text:
Microsoft is moving the Xbox Forums to the Microsoft Community Forums as part of plans to "empower users with discussions."
前段时间，被问了这样一个问题：**.NET 应用程序是怎么运行的？**当时大概愣了好久，好像也没说出个所以然，得到的回复是：这是 .NET 程序员最基本的。。。呵呵！[微软开源](http://news.cnblogs.com/n/508410/)，其实不只是对 .
We discuss the compelling case for killing off Skype in favour of Lync, and why there’s a fair chance this is what Microsoft might have in mind.Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/2014/05/26/why-microsoft-should-dump-skype-and-roll-its-user-base-into-lync/
AMD and Nvidia are at it again. The two reigning champs in the market for video game graphics have been fighting since late last month when some performance issues on the PC version of Watch Dogs kicked up a fresh controversy . And given that AMD is still talking about the issue publicly,
There’s an old commercial for Westwood College that’s become something of a running joke in the video game world. Two young men sit at a couch, hammering away at PlayStation controllers. A woman walks in. “Hey guys, finish testing that game yet?” she asks.
Microsoft will soon be rolling out a new analytics tool designed to aid developers in scaling human purchasing, engagement, consumption and other behaviors.
Some testers previously found a way to separate Cortana from Windows Search using special software, but the change is now live for some Fast Ring Insiders running the latest build 18298.
The proposed transition is slated to occur sometime next year and reported to be worth "hundreds of millions of Swiss francs" for Microsoft.
Microsoft is apparently working on a consumer version of Microsoft 365, the enterprise bundle that includes Windows 10, Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility + Security.
The folks at Capcom are running a trial period for Monster Hunter World this week for anyone with either an Xbox One or PlayStation 4. The trial gives access to virtually the whole game to anyone for free, including most of the game's story, quests, gear, and upgrades up to Hunter Rank 4.
Microsoft has updated its GroupMe app for iOS devices today, which includes a fix for an issue with inline Instagram messages, improvements to the camera when selecting an avatar, as well a fix when previewing images on iPhone models from 6 though 8.
From 9AM to 10AM PST, members of the product engineering team will try to answer all questions from the audience.
This new cumulative update brings a mitigation for the Spectre variant 4, as well a some welcome quality improvements.
Head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty discussed the rationale and thinking behind Microsoft's recent announcement of five new gaming studios.
Microsoft could push its hardware efforts to the next level wit
最近 3D 打印机开始朝着轻小化发展，到了极致就出现了 3D 打印笔。或许有人会怀疑，光靠人手能不能出什么好作品。现在有一种叫 CreoPop 的新产品给予了肯定的回答。
A group of Twitter users have spotted a "payment and shipping" option within their Android apps. As The Next Web pointed out, this is just one in a series of tests that suggest Jack Dorsey might be able to buy his latest monochromatic designer suit from within the platform he helped build.
The November's issue of National Geographic has a fascinating article titled Mindsuckers, the tale of tiny beasts that get into their victims bodies to eat them from inside and control their bodies, turning them into remote controlled zombies. And there are more horror ahead,
虽然Uber最近的麻烦不断，甚至还被波特兰市起诉其“非法提供运输服务”，但这并不影响该公司参与慈善事业。据外媒报道，Uber于今日宣布了与“No Kid Hungry”的合作计划。
Giant human brain for research purposes? Nope, nope. Nuclear fuel for ships? Yes, yes! Aerodromes in the middle of big cities? Sadly no. Will man travel in space? Absolutely! Hidden away in a sub collection,


text:
We live in a world where the 7.3 billion people on the planet now have an estimated 3.4 billion smartphones. 70% of the U.S. population has a smartphone - and Forrester estimated that retail sales [...]
Today Forter announced that it has closed $32 million in Series C funding which will further the development of Forter's vision of "fraud-free e-commerce" in which retailers are no longer [...]
It's been an exciting and gratifying month at Forter, as we were able to welcome the arrival of a new spring with the celebration of two new awards. Both the awards and the events drew attention [...]
Retailers are so busy combating the threat of fraud on a day-to-day level - preventing fraudulent transactions from making it through the system, avoiding false positives, worrying about the [...]
If holiday shopping is hard work for buyers, it's a marathon race for retailers - and that's true for online retailers as much as for merchants in physical stores. There’s another group of people [...]
The seven largest US luxury retailers spent $71 million collectively last year on holiday ad spending, roughly a quarter of their overall ad budget for the entire year (Schullman Research Center [...]
Mobile commerce now represents 30% of all U.S. e-commerce, and it is predicted that in 2015 m-commerce will grow nearly three times faster than U.S. e-commerce overall.

domain: news


text:
Essex: Roadshow events to help businesses access funding for growth
- Credit: Archant
Ten free-of-charge roadshow events are to be held around Essex to help businesses to access vital funding for growth.
The events form part of Essex County Council’s Essex Innovation Programme and are being in run in partnership with other local councils.
Building on the success of a series of workshops held earlier this year, the aim is to engage with businesses to understand their funding needs, give an overview of the funding that is available and introduce businesses to partners and organisations which can offer further assistance and advice.
Businesses will also have the chance to find out more about the Essex Innovation Programme, a business mentoring programme that helps businesses to suitably prepare for and to make funding applications.
Kevin Bentley, Essex County Council deputy leader and cabinet member for economic growth, said: “There are millions of pounds of funding available out there, but it’s sometimes difficult knowing how to get a share of it.
You may also want to watch:
“These workshops have proved extremely helpful in the past to businesses in Essex, and I hope this autumn series will result in a new tranche of funding for businesses in the county.”
David Cunliffe, director Maldon-based DCE Motorsports, who attended one of the Essex Innovation Programme workshops earlier in the year, said: “The event showed that for us as an SME that there is clearly funding available. So we’re here to find out more and drill down into what we can do and see the possibilities.”
- 1 ‘Demolition Man’ Cook tells vast majority of Ipswich Town squad to find new clubs
- 2 Mum-of-four with 'beautiful soul' dies after collapsing in the street
- 3 Takeaway contaminated food with raw meat and sold items past use-by date
- 4 Film crews spotted in Ipswich town centre
- 5 Royal visit from Princess Anne marks Suffolk Wildlife Trust 60th anniversary
- 6 Couple transform historic building near coast into new bed and breakfast
- 7 'Beautiful inside and out': Tragedy as mum dies 48 hours after giving birth
- 8 Steam locomotive back in Suffolk for anniversary trips
- 9 Fake parking fines handed out in Stowmarket
- 10 Ipswich Town reveal full retained list as six first-teamers get extended stays and eight depart
Venues and dates arranged so far are include: Thurrock, Tuesday, September 23; Colchester, Tuesday, October 7 (as part of the Essex Chambers of Commerce “Discovering Business in Colchester” Exhibition); Uttlesford, Monday, October 15; Maldon, Thursday October 23; Brentwood, Monday, October 29; Southend, Rochford and Castle Point, Thursday, November 6; Tendring, Tuesday, November 11; Chelmsford and Maldon, Wednesday, November 12; Basildon, Thursday, November 20; and
Braintree, Friday, November 24.
For full details and to register for any of these events, visit www.Investessex.co.uk/events.


text:
LOVES PARK — The 48th annual Rockford Boat, Vacation & Fishing Show will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. Feb. 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 9 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Indoor Sports Center, 8800 E. Riverside Blvd.
New 2019 boats, boating equipment, motors and trailers will be exhibited. The show will have charters and guide services to book trips. Fishing seminars will be held daily.
Admission: $6; free, ages 11 and younger. For information: rockfordboatshow.com.


text:
If you’re a Star Wars fan, but you don’t live in the United States, I have some good news for you! EA announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be released in 38 more countries in Europe and the Middle East. At this time, however, there is no official list of countries that will be seeing the game for the first time.
EA did say that some countries will be having issues getting the game through their mandatory Origin service. Though they didn’t say why they’d have trouble, EA did say that Luxembourg and Tunisia will be countries that will have issues. It was also noted that subscription fees may be different from country to country.
The Old Republic started off strong, when it hit a peak of 1.7 million subscribers in February. Since then they’ve dropped off to 1.3, though it does appear that it’s leveling off at this point. Those numbers should only increase, when we see TOR hit the rest of the world.


text:
Every trip to Vons reminds me that Santa Monica’s Single-Use Carryout Bag ordinance is having the exact opposite effect from its original intent. The plastic bags that Vons now sells are several times thicker than the bags they used before the ordinance. It’s highly unlikely that these bags are actually reused (News Flash: Printing THIS IS A MULTI-USE BAG doesn’t make it so) On top of that, Vons hides their paper bags behind the registers, effectively making them available only by request. The likely result is that MORE plastic is now polluting the community, not less.
The City Council should immediately address this issue. The obvious solution is an outright ban on all plastic bags at stores. Short of that, they should at least require that paper bags are prioritized over plastic, ensure that the plastic bags that are distributed are actually multi-use, and require stores to offer plastic bag recycling if they do distribute plastic bags.
Craig Boreth, Santa Monica


text:
AT&T Inc (NYSE: T) shared that the group will declare its financial results for 4Q, 2021, on January 26, 2022, before the New York stock exchange. In addition, the company will share its financial results with stakeholders on the same day through a conference call.
An investment company, PIMCO Equity Series, shares its recent list of recommended shares to buy, sell and hold. Shares from various sectors, including; banking, gas, automobile, FMCG, among other sectors, have made it to the list.
U.S. telecom sector stocks trading healthy
With the omicorn variant proving to be a cause of worry, inflation in the U.S. is showing no signs of slowing down, telecom stocks in the U.S. market are trading healthy. Thanks to the developments taking place in this sector to keep it active and healthy.
Here are the key developments in the telecom sector that grabbed the headlines
AT&T Inc announced that it would sell Xandr to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT). The financial details of the deal are not known. Motorola Solutions Inc (NYSE: MSI), for an undisclosed sum, acquired 911 Datamaster, Inc recently. Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) has partnered with Alphabet Inc Class C (NASDAQ: GOOG), Google cloud. The two are in talks to develop a 5G Edge solution. Knowles Corp (NYSE: KN) in partnership with Ole Wolff for its True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphones. Nokia Oyj (NYSE: NOK) has partnered with Elisa Estonia to ensure that the transition from 4G to 5G is smooth and hassle-free, and the list can go on.
AT&T Inc share gained the maximum in the last few days
A look at how the telecom sector stocks have performed reveals that AT&T Inc’s share gained the maximum. According to data provided by the Zacks Investment Research, AT&T Inc’s share spiked by 10.5% in the last few days alone. Arista Networks Inc (NYSE: ANET) share performed best in the last six months.
It is raining discounts and deals this holiday season
Shopping enthusiasts are happy as it is raining discounts and deals this holiday season. According to data shared by Bloomberg, companies announced deals worth more than $5 trillion.
Aimed at offering its users value for money and intended to register revenue, Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) has announced its focus on offering bundled services.


text:
Production of the 2018 Honda Civic and CR-V begins in India with launch slated for later this year.
Honda India will launch the new Civic and CR-V in India later this year. The vehicles were showcased at the recent 2018 Auto Expo and now production has also begun. The cars will be built at the company’s Greater Noida factory as CKD units.
While the Honda Civic saw huge takers in India, the CR-V didn’t get the same response. The new Civic has been on global sale since 2015. Honda also decided to skip a generation of the CR-V and the upcoming launch will see the 5th generation model coming to India.
Honda has already started the testing of three units of the Civic and a few units of the CR-V that were built in the Noida factory itself. Both the cars are slated to have bigger dimensions. The Civic will be 4644 mm in length, 1799 mm in width and 1416 mm in height. Meanwhile, the CR-V will no longer be sold as a 5-seater and instead will have an occupancy of 7 people.
Both the cars will share the 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine which will have a peak output power of 120 PS and 300 Nm of torque. Apart from this, the Civic will get an optional 1.8-litre i-VTEC petrol engine which will produce 141 PS of power and 174 Nm of torque. The CR-V too will get a petrol engine in the form of a 2.4-litre i-VTEC unit. There will be an option of a 6-speed manual or a CVT gearbox to handle transmission duties.
With sedans like the Hyundai Elantra and Skoda Octavia competing with it, will the 10th generation Civic show the same sales prowess like its predecessor and will the CR-V which competes with the likes of Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner be able to match its sedan cousin, only time will tell.
Honda Civic Production
– The cars will be built as completely knocked down (CKD) units
– Production of test vehicles completed, testing underway
– Both the vehicles are bigger and more powerful than their predecessors
Source – Team-BHP.com


text:
Amazon has unveiled its first ever smartphone, which comes equipped with a 3D screen and the ability to recognise millions of songs, films and books.
The web retailer's Fire Phone uses four cameras to track the user's head movements and create the perception of 3D, a packed press conference in Seattle heard.
It will also come with a new app called Firefly, which the company said takes in details from the camera and microphone to recognise and identify objects including books, films, TV shows and music, and then search for them on Amazon.
More top news
The tourists had no idea they were about to be dropped off at the star-studded ceremony to meet A-listers.
It comes just weeks after actor Michael Keaton confused the names of films Hidden Figures and Fences at the Golden Globes.
All eyes were on the stars as they arrived on the red carpet for the 89th Oscars. But who won in the fashion stakes?


text:
Understanding digital retail in India
- Revenue collected under GST in October at Rs95,000 crore: Sushil Modi
- Honda recalling 900,000 minivans because seats may tip forward
- Bandipora encounter: 5 militants gunned down, IAF Garud commando killed
- Policy implementation in India lacks speed: G.P. Hinduja
- Congress committee to meet on Monday to decide party president’s election schedule
India is in the midst of a digital revolution. Expanding Internet access, growing smartphone usage and rising digital media consumption will have a profound impact on the future of Indian retail over the next few years. A new report by the Boston Consulting Group and The Retailers Association of India suggests that more people with Internet access and those who purchase goods online will shift dramatically over 2015 to 2020. BCG also predicts a shift in the location of Internet users, with a significant increase in the number of users coming from Tier 4 towns and rural areas. This shift would also accompany a gender shift in Internet users, with women participation online increasing from 29% in 2015 to 40% in 2020. While e-commerce is expected to grow, there will be differentiation according to category of goods/services sold.


text:
Handbags at dawn: Rivals Hermès and LVMH finally reach a truce after four-year takeover battle
Two of fashion’s biggest beasts have called off a four-year ‘handbags at dawn’ battle after reaching a truce.
Hermès had been sparring with Louis Vuitton owner’s LVMH after it built up a 23.2 per cent stake in the handbag maker.
LVMH had got into trouble with regulators when it bought some of the shares in 2010.
Taking a bashing: Hermès had been sparring with Louis Vuitton owner's LVMH after it built up a 23.2 per cent stake in the handbag maker
And the Hermès family had vowed to eject its largest rival from its shareholder list.
Now Bernard Arnault, boss of LVMH and France’s richest man, will wind down his holding after the two struck a peace deal.
It also agreed not to buy any more shares for the next five years.
Groupe Arnault, an LVMH subsidiary, will hold a stake of about 8.5 per cent following the deal.
‘We are delighted that relations between the two groups, representatives of French savoir-faire, have now been restored,’ the two groups said in a statement.
As the prospects of a full takeover subsided, Hermès’ Paris-listed shares dropped 10 per cent, roughly the price of 350,000 luxury Birkin handbags.
Most watched Money videos
- Lamborghini unleashes the 217mph Sian Roadster hypercar
- Check out the lightning quick Lamborghini Essenza SCV12
- Ford reveal promo video of new hardcore Bronco 4X4 range
- Jaguar new 'predictive touch' that stops viruses spread
- Take a look at the new Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 supercar
- The all new Ford Puma is unveiled by Ford
- Yo! promo shows how customers will be served post-lockdown
- Jaguar Land Rover reducing travel sickness in self-driving cars
- Hybrid BMW cars will switch to electric only in low emission zones
- The first Aston Martin replica from 007 Goldfinger ever made
- Ineos reveals its brand new model Grenadier 4X4
- Ford unveils the all-electric track Mustang Mach-E SUV


text:
Next month is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and to get the message out there, this weekend a campaign showing that bowel cancer can affect young people is rolling out. It will hit our screens, radios, streets and papers thanks to the goodwill of agencies and media companies offering pro bono creative and media space.
UPDATED: The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that the ‘Beer The Beautiful Truth’ campaign, which highlights the addition of nutrition information panels to product packaging and labelling, is not misleading. However, the ASA has partially upheld one element of the complaint, ruling that the Olympic gold medalist rower Eric Murray was a ‘hero of the young’ with special appeal to minors.
Auckland designer second-hand store Tatty’s has launched a new campaign that puts its enthusiastic and personality-filled staff front and centre.
Amnesty International Nederlands puts five Netherlands and Belgium locals into the shoes of a Syrian refugee, using the most literal way possible, hypnosis.
New Zealand Story targets overseas businesses to prop up and take notice of New Zealand’s sweet pockets of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Toyota’s latest campaign bandies its campaign slogan around of ‘New Zealand’s favourite car brand for 30 years’, so what does it mean, ‘favourite car brand’, and on what basis can it make the claim?
Last year saw Vogel’s roll out its first TV campaign in a decade, and it was worth the wait. ‘What do you bring to the table’ sparked discussion, inspired parodies, challenged stereotypes, attracted millions of views and has now also been acknowledged as our campaign of the year. Shine’s head of client services, Tim Ellis, gives us some insight on how it all came together.
With voting kicking off in a week’s time, parties are making their voices heard in a flurry of new campaigns.
NZME has rolled out its election campaign with the help of a few children asking tough questions.
Public Trust and Ogilvy & Mather are tackling the topic of death in the hope it will urge New Zealanders to better prepare for the future.
NZME’s Restaurant Hub is hoping to encourage New Zealanders out of their kitchens and into the country’s eateries with a new campaign to promote its booking and takeaway services.
Ahead of the new season of The Bachelor, MediaWorks has released the identity of the man at the centre of TV’s biggest love polygon. Creative director Shay Logan and marketing manager Reuben Wiremu talk about giving the audience a chance to get to know him and avoiding speculation.
Paper Plus has launched a sarcastic new ad campaign, via FCB, that’s a dramatic shift from its previous marketing. With no blobby green alien mascot in sight, the stationery retailer is engaging with the millennial market by taking a shot at their addiction to social media sharing.
Pengiun Random House hopes to take the stress out of gift giving this Christmas, with a ‘Gift that comes alive’ campaign via its in house team.
ASB and Saatich & Saatchi have taken a trip back in time to explore how pop culture has changed over the years and show how the ‘man bun’ and horizontal credit cards have had their time. PLUS: Clever Kash reaches Kiwi hands
Huggies Nappies has partnered with Plunket for a heart warming campaign by Ogilvy to encourage parents to ‘make time for hugs’.
The New Zealand Transport Agency has launched a new campaign via Clemenger BBDO and OMD dubbed ‘Hello’, which aims to get young drivers to put down their phones and see things from the perspective of their passengers.
The New Zealand Transport Agency and Clemenger BBDO are pulling on parents’ heart strings in a new campaign, hoping they will get tough with their teens and enforce the rules of a restricted licence.
Summer may be over, but not for Tui and Corona as the brands set to go head to head in the surfer market. Playing the first move is Tui with a new campaign by Colenso, featuring a ‘From where you actually are’ billboard.
Young & Shand has injected some humour into the battle against cancer, hoping that people will shave to cure cancer and bad hair.
Mercury Energy have turned up the cute factor while they turn down the power bill in their latest campaign with FCB.
New Zealand’s rugby stars are showing off more than just their rugby moves in this years Super Rugby campaign as choreographer Parris Goebel and her crew put a twinkle in their toes.
ANZ’s latest student banking campaign taps into the creative student culture to prove ‘Fortune Favours the Brave’, with the help of international dance star Parris Goebel.
Air New Zealand’s latest campaign is one to pull at the heart strings. The airline, which is in the business of connecting people, has reunited a US WWII veteran with his long lost English love after 71 years apart.
As in 2011, government once again handed out $3.28 million dollars to the various political parties. But while the spoils remained same, the number of recipients increased from 11 to 17 political parties for this year’s allocation. The question now, however, is what the parties plan to spend the money on, and what they hope to acheive through their pre-election campaigns. So, in an effort to find out a little bit more about Labour’s promotional moves, we sent a few questions to the party’s campaign manager David Talbot. Here’s what he had to say.
Back in June, UK’s Campaign magazine published a Ltd Edition Emerging Talent Portfolio that showcased “the world’s best young creative talent, as chosen by the world’s best, er, old talent” and sold it at Cannes this year for 20p a copy. And two Kiwi entries made the top 50, TBWA\’s Agency Plankton and North Shore animation house Cirkus.


text:
Paraguay plans to climb from eighth to world’s fifth exporter of beef by 2018
One of Paraguay’s priorities is to make the country the world’s fifth exporter of beef by 2018, according to Industry and Trade minister Gustavo Leite. The land locked member of Mercosur currently holds the eighth position.
The Embassy of Paraguay in Belgium organized a trade promotion mission during 26 and 27th of September in Brussels where our CEO Mr. H. Senel had a meeting with Mr. Gustavo Leite.
The minister invited Mr Senel personally to Paraguay to show our CEO how Paraguay will become the world’s third per capita consumer of beef (behind Uruguay and Argentina), because let’s not forget that Paraguayans love to eat beef and love their barbecue”, added Leite.
The minister revealed, at the trade promotion mission during 26 and 27th of September in Brussels, that the plan is based on incorporation an estimated 120.000 small cattle farmers to a national production program, applying modern technology and sanitary practices.
Last year Paraguay exported 1.33 billion dollars in meat products.
Source: The Embassy of Paraguay in Belgium


text:
Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster, has set out increased support which Invest NI is making available to businesses to help them cope with the impact of the economic downturn.
The Boosting Business initiative was formally launched by the First Minister Peter Robinson to an audience of local business leaders in his keynote address to the CBI Annual lunch earlier today.
Explaining the reasons behind the initiative, Arlene Foster, said: “Yesterday, we had the very positive announcement by Capita that it is to create over 300 jobs here and, earlier today, I officially opened a £14million new state-of-the-art distribution facility for Henderson Foodservice.
“These are very positive signs for our economy. However, the continuing impact of the global downturn has been well documented over recent weeks and many businesses who are considering investments currently lack the confidence to do so. This obviously has an impact on our exports, on jobs and on the wider economy.
“It is clear that now, perhaps more than ever, businesses need our support.”
In Boosting Business, Invest NI has developed a comprehensive range of measures, many of which are new, whilst, for others the eligibility criteria will be broadened to make them available to a wider business base.
Minister Foster continued: “Under the themes of Jobs, R&D, Skills, Exports and New Technology, businesses will be able to get the support they need to address the wide range of issues they currently face.
“In addition, some of the measures under our successful Short Term Employment Scheme will be further broadened.
“The First Minister today announced some specific measures targeted at existing and potential exporters.
“Over the coming weeks and months, Invest NI will be making many more new areas of support available to boost business.”


text:
Neil Gaiman's got some good further ruminations on the nature and reason for free ebooks in a post he called "The nature of free." Bottom line: low-risk/low-cost books are how readers discover new authors, and the biggest threat writers face is the overall unpopularity of reading books, not people reading for free. The more barriers there are to reading, the worse the former gets.
During one of the interviews recently, a reporter said something like, "Of course, a real publisher wouldn't give away paper books," and I pointed out that 3,000 copies of The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy were given away by Douglas Adams' publisher, with a 'write in and get your free book' ad in Rolling Stone. They wanted copies of HHGTTG on campuses in the US, and they wanted people to read it and tell other people. Word of mouth is still the best tool for selling books.


text:
Montreal’s hot real estate market continued to sizzle last month with record August sales and rising costs.
The Greater Montreal Real Estate Board says booming condominium sales drove an eight percent growth in residential sales across the Montreal area.
There were 2,899 sales, with condominium transactions surging 19 percent. Single-family houses that account for over half of earnings rose four percent.
The Island of Montreal led the way with a 12 percent rise in sales.
Paul Cardinal of the Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards credited the continuing profits to strong job creation, consumer confidence and foreign migration.
In addition, he said buyers were fast-tracking buys to conquer an expected interest rate increase, which was announced Wednesday.
Sales have increased each of the past 30 months, except July 2016 if there were unchanged. The final monthly drop in sales happened in February 2015.
That is far different than in Toronto, where sales of detached, semi-detached, condos and townhouses dropped between 25.7 and 41.6 percent in August.
The average sales price in the Greater Toronto Area fell for a fourth-straight month, falling 1.8 percent to $732,292.
In Greater Vancouver, home sales surged 22.3 percent while the composite benchmark price was up 9.4 percent to $1,029,700.
Both Toronto and Vancouver have implemented a 15 percent tax on overseas buyers in efforts to quell rising home prices.
Montreal remains a relative bargain though the typical real estate cost increased 4.1 percent to $374,333 in August One potential area of weakness was a downturn in purchasing homes over $500,000. They grew 14 percent, down from 57 percent in July.
Courtesy: The Globe And Mail


text:
Former Disney CEO Robert Iger is foraying into the Metaverse by investing in a Los Angeles based startup Genies Inc. Besides being an investor he is also a board member of the Metaverse startup that makes virtual clothes and accessories redeemable as NFTs.
Genies was founded by Akash Nigam in 2017. The virtual avatar startup is a one of a kind company offering avatars and high street fashion for celebrities (and folks who can afford). Digital identity seems to be the buzz in the metaverse these days and companies are rolling up their sleeves to serve you the ‘fantasy version of you’. Very dystopian :-/
Bob Iger was the CEO of Disney from 2005 till 2020. His tenure saw some high stake acquisitions including buying 21st Century Fox, Pixar, Marvel and Lucas Films. Disney’s net income increased to a whopping 404% under Iger’s leadership. Disney’s stocks too rose exponentially. Wouldn't be far fetched to state that Disney had been dominating the box office during Bob’s reign.
With Bob at the helm of Genies Inc., one can only imagine how Metaverse would evolve in terms of aesthetics. So far the virtual avatar startup has accumulated $100 million in fundings. The startup is massively popular among celebrities like Lil Nas X, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez. The company owns 99% of virtual avatars of top celebs in the business. Genies also makes NFTs for Universal Music Group and the Warner Music Group.
In a statement Bob stated that he has always been drawn towards the intersection of art and technology and Genies would enable novel forms of creativity and expression and communique.
Cover Image: Twitter/Bob Iger


text:
Happy hour as judges test cocktails
It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.
Judges at one of the Switzerland's highest courts held a mid-morning cocktail event to determine whether a drinks company's canned beverages are sweet enough to be taxed as alcopops.
The Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger said two judges and a court clerk convened the 10am tipple at the Federal Administrative Court in Bern on April 14.
They tested each of the company's five drinks twice - with and without ice.
Representatives of the Swiss Alcohol Board and Zurich drinks importer Bevis joined in too.
The court confirmed on Wednesday that the judges' verdict was that the drinks tasted like alcopops.


text:
The advertising downturn has turned so severe, its been hard for analysts to make their forecasts gloomy enough.
For the second time in just four months, BMO Capital Markets analyst Lee Westerfield has issued a new forecast to revise earlier numbers downward. He is now projecting that U.S. advertising expenditures will fall 1.1% in 2008 and 1.9% in 2009, before reviving to 5% positive growth in 2010.
In July, Mr. Westerfield was looking at growth of 1.8% in 2008, 1.9% in 2009 and 6.1% in 2010. Last November, he had projected 3.6% growth in 08.
We are now in the middle of an unprecedented advertising downturn in terms of severity and duration, he wrote in his latest forecast, which was released Thursday. The recovery cycle for this recession will likely be longer than previous recoveries.
He added that it appears likely that the ad recession will extend into 2010, which would make it lengthier than any ad recession in the post-World War II period.
One factor that was not present in previous ad downturns is the impact of the Internet, the report points out. New medias ability to measure consumer response and allow marketers to get a clear return-on-investment picture has put pricing pressure on traditional media.
This is, ironically, increasing both the duration and projected recovery of present advertising downcycle, Mr. Westerfield wrote.
Newspapers and radio will be the media sectors hurt worst this year, according to the forecast.
Spending on newspapers will decline 16.4% in 2008. Radio billings will drop 8.2%.
Internet media will grow only 13.1%, compared to 25.5% last year.
The outlook gets even worse for next year. Spot TV ad spending, which makes up most of local TVs revenue, will slide 15.6%, compared to a dip of 4.3% this year. Newspapers will take a 12.1% hit, magazines will be down 8.2%, and broadcast network television will slip 8.7% after growing 2.5% in 08.


text:
Since the development of the aquaculture industry, the aquafeed market is gaining traction in Africa. Aquaculture is one of the world’s fastest-growing sector in the livestock industry and rapidly growing forms of food production. With the constant growth in aquaculture, it has influenced the seafood production companies to invest in the aquafeed market. The demand for aquatech has boosted investment opportunities in sector that are geared towards resolving challenges in the food and beverage industry. In 2016, Nutreco, the Dutch producer of fish feed, and African Century Foods (ACF) entered into a joint venture in Zambia, for sale, production, and distribution of tilapia feed. This joint venture is expected to reduce the dependency on imported fish and produce its high-quality fish feed. Similarly, other companies are innovating their products to disrupt the Africa aquafeed market growth.
As of 2018, the Africa aquafeed market size was evaluated to be $9.1 billion, and the demand for feeds is poised to grow at a CAGR of 10.3%, during the forecast period 2019-2025.
According to the United Nations, Africa’s estimated population will be 2.4 billion by the end of 2050. Owing to an increase in population of Africa, the aquaculture sector is very essential to fulfill the growing demand for food. Coastal part of the region has huge demand for live fish food, fish food pellets, and fish diet. The Africa aquaculture industry could witness production increase from 2.9 million metric tonnes to 19 million metric tons a year, as per the CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food Systems (FISH). Aquaculture is growing continuously in Africa, around 10% of the African population is engaged in fisheries that generated huge employment for them in 2016. Also, in the same year, the annual growth rate of aquafeed production in terms of volume was around 15%, as per the Food and Agriculture Organization. Thus, the Africa aquafeed market is witnessing a significant growth owing to an increase in the aquaculture sector.
WorldFish Promoting Growth of the Africa Aquafeed Market
In Africa, WorldFish is an international, non-profit organization that works to enhance the fish farming and aquaculture production in developing countries. Some of the supporting facts to explain the recent initiatives taken by WorldFish in 2018 to increase the Africa aquafeed market revenue are:
Fisheries Creating Opportunities for Aquaculture in Kenya
Kenya has a huge potential for development of the commercial aquaculture industry by producing a huge volume of fish. The country has tremendous scope for coastal tourism and has fast-growing fish species. The population of Kenya is habituated to consume fish and has developed quality assurance laboratories along with fish processing sector, which in turn is boosting the demand for aquafeed in the country. Development in Kenya’s aquaculture is expected to reduce chronic malnutrition, food insecurity, and rural poverty. Approximately 35,000 rural population is expected to avail the benefits related to better income source in the coming years, due to a new financial agreement that was signed between the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the Republic of Kenya in 2018, that will support the aquaculture sector of the country.
These developments and financial support benefit the Fish segment of the market, resultantly, Fish is the largest growing segment of the Africa aquafeed market, which is incrementing at a CAGR of 11.2%, during the forecast period.
Plant-Based Aquafeed Gaining Momentum in the Africa Aquafeed Market
The aquafeed industry in South Africa is nascent in terms of production of feeds. Despite South Africa being a small country, the growth in the aquaculture sector has been significant over the decades. The country deals in several species productions including Trout which is the maximum, followed by prawn, abalone, crabs, tilapia, crayfish, catfish, and crocodiles. Owing to this, there is a huge demand for aquafeed in the country to feed these species. With the further developments and emergence of plant-based aquafeed in other parts of the world, the demand for same is increasing in South Africa. These plant-based feeds contain easily digestible protein and essential nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acid, as they are made with soy products such as soybean protein concentrate (SPC) and fermented soy. Shrimps and salmon are high-value seafood species that are majorly fed plant-based feeds. Enterprises such as Midwest AG has witnessed positive results of replacing the entire fish meals with advanced soy proteins in shrimp’s diet. As a result, there is a rapid growth in the Africa aquafeed market growth.
Algae Aquafeed Being Replaced with Aquatic Species
Algae is a potential natural substitute of fish meal. Algae such as spirulina and seaweed are source of amino acid and omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. With the inclusion of these algae in aquaculture, there has been a significant improvement in terms of growth rates, improved color, overall health, and disease resistance in various species. Additionally, for juvenile fish and crustaceans, algae feeds are the best.
Major Players in the Africa Aquafeed Market
Some of the key companies in the Africa Aquafeed Market are Skretting and Olam International, Cargill, Inc., Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Ltd., Nutreco N.V., AllerAqua A/S, Alltech Inc., and Biomar A/S. These major companies are utilizing resources on developmental and innovational activities to deliver essential products and solutions to global customers, hence strengthening their brand image and setting new trends for the global market.
Talk to one of our sales representative about the full report by providing your details in the link below:
IndustryARC primarily focuses on Cutting Edge Technologies and Newer Applications market research. Our Custom Research Services are designed to provide insights on the constant flux in the global supply-demand gap of markets. Our strong team of analysts enables us to meet the client research needs at a rapid speed, with a variety of options for your business. Any other custom requirements can be discussed with our team, drop an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org to discuss more about our consulting services.


text:
With the 2020 Honda City launch due in July, there is a lot of buzz in the market and deservedly so. Honda City is one of the most popular mid-size sedans, if not the most popular. It has been the trusted mobility partner of thousands of families over the years and we are hopeful that the new Honda City will carry forward the legacy of its predecessors. While the fifth-generation Honda City will be sold alongside the fourth-generation Honda City, the former, as expected, comes with a lot of changes. Even the dimensions of the Honda City 2020 have been modified.
At 4,549mm, the 2020 Honda City is longer than the 2019 Honda City by 109mm. It is also wider by 53mm at 1,748mm. However, the fifth-generation Honda City is shorter by 6mm at 1,489mm, in comparison to the fourth-generation Honda City. The two have an equal wheelbase at 2,600mm.
|Honda City 2020||Honda City 2019|
The Honda City 2020 boasts of features like new chrome grille, full LED headlamps with LED DRLs, 3D wrap-around LED tail lamps, 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 7-inch HD full colour TFT MID, multi-function steering wheel with paddle shifter and electric sunroof.
Powering the new Honda City is a BS6 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that develops 121PS and 145Nm of torque. The transmission options include 6-speed MT and automatic CVT. Also available is a BS6 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine that produces 100PS and 200Nm of torque. It has a 6-speed MT only. We are expecting the Honda City 2020 price in India to start from Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom) and go all the way up to Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom).


text:
The Travelodge chief executive has warned that soaring business rates and stifling Government taxes are putting job creation in the hospitality sector at risk.
Peter Gowers told the Press Association that a string of costs facing businesses could result in “unintended consequences”.
He said: “The Government is putting rocks in our rucksack, with the National Living Wage, business rates, the Apprenticeship Levy and pensions changes.
“It’s loading costs on to businesses and they need to be careful of unintended consequences.
“The hospitality sector has created thousands of jobs over the past few years, don’t choke it off.”
The hospitality sector generates £130 billion in revenue for the British economy, but parts of it are creaking under severe cost pressures.
Casual dining firms such as Byron, Prezzo and Jamie’s Italian have shut large swathes of their store estates recently, with all citing soaring costs.
Business rates in particular have been a bugbear for bricks and mortar firms, with billions added to bills following a highly criticised revaluation last year.
Despite cost pressures, Travelodge booked a 6.6% increase in revenue to £637.1 million last year, with operating profit nudging up £2.3 million to £112.4 million.
Mr Gowers said: “New hotels are driving sales and more business travellers are choosing budget hotels because the quality has rocketed and they are in good locations now.
“For example, we have one in the City near the Gherkin, not where you’d normally expect a Travelodge to be.
“People on a night out at a gig or concert are also able to afford staying at a Travelodge rather than travelling home, that’s helped our sales too.”
The group plans to open 100 more hotels over the next five years, creating 2,500 jobs.
The expansion and solid results mark a continued turnaround from when Travelodge went through a painful restructuring in 2012.
It saw GoldenTree Asset Management, Avenue Capital and Goldman Sachs take control of the company via a debt-for-equity swap from Dubai International Capital.
The trio have invested £150 million since then and “remain supportive”, Mr Gowers said.
While the group is now on a secure financial footing, Brexit is looming large and posing a threat to its workers.
He said: “The Government is in danger of letting events overtake them – hotels, schools, care homes, restaurants all rely on EU workers.
“We’d like a guest worker programme eventually, but we can’t wait, so we’re helping those employees that are eligible with the cost and process of applying for permanent residency in the UK.”
According to figures from recruiter Manpower, 24% of all staff in the hospitality sector come from the EU and Travelodge is pulling out all the stops to retain them in anticipation of a shrinking labour market.
“We’ve ‘in-sourced’ housekeepers and scrapped zero hours contracts as a way to protect our labour force and allow them to step up the career ladder,” the chief executive said.
Recruitment will be on the agenda again this year with Travelodge set to open 20 new hotels across the UK, creating 550 new jobs and taking its total number of properties to 578.


text:
In the fast-paced world of technology, technological companies like flutterwave are known for innovations and promising growth. But, recently, the flutterwave scandal has sparked up a string of controversies in the fintech industry. It has raised questions about its governance, ethical considerations, transparency, and credibility.
This article provides you with a thorough study of the flutter wave scandal that sparked controversy in the fintech sector. Here, you will read how it originated, its key allegations, its impact on the company, and its lessons for the fintech industry.
About the Flutterwave Company
Founded in the year 2016, Flutterwave company is a renowned African company that facilitates cross-border payments across the country. Its remittance service allows users to send and receive money to any recipient to and from. Furthermore, it owns a Shopify-like e-commerce platform to fulfill various needs of small-scale businesses at cost-effective prices.
An Overview of the Flutterwave Scandal
The claims of fraud, money laundering, and harassment came to the forefront in the Flutterwave company. Consequently, the government agency froze its bank accounts that were linked to Fintech.
According to the Kenyan government agency, Flutterwave tried to misuse its bank accounts for money laundering under the deception of merchant service. The investigation took place in this incident and made it a high-profile case.
The Kenyan court had already frozen $52.5 million from Flutterwave and its other entities including Hupesi Solutions, Bagtrips Travels, Adguru, Cruz Ride Auto Ltd., Elivalat Fintech, and Boxtrip Travel and Tours. But, later on, the court released the company’s $52 million when the ARA withdrew its initial case from the respective company.
However, the African government confiscated about $3 million of Fintech money in this matter during its second seizure. Under this, it seized the company’s two banks and 19 mobile money accounts because they were related to the events of money laundering and fund misappropriation.
But, the company was confident that just like the previous case, this case would also come to an end. Once again, it would start doing business in the African dynamic markets.
Impacts of the Flutterwave Scandal
The scandal of the Flutterwave company has significantly harmed the company’s progress. Go through the following paragraphs to understand how this scandal would impact the Fintech industry in Africa’s competitive and dynamic markets:
Loss of Trust and Confidence
The Flutterwave scandal has caused a loss of trust and confidence. Now, the investors, stakeholders, and businesses would not trust in the company’s growth. They will be skeptical about the company’s digital payments as they do not find them safe and secure. Consequently, the controversial environment of the company will hinder its growth in the long run.
The whole fintech sector has to undergo regulatory strictness. Now, the Kenyan agency is more interested in protecting the users’ interests and rights. Its priority will be to keep the money of customers safe and secure. It aims to end the recurrence of incidents like money laundering, fraud of money transactions, and fund mismanagement. This is possible when the companies of the fintech sector will undergo the government’s strict rules and regulations.
The scandal incident of the Flutterwave company has declined the investment rate in the Fintech industry. It is very difficult for the whole sector to retrieve the trust of local and global investors. Investors are less likely to invest in this sector. This negative atmosphere will decrease the profitability rate of the fintech. Nobody knows when this will come to an end.
The Flutterwave scandal has tarnished the African fintech sector’s image in foreign lands. Now, international companies or countries are reluctant to tie up with the company for their business growth. They do not find doing business collaboration with the fintech safe and secure.
Besides this, it has slowed down the interest of consumers in Africa. They have started to switch to other companies that can provide them with transparent solutions. The incidents of money laundering have broken their trust. They anticipate their data and privacy at risk with the fintech companies.
Technological Innovation Slowed
With the exposure of the Flutterwave scandal story, the pace of technological innovation also slowed down in the Fintech sector. It slowed the whole sector’s growth. It is not easy for them to adopt new technologies due to the regulatory body’s continuous scrutiny of the matter.
Future of The Fintech Ecosystem after the Flutterwave Scandal
The development of the Flutterwave scandal story has changed the course of the whole fintech ecosystem. However, it has restricted its growth for some time. But, in the upcoming years, it will take a new shape. Go over the following pointers to know how it will write a new growth story of the fintech sector:
More Ethical Practices and Transparency
What do customers, stakeholders, investors, and businesses demand from a company? Only two essential things- the practice of ethical considerations and transparency. Now, the Fintech companies will have to prioritize transparency in their ecosystem. They have to show how they have been doing their business operations and digital payments. Moreover, they should take accountability for any customer loss to build a more positive atmosphere across the continent.
Investment In Data Protection Measures
Fintech companies will take care of the fact that no incidents of data breaches will take place in their ecosystem. Therefore, they will try to invest more in cybersecurity measures so that they will provide customers with a clean atmosphere. This will build trust and confidence in the company’s digital payments. They will connect more customers with their strong data end-to-end encrypted services and multi-factor authentication services.
The Flutterwave scandal is an alarming rate for the whole Fintech ecosystem. It has once again evoked the principles of ethical considerations, trust, transparency, and accountability in business operations. However, it has diminished the growth of the whole sector but paved the way for future developments and innovations.


text:
The previous Panda update was a month prior on July 24th; and before that on June 25. And so we expected for the cute Panda to appear around these days of the month. When things turn this somehow foreseeable, a lot of chatter goes around on…you guessed it right, another Panda update.
So nothing comes surprising on a rather ordinary August day. Here comes the barely legal update of Panda rolled out yesterday, on August 20th. According to Google’s announcement via Twitter, this update only impacted less than 1% of search queries.


text:
Update – Instagram channel FutureCarsNow has posted a rendering of a ‘compact model’ from Tesla Motors. At the company’s shareholder meeting in 2018, Elon Musk, on the topic of expanding the brand into new segments, said “I think we’ll do a compact car in less than five years.” Since then Tesla has not confirmed that a car smaller than the Model 3 is in the pipeline (the Cybertruck, Roadster and the Semi are the ‘known’ future models) but it is interested in developing a vehicle in China for worldwide consumption as well.
Tesla is setting up a Chinese design centre where we expect not one but a family of models to be designed in the coming years considering the demand for EVs in the Chinese market, and a low-price electric car (around USD 20,000), which could be the biggest challenge yet for the company, could drive adoption of electric vehicles in emerging markets like India where Tesla, despite not being present, has a high level of aspiration and respectability.
18 June, 2020 –
Tesla invites designers via social media for new China-style EV
In January, Elon Musk revealed that Tesla would start a design studio in China and now Tesla is calling designers to come up with designs for a China-style EV for a job review at the company.
Tesla posted on Chinese social site WeChat asking designers (professionals and non-pros) to submit designs for an all-new vehicle. Tesla started deliveries of the Model 3 in China in January and it was at this event that Musk spoke about designing an electric vehicle in China that would be sold worldwide. At this point it is only media speculation, but the vehicle designed in China could be a compact crossover smaller than the Model 3.
17 January, 2020 –
Design drawing purportedly shows the entry-level Tesla Model 2
Last week, Tesla started deliveries of the made-in-China Model 3 and at the event, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, revealed that the company would start a design studio and an R&D centre in China for indigenized products.
Tesla has published an interesting new design sketch of what auto sleuths dub the ‘Model 2’ hatchback with a short wheelbase, strong shoulder line and a coupe-style roof. The release was part of Tesla’s official announcement in its WeChat account calling for people to apply for jobs at the upcoming design and engineering centre.
Reports speculate that Tesla Motors will build an entry-level car, positioned below the Model 3 (that starts at about USD 35,000 in the USA), in China at the Gigafactory 3 plant and export it to markets including Asia where existing Tesla cars are very expensive to bring any real volume or disrupt the market. Last October, Tesla started trial production in the factory and got a manufacturing license for the facility. In December 2019, made-in-China Model 3 entered the Chinese government’s list of approved vehicles for new energy vehicle subsidies. Production kicked-off using a small percentage of Chinese made parts, estimated to reach 100 percent level by the close of the year.
I think something that would be super cool would be to create a China design and engineering centre to actually design an original car in China for worldwide consumption. I think this will be very exciting. I think China has some of the best art in the world, and I think it’s something that would be appreciated on a worldwide basis. I think it should be done, and we’re gonna do it.Tesla CEO Elon Musk, at the Tesla Model 3 delivery event in China this year
Tesla has three models on sale – Model S, Model X and Model 3. Orders are being taken for Model Y with deliveries set to begin in the coming weeks. Tesla has showcased Roadster, Semi Truck and Cybertruck models estimated to meet production in 2020 or 2021.
China could prove to be a major market for Tesla as the country is taking to EVs faster than anywhere in the world and has a high technology adoption rate. China is the biggest world market for electric vehicles and has many EV manufacturing OEMs such as BYD, BAIC, SAIC, Geely and Changan and it should take Tesla 3 years before we see the first fruits of its Chinese tech centre.
Our only hope that Tesla does not end up as a rich man’s toy in India and that the company enters the market with plans to manufacture models for the mass-market.


text:
The new general manager and vice president of Fox Networks Group Africa, Evert van der Veer, will focus on the expansion of Fox Sports and local content production...
Louise Marsland 16 May 2018
Nickelodeon's Alexi Wheeler shares about the talk he presented at the 2018 CTIAF, how he feels about the role of women in the animation industry and elaborates on what he thinks the industry as a whole can still improve on...
Juanita Pienaar 7 Mar 2018
2017 was not a good year for companies handling crises. The number of casualties was alarming. We had our pick of it - from motoring, to beverages, to aviation, and everything in between...
Daniel Munslow 8 Jan 2018
Going into 2018, we need to give the word disruption the respect it deserves...
Graham Deneys 8 Jan 2018
We live in a world of blurred lines. There are companies that look and feel like cab companies. We love the services they deliver, so we're grateful for them but they claim not to be cab companies...
Omar Essack 8 Jan 2018
The recent advances in data analytics and machine learning will see a huge shift in how we use data in 2018...
Paula Raubenheimer 8 Jan 2018
Zimbabwe remains on a knife edge as political uncertainty reigns and state television is under the control of the military...
Louise Marsland 15 Nov 2017
How does ‘going digital' in the television market affect content and viewership patterns? Kui Kariuki from Ipsos Kenya looked at what happened with Kenya's digital migration...
Louise Marsland 28 Aug 2017
Our Africa Achiever this month is co-founder of OMG Digital in Ghana, Jesse Arhin Ghansah...
Louise Marsland 14 Aug 2017
Critical questions about SA's political future, media and its sustainability, and how to combat the fake news scourge, were all addressed at the Daily Maverick's The Gathering 2017 series...
Louise Marsland 4 Aug 2017
The African Media Leaders Forum in Addis Ababa last week ended on a weak note: Politicians want the media to generate a new, positive African narrative.
Anton Harber 15 Nov 2013
NEWSWATCH: And they're back in the news, instead of reporting it... You've got it... the SABC... because it seems its Hlaudi Motsoeneng wants 70% of the news to be positive, reports Mail & Guardian, which also reports that the 'sunshine' policy is not good news in Media Monitoring Africa' eyes. But some good news anyway, EWN reports that Egyptian authorities have released South African photographer Adil Bradlow.
Rod Baker 2 Sep 2013
The year 2013 for most brands, especially the ones coping with saturated markets in developed countries, will be a decisive one. Incorporating Africa into their corporate brand strategy, if they haven't done so, will be the better part of valour, so to speak.
Obaika Consulting Team 31 Jan 2013
No, the concepts of "tribalism", "gamification" and "engagement" aren't a promo for the latest computer game, but are in fact the trends that will characterise the way companies and consumers interact in 2013. The branding industry is constantly developing and. while the following trends are evolutions rather than dynamic, short-term changes, we believe there are 10 areas that will define the brandscape over the next year.
HKLM Exco Team 31 Jan 2013
The world has caught Olympic fever and South Africans are glued to their TV screens thanks to the likes of Chad Le Clos, Cameron van der Burgh and the lightweight men's four rowing team, who have bagged three gold medals at the London 2012 Games.
Donna Rachelson 8 Aug 2012
Africa looks set to get its own generic top-level domain, .africa, in 2013 if the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) gives the go-ahead, which looks likely. The creation of the new domain could set off a gold rush and create headaches for businesses wanting to protect their brands.
Craig Wilson 29 Feb 2012
Over the last while there's been a something of rallying cry for Africans to tell their own stories. But all too often proponents are more in love with discussing the idea than figuring out practical ways to make it happen. 18 Days in Egypt, a start-up that focuses on documenting the revolution, is turning the concept into a reality - and, moreover, using an innovative, collaborative digital platform to do so.
Theresa Mallinson 15 Feb 2012


text:
Turaag Active joins hands with lifestyle brand Cats Eye
Turaag Active, a brand of Wave Riders Limited, which specialises in cutting-edge technology and innovation in the fashion and fitness industries, recently reached a deal with Cats Eye. The signing ceremony took place at the Turaag Active's corporate headquarters. The innovative line of Turaag sportswear will now be sold at reasonable pricing at a few Cats Eye locations.
Under the agreement, Turaag Active men's collection — Go easy, Intense, Performer, and women's collection — Freemove, Flex360, Optimum, and Vitality will be available in outlets located at Elephant Road, Bashundhara City, Golden Age (Gulshan), RAK Tower (Uttara), Afmi Plaza (Chattogram), JFP, Mirpur 10, and Banijjo Bhaban Shopping Complex.
At the event, Sadiq Quddus, Director of Cats Eye, said, "We are very happy to announce our collaboration with Turaag Active. Turaag has a variety of high-quality athletic wear at very affordable price. We hope Cats Eye and Turaag's journey together is a success."
Faiaz Rahman, Founder and Director of Turaag Active said, "It is a delight to collaborate with Cats Eye, one of the leading fashion clothing brands of our country. The active lifestyle is one of the most focused and fastest growing trends globally today. Whether it is worn in the office, while playing sports or used for going out, Turaag Active intends to make mobility easier while being in comfort and looking stylish. Hence, we are hoping to solidify this bond between Turaag Active and Cats Eye to grow towards triumph."
The signing event was graced by Faiaz Rahman, Founder and Director of Turaag Active, Shamarukh Fakhruddin, Director of Turaag Active; Sadiq Quddus, Director of Cats Eye, and Ashrafuddin Shiplu, Director of Cats Eye, along with other high officials.


text:
Bobbin / November 1995
By Larry Luxner
Competition from neighboring Mexico is threatening one of the brightest sectors of Guatemala's economic future: the apparel assembly industry.
"Guatemala has ceased to be the promised land for the maquiladoras," wrote Jessica García Kihn in a recent edition of La Cronica, one of Guatemala's largest and most influential newspapers. "The drying up of incentives for investment and the North American Free Trade Agreement have banished that industry from the country, leaving over 10,000 people unemployed."
Indeed, NAFTA -- together with U.S. threats of restraining Guatemalan exports of cotton and synthetic fiber skirts -- are worrying many manufacturers and workers alike in Central America's largest and most populous nation.
Recently, Guatemala's largest organization, the Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations (CACIF), produced a 53-page position paper lamenting the nation's "lack of course or direction" and "the high degree of poverty in our country." According to the report, only 60% of Guatemala's 10 million people have access to potable water and health services, 37% to electric power and 2.7% to telephones. CACIF says that some $66 billion will have to be spent over the next 25 years to remedy these ills. This would require tripling current tax income, but CACIF also calls for holding the line on Guatemala's current low tax levels.
At the same time, a number of firms that provide employment in Guatemala -- mainly Korean-owned apparel companies -- have been denounced for violating labor laws, even though none have been prosecuted.
A much greater threat comes from Washington. In September, the United States was poised to slap quotas on several new categories of Guatemalan apparel imports on the grounds that such imports were damaging U.S. industry. According to an article in The Journal of Commerce, Guatemala exported 319,000 dozen skirts in the 12 months ending February 1995, a 22% jump from the previous year. The newspaper said other categories, including men's wool suits, various types of women's and men's shirts, and cotton and synthetic fiber nightwear, are already restricted under terms of a bilateral agreement between the United States and Guatemala.
And from nearby Mexico City comes the threat of more peso devaluations, which only make Mexico a more attractive place from which to manufacture. In 1994, Guatemala lost 74 companies to Mexico, according to GEXPRONT (the Union of Exporters of Non-Traditional Products). Another 29 have left so far this year. One manufacturer, Lee Thomas, has reportedly canceled production orders to 18 Guatemalan subcontractors.
Nevertheless, during the first five months of 1995, Guatemalan apparel exports to the United States under Item 807 came to $190.6 million, up 30% from the $146.8 million recorded for the same period in 1994. Guatemalan exports of cotton shirts to the United States remain in first place among nations of the Caribbean Basin.
According to GEXPRONT, 350 maquiladora firms operate in Guatemala City and in the departments of Sacatepequez, Chimaltenango, Baja Verapaz, Quetzaltenango and Iazabal. These companies provide jobs for nearly 70,000 Guatemalans. According to Carlos Arias, owner of the Cardiz Inc. factory, "every sewing machine installed generates at least two direct jobs. If the investors had not chosen to go to the neighboring countries, at least 20,000 jobs would have been created."
For that reason, the Guatemalan Embassy in Washington is lobbying hard for passage of the Crane bill -- a measure officially known as the Caribbean Basin Trade Security Act. If passed, it would extend NAFTA benefits to all 24 CBI signatory nations for 10 years. It would also permit -- for the first time -- duty-free imports of previously dutiable items from the Caribbean Basin.
"This measure would help preserve our original commitment to help foster economic expansion and political stability in the Caribbean and Central America," Crane said upon introducing the bill earlier this year. Indeed, GEXPRONT argues that "a dozen pairs of pants manufactured with fabric from the United States and assembled in Mexico pay zero percent of the import tax. On the other hand, if they are processed in Guatemala, a 17% tariff must be paid for them to enter the U.S. market."
But Mexico isn't Guatemala's only competitor. Arias says the incentives offered by El Salvador and Honduras are much better than those of Guatemala, which GEXPRONT says is "limited by an overvalued exchange rate, and by high interest rates, which prevent the procurement of favorable loans."
Guatemala's only immediate salvation, it appears, is passage of the Crane legislation on CBI/NAFTA parity. As Arias told La Cronica: "The White House has been rabidly opposed to backing the bill. That is why it is vitally imporant that President Ramiro de León take action on the diplomatic level. If there is no positive response before year's end, it will be the end of Guatemala's maquiladoras."


text:
According to intel acquired by blog Mobile Review, LG has been tasked with producing a pure-Google, Nexus tablet for the Mountain View-based Android maker. Details are scarce (and unconfirmed), but the site states that the device will be used as Google’s base for development, run the latest tablet-optimized operating system — Honeycomb (Android 3.0) — and should be ready in “mid-summer or early autumn.” It is important to keep in mind that this device could be an engineering prototype used by Google internally for Android tablet development. Either way, it is an exciting and juicy rumor.
- Thieves can use AirTags to track and steal your car from your driveway
- Scientists found a bizarre underwater world and the video is mesmerizing
- Actual 3D-printed steaks are now being served in restaurants – here’s where
- Serious recall issued for 19 delicious desserts – throw them out now
- New frozen veggie recall issued because people are breaking their teeth – see if you have any
December 5th, 2021


text:
File: The price of chicken has increased by 10-percent every year for the past 10 years.
JOHANNESBURG - Higher chicken prices in the coming months will be unavoidable, according to the RCL Foods’ chicken division, which says both producers and consumers are likely to feel the impact of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters has also weighed in.
It says that inflation, rising costs and unemployment, and the risk to food security, impact on consumers' ability to afford chicken - a vital protein source.
It has stressed that certain interventions are needed from government.
The price of chicken has increased by 10-percent every year for the past 10 years.


text:
In a turn of events for the Samsung-Apple patent controversy, US president Barack Obama’s administration has vetoed an import and sales ban on some Apple iPhones and iPads, upending a legal upper hand for Samsung. This is reportedly the first time since 1987 that a presidential administration has vetoed a ban by the country’s own International Trade Commission. This has raised a few eyebrows in the far east, in South Korea, where the media criticized the USA for protecting Apple.
The above mentioned ITC ban on some Apple iPhones and iPads is said to have caused a lot of tech industry lobbying with the president’s administration, which eventually ended up with this veto. This hasn’t gone well with the South Korean company, which is well connected with the government there, and hence has raised concerns over protectionism displayed by the USA.
“We express concerns about the negative impact that such a decision would have on the protection of patent rights,” the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy, said in a statement.”
The initial lobbying that took place was for convincing the administration that Samsung had insisted on Apple infringing “standards essential” patents that are supposed to be widely available for all companies to license from. However, Samsung stills insists that Apple did co-operate with the licensing offer that the company reportedly provided.
“When a company agrees to license what is known as a standard-essential patent at fair and reasonable terms, it shouldn’t be able to ban importation of a product into the United States simply because it wants a better deal,”
The ongoing battle between the companies as a part of patent infringement is all set to be intensified with this recent announcement. The South Koreans are calling for a “fair and reasonable” decisions, while the tech industry in the USA wants protection against these kinds of patent attacks, which might eventually kill innovation in a large scale.


text:
One cord to rule them all.
Apple today joined the European fellowship for a snarl free future – a coalition of major device makers that agreed on a single kind of cord that will power all of their smart phones. Earlier this year, the list included AT&T, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile, and Vodafone.
But Apple held out. The company has had a curious relationship with technology standards. It evangelized FireWire as a speedy connection for gadgets and computers, but recently stopped including the jacks in many of its new laptops. It embraces AAC for audio and H.264 for video – but concocted many proprietary standards over the years.
Now, it's joined the micro-USB bandwagon. The effort evolved out of a European Union request to cut down of the obsolescence, e-waste, and energy consumption that plagued the old system. New phones often come with completely different cords, sometimes making the originals useless within a year. Also, the EU wants engineers to focus on a single format so that they can cooperate on reducing “vampire power” – the energy drawn when a gizmo is plugged in but the battery is already full.
It's no doubt a noble effort, but as the Monitor wondered in February:
What about all the chargers in use now? Doesn’t an industry shift to one standard create a mass charger dump that wouldn’t otherwise have occurred? At this point, micro-USB seems like an obscure choice; many cameras and some phones, notably the Motorola Razr, use mini-USB.
And what about the hardship that devoted “legacy” handset users will face if their charger conks out and they can’t get a replacement because, well, “You’re supposed to use this kind now. It’s new. Everyone else is doing it.” Instead of just a new charger, that person is now faced with buying a whole new phone. So much for lessening the impact on landfills. Admittedly that argument has a certain curmudgeonly slant to it.
But the question is particularly interesting for Apple. Looking at the current iPhone, where are they going to stick a mini-USB socket? The top is crammed with a headphone hookup, SIM card slot, and the wake-up button; the bottom holds the microphone and current connector. That incumbent Apple jack has been an iPod tradition since the beginning. There have been small changes along the way – the new iPhone won't work with all iPod accessories – but there is a whole industry built around providing devices for iPods and iPhones. Has Apple just abandoned them?
The company has until 2012 to figure that out. That's when the EU agreement comes into effect. Macworld says that "a dock-connector to mini-USB adapter would fit within the letter, if not the spirit, of the law. And, while this arrangement only covers Europe, given Apple's history of creating one model of iPhone for the entire world, this decision could very well affect iPhones in the U.S. and elsewhere."


text:
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched its newest anti-smoking advertising campaign and is getting real with graphic images and commentary from 14 individuals stricken with tobacco related illnesses and disabilities all before the age of 50.
The $54-million campaign dubbed “Tips from Former Smokers” is scheduled for a 12-week media run on various channels including mainstream television, radio, print, billboards, bus-shelter, and of course on online and mobile venues. In addition to the individuals who are already suffering from tobacco-related illnesses, three other people were chosen to be a part of the advertising campaign talking about their experiences with tobacco and how they quit before it was too late.
Scarily this $54 million campaign is only a drop in the bucket for the tobacco industry. According to Gardener Harris over at the New York Times, the average ad spend for the tobacco industry is about the same price for the 12-week campaign plus some for just two days of consumer facing commercial efforts.


text:
Perły Rynku 2011
In 2011 Nowe Group had been awarded by an editorial office of month periodical “Wiadomości Handlowe” in a competition “Perły Rynku FMCG 2011”. The line of products Anti-Tabac had been appreciated, especially the air freshener.
“Perły Rynku” is a competition, which chooses the best new products at market in consumers reviews. Month periodical “Wiadomości Handlowe” since 2007 is an organizer of this competition.


text:
Nintendo was the big winner in July in terms of video game sales. The Japanese game maker had the best-selling video game in June with Mario Tennis Aces and the best-selling video game of July with Octopath Traveler.
In fact, Nintendo held five of the top ten spots for the month of July despite the NPD Group not tracking the company's digital sales. That's very impressive and should help ease some investor concerns over the Nintendo Switch.
For July, total video game hardware sales were $217 million, up 19% from July 2017. Video game software sales totalled $246 million, down 12% from last year. And accessories and game cards were a whopping $286 million, up fully 49% from a year ago.
Year-to-date, video game hardware sales are at $1.9 billion, up 21% from 2017. Year-to-date software sales are at $2.8 billion, up 5% from a year ago. And accessories and game cards are up 33% over last year at $2.06 billion in the United States.
Here are the top 20 best-selling games of July:
As you can see, of the top 10 fully 5 of these are Nintendo games. Octopath Traveler, Mario Kart 8 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild were all in the top 5.
Once again, Grand Theft Auto V continues to impress, this time leaping to the #2 spot despite being five years old.
Here are the top 10 year-to-date best-selling video games of 2018:
Far Cry 5 and God of War continue to be the best-sellers with Monster Hunter: World rounding up the top three. Both Call Of Duty: WWII and GTAV also manage to make the top 5.
Finally, here are the top 10 best-selling video games of the past 12 months (rolling):
Still mostly games from 2017 or earlier, but both Far Cry 5 and God of War manage to make it on the list this month.


text:
Oct 07, 2011 (LBO) – The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, which represents Sri Lankan companies, plans to extend its services to businesses outside the capital by tying up with business chambers in the island’s outlying regions. The EFC has signed agreements with the Yarlpanam Chamber of Commerce and Industries in northern Jaffna and the southern Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce as the first step to extending its services to businesses across the island.
“The EFC already represents a wide variety of industries from plastics to plantations and practically the entire financial and service sector to name a few,” a statement said.
“However up until now, its membership has been fairly Colombo-centric.”
The new initiative with the chambers in Hambantota and Jaffna would support businesses, mostly small and medium enterprises, in two of the most neglected regions of the island which is recovering from a 30-year ethnic war that ended in 2009.
If we had not had 30 years of war, Jaffna would be flush like Singapore, said K Poornachandran, chairman, Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Yarlpanam.
The EFC’s skills in advising on labour law would be useful to members of the Jaffna business chamber.


text:
Gareth Parker slams ‘pathetic’ Dexus statement in wake of Carillon evictions
6PR Breakfast presenter Gareth Parker has slammed a statement from property development company Dexus, after it was revealed on The Rumour File they sent eviction notices to most of their tenants in the retail centre.
Tenants not facing Hay or Murray street Mall were given 28 days notice to evict on Friday, two years after Dexus released a proposed redevelopment of the site.
“Let me tell you what the impact on retailers are going to be – you’re kicking them out, with a months notice, before Christmas,” he said.
“Each individual retailer would be able to tell wether they’re having a good year or a bad year, but the fact that their doors are open right now … suggests that they’ve got a viable business.
“That viable business is being squashed because you’re kicking them out.”
Press PLAY to hear the full editorial below
The full statement from Dexus:
“Carillon City has the potential to support the revitalisation of the Perth CBD and contribute to the state’s economic recovery as a significant job-creating project. We will continue to work with the WA Government and City of Perth to address the important issues that can unlock the CBD’s transformation.
The current uncertainty around the economy, business and retail conditions, and the ongoing impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic, have all contributed to the timing of the redevelopment of Carillon City. As a result, some of Carillon City’s retailers will no longer be trading for the foreseeable future. Carillon City retailers fronting onto Murray and Hay Street Malls will continue to trade and remain open.
We understand there will be an impact on retailers, shoppers and the community, and we remain committed to achieving an outcome for the city that is sustainable for all of our stakeholders.”
Photo by Ron D’Raine/Bloomberg via Getty Images


text:
You probably already know that plugging unknown USB flash drives into your computer is risky. There’s a chance that a malicious program could give a hacker access to your personal data. But now, it’s not just drives to be wary of. A security researcher has shown how USB cables, even ones that look like Apple’s Lightning cable, could hijack your machine.
Mike Grover, a security researcher who reportedly works for Verizon Media and goes by “MG” online, has developed modified Lightning cables that can hack someone’s computer, as first reported by Motherboard. MG sold a handful of the “O.MG cables” at the security conference Def Con, and is working with online security products store Hak5 to sell a version of the Lightning-lookalike cable…
Go to Source
Author: Jay Peters


text:
Tech-savvy millennials easy prey for fraudsters
In January, when Niraj Virji and his girlfriend were preparing to buy their first home, the 27-year old noticed something was wrong. Despite always paying his bills on time, he was told his credit rating was terrible.
“It was strange and I must admit I was quite shocked,” says Mr Virji, who works as a buyer for WHSmith. Over the following weeks, he gradually understood he’d become the victim of an elaborate and complex case of identity theft and financial fraud, the repercussions of which would impact him for months.
Apps are integrated into their everyday lives and they expect financial services to be a seamless part of this digital lifestyle
Though Mr Virji is still unsure how fraudsters managed to swipe his personal information, allowing them to change his home address with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency as well as on the electoral register. They then took out two loans in his name, with a combined value of almost £20,000. They opened several bank accounts and maxed out a credit card. They even tried buying a BMW. Mr Virji was oblivious to all this because any related correspondence was going to an address that wasn’t his.
“When I understood the true extent of the damage, it was just awful,” he says. “The worst thing was that when I tried to explain myself, some of the banks and financial institutions just didn’t believe me. I felt like there was a black mark against my name for ages. I even had debt collectors calling me.”
Digital natives under identity threat
Mr Virji’s experience is an extreme example of the potential risks associated with impersonation scams, but less severe incidents of personal information theft are occurring daily. In an on-demand economy, where cash is swiftly becoming a relic of the past and e-payments the norm, it’s increasingly common for spenders, particularly millennials, to lose sight of where their money is going and, crucially, whether it’s reaching the intended recipient.
“Millennials are digital natives who freely use digital channels and are happier [than other demographics] to share data,” explains Richard Petley, UK head of tech giant Oracle. “Their use of apps is integrated into their everyday lives and they expect financial services to be a seamless part of this digital lifestyle. In some cases, they may have more of a propensity to try out new services on digital platforms, which can create a higher susceptibility to financial fraud unless proper checks have been conducted.”
According to research recently published by Lloyds Banking Group, there was a near four-fold increase in the number of 18 to 34 year olds being caught out by impersonation scams in the year to July, making that demographic, along with the over 55 year olds, the most at risk of being the target of financial fraud.
Millennials are more likely than their older peers to have grown up with mobile phones and the internet, which means they tend to be more trusting of virtual services in entertainment, retail and transport, but also banking. And anecdotal evidence suggests they’re less likely to check their bank statements regularly if they don’t get alerts on their smartphone.
“An increase in people living on their mobile phones and the expectation that all the things you can do on them are safe, for example using social media, being able to spend money at the touch of a button and having access to any information you want at any time, has unfortunately led to a rise in scams and fraud, as well as other serious crimes,” says Natasha Vernier, head of financial crime at Monzo bank.
“It is really important our younger customers are educated on the risks involved in making payments to people posing as investors on social media and more generally on the risks that come with trusting everything found online or on mobile phones.”
Financial fraud becoming increasingly sophisticated
Impersonation scams usually involve somebody pretending to be from law enforcement or a bank and asking the victim to transfer money into a supposedly safe bank account. But financial fraud is taking on many increasingly sophisticated guises. The challenge to stay safe is becoming like a burdensome game of tag.
An extensive report on the matter published by KPMG earlier this year found that banks across all regions of the world consider cybercrimes, notably hacks and data breaches, to be the greatest challenge in the field of fraud risk. The report also highlights that the pace of technological developments means constant innovation is critical to safeguard defences.
“In the context of a changing global banking landscape, where the demand for face-to-face banking is decreasing, volumes of digital payments are increasing and payments are being processed in seconds, fraudsters are creatively finding new ways to steal from banks and their customers,” according to Natalie Faulkner, KPMG’s global fraud lead. “Banks need to be agile to respond to new threats, and embrace new approaches and technologies to predict and prevent fraud.”
Technology for safety imperative
Appetite for new technologies to help combat this rise in cybercrime is something a whole spectrum of organisations, from large, established businesses to fledgling startups, is capitalising on. Several companies are exploring the use of biometrics and tokenisation to safeguard customers’ sensitive personal information, particularly among millennials.
In tokenisation, each transaction is completed by generating a unique token which allows a customer’s sensitive data to be stored remotely. NatWest, meanwhile, in early October announced it was launching a three-month trial of biometric fingerprint credit cards in partnership with Mastercard and the software company Gemalto. The bank says the credit cards would offer contactless payments using fingerprint verification for transactions up to £100. Previously, NatWest had launched a trial for transactions up to £30.
“This is the biggest development in card technology in recent years and not having to enter a PIN not only increases security, but also makes it easier for our customers when paying for goods or services,” says Georgina Bulkeley, director of strategy and innovation at NatWest.
Bob Reany, executive vice president for identity solutions at Mastercard, echoes this. “Feeling confident that your information is protected is paramount,” he says. “Biometrics are more secure, more trusted and better suited to a world that requires more frequent authentication.”


text:
For more than 50 years, Allied Packing & Rubber, Inc. in Long Beach, CA has been providing gaskets and packing to a broad range of businesses and governmental agencies, earning a reputation for solving difficult sealing solutions that other suppliers might not be able to come up with.
In 2016 it professionally upgraded its website, but as months went by the company wasn’t happy with the results they were seeing. “We had invested a lot of time and energy into building the new website”, says Allied CFO, Lisa Olsen. “We were getting some activity, but not what we were looking for.” So they brought in Kris Gragson at GK Media to help.
GK Media provided local SEO for Allied’s website to boost organic traffic from the Long Beach area. This moved Allied to the top of the first page in Google for most key search times related to gaskets and packing. It also worked on Allied’s Google My Business listing, which continues to receive attention each week. To reach areas outside Long Beach, where SEO is much less effective due to Google algorithms, GK Media implemented a Google AdWords campaign targeting carefully chosen markets in Texas, Oregon, Washington state, and California, as well as several foreign countries. .
The website is now generating more than three and a half times the volume of visitors it had when GK Media began work. “Kris also taught me all about Google Ads, which has been working well for us,” says Lisa.
The Result: Sales Maintained during the Pandemic
“Despite Covid, our sales in 2020 equaled our sales from 2018”, says Lisa. “And 12 percent came from the website. Our international sales were a nice surprise. Because of the website, orders have come in from all over the world, including Canada, Indonesia, Australia, and Iraq.”
Lisa appreciates that Kris checks in once a month to go over analytics and reports. She says, “He’s definitely made a huge difference.”


text:
During the 2016 retail year, the UK increased spending on digital advertising by an incredible 17%. The £10.3 billion budget makes it the fastest growing industry in nearly a decade.
Increased Volume on Ad Spend
This volume of spending has only been surpassed one time before. In 2007, it grew by 38% but never breached the £10 billion level. Reports from IAB UK state that this increase is driven by consumer’s use of their mobile devices.
The Role of Mobile Devises in Ad Spend
Reportedly, about 50% of UK internet use is via the smartphone. With this much of their market exposure relying on small, handheld devices, advertisers need to adapt their marketing.
Ad spend industry-wide on mobile marketing increased by nearly £4 billion – a 50% increase. This means that, in 2016, the UK spent 38% of its digital advertising on mobile ads. Mobile videos account for £693 million of that amount.
The IAB UK’s CMO, James Chandler, states:
“The rise in people consuming mobile and video content has accelerated digital’s growth rate to its highest level for nearly a decade.”
He went on to credit the 17% growth to the commitment of brands to break from traditional advertising. Their movement to “innovative formats” and use of video engages more customers, creating dynamic marketing. Methods such as influencer marketing have also contributed heavily to the growth of the market.
Many of these statistics come from YouTube, which reports that over 50% of viewers use their smartphones. There have, historically, been questions regarding accountability with this platform. Regarding this, Chandler says:
“It’s impossible to ignore the issues the industry is facing at the moment, but digital never stands still and these figures are a testament to the long-term strength and power of digital.”
Chandler is not the only marketing expert to recognise the rise of handheld digital. CEO of M&C Saatchi Mobile, James Hilton, says:
“There are lots of moving parts to this; advertisers, agencies and consumers all play a role in a safe, open, and most importantly free, internet. All the data and tools available mean advertising should be better and safer, and this is a key area of focus for us. However although mobile now dominates time spent online, this is by no means a mobile problem. One of the main issues is the industry still thinks desktop first when it comes to brand safety and ad fraud, therefore platforms and standard must evolve to mirror the mobile-first consumer.”
In addition, Gareth Owen of Roast says of Google transparency:
“Whether that be via placement reports using anti-fraud partners or by reporting margins transparently, partners, suppliers and agencies should be more accountable than ever before, to ensure any fraudulent activity is a minimised as possible.”
Confirmation of Mobile Use
YouTube is not the only platform reporting such an increase in mobile viewing. YouGov reports that two out of every five Brits say they use their smartphones more than they did just a year ago. That is a 54% increase. In fact, 75% of the young adult market watches short videos on their smartphones, compared to 44% who watch television, making this a crucial market for ad spend.
Even more compelling are the observations of Sir Martin Sorrell of WPP, who called mobile an “untapped multi-billion dollar opportunity” being handicapped by lagging technology.
“People are spending about a quarter of their time on mobile, and yet it only accounts for 12% of spending. That’s out of kilter and it has to change. Technology, bandwidth, the devices, the screens are not big enough, not good enough yet. There’s a lot of technological development to come.”
Digital marketing ad spend is beginning to catch up to the market. Projections are that this will continue to grow at an incredible pace.


text:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering drastic changes to how its regulates e-cigarettes. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb revealed that his agency is considering regulating e-cigarettes in the same way as it does over-the-counter drugs, enabling it to apply more tools and resources to the product category that could help people quit smoking all together.
In recent months, the FDA has been re-evaluating its regulation and view of many tobacco products. Months ago, it revealed that combating nicotine levels and supporting smoking cessation and nicotine replacement therapy products. While nothing has been decided on, the FDA has been reconsidering vaping and e-cigarette products and how this growing category fits within its evolving policy.
In an interview with Meg Tirrell at CNBC’s Healthy Returns conference, Gottlieb commented: “We’re looking very actively at could we bring e-cigarettes into the over-the-counter regulatory pathway, which would give us many more tools to look at both safety and benefit, and study whether or not an e-cigarette actually does promote smoking cessation and also give us many more tools to actually study the toxicology associated with it and see what effects it might have on the lung.”
In the same report, the FDA is said to be preparing new guidance documents that will address e-cigarettes and criteria related to what makes a product one that truly addresses smoking cessation and reduction. Since Gottlieb has been appointed, he and the FDA has pushed the idea of tobacco products being on a continuum of risk with traditional combustible tobacco products like cigarettes being viewed as the most harmful.
For all the latest legislation and FDA news impacting the tobacco industry, click here.


text:
Sabah, founded in 2013, is no stranger to the city –– it has been popping up in San Francisco for bi-annual events at Heath Ceramics since 2014, according to sales and travel director Ariana Diaz.
"Partnering up with Heath was a big thing," she said. "Heath helped us grow."
The Lower Haight outpost will be the company's seventh store and first permanent shop in San Francisco, joining locations in Los Angeles, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and London.
Diaz said San Francisco is Sabah's second-biggest market after New York. Thanks to the mild climate, she explained, customers in San Francisco can wear the shoes year-round. The city's more casual office culture means customers can wear them to work as well.
Sabah was founded in 2013 by Mickey Ashmore, according to Sabah's website. In 2010, while living in Istanbul, he was gifted a pair of traditional Turkish slippers by his then-girlfriend's grandmother. They quickly became his favorite pair of shoes.
After moving to New York, Ashmore began requesting modified pairs of the slippers from the shoemaker in Turkey to give to his friends as gifts. The idea to bring them to even more people in the U.S. and Europe took off, and Ashmore quit his job at Microsoft to work on Sabah full-time.
Today, he still collaborates with the traditional shoemaker in Turkey, whose family has made this style of shoe since the late 1800s. Shoes from Sabah – which means "morning" in Turkish – now come with a replaceable rubber sole and in many colorful variations.
Sabah's shoes sell for $170-$215. Diaz said there will also be a limited San Francisco edition that will only be available in the Haight Street store. While details are still being finalized, Diaz expects to work with a local indigo dye artist to "manipulate the color."
On Haight Street, customers will be able to sip a Turkish coffee while trying on one of the two Sabah styles (Sabahs and Babas). Homeware, ceramics, Heath tiles, belts, bags and hats will also be for sale, and the company also plans to host family-style dinners at the new store.
"We have been looking for a space for two years in San Francisco," Diaz said, adding that they considered the Mission, Hayes Valley and the Fillmore. But in the end, "the Lower Haight came to us," she said.
Diaz said the renovation of the space has already begun, with an eye on "keep[ing] the authenticity of the Lower Haight." She said the backyard and the size of the building make it the perfect location for Sabah.
"It's the right space and the right neighborhood," Diaz said.


text:
RC Camera Drone Fundamentals Explained in Lees Summit MO 64065
That is a $25 complimentary, advertising reward card that could be applied on any solution at card will likely be shipped in conjunction with your bought objects, while in the brown shipping and delivery box. It won’t be changed if dropped or stolen. This card won’t be exchangeable for money, except wherever required by legislation.
Your bid is the same as or over the Invest in It Now selling price. It can save you time and expense by buying it now.
Toy Stores in Lees Summit, Missouri 64065
Business Results 1 - 10 of 119
Drone Store in Lees Summit Missouri
Business Results 1 - 10 of 20
Lees Summit MO - BingNews Search results
Viracor Eurofins Announces Medical Advisory Board
Industry-leading infectious disease and transplant physicians help Viracor ideate and innovate to serve unmet testing needs, improving patient care and outcomes LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo., Aug. 21, 2018 /PRNew...
Meet the new vo-techs
The Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee’s Summit, Mo., supports a diverse and flexible training program that can evolve as future careers emerge. The programs, for grades 10 through 16, include networki...
New technology, better football practice habits reducing concussions at one high school
LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — While football can be a dangerous sport, new technology in the helmet industry is making the game safer. One Lee’s Summit high school using new helmets is beginning to see fewer co...
What's happening | Tuesday, Aug. 21 through 26
Lee's Summit Road, Independence. Free ... Guest and new members are welcome. TOPS MO-0772 meeting: 10-11 a.m., First Christian Church, 701 N.W. 15th St., Blue Springs. Call 350-1554. Cub Scout Pack 33...
New technology in helmets helps metro football teams reduce risk of concussions
LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. -- Football can be a dangerous sport, but new technology is making the game safer. Fewer kids are suffering concussions as helmet makers and metro schools are going to greater length...