphical user interface, and Shuttleworth contends the move is necessary to provide a "fast, clean" graphics software stack that works well on a broad range of devices.
That move towards a single code base suffered a setback this month when Canoncial decided not to go ahead with plans to use Mir as the default display server for Ubuntu 13.10 on the desktop, citing reliability issues with the X server compatibility layer XMir.
At present Shuttleworth estimates that a converged OS code base will be in place after Ubuntu 14.04 is released around April next year, but not later than the release of Ubuntu 15.10.


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Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah Financial District, (“KAFD”) has announced that it has signed an MOU with FOODICS, the leading cloud-based restaurant tech and payments platform in the MENA region. Under this partnership, KAFD will integrate FOODICS’ pioneering tech ecosystem with all points of sale for F&B, retail and pop-up outlets, as well as offices and residences.
KAFD is set to become the prime business and lifestyle destination in the region, leading the way on smart technology and digital integration to promote ease of living and working, offering advanced office infrastructure and sustainable smart city solutions, as well as unique lifestyle experiences with leading leisure and retail facilities.
Gautam Sashittal, CEO of KAFD said: “We want our residents, tenants and visitors to be able to access everything they need from the palm of their hand, to shop, work out, relax and dine with seamless ease. Our agreement with Foodics is an important stepping stone on the way to achieving this digital integration. We are excited to enter into this partnership, growing KAFD’s offering in conjunction with Foodics’ cutting-edge technology. Together, we are helping to make the Kingdom a desirable destination at the peak of technological progress.”
Suhail Jabir, KSA General Manager at FOODICS commented, “We are proud to be partnering with KAFD and thank the team for their trust. Our smart tech solutions will benefit residents and businesses alike, while further fostering economic growth.” He added, “This announcement cements the position of FOODICS as a tech powerhouse, digitizing experiences beyond F&B.”
FOODICS is officially recognized by the Saudi Central Bank (“SAMA”) as a FinTech company. Since its inception in 2014, Foodics has successfully processed over 6 billion orders through its platform. It also raised a record US$170 million in its series C funding round earlier this year, boosting its innovation capabilities to better serve business owners and partners.
KAFD is an iconic business and lifestyle destination with state-of-the-art physical and digital infrastructure. An architectural marvel designed by more than 25 world-leading architectural firms, KAFD currently has 94 towers that are reshaping the skyline of Riyadh. KAFD is spread over an area of 1.6 sq km and offers a competitive business ecosystem and vibrant lifestyle experiences. KAFD is the largest development globally to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the highest accreditation from USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council), which recognizes KAFD as a global leader in sustainability.
For more information, please visit https://www.kafd.sa/en/.
FOODICS is the leading Restaurant and Payment Tech company in MENA, with an innovative 360° SaaS ecosystem making it a pioneer in the regional F&B industry. Formally licensed as a Fintech company by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), the company’s vision is to build a complete restaurant management ecosystem that enables owners to run their operations seamlessly and grow their business. Its mission is to empower restaurant and merchant owners with a comprehensive cloud-based POS system to enrich their operations. FOODICS caters to every segment of the F&B sector from traditional dine-in restaurants, cafés, quick service restaurants, bakeries, food trucks through to cloud kitchens and non-food micro-retailers. Since its inception in 2014, it has successfully processed over 6 billion orders through the platform and raised a record USD170 mil in Series C round, making it one of the most promising SaaS companies to emerge from the MENA region.
For more information, please visit www.foodics.com


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Do you dread getting up in the morning and going into work? If so, you probably don't work for any of these places.
Indeed has revealed the top 25 best places to work in Ireland as rated by employees. The index, which is based on thousands of reviews compiled on the job site, found that computer company Dell came out on top for the second year running, followed by Apple in second place and senior care providers Comfort Keepers in third.
— Dell Ireland (@DellIreland) March 28, 2018
The retail industry fared well on the list with Next PLC coming in at number four and the likes of Boots, Debenhams,Penneys, Brown Thomas and Marks & Spencer also included.
Aongus Hegarty, President of Dell EMC EMEA spoke of the company's pride at retaining the top spot:
'We are delighted that our employees continue to rate Dell so highly and are immensely proud that Dell is being recognised as the best company to work for in Ireland by Indeed for a second consecutive year. Our teams located on campuses in Limerick, Cork and Dublin have been vital to delivering transformation solutions for customers across EMEA.'
— Indeed Ireland (@IndeedIE) March 28, 2018
To check out the full list of the top 25 best places to work in Ireland click here.


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What Scholten did next
16 / 06 / 2015
I had been working there for four and a half years and it was an interesting journey,” says Peter Scholten of his decision to move on as vice president commercial for Saudia Cargo.
“It allowed me to help Saudia get on the map – in the time I was there its business doubled and it became recognised as a key player in the market. But my family lives in Dubai and I was commuting all the time, so the price I was paying was quite high. So it was time to move on.
”The move has taken Scholten right back to his roots: twenty years ago, before his time with Saudia and a 15 year career with Martinair, he worked for Dutch forwarder Road Air, now part of Rhenus. His new role is as chief executive officer of UAE-based forwarder, Fast Logistic Solutions Group (FLSG).
If the company name is not so familiar, it may be because it was only created in January this year as a holding company for several more established UAE forwarding names. One is Fast Forward Cargo and the other is First Priority Cargo. “Someone told me that combined, we are the biggest forwarder in the UAE,” Scholten says. “But we are very much under the radar in terms of public spotlight, and my role is to take things further.
”The core business of FLSG is one that probably also falls under the radar of many in global logistics: trader business from Africa. This sees buyers from the continent come to the UAE, source everything from ketchup to textiles and mobile phones to second hand cars, most of it made in India and China, and then ship it back to Africa.
FLSG’s role is to transport the goods and to give the traders a secure place from which to collect their goods in their home countries.
Nigeria and Chad are two places from which FLSG gets particularly large amounts of business, but it has branches all over the continent – some of them in places even experienced air cargo professionals might not have heard of – Enugu in Nigeria, Bukavu in Congo and Kitwe in Zambia, for example.
The company also has branches in the better known cities in these countries: Lagos, Kano, Goma, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, as well as in Dar es Salaam, Khartoum, Bujumbura, Nairobi, N’djamena and others.
This is a market that is growing all the time and almost certainly cutting into growth on traditional air lanes, such as Europe-Africa. “With Chinese investment in Africa, the continent is looking more to the east than to the north and west,” says Scholten. “Exports from Europe to Africa are stagnating while those from Asia to Africa are growing.”
All of this has echoes of the “shop tourism” of the 1990s, when traders from former Soviet republics travelled in large numbers to Dubai and Sharjah to buy western goods. One wonders if in time the African traders might not become more adventurous and start travelling to China direct to make their purchases.
Scholten says some already do, and to serve these FLSG set up its own warehouse and office in Guangzhou two years ago, followed last year by branches in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Mangalore in India (another ultimate source of the trader cargo).
But Scholten says that 80 percent of what FLSG ships is still purchased in the UAE and there are solid reasons why that is unlikely to change any time soon. “What I hear from clients is that it is much more difficult for them to do business in China – fewer Chinese speak English and it is hard to deal with Chinese script. It is much easier and pleasanter to do business in Dubai where everyone speaks English.
“There is also a bigger variety of goods there — and the logistics are well organised. There is lots of capacity in both air and sea freight. Dubai traders are also very reliable — you get exactly what you ordered here. So though there are significant movements from China, and we would like to grow our business there, I don’t think business from Dubai will go away.
”The goods being purchased in Dubai have generally arrived by sea, but how they are then moved on to Africa depends on geography. Naturally for traders from East Africa, seafreight can be an attractive option.
But for West African markets sea transit times are considerable and in all markets logistics get a lot harder – and less secure – once anything moves away from the coasts. “To get to N’djamena in Chad by plane takes five to six hours, but by sea and land it takes 50 days, and there are challenges on the road,” Scholten points out. “So they often choose to go by air because then they know the goods will get there.
”In all, FLSG moved 45,000 tonnes of airfreight last year and 20,000 teu (20ft container equivalents) – roughly 300,000 tonnes of cargo – by sea. Business is expanding rapidly – the group saw increases of 40 per cent last year and expects 25-30 per cent this year. “From country to country there are the usual ups and downs – for example Nigeria is experiencing some issues at present with its general election – but in general this business is continuing to grow,” says Scholten.
Carriers that FLSG uses on the airfreight side include Saudia, Emirates, Etihad, Kenyan Airways and Ethiopian. Quite a lot of cargo goes on scheduled freighter services, but the forwarder also organises plenty of charters. Many of the flights go from Sharjah, though with Emirates having now moved its freighter operations to Dubai World Central (DWC) more is moving through that airport too.
In fact, FLSG is about to start construction on a 12,000 sq m facility at DWC, which should be ready in the summer of 2016. That will be in addition to the 22,000 sq m of warehousing that the company already has across the UAE, where it is present at eleven locations.
For the future, FLSG is looking to extend its trader concept to other African countries, with South Africa, Kenya and Cameroon under consideration. It also wants to build its business out of India and China. “These are both still basically start-ups and so we want to put more focus on them and do some sales campaigns,” Scholten says.
“Not all the clients who use us in the UAE also use us in India and China, so we want to change that.
”In addition, the company is expanding into the corporate logistics market – it has just signed an agreement to this end with Liberty Logistics, a logistics provider in Sharjah, with operations due to start in May in facilities in Jebel Ali Freezone and Dubai Cargo Village.
Scholten would also like to use the FLSG branch network to provide general sales agent (GSA) representation to airlines, an area of activity the company is not yet involved in.
Getting a presence in Europe is a target too, though this will probably be through a partnership. Scholten explains that though Asia-Africa is the growth market, Europe remains an important source of cargo for the continent. “Since we are a strong player in Africa it seems the logical next step,” he says. ■


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Tech outfit MelodyVR has agreed a £53 million deal to buy music streaming platform Napster.
London-listed MelodyVR, which specialises in virtual reality experiences of live music events, announced it is taking over US group Rhapsody International, Napster's parent firm.
Napster caused a storm when it launched in 1999 as a free downloading platform, but it was forced to change its business model when piracy laws were put in place and it became illegal.
It now offers more than 90 million licensed tracks to consumers and other businesses, with more than three million users across 34 countries.
The deal comes as demand for home entertainment has soared amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has sent shares in MelodyVR sharply higher since the start of the lockdown.
MelodyVR, which launched in 2018, streams music performances via virtual reality headsets, which users pay to access through an app.
It wants to add Napster’s licensed tracks to its catalogue of live shows – from artists like Liam Payne, Lewis Capaldi and Post Malone – to offer a platform of both live visual performances and recorded music streaming.
But both firms will initially operate as independent companies following the deal.
MelodyVR has set up socially-distanced studios in London and Los Angeles to allow artists to host shows during the pandemic.
Its Live From LA series has seen it stream a raft of performances from artists including Cypress Hill, John Legend and Kelly Clarkson.
Anthony Matchett, chief executive of MelodyVR, said: “For music fans today, live and recorded music are intrinsically linked. We are as keen to see our favourite artists perform live as we are to listen to their albums.
“Our purchase of Napster, one of the music industry’s original disruptors, is born out of our wish to deliver the world’s foremost music experience, available seamlessly across audio and visual media and in turn presenting a truly next generation music service.”
Napster boss Bill Patrizio added: “This is a tremendous outcome for two organisations with complementary platforms and loyal audiences, and we could not be more excited to be moving forward as one company.”


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Wednesday May 22, 2013
Weight Loss Expert Calls Mayor Bloomberg Delusional Over Proposed Soda BanSalem-News.com
Questions if the Mayor will try to ban Halloween next?
(NEW YORK ) - An outspoken critic of the obesity epidemic is taking direct aim at New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg over his proposed ban on large-size soda drinks - an issue that the Board or Health will vote on today – saying it’s a clear overreach of government intervention and will do absolutely nothing in the fight against obesity.
Steve Siebold, author of the international best-selling book Die Fat or Get Tough: 101 Differences in Thinking Between Fat People and Fit People, and a mental toughness coach who has helped thousands of people lose weight, offers these thoughts:
· It’s not the restaurants, food manufacturers, portion sizes or the sale of drinks larger than 16 ounces that is responsible for making Americans fat. It comes down to personal responsibility and if you’re fat it’s your fault.
· What’s next? October 31 is right around the corner, so is the Mayor going to ban Halloween because of all the sugary candy?
· Americans are free to make their own choices when it comes to what they eat or drink. If they want to eat fast food, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or whatever, the fundamental rights of living in this country allow people to make their own choices. The ban is a clear overreach of government into private business.
· The key to winning the war on obesity is to grow up emotionally, get mentally tough, stop making excuses and make the decision to get fit and healthy once and for all. But that’s a decision that each of us must make on our own, and no ban on soda or anything else is going to make a difference.
Articles for September 12, 2012 | Articles for September 13, 2012 | Articles for September 14, 2012
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|Contact: firstname.lastname@example.org | Copyright © 2013 Salem-News.com | news tips & press releases: email@example.com.|


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The South Sound is home to 20 or so craft breweries, with a handful of breweries-in-planning here as well — a sign of a growing depth and breadth that makes the South Sound a notable beer region in the country. One of those breweries, the 51-month-old Wingman Brewers, will double its beer-making capacity by the end of August.
Last week I dropped by Wingman Brewers for the growth details and found head brewer Ken Thoburn brewing a big batch of his Prop Wash IPA, which is being bottled this week. “We dry-hopped the Prop using the most hops were have ever had at the brewery, I think even more than our dry-hopped Citra Pale Ale for Total Wine’s upcoming anniversary,” said Thoburn.
I told him the Aficionado Cigar Lounge in East Tacoma blazed through his Wingman Old Plank Pils and wants more.
“That’s what I like to hear,” responded Thoburn. “Anytime beer goes fast, it’s good for the consumer; it’s good for the brewery; it’s good for the retailer.”
Thoburn’s plan is to make more beer to disappear fast.
Thoburn, Derrick Moyer, Daniel Heath and Jason Sabol launched Wingman Brewers as a nano-brewery at 1727 Fawcett in downtown Tacoma in April 2011. In 2012, they moved their one-barrel system to their current location at 509 ½ Puyallup Avenue, adding a taproom. In 2013, they were a 7-barrel operation, doubling their production in two months. In 2014, they added larger fermentators, doubling their production again. By the end of August 2015, they will have doubled production once again.
“Our current system couldn’t keep up with demand from our distributor,” says Thoburn. “So among other items we’re adding 200 kegs, two tanks, a keg washer and tripling our cold storage. It’s all about containers. Growth demands more containers.”
Thoburn, Heath and crew are excited for their growth. It’s easy to double when you’re small. This summer’s expansion takes the Tacoma brewery to a whole new level. More draught beers will hit the taproom, as well as a move from 16-ounce to 12-ounce cans.
Thoburn needs to get the larger system up and running soon as his Scotch Ale, Miss-B-Haven Tripel and Oktoberfest beers need to hit the tanks for fall releases, plus pumpkin and harvest ales in small batches.
“I want to brew a carrot beer this fall too,” adds Thobun. “Carrot beers have an earthy, fall flavor.”
Thoburn will need to drink his vegetables to keep his energy high for all the beer he’ll be brewing.
WINGMAN BREWERS, 2-9 p.m. Thursday, 2-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2-9 p.m. Sunday, 509 1/2 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma, 253.256.5240


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KWAL CELEBRATES THE GROUNDBREAKING OF KSH 4 BILLION NEW FACILITY AT TATU INDUSTRIAL PARK
Today, Kenya Wine Agencies Ltd (KWAL) hosted an official function to commemorate the ground breaking of its Ksh 4 Billion ultra-modern manufacturing facility. The event took place at the facility’s proposed site in Tatu City Industrial Park Ruiru. The high-profile event was attended by the Chief Administrative Secretary, Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development Lawrence Karanja, Kiambu County Governor Hon. James Nyoro, KWAL Board Chairperson Kuria Muchiru, ICDC Executive Director, William Haggai, KWAL Managing Director Lina Githuka.
The new facility will enhance KWAL’s local value creation and make a significant contribution to the company’s long-term growth strategy. Kuria Muchiru, KWAL Board Chairperson stated during the event, ‘‘The aspirations of Kenya’s Big 4 Agenda and Vision 2030’s economic pillar to boost local production, expand to the regional market and take advantage of global market niches has been the guide for our operations and expansion for KWAL. Our new plant is expected to greatly enhance production capacity, as well as our competitiveness within the East African region.’’
The investment will mark the first production facility opened by KWAL in more than two decades. KWAL Managing Director, Lina Githuka added, ‘‘The new facility will host a state-of-the-art factory with enhanced capacity to produce aspirational brands to meet ever evolving consumer tastes; a world class customer distribution center as well as offices that will provide employees with a superb working environment. The KWAL Tatu City facility will be an eco-friendly space having leveraged on go-green construction and systems to promote recycling and re-use to enhance responsible production and consumption within the facility.’’
Richard Rushton, Distell Group Managing Director, said “Distell is appreciative of the support received from the Kenyan government and KWAL partners, and Distell was excited about this greenfield investment; a reflection of Distell’s confidence in the KWAL business as well in the future of Kenya.”
For the last 52 years, KWAL has been synonymous with quality; foremost in crafting quality brands. Firstly, at KWAL House on Commercial Street where it pioneered the wine industry in Kenya, establishing the country’s first commercial winery in 1982. And currently at its Enterprise Road premises where iconic brands such as the internationally acclaimed Kibao Vodka and Hunter’s Choice Whisky were born. It is here at Enterprise Road where KWAL recently localized production of Hunter’s Gold Cider, Hunter’s Dry Cider, Best Cream and Best Whisky. The company celebrates its industry position in Kenya as a respected beverage giant, in wine, spirits, ciders and natural juices. Majority of KWAL’s brands including Caprice Wine, Kibao Vodka, Viceroy Brandy, Amarula, Cellar Cask wine, Kingfisher, Altar wine and Yatta Juice are renowned brands in the Kenyan market.
Following a privatization process in 2015 by which Distell became a shareholder in KWAL, the company has unlocked opportunities in improving brand capabilities, increased product portfolio and expanding its regional reach with additional Depot Centers in Eldoret and Meru towns.
Speaking on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization and Trade, Chief Administrative Secretary, Lawrence Karanja called on manufacturers to take up opportunities to enhance their manufacturing capacities, “KWAL’s commitment to the country continues to strengthen, as has been demonstrated with the expansion to this new facility at Tatu Special Economy Zone. The ministry shall support manufacturers in their industrial transformation agenda in areas such as capability upgrading and fighting of counterfeit. We wish KWAL all the best in this new chapter.’’
Kiambu Governor, His Excellency Governor Nyoro who was also present the event also lauded KWAL for the milestone commenting on the investment of the new plant at the Tatu City Special Economic Zone which is situated in Kiambu County. ‘’Kiambu County has distinguished itself as a manufacturing hub in the country. We welcome KWAL to the County and look forward to the opportunities for mutual growth and development.’’
The Company, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019 and is a significant contributor to the Exchequer, has continuously collaborated with the Government on various other initiatives. KWAL, in partnership with industry and the manufacturing sector has also been a key driver in the national fight against illicit liquor and counterfeit alcohol, which, besides endangering people’s lives have led to tax revenue losses for government.
KWAL shareholders include Distell which has majority shareholding. Government is a significant shareholder through the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC).
Tatu Industrial Park is the fastest-growing new industrial zone in Kenya and East Africa, it is already home to more than 60 local, regional and multi-national businesses. Industry leaders at Tatu Industrial Park include Dormans, Cooper K-Brands, Chandaria Industries, Kim-Fay, Unilever, Davis & Shirtliff, Cold Solutions, Copia, FFK, Twiga Foods and Stecol, among others. The Industrial Park is located in Tatu City, Kenya’s first operational Special Economic Zone.


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Parking lot security is one of the most effective ways to keep your business safe and your employees safe from potential theft, according to a new study.
In fact, the study found that if a parking facility has parking lot agile and a parking area security policy, employees are more likely to be safe when entering the facility and leaving.
Parking lot security policies have been in use in the parking industry for more than a decade, and the industry has been growing at an impressive rate in recent years, according an article from Forbes.
The company surveyed more than 3,500 retail, restaurant, and entertainment companies across the United States and Canada.
Parking lot agile policies are a great way to increase security while at the same time offering flexible payment options, according the study.
Parking Lot agile policies offer an attractive opportunity for your company, and parking lots in general, according experts.
In order to improve employee safety, companies need to ensure their parking lot has an agile parking policy.
The study also found that parking lots with a parking agility policy are also more likely than those without an agile policy to have a higher level of employee safety.
“If you’re looking at parking lot agility, it is a policy that allows you to manage and manage your security and security policies, and it can be used to provide a safe environment,” said Mark Tully, president and CEO of The Parking Industry, a trade association representing parking industry professionals.
“We’re also seeing a lot of businesses using it to offer incentives, and I think that’s a very good thing.”


text: Japanese tech giant Nintendo and Chinese gaming giant Tencent has unveiled a new game for Pokemon fans. This new game is called ‘Pokemon Unite‘, it will be launching soon for Nintendo Switch console and mobile users. Pokemon Unite is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game that consists of game-play of 5 on 5 matches. The company has not announced the release date of this game yet. The official Pokemon page on Twitter has shared the trailer of the upcoming Pokemon Unite.


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How worried should we be about AI or Artificial intelligence impacting the marketing world and will it lead to the loss of jobs in the future? Trend indicates a significant increase for marketers incorporating AI technology.
We’ve all seen the future in movies and tv shows. Humans made redundant by technology or, worse still, reduced to subservient prey in a dystopian society.
While the Skynet of the Terminator universe hasn’t quite come to pass yet, marketing folk are still understandably worried about the effect that Artificial Intelligence could have on our industry.
Where 20 years ago the most prominent AI was that annoying paper clip that could run a spell-check for you, today there are a myriad of uses for AI in marketing. According to Salesforce, just over half (51%) of marketers currently use AI, and an additional 27% are expected to incorporate the technology by 2019.
More tellingly however was that, according to Conductor, when asked to choose which trending technology they felt most unprepared for, 34% of global marketing executives chose AI, the most of any option.
Therefore, over 75% of the industry is interested in adopting AI in the short term, but a large segment have no idea what to do with it.
So what can AI offer a marketing agency in 2018? In a nutshell, insight and optimisation.
AI can provide data analysis and, to an extent, data generation to provide rapid insight which can be utilised within an agency to create better, more focused campaigns.
Given that many consumers use social media to air their views on brands, AI analysis will help agencies to better understand what customers are thinking, saying and feeling, and adapt accordingly.
The uses outlined above don’t negate the need for the human side of marketing. For now at least, the suspicion that AI will circumvent the need for a human workforce is unfounded. For now, AI is an aid rather than an adversary.
Used correctly, Artificial Intelligence can actually enable marketers to use their time in a more efficient manner. Ironically, AI could empower human interaction on a scale that’s nigh-on impossible presently.
If AI can generate accurate detailed reports on consumer sentiment in a fraction of the time it would take a human marketer, then that marketer can spend this freed up time to interact with clients and colleagues in order to provide a better service.
Take account management and business development for example. While it’s possible to automate some business development tasks, such as trawling the internet for leads and contact info, automatically sending and customizing outreach emails etc, machines have not got the nuance necessary to engage with clients. The most enduring client/agency relationships are based on mutual trust and the personal touch that
even the most advanced AI can’t offer.
In addition, while AI can point agencies in the right direction when it comes to campaigns, it has yet to become so advanced that it can replace the powerful act of human storytelling. AI can offer the precious resource of more time however, meaning creative humans have breathing space to do what they do best.
As AI is increasingly embraced in the marketing industry, there’s every reason to believe that, rather than sterilising creative energy, we could be set for a golden age in advertising. One where machine learning facilitates a more human touch.


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Tennis pro James Blake has signed a deal with Fila for a cobranded line of men’s apparel and footwear.
The line will include a variety of tennis, golf and fitness apparel, accessories and performance footwear.A limited edition of tennis and fitness products will launch before the U.S. Open in New York in September and the collection will launch at retail for spring-summer 2010.
The collaboration “will be the basis for the development of a long-term licensing business for Blake,” according to Fila, which said other product categories could be added in the future “as opportunities arise in the market.”
A Fila spokesman said the prices and distribution of the collection have not yet been determined.
As part of the deal, Blake will wear Fila branded or cobranded tennis apparel and footwear exclusively on the court and will be featured in Fila’s worldwide marketing efforts.
“Ever since [Björn] Borg graced the courts of Wimbledon in Fila, I have always been attracted to the Italian style, grace and sophistication of the Fila brand,” Blake said in a statement. “My collaboration with Fila is much more than an endorsement arrangement. It will serve as the foundation of a business venture that I hope will continue to build for years to come.”
Blake is the first top 10 American male in more than 10 years to sign with Fila.


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Dalal Street Investment Journal (DSIJ) is ranked seventh best company in Asia for customer satisfaction and openness to innovation by the Silicon Review, Asia Special, released in November 2018. The ranking stands testimony to DSIJ’s reputation and recognises DSIJ’s customer-centric products and services that cater to the Indian investor community.
DSIJ’s flagship magazine and an array of online and offline services democratize wealth creation opportunity with highly-researched products that are aligned to the specific needs of Indian equity and mutual fund investors.
Silicon Review has recognized DSIJ magazine and DSIJ.in as a primary vehicle propagating financial literacy in India. The company has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence and has been ranked seventh in Silicon Review’s Super 30 Companies of the Year 2018, Asia Edition. Silicon Review is the world’s most trusted online and print community for business and tech professionals. It provides a unique platform that shares innovative enterprise solutions and acts as a neutral source for decision makers. For the Super 30 ranking, Silicon Review evaluates companies for their customer-focus, openness to innovation, global competitiveness, and the ability to forecast market trends. The award ceremony was held in New Jersey, US.
“We are honoured to receive this award. This recognition inspires us to focus on our endeavour to become synonymous with equity and mutual fund investments in India and remain committed to employing technological innovations to better customer experience across our product line,” said Rajesh Padode, Managing Director, DSIJ Pvt Ltd.
DSIJ started as a stock market publication at a time when the Indian equity markets were in their infancy. The company has been a pioneer in taking the advisory service beyond printto mobile, by starting the first SMS-based delivery service. Today, DSIJ is a leader in investor advisory services and its customers enjoy the convenience of Apps for all its products, whether these are directed towards investors or traders.
Read the full article here https://bit.ly/2M5Hu7e
Thirty-three years old but conventional, Dalal Street Investment Journal (DSIJ), India’s No 1 equity research and capital investment magazine is published every fortnight to cater to the needs of its reader-investors. Armed with a set of chosen experts on markets and corporate India, the fortnightly magazine has its focus on stock market research and recommendations, capital market analysis, personal finance investment advice and also analysis of various economic activities in the country along with its impact on Indian share markets.
Born in 1986, years before National Stock Exchange and market watchdog SEBI were established, DSIJ has always been the favourite among the reader-investors community across the length and breadth of the country. DSIJ is not only popular, more importantly, it is trust-worthy. Here, the word TRUST is valued the most because we help you to deal with your hard-earned money. We have grown across all these years, just because you too have grown with us seeing your money growing steadily.
To learn more about the company and services offered please visit: www.dsij.in


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Porsche Experience Center (PEC) in Toronto will be a place where visitors will be able to experience firsthand the iconic sports cars‘ feel and performances. Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. has already announced the launch of its first and only PEC, building on the enthusiasm created by the recent openings of the Franciacorta and Tokyo facilities.
“Porsche is more than just a car. Porsche is a promise for a unique brand and product experience and since the first opening in Silverstone in 2008, our Porsche Experience Centers are the best way to get this promise,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG.
Mr. von Platen continues: “Nowhere else in the automotive industry, the soul of our sportscars can be lived that way. I couldn’t be happier that we can now announce the 10th location of its kind in Toronto – the fastest-growing city in North America with an ever-greater community of Porsche fans.”
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A brand awareness project and a major tourist attraction
The future facility will be located on a 20-acre site at the “Durham Live” development in Pickering, Ontario, which will feature more than 400,000 square feet of retail space, a casino, a concert hall, and a luxury hotel with more than 300 rooms in the coming years.
It will be only the tenth in the world and the third of its kind in North America after Atlanta and Los Angeles. By 2024, the PEC Toronto is expected to open.
The German brand’s center in Toronto, the first “urban” variant of the global concept, will be a brand park and major tourist attraction where guests can first-hand enjoy the vehicle dynamics, technology, and emotion of Porsche sportscars with professional guidance from instructors through different driving modules all year long, all within a 30-minute drive of downtown Toronto.
This local and international tourist attraction will have a 2-kilometer-long driving course to showcase the two- and four-door sports vehicles’ capabilities in their perfect playground. Customers and enthusiasts will be able to immerse themselves in the brand’s unique universe regardless of whether or not they own a vehicle. Visitors will also get the opportunity to see current and vintage display cars, visit the café, and explore the Porsche store.
Porsche Experience Center Toronto aims to have a low carbon footprint
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be included in the Experience Centre’s plan, in line with the manufacturer’s worldwide aim to decarbonize the whole value chain of its cars. Furthermore, for the design, construction, and operation, a strong focus is being made on employing the most ecologically friendly layout possible.
HOK, a global design, architectural, engineering, and planning company, is developing the structure and using sustainable technology. The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, La Guardia Airport Terminal B, and the Porsche Cars of North America Atlanta Headquarters are just a few of the company’s notable projects.
PECs are a one-of-a-kind idea in the automotive industry that provides Porsche enthusiasts and consumers with unique opportunities to interact with the sports car brand and its products. PECs are located at Leipzig, Silverstone, Atlanta, Le Mans, Los Angeles, Shanghai, the Hockenheimring in Germany, Franciacorta, Italy, and Tokyo, which opened in October 2021.


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By Sarah Trefethen
LAS VEGAS – Retail brokers, shopping center owners, developers, investors and a host of other professionals have flooded into Las Vegas for the International Council of Shopping Centers’ annual RECon, a networking, educational and deal making event that draws 30,000 participants each year.
The frenzy of deal making that takes place on the Monday and Tuesday of the convention is “the Superbowl of retail,” in the words of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank’s Jason Pruger.
Some analysts predict that the recovering economy will lead to a busy convention this year, as retailers look to position themselves to take full advantage of growing consumer demand.
The event, which occupies all three halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, kicked off today with a keynote address by the best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell, who gave an outsider’s, birds-eye take on the role of retail businesses. In spite of competition from online sales, he said, the experience of shopping in brick-and-mortar stores still plays an important role in peoples’ lives.
“You’re not just in the real estate business, you’re in the business of satisfying real human needs,” he said.
Meanwhile, the socializing and networking extends well outside the convention center walls, where participants have taken over large chunks of space in Sin City’s many casino hotels.
By the pool or in the bar, participants say, the RECon sidelines are about relaxing, enjoying the sun, and getting to know the players in a highly competitive industry.
“Retail is tough,” Winick Realty’s Cosmo Montemurro said. “But at ICSC we leave the boxing gloves at home and bring our bathing suits.”


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It’s almost here – and chocolate lovers can’t wait.
The 20th annual Oakdale Chocolate Festival – known now as ‘Cowboys and Chocolate’ – will be staged in downtown Oakdale on Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20. This longstanding festival serves up something for everyone in the family and draws thousands of visitors annually to the Cowboy Capital of the World.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday and the festival is set up along Yosemite Avenue and stretches from West F to past West H, with the kids area set up near the Sierra Railroad Dinner Train.
There are arts and crafts, there is the must-see Chocolate Avenue with samples and chocolate delicacies, there are the chocolate challenges on stage throughout the day, and a classic car show. Food booths, local bands, specialty merchandise and the Saturday morning runs add up to a busy weekend. There are also Western performances, the kidsland that features rides and games for the younger set and more food choices than you can possibly eat over two days.
You can pre-purchase tickets for $3, cost at the gate is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and 12 and under admitted free. Bringing a can of food for donation to the local food bank will get you a dollar off admission at the gate the day of the festival.
The Oakdale Chocolate Festival is pet-friendly, but no coolers, bicycles, skateboards or skates are allowed in through the gates.
Put on by the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, CEO Mary Guardiola said the festival committee has worked hard and long to put all the pieces into place for a great festival.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary year, she said organizers are looking for a good turnout, lots of great music, food, fun and lots of business for returning and new vendors.


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Has Kinross Gold run too much too quickly?
Impact is magnified
It’s perfectly natural for miners to move in larger magnitudes than their underlying commodity exposures. For example, in the past five years, gold prices have fallen by roughly 15%. Over the same time period, Kinross shares have dropped by nearly 50%, even with the latest rebound.
Gold miners move with greater strength than gold prices for a few reasons.
First, small movements in the metals’ price can have a magnified impact on a miner’s profitability. For example, last year Kinross produced gold at an all-in sustaining cost of US$975 an ounce. At the start of the year, gold prices were about US$1,200 an ounce, resulting in a profit for the company of US$225 for every ounce mined. By the end of 2015, selling prices had fallen to US$1,050 an ounce, a decrease of 12.5%. Kinross’s profits, however, fell to just US$75 an ounce, a decrease of 67%.
So, as gold prices have risen over the last few months, investors are expecting Kinross to experience a major jump in profits.
Has the run gone too far?
Kinross is undoubtedly in a better position following the run in gold prices, but that doesn’t mean shares haven’t overreacted to improving industry conditions. After the run-up, shares now trade at 1.6 times book value, the same level it did back in 2011 when gold prices were about US$1,375 an ounce. Gold prices still have to increase another US$90 an ounce to reach that level.
So, are shares overvalued?
There are a few justifiable reasons why Kinross should trade at a higher valuation than it has in the past. It has expanded its base of producing mines, optimized its chain of production to lower operating costs, and has continually pushed down its cost of production. It has also used its strong financial system to buy up cash-strapped gold miners at attractive prices.
For example, Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX)(NYSE:ABX) has been selling non-core mining assets to decrease costs and raise cash in an effort to reduce total debt by billions of dollars. Last year, it sold its Bald Mountain mine and 50% stake in its Round Mountain mine in Nevada to Kinross for $610 million in an all-cash transaction.
The Round Mountain acquisition helps Kinross consolidate its ownership in the project from 50% to 100%. The addition of Bald Mountain helped diversify its operations, increasing its low-risk U.S. exposure. The company estimates the two mines will add 430,000 ounces of gold over the first three years, will lower its average all-in sustaining costs, and help deliver free cash flow to fund organic growth and expansions.
What should you do?
The future price of gold has consistently proved experts wrong over the last decade or more. At the end of the day, Kinross shares will go the way of gold prices. Continue to expect wild swings of big magnitudes, even if gold prices fluctuate by only a few percentage points. If you’re uncomfortable with losing 50% of your investment if gold drops by 10%, it would be best to stay on the sidelines.


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Large U.S. drugstore chain Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) announced Thursday it would be renewing its contract with Express Scripts Holding Co. (NASDAQ: ESRX), to provide customers of that pharmaceutical claims manager with prescription drugs at Walgreens retail stores. The deal, which goes into effect Sept. 15, will reinstate a cooperative system between the two companies that ended Dec. 31 of last year.
The market cheered the news. Shares of Walgreen Co. jumped as much as 17 percent in premarket trading and recently went for $34.37, up $3.40, or 10.98 percent from the previous day's close. Shares of Express Scripts Holding Co., rose 2.20 percent to $58.96, on automated NASDAQ trading.


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304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Google announced that more than 250 million monthly active devices are using Android Go after the company announced the release of Android 13 (Go edition).
The tech giant focused on three main features in Android 13 – reliability, usability and customization.
Android 13 adds Google Play system updates to Go devices, helping to ensure that devices receive important software updates frequently.
The Go Edition comes with built-in intelligence to help make better use of the phone, the company said.
The update offers a “Discover” feature that allows users to swipe right from the home screen to view a list of articles and other content.
The new version includes Material You, which allows users to customize the color scheme of their smartphone to match the wallpaper.
Users get four matching color schemes to choose from after setting the wallpaper image. This helps the device feel unique to the user.
The update also brings features like ‘Notification Permissions’, ‘App Language Preferences’ and more.
“Our goal in this release is to support more options for the millions of current and future Android Go device owners,” the company said in a blog post.


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Alcatel-Lucent, the latest technology company to announce plans to make money from its patents, may generate several hundred million euros this year alone from its trove of 29,000 rights, Chief Financial Officer Paul Tufano said in an interview today.
France’s largest telecommunications-equipment maker is offering access to its patents through a licensing syndicate. Asked whether the deal with RPX Corp. would generate a few hundred million euros, Tufano said: “More than that.”
After consuming about 3.5 billion euros ($4.6 billion) in cash over five years since the 2006 merger of Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies, the Paris-based company is following rivals such as Ericsson AB to set up a licensing strategy as spending by phone operators on network gears slows. Alcatel-Lucent could generate 500 million euros to 1 billion euros in revenue in 2012 from the patents, according to four analysts.
“Licensing is a hot trend in the tech sector right now, but if these numbers turn out to be true, then maybe Alcatel should stop everything else and do only licensing,” said Thomas Langer of WestLB Equity Markets in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Simon Poulter, a spokesman for Alcatel-Lucent, declined to comment on the revenue projections.
Google Inc. bid $12.5 billion last year for Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. as part of a growing trend of technology companies buying patents to defend themselves again intellectual-property suits.
Eastman Kodak Co., the photography pioneer that filed for bankruptcy protection last month, is seeking to license its brand to other camera makers as it exits the market in the first half of 2012.
Alcatel does not plan to sell its patent portfolio, which includes voice-recognition and videoconferencing technology, Chief Executive Officer Ben Verwaayen said on a conference call. “By syndicating the patent portfolio, we found a creative way to extract value without weakening ownership.”
Asset disposal has been part of the CEO’s turnaround plan for the company. Verwaayen, who took over in 2008, has sold a stake in the aerospace manufacturer Thales. Alcatel-Lucent this month completed a $1.5 billion transaction to sell its Genesys call-center software unit to Permira Advisers LLP.
Alcatel-Lucent rose 12 percent to 1.69 euros as of 2:21 p.m. in Paris trading. The stock jumped as much as 22 percent earlier today, the most since October 2008, after the gear maker forecast higher profit margins and positive cash generation in
Last year marked the end of Verwaayen’s three-year strategy to return the company to a profit. Alcatel reported its first full-year net profit in six years, though it has pushed back to 2012 its goal of generating positive cash flow.
Alcatel Chairman Philippe Camus praised Verwaayen in a Nov. 18 statement, after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company’s board was facing investor pressure to replace the CEO.


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GENEVA — The world’s 20 most advanced economies, the G20, erected 20 new trade restrictions between October and May, covering trade worth $335.9 billion, the World Trade Organization said on Monday, warning that several more were being considered.
However, G20 economies also implemented 29 measures to reduce trade barriers during the period, covering $397.2 billion, it said in a regular monitoring report. But new barriers were rising at a far faster rate than the historical average, the WTO said. (Reporting by Tom Miles; editing by Stephanie Nebehay)


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Glancing through her bank statement made Brisbane mother-of-two Belinda* realise there was a problem.
What had started with a few small amounts, as little as $1.60, for video game purchases, a song or an app “add on”, racked up almost unknowingly by her teenagers, was now totalling almost $300. Neither Belinda nor her children, aged 14 and 16, had realised how these costs were adding up.
“My eldest had asked for permission to purchase a game so he could play a certain video game with his friends but he and I both didn’t realise the game stored my credit card details and continued to charge certain fees after that initial purchase,” she says. “My youngest had used too much data on her mobile phone which is automatically direct-debited from my account.”
Belinda says it was disconcerting to discover how quickly these unexpected costs had multiplied and the apparent ease with which they were deducted from her account.
She is not alone. A survey undertaken by the not-for-profit Financial Basics Foundation earlier this year indicates that more than half of Australian parents of tweens (aged eight to 12) and teens have covered the bill for unapproved online spending for either mobile phone calls or data, in-game purchases, music, video streaming or apps.
While most transactions were under $100 in some instances the debts incurred were much more. The most expensive purchase was an eye-watering $7000.
“Half the online overspending by tweens and teens was with their parents’ credit or debit card,” says Financial Basics Foundation chief executive Katrina Birch.
Of the 1000 parents surveyed, one in five said their tween or teen had knowingly overspent while 34 per cent or more than one in three said their child had made an honest mistake like Belinda’s teenagers. (As an aside, some good news is that just 2 per cent said their child had been scammed).
Birch says in today’s cashless society it is very easy for children to spend money without realising it, and easy for them to be oblivious to the value of money.
“Technology makes online shopping easy and accessible, and a simple matter of hitting the buy button on a screen from anywhere at any time, without really understanding the consequences,” Birch says. “It’s vital parents teach their kids the importance of earning and saving before spending by speaking openly about the household budget.”
According to new Suncorp research that isn’t happening in most households, with 57 per cent of parents not talking to their kids about the weekly family budget.
Suncorp’s head of stores and speciality banking, Jason Stephens says this is a cause for concern because involving kids in conversations about money from a young age is critical for them to understand and appreciate money.
“Including children in weekly budgeting conversations helps them to develop an understanding of the value of money,” Stephens says. “Encouraging them to save their money to buy things, rather than getting into debt will equip them with the skills to make better spending decisions, both online and in store.”
Introducing personal accountability is exactly how Belinda tackled her kids’ unapproved spending. “I have since signed my kids up so they have their own bank accounts,” she says. “They both have a debit card they can use for purchases so now they are spending their own money and they are much more careful with what they are purchasing as a result.”
Belinda is confident they have learned from their mistakes and says they’re now very aware of how small costs can be incurred and add up quickly.
“They haven’t done anything like that again which is great.”
*Name has been changed.
Georgina Dent is a journalist, editor and TV commentator with a keen focus on women's empowerment and gender equality.