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Uniqlo’s parent company Fast Retailing has posted record annual sales while expecting even better results this year.
N Brown Group has warned that a sharp decline in offline sales had hit its revenues and that growth was likely remain stagnant.
Fashion brand Levi Strauss & Co. this week posted a 10 per cent rise in third quarter revenue.
Asos has become one of the first fashion retailers in the UK to launch on Google Assistant. The online-only fashion platform today revealed its new...
LVMH has hailed the strong performance in its fashion brands as sales grow by double digits throughout its third quarter.
Sosandar has said it expects revenues for its first half to have skyrocketed more than 400 per cent ahead of its interim results
Nasty Gal has had three of its television adverts banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Luxury retailer Yoox has revealed that it will launch its first own-label range in the next few weeks. Chief executive Federico Marchetti announced the news...
MySale has reported a double-digit profit rise hailing “another set of record results” as it cashes in on improvements.
Swedish fintech business Klarna and apparel giant H&M have announced a new £15.3 million ($20 million) global partnership aiming to “elevate the modern shopping...


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Twenty-five years ago Fernando Martínez de Toda began to notice what he calls the “Coca-Cola-isation” of the wine market. Everywhere the agricultural engineer looked, he saw the same few grapes dominating the wine market: cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay.
For Martínez de Toda, based at the University of La Rioja in one of Spain’s best-known wine regions, the problem hit particularly close to home. Vineyards across Spain were being restructured at a rapid pace. “People were taking out lesser-known varieties to put in French varieties or better-known Spanish ones like tempranillo.”
The changes around him were being reflected on a global scale, with some 70% of the world’s wines coming from just 30 grape varieties.
He decided he would start stowing away rare indigenous grape varieties with the goal of preserving as much diversity as he could. “People called us crazy, but we were losing them without even knowing what we were losing,” he said. “We decided just to keep it somewhere and see if we could find a future use for it.”
Martínez de Toda’s quest was made easier by being based in La Rioja, one of the few wine-growing regions in the world that has not allowed non-native varieties to be planted. “There have always been people who argued that it would be better to plant cabernet sauvignon,” he said. Still, rare varieties of indigenous grapes were being pulled out to plant high-yielding tempranillo.
On one level, the researcher’s concern was purely scientific. “With more diversity, the more tools we have to fight against problems like climate change.” But on a more emotional level, as a Spaniard whose family had spent generations making in wine in La Rioja, he saw the grape varieties as a living part of the region’s history.
Today his project is one of several in Mediterranean countries working to conserve the genetic diversity of grape varieties in an attempt to ensure that we do not all end up all drinking the same thing. Helped by grape farmers in the region who call him when they spot unusual grapes in their vineyards, Martínez de Toda estimates that to date his project has managed to safeguard about 40 rare varieties of native grapes.
In 2009 he and his team reintroduced five varieties to La Rioja, certifying them for wine production in La Rioja’s denominación de origen. “They’re available to anyone who wants to use them,” he said, noting that it was one of the first times in the world that varieties had been authorised from a research project.
The reintroduction proved a tough sell with farmers. “Everyone agrees that we should preserve these varieties in some way. But it’s another thing when we suggest making wine with them.”
That’s where groups such as Wine Mosaic come in. Founded last year to promote Mediterranean wines made with local grape varieties, the idea came about during a trip to Turkey, said co-founder Arnaud Daphy. “They had these grape varieties that had been there for thousands of years and they were planting merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah. We said, it’s a shame. They have such heritage and they’re not using it.”
Knowing that lectures would not get them very far in a profit-driven market, he said, “instead we tried to inspire people through other winemakers”.
Through tasting events and symposiums, the French-based group is steadily building a community of winemakers in the Mediterranean willing to go beyond the comforts of traditional grape varieties. “It takes time from the moment you decide to test a new variety – some 10 to 20 years. You have to learn how to work with the grape and to find the potential, whether it works better in a warm or cold place. It’s a hard job.”
But as Martínez de Toda argues, it’s a challenge that’s worth it. Whether cabernet sauvignon is planted in Spain, France or Australia, the product is very similar, he said. “But when you use varieties that are native to the region, they have a completely different footprint.”
The researcher’s voice rises as he excitedly described some of the grape varieties he has dealt with. “It’s an obligation that we have – we can’t deprive future generations of the varieties that made it all the way up until us.”

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The Future of EVs As Told By World Leaders
What do we know about the future of EVs? Only as much as we’ve been told, which is quite a lot. We recall the recent announcement by the British government to ban the sale of all gas vehicles by 2040. France quickly chimed in with their imminent plans to follow suit and now China has reiterated their desire to go all electric as soon as possible. So far Germany, Norway, Scotland, India and Dutch Parliament have all announced plans to comply with the common timeline. Intermediate plans are already being implemented; partial bans are to take place by 2030 with complete bans on gas powered cars by 2040.
Why Is Everyone on the Same Time Frame?
The bans have been established in accord with the much publicized Paris Climate Agreement. Steps taken by all countries involved are designed to reverse the effects of global warming at a crucial point in time. Not all countries are involved in the climate agreement, however many are working independently to reduce emissions. Though at one point the United States was heavily involved in the accord, it is unclear what role the US will be taking on in terms of curbing greenhouse gases.
Automotive manufacturers have had little choice but to offer all electric options. Tesla is growing at unprecedented speed, with an ever growing wait list for over 450,000 Model 3 EVs. Car manufacturers like Volvo, VW and Aston Martin have revealed ambitious plans to offer every car as an EV as soon as possible.
No One is Talking About Revenge Anymore
In 2011 the documentary “Revenge of the Electric Car” was released. Clearly at that point EVs had been given another chance and made strides. Tesla was already manufacturing the Model S and Nissan’s Leaf was popular among middle class commuters. Fast forward to 2017 and this is no longer about revenge. This is the norm, this is life. When will you buy your first EV?


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Main Street is vitally important to the health of Salt Lake City.
The choice is not between Main Street and somewhere else. The city can be only as healthy as its core.
Main Street is the city's showcase. Historically, it has been the center of commerce, a natural place to shop and to feel a part of the urban experience. But it is much more than that. Main Street is the city's signature. Its health reflects on the health of the community at-large, and its health is directly related to the vitality of its retail shopping.
A number of Main Street merchants have felt picked on in recent years as construction work on I-15 and light rail made the area difficult, if not impossible, to reach. Both projects, of course, were designed in part to make Main Street more accessible than ever, and those promises will eventually come true. Already, light rail is bringing thousands of people to the street.
But the promises were little comfort to retailers who had to make ends meet during long months when few people could reach them. Their complaints were not without merit. Shoppers, like water, flow to the paths of least resistance. When construction causes one merchant to lose, it inevitably causes another to gain. But when a Main Street merchant suffers to the point of having to go out of business, the loss is particularly hard on the city. In the heat of political battles, those realities can become lost.
Earlier this year, consultants studied the city and concluded downtown needed, and could support, three times as much retail as it currently does, based on the 4 million annual visitors to Temple Square and the 155,000 convention delegates that came to the Salt Palace Convention Center in 1999. A strong mix of national and local retailers, complete with restaurants with outdoor seating and kiosks, could turn the street and its surrounding area into much more of an enjoyable experience.
The city has a bit of a way to go to reach that goal, but it is one the city can't afford to ignore. None of this, of course, precludes retail elsewhere in the city, but the city must not lose site of how vital its center is to the health of the rest of it.


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Dragon Ball Fighterz (dbfz) update 1.18 is now rolling out for PS4 and Xbox One players. According to the official Dragon Ball Fighterz (dbfz) 1.18 patch notes, the new update has added a new DLC character Janemba to the game. Apart from this, Dragon Ball Fighterz version 1.18 also contains fixes for server performance, game client bugs, and UI bugs.
Previously, a big update was released with a big list of bug fixes and changes. Unfortunately, since this update, many players have been experiencing a number of issues when trying to play the game, ranging from not being able to get online. Today’s Dragon Ball Fighterz (dbfz) patch 1.18 update is expected to fix these issues.
Dragon Ball Fighterz update 1.18 is now available for download on PS4 and Xbox One.


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Tobacco giant shrinks packs from 25 to 23 cigarettes - as smokers get set to pay 12.5 per cent more tax
- Dunhill cigarettes will be changed because of consumer feedback
- Consumers will get 23 cigarettes for the price of 25 from September 1
- There will be a 12.5% federal tobacco excise increase plus indexation
A tobacco giant has made the decision to reduce the amount of cigarettes per pack rather than hiking the price, as another tax rise looms.
British American Tobacco brand, Dunhill, will be reduced to 23 per pack from next month but the wholesale price will remain the same as the pre-tax Dunhill 25 pack.
A British American Tobacco Australian spokesperson told The Herald Sun that the introduction is in response to feedback directly from their consumers.
Tobacco giants Dunhill have made the decision to reduce the amount of cigarettes (stock) per pack from 25 to 23 rather than hiking the price with another tax rise around the corner
‘Dunhill smokers told us that instead of paying a higher price after the next tax hike in September, they’d prefer to have slightly fewer sticks and have the price stay the same.
‘The product remains the same with all Dunhill 25s variants transitioning to this pack size by the end of the year.’
A 12.5 per cent federal tobacco excise increase plus indexation will start from September 1 which will see smoker’s coughing up at least $1.30 to $3.35 more tax per pack, depending on its size.
At the moment smoker’s pay a total of 53.7 cents per cigarette ranging from $10.57 for a pack of 20 to $26.85 for a pack of 50.
British American Tobacco Australian said that the introduction is in response to consumer (stock) feedback on the new 12.5 per cent tax which will start September 1
The exorbitant prices are hoped to discourage smokers and bring down smoking rates across Australia, reported The Herald Sun.
But cigarette makers have warned the steep excise may fuel people to engage more with the illegal tobacco black market.
These downsizes will join a long list of shrinking packs including Freddo Frogs, laundry liquid, deodorants and potato chips such as Pringles.
Exorbitant prices are hoped to discourage smokers and bring down smoking rates. Cigarette makers say it will encourage people to turn to the illegal tobacco (stock) black market
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May 16, 2019 11:11 AM
Digital Retail Transformation Lead
Ford Motor Co.
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Computer Information Technologies, Northwood University
Trisha Habucke’s team of Ford employees and vendors improve and measure the digital acumen, or fitness, of 3,000 Ford dealers.
After identifying digital services and tools that leverage the latest technology, the team Habucke built applies these to digital advertising, search engine optimization, social media and websites, including buyfordnow.com, and uses them to create leads. Currently, they are overseeing the use of personalization tools to identify a return visitor and recognize them anywhere within Ford’s digital ecosystem.
Habucke is known for her ability to simplify and communicate complex technical issues to business colleagues. In her previous role as head of FordDirect’s Digital Innovation Lab, she secured significant funding for acquisitions and prototypes. As a result, FordDirect got a Ford Match patent and a Wi-Fi Vehicle Detection patent that leverages SYNC. Her team applied some of its innovative tech to in-vehicle technology education, facial recognition, self-guided test drives and more.
In addition, Habucke is always on the lookout for talented women in the industry and encourages them to build their networks of other women.
“As a (former) colleague, she was always willing to collaborate and help out even when that wouldn’t be the popular choice; and, as a client, she always had faith to invest when others went looking for short-term gains. Trisha …understands the value of digital when selling products and services and can overcome the challenges of running programs through independent dealer networks,” said David Dimeo, co-founder of Robo Retail.


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In the next three to five years, Polaris India could be assembling Indian Motorcycle in the country. This will not only help in bringing down prices of some of the models but will also be partnering in Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.Indian Dark Horse India price is Rs 21.99 lakhs
Yesterday, Indian Motorcycle launched two new motorcycles in India and also added a second showroom. Their new showroom is in Bangalore. Apart from this, they are also planning to launch four more showrooms across the country in 2015. These will come up in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, all this year.
Speaking about local assembling of their products, CKD assembly is being planned so as to reduce pricing. Currently the company imports all their motorcycles as completely built up units from its US manufacturing facility. Each of the models are above the 800cc segment, which entails import duty of 75% from Indian government.
Local assembly would not only result price reduction, but will also give their motorcycles a better chance to rival competition, which is from Triumph and Harley Davidson (both having setup manufacturing facility in India).Indian Roadmaster price in India is Rs 34.95 lakhs
Minnesota based Polaris acquired Indian Motorcycle in 2011. The company unveiled a new range of motorcycles in 2013 while last year Polaris India launched three models under Chief range which include Classic priced at INR 26.5 lakhs, Vintage at 29.5 lakhs and Chieftain priced at INR 11.99 lakhs. Scout was added later at INR 11.99 lakhs. Sales targets have been achieved in the very first year of Indian Motorcycle in India with increased demand being seen in the 1600cc and above segments.


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- 3 min read
Punjab Grill: Looking to expand the Punjab Grill brand across the GCC and beyond
Amit Burman, Chairman of Lite Bite Foods speaks on his plans for Punjab Grill and Street Food by Punjab Grill brands across the globe.
The news that Punjab Grill would be opening a new outlet at Dubai in UAE was a great opportunity for ET HospitalityWorld to get an exclusive interview with Amit Burman, in his avatar as Chairman of Lite Bite Foods.
The company currently has 25 Punjab Grill restaurants open—in India and abroad, which makes their Dubai restaurant No 26.
“Punjab Grill is our flagship brand and we've expanded over the last 10 years. We are in Washington DC, Singapore, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi and we just announced that we will be opening up in Dubai in the Oberoi Hotel. The journey has been very good. We are, I think, the only global chains of North Indian cuisine and there's a huge demand for this cuisine,” Burman said adding that there were a lot of opportunities to expand in the GCC as well as USA and the strategic tie up with the Oberoi Group meant they could explore more expansion in their properties in the region.
Burman said in his view Oberoi Hotels was one of the most luxurious chains globally and they were looking for a North Indian restaurant chain and approached them about the opportunity to open in Dubai.
“I have been to the hotel a couple of times and have stayed there. I really liked the idea because it's in the Business Bay, where there is a sizable Indian community, including those staying at the hotel. We felt that was a good strategic relationship for the hotel for Dubai, and of course, going forward in other GCC countries with them,” he added.
On the subject of how the restaurants in India differ from their domestic variant, Burman said, “75 percent of the food which we serve in India is available on menus all over the world. The other 25 percent is tweaked. We have Chef Sandeep Ail, our talented executive chef in the GCC and similarly Chef Jaspratap Bindra, the executive chef in DC, who we allow them to show off their culinary expertise.”
Local specialties are also incorporated into the menu, Burman added like hamour, a UAE delicacy in their restaurants there.
On the subject of further expansion of Punjab Grill, Burman first spoke of his experience as a private investor in the Scalini brand in the UK, which opened to great success in Dubai, then Riyadh and Doha, with the prospect of another outlet soon in Bahrain.
“The GCC is a good part of the world, where international brands are very well accepted, and there is a lot of eating out and a lot of tourism also happening. It is very good for us to be in that area. An external expansion drive is going to happen in the GCC for us,” he said, adding that expansion was not exclusively tied with the Oberoi Group.
Having put in close to INR 500 crores in the restaurant business, especially in the Punjab Grill brand, Burman wanted to continue to invest heavily in the Punjab Grill and Street Food by Punjab Grill, going forward.
Street Food by Punjab Grill has 27 outlets open across India at present. “I know there's a pandemic and there is a lot of stress in the industry. But you know, we have to just keep going and try and get the whole Covid situation to stabilise so we can go about our business in the right way,” he said, adding that the hospitality sector had suffered a lot, but he hoped that it would come back with a bang.


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Few if any of Bandai's title ever see the light of day in the US, but in Japan it's a whole other story. And at spring Tokyo Game Show, the well-known publisher delivered a generous helping of intriguing original titles for PlayStation.
One game in particular stood out from the titles on hand: Tail Concerto. Playable on upwards of two dozen kiosks, the game was easily one of the most impressive titles at the expo. For a closer look at the game, see today's related news story.
Other notable titles included: Crisis Beat, a full 3D Final Fight clone with surprisingly well-done gameplay, Cowboy Bebop, a flashy, polygonal 'on-rails' shooter, the well-animated Ultraman Fighters, and the bizarre 'cat sim' Every Day is Cat Day. Bandai has no plans to bring any of these titles to the US.
Gex: Enter the Gecko (Spin Tail) and Pandemonium 2 (Magical Hoppers 2), picked up by Bandai for release overseas, were also on display but garnered little to no attention from the crowds.
Surprising nearly all in attendance, Bandai rolled out its HandWatcher, a peripheral which turns a standard Pocket Game Boy into an actual fish finder. See today's related news story for more on this unusual, yet practical, device.


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Less than a week ago, World Cup organizers had to tell FIFA’s main sponsor Budweiser that their alcohol The Times reported the beer is “likely” to be banned from all eight stadiums at the request of the Qatari royal family.. On Thursday, just three days before the start of the games in Qatar,
Just a day later, on Friday morning, FIFA released a statement confirming the Times report.
“Following negotiations between the host country authorities and FIFA, it has been decided to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages at the FIFA Fan Fest, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing beer outlets from the perimeter of the Qatar Stadium, which will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “, FIFA said in a statement. “This will not affect the sale of Bud Zero, which will remain available in all World Cup stadiums in Qatar.”
This is a rather belated decision before fighting breaks out in Qatar on November 20th. Notably, before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, FIFA demanded that the country change its laws to allow the sale of beer in stadiums. The then President Dilma Rousseff signed a bill authorizing this salealong with other new rules for the World Cup.
Prior to this, the sale of beer at football matches in Brazil had been banned since 2003 to prevent violence at matches.
While technically alcohol is not banned in Qatar, it is highly regulated. If Budweiser fails to be visible during games, FIFA could be in breach of its multi-million dollar contract with Budweiser, a company that has had a relationship with FIFA since 1985.
Want more World Cup coverage? Listen below and follow House of ChampionsCBS Sports’ daily football podcast bringing you top-notch analysis, commentary, predictions and more during the big games in Qatar.
Prior to the latest restrictions, beer was expected to be sold in stadiums for about $14 each, and a limit of four drinks per order was put in place to try to limit drunkenness. as previously reported by The Guardian. Qatar has a zero tolerance policy for drinking alcohol in public places and being drunk in public.
There are five fan zones throughout Qatar which include performances, food, alcohol and other entertainment. Entrance to the zones is free, matches will also be broadcast on huge screens in each of the zones. If the fans seem too drunk they will be sent to separate zones to sober upalthough it is not yet known how this will work.
At the stadium, beer will only be available in gift boxes, where other types of alcohol such as wine and spirits will also be served to those who can afford it. according to Bloomberg.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is due to start on November 20 and run until December 18. To view the full schedule, click here.


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Admirers check out an antique car.
- Filed Under
The 5th Annual Driven Desires Car, Truck and Bike Show is Saturday at the Monroe Civic Center. The event benefits MDA.
From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. vehicles of all kinds will be on display outside, in the arena hallway and in the arena.
Sixty trophies will be awarded, including Best Club ...


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According to a recent report by Headset, pre-rolls are even more popular in Canada than in the United States.
Using sales reports between January and June 2022, Headset, a cannabis market data and insights solution, found that US and Canadian consumers combined spent more than US$1 billion on pre -rolls over the period.
If both countries appreciate this product, Canadians love it. Nearly a quarter of Canada’s cannabis sales in 2022 come from purchases of pre-rolled joints. In the United States, pre-roll sales account for 12.6% of all cannabis sales, up 2% from last year.
What types of pre-rolls are popular in Canada?
Pre-rolled joints come in all shapes and sizes, with different varieties available. In Canada, pre-rolls containing a single hybrid variety dominate the market, with 42% of all pre-roll sales.
In the United States, premium and “infused” pre-rolls (with added concentrates) are the most sought after, accounting for 41% of the market and narrowly outpacing single-strain hybrids.
Comparing prices, Canadians pay more for pre-rolls. The average price in Canada is 17% higher than in the United States and infused pre-rolls are 21.7% more expensive.
The study also recalls that the number of people buying cannabis flowers has decreased while purchases of pre-rolls have increased steadily, as have those of edibles. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues in the second half of the year.


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Rockstar has released a video trailer for the Max Payne 3 Local Justice DLC announced earlier this week, which shows some hot bullet-on-man action on the three new multiplayer maps included.
Local Justice will also give players the M4 Assault Rifle, a new Light Fingers Item for faster looting, and a new faction, the São Paulo Police, when it's released on July 17.
The pre-order and retail DLC, which includes another new map, will become available to buy online at the same time, while Rockstar Pass owners get all the new content for free.
PC Gamer's official Max Payne 3 review will be up soon. In the meantime, Tyler Wilde and Evan Lahti break it down in detail in the latest PC Gamer US Podcast .


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- Business Analytics
- 4 min read
Delta Electronics unveils microgrid-based green EV charging station
The showcase underscores Delta’s unique capability to provide a broad portfolio of IoT-based smart energy-saving solutions to foster India’s sustainable cities and smart factories
At ELECRAMA 2023, Delta has presented a wide portfolio of IoT-based Smart Green Solutions, which includes a smart microgrid-based Green EV Charging Station and the new Open-Loop Variable-Torque Standard Drive VP3000 Series.
Mr. Benjamin Lin, President, Delta Electronics India, said, “In line with our corporate mission, ‘To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow’, Delta invests over 8% of its annual revenues into R&D and leverages its system integration prowess to develop cutting-edge solutions that can help improve productivity and reduce carbon emissions. From 2010 to 2021, our high-efficiency products and solutions helped our customers save over 35.9 billion kWh of electricity, which translates into a reduction of 19.01 million tons CO2e. We intend to leverage our global leadership in energy infrastructure, reflected in the more than 2 million Delta EV chargers shipped to our customers worldwide over the past decade, to help Indian cities reduce their carbon footprint.”
Mr. Niranjan Nayak, Managing Director, Delta Electronics India, said, “For two decades now, Delta India has built a unique track record in developing tailor-made solutions to suit the requirements and sustainable goals of our Indian customers. We have cumulatively delivered over 7,000 EV chargers to our customers across the country, and the Green EV Charging Station launched today at ELECRAMA will help facilitate India’s e-mobility transition even further. The new VP3000 series is an important addition to our broad Industrial Automation Solutions offering for a wide range of applications. Today, we are demonstrating how Delta’s solutions transform transportation, factories, buildings, telecom power sites, and data centres, into intelligent, connected and sustainable infrastructure.”
Delta’s 300sqm booth (# H12G1H2) at Hall 12 of the India Expo Mart features a Green EV Charging Station created with Delta’s Smart Energy and EV Charging Solutions, which include Power Conditioning Systems with efficiency as high as 97.8% and quick power transfer time <34ms, energy storage and solar PV inverters. Delta offers various EV charger options from the 22kW AC Max for residential and commercial applications to the 240kW DC charger for fast charging stations. A wide variety of solutions, ranging from 6-axis articulated robot workstations with advanced machine vision to indoor air quality (IAQ) systems for buildings, further prove Delta’s unique capabilities to foster smart sustainable cities.
The growth in the EV sector in recent years has put focus on the resilience and capacity of electricity grids in India. Delta’s Green EV charging station helps to mitigate the pressure on the grid as it adds Distributed Energy Resources with solar energy and energy storage at or near EV charging stations. This aids in increasing the capacity required on-peak to serve the EV Charging under existing electricity infrastructure.
Delta’s second launch was the Open-Loop Variable-Torque Standard Drive VP3000 Series specifically designed for the fluid industry to enhance machine operation efficiency and reduce inverter harmonic wave distribution. The VP3000 Series features excellent driving performance and stability and supports multiple types of high-efficiency motors, including induction motors, permanent magnet motors, synchronous reluctance motors. It helps improve motor productivity and efficiency and also reduces carbon emissions for environmental sustainability.
As a critical part of device-based energy saving, it is suitable for fans, pumps, HVAC, water supply, compressors, and other variable-torque application equipment. Moreover, it comes with PdM (Predictive Maintenance) function to monitor key components for easy maintenance and longer product life. Its launch further cements the vision of energy and carbon tax savings.
With over 50 years of expertise in high-efficiency power technologies, Delta has been delivering smart energy-saving solutions worldwide for over a decade. Delta and major stakeholders in the EV charging infrastructure sector, which includes major charge point operators, such as TATA Power, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd. (BESCOM), oil marketing companies like BPCL, as well as various OEMs, have contributed substantially to the deployment of EV chargers across India.


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Fully Recharge Batteries in Just 12 Minutes
Korean media is touting a major breakthrough in battery technology from the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) called graphene ball. Said to dramatically improve both charging capacity and charging speed, the breakthrough could have a real impact on consumers who have come to rely on their battery driven mobile devices. And there are implications as well for electric automobiles and other applications.
See more on the Samsung graphene ball…
According to the Korean news service ETNews, Samsung’s graphene ball is a major breakthrough with such significant advantages, it is likely to surpass all other battery technologies. These advantages are said to include increasing charging capacity by 45%, and at the same time speeding the charging process as it is 5 times faster than existing technology.
Not only that, but other advantages include the fact that graphene ball is an inherently stable material and is safe to use in high temperature situations, such as those experienced in electric vehicles.
What Is A Graphene Ball?
So what is graphene ball? Samsung’s research team, which was reportedly lead by Son In-hyeok and Doo Seok-kwang, were looking for a way to use graphene, a material with high conductivity and solidity, in a battery. In running various ideas, they experimented with a mechanism that combines graphene into a three-dimensional structure similar to popcorn, through a process that uses widely available and cost-effective silica. That newly created structure takes graphene and turns it into the graphene ball.
Graphene is an unusual element with a heavily scientific definition. However, in plain language, graphene is essentially a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, taken from graphite. A relatively recent discovery, graphene exhibits some interesting properties. From Wikipedia:
Graphene has many unusual properties. It is the strongest material ever tested,* efficiently conducts heat and electricity and is nearly transparent. Graphene shows a large and nonlinear diamagnetism,* which is greater than that of graphite, and can be levitated by neodymium magnets. [*=footnote reference numbers removed]
A Faster, Better, Safer Lithium-ion Battery
According to the report, if the graphene ball is used as an anodic protective film and cathodic material for lithium-ion batteries, “it will improve charging capacity and reduce charging time.” Yet, the battery will remain “safe in high temperature[s].”
Lithium ion batteries that took 1 hour to fully charge, now can be fully charged in 12 minutes when they employ graphene ball technology. And remain more stable at any temperature while charging faster.
“While this research is able to combine many multifunctional high-crystalline graphene materials in large [quantities] and inexpensively, it also greatly improved many characteristics of lithium-ion batteries,” said Son In-hyeok who is the lead author for a thesis on this technology. “We are going to continue to develop secondary battery-related technologies according to expansion of mobile device and electric vehicle markets that have recently started growing rapidly.”
Patents Pending with More Studies to Come
Samsung has applied for two patents in the U.S. and South Korea for its discovery of the graphene ball. The company says it is planning to launch more follow-up research studies that will run continuously until it is fully commercialized.
Working with Samsung on this research was a team from the Seoul National University Chemical Biological Engineering Department led by Professor Choi Jang-wook, and they are considered co-developers. The group published a scientific paper on their findings titled Implementation of Fast Charging and High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Batteries Utilizing Graphene Ball in Nature Communications, a scientific journal.
The Galaxy Note 7 Disaster
Most likely, Samsung began intense research into battery technologies as a result of their disastrous experience with the Galaxy Note 7 which was launched to great fanfare in 2016. Within a few months, the phone was pulled off the market when it was discovered that there was some type of battery malfunction which caused some phones to burst into flames.
Perhaps graphene ball will put the risk of that ever happening again…to rest.


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And it is currently on display at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.
A one-off car all around with a lot of history behind it and millions of fans across the globe. This is the new Batmobile which has been unveiled recently and it can be seen these days at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas in the flesh. The “star” has a completely new design on its exterior with massive wheels and muscular lines which make it suitable even for the new Mad Max movie. It has been fitted with a pair of machine guns on its front end and God knows what else it is hiding.
The interior design of the new Batmobile is also one-off and we can see the futuristic design for the dashboard and the two leather wrapped sports seats. The model is also coming with a roll cage and with a lot of buttons, controls, a joystick and a multifunction steering wheel. The brand new Batmobile has come a long way from the previous Tumbler and it is thousands of years ahead of the previous vehicles used by Gotham’s Dark Knight. The model will be used on the future Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie, which will star Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Expect to see other numerous DC Comics characters in the film as well. The movie will be hitting the big screen on the 25th of March, 2016.


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The Ministry of Health is reminding the public not to use two health products which are adulterated with undeclared, potent western medicine.
The two adulterated products were found from tests carried out by the Pharmacy Section, Department of Scientific Services, Ministry of Health. The products are Urinary Pain Relief Tablets, manufactured by Tong Jum Chew Private Limited, Singapore and Sislin 10 Krasne capsules. The adulterant in the products can cause adverse effects that are potentially hazardous to the people using them. The Ministry of Health has not issued any approval for the importation for the sale of these products. Following these findings, the products are not allowed to be imported and sold in Brunei Darussalam. Members of the public who have purchased or used these products are advised to stop using them immediately.
The Ministry also reminds the public involved in the retail of these products including online retail such as through Facebook and others, that it is an offence under the Poisons Act 1956 to sell any product containing any substance controlled under the said Act and the penalty for such an offence upon conviction, is a fine of 8-thousand dollars or six months imprisonment. If a person commits an Act that amounts to such a degree of negligence so as to endanger or be likely to endanger human life, then such person shall be guilty of an offence which carries a penalty of a fine of 16-thousand dollars and 12 months imprisonment.
For further information, the public can contact the Compliance and Licensing Section at 2393298 extension 208; send an e-mail to email@example.com; go directly to 1st Floor, Compliance and Licensing Section, Department of Pharmaceutical Services’ Building, Kg. Madaras, Mukim Gadong A; or call Talian Darussalam 123.
Source: Radio Television Brunei


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The small town of Tuam in County Galway, Eire, has introduced a loyalty scheme based on Zapa Technology’s mobile contactless stickers with the aim of encouraging local people to do more of their shopping in the town.
Tuam, a small town in the Republic of Ireland with a population of 6,900, has launched a town loyalty programme based on Zapa Technology‘s mobile loyalty system. The aim is to encourage local residents to do more of their shopping in Tuam by providing special discounts to people who sign up for the Love Your Town programme.
More than seventy retailers, cafes, pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and service providers such as opticians, beauty parlours and travel agents, representing the vast majority of Tuam’s local stores, have signed up for the scheme.
Local residents who sign up for Love Your Town receive a ZapaTag — a contactless sticker which they attach to the back of their mobile phone — and then register online on the Love Your Town website. Then,whenever they shop in Tuam, they simply tap their phone at the point of sale to identify themselves as a member of the programme.
In exchange, they receive loyalty points based on their cumulative spend with all the participating outlets which can be exchanged for.a range of special offers and discounts provided by the participating merchants.
“The scheme is a ‘win-win’ for both customers and retailers,” says Zapa. “The beauty of the ZapaTag is that it’s a ‘one size fits all’ system for Tuam, replacing the numerous paper and plastic loyalty cards that customers can be bombarded with. Often customers don’t avail of their rewards in full, but this scheme will ensure that they never miss out again.”
Tuam Chamber of Commerce and Energise Tuam, an initiative by a group of local business people and community representatives to promote the benefits of living and working in the town, first introduced Love Your Town in April as a paper-based scheme where shoppers collected a stamp every time they spent more than €10 and, once they had received ten stamps, could redeem them for a reward from any of the participating retailers.
The move to ZapaTags is aimed at making it as easy as possible for shoppers to collect points. “The ZapaTag system is very simple to use and we are confident that the people of Tuam will quickly see the benefits of being assured of getting all their loyalty bonuses all of the time,” says Love Your Town’s Sarah Roary. “With so many retailers in Tuam offering the ZapaTag, we believe this scheme will be a huge success for both retailer and customer alike.”
With the move to ZapaTags, shoppers are being asked to pay a €10 fee to join. A ‘First Tap Offer’ has been introduced, however, to make it as easy as possible for consumers to justify the outlay. “When you purchase a ZapaTag, Love Your Town will give you instant access to all the offers at participating outlets with your first transaction in those outlets,” the programme’s website explains. “We call it our ‘First Tap Offer’ and it is as if you already have 10 points in each shop. This First Tap Offer alone has the potential to save you €1,000’s over the life of the ZapaTag. Once you have used your First Tap in a store you will begin to gain points as normal on every transaction of €10.”
And, to ensure that shoppers remember to register their tags, registered users are entered into a monthly draw for a shopping voucher and shoppers are reminded that, should they lose their mobile phone, Love Your Town will be able to transfer their points to a new ZapaTag if they have registered their tag online.
“It’s great to see an entire town taking up our ZapaTag technology,” added John Nagle, Zapa Technology’s CEO. “This represents a very exciting move for our ZapaTag and for the future of loyalty and bonus schemes in this country… This is the first time an entire town has been blanketed with Zapa technology and we’re very excited about it.”


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Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has put a lot of effort into making things right with fans while trying to move past the game’s disastrous launch. Now it can likely wipe away another blemish: a class-action lawsuit from its investors.
A federal judge in California’s Central District signed off (PDF) on a $1.85 million settlement between CD Projekt Red (CDPR) and a class-action suit led by plaintiff Andrew Trampe and headed by two law firms. Everybody who acquired publicly traded CDPR securities throughout most of 2020 is eligible for settlement funds, roughly $0.49 per eligible share. A consultant for the plaintiffs had previously estimated the maximum potential damages at $11 million.
The original complaint, filed in December 2020, alleged that the Polish developer misled investors and customers about Cyberpunk 2077‘s readiness on then-current-generation consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. CDPR made “materially false and misleading” statements during the year leading up to release, the complaint alleged, because the company should have known the game “was virtually unplayable on the current-generation Xbox or PlayStation system due to an enormous number of bugs.”
The bugs were not widely known because CDPR only provided PC copies of the game to reviewers before its release (including to Ars). CDPR later apologized for “not showing the game on base last-gen consoles before it premiered,” thus preventing buyers from making “a more informed decision about your purchase.” Days earlier, CDPR had tweeted its thanks to 8 million people who had preordered the game.
The public spectacle around Cyberpunk 2077‘s launch debacle, and the public statements from the company about its failures to recognize problems or inform customers, made an investor suit a near inevitability. Officers of a publicly traded company are legally obligated to act in the best interests of the company and its investors. When a company seems to have misplayed a situation and tarnished its image—and caused a resulting dip in share price—claims are likely to follow.
Cyberpunk 2077 managed to enter an impressive second act, though, given where it started. CDPR smoothed many of its rough edges through numerous patches. An acclaimed anime series on Netflix, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, reignited interest in the game with “very positive” reviews. And the game recently won a Steam Award for “Labor of Love,” despite dissent from the game’s fans that other games, produced without publicly acknowledged crunch, might have deserved that nod more.
The Central District of California judge set deadlines for determining fees, notifying class members, and final approval of the settlement through June 1, 2023.


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Cere Network, a blockchain CRM ecosystem platform, has secured $3.5 million in funding. The investors included Binance Labs, Neo Global Capital, Fenbushi Capital, Arrington XRP Capital, Kenetic Capital, Alphabit Fund, Block VC, Kosmos Capital, LD Capital, Monday Capital, Pre Angel Fund and Republic Labs.
AUGUST 19, 2019 — Cere Network (https://cere.network) announced today it has completed its seed round of financing, raising a total of $3.5 million from Binance Labs, Neo Global Capital, Fenbushi Capital, Arrington XRP Capital, Kenetic Capital, Alphabit Fund, Block VC, Kosmos Capital, LD Capital, Monday Capital, Pre Angel Fund, Republic Labs and a number of other strategic funds. To fuel the growth of the Cere Network Ecosystem, the company has established a new office in New York City and will be launching the Cere Network Innovation Factory in Berlin during Berlin Blockchain Week.
“As blockchain overcomes the technical development hurdle, business use cases that can strengthen the attitudinal wave of adoption will come out on top,” said Roger Lim, Founding Partner at NGC Ventures. “By creating a blockchain CRM ecosystem, Cere Network offers openness and immutability, dissuading existing data silos to rewrite a far more seamless and integrated experience across the customer data ecosystem. The commercial white space the company is growing into holds tremendous potential, and we’re excited to be in the front row seat as the company forms one of the leading frontiers in the ongoing maturation of the decentralized technology.”
The CRM industry is one of the fastest growing segments in the software market with spending on CRM solutions growing by 15.8% and reaching $48 billion in 2018. Unfortunately, current CRM solutions are suffering from only having access to a limited pool of data which hampers companies’ ability to engage with customers in a meaningful manner.
“Unlike traditional CRMs, we’re focused on customer data privacy and secure data collaboration,” said Fred Jin, co-founder and CEO of Cere Network. “Our team is led by Silicon Valley veterans, with technology experience from Amazon, Twitch, and Bebo, who understands how to engineer solutions for the world’s most intricate problems. By building a complete solution on the blockchain, we are solving for CRM/CDP’s biggest issues in customization, efficiency, and secure and privacy-preserving data sharing.”
Strategic investors who also participated include Brad Bao, Co-founder of Lime and longtime Tencent executive; Alan Braverman, Co-founder of 3 unicorn companies Eventbrite, Yammer and Xoom; Taiyang Zhang, Founder and CEO of Republic Protocol (REN); and Will Wang, Advisor of Huobi Global and former Head of Business Development and Investment for the Huobi Ecosystem Fund.
Dr. Feng Xiao, General Partner at Fenbushi Capital, said “We consider Cere Network as a pioneer in interoperability. Their platform far surpasses benefits in the CRM ecosystem, and will layout the standard for data preservation, sharing, and management across all industries. We strongly believe that there will be much synergy between Cere Network and our family of invested companies and look forward to their continued innovations.”
Cere Network’s technology captures user activity data throughout the customer journey and stores the information onto a secure and decentralized system that’s integrated with the Cere blockchain. Businesses and vendors use permissioned proxy keys to access Cere’s microservices platform, which facilitates the ability for ecosystem customers to secure user data sharing and execute direct user acquisition across apps and brands.
“Blockchain technology will have a transformative impact on all data-driven industries, and Salesforce has put the CRM industry on notice with its own blockchain platform,”
Jehan Chu, co-founder and Managing Partner at Kenetic Capital.
“Cere Network is a next generation blockchain solution that isn’t held back by legacy data and infrastructure debt. With Cere, data privacy, consent and secure data collaboration are built into its blockchain-native foundation. In the age of GDPR, Cere’s Innovation Factory is in a strong position to leapfrog industry incumbents.”
About Cere Network
Cere Network is the first blockchain CRM ecosystem platform optimized for service data integration and collaboration. While most blockchains are simply distributed ledgers, the Cere Blockchain solution captures the entire customer journey on the blockchain and stores key user data such as purchases, achievements, and usage in the user’s wallet. Cere Network is founded by Silicon Valley veterans with 20 years of experience from Amazon, Twitch, and Bebo.
For more information, please visit https://cere.network


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David Hunt thinks that healthcare marketing and advertising has been bogged down by the outdated way of doing business—sales aids, brochures and leave-behinds—and he aims to transform that with his newly released impartial health care company, The Considered Company.
“It has been about expense, volume and frequency. It has been about who can shout the loudest and who has the most boots on the floor,” Hunt advised Adweek. “Everyone has known this components is failing but propped it up with higher expenditure and the idea of marginal gains. The pandemic adjusted all that. You can no for a longer period rely on face-to-confront engagements to develop rapport, brand recognition and share of voice.”
Hunt was previously CEO of Havas Lynx and world-wide main electronic officer of Havas Overall health & You, and he decided to get started The Regarded as with a staff that involves professor Shafi Ahmed and main resourceful officer Pete Armstrong to approach healthcare marketing in a diverse style.
The staff came up with a notion they connect with HealthControl, a hybrid product that they claim is versatile but with a physical presence, likely over and above geographic boundaries and advertising uncommon imagining, cross-pollination and reducing-edge technological methods. They are equipped to resource expertise with out possessing to assume of geography, considering that people are connecting by technological know-how, which cuts down on what Hunt suggests are outmoded tactics and inefficiencies that persist inside present-day agency versions.
“Activation, desire, autonomy are clinically verified to make improvements to clinical results, normally have been, but now in the tech-enabled society we can use our suggestions, our communications, our innovations to deliver handle and change lives,” Hunt instructed Adweek.
When the pandemic accelerated a a lot more tech-enabled culture, Hunt acknowledged that health care gurus, individuals and shoppers now have a deeper being familiar with of and increased self confidence with engineering than they had prior to the pandemic. “We require to produce merchandise and strategies that unlock this new reality and just take this habits into account,” Hunt explained in a statement.
The Considered makes use of data, its inventive studio and tech-enabled solutions in its strategy to healthcare marketing communications, but also leans on new social audio app Clubhouse to bring in numerous voices in health care. The workforce launched Health.Reconsidered on Clubhouse to build a world wide group, debating subjects ranging from range and inclusion to shaping a new way to communicate health care. In just a number of months it has attracted 2,000 lively participants conference each day, expanded to include things like a worldwide webinar in pharma, all at no price.
Recent clients for the new company contain Reckitt and TwinStrand Duplex Sequencing.
Hunt explained that The Deemed and its new way to strategy health care promoting is an experiment.
“It is mad to assume we’ve cracked how to do the job remotely. There is loads to discover and make improvements to. But we are going by means of an incredible technological innovation force, an amazing learning curve, and we want to be at the entrance of that. It is the business owners that gain in the close, the challengers, the rule breakers. What does it glimpse like? Inquire once again in 12 months, but we are positive it is well worth a crack,” Hunt concluded.


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Digital TV News: Tencent
8K Association announces performance specification for consumer TVs
Aug 29, 2019 – The 8K Association (8KA) has announced that key performance attributes for 8K televisions have been defined as part of the 8KA technical program. Performance criteria were created in concert with the association’s membership.
News categories: 8K Association, Chris Chinnock, Digital TV, Smart TV, Worldwide
Growth in smart homes poised to decline slightly this year
Jul 1, 2019 – Smart home technology pushed into 34 million new homes worldwide last year, according to ABI Research. However, new home growth is poised to decline slightly this year as the market transitions from entering new homes to extending the scope of existing deployments.
News categories: ABI Research, Jonathan Collins, Market Research, Smart Home, USA, Worldwide
Tencent Video subscriptions up 58% to 89 million at end-2018
Mar 21, 2019 – Tencent (00700.HK) has announced the results for the fourth quarter of 2018. Tencent Video expanded its subscription counts to 89 million, up 58% year-on-year, driven by premium content and cross-promotions.
News categories: Tencent, China, Digital TV, OTT, Results, Subscribers
eSports evolving from ‘Novelty’ to ‘Next Big Thing’
Sep 12, 2018 – According to The Diffusion Group (TDG), eSports has been silently exploding, out of the mainstream eye for years but now capturing the attention of companies throughout the interactive entertainment and gaming space.
News categories: The Diffusion Group, Patrick Perez, Digital TV, Market Research, USA, Worldwide
China’s TV programming industry now second only to the US
Aug 20, 2018 – China has overtaken the UK in the television programming industry, becoming the second-largest market in the world after the U.S., according to IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO). TV programming expenditures in China hit 73 billion yuan (US$10.9 billion) in 2017.
News categories: IHS Markit, Kia Ling Teoh, China, Digital TV, Market Research
Asia Pacific: 351 million SVOD subscribers by 2023
Jul 25, 2018 – According to Digital TV Research, three Chinese companies will top the Asia Pacific SVOD rankings by subscribers in 2023. Not expected to ever operate as standalone platforms in China, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video will take fourth and fifth places respectively.
News categories: Digital TV Research, Simon Murray, Asia, China, Digital TV, India, Market Research, OTT, Subscribers
RealNetworks codec chosen for CIBN mobile TV App
Jun 27, 2018 – RealNetworks (NASDAQ: RNWK) has announced the commercial deployment of RealMedia HD on the China International Broadcasting Network (CIBN) Mobile TV App, available now for download from Android app stores in China.
News categories: RealNetworks, China International Broadcasting Network, Jiang Hense, Xie Shengluo, Apps, China, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Media Player, OTT, Semiconductor
Tencent Video subscriptions reach 62.59 million at end-February 2018
Mar 18, 2018 – Tencent Video has announced its paid subscriptions reached 62.59 million as of the end of February 2018, which further enhanced its leading position as the largest online video platform in China.
News categories: Tencent, Thirty Sun, China, Digital TV, OTT, Subscribers
Dolby shows industry adoption of audio technologies at CES2018
Jan 9, 2018 – At CES, Dolby (NYSE:DLB) is showcasing a broad portfolio of audiovisual experiences across a range of price points and devices, driving Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos adoption in more markets with leading global partners.
News categories: Dolby, Kevin Yeaman, Blu-ray, Digital TV, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart TV
- 317 million SVOD subscriptions for the U.S. in 2025
- Clearcable adds Minerva Networks IPTV platform to offering
- Amino helps Colsecor add SENSA OTT to legacy set-top boxes
- U.S. pay TV suffers historic cord-cutting
- SpotX unveils programmatic solutions for linear Addressable TV
- Sluggish growth expected for pay TV in India
- Vubiquity secures content services agreement with Liberty Global
- TV panel prices could rise by around 10% QoQ in 4Q20
- TV Red Digital chooses Anevia and Viaccess-Orca for ISP TV platform
- Azam TV extends contract and takes additional capacity with Eutelsat
- Comscore expands global Connected TV footprint with Samba TV
- Irdeto brings enhanced security services to Forthnet
- Iliad announces intention to acquire Poland's Play
- Western Europe to gain over 100 million SVOD subscribers by 2025
- EBU begins work on HbbTV and DVB-I interoperability
- MediaKind first to deploy latest You.i TV video experience SDK
- TVSquared and Blockgraph partner on TV and cross-channel measurement
- GTPL KCBPL selects ATEME for converged headend in India
- PlayStation 5 launches this November
- BrightLine launches connected TV ad solution


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To succeed in social media, marketers can embrace one of the things that the channel does best: the propagation of content. Social platforms and the consumers that use them have an insatiable appetite for content that can be easily commented on, liked, tweeted, blogged and pinned. Brand content answers that need by offering the consumer insight, entertainment or utility—something to talk about and share.
However, the question that marketers are now wrestling with is whether any brand be a content brand. Strategically, it’s a significant undertaking, starting with finding a white space in the category. “When brands create content, they aren’t competing with other brands; they’re competing with publishers and other content creators,” said Ingrid Bernstein, director of experience at JWT New York. For a brand to go head-to-head with established media – magazines, newspapers, books, movies and television shows – it needs to offer consumers a point of difference.
Additionally, from a production standpoint, it can be challenging for a brand to transition from episodic campaigns to the always-on cadence that social media demands. Most marketing departments are simply not staffed or organized to produce content at the pace of a daily newspaper, nor are they prepared to respond in real time as their content provokes consumer reactions.
“The more the brand can live in the here and now and seize on current events, the more effective that brand is going to be,” said Thomas Gensemer, managing partner at Blue State Digital. Gensemer is best known for initiatives that became broad-based movements, including the 2008 Obama campaign and the anti-bullying project It Gets Better.
Oreo demonstrated that even a simple cookie could be responsive to current events. Its Daily Twist site showcased a different Oreo image every day, capturing cultural moments from the Mars rover landing to gay pride.
In my next post, I’ll look at whether the brand idea is up to the challenge posed by social media.


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Finally! Banks tackle payment bungles with plans for 'double-check' system when sending money online
Banks are working on plans to prevent customers accidentally sending money to the wrong person.
In a victory for Money Mail, banks will let you double-check who will receive a payment when you're using online banking.
Currently, when you pay someone online, you have to get every digit of their sort code and account number correct. It doesn't matter if you get the name wrong.
Under the shake-up, a message will pop up on your screen revealing the name on the bank account you are paying.
Safety net: Banks will soon let you double-check who will receive a payment when you're using online banking
You'll be asked if this is the correct recipient. Only when you click 'OK' will the funds leave your account.
The Payments Strategy Forum, which represents banks and building societies, hopes the proposals will stop people sending money to the wrong account because they tapped in incorrect numbers.
Bank customers who send money to the wrong place have been forced to fight for months to get their money back.
In the worst cases, they never recover the lost funds, as banks are under no obligation to return it.
The move should also stop customers being tricked into unwittingly paying money into fraudsters' accounts.
There has been a rise in scams where criminals hack into the email accounts of solicitors or builders and trick customers into sending money to fraudulent accounts.
Under proposals, a criminal posing as a solicitor will be caught out when a message popping up on the customer's screen shows an unfamiliar name as the payee.
The plans could introduce a second safeguard to allow customers to block regular direct debits.
You might be able to stop money going out for a gym membership or gas and electricity bill you are disputing, rather than it being taken automatically.
This is particularly important where customers don't have enough cash to pay.
The payment would not be processed each month until the customer approved it.
However, the new system may not be in place for up to three years.
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Nordstrom Inc. is adding former Nike executive Eric Sprunk to its board of directors.
According to the Seattle-based department store chain, Sprunk will stand for election at the company’s upcoming 2023 annual shareholders’ meeting. With Sprunk’s appointment, the Nordstrom board has been expanded to 11 directors.
Brad Tilden, chairman of the Nordstrom board, said in a statement that the board is eager to welcome an industry veteran of Sprunk’s caliber. “With Eric’s decades of operational experience in the consumer retail industry and track record of driving e-commerce growth and large-scale transformations within a complex global business, we’re confident he will be a valuable addition to the board and look forward to benefitting from his expertise,” Tilden said.
Sprunk most recently served as COO of Nike from 2013 to 2020, where he led the teams responsible for manufacturing, sourcing, sales, procurement and technology. During his 27-year career at Nike, he held various executive positions of increasing responsibility, including EVP of global product and merchandising from 2008 to 2013 and EVP and GM of global footwear from 2001 to 2008. Prior to joining Nike, Sprunk was a certified public accountant at Price Water House Coopers.
After his retirement from Nike in 2020, Sprunk has gone on to join the boards of several companies such as aviation leader Bombardier, UN refugee agency USA for UNHCR and General Mills, according to his LinkedIn page.
Late last month, Sprunk was part of a group of investors that raised $3 million in a round of funding for Hilos, which uses 3D printed technology to avoid overproduction waste in footwear.
This move comes just days after Nordstrom named Jason Morris as its new chief technology and information officer. Morris succeeds Edmond Mesrobian, who left the company in October.


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Tulsa VC launches angel investing program | Wizest closes on $1.7M
Venture capital firm Atento Capital has launched an angel investing program called 412 Angels. Its goal is to help educate new investors and increase the number of early-stage startups in the U.S. Highway 412 corridor connecting Tulsa and Northwest Arkansas. Partnering on the effort is the Northwest Arkansas Council, the George Kaiser Family Foundation in Tulsa, and the Walton Family Foundation in Bentonville.
Manifest and DLE collaborate on Global Logistics Event with a focus on the drone delivery
The Future of Logistics are forging a partnership that will focus on educating the global logistics industry about the value of drone delivery systems. The parties have agreed to work together to further the mission of the DLE to establish regulations and drive further growth for the drone delivery industry. The DLE and Manifest will work together to create world class education and awareness of the crucial part drones can play in upgrading and automating the last leg of the supply chain journey. Manifest 2023, taking place Jan. 30 – Feb. 1st in Las Vegas, will once again bring together the most comprehensive ecosystem of innovation and transformation in Logistics technology and end-to-end Supply Chain by organizing mega events in Las Vegas on annual basis. While DLE is a global multidisciplinary "quadruple helix" network of Companies, Universities, the Public and Investors (CUPI) with the aim to stimulate innovations, collaborations, and standardization in the Drone logistic industry on an international level.
DroneShield and Allen-Vanguard: Counter Drone Company Partners with Counter IED Firm
DroneShield Limited, an Australian/US company that produces and markets technology to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and Allen-Vanguard, a US-owned provider of systems design to thwart improvised explosive devices (IED), have teamed up in a partnership that combines the two firms' product-development and marketing efforts.
FAA and NASA UTM field day
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) Field Test Industry Day will be hosted jointly by the FAA and NASA. This event opens the next chapter of UTM testing and exploration, leveraging previously developed UTM ecosystem capabilities to explore emerging UTM Services. The UTM Field Test will execute flight test activities to validate industry standards. This project supports Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) policy development and routine low-altitude BVLOS UAS operations in various environments, including operations at night and over people.
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Vehicle Market to Witness Growth Acceleration | EHang, Kitty Hawk, Volocopter
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Vehicle Market report focused on the comprehensive analysis of current and future prospects of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Vehicle industry. This report is a consolidation of primary and secondary research, which provides market size, share, dynamics, and forecast for various segments and sub-segments considering the macro and micro environmental factors. An in-depth analysis of past trends, future trends, demographics, technological advancements, and regulatory requirements for the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Vehicle market has been done in order to calculate the growth rates for each segment and sub-segments.
Aircraft Electric Motors Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product Types, And Applications Forecast To 2028 || Honeywell International, Inc., Allied Motion, Inc., Altra Industrial Motion Corp., AMETEK.Inc., ARC Systems Inc. and More
Aircraft Electric Motors market research report is sure to assist companies in making better decisions, generating revenue, prioritizing market goals and profitable business for long-lasting achievements.
City Of Frisco: Wing Launches First Commercial Drone Delivery Service In Major U.S. Metro Area At Frisco Station
Rooted in mobility innovation, Frisco Station, a 242-acre mixed-use development in the North Platinum Corridor of Frisco, Texas, will soon be home to a drone delivery facility operated by Wing, one of the first providers of drone delivery service in the United States (U.S.). As part of the first commercial drone delivery service in a major U.S. metropolitan area, the Frisco Station facility will have all of Wing's usual drone delivery capabilities, but will initially be dedicated to exploring new uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) use cases, community demonstrations, school field trip educational opportunities and public tours.
Top Drone Service Providers 2021: Drone Industry Insights’ Newest Report
The latest report from Drone Industry Insights (DRONEII) ranks drone companies around the world to produce the 2021 list of top drone service providers. DRONEII researcher Lukas Schroth writes that the new report "ranks the top drone service providers in the world using company size & development, market shares, and public attention as key parameters."
Drone Package Delivery Market Business Strategies, Technological Innovation, Trends & Top Players by 2030
Drone Package Delivery Market 2020-2030: The global drone package delivery market is experiencing a significant growth due to increased demand for faster delivery. Drone package delivery implies delivery of packages, food, and other goods using drones. Drone package delivery is being used by major retail and logistics companies around the world such as Amazon, Dominos, and others to deliver products in hassle free and with the ease to the consumers. Moreover, the tech giants such as Alphabet are hailing it as future of e-commerce. Further, the major retailers such as Walmart are testing drone delivery services to achieve a profitable last mile delivery and a better buyer experience to the customer.
Tech 101: Construction drones
Contractors are using drones to record images and videos that help optimize everything from grading plans and operations to identifying differences between as-designed and as-built site plans.
Uber plans to start delivering McDonald's hamburgers by drone this summer
The Washington Post
Uber recently announced plans to begin testing the first-ever commercial application of food delivery by drone in high-density urban areas, joining companies like Amazon and Google that are seeking to make unmanned commercial deliveries using the same technology.
Airport Benefits of Drone Technology
With the introduction of drone specific regulations such as the 14 CFR Part 107, a safety culture was created for unmanned aircraft similar to that of manned aircraft. Part 107 lowers the potential hazard of drone activities while allowing their potential benefits to increase. In an interesting twist, the drones that once posed a hazard for airports can provide valuable services within the airport environment.
Op-ed: Commercial UAS Industry Must Stand Up and Dispel False Narratives
Unmanned Aerial Online
In this op-ed, the writer implores UAS industry stakeholders to seriously start defending the commercial drone industry when they hear media pundits, government officials and others predict how one accident between a UAV and a commercial airliner will wreck the entire commercial UAS industry.
Drone photography takes off as buyers shop for homes online
Nashville Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK — TENNESSEE
When your neighbors placed a for sale sign in their yard in the old days — about three years ago — you were sure to see crowds of buyers coming and going from open houses. Today, you're just as likely to spot an unmanned aircraft flying overhead, making a video.
Intel’s Winter Olympics light show featured a record-breaking 1,218 drones
The Olympics opening ceremony is always a big show, and this year was no exception, with Intel joining in on the fun with a record-setting performance of 1,218 Shooting Star drones flying in sync to create huge light-up images of Olympic sports and the iconic Olympic rings in the skies over Pyeongchang.
Industrial drone company Kespry raises $33 million
Industrial drone platform provider Kespry has raised $33 million in a series C round of funding led by G2VP, with participation from Cisco Investments, Shell Technology Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, DCM Ventures, Spectrum 28, ABB Ventures, and H. Barton Asset Management.
Boulder eyes municipal drone uses, vows not to spy on people
Boulder (CO) Daily Camera
Boulder, Colo., may in the near future make use of drones to advance various municipal interests, ranging from search-and-rescue efforts to 3-D modeling to inform infrastructure design. But officials are first collecting public input before moving ahead with the program.
Going up: Drones play a bigger role in residential, commercial real estate
Central Penn Business Journal
In residential and commercial real estate, the demand for drone services continues to rise, and uses have expanded beyond producing photos for marketing materials. From help with safety planning before heavy equipment is brought into a new site to quick checks of subcontractor progress on a project, the broader range of what drones can do on construction sites helps justify the expense for those companies buying their own drones.
Amazon Gets Patent for Snooping Drone
24/7 Wall St.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office earlier this week approved U.S. patent number 9,714,089 for Amazon.com Inc. The patent is called "Trigger agents in video streams from homes" and would allow Amazon to analyze data it collects while delivering merchandise using unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly known as drones.
Amazon Visualizes Speedy Home Delivery From Cylindrical Towers
A new patent application filed by Amazon outlines the company's vision for vertical cylindrical structures that will enable drones to deliver customer purchases directly to their homes. The tall, multileveled buildings would receive truck delivery on the ground level and through robotic manipulations then transport customer orders to drones sitting on their launch pads on each floor of this high rise; each drone would then fly off and make home deliveries.
This is like a vision of life in the space age; remember The Jetsons?
3 Steps to Getting a Job in the Drone Industry
Since Part 107 was implemented, it's easier than ever to get a commercial drone license. Getting a good job in the drone industry, however, can prove more difficult. If you're a student trying to break in to the industry or a seasoned professional looking for a career change, start planning to be the right candidate for a job from the beginning.
Lady Gaga Halftime Drone Swarm Was Pretaped to Shield Crowd
Sunday's Super Bowl halftime light show featuring Lady Gaga -- prerecorded to comply with prohibitions on flying drones over people -- was choreographed by Intel Corp. It provided a dramatic backdrop for the performance and also illustrated the ways large companies are embracing unmanned aircraft in sometimes unexpected ways.
Area legislators take on task of drone legislation
While industries are looking to drones to save money, area legislators said some are successful while others refrain from using them because there are no guidelines in place at the state level. Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer, and Rep. Pat Ownbey, R-Ardmore, are currently working on a bill to remedy the issue.
The legislators' goal will be to focus on two main issues for now - citizen privacy and economic opportunity for the state.
Vigilant Aerospace releases drone list
Oklahoma City-based Vigilant Aerospace Systems Inc. has released a list of commercial drones available in the United States that have the ability to fly beyond an operator's line of sight.
Drone developments: Avionics, fuel cells and swarms
In his blog discussing recent developments in the UAS world, writer Tony Murfin addresses various drone developments, including in areas such as avionics, fuel cell research and swarms.


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Hogan Lovells fintech incubator programme unveils latest cohort
Eight companies come under firm's wing - from start-ups to 'momentum players'
Hogan Lovells has unveiled the latest cohort of fintech start-ups and ‘momentum players’ to be admitted to its incubator programme.
Eight companies have been admitted to its London-based Global FinTech Mentor and Momentum Programme after a competitive application process, each thereby gaining access to £25,000 of free legal advice.
This is the fourth cohort to be admitted to the programme, which differs from many law firm-sponsored incuabtors – which help legal tech start ups – due to its focus on London’s burgeoning fintech sector.
The companies admitted to the programme range from “start-ups to established momentum players in strong growth mode,” according to the firm.
Each cohort member will be assigned a relationship manager and be offered a range of benefits in addition to the free advice, including a 30% discount on legal advice outside the scope of the programme, access to the firm’s law tech tools and support from its consulting team for regulatory advice.
Hogan Lovells head of financial services Emily Reid said: “It was tough deciding who to admit to this cohort. We had more applications than ever from the UK and other countries, all extremely high quality and demonstrating true innovation in different areas of the financial services sector."
The new intake is made up of:
- General Internet – a credit and banking platform that is ‘moving towards becoming a networked business bank and open fintech platform’
- Moneyfold – a regulated financial services firm which uses public blockchains
- Thunes – a B2B cross-border payment network
- Pivotal Group: a consumer facing e-commerce platform for managing subscriptions with access to personalised offers
- Bloom – a provider of business cash advances to merchants.
- Floww – a platform to simplify data and due diligence aspects of investing in start-ups for entrepreneurs, venture capital firms and investors
- WeCovr – an insurance-as-service platform
- Covertech – an app-based ‘modular lifestyle’ insurance platform.
Among the growing roster of incubators run by law firms around the world targeted at legal tech are programmes run by Slaughter and May and Deloitte Legal, in the UK, and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas in India.
In February, IP boutique Bereskin & Parr became a founding partner of Canada’s first incubator for tech hardware start-ups – the Hardware Catalyst Initiative (HCI).


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Breaking into a new vertical market can be challenging. Verify Brand needed to establish its brand as a leader in the pharmaceutical segment in order to grow its business and leverage the company’s software platform in a new market.
Through research and a review of marketplace dynamics, we concluded that the more differentiating messages for Verify Brand would focus on compliance, speed-to-deploy and business value.
Padilla got to work developing marketing and news media strategies to leverage Verify Brand’s cross-industry serialization experience in this new vertical segment.
An integrated campaign with an emphasis on shareable premium content and third-party influence via targeted news media, would provide a high level of visibility for Verify Brand. Combining organic and paid promotional activity, media relations and measurable content including a digital e-book, helped educate, increase awareness and drive interest in the brand.
Our premium content was shared on the company’s owned social and digital channels, as well as promoted through a vertical media partner. These activities generated more than 100 sales leads within the company’s preferred prospect list. Monthly stories in top-tier pharmaceutical publications carried messages to even more prospects. The campaign doubled traffic to the company’s website within three days of launch. Subsequent news coverage began positioning Verify Brand as one of two leading industry serialization providers.


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The Food Revolution Group Ltd (ASX:FOD) board member and Careline Group Australia Pty Ltd CEO Norman Li speaks to Proactive Investors about a strategic distribution agreement worth over $20 million.. Proactive Investors
By the end of June, most of Australia’s major supermarkets will have stopped handing out single-use plastic bags.Woolworths, Coles, and theQueenslandand Western Australian governments are all phasing..
Two cheeky pigs escaped from home in the early hours of Tuesday, June 5, and spent several hours adventuring around a Caltex service station in Upper Coomera, Queensland.The naughty duo strolled into..
When Woolworths brought in self-service checkouts, I felt guilty every time I indulged in the convenience, like I was betraying my own kind. Brisbane Times Also reported by •Sydney Morning Herald •The Age
Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX:BUB) founder and managing director Kristy Carr will become the company’s chief executive officer as the rapidly growing company enters a new phase focused on turning its.. Proactive Investors


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03 February 2021, 2:47 pm. 1 minute
South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare Holdings warded off a possible hefty EU antitrust fine after regulators accepted the pharmaceutical company’s offer to cut cancer drug prices in Europe by about two-thirds in return for ending a three-year long EU investigation without any finding of infringement and penalty. The landmark case, the first against excessive pricing, was confirmed by the European Commission on Feb. 10, a week after Reuters broke news of the impending decision. The European Commission has in the last decade cracked down on the pharmaceutical industry for pay-for-delay deals between brand name companies and their generic rivals, while shying away from excessive pricing cases.
Topics of Interest: Health
Type: Reuters Best
Win Types: Exclusivity
Story Types: Exclusive / Scoop
Media Types: Text
Customer Impact: Major Global Story


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Tag Archives: Microsoft
[German]Another short patchday summary for administrators in business environments. July 2018 patchday (July 10, 2018) is proving more and more a disaster – currently every administrator should consider whether and which updates he releases for installation.
[German]The rumors of the last days has been true. Microsoft has introduced the Surface Go Tablet, which is entering the education market with a price starting at 399 US $ and a 10-inch display. From today, July 10, 2018, pre-orders … Continue reading
[German]On June 12, 2018 (patchday) Microsoft released further updates for Internet Explorer, Windows Server, etc. This blog post contains details of selected patches that are not included in the remaining articles linked at the end of the article.
Microsoft has revised some Security Update Releases on May 15, 2018. Here is a short list, what has been changed. Addendum: Update revision from May 18, 2018 added.
[German]On May 8, 2018 (patchday) Microsoft has released further updates for Internet Explorer, Windows Server, etc. In this blog post I added details about selected patches which are not included in the other posts linked at the end of the … Continue reading
[German]In February 2018 Microsoft released a series of updates for Windows, Office,. NET Framework etc. Some users have encountered issues with these updates. Below I’ll summarize the update issues.
[German]Microsoft currently fails to deliver updates in a secure way. In a Security by obscurity style, Microsoft offers update downloads via insecure http protocol. This also applies to downloads from the Microsoft Update Catalog. And Microsoft Update Catalog strikes, if … Continue reading
[German]Currently, developers of various apps that are available in the Microsoft Store received a mail from a lawyer who is on behalf of Microsoft. The mail requests, that the developer has to remove his app from store because of an … Continue reading
[German]Today an article about Microsoft Surface models addressing several topcis. Some Surface Book 2 devices has coil whine, and Microsoft released TPM firmware updates. And there is a trick to obtain a recovery image for the Surface LTE.
Microsoft has revised several security update descriptions and released a summary what has been updates. Here’s an overview, what’s changed so far.


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In the United Kingdom, supermarkets discard $299 million worth of food each year. Large markets overstock so their shelves never look empty, and then toss the unsold surplus. Waste is built into the supermarket system. Now the RJFP (Real Junk Food Project) has opened it's own supermarket in the English town of Pudsey, West Yorkshire. It sells other markets' and restaurants' discarded surplus food on a "pay whatever you can" basis. It may not look like a Kroger, but it's helping hungry people.
Take Kirsty Rhodes, for example. She was recently diagnosed with a chronic illness. Her husband had to leave work to take care of their children. Their household income dropped through the floor, but they are able to buy a variety of foods at the RJFP market because customers pay whatever they want to. "With three young children and two adults to feed, we started to struggle straight away," she said. "Luckily we took the plunge to go to the food warehouse and it was amazing!" If this idea works in Pudsey, would it work in your town?


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Paul French, (Sep 5, 2013)
As China takes steps to clean up its business culture, it is having to deal with knock-on effects, says Paul French
David Grayson, (Jul 11, 2013)
A unique sustainability culture is developing in China, guided by state control, independent domestic organisations and international partnerships
Paul French, (Jun 4, 2013)
Depending on your point of view, the recent earthquake in China has seen multinationals doing the right thing, or revealing the price they place on reputation protection, says Paul French
Ethical Corporation is part of FC Business Intelligence Ltd, a registered company in England and Wales - Registered number 0438897. 7-9 Fashion Street, London, E1 6PX, UK.


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Pizza Hut WingStreet is Now Available on foodpanda via pandapick
- PruRide Philippines is Back! - March 25, 2023
- BDO Wins Platinum at The Asset ESG Corporate Awards for the 13th Consecutive Year - March 25, 2023
- Wolvit Highlights Hairloss Prevention in Two New Digital ad Campaigns - March 25, 2023
Online quick commerce platform foodpanda recently announced a new partnership with WingStreet, Pizza Hut’s new digital brand. The partnership, which is sure to excite chicken...


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FOX 2 - General Motors is bumping up the sticker price on many of its new vehicles adding a mandatory OnStar subscription, whether you want it or not.
This equipment is on new Buicks, Cadillacs, and GMC vehicles. And on Wednesday GM said you have to take it for $1,500.
"It's just like buying a car with seats and a steering wheel, you have to take this equipment," said John McElroy, auto analyst WWJ 950. "They're listing it as an option. And people are going 'I don't want to buy it.' Too bad."
But this just doesn't seem like an "option" but you do get a lot of technology...
"OnStar does a whole bunch of different things," McElroy said. "It will give you navigation staff, track your car if it gets stolen so the police can find it. It will give you all kinds of other different services, like a health checkup on your car, like tell you when you need an oil change or things like that."
And your car becomes a Wi-Fi hotspot. So the $1,500 will be tacked on to the purchase price which gets you three years of access to OnStar- and then, after the three years, you start paying monthly or the device will be dropped.
McElroy says GM is doing this because, at some point, car sales are going to stop growing. So how does a car company continue to grow its top line? Sell services.
"In fact, GM thinks that people will pay $135 a month above their car payment get all the services," he said. "And that turns out to be $10 billion a year."
With an 80 percent profit margin versus 8 percent for selling cars, look for other car companies to do the same.
But what's been the reaction charging for the mandatory OnStar option?
"Most of the reporting is negative," McElroy said. "I haven't seen anything that goes, 'Woo-hoo they're charging more."


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New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) The government needs to focus on ways to push the growth of manufacturing sector if it wants to maintain a sustained GDP growth of 9-10 per cent per year, a study by ASSOCHAM-EY said.
The report said that although implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has addressed several regulatory issues, state governments need to resolve issues like bureaucratic obstacles, obstructive regulations and policies to boost manufacturing sector.
"If India has to maintain a sustained GDP growth of 9-10 per cent per annum, it is crucial that the manufacturing sector grows steadily at 14?15 per cent per annum over the next three decades," it said.
It suggested that states should focus on those industries where it has a competitive edge over others in terms of raw material availability, demand, logistics and skilled manpower. PTI RR BAL


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Results For "Green-OOH"
17 News Found
Stellar Ace unveils Green Package for ESG advertisers
In OOH News By M4G Bureau - August 03, 2023
Green Package, is a first-of-its-kind initiative to support all companies that need to promote their green efforts
JCDecaux unveils its Climate Strategy aimed at achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050
In OOH News By M4G Bureau - June 08, 2023
This initiative reaffirms the JCDecaux Group's commitment to active participation in the fight against climate change by adopting eco-responsible practices
Awareness building, stringent norms will take OOH to the green sphere
In OOH News By Prantika Ghosh - July 29, 2022
Green fabric makers reckon an industry mindset shift, economies of scale, and tighter regulations will go a long way to usher in green OOH
‘Stringent Govt norms will spur wider use of eco-friendly fabric for OOH’
In Viewpoints By N Jayalakshmi - June 06, 2022
Deepak Girotra, Director, Sun Printable Fabric, shares his take on the dynamics and challenges involved in making fabric media a viable alternative to flex.
Zest Outdoor launches solar energy generating ‘Climate Conscious OOH’ in Mumbai
In OOH News By Rajiv Raghunath - February 22, 2022
Zest Outdoor has installed 17 of ‘Climate Conscious’ media assets along the Western Railway suburban line in Mumbai; another 17 will be installed in Phase 2 of the project.
dentsu China partners UseDem to recycle poster, billboard vinyl into everyday use items
In OOH Solutions By M4G Bureau - June 11, 2021
‘Reducing waste of outdoor advertising is just the first of many initiatives to drive positive change’
Posterscope & MediaCo launch 100% recycled paper for the UK OOH industry
In OOH Solutions By M4G Bureau - January 20, 2021
The product offers advertisers green printing techniques to small format outdoor posters with no loss of quality


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For the first time, Kenya’s power utility, Kenya Power, has earmarked Sh424 million ($4 million) for the company to source locally assembled transformers during the current financial year.
Kenya Power invests locally
The utility has spent Sh6.2 billion ($58 million) on the purchase of locally manufactured goods in line with the ‘Buy Kenyan Build Kenya Initiative’, aimed at promoting the manufacturing sector.
The Company purchased pre-paid meters worth Sh4.7 billion ($49 million) in the year to 30 June from the local market.
Out of Kenya Power’s capital expenditure budget of Sh184 billion ($2 billion) for the last four years, the Company spent Sh120 billion ($1 billion) in purchase of locally manufactured electricity distribution equipment.
Implementing new guidelines
In July, Kenya Power published new procurement guidelines, which stated that 80% of all electricity distribution equipment will be sourced from the country, giving preference to local investors.
Industries account for more than 60% of Kenya Power’s electricity sales revenue, the utility stated adding that by supporting the manufacturing sector, it will boost the Company’s core business.
The new procurement guidelines have already attracted three international companies; Pan African Transformers, Yocean Group Limited and Continental Transformers, involved in manufacturing transformers to set up plants in the country, creating jobs for Kenyan citizens.
Kenya Power’s MD and CEO, Ben Chumo, said: “Kenya Power has taken a deliberate step to prioritise purchase of equipment and materials from the local market to encourage manufacturers to set up plants in Kenya. The aim is to retain at least 80% of the Company’s annual procurement budget, which stands at Sh54 billion ($1 billion), in the country.”
Speaking at a conference on Thursday, Chumo added: “We have 54 Kenyan companies currently supplying us with both concrete and wooden poles, eliminating the need to import these materials. This has created about 540 direct jobs for Kenyans and several other indirect employment opportunities.”
Kenya power improvements
According to the utility, the country’s electricity sector has grown in the period between 2013 and 2016, from an installed capacity of about 1,700MW to the current 2,341MW.
The peak demand stands at 1,620MW with a reserve margin of 33%, above the international standard, which is 30%.
As such, there are deliberate efforts to create demand for the additional generation capacity, which calls for investment in the manufacturing sector.
Demand for locally manufactured electrical equipment is set to rise with the implementation of various projects by the government that are meant to increase the country’s access to electricity.