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Metro Group - one of the largest retailers in the world - has committed source all its egg products from cage-free sources, including in the most challenging markets around the world.
Stores in western and southern Europe will meet the deadline by 2022 with eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, following suit in 2025. The transition to only using cage-free eggs will happen in Metro’s remaining markets, which includes China, by 2027, making the commitment both truly global as well as a sign of a large move towards cage-free systems.
Across Europe, this means that more than 100 Metro stores will now transition to only selling cage-free eggs, which will impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of hens. Hens that will now be able to enjoy more space, dust bathe and stretch their wings freely.
Metro is a large global wholesale company focusing on the hospitality and trader groups with reported sales of EUR27.1 billion (US$29.4 billion).
Metro’s decision is part of an even bigger global shift in egg production which is seeing more and more businesses transitioning to cage-free eggs and egg products, and has been hailed by animal protection groups around the world including Open Cages U.K., which campaigns on the subject as part of the Open Wing Alliance - a global coalition of groups working to remove hens from cages.
Metro has now joined the long list of other large companies which have already made commitments to source exclusively cage-free eggs such as Nestle, PepsiCo, Hilton, Unilever and Kraft-Heinz.
Connor Jackson, CEO of Open Cages U.K., comments “With this strong policy Metro is cementing its spot as one of the most progressive companies out there when it comes to animal welfare,” said Connor Jackson, CEO of Open Cages UK. “We applaud them for listening to their consumers and making a choice which will improve the lives of millions of hens around the world. We encourage all other companies which do not yet have a cage-free policy to follow Metro’s lead.”


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Amazon Prime Video has announced the premiere of an upcoming stand-up special ‘Aalas Motaapa Ghabraahat’, featuring Karunesh Talwar. The title is the comedian’s second special on the platform after ‘Pata Nahi Par Bolna Hai’.
Karunesh Talwar recently shared the trailer of his brand new stand-up special on his Instagram handle. The Amazon Funnies special will see him talking about childhood, love, parents and his tales of getting self-aware.
Talking about the stand-up special, the comedian said:
“It’s incredibly exciting to be back on the platform, especially after all the love and support I’ve received for the first special. I’ve tried to stay authentic and true to myself and said what I think is funny. I hope the viewers at home enjoy it as much as the live audience did.”
He also added, “It’s about topics pretty much anyone can relate to because even though we’re all different, I think many parts of the human experience are similar for almost everyone.”
‘Aalas Motaapa Ghabraahat’ will start streaming from June 15, 2021.

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If that sounds familiar it’s because competitor app Cameo is known for letting people tip creators for their content.
Shoutouts use an in-app currency to tip creators who in turn are able to set their own rates.
The addition is only available in select areas
Users can click on the “request” button in the app and a creator will have three days to accept the order.Right now, it’s not yet clear if video makers are selected based on their number of followers to qualify for Shoutouts.
However, the addition shows TikTok’s commitment to bolster revenue streams for its creators and keep users more engaged.
Top apps – spending and downloads
Given that TikTok is one of the most downloaded apps of 2020, the new feature could lead to the app dipping into Cameo’s market share.TikTok, known as Douyin in its home market, was launched in China in September 2016. It was pushed out globally as TikTok the following year.
The TikTok app allows users to create 15 second videos, soundtracked by music clips. Sounds simple enough, but it’s a wildly popular concept. Depending on who you ask, the app was the world’s second-most or fourth-most downloaded non-gaming app of 2019 (only behind various Facebook entities in either case).
By 2020, it was comfortably number one. Get the full TikTok premium report here with curated graphs, data and analysis TikTok/Douyin parent company ByteDance also owns hugely popular Chinese AI-powered news aggregation platform Toutiao, created by CEO Zhang Yiming at the age of 29 in 2012. Notably, he was not backed by either Alibaba or Tencent.
TikTok has succeeded where the latter failed with WeChat – success beyond China.This was a strategic triumph. In November 2017 ByteDance acquired the popular (also China-based) would-be rival app Musical.ly app for a reported $1 billion. TikTok was merged with Musically in August 2018, with app users’ accounts migrated to their TikTok accounts. This was seen as a way for the Chinese app to enter the US market – with Musical.ly already boasting a considerable American audience.
TikTok/Douyin (and formerly Musical.ly) users use the app largely to create, share, and view content based around lip syncing, dancing, comedy skits, and other physical activities. Clearly, this is something that appeals to young people (and quite a few older ones) around the world, with app snowballing in popularity over 2018 and 2019.
Despite only being released in 2016, it was one of the most-downloaded apps of the 2010s.As of 2021, TikTok is one of the world’s best-loved apps (for those under a certain age at least), its success powered by some of the world’s most sophisticated AI.
Are you looking for data on TikTok?
Get our comprehensive report with 55 charts and 446 individual data points covering TikTok revenues, usage and demographics
That said, it has not been without its controversies. In 2019, it was briefly banned in India for “morality issues”, with pornographic content and predatory behaviour a concern. It has been accused of not adequately safeguarding young users’ data. It was banned again in June 2020 alongside a spate of other Chinese-based apps as tensions between China and India heightened. This was upheld in January 2021, leading TikTok to begin reducing staff in the country.
It is has been investigated in the US over national security concerns and user privacy. ByteDance has released a transparency report to deal with these accusations, and has moved to ringfence TikTok from the rest of its operations. This did not stop President Trump from issuing an executive order in August 2020 against any firms doing business with TikTok.
Nonetheless, as of early 2021, TikTok seems like the app to beat. Scroll on to read our collection of TikTok stats from around the web.


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The numbers: A survey of service-oriented companies in the U.S. such as hospitals, retailers and restaurants show rapid growth in August, underscoring the broad strength in the economy.
The Institute for Supply Management said its non-manufacturing index climbed to 58.5% in August from 55.7% in the prior month, bringing it back again near a postrecession high.
Numbers over 50% are viewed as positive for the economy, and anything over 55% is considered exceptional.
What happened: New orders, production and employment all increase in August. All but one of the 17 industries tracked by ISM reported stronger business last month.
Big picture: Many executives complain U.S. tariffs or the threat of tariffs have led to higher prices for raw materials. They also say finding suitably skilled workers is another growing problem.
All in all, though, most companies are growing rapidly and managing those problems well enough to keep business growing strong. The U.S. economy itself is also expanding rapidly and could post its fastest growth in 2018 in 13 years.
What they are saying?: “Based on current trends on customer quote requests and conversions to orders, we are trending for this month to be the best August in the history of our company,” said an executive at a company that offers professional management and support services.
“Tariff-related cost increases are beginning to accelerate, whether tariffs have been put into effect or not,” a senior executives at a construction company said. Wood prices in particular have risen.
What they are saying?: The ISM report was “quite strong, despite ongoing concerns about trade policy,” said chief U.S. economist Jim O’Sullivan of High Frequency Economics.
The 10-year Treasury yield


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Researchers at McAfee revealed a rare malware application in five Chrome extensions with 1.4 million downloads. Scammers spread the extensions to dupe e-commerce websites.
The method is uncommon. The malicious extensions lie in wait for the moment an infected user navigates to an e-commerce website. The user’s cookie data is then changed to give the impression that the user visited the e-commerce website via an affiliate URL
Affiliate marketing is a common tactic among e-commerce websites. The firms pay fees to partners that send potential customers to their website. The partner receives an affiliate URL, distributes the URL and gets paid for every visitor that visits through the URL and places an order.
The partner is supposed to spread the affiliate URL through other websites and online content. As a result, the e-commerce website gains traffic. Scammers abuse the system by changing the cookie data of infected users to affiliate URLs. The scammers get compensated for customers that never used an affiliate URL. The e-commerce website pays and gains nothing in return.
Five Chrome extensions
Researchers at McAfee discovered five Chrome extensions that abuse affiliate marketing: Netflix Party (800,000 downloads), Netflix Party 2 (300,000), Full Page Screenshot Capture (200,000), FlipShope Price Tracker Extension (80,000) and AutoBuy Flash Sales (20,000).
The extensions deliver what’s promised. Netflix Party allows multiple users to stream Netflix content, FlipShope applies coupon codes and AutoBuy automates the purchase of discounted products. Users have no idea of the extensions’ actual function. In fact, most are satisfied, according to the positive reviews.
At the time of writing, four of the five extensions remain available on the Chrome Store. Netflix Party was the only extension removed. Despite its removal from the store, the extension remains installed for existing users. Their online purchases directly contribute to the income of online scammers. McAfee urges Google and users to permanently remove the extensions.


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In Connecticut, six individuals have been charged with exploiting a bug in electronic lottery machines that allowed them to select winning tickets last year.
If you want to leave a video or audio message in a time capsule, what medium should you choose? Will people of the future be able to listen to your CD or your mp3? Will the folks of 100 years or even just 10 years hence be able to find a DVD player? Do you even have a DVD player today?
It was a longshot, a dream, a Google Doc-enabled fantasy. In the end, 82 people used an online spreadsheet to pledge over $122,000 for a ghost town, but alas, it was not enough. Some lucky buyer (I assume it was one person) snatched up all 62 acres of Johnsonville, Connecticut for $1.9 million.
Ghost towns are known to pop up on Craigslist and eBay every once in awhile, but are often snapped up just as fast by eager developers or industrious preppers. Not so for the 62-acre town of Johnsonville, Connecticut which is currently up for auction after remaining abandoned for more than 20 years. Now, a group of…
Parking lots are already one of the worst things ever invented by humans—acres of buckling, blighted fields of concrete that often sit completely empty. But now a new study shows that parking is not only ugly, it's actually making cities lose revenue.
When John Baptist Greco built Holy Land USA in Waterbury, Connecticut, he envisioned it as a pilgrimage site for American Christians. Closed since 1984 however, the long-neglected park now looks more like a horror movie set than a place for wholesome family fun.
This record-setting, 1,487-pound pumpkin is the product of one Ken Desrosiers of Broad Brook, Connecticut and, as you can see, grew to that size in just two and a half months.
The city of New London, Connecticut a problem with public urination. The problem is so bad the city has shut down its showcase Whale Tail fountain due to health concerns.
In Marvel Comics' 2006 miniseries Civil War, unruly superheroes brawl in Stamford, Connecticut, and Captain America and Spider-Man consequently fight each other. This Halloween, an unruly Captain America and Spider-Man were arrested for brawling in Stamford. It's all coming true!
Citing "potentially anticompetitive ebook deals," Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is investigating the relationship between Apple, Amazon and publishers. Blumenthal claims Apple and Amazon have struck exclusive deals with publishers that would block smaller ebook distributors from offering better…
Connecticut's Secretary of State released a video on YouTube explaining how to use the state's new optical scan voting machines. The video is also available for download to something called an "iPOD." It is frightening to think of an electoral process where you're encouraged to watch a training video over and over.…


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Last month, four U.S. senators asked the FTC to investigate "possible illegal collusion" by saline solution manufacturers to determine whether they had been unfairly cashing in on a two-year shortage. But saline is only one of hundreds of hospital generic injectable drugs whose prices have soared in the last 8 years, And given the current state of affairs in the business, it is a situation unlikely to change.
"It's a broken market," Stephen Schondelmeyer, a pharmacist and economist at the University of Minnesota who has studied drug prices, tells Bloomberg. "Drug companies know there is going to be an end to this blank check era and they are pushing for whatever they can get."
The price of surgery drug glycopyrrolate is one example. Bloomberg reports that when Hikma found itself the sole supplier in 2012, it raised its price more than 800%. Baxter International ($BAX) did the same thing with generic chemo drug cyclophosphamide, raising the price more than 1,200% over 6 years while reporting sales that soared to $463 million in 2014 from just $8 million in 2007. A survey for Bloomberg by DRX of the prices of 3,700 formulations of generic hospital drugs found that over 8 years, 10% of them have doubled in price and dozens have gone up at least 10-fold.
Hikma, Baxter, Hospira and others defend their pricing, often pointing to the cost of upgrades they have made to plants in recent years. For years, sales of generic sterile injectables was a low-margin business that drugmakers were loath to invest in. But that led to significant quality issues and drug recalls, which in turn prompted the FDA under former director Margaret Hamburg to order companies to make improvements or close plants. Some invested; others, like Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim, closed plants. In both cases, markets were disrupted, shortages arose and prices went up.
Hospira, now owned by Pfizer ($PFE), points to the $1 billion it invested in plant upgrades as one reason that prices have risen, like the 700% increase over 8 years for injectable papaverine, a blood vessel dilator.
But to shareholders, drugmakers often present a different spin on these matters. Before its buyout by Pfizer in September, Hospira said that its investment in a massive new plant in India would dramatically reduce its cost of doing business and improve its margins. The CEOs of Hikma and Baxter have pointed to their moves to take advantage of drug shortages as a sign of their company's business acumen.
In its H1 2015 earnings report, Hikma said that "continued success in capturing specific market opportunities" had kept injectables revenue in line with expectations. It also pointed out that the operating margin for the division rose to 42.4% in the first half of the year. It told shareholders that the unit could expect a "robust adjusted operating margin of around 35%" for the year.
Even with big investments, recalls have not always abated. Baxter and Hospira upped their production of saline in response to FDA requests in an effort to ease the shortage. But they also have had repeated recalls that have taken a lot of the product back off the market. They also deny that prices have risen as much as the senators suggested.
The letter to the FTC from Republican Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee and Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar asks the agency to look at why, with all these efforts, the shortage would persist. "Price increases often help clear shortages, but in this case the shortage is still ongoing after nearly two years, raising questions about the incentives of the saline suppliers to solve this problem and about possible coordination among them."
It also asks the agency to pay particular attention to whether the three key saline producers, rather than trying solve the shortage, are even using it to sell other equipment by tying saline sales to other products such as "pumps, tubing, and catheters," a contention alleged by equipment competitors.
- read the Bloomberg story


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French Cruise Company PONANT Signs GAC UK
PONANT Yacht Cruises & Expeditions has appointed GAC UK as its agent for all United Kingdom and Ireland port calls in 2016.
PONANT’s 142m and 132 cabin megayachts Le Boréal and L’Austral will cruise around the British Isles and Ireland, including the Scilly Isles, Shetlands, Dublin, Liverpool and Scottish Highlands in May and June next year.
Fergus Poole, GAC UK’s newly appointed Cruise Manager, said the high prestige business is a boost to GAC’s growing cruise operations in and around the UK and Ireland.
Marc Berberian, PONANT’s Port Operations Manager, said GAC’s recently enhanced support for the cruise sector in and around the British Isles, and its well established port agency infrastructure, were key factors in the selection of the company.
Poole, who was appointed to drive GAC UK’s cruise business in May, added that GAC’s value-added services such as shore expeditions and other related support have been well received by clients throughout Europe. These services, amongst others will be showcased at Seatrade in Hamburg next month, where GAC’s pan-European team of cruise experts from northernmost Norway to the southern Mediterranean will be in attendance.


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Last night, Microsoft and acclaimed artist Washed Out packed the house at The Microsoft Lounge in Venice to present a new collaboration for his first fully immersive multimedia experience album, Mister Mellow. As part of this release, Microsoft will be bringing the Washed Out’s bold visual album to life by producing a powerful live show experience that immerses fans into an ambient, psychedelic and “impressionistic view of the world,” starting
Invite Only – Join Washed Out’s new multimedia album experience and an inside look at how Microsoft technology is bringing his bold vision to life on stage. There will be a Special Q&A with Washed Out + the creative team.
Open – On Friday, June 9th 2017, Lancôme will launch a pop-up shop to celebrate the launch of Monsieur Big, their most show-stopping mascara yet & fronted by Lancôme Ambassadress, Taylor Hill. Taking over BAZAR on Abbot Kinney, Lancôme Monsieur Big Pop Up Shop will be open to the public until Sunday, June 11th, offering FREE products for all visitors, as well as mascara and foundation consultations, games & interactive
Open – Tappan is proud to announce the debut of Escape, an exhibition featuring recent works by New York-based artist Alice Quaresma. Quaresma’s Escape will debut on June 8th at Le Magyzn, a Brazilian design shop in Venice, CA from June 8th- July 8th, 2017. Escape celebrates Quaresma’s experience documenting the landscape of Los Angeles during her residency at the TAPPAN Atelier featuring 15-20 works (ranging in price from $650-$3K).
Open – Summer Sample Sale this Saturday with Stone Cold Fox, Tori Praver, Flynn Skye, Luvak & Jen’s Pirate Booty, accepting card and cash up to 90% off.
Invite Only – Join us for an exclusive music video premiere party at The Microsoft Lounge in Venice, CA next week on Wednesday, July 27 at 8pm. New Zealand-based electropop artist Broods along with Capitol Records will be debuting the music video of their hit summer single “Heartlines” (co-written with Lorde). The event will also have a stripped down performance by Broods using Microsoft Band technology to project live, interactive
RSVP – For the Uncle Sam Jam, nearby businesses in Venice including Dollar Shave Club, Nibble, and 2332 Collective are co-hosting a block party with VIP areas at each address, a kiddie pool lounge, complimentary cocktails, a kissing booth, beer pong, and music fron Sebu of Capital Cities, and the Naven Twins.
RSVP – Girls in Tech LA and Snapchat invite you to Girls in Tech LA Summer Tech Hour! Join us for a FREE (Eventbrite tickets required) networking social at the Snapchat Penthouse! Enjoy drinks and light snacks with members of the LA tech community. We invite you to connect with the Girls in Tech LA chapter, and hear from Snapchat female executives about their experiences as women in technology and
Invite Only – For the first time, Whimsy + Row will release a capsule collection of eco-friendly clothing made in LA from deadstock fabric. Dresses, tops, rompers, etc.! To celebrate, Whimsy + Row will be hosting a Pop Up at MILKMADE in Venice throughout the weekend.


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The Canarian Government has announced that it is working on a Canarian Holiday Bonus that will subsidise the holidays of Canarian residents who take their holiday on the islands.
The move is clearly intended to offer support for hotels, car hire companies and other tourist-reliant businesses in a summer season that remains threatened by restrictions on overseas travel.
The plan is similar to ones that have been put into place in other parts of Spain and will subsidise Canarian residents over the age of 16 on 50% of accommodation costs. Similar subsidies may be applied to other tourist-related services, such as hire cars.
There will be an upper limit on the amount granted, which has not yet been decided but may be between €200 and €600. That figure will have to be matched by the holiday maker, and any further outgoings will not be subsidised. It is planned that the scheme will also apply to residents taking holidays on their own island.
The subsidy will apply to individuals rather than households, meaning that families may benefit from more than one subsidy. It will not be linked to income and, as the holiday maker is expected to match the subsidy paid by the government, is likely to be out of reach for poorer families.
José María Mañaricua, of the Las Palmas Federation of Hotel and Tourism Businessmen, said “This bonus might make many Canarians who were thinking of holidaying off the island think twice and spend their holidays in the Canaries. Their spending will be income for the Canarian economy.”
€5 million of a €10 million emergency fund will be devoted to the initiative by the Canarian government, with a further €5 million being spent on encouraging Spanish mainland tourists to extend their stay on the islands.
The scheme is likely to take the form of a pre-charged card that the customer will purchase for half of the price of the credit value of the card, and the cards will only be permitted to be used in participating businesses.
Further details are likely to emerge next week, and the bonus scheme is likely to begin on July 1st.
For regular updates, pictures and videos of Lanzarote be sure to like and follow our Facebook page “Gazette Life Lanzarote”.


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NAI Hiffman represents furniture distributor in new Chicago lease
CHICAGO, IL (August 15, 2017) – NAI Hiffman is proud to announce that G Furniture, Inc. has signed a new lease at 5420 W Roosevelt Road in Chicago.
NAI Hiffman Executive Vice President, Joe Bronson, SIOR and Associate, Alex Sutterer, represented G Furniture, Inc., a regional furniture distributor of Beverly Furniture.
Established in 2005 in City of Industry, CA, Beverly Furniture is one of the largest furniture wholesalers in Southern California, with five locations in the U.S. including this Chicago distribution center. The company relocated to its 35,550-square-foot location to improve its access to Chicago and leverage the proximity to I-290.


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We were excited when it was announced that Horex, a revisited German brand, was getting a second chance at life and again making motorcycles. The team announced a new street-standard with a VR6 engine — even more interesting was that one of the models was to be supercharged and deliever 200hp.
As time has worn on though, we have become less interested. While the finished Horex VR6 is a beautiful bike, you would be hard-pressed to understand its €24,500 price tag. Disappointingly too, the supercharger model never materialized.
There doesn’t seem to be much of a follow-up for the German brand either, and after debuting the “Classic” model in August of last year, today we get out third flavor of the Horex VR6: the oddly named Horex VR6 Café Racer 33 Limited.


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Medical technology giant Smith & Nephew is thinking of expanding a factory and laboratory facility on Vickery Boulevard that would add 100 jobs and is asking the city for a tax abatement to help with that project.
Smith & Nephew Biotherapeutics is located at 4900 Vickery Blvd., the former location of Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, a developer of “bioactive” wound treatments that Smith & Nephew acquired in 2012. The British company has already done extensive renovations to the property.
The city has offered a five-year abatement on 55 percent of real property taxes once the $25.7 million expansion is completed. That would save the company about $530,000. The City Council will vote on the incentive June 20. This would be the second incentive for the company.
Under terms of the new deal, Smith & Nephew would receive the abatement by meeting certain hiring and spending criteria. The largest part of the incentive is based on hiring Fort Worth residents, and in particular residents who live in the central city, or within Loop 820.
The company already employes 83 workers at the site, but would have to add 100 jobs by Dec. 31, 2022.
Robert Sturns, the city’s economic development director, said the city has been wanting to attract more biotech-related firms to Fort Worth. He said Smith & Nephew is also looking at two New Jersey locations and one in Curacao for possible expansion.
“This would be a nice addition to our biotech industry,” Sturns said. “This project will allow them to really build end-to-end manufacturing capabilities for one of two of their key brands in their portfolio.”
Councilman Dennis Shingleton said Smith & Nephew adds to the city’s medical manufacturing quiver, which could help attract other businesses to Fort Worth.
In July 2015, the City Council approved a five-year, $250,000 incentive for the company’s U.S. headquarters of its Advanced Wound Management division.
The London-based firm leased office space in the Clearfork development along Chisholm Trail Parkway on the city’s southwest side for the division’s marketing, sales and finance staffs. The company moved about 100 employees to Fort Worth from St. Petersburg, Fla.
Under that deal, Smith & Nephew must increase its staff to 250 employees by Dec. 31, 2021 to receive the full incentive.
Smith & Nephew was founded in Hull, about 200 miles north of London, more than 160 years ago by Thomas James Smith. It has grown from a pharmacy to a global supplier of advanced medical devices with approximately 15,000 employees.
During World War I, the company specialized in the supply of field dressings. Today, the company said it makes products for healthcare professionals in more than 100 countries. It reported nearly $4.7 billion in sales in 2016.


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The whipsawed workforce at Motorola Mobility saw another 1,200 jobs go out the door on Friday, completing yet another round for the long struggling mobile phone maker.
The majority of the cuts were taking place outside the United States, such as in China and India, and will continue for an unspecified time. Cuts in the United States were completed on Friday. The company declined to specify the numbers by locations or types of positions, although affected workers received severance packages and outplacement services.
"These cuts are a continuation of the reductions we announced last summer. It's obviously very hard for the employees concerned, and we are committed to helping them through this difficult transition," said company spokesman William Moss.
Libertyville-based Motorola Mobility is on track to move its headquarters to downtown Chicago this year, despite the fact it had already lost its incentive package for $10 million a year for 10 years after parent Google announced 4,000 job cuts last year and couldn't deliver the necessary 2,500 workers.
The company declined to say its overall workforce numbers that may remain since operations are still in flux.
When Mountain View, Calif.-based Google bought Motorola Mobility last year for $12.4 billion, it had about 20,000 employees but declined to provide more up-to-date workforce numbers.
Google had about 53,000 employees as of September 2012.
The online search leader also expects to pare jobs at the division with a planned $2.35 billion sale of the Motorola set-top business, which has about 7,000 employees. The home business, which is being acquired by Arris, is not affected by the current cuts.
The latest cuts continued to fuel speculation that Google bought Motorola primarily for its 17,000 patents, bolstering the company in the mobile device arms race with other technology companies.
The cellphone business has lost market share to Apple and Samsung, however, and posted operating losses of $1.1 billion since Google completed the Motorola deal in May.
Analysts have been concerned that adding a phone manufacturing business could hurt Google's profitability and potentially alienate the other device makers that use Google's Android mobile operating system. Samsung, HTC and other phone makers run Android. Apple and BlackBerry have their own systems.
• Associated Press contributed to this story.


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Articles By Industry Articles
Medline Industries, Inc. and FedEx are the first customers at Prologis International Park of Commerce, a new master-planned park in Tracy, CA.
Facility will support the company’s nationwide operations.
The Land of Enchantment hit an all-time high for total exports in 2014, shipping close to $4 billion worth of goods from a diverse range of sectors and nearly doubling exports to Mexico.
A new advisory group aims to turn the Land of Lincoln into a global innovation destination, implementing a vision for a 21st-century economy.
Cascade Designs will bring 100 new jobs to Northern Nevada.
Local online marketing company doubles its office space after moving to new Hudson Yards location.
The Fortune 500 Company is moving into Sugar Creek on the Lake as part of a $10-million investment that will create 600 jobs.
Advanced plastics manufacturer to invest $10.4 million in the area and will create more than 200 new jobs.
Leader in health care innovation chooses Atlanta for expansion; Mayor Reed and state officials applaud the job-creating move.
Keeping the business climate attractive in New Mexico is a multi-tiered prospect.


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A camp for entrepreneurs in the heart of Dalmatia.
“Three years ago when we organized the first entrepreneurs’ camp, we wanted to put it on the map of Europe. Now, when I see its reach and a ballroom full of participants, I believe we are on the right track”, said Ivana Ninčević, president of the Entrepreneurial Centre in Solin, at the opening of the Entrepreneurs’ Camp at the President Hotel in Solin, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on October 4, 2015.
“This year, 24 participants applied with their ideas, five of which have decided to present them in front of wider audience. Our entrepreneurs’ camp was also just an idea at the very beginning, so follow your ideas with courage and have no fear”, said Ninčević to all participants. Anđelko Katavić spoke on behalf of the Split-Dalmatia County, presenting the program of economic development of the county, as well as entrepreneurship incentives which are on offer.
“My heart leapt when I saw so many young and enterprising people on which the future of our city and Croatia depends. Therefore, initiatives like this of the Entrepreneurial Centre will always have our support”, said the mayor of Solin Blaženko Boban.
The opening ceremony was followed by a panel discussion open to the general public on the topic “Rural development of local government units for the development of entrepreneurship”. One of the participants was Ivan Mrvoš from Solin, the winner of last year’s camp who presented his numerous ideas, from “lighting chair” to “smart bench”. He said that such benches have already been placed all over Croatia, and he has even received orders from around the world.
This year, the event was staged under the auspices of the Croatian president Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Trades, the Split-Dalmatia County and the City of Solin.
Five participants presented their entrepreneurial ideas: Filip Lagator presented the idea of mobile application “Cook Me Now!”, which helps in preparing meals based on the food which users have in their fridges; Andro Kuzmanić, a student of the Faculty of Economics, presented “Chess Genius” (a chessboard modernized with new technologies, with touch-screen, LED lighting, USB port, Wi-Fi, and options such as “smart move” and “virtual adjudicator”); Josip Lažeta introduced Jakša Vidović’s idea “Lucky4You” (self-sustaining station which serves as an information point with Wi-Fi access); Ives Cikatić-Bilaš presented a specialized travel agency (tourism for people with special needs, tourism without barriers); while Krunoslav Poljak introduced “Vozi Me”, a mobile application for easy transport by private cars to the desired location.


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NEW DELHI: The government is working on a modality to facilitate creation of more work spaces in sub-urban areas to increase manufacturing in garment sector, besides a score of other measures to boost textiles industry.
The proposal was a part of the roadmap laid down at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week to discuss measures to boost themanufacturing sector.
"To boost manufacturing, some of the key elements that were approved include creation of enough work spaces in the garment sector so that supply is slightly in excess of demand,"National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) Member Secretary Ajay Shankar said at a CII function.
For this, accommodation for workers would be created because these work centres would be set up in suburban areas, or industrial centres, he said, adding that workers employed in these units would also be properly trained to produce good quality items matching the global standards.
The goal of the strategy is to leverage the strengths of sector to enhance employment generation and achieve a greater share in global markets, especially in apparel.
"Besides, stress would be given on improving processing and modernisation of the weaving segment to really make sure that we succeed with a big-bang," Shankar said.
The core of the strategy was to facilitate the rapid scaling of competitiveness of the garment segment of the textile sector through a comprehensive package of measures.
Shankar said the Prime Minister has given clear time- lines as to when what should happen. "So we will be working on implementation now and keeping him informed about the progress," he said.
At the high-level meeting, a road-map of measures was laid out to increase textile exports by 30 per cent in the current fiscal year, amid a declining rupee.
India's apparel exports declined by over 5 per cent to $12.9 billion in 2012-13 due to sluggish demand in western markets.
The US and Europe, which together account for over 65 per cent of the country's apparel exports, have been facing weak economic growth.
Talking about Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), he said, "Japanese small units have achieved great success and Indian MSMEs can also adopt their model."
The NMCC has been set up by the government to provide a forum for policy dialogue to energise and sustain the growth of manufacturing industries in India.


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Major infrastructure changes are needed to relieve the UK’s supply chain struggles and prevent similar crises in the future, the government’s logistics tsar has reportedly cautioned.
Former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis said that the “seismic move in consumer shopping habits… Together with a global shipping challenge, has shown the pressure on our existing supply chain infrastructure”.
“The opportunity to step back and strategically consider infrastructure options which reflect the changing consumption habits of the population, the decarbonisation agenda and the need to enhance supply chain capacity and resilience is very real,” he wrote in an email seen by Sky News.
Lewis, who has been appointed by prime minister Boris Johnson to conduct a three-month review of the UK’s supply chain health, is looking to “future proof” the country’s logistics infrastructure.
The collision of the pandemic and Brexit has put vast pressure on traditional routes and practices, which has prompted an increasing number of businesses to bring their distribution hubs closer to home – as warehouse deals hit a record high.
A shortage of HGV drivers has inflated the issue, triggering huge queues at petrol stations across the country in the autumn.
The summer ‘pingdemic’, as well as staff shortages as a result of the country’s latest wave of Covid-19 has also fanned the fire.
Meanwhile, the country’s new shopping habits – which has seen record surges in e-commerce has piled on the pressure for suppliers and hauliers.
“Obviously we are all critically aware that the Omicron wave puts this work under new pressure,” explained Lewis.
“Key sectors appear to have good contingency plans in place but the situation is changing very rapidly so we need to plan for the worst and hope for the best.”
Lewis advised the government to speed up the licensing of lorry drivers in a bid to ease the issue in the immediate term.
The logistics tsar added that action should be taken to “enhance the capacity and resilience of the supply chain in rapid order”, with visible work being done in the first quarter of next year.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “We are grateful for Sir Dave Lewis’s support and advice as the government works with businesses to manage supply chain challenges. This work, to enhance the resilience of UK supply chains, will continue into the New Year.”


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A new version of the AJAX Control Toolkit has been released and is now available. You can download it from here.
There are three new controls:
- HTMLEditor – essentially a WYSIWYG editor (similar to FCKEditor). Demo.
- ComboBox – combines the functionality of a TextBox and DropDownList control. Demo.
- ColorPicker – a control which generates a color swatch (in a popup) for users to pick a color from. Demo.
Find out more about the new release here.


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BBC runs long article on coffee prices, however, forgets to mention Fairtrade.
The BBC is currently under fire for its recent grossly one sided (and therefore technically illegal) Panorama programme smearing Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party.
Now they have published a long article about the problems of coffee growers forced by low prices into poverty. The article is fairly truthful in pointing to the way the West exploits producer countries. But then they conclude there is not much to be done and the outrageous markup made by some coffee companies is justified by high rents and minimum wages.
Just one problem: in a long and detailed report there is no mention of the Fairtrade system as a solution.
Coffee Plant calls on the BBC to apologise for omitting the only large scale solution to coffee growers poverty.
The article can be found at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48631129.


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Idea Cellular, India’s third largest telecom operator, is reported to launch a new smartphone in order to counter Reliance JioPhone pretty soon. The company is expected to launch its phone at a price point of Rs 2,500. The practical solution that we are working on is to work with the handset industry and work with them to be able to bring down cost of handsets by bringing down the bill of material, so that the gap of the announced price of Jio feature phone versus a smart-phone can be brought down to reasonable levels, Himanshu Kapania, the Managing Director of Idea Cellular, was quoted. He further added that the exact pricing of the upcoming smartphone is yet to be decided, but it might be priced around Rs 2,500.
With the launch Reliance JioPhone, concerns about net neutrality are once again at centre stage. Kapania said, the JioPhone will not allow most of the apps available in the market and it will force the customers to use individual operator’s apps. He further added that the upcoming handset from Idea will not only give an option to choose the operator of his/her choice, but will also allow downloading applications like Google, Facebook or WhatsApp.
Meanwhile, Airtel is also reported to partner with other handset manufacturers to provide affordable 4G-enabled feature phone. However, unlike JioPhone, Airtel will not ‘subsidise’ the cost of the handset, instead, it will bundle it different plans. “We have no intention to get into subsidizing devices and running the inventory as if we own them. There is a difference between subsidizing and bundling. We have done that on the smartphone side for many years. We will continue to look at bundling,” Gopal Vittal, Chief Executive and Managing Director, Airtel said in a statement.
Reliance Jio once again made some gargantuan waves in the telecom and handset sectors with the launch of its latest 4G-enabled feature phone known as JioPhone. We earlier reported that the company is planning to bring in a shipment of 50 million ( five crores) devices to India. Sources familiar with the development have said to The Mobile Indian, ” Reliance Jio is going to bring in five crores JioPhones to India which it plans to sell in three months. The first few batches of the shipment have already arrived in India and at present are being dispatched to stores.”
The five crore JioPhones will come in batches, and it is expected that by the first week of October entire shipment will reach the country. Our sources further added, Jio is also ready with plan B if the uptake of JioPhone is not as per expectation. The company will come with another offer. Though there is not much clarity about what new offer of Plan B will be we are of the opinion that refundable security deposit of Rs 1,500 may be reduced or the lock in period, three years, to claim the refund may be reduced drastically. Coming to the JioPhone, the device will be available for pre-booking from August 24 from MyJio app and physical retail stores. The company will provide free voice calls, unlimited data and Jio apps for Rs 153 per month with Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan plans to JioPhone customers.
The device will also come with TV-Cable that will allow users to connect their JioPhone with TV ( not only Smart TVs but also CRT TVs) to watch live TV. The company has priced the TV pack for Rs 309 per month. Further, there two sachets, one with Rs 24 for two days and Rs 54 plan for a week. Users will enjoy the same benefits as the monthly recharge of Rs 153. The device sports a 2.4-inch QVGA display and it comes with SD card slot as well. It does not support touch interface instead it comes with an alphanumeric keypad.


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|Type of post:||Chorus news item|
|Date Posted:||Tue, Nov 21 2017|
|The Choo Choo Chorus and Scenic City Chorus are excited to be doing another joint Christmas show this year!
For a group of 10 or more, tickets are $15 each. Single tickets and groups of less than 10 are $18 each. $20 at the door, so buy your tickets early! Children 12 and under are FREE.
Visit choochoochorus.org and sceniccitychorus.com for more information.


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Cargo, which places boxes with items for sale in ridesharing vehicles such as Uber, has partnered with Snapchat for its launch in the Los Angeles, Calif. market. In addition to using the Cargo app to shop for products, passengers can access the Cargo storefront from the Snapchat app by scanning the Snapcode printed on the Cargo box.
Cargo has access to Uber’s API, allowing passengers to use their smartphones to buy products. Riders can use their preferred mobile wallet or credit card to pay for items, which are handed to them once the vehicle has stopped. Rideshare drivers can earn up to $300 extra per month in commissions, referrals and performance bonuses, according to Cargo, which ships replenishment items directly to drivers’ homes.
Cargo’s West Coast debut follows the in-car commerce platform’s introductions in New York, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta and Dallas. The startup recently raised $5.5 million in venture funding to scale operations faster across the U.S. Cargo’s goal is to reach more than 25 million passengers riding in 20,000 vehicles in 2018.
“As we enter each new city, our mission is to tailor the Cargo experience and product selection to our riders’ preferences,” said Jeff Cripe, Cargo CEO in a statement. “Snap is the ultimate L.A. success story. We’re thrilled to offer an even more seamless way to order products using Snapchat, and to provide them with the highest quality, trending snacks by partnering with SnackNation.”
As Cargo scales up across the country, SnackNation will provide data and guidance to help the company predict and source products that fit into regional and seasonal merchandising strategies tailored to a diverse passenger base.


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- Displaying photos tagged Green energy [back to index]
Photo: Michael McManus, May 10.
Photo: Company, Oct 17.
Photo: Suntech, Jul 13.
Photo: company, Nov 3.
Photo: Company, Oct 30.
Photo: Company, Oct 7.
Photo: Company, Sep 21.
Photo: Company, Feb 27.
- Heraeus Photovoltaics Business Unit to Attend PV EXPO Japan 2014
- Andreas Liebheit becomes Global Manager for Heraeus Photovoltaics Business Unit
- Heraeus to showcase new metallization pastes at Renewable Energy India 2013
- ABB to acquire Power-One to become a global leader in solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters
- Heraeus purchases the Ferro Corporation solar paste business
Digitimes recently interviewed Bert Gyselinckx, general manager of the Holst Centre in Eindhoven, to...
Digitimes recently spoke with Karen Lightman, the executive director of MEMS Industry Group (MIG),...
GaAs solar material maker Alta Devices boasts solar cells with an efficiency of 28.8%, but perhaps...
The Taiwan-based solar supply chain is likely to enter a period of consolidation. For upstream material...


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Technology and the internet are perhaps the most exciting areas today. Literally more than half of the population uses at least some type of technology, no matter if it’s a smartwatch or a supercomputer, and is connected to the internet. No wonder that some of the biggest companies today are active in this area, and have huge piles of cash to spend.
And it’s also not a surprise that they spend a good part of their pile of cash on other companies. Most of the times, they engulf startups coming up with an attractive idea that they want to incorporate in their own product or service, without having to spend years and countless work hours on creating their own version. Sometimes, in turn, these acquisitions are about more than just adding a new feature to an already existing product or service.
Facebook and Giphy
A picture is worth a thousand words, they say – and a small animated picture may be even more expressive. Social media users constantly use GIFs to comment on their peers’ updates, and most of these GIFs come from a service called GIPHY. A service that, as of this May, is part of the vast Facebook empire.
Facebook bought Giphy not for its advertising potential (the previous owners have barely started experimenting with the monetization of the service) but for all the information it can provide the blue giant with. You see, around half of GIPHY’s 65-million user base already comes from Facebook but the other half comes from services ranging from TikTok to iMessage.
According to analysts, what Facebook actually wanted from the GIF-sharing service was the insight into emerging trends and viral content – and it can get it by taking a look at what GIFs people select when commenting on different pieces of content.
Apple and NextVR
Apple has taken a few steps toward diversifying its product portfolio in the last few years, extending into the content creation, automotive, and health industry. The former seems to have remained a priority for the company, at least judging by one of their latest acquisitions: California-based virtual reality company NextVR.
NextVR is a virtual reality event platform that delivers live sports and music in virtual reality. It has patented technology to deliver VR experiences to its users around the world and partnerships with traditional media entities like Fox Sports, Live Nation, and the NBA, among others.
According to some sources, Apple is working on several VR and AR solutions to be presented in the coming years, including an AR smart glass that will reportedly be released in 2022.
Alphabet and North
Alphabet’s – or better said Google’s – dedication to VR and AR is well-known, just think of the Google Glass, a project announced in 2012 that got us all excited but was finally scrapped over privacy concerns. The development of smart glasses hasn’t stopped, and neither did Google’s interest in the matter. This was the likely reason for Alphabet’s recent acquisition of Canadian AR startup North.
North, founded in 2012 as Thalmic Labs, developed not only an augmented reality glass called Focals but also Myo, a gesture-based input device reading the neuro-muscular impulses of the arm it’s put on. Now, North will continue as part of Google toward making our lives easier by putting a digital layer between us and the world. And, hopefully, toward the rebirth of Google Glass in a brand new form.


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Today, Sony and Kojima Productions revealed the newest trailer for Hideo Kojima’s upcoming sequel, Death Stranding 2. This is what Sony and Kojima Productions revealed about Sam’s next journey;
Embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam—with companions by his side—sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles, and a haunting question: should we have connected? Step by step, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima changes the world once again.
After seeing this trailer, I can say I am full invested and want this game in my life now. Sadly, we must wait a bit long, the game has been slated for 2025, but until then check back here for more news on all this from Kojima Productions!


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The Black Farmer farmshop, housed in a major redevelopment of Brixton’s Market Row, is due to open on Thursday 14 December.
Described as “a rural oasis in the heart of urban Britain,” part of the shop will occupy the space that formerly housed Nour Cash & Carry – which is now in Brixton Village/Granville Arcade. It will also have a new mezzanine floor and a glass roof (image above).
It will offer “an array of products that marry tradition with innovation”.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, founder of The Black Farmer brand, said: “This farmshop is the beginning of a new journey for the brand.
“My vision is to bring the traditions of a rural farmshop to urban Britain, and with that comes the opportunity to create a hub where people can connect and feel part of the community.
“Brixton, as host of my flagship store, will always be extremely special for me and where The Black Farmer has been welcomed with open arms.”
The Handpan Gentlemen will perform at the opening.
“This event provides the perfect opportunity for customers to meet The Black Farmer team members who will be looking after them every day,” said the company.
“The brand has been built on the strength of its relationships and relishes the opportunity to do this on a one-to-one basis in person.”
Shoppers are promised a wide range of fresh meat, deli items and cheese, as well as homeware and gifts, “all with that little eccentricity fans have come to expect from The Black Farmer”.
An in-store kitchen will offer fresh sandwiches, wraps, baguettes and baked goods, breakfast favourites and coffee. Hot and cold food, including a selection of plant-based alternatives, will be available to carry out.
The Black Farmer is launching an app providing customers with access to rewards and a mean to stay connected with the store’s latest offerings.


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Taxable Sales In Florida Decrease For The First Time In About 50 Years Miamidade Fares Slightly Better Than Most In State With Help Of International Business Growth
By Jacquelyn Weiner
Fiscal 2008 taxable sales declined 5.4% statewide for the first drop in nearly half a century, while Miami-Dade fared a bit better with a decline of 2.6%, state officials say.
In an indication of the statewide economic distress, the Florida Department of Revenue said taxable sales in the state dropped from $339.1 billion in fiscal 2007 to $320.9 billion in fiscal ’08.
"We always had a higher level of taxable sales than the year before," said Frank Williams, the department’s chief economist. "This past year is the first year statewide that sales tax collections went negative."
Historical data on state taxable sales dates to 1964, he said. The state’s fiscal year runs from July to June.
Miami-Dade County showed a drop in taxable sales from $39.9 billion in fiscal ’07 to $38.8 billion in fiscal ’08.
"Miami’s outperforming statewide in everything except construction-related activity," Mr. Williams said.
Building investment in Miami fell 19.8% in May from May 2007, compared to the statewide 10.9% decrease, according to data from the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, a research arm of the Florida Legislature.
"Construction has been a major force in Florida’s economy for the past five or six years and, of course, that’s been shut down," said Peter Thompson, an economist with Florida International University.
And with the hard hits construction and home sales have taken, along with increased unemployment, Floridians are less likely to spend, he said.
Manuel Lasaga, president of StratInfo, a Miami economics and finance consulting firm, said Miami-Dade is somewhat sheltered from the state’s recession because of its international appeal.
The growth of international business, he said, is "acting like a shock absorber to our economy." Advertisement


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On the bright side, small business confidence didn’t decline last month. But it certainly didn’t improve much, either.
The National Federation of Independent Business’ small business optimism index inched up by the smallest of margins – just 0.1 point – in January, marking the fifth consecutive month of improvement and settling the index at 93.9. However, the index remains at recession levels and continues to lag in year-over-year comparisons.
“Nothing happened last month that would significantly improve the small-business outlook,” William Dunkelberg, NFIB chief economist, said in a statement. “The Index remains below its level a year ago of 94.1 which means that no progress was made in 2011. Congress has failed to pass a budget for over 1,000 days, and without discipline on spending or any budgetary priorities, there is no path to fiscal sanity in Washington.”
Small business owners are becoming slightly less pessimistic about the outlook for business conditions and sales growth, according to the report released Tuesday, but that hasn’t driven many of them hire more workers. Over the past few months, 11 percent of business owners increased employment by an average of 3 workers per firm – a number essentially offset by the 11 percent of business owners who decreased employment by an average of 2.9 workers over the same period.
On average, capital spending and company earnings also dipped in the latest report, while the net percent of owners reporting higher sales increased by a single point.
The NFIB touted the trends as evidence that the economy will continue to “crawl along at a sub-par pace” in the coming months. Dunkelberg placed much of the blame for the stubbornly low index levels on uncertainty surrounding the nation’s expanding debt and gridlock in Washington.
“U.S. debt is now larger than our GDP, and headed in the wrong direction,” he said. “This does not make for a comforting future, a fact reflected by low consumer and small-business owner optimism.”


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NEW YORK — Fans of low-budget action movies, foreign films and independent American pictures are losing the two pay-per-view channels, Urban and Cinema, that In Demand created last year as outlets for offbeat movies.
The channels are being driven out of existence by the two high-definition TV networks In Demand will launch on Sept. 15. Even though In Demand is the dominant distributor of PPV movies and events in the U.S., the company will program the high-def channels as digital basic-cable networks, not pay-per-view.
Programming on the high-def networks will consist of sports events from the Tennis Channel and the College Sports Network, as well as theatrical movies and TV series from packagers like HD Net.
“This decision is another example in the evolution of cable television from linear channels to on-demand digital programming and high-definition pictures,” said Dan York, senior VP of programming for In Demand.
Dropping the Urban and Cinema channels, which launched in February 2002, was a tough choice for In Demand because they were often the only place where people who love recently released specialized movies could find them on the TV dial: Most of the titles made too little impact at the box office to take up residence on the regular PPV channels that featured the higher-grossing pictures.
But at least 7 million of these aficionados of oddball movies will be able to pay for them via video-on-demand, which can accommodate unconventional tastes by offering a selection of hundreds of movies at one time for an average retail price of $3.95 a title.
York said industry projections indicate that by December, more than 10 million cable homes will have access to video-on-demand, and that figure could double by the end of 2004.
In Demand is pushing more heavily into high-def because the price of some of the 27-inch high-def TV sets is dropping below $1,000 for the first time, spurring hopes among set manufacturers that hundreds of thousands of people will buy the sets during the holiday season. “This Christmas could be a watershed for high-def,” York said.
Seven million homes already own high-def TV sets, but only 2 million of them have shelled out for the decoder that would allow them to get the full benefit of a high-def image, according to the Yankee Group.


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CBD shops are starting to open up in Alabama thanks to the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Within hours of the bill’s signing into law, one Alabama proprietor submitted paperwork to request a business license. Honeysuckle Hemp offers raw hemp flower as well as other hemp-derived CBD products.
The raw hemp flower offered at Honeysuckle Hemp is kept in drawers, WSFA 12 News noted. Other CBD products are lined up neatly in glass cases. The shop focuses on natural healing.
Owner Chad Chig Martin said, “I had been keeping up with the Farm Bill and knew this was coming. When the Farm Bill was officially signed – within a couple hours – I was requesting a business license in Alabama.”
Honeysuckle Hemp is considered to be Alabama’s first CBD superstore. There are 9 different brands of CBD oil available. The location is also touted as having the largest amount of raw hemp flower in the state. There are three strains available.
The hemp products in this store come from California, Colorado, Tennessee and Utah.
For those that must avoid all THC, there are THC-free options available.
Martin said, “All of our products have under that .3 percent.”
The state’s Attorney General, Steve Marshall, issued guidance very quickly after the Farm Bill was signed.
All customers leave with paperwork showing that their product is below 0.3% THC.
Martin said, “We’ve gotten to a point in society where we think of natural medicine as a dirty word. We’re trying to change the thinking here. Natural medicine should be a great word compared to pharmaceutical and chemical driven medicine.”
It is expected that more hemp CBD shops will be opening around the state in the coming months.


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Harvey Nichols pushes summer sale with incontinent models
By Matthew Chapman, campaignlive.co.uk, Tuesday, 12 June 2012 11:00AM
Harvey Nichols' summer press campaign features models who appear to have wet themselves in excitement about the store's seasonal sale.
The tongue-in-cheek campaign, created by DDB UK, features four different executions with models striking poses dressed in items from the current Harvey Nichols Spring Summer 2012 collections.
The creative's text states, "The Harvey Nichols Sale. Try to contain your excitement" and there are wet patches on the groin area of the models' outfits.
Julia Bowe, group press and marketing director, at Harvey Nichols said: "In the past we’ve experienced everything from customers camping outside the store overnight to be at the front of the queue, to fierce tussles between over-zealous bargain-hunters on the shop floor.
"In humorous reaction to the often-irrational excitement sale time engenders, we have developed this campaign to capture this near-fanatical spirit."
The sale launches tomorrow (13 June) and will feature brands include Alexander McQueen, Alice + Olivia and Charlotte Olympia at prices reduced by up to 70%.
Jeremy Craigen, executive creative director at DDB UK, said: "I wet myself when I saw this idea. That says it all really."
Last Christmas the retailer ran a viral campaign featuring women heading home on the "walk of shame".
Creative was handled by Craigen, and the creative team of Nikki Lindman and Toby Brewer.
Rocket was the media agency, while Alan Clarke was the photographer.
Follow Matthew Chapman at @mattchapmanUK
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
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- FT to reveal first design overhaul in seven years
- Philips launches campaign for app-controlled lightbulbs
- Sorrell warns of Scotland becoming an 'outlier' and the UK 'diminished' by a Yes vote
- Notonthehighstreet.com launches brand campaign
- Publicis boss Maurice Lévy to step down in 2017 amid board shake-up
- 18 Feet & Rising wins Skoda digital brief


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Blockchain device manufacturer Pundi X revealed that the new blockchain phone that will be released later this year allows users to switch between blockchain and Android.
That the Pundi X team has ambitious goals was already known. The company aims to bring in the next billion crypto users as it allows users to buy, sell, use cryptocurrency anywhere and anytime. Pundi X’s new blockchain phone will most definitely be a step in the right direction.
Last year in October, Pundi X announced that it was planning on releasing a blockchain phone. The phone called XPhone, is scheduled for a release in Q3 of 2019. Since the first announcement, more news about the new phone has been published from time to time.
This week, during the Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona, Pundi X revealed more details about the XPhone. According to Pundi X, the new phone will let users switch between a traditional mode that supports Android apps and a “blockchain mode,” which will grant users access to decentralized apps (DApps) loaded on the device.
Pundi X said about the XPhone:
“Blockchain-based calling and messaging can be toggled on and off on the phone operating system, which builds upon Android 9.0.”
At launch, the phone will retail for $599, meaning it is cheaper than other blockchain phones like the HTC EXODUS 1 and the Samsung Galaxy S10. One problem: according to the official website only 5,000 XPhones will be built and sold in the beginning. Therefore, it wont be easy to possess the X IPhone from the start.


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Rwanda earned $90.5 million from tea exports in 2018, a 7.4 percent increase from 2017. Over the same period, coffee accounted for $68.7 million worth of exports, up 7.2 percent from the previous year.
The National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) said that in order to generate the revenues expected in 2020, the country expects to export 34,000 tons of processed tea, compared to the 30,000 tons exported last year.
The disclosure was made by Issa Nkurunziza, Traditional Commodities Division Manager at NAEB, on Thursday during the launch of Season 2020 A for tea.
According to Issa Nkurunziza about 11,000 tons of fertilizer will be used in 2019/2020. In addition, more than 88,000 tea plants are expected to be planted this season throughout the country.
As a reminder, the tea industry employs about 42,000 people in Rwanda. The East African nation mainly exports its leaf to Pakistan, the United Kingdom and Kazakhstan. In the last fiscal year, 96 per cent of Rwanda’s exports were shipped to 13 countries.


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Since 2014, the NFL Players Association has released a Top 50 'Players Sales List' showing which players sold the most officially licensed products in the past year.
After tallying all the products sold from March 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert came in at No. 10 on the list.
Not only does the list include jersey sales, but it includes T-shirts, hoodies, bobbleheads, wall decals, backpacks, photos, drinkware, pet products and more.
Bolt Up for 2022!
Secure your 2022 Season Ticket Memberships today! Click here to learn more.


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|By Kevin Benedict||
|January 2, 2014 07:00 AM EST||
Also read Enterprise Mobility Asia News Weekly
Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Cyber Security News Weekly
Also read Mobile Health News Weekly
Looking for an enterprise mobility solution? Read the Mobile Solution Directory Here!
It was only a matter of time before smartphones started hurting every camera maker in the industry, and according to a new report from Reuters, only the three big ones will survive: “Only those who have a strong brand and are competitive on price will last — and only Canon, Nikon and Sony fulfill that criteria.” Read Original Content
Ben Liu, a father who has also worked as a teacher for 20 years, has just launched a fundraiser on Indiegogo to try to raise money to market his innovative and educational West Journey Spell Force voice language game. The game, which Liu says is the first voice language game released on the mobile application market, helps children practice their speech and learn language. Read Original Content
GainClients, Inc. adds a mobile home search application, Property Seeker, to its web and text lead generation and marketing platform. The Property Seeker app provides buyers instant access to all of the homes for sale in each available market. Consumers can save favorite homes and searches; share homes via social media and connect with local Real Estate, Lender and Title Professionals. Read Original Content
Magic Software Enterprises, with a presence in more than 50 countries, provides development, deployment, and integration of core business applications, supporting scalable deployment on multiple channels, including on-premise, Web (HTML5), rich Internet, mobile, and SaaS. This newsletter is sponsored in part by Magic Software Enterprises.
Christmas application downloads were up by 91 percent compared to an average day in the first three weeks of December, according to a new report from Flurry Analytics. Read Original Content
According to a new market research report, World Mobile phone & Smartphone Market, published by MarketsandMarkets, the total global mobile handset market is expected to reach $341.4 billion by 2015 while smartphone sales will account for 75.8 percent of the overall mobile handset revenue at $258.9 billion in the same year. Read Original Content
Read Original Content
According to the results of a recently released online poll, almost half of Canadian smartphone owners said they keep their device with them pretty much 24/7. About 42 percent of the respondents in the survey, conducted by Harris-Decima for Rogers, said they keep their phone within reach for 90 to 100 percent of the day. Read Original Content
Android operating system continued to broaden its smartphone market power, with the mobile platform now cornering a stupendous 81 percent market share in fiscal Q3, as shown in a data purchased by research analyst firm IDC. Read Original Content
Apple's iPhone 5 has become the most commonly used smartphone in the UAE replacing Samsung S3, according to a new report released by the country's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Read Original Content
Samsung was ranked the best enterprise smartphone solutions provider in the world. Market research company ABI Research released the results its Enterprise Smartphone vendor matrix and determined out of nine smartphone vendors evaluated in 18 categories, Samsung’s handsets and services are the best available for enterprise use. Read Original Content
U.S. smartphone penetration jumped from 56 percent on January 1, 2013 to 65 percent of subscribers by the end of October 2013, according to research firm Nielsen. Android and iOS devices ruled the year with 52 percent and 41 percent market share, respectively. Read Original Content
Berg Insight estimates the total value of the global mobile marketing and advertising market was €6.9 billion in 2012, having experienced strong growth in the fluctuating financial climate in recent years. Read Original Content
According to a report from The Information, Hewlett Packard aims to introduce six-inch and seven-inch smartphones for consumers in emerging markets including China, India, and the Philippines. The mobile devices will be sold at around $200 to $250 without carrier contract. Read Original Content
Lenovo’s entry into the smartphone and tablet market has paid off. The firm has revealed its best-ever Q2 results, including a rise in sales of mobile devices. Lenovo achieved growth of 78 percent year-on-year for smartphones, while its tablet sales grew by 4.2 times. Read Original Content
Reportbuyer.com just published a new market research report: Strategic Analysis of European Rail eTicketing Market. The study provides the technology requirements for mobility integration and future prospects along with the benefits of integrating mobility with the help of eTicketing in rail transportation. Read Original Content
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SYS-CON Events announced today that Interoute, owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2015 at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Interoute is the owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform which encompasses 12 data centers, 14 virtual data centers and 31 colocation centers, with connections to 195 ad...
Feb. 11, 2016 03:45 PM EST Reads: 405
SYS-CON Events announced today that Alert Logic, Inc., the leading provider of Security-as-a-Service solutions for the cloud, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Alert Logic, Inc., provides Security-as-a-Service for on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures, delivering deep security insight and continuous protection for customers at a lower cost than traditional security solutions. Ful...
Feb. 11, 2016 02:45 PM EST Reads: 436
The Quantified Economy represents the total global addressable market (TAM) for IoT that, according to a recent IDC report, will grow to an unprecedented $1.3 trillion by 2019. With this the third wave of the Internet-global proliferation of connected devices, appliances and sensors is poised to take off in 2016. In his session at @ThingsExpo, David McLauchlan, CEO and co-founder of Buddy Platform, will discuss how the ability to access and analyze the massive volume of streaming data from mil...
Feb. 11, 2016 01:45 PM EST
Join us at Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo 2016 – June 7-9 at the Javits Center in New York City and November 1-3 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA – and deliver your unique message in a way that is striking and unforgettable by taking advantage of SYS-CON's unmatched high-impact, result-driven event / media packages.
Feb. 11, 2016 01:45 PM EST
SYS-CON Events announced today that Commvault, a global leader in enterprise data protection and information management, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7–9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Commvault is a leading provider of data protection and information management...
Feb. 11, 2016 01:30 PM EST Reads: 435
WebSocket is effectively a persistent and fat pipe that is compatible with a standard web infrastructure; a "TCP for the Web." If you think of WebSocket in this light, there are other more hugely interesting applications of WebSocket than just simply sending data to a browser. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Frank Greco, Director of Technology for Kaazing Corporation, will compare other modern web connectivity methods such as HTTP/2, HTTP Streaming, Server-Sent Events and new W3C event APIs ...
Feb. 11, 2016 12:00 PM EST
With an estimated 50 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020, several industries will begin to expand their capabilities for retaining end point data at the edge to better utilize the range of data types and sheer volume of M2M data generated by the Internet of Things. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Don DeLoach, CEO and President of Infobright, will discuss the infrastructures businesses will need to implement to handle this explosion of data by providing specific use cases for filte...
Feb. 11, 2016 12:00 PM EST Reads: 205
SYS-CON Events announced today that Pythian, a global IT services company specializing in helping companies adopt disruptive technologies to optimize revenue-generating systems, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2015 at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Founded in 1997, Pythian is a global IT services company that helps companies compete by adopting disruptive technologies such as cloud, Big Data, advanced analytics, and DevO...
Feb. 11, 2016 11:30 AM EST Reads: 244
SYS-CON Events announced today that Avere Systems, a leading provider of enterprise storage for the hybrid cloud, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Avere delivers a more modern architectural approach to storage that doesn’t require the overprovisioning of storage capacity to achieve performance, overspending on expensive storage media for inactive data or the overbuilding of data centers ...
Feb. 11, 2016 11:30 AM EST
Fortunately, meaningful and tangible business cases for IoT are plentiful in a broad array of industries and vertical markets. These range from simple warranty cost reduction for capital intensive assets, to minimizing downtime for vital business tools, to creating feedback loops improving product design, to improving and enhancing enterprise customer experiences. All of these business cases, which will be briefly explored in this session, hinge on cost effectively extracting relevant data from ...
Feb. 11, 2016 11:00 AM EST Reads: 121
Companies can harness IoT and predictive analytics to sustain business continuity; predict and manage site performance during emergencies; minimize expensive reactive maintenance; and forecast equipment and maintenance budgets and expenditures. Providing cost-effective, uninterrupted service is challenging, particularly for organizations with geographically dispersed operations.
Feb. 11, 2016 10:15 AM EST
With the Apple Watch making its way onto wrists all over the world, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a staple in the workplace. In fact, Forrester reported that 68 percent of technology and business decision-makers characterize wearables as a top priority for 2015. Recognizing their business value early on, FinancialForce.com was the first to bring ERP to wearables, helping streamline communication across front and back office functions. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Kevin Roberts...
Feb. 11, 2016 10:00 AM EST Reads: 394
As enterprises work to take advantage of Big Data technologies, they frequently become distracted by product-level decisions. In most new Big Data builds this approach is completely counter-productive: it presupposes tools that may not be a fit for development teams, forces IT to take on the burden of evaluating and maintaining unfamiliar technology, and represents a major up-front expense. In his session at @BigDataExpo at @ThingsExpo, Andrew Warfield, CTO and Co-Founder of Coho Data, will dis...
Feb. 11, 2016 09:15 AM EST Reads: 199
SYS-CON Events announced today that iDevices®, the preeminent brand in the connected home industry, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. iDevices, the preeminent brand in the connected home industry, has a growing line of HomeKit-enabled products available at the largest retailers worldwide. Through the “Designed with iDevices” co-development program and its custom-built IoT Cloud Infrastruc...
Feb. 11, 2016 09:00 AM EST Reads: 107
Eighty percent of a data scientist’s time is spent gathering and cleaning up data, and 80% of all data is unstructured and almost never analyzed. Cognitive computing, in combination with Big Data, is changing the equation by creating data reservoirs and using natural language processing to enable analysis of unstructured data sources. This is impacting every aspect of the analytics profession from how data is mined (and by whom) to how it is delivered. This is not some futuristic vision: it's ha...
Feb. 11, 2016 06:45 AM EST Reads: 442
Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (NYSE: SSNI) extended its Internet of Things technology platform with performance enhancements to Gen5 – its fifth generation critical infrastructure networking platform. Already delivering nearly 23 million devices on five continents as one of the leading networking providers in the market, Silver Spring announced it is doubling the maximum speed of its Gen5 network to up to 2.4 Mbps, increasing computational performance by 10x, supporting simultaneous mesh communic...
Feb. 11, 2016 05:00 AM EST
The cloud promises new levels of agility and cost-savings for Big Data, data warehousing and analytics. But it’s challenging to understand all the options – from IaaS and PaaS to newer services like HaaS (Hadoop as a Service) and BDaaS (Big Data as a Service). In her session at @BigDataExpo at @ThingsExpo, Hannah Smalltree, a director at Cazena, will provide an educational overview of emerging “as-a-service” options for Big Data in the cloud. This is critical background for IT and data profes...
Feb. 11, 2016 01:15 AM EST Reads: 213
SYS-CON Events announced today that Men & Mice, the leading global provider of DNS, DHCP and IP address management overlay solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. The Men & Mice Suite overlay solution is already known for its powerful application in heterogeneous operating environments, enabling enterprises to scale without fuss. Building on a solid range of diverse platform support,...
Feb. 11, 2016 01:00 AM EST Reads: 235
One of the bewildering things about DevOps is integrating the massive toolchain including the dozens of new tools that seem to crop up every year. Part of DevOps is Continuous Delivery and having a complex toolchain can add additional integration and setup to your developer environment. In his session at @DevOpsSummit at 18th Cloud Expo, Miko Matsumura, Chief Marketing Officer of Gradle Inc., will discuss which tools to use in a developer stack, how to provision the toolchain to minimize onboa...
Feb. 10, 2016 11:45 PM EST Reads: 118
SYS-CON Events announced today that VAI, a leading ERP software provider, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. VAI (Vormittag Associates, Inc.) is a leading independent mid-market ERP software developer renowned for its flexible solutions and ability to automate critical business functions for the distribution, manufacturing, specialty retail and service sectors. An IBM Premier Business Part...
Feb. 10, 2016 12:00 PM EST Reads: 629


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Some of the challenges that hamper crowdfunding are being alleviated by decentralized autonomous enterprises. This revolution was waiting for all and had time for all. In the year 2021, the cryptocurrency market grew by leaps and bounds.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), de-centralized finance (DeFi), and the game space became household terms, with the marketplace rising steadily to over $3 trillion in November 2021. NFTs changed the way people think about art and how they acquire it.
DeFi changed the way we borrow and lend money. The Metaverse created a parallel realm in which we might all virtually live and work. Play-to-earn (P2E) games compensate players for doing what they enjoy.
DAOs, or decentralized autonomous organizations such as DAO PropTech, had their time in the spotlight as well. According to data from DeepDAO, DAOs reportedly have over $10.5 billion in several repositories with over 1.7 million unitholders. But what are they, exactly?
But where the idea and concept floated into the mainstream is important to look. ConstitutionDAO is perhaps one of the most unexpected crypto headlines of 2021. A hastily organized gang of crypto believers who believe in the US constitution. The group used Ether (ETH) to fund more than $47 million to buy an original copy of the United States constitution at auction.
Although the group’s bid was eventually unsuccessful, the chutzpah of the effort brought DAO’s ability to crowdfund to the attention of the general public. The brilliance of that action, as well as what it almost achieved, serves as a model for how traditional crowdfunding should be properly managed. Without a marketing team or a dedicated growth director, ConstitutionDAO was able to collect tens of thousands of addresses and raise $47 million.
DAOs behind the curtains of Crowdfunding
This is the idea behind fractional ownership but how it works is the real gameplay. DAO’s goal is to establish a forum for blockchain entrepreneurs to solicit investment for their initial ventures, which are decided on by DAO members. The performance of enterprises that get financing is evaluated at each step, and money are only issued once the program committee approves them. A decentralized organization’s actions are defined by a set of hard-coded rules.
They are member-owned communities with no leaders. A DAO is a self-governing cooperative that controls itself through the use of blockchain technology. The group is managed through blockchain networks. For a DAO, a native token is usually created and utilized by electors to vote on propositions. DAOs, a type of digitized crowdfunding, have removed some of the fundraising form’s confines. Its ease of use makes it a threat to existing crowdfunding approaches.
Flexibility, low-slung protocols, and greater reach
The structure of crowdfunding, which is set up with low exposure, is primarily responsible for the massive upward growth trends of digital crowdfunding platforms. The primary reason behind it is the fact that the risk is shared by all members of a team working on a project or company. Prominent of all, platforms like GoFundMe, Patreon, and Kickstarter have enjoyed humongous upward mobility in past years.
The fact that blockchain technology is censorship-proof is one of its many advantages. As a result, all blockchain-based apps are censorship-resistant. Traditional crowdfunding sites may impose restrictions on individuals or businesses as a result of this. Corporations in the United States are prohibited from soliciting upwards of $5 million from crowdfunding platforms in a single year.
GoFoundMe; one of the largest crowdfunding platforms doesn’t accept and process payments from countries like China, Nigeria, Russia, Lebanon, Iran, Pakistan, and a number of other countries. Despite the fact that Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and China is the world’s second-largest economy, residents of both countries are unable to access the world’s largest crowdfunding platform. These countries can readily invest in a DAO using blockchain technology. This is where the blockchain technology USP is.
Whether Pakistan’s retail investors participate in crowdfunding platforms?
Given Pakistan saw a boom in VC funding and the peak was touched in 2021. Globally, the funding is drying up with an aim of scaling up the profits. In the context of Pakistan, Airlift Technologies’ reverse sailing is a perfect example of drying up VC funding. But that is different from DAO. Set aside DAO and crowdfunding platforms, there is no regulatory framework regarding crypto in Pakistan.
“We have to separate the DAO from the fractional investment theme,” said Habibullah Khan, founder of Penumbra digital and an eSports ecosystem evangelist. “Crowdfunding platforms are going to be critical for raising money regardless. They have a part to play in the innovation ecosystem. A lot of clever products, services, and startups in the West take off from crowdfunding. In Pakistan, this is only allowed for Real Estate using REITs. We need to use regulation to broaden that for the entire economy. This can be done through various channels and models like DAO, but it should be done. We need regulations to make this happen.”
It can be hoped that this concept is accepted as cryptocurrency acceptance rises in Pakistan. Both are directly proportional to each other in terms of accepting a digital platform. And the investors will seek previously uncharted territory in the business. Many people are wondering when/if the DAO bubble will burst, with thousands of DAOs already in existence and more starting every day. The so-called 80-20 rule can come into play. But for Pakistan, it is a moonshot, too good to be true.
“The startup ecosystem in Pakistan should not create a digital asset organization (DAO) for fractional startup investment, ” said Ammar Habib Khan, chief risk officer at Karandaaz Pakistan. “There is literally no point and why bother converting cash into crypto and then creating a DAO, when you can just give cash and invest in a startup, etc. Literally no point in adding another layer which doesn’t add any value.”
DAOs are a new concept that has finally found its place in the world. DAOs have grown in popularity over time as a result of the decentralized nature of crowdfunding. There were approximately 6,000 DAOs with $10 billion in liquidity as of April 2022.


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Yesterday Google announced the public launch of Google TV Ads, which is now available to all US-Based advertisers.
Google TV Ads works for both advertisers with existing commercials and ones without. For those without ads Google has setup an Ad Creation Marketplace (ACM) where advertisers can send in project bids to industry professionals to take care of the entire Ad creation process. To sweeten this deal, for a limited time Google is offering to cover up to $2,000 of the ad creation cost made through their ACM.
Ad pricing is based on the maximum cost-per-thousand impressions users are willing to pay to have their ads run and advertisers only pay when the ad airs.
Google is letting users target ads to run on specific TV programs, but also has advanced features to hone in on program descriptions, cast, genre, titles, and more.
The Small Business Gap
While it’s unlikely that large companies like Nike or McDonalds will ever set foot into Google’s ACM, ACM provides a great starting point for small and local businesses looking to advertise on TV. By offering traditional mediums of advertising together with online advertising, Google has closed the loop and essentially created a one-stop for business advertising needs.
Google Now Offers:
- Text Ads
- Image Ads
- Local Business Ads
- Mobile Ads
- Radio/Audio Ads
- Newspaper/Print Ads
- TV Ads
Will their next step be into magazines, podcasting or billboards? Or are park benches and bus stops more likely?
Only time will tell, and we can only hope ads that come out of the ACM will be as funny as this one.


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India’s MedTech and in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry is steadily growing due to increasing healthcare spending, awareness of preventive healthcare, and technological advancements. The sector has become an essential component of the healthcare industry, with a current market size of USD 11 billion and a 1.5-percent share in the global medical devices market. Over the last decade, the sector has witnessed fast growth with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10–12 percent. The IVD market in India is also proliferating, with an expected CAGR of nearly 7.1 percent during the forecast period and a market value projected to exceed the USD 1.8-billion mark by 2025. Creating an enabling environment for domestic IVD solutions, manufacturers need to invest in R&D, and enhance export competitiveness, as the IVD industry has a vast export growth potential.
The rapid development of extremely effective test solutions by the Indian IVD market to restrict the spread of Covid-19 in the nation demonstrates the diagnostic sector’s critical role in identifying and controlling the spread of healthcare emergencies, such as pandemics. However, the industry needs help with difficulties like contradictory rules, slow adoption of cutting-edge technology, reliance on imports, and restricted access to finance for start-ups.
Until 2017, the sector remained largely unregulated, when the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization framed the Medical Devices Rules. India is the fourth largest Asian medical devices market after Japan, China, and South Korea. It is among the top 20 medical devices markets globally. The government has initiated the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to promote domestic manufacturing of medical devices and support for setting up medical device parks. Additionally, the Indian Certification of Medical Devices (ICMED) 13485 Plus scheme, launched by the Quality Council of India (QCI) and the Association of Indian Manufacturers of Medical Devices (AiMeD), verifies the quality, safety, and efficacy of medical devices.
Policymakers need to lessen reliance on imports and support home manufacturing and innovation to help handle the sector’s difficulties. Medical devices businesses can help India become a hub for the manufacturing, work together on the Make in India and Innovate in India initiatives, and concentrate on creating low- to medium-tech items for underserved local markets.
The National Medical Devices (NMD) Policy, 2023, has been approved by the Union Cabinet to accelerate the growth of the medical devices sector in India. The policy aims to achieve access, affordability, quality, patient-centered care, preventive health, security, research, innovation, and a skilled workforce. Key features of the policy include regulatory streamlining, enabling infrastructure, facilitating R&D and innovation, attracting investments, human resources development, and brand positioning. The policy is expected to strengthen the medical devices industry and place India on an accelerated growth path with a patient-centric approach. The goal is to become a global leader in the manufacturing and innovation of medical devices by achieving a 10–12 percent share in the expanding global market over the next 25 years. The policy is expected to help the medical devices sector grow from USD 11 billion to USD 50 billion by 2030.
The development of novel medical equipment, diagnostic procedures, and the adoption of digital technology are anticipated to drive the MedTech and IVD sectors in India. Growth is anticipated to be fuelled by government programs, including the NDHM, Atal Innovation Mission, and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council. Medical equipment and diagnostic test exports are also anticipated to increase, with the industry aiming to become a prominent player in the global market under the PLI scheme. Within the next 25 years, the Indian medical devices industry has the potential to dominate production and innovation worldwide; by 2030, it may have grown by 28 percent annually and reached USD 50 billion. Overall, India’s MedTech and IVD industries are poised for significant growth, driven by innovation, digitalization, and export opportunities, with the potential to become a global leader in the next 25 years.
Views expressed are personal


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ELLE is please to announce Brian McIntyre is this year's winner of the $10,000 People's Choice award. The Chicago native, in addition to his fashion studies at SAIC, works as the design assistant at Katrin Schnabl Collection in Chicago. He plans to continue his career in fashion design, and hopes to eventually start his own menswear line.
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In a recent research note, Citi analyst Glen Yeung described what he referred to as “device exhaustion” and how smartphones in “developed markets are approaching full saturation (suggesting that smartphones are nearing replacement only mode).” As Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to roll out the next generation of iPhones on Sept. 10, investors should be concerned over whether the company will be able to post the type of sales figures it has in the past after major releases. This time, however, there has been an important shift in the wireless market that, I believe, will be a critical driver of sales.
Product cycle and exhaustion
In Heung’s note, titled “Shortening Product Life Cycles and Their Contribution to ‘Device Exhaustion,'” the analyst considers how the shortening life cycle for personal electronics has made maintaining profitability more challenging. For example, while desktop computers took about 12 years to become a mature market, laptops took 10 years, and it appears smartphones will take seven and tablets just five. To put it more granularly, in 2008 the period between iPhone/iPad releases was about 378 days, Heung says; in 2012, that number is 125 days.
The point is that as mature markets near saturation, the product cycle accelerates in order to compete for the remaining new customers and in an effort to win over consumers looking for replacement devices. A shorter product cycle puts pressure on margins, which in turn increases the stakes and may further accelerate the product cycle. The entire process puts pressure on profits.
Why this time may be different
Despite the accelerated product cycle, the introduction of upgrade programs by each of the big three U.S. wireless carriers could make the difference in helping Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) — and others — in overcoming some of the buying fatigue that Heung refers to. T MOBILE US INC (NYSE:TMUS) was the first to release an “early upgrade” program in the form of JUMP. Under the program, you pay an extra $10 per month for the right to upgrade your smartphone as frequently as twice per year. After the release of JUMP, both AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) introduced similar plans.