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While stores or catwalks used to be the only language businesses spoke to reach the consumer, something else is leading the way: a mobile marketing strategy.
According to data from advertising marketplace xAd, 80 per cent of marketers globally use location-based targeting when advertising on mobiles in order to reach the right audience, which is set to result in big expenditure in the UK.
Dublin-headquartered Brandtone has secured an €18.5m debt and equity investment, which the mobile marketing firm plans to use for expansion in developing regions including South East Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Mobile devices are quickly becoming the first choice for purchasing online, as consumers shift towards the convenience, ease and variety of online transactions. Consider the following to discover why mobile marketing could work for you.
The UK is one of the worst countries in the world for "showrooming": the practice of browsing products in a retail store, then shopping online to find a lower price for the same item. But the answer to the problem is right under our nose: using mobile to keep people in-store.
No longer "coming next year", mobile commerce has started its transformation on UK businesses.
Led by digital visionary Nick Hynes, Somo is a UK mobile agency that's right at the forefront of how we will communicate in the future


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In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, most children’s screen time has drastically increased. From virtually attending school via Google Classroom to watching kid influencers on YouTube during their downtime, the dependency on-screen time is a concern for parents.
The New York Times
reported that Qustodio, a parental control app, saw that children in the U.S. from ages 4 to 15 spent an average of 97 minutes per day on YouTube in March and April 2020, up from 57 minutes in February 2020, and nearly double the use compared to 2019. The app called this “The Covid Effect,” and parents sought out different ways to keep their children occupied as the pandemic progressed.
“By being home with their kids, parents discovered they needed quality products to help slow down and find those moments when everyone gets off the screen to be able to enjoy time with family,” says Dave Henderson, chief commercial officer, Melissa & Doug. “Whether it’s two of you, four or six of you, you enjoy that time, and you allow the kids to play and engage with quality toys. The company may have benefited during the pandemic, but I think it stays true to our mission.”
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The Norwegian authorities have opened investigations into reports that millions of tidal streams have never occurred, Dagens Næringsliv reports a Norwegian financial newspaper. Økokrim, Norway's national agency for investigating and prosecuting economic and environmental crime, is carrying out the investigation after reports emerged last May that 320 million streams of Beyoncés Lemonade and Kanye West The life of Pablo were fraudulent.
If that's true, inflating the number of streams each album received would artificially increase royalty payments for each artist. In the same month in which reports of the fake streaming numbers were published, Tidal reportedly lingered for months on license payments to three major record labels. The streaming service was also accused of increasing the total number of participants from 350,000 to 1
The investigation, which began last autumn, began after four Norwegian music organizations filed police reports in response to the allegations. Dagens Næringsliv reports that Økokrim allegedly has already subjected four former Tidal employees to cross-trial for 25 hours.
Commenting on the investigation reports, a representative said, "Tidal is not a suspect in the investigation. We communicate with Økokrim. DN has from the beginning cited documents that they have not shared with us despite repeated requests. DN has repeatedly made allegations on the basis of information that we believe may be counterfeit. We are aware that at least one person we suspected was stolen was questioned. We can not comment further at this time.
Tidal also referred The Verge to his statement, which was published immediately after the appearance of the reports. It states that it examines the data breach that DN receives the information into the hands. She said that she had used a third-party cybersecurity company to investigate the data breach and that the data behind it DN was inaccurate.
Tidal has tried different strategies to stand out from the competition. In addition to streaming exclusives such as Beyoncé's Lemonade and West's The Life of Pablo the streaming service also announced the audio quality of its music streams, recorded in 16-bit / 44.1 in CD Quality was kHz or even high-resolution MQA at a time when most of the industry was still limited to 320 Kbps.
However, these benefits have been slowly eroded over time. The Life of Pablo appeared just a few weeks ago on competing streaming services, after West claimed that it would never be " never on Apple ," and the music-streaming service Deezer now offers both CD-quality streams and high-resolution MQA tracks.


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The Alpine fan token price has retreated sharply in the past two days. The token is trading at $4.62, which is about 67% below its highest level this week. Its market capitalization has retreated to about $52 million, making it the biggest fan token in the world.
What is the Alpine fan token?
A fan token is a financial asset built on the blockchain that helps teams deepen their relationship with their fans. Holders of the toke will often receive discounts when they buy a team’s merchandise and even tickets.
At the same time, fan token holders will often be given a chance to participate in some important votes. For example, a team can want to know who the fans think is the player of the year.
In the past few months, many teams have launched their fan tokens mostly using the Chiliz platform. They include popular clubs like Barcelona, PSG, Lazio, and Manchester City.
The newest team to launch its fan token is BWT Alpine, a Formula 1 team. By so doing, it becomes the first team in its sport to launch its token. To achieve this, it partnered with Binance, the leading company in the cryptocurrency industry.
The partnership between Alpine and Binance goes beyond the fan token. For one, Binance will become a sponsor for the team while Alpine will launch and sell non-fungible tokens (NFT) in the Binance platform.
Alpine is a team that is mostly owned by Renault and its two drivers are Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. In the 2021 season, it was position five.
Is the Alpine fan token a buy or sell?
Fan tokens were once seen as the future of the blockchain industry. However, the reality has been much opposite since the popularity of a club has not boosted the price of its token.
Today, according to Fan Market Cap, the industry has a total market capitalization of about $363 million, which is a small amount considering how big the blockchain industry is.
Therefore, to a large extent, judging by history, it would not be ideal to invest in the Alpine fan token at this point. Besides, other popular fan tokens like Manchester United and Barcelona have all crashed by more than 70% from their launch dates.


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OnePlus 7T is expected to launch by the end of this month along with the OnePlus 7T Pro. The renders and leaks have revealed some key specifications of the phone. Now, OnePlus 7T has been spotted on Geekbench. A device with model number HD1990 popped up on the benchmarking app.
OnePlus 7T reached a single-core score of 3,983 that is approximately “15 percent higher than the OnePlus 7 Pro,” reports Gsmarena. The phone managed to score 10,967 in the multi-core test. The scores are almost the same as current flagships powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset.
The OnePlus 7T is rumoured to feature a 6.55-inch 2K Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz, which is present on the OnePlus 7 Pro. It could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset. The smartphone is said to be sold in two storage variants: 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage. It could be made available in two colour options, namely, Frosted Silver and Haze Blue.
OnePlus 7T is tipped to feature a triple rear camera setup, which based on previous renders, could be built in a circular module. The selfie camera is expected to be the same as the OnePlus 7 at 16MP. The specs of the triple rear camera are still a mystery. The OnePlus 7T is also said to get its battery bumped up to 3800mAh.
OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro are expected to be unveiled alongside the OnePlus TV, which has already been listed on the Amazon India website. It is said to have a 55-inch 4K QLED display variant with support for Dolby Vision. Further, OnePlus TV will have 8 speakers with 50W output, which will be powered by Dolby Atmos sound. Last week, Lau revealed that the OnePlus TV will run Android TV and it will receive software updates for at least three years.


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Sony has announced the a7R Mark III, a 42.4MP mirrorless camera built around the lessons learned from its flagship a9 sports camera.
The Nikon D850 is a 45.7MP full-frame DSLR with an autofocus system lifted wholesale from the pro-sports focused D5. 4K capture, continuous shooting at 7 or 9 frames per second make it sound like the ultimate all rounder. Is it all that these specs suggest?
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL come with heavily hyped cameras. Here's what you need to know about why they stand out, and some thoughts on what Google can still improve.
A year after its release the Google Pixel is still one of the best smartphone cameras money can buy, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. With a Pixel 2 announcement imminent, here are a few things we're hoping to see in the next generation Google flagship phone.
Recently, DPReview was invited to Japan to visit both the Sony headquarters in Tokyo and Sony’s image sensor factory in Kumamoto. The trip was an opportunity to gain some insight into both the philosophy and the technology that underpins the company.
If you're shooting the solar eclipse here's a hint: don't fry your camera's sensor. Use a proper solar filter that offers at least 16 stops of light filtration, along with UV and IR filtering. More important? Don't look at it unless you've got solar filters. Sensors can be replaced, your retinas can't.
On April 16, 2016 disaster struck in Kumamoto in the form of an unprecedented 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Here is the public's first look at Sony's sensor factory during the quake, the resulting damage and the efforts to restore operations.


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The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has called on digital currency service providers in the country to collaborate with regulators in the quest for a robust legal framework for the industry.
The FCA’s stance was disclosed by its executive director Sarah Pritchard in her keynote address at the City Week conference in London. Pritchard described the growing industry as “unchartered territory” for industry participants, making cooperation with regulators indispensable.
“Let’s work together, to shape our rules and regulations to benefit markets, consumers and firms as crypto goes from niche to mainstream,” Pritchard said. “We want [the] industry’s input to make sure we get the future regulatory regime for cryptoassets right.”
The meteoric growth of the industry has seen it rise from a “symbol of alternative rebellion” to becoming “more widespread,” according to the executive director. She also noted that firms could reap the rewards of participating early in the regulatory process as it prepares them “when regulations come into force.”
Presently, the U.K. is seeking public comments on several proposed regulations, including one to govern stablecoins and another for an overarching framework. Service providers are urged to share their comments with regulators on the issuance, custody, trading, and lending of digital assets.
Apart from merely making calls for increased collaborations, the FSC revealed that it had opened the window for digital currency service providers to apply for regulations in line with the country’s money laundering regulations.
“Of the applications we have determined, nearly three quarters—195—were either refused or withdrew their application,” Pritchard said. “Yet we’ve supported firms to meet the right standards, and have registered 41 crypto firms of all sizes, showing these standards are achievable.”
The FCA has been pushing for synergy between law enforcement and other regulatory agencies to monitor the digital currency industry. Pritchard noted that over the last 12 months, the FCA had conducted joint raids with the West Yorkshire and Metropolitan Police, resulting in the bust of digital currency scam syndicates.
The FCA and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have issued joint statements urging firms to comply with advertising regulations or risk grave sanctions. At the start of the month, a guideline for celebrities and influencers was released to guide paid advertisements, with both agencies collaborating with Love Island reality star Sharron Gaffka.
“Don’t suggests to your followers that cryptoassets would be an easy investment decision or create any sense of urgency or FOMO,” the guideline read.
Watch: Head of Unit, Digital Innovation and Blockchain at DG Connect, European Commission Pēteris Zilgalvis on Bitcoin Association’s Blockchain Policy Matters
New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeek’s Bitcoin for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoin—as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto—and blockchain.


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News Limited’s Herald Sun will tomorrow become the company’s first Australian tabloid to turn on a pay wall.
After a two month free trial, readers will be asked to pay $2.95 per week to access premium digital content.
Herald & Weekly Times MD Peter Blunden said: “The expansion of our business across multiple platforms will enable us to remain competitive for the long term.”
The publication is offering a number of subscription bundles including:
- $2.95 per week: full digital access to the Herald Sun, website, tablet app and mobile site
- $4.95 per week: full digital access plus newspaper delivery on Saturday and Sunday
- $5.95 per week: full digital access plus newspaper delivery Monday to Friday
- $8.95 per week: full digital access plus newspaper delivery every day
Six and seven day Herald Sun print subscribers are being offered a complimentary digital pass.
Similarly to sister title The Australian which launched a paywall in October, the Herald Sun is adopting a freemium model, with some content still available free.
But the Herald Sun’s columnists including Andrew Bolt, Mark Robinson, Terry McCrann, and Susie O’Brien will only be accessible to subscribers.
Other content will include the SuperFooty AFL and TrueCrimeScene sections.


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WhatsApp Has Changed Drastically Since 2014 Facebook Acquisition, Says Former Business Head
WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging app owned by Meta (erstwhile Facebook) was acquired by the social media giant back in 2014. Now, while WhatsApp still remains one of the most popular ways for people to stay connected to their loved ones, it has changed quite a bit since its 2014 acquisition by Facebook. WhatsApp’s former Chief Business Officer has now posted a thread on Twitter, laying out the changes that the instant messaging app has gone through over the years.
In his thread, Neeraj Arora, who helped WhatsApp secure the $22 billion acquisition in 2014 said that he “regrets helping negotiate the deal” as things have gone wrong ever since Facebook (now Meta) acquired WhatsApp. Arora began with a little bit of history, with the origin of WhatsApp, which was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum. Arora joined WhatsApp in 2011 and the company was approached by Mark Zuckerberg and team in 2012/13 for an acquisition. In his thread, Arora says that the team at WhatsApp declined the initial request to carry on with their plans for the instant messaging app.
In 2014, I was the Chief Business Officer of WhatsApp.And I helped negotiate the $22 billion sale to Facebook.
Today, I regret it.
Here’s where things went wrong:
— neeraj arora (@neerajarora) May 4, 2022
However, in early 2014, Facebook approached WhatsApp again with an offer to make it look like a partnership. He said that Facebook promised several things like full support for end-to-end encryption, no ads ever, complete independence for WhatsApp to make decisions on product, a board seat for co-founder Jan Koum, and a separate office in Mountain View, California.
Arora said that in the initial years, WhatsApp made money by asking users for $1 (roughly Rs 76) to download the app, in exchange for a promise to never show ads or any other gimmicks. He also said that during the negotiations, WhatsApp made its stance clear by asking for guarantee to never mine user data, no ads ever, and no corss-platform tracking. “FB and their management agreed and we thought they believed in our mission,” he said.
While the deal went through, Arora said that by 2017 and 2018, things started to look very different. He linked to a Forbes report from September 2018 where WhatsApp co-founder Acton talked exclusively with the publication about his #DeleteFacebook hashtag at the time. Arora also pointed out that it was in 2018 itself that the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal came to light.
He further said that while WhatsApp is currently the biggest online platform that Facebook owns, it is merely a shadow of the product him and others created several years back. “And I am not the only one who regrets that it became part of Facebook when it did,” Arora said in his thread.
“Tech companies need to admit when they have done wrong. Nobody knew in the beginning that Facebook would become a Frankenstein monster that devoured user data and spat out dirty money. We didn’t either.”
Finally, Arora pointed out to a Wall Street Journal report that started a conversation around big tech companies’ business models ruining products that were once made with a good intention. “In order for the Tech ecosystem to evolve, we need to talk about how perverse business models cause well-intentioned products, services, and ideas to go wrong.”


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Budapest International Wine Festival, Budapest Held in Budapest, above, at Buda Castle, this wine event, from Sept. 11 to 15 will salute female winemakers in interviews and special tastings amid the showcase of nearly 200 Hungarian wineries. Guided tastings cover pinots, rieslings and merlots along with the Tokaji wines. Musical programming highlights Hungarian jazz and folk bands. Dairies from 15 nations will participate in the festival’s inaugural European cheese contest.
Feast, Portland, Ore. From Sept. 19 to 22, chefs, artisans and winemakers will take over downtown during this food and drink festival. Four-day passes are sold out, but plenty of tickets remain for individual events, including the Sandwich Invitational, where on Sept. 19 you can sample 15 chefs’ creations ($95); a tasting panel on Sept. 20 called “Wine vs. Beer: the Rematch” ($45); and High Comfort, an event on Sept. 21 that answers the question of what grandma’s home cooking would taste like if it were done by a Michelin-starred chef ($175).
Buffalo Roundup, South Dakota Driven by cowboys and pickup trucks, some 1,300 buffalo that roam Custer State Park in the Black Hills will be corralled Sept. 27 in the park’s annual roundup. They are later inoculated, and up to 500 are sold at auction to control the population, but the classic Western spectacle itself draws spectators to viewing stands and to events including an art show and Dutch oven and chili cook-offs, through Sept. 29.


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Amul spreads its wings, expands portfolio to frozen, ready-to-eat food range
From dairy and ready-to-eat to frozen foods, Amul is booming. CNBC-TV18 lets you get the most out of Amul’s growth playbook.
After selling only milk, butter and cheese 75 years ago, Amul has expanded his portfolio to sell chocolates, drinks and spreads over the years and following the COVID-19 pandemic he is considering a full-fledged branded food game. The paradigm shift in consumer demand towards branded, yet affordable, foods has given new impetus to the ready-to-eat food industry during the pandemic. Even established food players like Amul are now expanding their portfolios to capitalize on demand. According to Amul, the biggest market to explore is in small towns and rural India.
With a cold room supply chain already in place, frozen food was a natural area of expansion for Amul. The lockdowns caused by the pandemic are the best time to test the market and Amul has kept his promise. Amul is now partnering directly with farmers to source ingredients to expand its line of frozen and ready-to-eat foods.


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Russia is among the tenth leading partners in trade with China and, on results of the 2001 first quarter, ranks ninth, the RIA Novosti correspondent quotes the main customs department of the People's Republic of China as saying on Monday. In official statistics, the Russian-Chinese trade turnover in the first quarter of this year increased by 98.7 percent from the same period last year to 1,759 million dollars. The export of Chinese products increased by 35.2 percent and is estimated at 351.73 million dollars. Russia has supplied to China 1,407 billion dollars' worth of products, which is 125 percent more than last year. The leader in trade with China is Japan. The trade turnover between them increased by 15.8 percent in the 2001 first quarter to 12.37 billion dollars. In the second place is the European Union. Its volume of trade with China increased by 20 percent to constitute 11.332 billion dollars in the first quarter. In the third place is the United States. Its trade with China over the same period was 15 percent up, reaching 10.747 billion dollars. The next in order of succession are -- Hong Kong, countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Russia and Canada.
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Thousands of pages of secret military plans are to be offered for approval at the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius


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Honkajoki Oy was granted licence to export processed animal protein (PAP) to South Africa and Thailand
“The purity of our product convinces customers”
The officials in the receiving countries have granted Honkajoki Oy licences to import processed animal protein (PAP) into South Africa and Thailand. Reetta Nevala, who manages exports at Honkajoki Oy, says that Europe currently faces a strong demand for clean and high-quality processed animal protein (PAP).
“These two market areas are unable to produce processed animal protein (PAP) in sufficient amounts to meet their increasing needs. Our products already carry a reputation of purity and high quality in these areas, and the people there are very much looking forward to the upcoming export”, Nevala says.
According to Nevala, there is high demand for clean and pure processed animal protein (PAP) in global markets.
“The Finnish process is already widely acknowledged around the world for its excellent reputation. We strive to be synonymous with cleanness, which is the core feature of our produce. We strongly believe that an increasing emphasis will be put on high quality, when it comes to circular economy and organic nutrients”, Nevala concludes.
For more information, please contact Reetta Nevala, tel. +358 40 554 0857, firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Rating agencies like Standard & Poor's expect for Indonesia's banks that their loan book (hence their profitability) will be hit again by rising loan loss provisions as:
- Special Mentioned Loans (SML's) for financially struggling companies are expected to rise to 6-8% in 2016 (5.9% in 2015)
- Non-Performing Loans (NPL's) to rise to 3-4% in 2016 (2.7% in 2015)
As a consequence Indonesian banks are in general very reluctant to grow their loan book further at the moment - even for financially acceptable companies - which means that many Indonesian companies face now a severe credit crunch.
PRIME Consultancy is supporting European manufacturers by arranging financing for their Indonesian buyers via Export Credit Agency (ECA) financing schemes. Being able to offer an offshore funding alternative is therefore a valuable sales argument for our clients. Precondition is that the Indonesian buyers are financially sound and most of the equipment is manufactured in an European country.


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Not long after the conclusion of this year’s Chinese New Year, ride-sharing has once again come under the spotlight. However, this time it is not because of the industry’s prospering future, but due to public concerns over its development.
China’s ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing lost a staggering 10.9 billion yuan in 2018, and it has been reported that the company plans to lay off about 2,000 people. At the time of press, the company has not yet issued a response.
Didi Chuxing’s rivals, CaoCao and Hello-Chuxing, are now trying rid the tag of “car-hailing enterprise” and are both gearing up for another round of industry competition.
Subsidies are a must to expand market share in the ride-sharing industry. At the end of last year, Didi Chuxing’s market value stood at nearly $80 billion, accounting for over 60 percent of the Chinese market. It was this massive input in subsidies that won the company its advantage.
However, the large subsidies offered by Didi Chuxing has also created huge pressure for the company. Last year, Didi spent a total of 11.3 billion yuan on driver subsidies. Insiders pointed out that the company could have gained an extra 400 million yuan were it not for these subsidies.
As a latecomer, CaoCao currently offers bonuses for its drivers, which can also be considered a type of subsidy. According to drivers with the company, their average monthly income stands at between 8,000 and 12,000 yuan, with bonuses accounting for 15 to 30 percent of that figure.
However, unlike Didi Chuxing, CaoCao and Hello-Chuxing are both supported by traditional carmakers, therefore, enjoy natural advantages in vehicle maintenance and operating capital.
Additionally, the cars these companies run are electric vehicles, which means they receive new-energy vehicle subsidies directly from the government. For example, each of the electric vehicles with a range of between 200 and 250 kilometers could receive a total of 36,000 yuan from national and local government.
Cui Dongshu, general secretary of the China Passenger Car Association, noted that a new round of reform leading to mixed ownership and M&A has started within the auto industry, and the market will play a vital role.


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How long will it be before your smartphone can compete with top level DSLR cameras? That day's closer than you think, according to HTC's camera guru...
The HTC One (M8) is here, and even though we’re only in April, it’s already a strong contender for phone of the year. Among a laundry list of impressive features, the pioneering Duo Camera with UltraPixel technology has been making headlines. But what’s coming next?
Earlier in the month we spoke to Symon Whitehorn, HTC’s camera expert, to find out what makes Duo Camera tick, but now it’s time to look further ahead: what does the future look like for smartphone camera technology?
The future for UltraPixel
First thing’s first: If you confidently keep the same kind of sensor in your new phone’s camera, ducking out of the megapixel race as HTC has, where do you go from there? “We could be 4K ready now,” Symon explains, talking about the next generation of HD that’s coming to TVs and cameras. “But we’re waiting until 4K can really fit into people’s lives, and to make sure that that decision makes sense.
“If you look at 4K quality, it really is only about 8-megapixels. That’s a pretty good level to hold at, because over and above that we’re not sure what benefit you’d be getting. That kind of ballpark is where we’ll be very happy to be in the future, as long as we can maintain the large pixel model.”
From that, then, it’s easy to assume that the next generation of HTC’s UltraPixel sensors will double the megapixel count, but keep the same large pixel size as is in the HTC One series.
Owning the #Selfie
That’s the back cameras, but what about the front? “HTC wants to own the selfie market,” Symon tells us. “You’ll see a lot more investment in that area. In some markets 90% of pictures taken are selfies.”
You would think that to do that, it’s just a case of putting the best possible camera on the front. But that’s not the case – while the HTC One (M8) does have a huge 5-Megapixel sensor on the front, it’s not an UltraPixel one. As Symon explains, each camera needs to be carefully considered:
“HTC wants to own the selfie market.”
“We’re not matching the rear camera on the front side, but the front camera is tuned to help you give the best selfies. It’s no longer the afterthought camera that it’s been for so long.
“I’d never want to just put the same camera on each side,” he tells us. “I’d rather optimise each camera for their roles, and treat them with an equal intellectual process. Selfies are a very different imaging environment. The nice thing there is that we always know what the range of someone’s arm is, so we can tune the camera for that setup by using things like an ultra-wide lens and digital correction.”
Time to throw away the DSLR?
That’s the shape of the current camera tech, but what about next year and beyond? Smartphones may be encroaching on the compact camera’s turf, but what about the big, bulky DSLRs? When will our smartphones take over? Sooner than you might think:
“There’s a boundary that everyone wants us to crack,” Symon explains. “As smartphones have become people’s primary camera, we expect more of them. That’s why we’ve put so much investment into the camera – because smartphone cameras take the majority of our images now. We already outperform a lot of compact point and shoot cameras, but we want to approach the performance of regular cameras. Every generation of our cameras seems to close that gap.
“What will happen is that we’ll take over more and more of those daily roles, and make it harder to justify taking out a big camera. That’s already happened with the compact camera market. I think we’re looking at about 18 months to two years until that lens barrier begins breaking down and it becomes much harder to justify buying a dedicated camera outside of specialist or nostalgia reasons.”
To really reach that level, smartphones will need to boast one big feature that fully-fledged cameras have as standard: optical zooming. Some manufacturers have toyed with implementing zooming lenses into a smartphone before, but the tech needs to be refined. And Symon asserts that it’s only a matter of time:
“Optical zooming in a smartphone is not too far off at all for HTC.”
“Optical zooming in a smartphone is not too far off at all for HTC. I can’t give too much away, but within 12-18 months we’ll see huge advances in phone optics. That’s why we don’t necessarily believe in doing a high-resolution, photo enlarging solution.
“Currently, if you want to make a really good job of taking a photo that you blow up wall-size, use a real camera.
“Everyone wants optical zooming, and that’s on the horizon. We’re trying to match the performance of dedicated cameras where one piece of glass inside it costs £3000 alone. We’re never going to match that in the short term but we are getting towards those effects.
“Two years ago I would have said that phones will never replace DSLRs. Now I’m not so sure. I think there’ll always be a role for a dedicated camera, like for sports etc., but I think you’ll see the gap closing. Those cameras will become more specialised out of necessity – they can’t match the brain power that we can put into a phone.”
“But I don’t think the camera industry needs to feel totally threatened,” Symon says in closing. “What we’ll see is these things working more harmoniously together. Camera companies will start to embrace the ecosystem we have in phones, and the two will start working in partnerships.”
The future looks sharp… Will smartphones ever completely usurp dedicated cameras? Let us know your thoughts below. You can find out more about the HTC One (M8)’s UltraPixel sensor and Duo Camera here, and order yours here.


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Ash Lawn Artisan Store Featuring Works of Virginia Artists
Woodworker Alex Pettigrew
The former home of President James Monroe is now dedicating a space in its museum shop to sell the works of Virginia artists.
The Ash Lawn-Highland estate hopes to give homegrown artists greater visibility with visitors from the commonwealth and beyond.
The museum store at the home of President Monroe now features lots of different art. Some of those artists were on hand Sunday during the grand opening. One of the artisans is a woman named Liz James. When James lost her husband, her world was turned upside down
"It seemed to make more sense the importance of family after a situation like that," she said.
She quit her job and decided to start a business - The Happy Tomato - that would bring families together around the dinner table
"I decided to start manufacturing homemade tomato sauce," she said.
James is among several Virginians whose work fills the new artisan's room at Ash Lawn's museum store. The room is dedicated entirely to crafts and products made in Virginia.
"We want people who are coming to Ash Lawn-Highland to visit the home of James Monroe to have an opportunity to take home something from Virginia when they go home," said museum shop manager Caroline Hecmanczuk.
Visitors can take something home like the wreaths created by third generation Virginia artist Sandy Cason, the woodwork of Alex Pettigrew or the mosaics of Frank Steele.
"The people of this area to know that they can come here to find local artists work," Hecmanczuk said.
The Ash Lawn artisan's room offers individual artists a new way to make a living and communicate a message through their works.
"I am sharing my message on the importance of family and sitting down and creating moments," James said.
The store manager hopes the Virginia products available now will sell quickly because she'd like to add more items from new producers to the artisan's room.
Ash Lawn Artisan Store Featuring Works of Virginia ArtistsMore>>


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CBS 2 - Search Results
Vintage Car Lovers Celebrate History in Style
CEDAR RAPIDS (CBS 2/ FOX 28)--It's not every day that you see a 1935 Packard driving down Collins Road.
"We have Packard’s, we have Cadillac’s, we have Lincoln’s," said Ray Giudice, president of Classic Car Club of America.
Forty-four classic cars in total are bringing a taste of a different decade to Cedar Rapids Saturday.
"These are rolling art or art in motion," Giudice said. "We want to preserve the cars of the classic era."
Call them car connoisseurs or by their proper name "Classic Car Club of America."
They're crisscrossing the country in cars from the 1930s and 40s celebrating the 100th year of the Lincoln Highway which made travel between the east and west coasts possible.
"We decided to go and drive the whole Lincoln Highway from New York to San Francisco," said Guidice.
For members like Johnny Crowell who drives a 1932 Cadillac, it's not just about cruising around in a cool, classic car but also celebrating American history.
"It was a time when our country was great,” Crowell said. “It was a time when new ideas came up all the time."
They’re also learning more about the history of the 14 cities they’re visiting as part of the tour.
'We're visiting museums, private car collections," Giudice said.
Rediscovering America's history while driving a part of it.


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Zimbabwe’s sole yeast producer has plunged into insolvency after putting its assets, including the head office for sale, signalling the fall of one of the most iconic firms in the country after nearly six decades.
Anchor Yeast Properties, the real estate arm of Anchor Holdings today said it will sell its three business premises including the head office in Gweru as well as business assets, indicating the company has lost the battle against cheap imports.
“Notice is hereby given, in terms of Section 47 of the Insolvency Act (Chapter 6:04) that each of the under mentioned companies proposes to alienate: (a) its business; (b) the goodwill of the business; or; (c) assets or property forming part of the business,” otherwise than the ordinary course of the business, reads a notice issued by law firm Kantor and Immerman.
The proposed alienation also entails sale of business as a going concern including its goodwill, capital assets excluding liabilities incurred up to June 12 this year.
The notice comes over a year after company executives approached parliament lobbying for a three year ban on imports to save the business.
In February 2014, company chief operating officer Muvirimi Kupara told a parliamentary portfolio on industry and commerce such protectionist measures would help the company raise $4.5 million internally to retool by 2017.
Kupara said Anchor was losing $3 million in turnover per annum because of competition from cheaper imports from Zambia and South Africa.
The company, which employed 101 employees then, has been in existence since 1956.
Kupara said Zimbabwe requires 5 400 tonnes of yeast per annum while Anchor has installed capacity to produce 7 000 tonnes but was operating at 60 percent.
It supplies yeast to baking, brewery and ethanol industries.-The Source


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SPOKANE, WA – Potlatch Corp. posted a net loss of $4.5 million for its fourth quarter, including a loss of $9.8 million related to discontinued operations.
“The wood products segment continued to experience weak market conditions with a segment operating loss of $11.4 million in $Q compared to a loss of %5.0 million in 4Q 2007,” the company said in a press release. “Due to the continuing weak market conditions, most of our lumber mill operations were down from one to two weeks during the fourth quarter. Our Post Falls, ID, particleboard facility was shut down for five weeks during the quarter…We expect to experience continued weak market conditions well into 2009 and are taking steps to mitigate the losses.”
Net earning for all of 2008, including discontinued operations, were $52.5 million compared to $58.4 million for the full year 2007.
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Amazon to speculate as much as $4 billion in Anthropic, a rival to ChatGPT developer OpenAI
Alain Jocard | AFP | Getty Photos
E-commerce big Amazon on Monday stated it’ll make investments as much as $4 billion in synthetic intelligence agency Anthropic and take a minority possession place within the firm.
The transfer underscores Amazon’s aggressive AI push because it seems to maintain tempo with rivals reminiscent of Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google.
Anthropic was based roughly two years in the past by former OpenAI analysis executives and not too long ago debuted its new AI chatbot referred to as Claude 2.
The 2 corporations on Monday stated that they’re forming a strategic collaboration to advance generative AI, with the startup deciding on Amazon Net Companies as its main cloud supplier. Anthropic stated it’ll present AWS clients with early entry to distinctive options for mannequin customization and fine-tuning capabilities.
Anthropic may even use customized AWS-designed semiconductors to coach the foundational fashions that underpin its AI purposes.
Basis fashions are massive AI packages educated on huge quantities of information in order that they are often tailored to unravel a variety of duties.
This can be a breaking information story, please test again later for extra.


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Clothing for Confidence sees sophomore successPublished 8:48am Thursday, July 31, 2014
By Nick Sellers | Staff Reporter
MADISON – After nearly three months of donations, from sifting through a mountain of shirts, pants, shoes, jackets, purses and accessories, Clothing for Confidence founder Madison Rolling knew it was all twice as much as last year’s haul.
“That was very exciting,” she said. “We doubled the shoes, doubled the accessories, everything.”
The second annual Clothing for Confidence shopping day unleashed the numerous donation items at the Inside-Out Ministries building off of Wall-Triana on Saturday, July 26 from 3-7 p.m. Items were $1 apiece and, true to the organization’s mission statement, benefited those in need who lacked quality back-to-school clothing.
The purpose of Clothing for Confidence is “To instill confidence through clothing by providing a way to a new outfit for students in need in the North Alabama area to wear on the first day of school,” according to the official flyer for this year’s drive. The brainchild of Rolling, four of her friends who are also 2013 Bob Jones graduates assisted in its creation last May.
“It definitely would not be possible without them,” Rolling said.
Now into its second year, Rolling said it was different organizing 2014’s drive due to her and her friends going their separate ways after high school; three, including Rolling, went to Auburn University while the remaining two attended the University of North Alabama this past school year.
Rolling and the others periodically monitored the five drop-off points for donations during the summer and then collected everything a few days before the shopping day.
“We had people waiting at the door,” Rolling said of the turnout on July 26.
All proceeds from the shopping day are funneled for purchases of more clothing for those in need. Rolling said she hopes future drives will expand past the borders of Madison city into other areas of North Alabama.


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The figure would represent 16% of the population, estimated at 46.9 million inhabitants. The study concludes that cryptocurrencies still have a way to go to compete with cash.
The Center for the Governance of Change at Spain’s IE University did a research study in which it was estimated that 7.5 million Spaniards already own Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
In the study, which is entitled “Cryptocurrencies and the future of money”, it was noted that 81.7% of Spaniards already know about cryptocurrencies, but that only 16% of the population, estimated at 46.9 million inhabitants, would own some of them.
Regarding the reasons why Spaniards would be buying Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, 60% of the holders said that they consider them an investment mechanism, another 12.8% use them to make purchases, while 27.2% employ them for both purposes.
On the other side are the reasons why even millions of people do not acquire cryptocurrencies. First of all, about 37.9% consider them to be risky. However, it is noteworthy that the second important reason is that about 35.3% of the population does not know how to buy them, which is an important segment of citizens that need to learn more about how to proceed. The other reasons for not acquiring them include not seeing their advantages over fiat money (24.9%) or usefulness for making purchases (19.8%).
Types of Cryptocurrency Users
Even though the report does not provide details about the methodology or the duration of the research process, it indicates that it was based on surveys of Spanish residents. Concerning the type of Spanish citizens who have cryptocurrencies, about 51% of them would be between 18 and 34 years old with a high annual income, which would range between 100,000 and over 500,000 euros.
Another prominent aspect of the research is that the interviewees were asked if they would be willing to use a cryptocurrency issued by a private company or groups of associated companies, and not by a central bank that directs its use. It should be noted that 49% of the participants said that they would use them if the cryptocurrency was “well designed” and efficient and if it maintained a stable value over time.
After last year’s announcement by Facebook to launch its stablecoin Libra in 2020, the researchers wanted to know if the Spanish would trust this company to issue a cryptocurrency under a private blockchain. In this section, 87% of the respondents admitted to not trusting Facebook to promote a cryptocurrency of this type.
It could be said that the refusal is linked to the scandal over the handling of data from Facebook and the users of its social network. This case activated alarms on a global scale about the correct use of people’s digital information.
Despite the progress, the study concludes that there is still much to do in the field of cryptocurrencies in Spain. In this way, the researchers summarize the scenario that they predict for Bitcoin in this European country.
By Alexander Salazar


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Nov. 19 (UPI) -- A Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania has been awarded a Guinness World Record for the largest collection of tree stands.
Stan Kohl, owner of Kohl's Stony Hill Tree Farm in the Danville area, said he submitted evidence of his 1,197 tree stands to Guinness World Records and the organization has now certified the unusual collection as a world record.
Kohl said he started collecting in 2004, when he and some relatives cleared out his great aunt's home after her death.
"We placed everything in piles and had an auctioneer come and sell off everything," Kohl told The Daily Item newspaper.
"There were Christmas tree stands left and since I was in the Christmas tree business, I was pushed by my cousin to take some home. I looked online and saw what vast Christmas tree stands were being produced," he said.
Kohl said his collection now includes a wide range of styles and vintages.
"Some that you wonder how they hold a tree up and other ones are perfect to hold your tree up," Kohl told WNEP-TV.


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A survey on data security practices in large and small Canadian firms indicates that many workers are not aware of their company’s rules around data protection.
More than 57 per cent of C-level executives in large Canadian companies reported that although they have security protocols covering data security, storage and destruction, not all employees are aware of them, according to a survey by public opinion research Ipsos Reid for data security and destruction firm Shred-it.
The survey covered 1,000 small business owners and 100 C-suite executives of large Canadian businesses in different industries.
As many as 40 per cent of small business owners admit they do not have a document security protocol in place and 22 per cent of small business owners that they are either not aware of or “not very aware” of their industry’s legal requirements for storing and disposing of confidential data, the survey found.
“The figures show us that people underestimate a data breach’s potential of creating trouble for a company and its clients,” said Bruce Andrew, vice-president of marketing for Shred-it. “Many workers and decision-makers are just complacent and not mindful of the dangers.”
For example, he said, only six per cent of small businesses and 24 per cent of large businesses train their staff on the company’s information security policies and procedures twice a year.
“Many organizations opt to train their employees on an as-needed basis or not at all,” said Andrew.
These findings he said dovetail with results of a recent survey by the office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, which revealed that only 13 per cent of Canadian businesses are taking the protection of personal information seriously.
The financial impact for businesses that experience is on the rise, he added.
As many as 15 per cent of large businesses reported losing upwards of $500,000 in 2013, up from just three per cent in 2012, said Andrews.
He also said that it is critical for businesses to ensure that sensitive and personal data is protected down the supply chain.
“Businesses may not realize that, while they may have implemented a strict policy of protecting confidential data, the information they share with partners and vendors may not be secure,” Andrew said. “All it takes is one gap for a breach to occur and a company’s reputation to be damaged.”


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Visitors will be able to rappel from the 103rd floor to the 102nd in an ambitious $20 million expansion of the Willis Tower’s Skydeck, Crain’s is reporting.
The expansion would also see what’s been dubbed the “Ledgewalk,” an outdoor glass ledge where visitors would be secured in a safety harness to admire a view that’s sure to—well put you on edge, according to the report, which cites a Morningstar Credit Rating writeup.
"The Willis Tower has been under-managed and under-invested in for a number of years, and that changes today," Jon Gray, Blackstone's global head of real estate, said in February, Crain’s reported. [[223762671, C]]
The expansion could also see expanded retail and dining options aiming to enhance the duration of time visitors spend at the Skydeck.
A Blackstone spokeswoman declined to comment.


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Last week, the bankruptcy judge in New York approved Lambert's plan to save the company, which means that 425 stores in the group will be open and will guarantee 45,000 jobs. This decision ended five months of negotiations after a group of department stores found shelter last October in the US equivalent to bankruptcy due to the inability to face a $ 134 million debt.
The company, which has about 70,000 employees, has drastically reduced its network of stores after entering the competition with 142 closings in October and another forty in November. Sears is one of the historic department stores in the United States. The company, founded in 1893, became popular thanks to the catalog and did not make a jump to retail until 1925.
After the group of department stores, the fourth largest in the world in its sector, has gone bankrupt, a negotiation process has begun, which has continued until today.
"The insolvency process will give Sears the flexibility to strengthen its balance by allowing the company to accelerate its transformation strategy, continue to adapt the size of its operating model and return to profitability," Lambert said in a statement when the company uses Chapter 11 of US Bankruptcy Law.
Two weeks after joining the court, the company earned a $ 300 million financial break from three of its largest lenders: Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citibank.
In November, Sears managed to get a fresh breath of 350 million dollars of funding from the Great American Capital Partners in order to continue working during the Christmas campaign.


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Bitcoin has seen unprecedented success in recent times because the value of the cryptocurrency has increased by tremendous margins during the last three to five years. Most of the demand has been from investors who wanted it as a long-term investment opportunity, and the virtual currency has certainly lived up to its promise till now. The road ahead also seems to be quite promising as a lot of research by credible apps like btrade signal pro has shown that the retail demand of Bitcoin can double by the 2024 halving.
The most recent research published on June 29 found that interest from retail investors is still on the increase. It is although many observers have long held the belief that industry acceptance will be needed by the virtual currency to pull up the prices. With the 2020 halving just taking place and the Bitcoin (BTC) value hovering around the $9,100 territory, the current value is a long way from the post-halving high that a lot of retail and institutional financial specialists anticipated. But still, there is optimism in the air due to many reasons as we discuss them in the following sections.
- Demand is always picking up – Despite the dull activity that is shown by BTC, a huge number of bullish components have happened during the interim. Record development in the quantity of Bitcoin whales, another record-breaking high number of wallet addresses containing less than 1 BTC, record BTC highs from trades, and Bitcoin as of late accomplishing its third-best Q2 execution ever show massive interest by investors in the virtual currency. Therefore, looking at all these factors, the one thing that can be said for sure is that the digital asset is on the rise, and it is still a favorite among many investors.
Additionally, growing Bitcoin requests from a lot of blue-chip organizations suggest that the demand is originating from both institutional investors in addition to the retail buyers. Thus, the highs that it secures can easily offset the momentary lows that are being witnessed now.
- The real growth started after 2018 – It can be safely said that the real growth of the cryptocurrency started from around the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018. Sourcing information from a crypto firm, Chainalysis, it can be seen that in April 2020, wallet addresses that had one to ten BTCs had ascended past 500,000. It can also be observed that most of these addresses have been developing each month since the beginning of the 2018 bear market after the cost of Bitcoin hit its pinnacle. It simply shows the level of confidence that investors had on the digital asset despite the downturn.
- The status on a date – Here, we will consider the scenario of the cryptocurrency before the halving event. During the year 2020, much conversation has been around the connection between the equity market and the cryptocurrency. As business sectors failed in March 2020, volatile assets like Bitcoin also quickly went down following the same pattern. There was a sharp drop in the BTC value by more than 50 percent on that Black Thursday, but the demand among retail investors was intact. There was no significant decrease in the number of BTCs that were being held in wallets and linked to the retail investors.
As of date, 900 Bitcoins are mined every day, and this figure is scheduled to drop to 450 by the next halving event in 2024. It is projected that by the 2024 halving, the retail request could surpass 250 BTC every day by and large, or half of the new accessible supply that is mined daily.
- The demand can be a lot more – This retail demand figure could surpass the projected figures as the projected data just took into account those wallet addresses that had whole numbers. It did not incorporate all accounts that had partial BTC possessions. Therefore, while it can be very tough to project Bitcoin’s future value, obviously, retail investors are not going anywhere out of the system by the emergence of institutional investors. If the said forecasts happen as expected, small investors will assume a bigger job by 2024 in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Thus, looking at the current developments, there is every chance that the retail demand of the digital currency will double by the time its next halving event happens in 2024.
Read Dive is a leading technology blog focusing on different domains like Blockchain, AI, Chatbot, Fintech, Health Tech, Software Development and Testing. For guest blogging, please feel free to contact at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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NBN Co seeks to close urban rural divide
NBN Co has launched a series of initiatives aimed at bridging the urban-rural digital divide and improving connectivity in regional and remote parts of Australia.
The new initiatives include the launch of a business nbn satellite service, as well as the establishment of a new business unit dedicated to meeting customer needs in regional and rural areas.
The new business-grade wholesale satellite services will allow retail service providers to target medium and large businesses in sectors such as mining and resources, oil and gas, emergency services, forestry, construction, education, agriculture, tourism and health.
Initial products will focus on meeting remote business requirements for high-data internet access and IoT.
The two initial products will be a virtual ISP service offering wholesale speeds of either 30 Mbps downlink/1 Mbps uplink, 30 Mbps downlink/5 Mbps uplink, or 13 Mbps symmetrical, as well as an IoT service offering wholesale speeds of “up to” 2 Mbps symmetrical.
An additional Access Bandwidth Service product will launch next year, which will seek to provide committed wholesale speeds on par with those demanded for critical applications by large enterprise and government customers.
Research commissioned by NBN Co from Telsyte forecasts that the number of Australian businesses using satellite services will grow by more than 30% by 2021.
The new business unit will, meanwhile, combine all aspects of NBN Co’s fixed wireless and satellite teams, from engineering to operations.
It will seek to expand community and stakeholder engagement as the deployment of the network nears completion.
The unit will be led by newly appointed Chief Development Officer, Regional & Remote Gavin Williams. Williams joined NBN Co in June 2014 and was most recently Executive General Manager for Products.
Finally, NBN Co has revealed plans to work with various industry bodies to identify opportunities to work with and provide information to small businesses to improve their digital capability.
These industry bodies include the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).
This announcement coincided with the launch of a new report commissioned by NBN Co, Connecting Australia, which found that on average small businesses are spending less than 1% of their total revenue on technology.
Many small businesses lack the skills, time or resources to invest in digital technology, or they lack knowledge of the opportunities that technologies provide, the report found.
OCCOM—Optical Communication Expert
Fast Response, Fast Trouble Shooting!
Occom is a Sydney based Internet Service Provider. Rich experience in telecommunication industry, great customer reputation. Partnering with top-tier fiber service providers, OCCOM offers a variety of Internet and home phone connection options. We provide free onsite support, ensuring your communication and entertainment needs. You will be impressed by our outstanding customer service staff.
Tel：1300 299 999


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PayPal Holdings, Inc. has revealed its plans to acquire Paidy, a Japanese two-sided payments platform and a buy now, pay later solutions provider. The deal was announced for ¥300 billion or US$2.7 billion cash transaction.
In the official announcement PayPal noted that the acquisition will expand its capabilities, distribution and relevance in the domestic payments market in Japan. The third largest ecommerce market in the world will complement PayPal’s existing cross-border ecommerce business in the country.
Peter Kenevan, vice president, head of Japan at PayPal, commented:
Paidy pioneered buy now, pay later solutions tailored to the Japanese market and quickly grew to become the leading service, developing a sizable two-sided platform of consumers and merchants. Combining Paidy’s brand, capabilities and talented team with PayPal’s expertise, resources and global scale will create a strong foundation to accelerate our momentum in this strategically important market.
With Paidy’s payment services, Japanese clients can make purchases online and pay for them each month in a consolidated bill at a convenience store or via bank transfer. The company’s technology can score creditworthiness, underwrite transactions and guarantee payment to merchants. Consumers are guaranteed comfort and safety while shopping online. The company drives increased conversion rates, average order values and repeat purchases for merchants.
Paidy’s products like its Paidy 3-Pay monthly installment offering, has driven strong engagement with over six million registered users and played a key role in establishing strategic relationships with leading global brands and online marketplaces. Paidy’s integrations with PayPal and other digital and QR wallets through Paidy Link expands Paidy’s reach to online and offline merchants beyond its platform.
Russell Cummer, founder and executive chairman of Paidy, said:
There is no better home for Paidy to continue to grow and innovate than PayPal, which has been removing friction from online shopping for more than 20 years. Japan has been a vibrant environment for our growth to date and we’re honored to have our team’s hard work and potential recognized by a global leader. Together with PayPal, we will be able to further achieve our mission of taking the hassle out of shopping.
Riku Sugie, president and CEO of Paidy, added:
Paidy is just at the beginning of our journey and joining PayPal will accelerate our plans to expand beyond ecommerce and build unique services as the new shopping standard. PayPal was a founding partner for Paidy Link and we look forward to working together to create even more value. Thank you to our community of merchants and users who helped us get to this important milestone.
The acquisition deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021 and expected to be minimally dilutive to non-GAAP earnings per share in 2022.
Once the transaction is complete, Paidy will continue to operate its existing business and maintain its brand.The Paidy team will continue to be led by Cummer and Sugie.
The announcement also noted that BofA Securities is acting as sole financial adviser to PayPal, while White & Case will be lead legal adviser with regard to the transaction. Goldman Sachs will be the sole financial adviser to Paidy and Cooley LLP and Mori Hamada & Matsumoto are acting as its legal advisers.
Experienced writer and journalist, working in the global online trading sector, Steffy is the Editor of LeapRate. She has previous experience as a copywriter and has been with the company since January 2020. Steffy has a British and American Studies degree from St. Kliment Ochridski University in Sofia.


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Vipin Msg added new article
Airport Retailing Market Size, Share & Forecast | USD 51.4 billion by 2030
The global airport retailing market size is projected to reach USD 51.4 billion by 2030 from USD 19.9 billion in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 12.6% from 2022 to 2030. The global airport retailing market has been growing rapidly in the last few years owing to the increase in the inclination of people toward traveling and exploring unique holiday destinations. The...
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Get yourself up to date with everything we've written in the last seven days - it's weekly roundup time.
Sony has thrown in the towel on its appeal of a £250,000 fine ($377,500) imposed after its PlayStation Network was hacked in April 2011, losing data such as names, addresses, email addresses, dates of birth and account passwords of millions of users.
"There’s no disguising that this is a business that should have known better," says ICO director.
How many headlines do there have to be before companies take data security more seriously?
Anonymous is threatening companies like Sony and Nintendo over their support of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Will this accomplish their goals, or simply create more victims?
Sony confirms that credit card details which could have been stolen in the recent hack of the PlayStation Network were encrypted, but doesn't reassure customers regarding the strength of encryption.
Just how could user accounts, potentially including credit card details, of a whopping 70 million users not be encrypted? It baffles the mind.
Users of Sony's PlayStation Network are at risk of identity theft after hackers broke into the system, and accessed the personal information of videogame players.
The Sony PlayStation Network has been offline since 20th April, following what the company calls an "external intrusion".


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Modelling legend Elle Macpherson will host New Zealand Fashion Week's (NZFW) inaugural gala event.
The "sophisticated, luxury event celebrating the best and brightest of New Zealand’s fashion and social scenes" will be held at SkyCity in Auckland on September 27.
"The modern Gala Ball setting will include fashion shows curated by the team at New Zealand Fashion Week, extravagant venue dressing, a four-course gourmet dinner and live music and entertainment," organisers said on Sunday.
"The pinnacle of the event will be a discussion with Elle Macpherson on her career, personal fashion style, entrepreneurialism and philanthropy."
Macpherson, dubbed 'The Body' by Time in 1986, said it was an honour.
"New Zealand is so innovative and holds a special place in my heart. I think it's fascinating that a country with such a generally relaxed attitude to life and a strong sense of community, also achieves so much on the world stage."
- NZFW designer Holly Norman's top tips
- 'Nope': NZ Fashion Week debut for sexual assault survivor's empowering message of consent
- Newshub's Samantha Hayes, Mike McRoberts take to the catwalk
The gala is "inspired by the likes of New York City's Met Gala or London's GQ Men of the Year Ceremony", and will be run in conjunction with Duco Events.
"There is no one in New Zealand who can stage a Gala like this to a higher standard than Duco Events, and we're confident they’ll create a night to remember," said NZFW founder Dame Pieter Stewart.
Organisers say each year will see a different "A-List celebrities from the world of fashion and high-society" host the gala.
Tickets for a 10-seater table at the first gala start at $3392.50. Money raised will go to The Rising Foundation, which helps at-risk youth.
Macpherson has recently made headlines for her relationship with Andrew Wakefield, the disgraced former doctor behind the deadly anti-vaccination movement.


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Is that a horse burger?
Cii Radio| Ayesha Ismail| 06 November 2017| 16 Safar 1439
Study finds horse DNA in 10% of meat dishes in Mexico
A study in Mexico has found horse DNA in almost 10% of the ground beef and meat dishes served or sold in public markets, butcher shops, street stalls and taco stands in five Mexican cities.
Researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Mexico’s National Autonomous University analysed 433 samples of steak, ground beef and prepared meat dishes from businesses.
The highest percentage of horse DNA was found in ground beef sold at stalls, street markets or food stands, although less than 1% of vendors acknowledged selling horse meat.
Horse DNA was not found in supermarket meat.
While horse meat itself is not illegal in Mexico, horses are often given medications which are not approved for animals being raised for food.
Source – News 24


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Recent Posts from Vegan Valley
(Mosheim, Tenn., Oct. 7, 2019) – A small food manufacturer in East Tennessee specializing in dairy-alternative vegan sauces was recently awarded a state grant. The company will use the money to expand its production facility and grow its market throughout the U.S.
Vegan Valley cheeze and alfredo sauces are plant-based, vegan, kosher certified and made without preservatives or trans-fats. Currently with four flavors—Mild Original, Alfredo, Nacho Queso and Jalapeno Queso—their refrigerated shelf life is one year.
Sold in 16-ounce, lead-free glass containers, the sauces are made with organic cashews and can be purchased at Whole Foods Markets, Ingles Markets, Inc. and health food stores throughout the Southeast.
In July, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture granted Vegan Valley funding in the amount of $50,000. Part of the Agriculture Enterprise Fund, the grant was created to support agribusinesses that are making an impact on Tennessee agriculture.
Samma and Gregory Highland created the Vegan Valley brand in 2013 after raising a daughter who had severe food allergies and founding a meal preparation and delivery company for people with food allergies and health issues.
When a client who had become a good friend died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), they closed the meal prep business in 2017 to focus solely on the dairy-alternative vegan sauces.
Samma Highland, a University of Tennessee graduate with a degree in food science and nutrition, worked as a dietician and consultant to individuals with food allergies before moving with her husband Greg back home to her family’s farm in Mosheim, Tenn., now the headquarters for Vegan Valley.
“Plant-based diets and veganism have grown 500 percent since we began making Vegan Valley sauces six years ago. We’re growing because our product tastes good as well as being good for you,” said Gregory Highland. “It’s also good for our local economy.”
Expansion plans for the Vegan Valley manufacturing facility that has been certified gluten-, soy- and dairy-free include increasing the square footage from 1,400 to 5,000 square feet and adding automated equipment and walk-in coolers. The number of employees has grown from four to six workers.
While the farm, located in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains, is non-GMO and organic, the Highlands are working on official certifications for those labels.
Future plans include growing the Vegan Valley product line to vegan dips and sour cream. In the meantime, they’ll concentrate on getting the product in grocery and health food stores beyond Southeastern U.S.
About Vegan Valley
Vegan Valley, a dairy-alternative line of cheeze and alfredo sauces, is plant-based, vegan and kosher-certified. Made on a farm in East Tennessee, they contain no preservatives or trans-fats. Currently available in four flavors—Mild Original, Nacho Queso, Jalapeno Queso and Alfredo—Vegan Valley is made with organic cashews, making them dairy-, soy- and gluten-free. Most importantly, they taste good and have a shelf life of up to a year in your refrigerator. Learn more www.VeganValley.com or www.facebook.com/veganvalley
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Introducing IRISH OLYMPIAN Golfer STEPHANIE MEADOW, the newest female sports personality to get familiar with …
Irish Olympian golfer, 25-year-old Stephanie Meadow, is the latest sports personality to join Investec’s prestigious stable of sponsorships. The business of sport is gathering momentum; currently corporate sponsorship is estimated at €100m but it’s climbing fast. Supporting competitive athletes demonstrates good corporate responsibility and, as female athletes increase in influence and affluence, carefully-targeted partnerships are enabling brands to reach niche consumer groups, making this potentially a golden era for expanding traditional sponsorship models.
This article appeared in a previous issue, for more features like this don’t miss our next issue, out Thursday April 6.
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COLORS AND SHAPES FLASH AND ZOOM across computer screens in a dim, wall-less office that looks like a nerd’s rec room. In one corner sits a somewhat unusual private conference space: a blue Geo with a small refrigerator and a coffeemaker in the hatchback and a phone next to the driver’s seat. Nearby, a table tennis table does double-duty as a conference table. Several of the male employees sport ponytails, and one of the vice presidents wears blue jeans. And, of course, the place and the people are wired to the max: Everyone has a high-speed Internet connection.
This space in the Infomart, the high-tech trade mart near downtown Dallas modeled after London’s Crystal Palace, could be the headquarters of any of a dozen start-ups on the Silicon Prairie (the stretch of high-tech firms along the Dallas—Fort Worth corridor). But what makes it unusual and even daring is that it’s part of Electronic Data Systems ( EDS), the Plano-based computer-services company that Ross Perot built, imbued with an ultraconservative image, and sold to General Motors. “People don’t think of us as wild and crazy guys,” admits William R. “Butch” Winters, the president of c2o Interactive Architects, EDS’s fledgling Internet group. But that may soon change. c2o could go a long way toward revising how people think about the company, as well as revving up future profits and dramatically shifting the way business is conducted on the Internet.
c2o (short for “chaos to order”) is a modest but creative offshoot that designs sites for the World Wide Web, and that makes it unlike anything ever tried at EDS. This is a company, after all, that has thrived for decades by managing complex computer systems and networks for big corporate and government customers; for example, in a typical bid for new business, EDS is expected to compete for state contracts when Texas redesigns and automates part of its welfare system. But EDS has stumbled recently in its traditional arena. In 1996 competitors like IBM grabbed most of the big contracts that EDS wanted. Consequently, the company’s profits fell 11 percent in the first quarter of 1997, resulting in a massive cost-cutting plan that could trim up to 9,000 of its 98,000 jobs worldwide. Some Wall Street analysts have said that EDS—which last year had revenues of more than $14 billion—needs to be more nimble and inventive in going after new business.
That’s where c2o comes in. Traditional EDS customers and some not-so-traditional ones are clamoring for a presence on the Internet beyond merely putting up a slick logo and reprinting an annual report on the Web. Savvy companies want to use the Web to market and sell products and give real-time information to their customers. “The whole game of the Internet now is ‘Where’s the money?’” says P. Craig Turner, c2o’s vice president of creative development. “‘Let’s go sell some stuff, let’s control costs, let’s do something that has a bottom-line impact.’” To that end, for a budding roster of clients that includes Hachette Filipacchi Magazines—the publisher of Elle, Car and Driver, George, and Premiere—c2o functions as a kind of one-stop shop for Web-site development. It will match an online strategy with a company’s overall business goals; design or rework Web sites with the latest digital image, sound, and animation technology; and build electronic mechanisms to ensure secure financial transactions on the Internet.
As a next-generation Web-site developer, c2o is at the center of a seismic shift on the Net. To date, the model for Web-site development has been the little guy—sometimes just one or two wireheads working out of a garage or a small office. By contrast, the big guys like EDS have racked up a lot of experience hosting Web sites, which means they run the sites off their own banks of computers, called file servers, and make sure they stay up and running. EDS has hosted about one hundred sites for clients such as Saturn, Mitsubishi, and Pepsi from an enormous facility called the WebVault at its Plano headquarters. But all the while, EDS was lacking on the creative and marketing fronts, which forced it to team up with ad agencies and design firms. Ironically, thanks to the creation of c2o, many of those agencies and firms are now EDS’s competition.
Techies say c2o marks the first time a big systems integrator has jumped onto the creative side of the Internet with a separate staff. “ EDS basically broke the mold,” says Josh Bernoff, a senior analyst at Forrester Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a leading computer research firm. Not surprisingly, other big systems companies are expected to follow. Forrester predicts that 840,000 businesses worldwide will have a presence on the Internet by the year 2000, accounting for 1.24 million sites that will be increasingly sophisticated and useful. “The Web used to be about image: brochureware, online advertising, marketing,” Bernoff says. “Now it’s much more about online transactions—looking up my brokerage account or buying a sweater from Wal-Mart. Behind that is a system with an enormous database trying to bring real-time data to you.” Not many small companies have the resources to run such a database, so the question of whether big companies will end up controlling Web-site development is a no-brainer. “Of course they will,” Bernoff says. “The question is how.”
EDS took a novel but necessary approach to answering that question when it quietly launched c2o in January. The company structured it as a “cultural breakout” free from the legendarily conservative corporate culture of its parent. It is independent in the sense that it can pursue new customers on its own rather than relying on other divisions of EDS. With its brightly colored workspaces and open layout, c2o is a vastly different world from EDS’s ultramodern corporate headquarters, where employees occasionally get lost in the labyrinth of cubicles. But the most important distinction is how people look. EDS has long been known for almost militaristic dress codes left over from its days under Perot, when


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Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest aluminium producer, announces that its products are now Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certified. With this, it has become the first in the Indian aluminium industry to secure BIS certification for its large range of aluminium products. The products certified include wire rods, primary ingots, alloy ingots and cast bars manufactured at Jharsuguda plant in Odisha and at BALCO, the company’s subsidiary in Chhattisgarh.
The company has received 15 certifications for its products and their applications across diverse customer industries, such as electrical, automotive, engineering, etc. The Bureau of Indian Standards is the apex domestic body tasked with defining quality standards across industry sectors. It employs rigorous assessment methodologies before issuing the BIS Standard Mark, a coveted stamp of quality on manufactured products. The company is also collaborating with BIS to develop standards for aluminium products and raw materials for which appropriate quality standards do not exist currently.
Vedanta’s aluminium products are registered with the London Metal Exchange (LME). The company has now proactively sought the BIS certifications to further boost Indian customers’ confidence that the aluminium they buy is certified by the country’s highest authority on quality standards. To achieve this, Vedanta Aluminium deploys some of the world’s best technologies in metal manufacturing, uses sophisticated processes, conducts deep R&D, and works with emerging-tech start-ups and experts from around the world. Due to this, the company continues to be a preferred supplier to customers in nearly 50 countries.
Rahul Sharma, CEO, Aluminum Business, Vedanta Ltd. said, "The BIS certifications for our products show that Indian manufacturing is synonymous with high quality, the benefits of which are being passed on to the end consumer. On India’s journey to become a global manufacturing powerhouse, we are proud flag-bearers of the nation’s manufacturing prowess."


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Lindsay Lohan’s Playboy cover and the entire set of revealing pictures from her shoot for the men’s magazine leaked online this weekend (7 December to 9 December 2011), and now publisher Hugh Hefner is bumping up the release of the January/February 2012 issue featuring it.
Lindsay posed nude for the photographs, which were inspired by Marilyn Monroe, and was paid $1 million for the shoot. In the pictures, the actress, wearing just a pair of high heels, is shown posing on a red couch and reclining on a bed.
The Mean Girls star had planned to give fans a sneak peek of the images during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on 15 December, but the pics leaked before that.
Hefner said he wasn’t bothered by the leak, insisting the Lindsay Lohan issue would be “be a true Collector's Edition". But he is trying to fight the potential loss in sales by rush-releasing the January/February edition of the magazine.
The Playboy publisher posted on his Twitter page, "Because of the interest and the Internet leak, we're releasing the Lindsay Lohan issue early."
The exact release date has not been announced yet.


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Agents Giving will be hosting a live charity auction at their online awards event on Friday 4th December 2020 from 4pm, and you can now register to bid at the event.
It will be an hour of celebration, fun, music, with the Acts of Kindness Awards being presented by Patron Phil Spencer. The live charity auction will be held by Agents Giving Auction Partners – Iam Sold.
Agents Giving are now showcasing the auction items which have all been kindly donated by supporters. You can now pre bid ahead of the event itself.
To view the items, simply click here.
Auction lots include; Cottage in the Cotswolds, Palmer sport Track Day, FA Cup Semi Final Tickets, Business Consultations, Designer Sofa, Tickets for Wicked The Musical, 4 Ball at Woburn Golf Club, Spa Day for four at Chewton Glen Hotel, Dinner and overnight stay at the Birtch Hotel plus more.
You can place your silent bids here:
Michael Stoop, chairman of Agents Giving, said: “We are very grateful to our charity partners at Iam Sold, the team will be on hand to help take live bids on the afternoon of the awards to help raise funds for Agents Giving. You can also place bids now on your favourite auction items via our website – thank you for your support.”
The event will be available to watch live for a suggested donation of £10 per person, which will go to our supported charity – NHS Charities Together. One lucky winner will receive a £200 Amazon voucher kindly donated by TouchRight Software.
There is also a competition for you to win a live donation of £750 for your chosen charity sponsored by Foxtons. All you have to do is pitch Agents Giving a video of no more than two minutes why your charity should be gifted this donation. You can upload your video on the Agents Giving website.


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From the onset of the pandemic, the global supply chain has taken one hit after another. COVID-related closures. Logistical difficulties stemming from those closures. Crucial trade channels being blocked. With one thing after another, it’s been a string of headaches. The dependencies baked into this globalized system designed to operate at max efficiency are showing now that it’s not working at max efficiency.
This leaves businesses around the world, and their logistics and procurement teams, scrambling day and night, with a new situation constantly arising that needs creative workarounds to keep goods flowing and customer demands met. There are a number of particular global trends and realities that are putting pressure on procurement teams to account for new risks in order to meet privacy, infosec, contract, and compliance requirements.
For one, the likelihood of a recession coming our way is likely to dampen sales forecasts in most categories. And the record levels of inflation that the world is experiencing right now are only serving to speed along those squeezed margins and increase all sorts of tangential risks. What if consumer demand shifts away from one product or category when their dollar doesn’t go as far? What if a key supplier is forced to shut down during the downturn?
Supply chain teams would do well to take steps today to prepare and make sure they can maintain ample supply to meet customer demands, as well as build in the flexibility to change course, relatively quickly, if needed.
Complicating those plans is the new normal of the world: volatility.
Where you could formerly rely on some countries as being stable and reliable, wrenches have been thrown in the gears everywhere you look: wars, social upheavals, counties joining or leaving trading blocs and agreements— nothing is a given anymore, and that lack of certainty carries a lot of risk for supply chains. Delays, disruptions, or other complications, have always needed to be weighed against the benefits of doing business abroad, but those risks are now higher than ever and carry even more weight.
One area where procurement teams are discovering they have a distinct lack of visibility is their susceptibility to sanctions. As we’ve seen as a result of the war in Ukraine, the sanctions landscape can evolve, and quickly. A company might need to find a replacement for one supplier fast or risk massive fines. But, finding out which suppliers need to be replaced is not always as easy as checking the list of sanctioned companies for a supplier name match. Many businesses overseas have complicated or obfuscated ownership structures, which means a more thorough check for UBOs—ultimate beneficial owners—is necessary to not run afoul of sanctions. Even if a supplier is not directly sanctioned, the company could still face penalties if one of the company’s UBOs is on the list.
Speaking of penalties, the risk of fines for not adequately taking steps toward sustainability—and properly documenting them—is only increasing.
- The EU recently passed the CSRD, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which specifies what ESG and sustainability disclosures will be required by law for anyone doing business in the region. Those will come into effect in 2023 and the U.S. may not be far behind—the SEC proposed similar rules back in May.
- Both the SEC proposals and the EU laws specify that Scope 3 emissions must be disclosed as well as Scope 1 and 2 emissions (which come from the company more directly).
With 70% of many companies’ emissions resulting from their supply chain (i.e. Scope 3 emissions), it will be no small feat to gather and report that info. Significant technological upgrades will need to be made along the supply chain to document emissions data, but the cost of not complying will only grow higher as more regulations are put in place—both domestically and worldwide.
As so much volatility comes from every direction, supply chain managers need to weigh the risk of their suppliers based on geopolitical and economic factors.
Assessing the risk level and kind of risk for suppliers—starting with the ones most critical to day to day operations first—will tell companies a lot of what they need to know in order to build more resiliency into their supply chain. For example, we have seen an increase in “friend-shoring” (moving production to friendlier, more stable countries) and “reshoring” (moving outsourced production back home) as a means of mitigating riskier suppliers across the globe. As long as the risk isn’t exceptionally high, or a major disruption or shutdown is imminent, it tends to be best to divest about 5% per quarter from risky suppliers until the situation improves or a complete contract closure won’t disrupt operations downstream.
Of course, changing suppliers, even slowly, can be expensive. This is even before accounting for the fact that production in less risky countries generally costs more than where companies have traditionally outsourced. It’s not possible for each company to make such significant changes, which is why putting tools in place to increase visibility is so important. This will help make ESG and sanctions checks and ensure that new suppliers that come on are ones with acceptably low levels of risk.
Automation capabilities in third-party management software (TPMS) are a big part of how procurement teams have started getting better visibility into their growing supplier bases; they allow for strategic sourcing decisions to be made, constant monitoring of changing situations and relationships, and provide a significant time savings for procurement professionals—crucial for the belt-tightening process that generally accompanies recessions at most companies.
Procurement teams looking to reduce the risk accompanying our world’s current difficult realities should prioritize these automation features in their solutions. These features allow for all stakeholders to be involved without it slowing down the process, and for flexible workflows that adapt to rapidly evolving situations. By integrating these solutions with already existing business systems and data sources, procurement can automatically be alerted to any changes at suppliers that might increase risk and perhaps necessitate a change in relationship.
Better information, on suppliers and the regulations around them, is the key to navigating a volatile global world that doesn’t appear to be settling back into “business as usual” anytime soon. Companies will preemptively act to arrange their supplier relationships in strategically beneficial ways with increased flexibility and lower risk. A close look at the risk profile of current suppliers, and making plans for mitigating the risks found, will go a long way toward getting through the bumpy road ahead while meeting commitments to customers, partners and stakeholders.


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Sun Pharmaceutical Industres, the 5th worlds largest speciality generic drugs producer, saw the third quarter’s net profit rise 117%at Rs. 2,235 crores ($335.250M).
Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director of the Company said, “The synergies from the Ranbaxy acquisition are gaining momentum and we are on track to achieve the targeted benefits. These synergies will continue to help in funding our emerging specialty businesses. Post the close of the quarter, we further strengthened our branded ophthalmic pipeline through the acquisition of Ocular Technologies. We were also very happy to announce the detailed results for Tildrakizumab Phase-3 trials which validate the potential of this product for psoriasis treatment.”
India Business – 8 new products in the market
The company reported sale of branded formulations in India for Q2FY17 was Rs. 2,009 crores($301.350M), up 11% and accounting for 26% of total sales. For the first half, sales were at Rs. 3,863 crores, higher by 9% over same period last year. Sun Pharma is ranked No. 1 and holds approximately 8.7% market share in the Rs. 100,000 crore pharmaceutical market as per September-2016 AIOCD-AWACS report.
As per latest SMSRC report, Sun Pharma is ranked no. 1 based on share of prescriptions with 12 classes of doctors. For Q2FY17, the company launched 8 new products in the Indian market.
Sales in the US were $555 million for the quarter, a growth of 9% over same period last year and accounted for 48% of total sales. For first half sales were $1,163 million recording a growth of 17%. Sales for the first half were boosted primarily due to the benefit of the 180-day exclusivity for Imatinib which commenced from February 1, 2016.
At the same time, Taro posted Q2 FY17 sales of $229 million, up 8% over Q2 last year. For the first half, sales were $463 million, up 8% over first half last year. Taro’s net profit for Q2 was $124 million, down by 7% over Q2 last year. Net profit for H1FY16 was at US$ 234 million, down by 1% over first half last year.


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Seaton vegan hate mail card was A HOAX
- Credit: Archant
Woman apologises to butcher Ron Norman for a joke which backfired.
An apparent hate mail card wishing a Seaton butcher a very MISERABLE Christmas has turned out to be … a hoax.
Signed ‘Seaton Vegan Society’ it was delivered to Ron Norman’s shop in Fore Street on Tuesday.
Instead of wishing him a Merry Christmas the sender had crossed out some of the letters and replaced them to read ‘Miserable Christmas’.
Mr Norman, who sells only meat that comes from farms with the highest animal welfare standards, was so upset he put the card on the counter so customers could read it.
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Many were outraged at what appeared to be a cowardly attack by the anonymous writer.
Customer Reg Gardner said he was appalled.
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“I think it is a shame to send this to a butcher who provides a service to those who enjoy meat and does his best for the wellbeing of the animals from which it comes.
“It is very sad that the vegan who sent it does have not the courage to deliver it personally or put their name on it.”
But now it has it emerged the card was sent as a joke by one of Mr Norman’s regular customers.
The woman went in to the shop and apologised for causing such an outcry with what she had simply intended as a bit of fun.
Mr Norman said he told her the Herald had already reported the story.
“She said it served her right,” he added.


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Chevrolet will officially unveil the 2016 Volt at the Detroit Auto Show but gave the media a preview of what it will look like on the eve of the start of CES 2015 in Las Vegas. Chevy’s Global Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney says from the outside the vehicle’s most apparent changes are in styling and design but there will also be new technology offerings on the inside that car enthusiasts will likely be excited about. Mahoney says one of the biggest tech additions to the all-new Volt will be 4G LTE connected technology. While Mahoney stopped short of saying the new control panel on the dash in the Volt will look like the Tesla Model S but he did say it will be more ‘iPad-esque.’ Mahoney calls the addition of connected technology to 16 of Chevrolet’s models, from the Spark all the way up to high-end Silverado trucks, the ‘democratization of technology and creates accessibility’ across all of its auto offerings. TheStreet’s Ruben Ramirez reports from Las Vegas.
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Microsoft’s undertaking funds fund, M12 Ventures, has led a slew of strategic corporate investors backing a new chip developer out of Southern California known as Syntiant, which makes semiconductors for voice recognition and speech-based mostly purposes.
“We started out to create a new variety of processor for equipment studying, and voice is our first application,” suggests Syntiant chief executive Kurt Busch. “We decided to construct a chip for generally-on battery-powered equipment.”
These chips need to have a various kind of processor than common chipsets, states Busch. Classic compute is about logic, and deep mastering is about memory accessibility traditional microchip patterns also never perform as well when it will come to parallel processing of details.
Syntiant promises that its chips are two orders of magnitude additional successful, thanks to its details move architecture that was constructed for deep finding out, in accordance to Busch.
It is that efficiency that captivated buyers, together with M12, Microsoft Corp.’s enterprise fund the Amazon Alexa Fund Used Ventures, the investment arm of Applied Supplies Intel Money Motorola Methods Undertaking Capital and Robert Bosch Undertaking Cash.
These financial commitment companies stand for some of the technological innovation industry’s best chip makers and software program builders, and they’re pooling their methods to guidance Syntiant’s Irvine, California-based mostly functions.
“Syntiant aligns flawlessly with our mission to aid companies that fuel voice know-how innovation,” explained Paul Bernard, director of the Alexa Fund at Amazon. “Its know-how has massive possible to generate continued adoption of voice products and services like Alexa, particularly in cellular eventualities that require products to stability small electric power with continual, significant-precision voice recognition. We appear forward to operating with Syntiant to lengthen its speech technological innovation to new units and environments.”
Syntiant’s very first system steps 1.4 by 1.8 millimeters and attracts 140 microwatts of ability. In some programs, Syntiant’s chips can operate for a calendar year on a solitary coin mobile.
“Syntiant’s neural network know-how and its memory-centric architecture matches effectively with Used Materials’ core expertise in materials engineering as we empower radical leaps in unit performance and novel supplies-enabled memory systems,” claimed Michael Stewart, principal at Used Ventures, the undertaking funds arm of Utilized Elements, Inc. “Syntiant’s extremely-small-electricity neural decision processors have the probable to create advancement in the chip market and provide an efficient alternative for today’s demanding voice and video programs.”
So significantly, 80 customers are operating with Syntiant to combine the company’s chips into their solutions. There are a few dozen companies in the layout stage and the enterprise has currently notched design and style wins for merchandise ranging from mobile telephones and good speakers to remote controls, hearing aids, laptops and displays. Already the enterprise has delivered its very first million units.
“We hope to scale that by 10x by the finish of this yr,” suggests Busch.
Syntiant’s chipsets are intended exclusively to manage wakes and instructions, which usually means that users can increase voice recognition capabilities and commands exclusive to their specific voice, Busch claims.
At first backed by undertaking companies such as Atlantic Bridge, Miramar and Alpha Edison, Syntiant raised its to start with round of funding in October 2017. The enterprise has raised a full of $65 million to day, in accordance to Busch.
“Syntiant’s architecture is very well-suited for the computational patterns and inherent parallelism of deep neural networks,” said Samir Kumar, an trader with M12 and new director on the Syntiant board. “We see great possible in its capability to permit breakthroughs in electricity effectiveness for AI processing in IoT [Internet of things].”