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The race for dominance in the smart assistant market is Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to lose according to Edison Investment analysts Richard Windsor. The analyst believes the tech giant has the much-needed arsenal to rival Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) which continues to send shockwaves with its home digital assistant Echo.
Google’s AI Edge
Google Home according to the analyst is by far the better product thanks to its artificial intelligence capabilities that are second to none. The analyst is confident that the tech giant will start to call the shots on digital home assistants as soon as developers start to embed their products and software with Google Home.
Google’s strength in artificial intelligence could give it an edge when competing against its peers. However, a lack of products for the space has made it impossible for it to bridge the gap against Amazon.
“This problem is reflected right the way through the entire smart home ecosystem where every smart device one can think of works with Amazon Alexa but only a small proportion work with Google Assistant,” said Mr. Windsor.
The search giant faces an uphill task to dethrone Amazon which was first to market with Echo voice-activated assistant in 2015. The e-commerce giant controls nearly 70% market share in the home digital assistant business thanks to the success of its Echo speaker.
Amazon is currently offering developers cash rewards to create apps for Echo as it seeks to protect its market share in the sector. The company is also offering free cloud computing service for the development of the apps.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is another tech giant gunning for market share in the fast-growing spectacle. The iPhone maker has already unveiled HomePod that it plans to use to keep loyal fans to its ecosystem of hardware and services.
Microsoft is yet to venture into the home digital assistant business even though it boasts of one of the best virtual assistants in Cortana. It is still unclear when the company will unveil its speaker activated digital assistant.


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5 brands using data to generate blog content
Like it or not, your brand’s blog is important. According to eMarketer, brand sites and related pages are still the primary way a consumer gets information about a company. A study last year found that 48 percent of online shoppers said they trusted content on brand websites. If that sounds small, it’s still more than the percentage of people who trust mainstream news.
The IPG’s New Realities study this month found that consumers liked searching out information on brands — and if an engaging experience was part of the process, they were likelier to remember the brand and adopt it.
But short of weighing in on what’s trending online or simply pushing out dry company news, it can be hard to figure out what content to put out there. A growing swathe of brands is turning to proprietary data to create interesting content. “Owned content that highlights data — particularly visual content like infographics — conveys a large amount of information very quickly, and people tend to pass it along on their own social media. The more entertaining the content, the more shareable it is to a larger segment of consumers,” said Matt Thornbrough, svp manging director of Media Partnership Corporation.
Below, five of the better ones.
This week, Spotify launched the Insights data blog, which will feature articles about music and how people listen to it. The company says it has data on 20 million songs and listening habits across the world. The platform tapped the services of Eliot van Buskirk, a former CNet and Wired columnist, who is also editor-in-chief at music discovery technology company The Echo Nest, to serve as an in-house “data storyteller.” Spotify acquired The Echo Nest earlier this year, sending a signal about the importance of big data in the music business and how context could drive music recommendations.
“We’ve been working on Insights for a while and are launching now because this is how long it took to conceive, plan, and implement, rather than trying to keep up with a trend,” van Buskirk said. “We felt it was important to find a substantial home for this content, which both companies had been generating.”
The first post on the Insights blog, which Buskirk wrote with input from Ajay Kalia, Spotify’s product owner of taste profiles, examines how music spreads through the world and how cities influence its spread.
OkTrends is the dating site’s insights blog and features gems like how your race affects who you’re attracted to, the mathematics of beauty and what the best questions for a first date are. Launched in 2010 by Christian Rudder, president and co-founder, the site was initially a way to attract new members by offering them useful content. This week, he released “Dataclysm,” a 247-page book featuring that data, along with other insights culled from Facebook, Google and other friends that showcase human interaction patterns. You can buy the hardcover on Amazon for $17.11.
If dating can yield great insights, just imagine what porn can do. Pornhub has lots of sexxxy data and uses it to create smart content that is incredibly readable. For example, a recent post looked at how people were becoming more curious and interested in BDSM and got its group of statisticians to crunch some numbers on who is watching BDSM videos, where they come from, and what exactly they’re searching for.
GE has tens of blogs, but its Visualization brand blog is one of its best. It gathers data generated by all its technologies, then uses it to power gorgeous visualizations of salient issues, like the truth about LEDs and a breakdown of the world’s energy consumption. It’s a two-fer: GE gets to draw attention to its products but also helps generate interesting reads.
The Weather Channel has a veritable treasure trove of data, which it often sells to other companies. For example, the makers of an allergy pill could use data on when the pollent count may get highest to plan its inventory. But its Insights blog is a true data wonk’s delight. Lead forecaster Guy Walton has kept a running summer contest that calls on weather data aficionados to make educated guesses about the climate in what he’s called “The Climate Lottery.” He also crunches average temperatures and other numbers to rank states and presents it in pretty charts.
‘Looking to grow with it’: How TikTok is becoming a staple in Dr. Squatch’s social spend
As TikTok makes itself more advertiser friendly, with improved ad offerings and shopping capabilities, Dr. Squatch sees opportunity to grow that share of its budget.
TV, CTV now the ‘biggest single channel’ of advertising for alcohol delivery service Drizly
In previous years, Drizly’s advertising focus was mainly on paid search and paid social with measurement in mind. As the privacy landscape has changed, especially over the last year, the company began to test out other channels like TV and podcasts. After seeing promising results on TV and CTV, the company has moved more ad dollars there.
The connector: How UTA’s gaming boss is reconciling discrepancies between the attention games attract and the revenue they make
If you’re into gaming then chances are you’ve come across Ophir Lupu’s work.
SponsoredHow advertisers are shifting mindsets to succeed amid iOS 15 and other identity challenges
On top of the impending cookie deprecation, Apple’s recent iOS 15 changes are causing concern for many advertisers by affecting pixels, IP addresses and email addresses. While these upcoming changes may be concerning for many, shifting mindsets and getting away from a binary way of thinking with solutions being 100% contextual or 100% universal IDs […]
Why Fiverr believes it’s finally time to bring back OOH advertising next year
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The Rundown: How up-and-coming esports organizations are separating themselves from the pack
Marketers should look to partner with esports organizations competing in newer or smaller esports that boast loyal and growing communities.

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Google readies its developer army for the upcoming I/O conference with new marching orders to make their apps and services look better.
A Florida city decides that it doesn't matter if you're rushing to ER. It will still send you a ticket for running a red light.
A new version of the virtual reality headset is in the pipeline, with improved motion tracking that won't make you ill, the company promises.
The app lets users enter symptoms, answer relevant questions, share consultations with health care providers, and maintain a general health and symptom history for multiple people.
The Jolla phone has colorful cases, runs Sailfish OS software, but uses Android apps.
From the economically priced Vencer Sarthe (only $350K) to the $4 million Lamborghini Veneno and beyond, ultra-glam autos come in many flavors of crave. Here are some that make us drool.
The latest update to Chrome offers a boon to grammarians everywhere: an improved homonym- and spell-checking function, right in your browser.
Stricken with a rare blood disease, 13-year-old Nick LeGrande threw out the first pitch before Wednesday's A's-Yankees game thanks to a telerobotic pitching machine.
Headlines hitting the 404 show today include Barnes & Noble falling victim to credit card hackers, your cell phone is literally making you sick, an SDSU study confirms the "5-second rule" is completely unfounded, and a useful (and definitely illegal) way to defeat red light cameras.
The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 may have put a dent in productivity in offices and schools across the country. Were you one of those afflicted with Call of Duty Cough?


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Kenzo Takada, the indomitable founder of international fashion house Kenzo, passed away in the French capital on Sunday, October 4, due to complications related to the novel coronavirus. The Japanese-born, Paris-based designer was 81 years old.
“It is with immense sadness that Kenzo has learned of the passing of our founder,” his eponymous label wrote in a statement on Instagram. “For half a century, Mr. Takada has been an emblematic personality in the fashion industry — always infusing creativity and colour into the world. Today, his optimism, zest for life and generosity continue to be pillars of our Maison. He will be greatly missed and always remembered.”
Known for his ebullient spirit and sense of fun, Takada was a true trailblazer, widely renowned as the first Japanese designer to break into Paris’ exclusive fashion milieu in the ’70s.
Born in Himeji, Japan in 1939 to a family of hoteliers, Takada developed a fascination with fashion at an early age through reading his sisters’ magazines. His parents, though, did not approve of the idea of a career in the industry, and following their wishes, he studied literature at Kobe University. He then dropped out and enrolled at the Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo in 1958 as part of the institution’s first-ever intake of male students.
A few years later, Takada clinched the prestigious Soen Prize, and began his career working for a big department store called Sanai. It was the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, however, that changed the course of his life — his apartment block was demolished in preparation for the Games, and with the monetary compensation provided by the Japanese government, he booked a one-way ticket by boat to Marseilles via Singapore, Bombay and Spain, before arriving in the City of Lights. Originally planning to stay in Paris only six months, he ended up living there for 56 years.
In 1970, Takada rocked the prim and proper world of Parisian fashion with the opening of his boutique in Galerie Vivienne, the controversially-named Jungle Jap (soon rechristened as Kenzo), where he presented his debut collection crafted from inexpensive cotton purchased at Marché Saint Pierre in Montmartre. Skyrocketing to fame practically overnight, just months later his work was splashed over the covers of major magazines, paving the way for other Japanese designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo.
“When I opened my shop, I thought there was no point in me doing what French designers were doing, because I couldn’t do that,” Takada reflected last year. “So I did things my own way in order to be different.”
His energetic, enthusiastic designs were a chaotic yet coherent mix of flamboyant colours, flourishing prints and flashes of exoticism, inspired by his travels around the world as well as traditional Japanese dress. Made to liberate the female body, many of his creations were free of darts and zippers, and featured wide armholes, tent dresses, dungaree silhouettes and innovative shoulder shapes.
Takada sold his company to LVMH in 1993, and retired from fashion in 1999. In recent years, he was made a knight of the Legion of Honour, designed costumes for the Tokyo Nikikai Opera Foundation’s production of Madame Butterfly and created Olympic uniforms for Team Japan. Not to mention opening his archives for a retrospective coffee table book, simply titled Kenzo Takada, and launching the lifestyle brand K3.
Tributes have started pouring in for Takada in the hours since his death was announced.
“FAREWELL, MASTER,” said current creative director of Kenzo, Felipe Oliveira Baptista via social media. “His amazing energy, kindness, talent and smile were contagious. His kindred spirit will live forever.”
“Kenzo Takada has, from the 1970s, infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom [that] inspired many designers after him,” said Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH. “I’m very sad to learn about his passing and express my sincerest sympathy to his family and friends.”
“With a stroke of genius, he imagined a new artistic and colourful story combining East and West — his native Japan and his life in Paris. I had the chance to work alongside him for many years, always in awe, admiring his curiosity and his open-mindedness,” said Jonathan Bouchet Manheim, CEO of K3. “He was generous and always knew how to look after the people close to his heart.”
“A designer with immense talent, he gave colour and light their rightful place in fashion,” said Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. “Paris is today mourning one of its sons.”


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In the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, a video shows a Tesla Model Y with autopilot involved in a deadly car accident in which the self-driving car seems to go on a rampage, hitting and killing pedestrians.
Check out the video below (warning: the video contains graphic content).
In the video, you can see the Tesla trying to park before it suddenly speeds up to a very high rate of speed, swerving between lanes and hitting other cars and people.
The car seems to speed up to almost highway speeds as it hits a bicyclist, barely misses hitting a lot of people on foot, and then crashes into the side of a truck. Two people died in the event. One of them was a young high school girl. The driver’s family says that the accident was caused by problems with the brakes.
People on social media have said that the car’s autopilot could have caused the accident, but these claims have not been proven. Some people say that the autopilot was trying to park itself when it went haywire and sped off in a dangerous way.
However, this claim has been looked into because the video shows the car swerving and speeding up quickly, which are not typical autopilot behaviors. This has led many to deny the accusations.
Also, both the autopilot and the speed could have been stopped by tapping the brake. Even so, this doesn’t stop people from talking about it on social media.
The vehicle logs, according to Tesla, show that the brake pedal was not pressed during the accident. Instead, the accelerator pedal was pressed for most of the video. The video never shows the brake lights coming on until almost 30 seconds after the rampage starts, which backs up this idea. So, one possible conclusion is that the driver of the Tesla made a mistake and put their foot on the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal.
Even so, there have been other major reports of Tesla brake failure, and last year, a customer who was unhappy about the same thing protested at Tesla’s booth at the Shanghai Motor Show. Tesla got a lot of bad press because of what happened.
This is also not the first time that people have wondered if the Tesla autopilot had anything to do with a fatal car accident.
A high-profile car accident in California in 2019 will soon go to trial. The driver of a Tesla Model S had the autopilot turned on when the car ran a red light, killing two people in the accident. Critics say that the autopilot in Teslas has led to fatal car accidents by accident and made drivers less careful.
This brings up the question of how much autopilot would be to blame for car accidents, which is a gray area of the law right now. Would it all be the fault of the driver, or would the machine be to blame?
Especially in a situation like the one above, where it seems like the autopilot was to blame for not noticing a red light.
In response to the accident in Guangdong, Tesla said they would help Chinese police investigate the crash that killed people. “Police are currently seeking a third-party appraisal agency to identify the truth behind this accident and we will actively provide any necessary assistance,” the company said.
Featured Image screenshot from embedded YouTube video.
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BERLIN IS THE MOST POPULAR START-UP HUB IN EUROPE
Berlin has once again been nominated as the best location for start-ups and new businesses in Europe. These are the findings of the 2022 Startup Heat Map. For the second time in a row, the German capital was recognised as the favourite and most popular location for new businesses in Europe. “More than every third start-up in Europe can imagine launching their company in the German capital,” say the authors of the study.
The list, which is based on a survey of more than 24,000 start-ups, places Berlin ahead of London and Barcelona. The beneficial ecosystem, price/performance ratio and access to financing were largely positively rated. Other German cities include Munich, ranked eighth, as well as Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Cologne in 33, 39, 45 and 50.
Over the past year, venture capital investments worldwide reached record levels. In 2021, a total of 671 billion dollars was invested in start-ups, which at 93.5% is almost twice as much as the previous year (publication: KPMG, 19/01/2022). Germany has been named the most important target market for venture capitalists after the USA.


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FOOL ON THE HILL
Comparing optical networking companies and dot-coms doesn't make sense since optics companies have real revenues, make real products, and are even generating profits, right? Wrong. Formulating a good business model is just one tiny step on a long journey companies must make to reward shareholders.
Nothing, say industry analysts and eager investors who laugh off the comparison. It's ridiculous. Optical networking start-ups -- as hot in the initial public offering market this year as dot-coms were in 1998 -- have real business models. They manufacture real products in high demand, are loaded with intellectual capital in the form of experienced engineers, and are helping to build out a 21st century communications network that will take more than a decade to construct.
The optical components industry alone is expected to grow to $23 billion by 2003 from $6.6 billion in 1999, according to telecom research firm RHK.
In the sense that many of the dot-com companies were phony businesses and a lot of the optics companies aren't, the comparison doesn't make much sense. But in terms of risk, I see plenty of similarities the average investor can learn from. For starters, what's the difference between investing in a lousy company and paying way too much for a decent one? It doesn't matter which door you open in this scenario, either way you lose to the market.
What's really dangerous, however, is discounting the risk inherent in the optics industry simply because these companies look so much better than the dot-coms.
They do look better. They have proprietary technology, revenues, some even have profits, but the race is just getting started. Don't get fooled into thinking these companies are a slam-dunk because of a too-easy comparison with dot-coms. That's what behavioral finance folks would call a contrast bias: Optics companies look way better than dot-coms, which makes us view them more favorably than perhaps we should. Early profits and whiz-bang technology doesn't mean these companies will be able to earn a satisfactory long-term return for investors. Most probably won't.
The bottom line is that many of these companies have only cleared the first hurdle, and yet the applause is deafening. Now they face the same serious challenges all new businesses face. It won't be easy to develop and sustain competitive advantages, not in an environment where technology changes fast, execution risks are high, and cash is easy to find.
In fact, the optics stocks may be riskier for the investor than the dot-coms in two significant ways. First, optics technology is seriously complex. If you're an engineer, work in the telecom industry, or have an affinity for optics, great. You've got a useful edge. It will be an uphill climb for many, however, to get a handle on the important technologies, and will require much more than a casual interest.
By comparison, the technology for the dot-coms was pretty straightforward, and you could figure out how well a company was doing by shopping on its website. There were certainly challenges in assessing the business models, but basically these companies were retailers hoping to grow rapidly and leverage lower fixed costs.
Second -- and here's the real pitfall -- the optics space is dangerous because it makes so much sense. Ben Graham wrote about this in The Intelligent Investor. Investors get done in more often by good ideas than bad ones, since it's easier to swallow a convincing case. Optics companies will help carriers lower their costs by constructing more efficient networks; they have high barriers to entry given the complexity of technology; and carriers must upgrade to meet the bandwidth demands of customers. This sounds great. It sounds inevitable.
All of it is true and doesn't change the fact that most optics start-ups will fail or get bought out for one of a dozen normal business reasons: technology that gets marginalized by a better mousetrap, inability to manufacture products quickly and at low enough costs to maintain good margins, uneven spending from service providers, poor execution, a weaker economy, or less industry buzz that makes it harder for unprofitable companies to raise cash.
Don't get me wrong. It's a fascinating space with real potential. Companies such as JDS Uniphase (Nasdaq: JDSU), Corning (NYSE: GLW), and Ciena (Nasdaq: CIEN) look like the real deal, generating fast-growing revenues and a profit on at least a pro forma basis. Aside from the price issues -- which I wouldn't ignore for a second -- a handful of businesses look poised to grow into telecom powerhouses.
What's useful to remember in the optics/dot-com comparison is that both industries are emerging, a state of affairs that makes investing very difficult. Why not wait a little -- for the venture capital crowd to get choosier (lots of cash makes everybody look like winners), for the lock-up periods in newly issued companies to expire, for a few telecom carriers to pull back spending, for the group to really get tested by a downturn -- before jumping in headlong?
You have plenty of time. The market creates and recreates opportunities for patient investors.


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Innovative water-purifying solution using Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Disruptor® technology to help solve the problem of drinking water shortage
In 2019 Ahlstrom-Munksjö asked its employees to suggest projects or organizations that the company could support. One of the eight selected was Nanomaji, a startup that was born after a successful research collaboration between Aalto University and Ahlstrom-Munksjö in 2015. The company is owned by Jymy Parhiala, Emma-Sofie Kukkonen and Sanna Puhakainen.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö filter media included in the new face masks manufactured by sport and lifestyle brand BUFF®
Ahlstrom-Munksjö has recently partnered with BUFF®, leading manufacturer of sport and lifestyle accessories based in Spain, for the supply of replaceable filter media which is included in BUFF®’s new range of face masks.
Employee wellbeing drives employee engagement and business success
Workplace safety is generally well understood. Also, employees understand the consequences of poor workplace safety. It can cause serious accidents and even loss of lives. Workplace wellbeing on the other hand might be more difficult to comprehend.
Manufacturing products to support our customers in the fight against coronavirus – Meet Paul from Mount Holly Springs
Ahlstrom-Munksjö's plants in Mount Holly Springs (Pennsylvania) and Bethune (South Carolina) manufacture products to help in the fight against COVID-19. Plant Manager Paul Wheeler tells about his work and how the teams in both plants have been working as one in these exceptional times.
As of July 1, 2020, Denmark bans the use of PFAS in food contact paper and board packaging.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö, a global leader in innovative fiber-based solutions, offers a global full spectrum of grease resistant products using its FluoroFree® technology. FluoroFree® delivers outstanding grease-resistance for common fast-food packaging, food wraps, clamshells, butter wrap, pet food packaging and microwave popcorn bags, without the use of fluorochemicals, commonly referred to as PFAS.
Auditing abaca supply chains
Demanding specialty paper applications such as tea bags, coffee pods, fibrous meat casing reinforcements, and even N95 face masks require a lot from the fibers that are used to make them; extreme strength with no added chemicals. Abaca fibers can uniquely provide that since they are one of the longest and strongest natural fibers in the world.
Manufacturing products to support our customers in the fight against coronavirus – Meet Manoj from Mundra
Manoj Chadha joined the Ahlstrom-Munksjö family in 2012 as a Finance Controller before going on to become Mundra’s Plant Manager – a role he has held since 2016. The importance of Manoj and his teams’ work has never been so vital as during the current COVID-19 crisis. The Mundra Plant’s products are for medical applications and therefore in high demand right now.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö joins “Résilience”, a national mobilization initiative introduced by the French Government to increase the production of protective face masks
The company recently joined the Résilience initiative promoted by the French government. This initiative will allow the production of over 100 million face masks for use by professionals in contact with the public as well as communities and companies active in essential sector.


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Polaris files a patent for Victory Charger
Polaris Industries announced on January 15 that it has upped its stake further in electric motorcycle maker Brammo. Polaris now owns Brammo and will move production from Oregon to Spirit Lake, Iowa where the Indians are made, later in 2015.
We had speculated that future electric bikes from Polaris may be a lot more Indian or Victory in nature than just the current Brammos. Well, there is now news that Polaris has gone ahead and filed a patent for a certain Victory Charger possibly the first electric motorcycle to roll out from Victory, under the aegis of its new proprietor.
Word is that the Victory Charger will be taking on Harley-Davidson's Livewire, which was showcased last year in the US with much fanfare with test rides and tours down the iconic Route 66 and what have you. Well, Brammo's Enertia and Empulse are regarded as some of the best e-motorcycles on sale, so Polaris' Victory Charger might be something to watch out for.
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Kawasaki has just released a short teaser video indicating that they will be launching another supercharged motorcycle at this year’s EICMA Show in Milan, Italy.
With the tagline “Supercharge your journey”, this new machine might just be the highly-anticipated sport touring version of the manic Kawasaki H2.
Rumours are also pointing out to the possibility of this being a brand new supercharged 1400 GTR but we will only know for sure come 7 November 2017.
Previous rumours pointing towards giant Japanese manufacturer releasing another exciting supercharged machine appears to be true, ladies and gentlemen. Just a couple of days ago, Kawasaki released a short teaser video announcing that the new bike will be revealed on 7 November 2017 during EICMA 2017 or the Milan Motorcycle Show.
Together with catchphrase “Supercharge your journey”, there’s a huge possibility that this might just be a sport-touring version of the infamous and manic Kawasaki H2. While we know for a fact that the H2 and H2R are about getting setting the fastest laps around any given circuit or track, this new addition seems to focus more on providing a much profound riding experience while out on the open roads.
Kawasaki’s current super tourer that is the 1400 GTR is already an exciting machine to cover huge distances on highways while providing superb performance when thrown into corners, some people are also saying that it’ll be a brand new GTR. So which one do you think it’ll be? A sport-touring H2 or a supercharged GTR?
We made a report regarding the possibility of more supercharged motorcycles being made by Kawasaki earlier this year in July. Even around that time, motoring enthusiasts have already started to wonder about the possibility of a sport-touring H2. To know more about our report, CLICK HERE.
Either way, it is safe to say that it will indeed inject a huge dose of excitement in the sport touring universe. To know more, stay tuned to Bikes Republic as we head closer and closer to this year’s EICMA show in Milan, Italy.
To check out Kawasaki’s presence during last year’s EICMA show, CLICK HERE.


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SAIC to launch 14 own-brand models in three years
China's biggest automaker SAIC Motor will launch 14 own-brand models under the brand names Roewe and MG for the period 2011 to 2014, media reported today.
Specifically, there will be a new-generation Roewe 750 and a facelift Roewe 550, while a new A-Class hatchback (code-named AP12) and a new small SUV (code-named AS21) will be planned for MG in 2011. During 2012 to 2013, SAIC will release a facelift Roewe 350, an MG A-Class sedan (code-named AP13) and a Roewe A0-Class sedan (code-named ZP13). By then, all SAIC A-Class platform products will basically be completed as well.
This year, SAIC has already launched the MG6 and Roewe 350 compact sedans. In the second half of this year, the company is expected to launch the MG A0-Class hatchback (code-named ZP11) in the form of the new MG3 while the Roewe brand will get the long-awaited W5 SUV.
"SAIC has actually spread its wings out into different segments and pulls away from the mid-size sedan market that it has so far settled itself into," a relevant person of the company revealed recently.
Moreover, a new Roewe 750 now under development in the company is expected to be launched in mid-2011 and will be based on the Buick Lacrosse platform.
The year 2012 will see minor facelifts to the Roewe 350 and the MG6, while the MG7 will be swapped for a new model. Besides, an A-Class MPV (code-named AM11) as well as a larger Roewe MPV (code-named B11) will be launched in 2012 and in 2013, respectively.


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Retailers could be doing much more to improve their marketing on mobile and tablet devices, according to a report released on Feb. 16. Research from HawkPartners, commissioned by interactive digital catalog company Zmags, found that fewer than one-third of top online retailers have optimized their sites for tablets, while just 59% have smartphone-specific sites.
The report, titled “Mobile & Tablet e-Commerce: Is anyone really ready?” examined the smartphone and tablet marketing efforts of the top 100 Internet retailers over a four-week period toward the end of 2011, and found that many still had work to do in terms of strategizing for mobile- and tablet-based marketing.
Of all 100 retailers, the report found only Nike to be taking full advantage of the tablet’s unique interface, as the brand created an iPad-specific site. While 40% of the retailers had tablet-specific apps, one quarter of these did not include an e-commerce element that allows users to purchase through them directly.
“Few people have done much beyond, or even optimized their site for a tablet,” said W. Sean Ford, COO and CMO for Zmags, adding that retailers should even consider going further. “Extending a website to the tablet, while a good step, does not take advantage of all of its strategic benefits: touch, personalization, mobility,” he said.
Nineteen of the 100 top retailers were found to offer content that went beyond standard HTML material, such as look books, rich media, or editor’s picks.
The report credited Gilt Groupe, Disney and Urban Outfitters for strong sales and marketing offerings across all devices.
Ford emphasized that the fact that so many top retailers were not optimizing their mobile strategy pointed to how challenging it is to stay ahead of the rapidly changing technology.
“It’s about building imaginative and immersive experiences, because that’s what consumers are looking for,” said Ford. “It starts to replicate the process of building a brick-and-mortar store: you are trying to create a unique experience within the store, and that approach from retail needs to be applied to the mobile channel.”


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Online shopping might have hit retail shops hard, and the pinch is especially felt during the festive season.
More than four in 10 consumers do not intend to loosen their purse strings this festival season, particularly in the pre-Diwali period.
According to the study, those with a lower household income (82%) are most likely to spend time looking for a good deal. Even those with middle (80%) and high (74%) levels of income, however, would take the time to find a better price.
Around 90 per cent customers in India experienced poor post-sale service across sectors such as utilities, retail and telecom in the last six months.


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India’s national biometric ID card — In the May/June, 2013 issue of Foreign Policy Magazine, Pam Dixon writes about the privacy issues related to India’s national biometric ID card. In the piece, Mission Creep, Dixon discusses how government-issued biometric ID cards that serve as national ID cards and as the basis for employment and financial transactions create profound civil liberties and privacy challenges that are neither easily or well-constrained by government policy.
Facial recognition — Pam Dixon spoke at a CES panel on privacy issues in facial recognition technologies as part of the Leaders in Technology program at CES. The panel was moderated by Tony Romm of Politico and included FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen and Harley Geiger, legislative counsel for Representative Zoe Lofgren. Dixon spoke on the need for increased work on consumer options in a “sensor rich environment where there is no option to opt out by walking out.” Referenced in the panel was WPF’s report on digital signage and facial recognition, The One-Way Mirror Society.
The World Privacy Forum appreciates the opportunity to comment on the issue of facial recognition pursuant to the FTC Face Facts Workshop held on December 8, 2011.  The World Privacy Forum spoke on Panel 4 of the workshop, and those comments are already on the record. In these written comments, we would like to submit several key documents for the record and reaffirm several ideas from the workshop. The documents we are including as part of these comments include the World Privacy Forum’s groundbreaking report on digital signage, The One Way Mirror Society. Also included as part of these comments are the consensus privacy principles for digital signage installations that were signed by the leading US consumer and privacy groups.
Privacy tip — If you have a Facebook account and if you have ever been tagged in a photo of yourself on Facebook, we want to alert you to an important Facebook setting. Unless you have proactively changed your privacy settings, Facebook will use facial recognition tools to compare photos and make tag suggestions. When new photos that look like you have been uploaded, Facebook will suggest tags with your name. To opt out of this, in Facebook go to Account, then choose Privacy Settings from the drop down menu. Click the Customize Settings link, and then scroll down and look for the Suggest Photos of Me to Friends line. To opt out, click Edit Settings, then choose Disable on the drop down menu.
Digital Signage Privacy Principles — The nation’s leading consumer and privacy groups released a set of baseline consumer privacy principles to be included in digital signage networks. The principles were released at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, where World Privacy Forum executive director Pam Dixon spoke about the principles to a large group of digital signage industry professionals.


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Moyinoluwa Arowoshola and Alvin Dayaffin Win Elite Model Look Nigeria 2012
Elite Model Look Competition took place at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island on Saturday 29th September 2012. This year’s edition of Elite Model Look Nigeria competition comprises of both male and female models.
The Black & White event featured the 20 finalists strut the runway in fab pieces pieces by top fashion houses including Mango, Sunny Rose, Odion Mimonet, Rabahia, Mimi Lee London, Grey, Dakova, Kool-Village and Temple Muse for Swim wear and at the end of the night.
Moyinoluwa Arowoshola and Alvin Dayaffin emerged as the winners and they won fantastic prizes which include trips, samsung galaxy S3 phone, phone credit for a year and more.
The winners will join other finalists from 80 other countries at the World Final set to take place in Shanghai, China on Saturday 8th December 2012. Pictures from the glamorous event will be published soon.
Congratulations to both of them.


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John Lewis scoops Brand of the Year for second year running
John Lewis has won The Marketing Society's Brand of the Year for the second time running, beating competition from brands including British Airways and Foster's.
The retailer, whose current Christmas campaign "the long wait" received huge media coverage and topped the viral charts earlier this month, was chosen by more than 1,000 marketers attending The Marketing Society's annual dinner last night (29 November).
Accepting the award at the event in Old Billingsgate, John Lewis marketing director Craig Inglis said the win was "down to our people and our agencies" and "a restlessness and a desire to raise the bar and keep producing amazing work".
The four other brands that made the final cut in The Marketing Society's annual Brand of the Year award, in association with ITV and Marketing magazine, were BA, Help for Heroes, Foster's and insurance brand Hiscox.
Inglis said his team had not expected to "reach the heady heights of last year" and its nostalgic "always a woman" ad by Adam & Eve, which helped it win the 2010 Brand of the Year accolade.
He added reaction to "the long wait", which was also created by Adam & Eve, had "amazed and overwhelmed" John Lewis.
More than 21,000 marketers and members of the public voted to choose the five finalists, from an original shortlist of 20.
Also last night, Bart Becht, former CEO of Reckitt Benckiser, and the man credited with turning the company into an FMCG giant to rival Unilever and P&G, accepted The Marketing Society's Outstanding Leadership award.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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- ZenithOptimedia loses £200m O2 business to Havas Media without a pitch
- Doctor Who online game gets kids coding
- Philips launches juicer video campaign with Louis Smith
- Currys PC World launches brand campaign ahead of Christmas
- Argos releases second ad in its latest strategy
- A JWT tribute to its Oxo mum: Lynda Bellingham


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Sat, 19 Jan 2019
PLANS for a new £2m bowling alley in Newbury’s Kennet Shopping centre have been backed by town councillors.
Superbowl UK wants to open the 14-lane 10 pin bowling alley, complete with laser tag and a children’s soft play area, in the former TK Maxx store.
The proposals were first revealed at the Newbury Vision conference in October.
If plans are approved by West Berkshire Council, the bowling alley is scheduled to open mid-2019.
The proposal marks what could be the start of a changing profile for the shopping centre with the inclusion of more ‘mixed-use’ units.
HIG Capital – the private equity investment firm that owns the centre – wants to include more leisure and lifestyle-led outlets in the mall in an attempt to readdress the balance between retail and leisure, to match changes in consumer spending.
According to a planning statement, advocates of the scheme say there has been “limited demand” from other shops and retail outlets to take the vacant space.
This proposed development aims to provide greater permeability across the southern part of Newbury town centre by increasing pedestrian connectivity to the railway station.
The proposal also includes the provision of a multi-storey car park that will increase parking spaces near Newbury railway station.
Town councillors discussed the scheme at a planning and highways committee meeting held on Wednesday, January 2.
The council’s deputy leader, Miles Evans (Con, Victoria), said the bowling alley proposal represented a vital opportunity to attract custom to the southern part of the town.
Pleased to support plans for a #bowling alley and Laser Tag in the @KennetCentre @NewburyTC, tonight— Miles Evans (@MilesWEvans) January 2, 2019
It's clear that the face of #retail is changing, with traditional occupiers consolidating and focusing online. A different offering is welcome. #Newbury pic.twitter.com/r4dplbLF6v
Mr Evans said: “We felt it was important to support something that Newbury has not had before and will hopefully bring a different group of people into the centre.
“The high street is changing and evolving. A lot of the big retailers have moved out of the Kennet centre – such as Debenhams and TK Maxx.
“It’s all we can do really – to support initiatives and ideas that are a bit different.
“Once this Market Street development is achieved over the next few years, the Kennet centre is going to be ideally placed for those people.”
West Berkshire Council planning officers are expected to make a decision on the proposal by Tuesday, January 29.
To view or comment on the bowling alley application, type the reference number 18/03193/FUL into West Berkshire Council’s planning portal.


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Although the manufacturing industry had a good year in 2014, a study MarketPulse found that the UK sector grew at its slowest pace for 17 months in September, as a result of the strong pound and Eurozone weakness.
However, despite the slowdown, growth in the sector over the whole course of 2014 is predicted to have reached 2.7%, outstripping the rate of the overall British economy. While last year’s results have signalled a move into the right direction post financial crisis, manufacturers need to remain on their toes if they want to continue to prosper.
SAP’s recent Manufacturing Success report, in conjunction with Cognizant, looked at manufacturers’ prospects for the future and the factors that could hamper their resurgent success.
>See also: Gartner's Internet of Things predictions
The study highlighted that interconnectedness – the multitude of internal and external connections that manufacturers have – is crucial for future prosperity. As part of this, connections between internet-enabled devices were identified as particularly important.
As many as 89% of manufacturers surveyed said that the inclusion of technological innovations such as smart components in products and predictive analytics will transform or disrupt their business processes over the next 12 months.
This area of smart and connected technology, known as the Internet of Things (IoT), is one that could drive further significant growth for the manufacturing sector. In order to achieve this, organisations need to get to grips with the latest technology, rapidly.
For a long time, IoT was a concept that generated lots of column inches but had little impact in real-world applications. This is no longer the case. IoT is suddenly everywhere – from thermostats we control from our smartphones, to wristbands that tell our laptops how fit we are and cars that can email their owner when they need a service.
Almost anything we can imagine could, in theory, benefit from being connected to the ever-growing IoT ecosystem. As the technology becomes more standardised and mainstream, we shall see an avalanche of connected devices in all areas of life. However, while consumers are flocking towards IoT equipped devices, manufacturers have not been quite as rapid to get on board.
The key benefit IoT can bring is the enablement of informed manufacturing where all products, people, processes and infrastructure involved in the organisation can work seamlessly together, sharing information in real-time to create more automated, intelligent and streamlined processes.
When applied to core functional areas, a number of valuable benefits can be achieved. A connected supply chain is better able to understand interdependencies, for example, the flow of materials and process cycle times, as well as enabling real-time location tracking and remote monitoring of inventory levels. This real-time view can then play into predictive analytics, helping businesses to run better by identifying issues or bottlenecks before they happen, reducing inventory costs and even lowering capital requirements.
Conversely, on the plant floor, sensors could continuously monitor operating parameters and send that data in real-time to an automated controller that can immediately make any necessary adjustments to the process.
With IoT, feedback loops like this can run with minimal or no human intervention, increasing response times and efficiency. Similarly, increased visibility can be shared with the shop floor, and third party providers, so that stock and materials can be replenished exactly when needed.
Remote monitoring of plant assets can also be improved significantly by adding the ability to issue corrective commands. Equipment suppliers can monitor, diagnose and address any issues from afar, allowing them to take a more direct role in plant operations and fostering stronger relationships with their manufacturing clients.
Applying the concept of IoT can even enable manufacturers to reduce energy consumption, which is traditionally amongst the highest contributors to cost overheads. IoT-based systems can adjust environmental controls like heating or air conditioning in real-time based on factors such as the local temperature, helping the company run better by optimising resources and reducing costs.
With an IoT set-up like this, a manufacturer can run not just better, but run very differently. The potential benefits from IoT innovation are contributing to a change in the traditional ‘produce then consume’ model that manufacturers have always followed.
Instead, the industry is moving towards a scalable, flexible model that reacts in real-time to the entire ecosystem. For example, disruptive technologies like 3D printing are emerging quickly; the market will see new entrants with modern mind sets and heightened customers’ expectations increasing competition, so standing still is no longer a viable option.
If implemented well, manufacturers can cut costs, boost efficiency and ultimately increase customer satisfaction significantly. In order to start on the road to success, they need to have the right culture, technology, processes and skills: the challenge for manufacturers today is being proactive in their reactions and responding to those requirements.
If manufacturers do not take the chance now to explore the potential of IoT, they are missing out on the huge opportunities that the digital world brings.
Sourced from Rohit Gupta, Cognizant


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JUST two diet drinks a day raises the risk of dying young by a quarter, a major study reveals.
And lovers of Diet Coke and Pepsi Max see their chances of being killed by a heart attack or stroke rocket by more than half, compared to those who avoid the stuff.
Experts said the “important” European findings – involving more than 450,000 people – were “concerning”.
They urged Brits to ditch soft drinks and switch to water.
The World Health Organisation research found the dangers from guzzling artificially sweetened pop were up to three times greater than regular sugary drinks.
Diet drinks ‘worse’
It suggests switching to sugar-free products – such as Diet Pepsi or Lucozade Zero – could be equally bad for health, if not worse.
The study was carried out by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France, which is a part of the WHO.
Lead researcher Dr Neil Murphy said: “The striking observation in our study was that we found positive associations for both sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened soft drinks with risk of all-cause deaths.
“It would probably be prudent to limit consumption of all soft drinks and replace with a healthier alternative, such as water.”


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Greetings from Portsmouth, New Hampshire!
I recently took a weeklong vacation down to lovely Cape Cod. In any other year, the trials and tribulations of a 30-year-old man’s vacation need absolutely no documentation, but 2020 is not any other year. They were the first days off I took since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and while I didn’t venture outside of the house much more than I do here in Portsmouth, I have to say it was probably the most refreshing week off I’ve had in a long time.
Long story short, if you can take time off during this tough time, do it. It’s incredibly easy to both be overloaded by the bad news while figuring that since you are already home, you might as well keep working. Disconnect for a bit. You’ll feel a lot better.
It’s not like there won’t be a shortage of privacy news for you to catch up on when you get back.
The Court of Justice of the European Union’s ruling in the “Schrems II” case to invalidate the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield agreement and uphold standard contractual clauses, with a new set of caveats, has meant summer has not been a bore in the privacy world. The decision has stirred up plenty of questions, and organizations are looking for answers. There have been so many questions the IAPP set up a FAQ page to help companies take the next steps to ensure their data transfers are legal.
Privacy Shield may have been struck down, but the U.S. Department of Commerce and European Commission have started negotiations for an “enhanced framework” to take its place, so don’t expect this story to go away any time soon.
And let us not forget the ongoing legislative activity in California. The final regulations for the California Consumer Privacy Act have been filed with the secretary of state. According to California's Office of the Attorney General, the new CCPA regulations went into effect immediately.
While the CCPA rounds into form, the California Privacy Rights Act looms on the horizon as state residents will have the opportunity to vote on it this November. Groups continue to voice their support and opposition to the ballot initiative, and the results have the potential to once again shake up the privacy landscape in the U.S.
All of this has happened in the last month-plus. See? Privacy isn’t going anywhere. You’ll have time to read up on all the latest happenings. Consider turning off the laptop for a couple of days. You won’t regret it.
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Our monthly newsletter went out to 177,311 folks, an 8% increase from last month. Read it here or sign up to get it via email.
Update: we originally stated that buyers must close on a home by April 30 to take advantage of the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit. Buyers must be under contract by April 30; however, the final date to close is June 30. We apologize for the error.
Here’s the roundup of the latest real estate data! As we predicted in last month’s newsletter, demand softened everywhere except Southern California. January prices increased, but this will probably be the last gain until the summer season begins in April and May.
To accommodate the spring-time increase in listings, Redfin launched an upgrade to our listing service that involves in-home consultations, personal service from one of our local agents, professional photography, data-driven pricing, and online tools for tracking traffic to a listing. We also expanded to Phoenix, our third new market in four months, and began hosting our customers on tours of short sales.
Our business is growing, but the market overall is slackening slightly: the percentage of listings with multiple offers declined from winter-time highs above 60%. Let’s dive into the numbers to get the gory details…
Pricing Data Mixed, Second Dip May Be Coming
The Case-Shiller data on January 2010 home prices that came out this morning showed a loss of momentum in price increases, and many analysts now expect a second dip in prices later this spring. Adjusting the numbers for the summer busy season and the winter lull, prices were basically flat, increasing 0.3% over December 2009, falling 0.7% compared to January last year.
|Location||MoM Change||YoY Change||Date of Max||Change from Max||Prices Last at This
|San Diego Area||0.9%||5.9%||Mar-06||-36.9%||Feb-03||8|
|New York Area||-0.3%||-5.4%||May-06||-21.0%||Apr-04||0|
Price increases were strongest in Southern California, with LA increasing a whopping 1.8% month over month, while Chicago and Seattle saw the biggest drops. Across the U.S., prices have dropped 29% since the May 2006 peak.
Other reports drawing on more recent data are more worrisome. Based on loans backed by the government, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported a 0.6% price decline in January, though this may reflect a shift toward less expensive homes rather than a drop in prices for those homes. The data analysis firm First American reports that prices declined 0.7% in January 2010 compared to the year prior, an improvement over the 3.4% year-over-year decline from December 2008 to December 2009 but still a drop. Though we tend not to trust projections, First American predicts that prices will fall until April, then increase 4.5% over the coming year.
Sales Volume Drops Except in Southern California
Sales volume is also off. According to the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales slipped 0.6% from January to February, with inventory rising 9.5%. New home sales meanwhile fell 2.2% in February. In California, home sales increased 0.9%: the Bay Area weakened due to limited inventory and limited financing available for high-end homes but Southern California more than made up for it with massive sales volume at the low-end. With the average new mortgage payment down 60% from its June 2006 high, low interest rates and fairly low prices are still driving strong demand for homes under $500,000.
Competition Still Strong, Especially at the Low End
We can confirm this from our own experience. For Bay Area homes listed under $500,000, 95% of the offers Redfin made in March so far faced competing offers, the highest percentage ever; in Southern California this number was 80%. Across all our markets, for homes in all price ranges, 57% of our March offers faced competition; this past winter it was consistently above 60%. In Seattle, 44% of our March offers faced competition. We’ve handled nearly 500 offers so far in March, so the sample size is significant.
Federal Tax Credit Expires, California Credit Begins
We are likely to see a small surge in sales due to the expiration of the federal tax credit worth up to $8,000 for home-buyers who close on a property by June 30, though the last-minute rush will be much smaller than it was last fall, when the credit was originally slated to expire. California meanwhile approved a new $10,000 credit beginning May 1, which will apply to new and existing home sales. The credit officially expires at the end of the year but state officials expect government money to run out by June 30.
Demand Shifts from Foreclosures to Short Sales
At Redfin, we are seeing a shift in demand from homes being sold by a bank to short sales. In a short sale, the occupant is still the one selling the property, but he requires bank approval because the asking price is below the amount owed on the mortgage. One reason for the short-sale spike is that many banks, prompted by federal programs subsidizing short sales, have streamlined the approval process for a short sale; this has been especially true of Wells Fargo and Wachovia, who have dispatched asset managers to the field to pre-approve short sales when the property is first listed.
Slowing of Foreclosure Inventory May Stabilize Market
Another reason for buyers’ shift toward short sales is that there are simply fewer foreclosed homes to buy. Foreclosure-related filings decreased 2% in February from the month prior, mostly because government programs have made it more difficult for banks to foreclose delinquent mortgages. In Phoenix, foreclosure rates dropped 18%. In California, 44% of existing home sales in February involved a foreclosure, as compared to 59% a year ago. This is good news: with fewer foreclosures, prices can begin to stabilize. Though a short-term price dip is still likely, the drop in foreclosure rates is a good long-term trend.
Interest Rates Increase Slightly After Record Lows
After weeks of record lows, interest rates have begun to creep up, reaching an average of 4.99% last week for a 30-year fixed-rate loan. Rates may increase more after March 31, when the government is slated to stop purchasing mortgages from banks, but most analysts believe that if investors don’t pick up the slack, the government will likely just step in again.
Why do we worry so much about interest rates? Even though we aren’t sure whether home-prices will rise any time soon, we are almost certain interest rates will. Since most home-buyers borrow 80% of the money used to buy a home, rates contribute nearly as much to their costs as the home price.
And that’s the market: mostly stable now that foreclosure inventory is somewhat limited, still in a funk, with prices probably headed down a bit more even as interest rates likely start inching up; and unemployment remains a huge problem. As always, if you have questions, just write back — it’s really me sending this note, and I try to answer every question — or visit the online version of this newsletter on our blog. Thanks for your support, and have a great spring!


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Google has introduced its long-expected rival to Facebook, called Google+. It has also released an Android app that can connect to this nascent social-networking service.
It is going to offer a number of different areas, each of which can be accessed with the smartphone version:
- Circles is the Google+ equivalent of Facebook Friends. It’s been designed to let users communicate with specific groups, depending on the topic being discussed.
- Stream is where users get updates from their circles, or see what people are saying about things nearby.
- Instant Upload automatically uploads videos and photos to a private album in the cloud.
- Huddle is group messaging for everyone in the user’s circles.
Google vs. Facebook
Google has been widely expected to introduce a rival to Facebook because that social-networking service is a threat to its entire business model. Facebook pages are not open to Google’s search engine, and neither can it put its ads on them. Therefore, it needs to lure customers to Google+.
The company has dipped its toe into this area before with Google Buzz, but has clearly learned from mistakes with this location-oriented social-networking service. With Buzz, this company went ahead and signed up everyone who had a Gmail account, whether users actually wanted this service it not.
The app is available now, for free, in the Android Market but the Google+ service itself is still in closed beta. Those wishing to receive an invite can request one. A version for the iPhone is in development.
Google has out together a video showing off the smartphone version of this social-networking service:


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Altech Autopage Cellular, SA’s biggest independent cellular service provider, has backed away from plans to launch a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) after giving serious thought last year to the idea of launching one.
Altech CEO Craig Venter said as recently as September 2011 that Autopage Cellular was considering launching an MVNO or bidding for radio frequency spectrum to build its own fourth-generation (4G) mobile network. The company has decided against both options, at least for now, says Autopage Cellular CEO Boyd Chislett.
Cellular service providers are coming under increasing margin pressure from upstream network providers that are keen to cut their costs as competition intensifies and as termination rates — the fees they charge each other to carry calls between their networks — come down through regulatory intervention.
Altech had been considering launching an MVNO, becoming the second such provider in SA after Virgin Mobile, which piggybacks off Cell C’s network. Chislett says the company has done a “lot of work understanding the broad telecommunications industry and our relevance as a service provider over the next few years”.
Once it became clear that its large network partners, Vodacom and MTN, were likely to renew the company’s service provider contracts, the allure of launching an MVNO diminished. “What the design of those agreements will look like over the next five years is something we are unpacking with them now,” he says.
Autopage Cellular, which has more than 1m customers on its books — most of them post-paid subscribers — plans instead to bolster its presence in the retail market, opening new stores and offering “end-to-end” communications products and solutions to retail consumers and small and medium enterprises.
“We assessed the alternatives seriously, including launching an MVNO and entering into other partnerships in the industry,” says Chislett. “My view is that outside the UK and Germany, the MVNO strategy at a cash-generative level has largely been unsuccessful. For us, it’s become less attractive.”
Chislett says Altech Autopage Cellular has “come to the conclusion” that it can’t compete with the big players in the infrastructure space. Rather, the company wants to emulate the successful model employed by the UK’s Carphone Warehouse, which has managed to “dominate” that market without owning large tracts of infrastructure and spectrum. “That model can be replicated quite strongly in the SA market,” he says. “That is why we are focused heavily on distribution, on our own stores and franchise stores, and on other retail distribution opportunities.”
Altech announced on Monday that Autopage Cellular had acquired sister company Technology Concepts as part of a strategy of offering converged communications products and services.
Chislett says the merged entity will continue to invest in Technology Concept’s network, but adds that there is less point in investing in a network “when you are dealing with price erosion in the retail and small and medium-sized business market”.
“We will continue to invest where it makes sense but will not invest for the sake of investing,” he says. “We will look to connect small and medium enterprises seamlessly, utilising our network and the various products we have managed to build up over time, but that doesn’t mean you need to throw huge money into building a network. The network is good. What we have to do is get customers on that network. Hopefully Autopage will assist in that from a distribution perspective.”
Instead of focusing on big investment in infrastructure, the newly merged company will rather pitch itself as a one-stop-shop for consumers and small businesses. “We now have a network of more than 60 business partners we are training up and they will be our support services on the ground across the country,” Chislett says. “Instead of spending millions on bandwidth and capacity, we’d rather use partnerships [to go to market].”
Similarly, the company is unlikely to bid for spectrum to build its own network. “Truth be told, it’s an expensive exercise and what do you do with it? We’d rather play a strong role in the distribution space and let the guys with the deep pockets play in the infrastructure game. The likelihood of us playing in the spectrum space is quite remote, and remote by design.” — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral
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Sources tell Mergermarket that Unilever (NYSE:UL) is looking to sell its Wish-Bone brand and has hired a major Wall Street bank to help with the sale.
Details about the transaction weren’t revealed, including a potential asking price for the salad dressing business. The Dutch consumer giant was working with Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to explore its options in the sale, according to the report.
Earlier this year, Unilever’s CEO said that the company would seek to sell its non-core food businesses.
There are a number of possible bidders for Wish-Bone, including Pinnacle Foods (NYSE:PF).
In January, Unilever sold its Skippy Peanut Butter business to Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) for about $700 million.
Shares of Unilever fell fractionally in Monday morning trading.


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After the purchase of Activision-Blizzard, the company has been going through a mountain of emotions.
A few days ago Microsoft laid off almost 2,000 employees, also canceling a Blizzard game 6 years in development. And everything points to the fact that we will see many more changes at Xbox in the coming months.
In fact, this is what the new managers promise. Although after learning the identity of the company’s new company, Blizzard fans are a little worried.
Blizzard has a new president: Johanna Faries, who previously worked with Call of Duty at Activision.
A Bloomberg report revealed that Johanna Faries will be the new president of Blizzard Entertainment, replacing veteran Mike Ybarra.
Faries previously worked as manager of the Call of Duty franchise at Activision, starting as manager of eSports in 2018. She also has 12 years of experience working in the National Football League.
But it’s not all good news for the company’s fans. In fact, fans and employees alike are concerned that there are problems with the company’s management. This is due to years of interference by Activision executives in Blizzard’s affairs to bring its games in line with Call of Duty.
A conflict of interest arises here, as the games that Blizzard is best at are those live-service games. That is, games created to be supported for many years, even if they require a lot of investment at the beginning. Activision’s intervention has made its projects more predictable every year, and fans fear that Microsoft wants to follow this line. Or so it seems by putting a former Call of Duty executive in charge.
So much is the concern within the team, that Faries tried to calm employees with this message in his announcement of taking charge:
Activision, Blizzard and King are decidedly different companies with different games, cultures and communities. It’s important to note that the way Call of Duty wakes up early to meet players is different from the precious games in Blizzard’s realm. These have different mechanics and experiences, communities surrounding them, and necessary success models. I have discussed this with the Blizzard leadership team and I take on this role with sensitivity to those dynamics and a deep respect for Blizzard as we begin to explore how to take our universes to greater heights.


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- The enterprise products (EPD) stock price has risen by 25.8% in 2022.
- While everyone is bullish on EPD stock, I would like to explore the bear case.
- Could we be about to witness peak oil demand and prices?
- Read on to find out.
The Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE: EPD) stock price has risen by 25.8% in 2022. Many analysts expect the company’s share price to keep rising as global crude oil prices remain elevated amid high demand and low supply.
It is easy to make a bullish case for a stock in an industry that is roaring higher. However, I would like to explore a contrarian idea that we could be closer to a peak in oil demand and prices, which could lead to a decline in the prices of oil companies as demand weakens due to various factors.
Also read: Oil Trading Guide – How To Trade Oil.
First, let us briefly explore the bullish case for oil prices. Currently, the global supply of crude oil has witnessed significant disruption after Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian oil exports, plunging the global markets into a crisis given that Russia is a leading oil producer.
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine began, oil prices have steadily climbed amid a significant supply gap. However, recent events point to a possible cooling of oil prices amid a clump in consumer demand as inflation eats into most people’s disposable income.
Many retailers are now forecasting lower sales as consumers tighten their spending habits to cater for higher fuel costs, which have triggered a significant increase in living costs as the prices of essential goods such as food items skyrocket.
The lower demand from consumers is likely to spread to manufacturers, who are likely to cut their production in response to lower demand. This scenario makes me think we could be close to peak oil demand and prices.
Furthermore, looking at the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) price chart, we can see that since peaking in early March and retracing a significant portion of their gains, oil prices have been inching slowly higher. The momentum behind the latest rally is not as strong as the rally that started in December up to early March.
Based on this assumption, I am more inclined to believe that there will be minimal gains in oil prices over the coming weeks. Hence, we could see EPD stock stagnate and trade sideways as the midstream oil company’s operations flatline.
*This is not investment advice. Always do your due diligence before making investment decisions.
EPD stock price.
EPD stock price has risen by 25.77% in 2022 and recently pulled back. Could the shares fall further?


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Meta recently launched a pilot test program of its digital wallet Novi which uses Pax Dollars, a stablecoin pegged to the U.S dollars. Now they’re bringing this cryptocurrency-based payment option to WhatsApp although it’s only available for a limited number of users in the U.S. Those that are part of this test will be able to send and receive money on the messaging service through the Novi digital wallet. This should make it easier for users to exchange money on the platform, especially this holiday season.
Novi’s website explains how WhatsApp users will be able to use the payment program. It works just like sending other attachments on the service. Tap on the paper clip icon on the app and if you’re part of the test program, you’ll now see a new Payment option from the menu. You will most likely have to set up an account with Novi and link some sort of payment source but they say there are no fees (yet) for sending or receiving money. There are also no limits on how often you can send payments.
The payments are transferred instantly so there’s no need for a waiting period unlike with some banks. The payment integration should also not affect the end-to-end encryption on the messaging app since this is turned on by default for all one-on-one conversations. This is part of Meta’s plans to integrate payments and cryptocurrency as well, although plans have considerably shifted since they first announced this back in 2019.
The pilot program was announced by Novi’s incoming head Stephane Kasriel as well as WhatsApp’s Will Cathcart. It’s a good time to test this out now as there will be a lot of money exchanging between friends and family members during this holiday season. Having the ability to do so through WhatsApp, if that’s the messaging app that they use mostly, will be convenient. Kasriel says that Novi will be able to help do that “securely, instantly, and with no fees”.
There's a new way to try the @Novi digital wallet. Starting today, a limited number of people in the US will be able to send and receive money using Novi on @WhatsApp, making sending money to family and friends as easy as sending a message. 💸💬 pic.twitter.com/dGz3lejri7
— Stephane Kasriel (@skasriel) December 8, 2021
While the Novi pilot is also available in Guatemala, users there will not be able to use it on WhatsApp. They’ll have to make do with the standalone Novi app. For selected users in the U.S, the WhatsApp Novi test will be available in both English and Spanish.


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Venezuelan Social Movements Converge on Supreme Court, Demand Injunction Against Mining ArcJune 5, 2016 ... for mining?” he stated. Facing the worst drought in 47 years, the Venezuelan government has implemented strict ...
Venezuela – A Last WarningMay 20, 2016 ... onto the black market. From the family that queues for hours and then re-sells some of what they’ve bought, to the ... to criminal gangs who hire people to queue for hours and buy whatever subsidised products are available ... it over and hand it to the communal power”. Less than 48 hours later, in an interview with Reuters, the vice-president ...
Venezuela’s Maduro Announces String of Emergency Economic MeasuresFebruary 18, 2016 The economic initiatives include changes to the country’s multi-tiered exchange rate, a rise in the domestic price of gasoline, the implementation of a new tax system, and placing more power over food distribution in the hands of organised communities.
Venezuela After ChávezJuly 13, 2016 ... at government-controlled prices; citizens must spend hours queuing, or resort to the black market, where the same ...


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South African Treasury announced on Wednesday plans to create a fund for local start-ups that are mushrooming everywhere.
“Together with Ministers Zulu and Naledi Pandor, we are setting up a fund for Small Business Enterprise development that focuses specifically on start-ups,” said Malusi Gigaba, Minister of Finance, in parliament, where he was delivering the 2017 medium-term budget policy statement.
“The Government Technical Advisory Centre is assisting us to operationalise the fund.”
Gigaba didn’t reveal how much will national treasury set aside for the fund to assist start-ups.
South Africa has various start-ups that have managed to raise millions privately and are thriving such as IoT.nxt, Prodigy Finance, Locumute, WhereIsMyTransport, Domestly, etc.
Despite some of these start-ups getting funding from private investors some are still struggling to grow without capital funding.
Prodigy Finance, an international FinTech platform that has developed the world’s first borderless credit model, today announces a R3.19 billion fundraise.
This includes a R532 million Series C equity round led by venture capital firm Index Ventures, with participation from Balderton Capital and AlphaCode; and a R2.66 billion debt facility led by a global investment bank.
Prodigy Finance is a diamond member of AlphaCode, a club for FinTech entrepreneurs.
US-based Quona Capital, which is a manager of the Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund worth $141 million and Netherlands-based Velocity Capital sees value in South Africa’s fintech start-up, Yoco.
Both fintech-focused institutional investors have invested an undisclosed amount into Yoco and the funding details were scant.
Yoco said the new capital will help it to grow its national footprint, launch new fintech services and lay the groundwork for international expansion in 2018.
Yoco, which competes with Standard Bank-owned Snapscan and iKhoka, enables SMEs to accept card payments and provides card readers, and free point-of-sale and business intelligence tools to its 14 000 South African merchants.
It claims to currently process over R1 billion transactions annually.


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The Information Commissioner’s Office is to launch a dedicated telephone hotline next month in an attempt to help small businesses prepare for GDPR, following complaints that its guidance for the new data protection laws has been far too slow to emerge.
The regulator insists the service will add to a package of tools and resources already available for organisations getting ready for GDPR, which comes into effect on May 25 2018.
The new service will go live on November 1, and will be based around the ICO’s existing public helpline, which handled around 190,000 calls last year.
Just two weeks ago, the Institute of Fundraising called for a dedicated charity helpline as part of a number of measures to give more support to the sector to ensure organisations achieve GDPR compliance.
The ICO has also revealed plans to simplify its “12 steps to take now” graphic – which has already been viewed 73,000 times since it was updated in May – in response to calls from small and micro businesses that they need access to targeted information about how to prepare for the regulation.
And the ICO is revising its SME toolkit – a resource used by around 9,000 businesses a month since January 2016 – into a GDPR checklist that will allow businesses to identify gaps in their own preparation for the new law.
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: “There are 5.4 million businesses in the UK that employ fewer than 250 people. When it comes to data protection, surveys show they tend to be less well prepared. We know that most businesses want to get things right but often struggle to find the key steps to get started. They also have less time and money to invest in getting it right. They may not have compliance teams or data protection officers or access to legal advice.
“The businesses may be small but they still hold important personal information and the need to gain the trust of their customers is just as real.”
Organisations that have yet to begin preparing for the GDPR can access a range of resources on the ICO’s dedicated data protection reform web pages.
The regulator claims it will also publish a Guide to GDPR by the end of the year. It expands the content of the current overview to make what the ICO insists is a “comprehensive guide” along the same lines as the current Guide to Data Protection.
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Tourism NI is responsible for the development of tourism and the marketing of Northern Ireland as a tourist destination to visitors within Northern Ireland and from the Republic of Ireland.
Tourism NI has launched a major initiative aimed at putting food and drink at the heart of the Northern Ireland visitor experience.
The Year of Food and Drink 2016 will be a yearlong celebration aimed at boosting Northern Ireland’s reputation as a destination.
The year will see a series of events and industry development programmes celebrating quality, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in the food and drink sector.
Belfast’s new Titanic Exhibition Centre (TEC), sited opposite Titanic Studios in Titanic Quarter, opens today (Thursday 17th September at 11am), delivering a huge boost for local business in the process.
The 6,000 square metre structure will be used as a potential venue for exhibitions, community and sporting events, as well as large-scale banquets.
More than 3,000 visitors will be able to attend exhibitions at any one time and the TEC will also have the capacity to provide sit-down banqueting for up to 2,500 diners.
Tourism NI has commended a leading B&B situated on the Causeway Coastal Route for its achievements in quality and customer care.
In addition to its five-star quality rating from Tourism NI, held since 2011, Crowfield Country House has been awarded a host of accolades in the four years it has been operating.
They include excellence awards from TripAdvisor and hotels.com for 2015, as well as a 2014 Excellence Award from booking.com.
The second year of the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme will help communities, schools and groups to take practical action to improve their local environment and support the growth of civic pride throughout Northern Ireland.
Sign up for Tourism NI's industry newsletter, Tourism Spotlight, to get details of the latest research, new tourism product developments and intelligence insights impacting the local industry.
Tourism Northern Ireland
St Anne's Court, 59 North Street
BELFAST, BT1 1NB
Tel 028 9023 1221
Fax 028 9024 0960
Textphone 028 9044 1522
This is the industry site of Tourism Northern Ireland. Click here to visit our consumer website, DiscoverNorthernIreland.com


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The Chinese Electronics giant, Xiaomi is all set to launch its new 8K resolution smart television in the market on September 24. The company is hosting a launch event where they will unveil a brand new 8K Smart Television. Apart from Smart Television, the company might launch a smartphone as well.
The company might launch a new Mi Mix 4 5G Smartphone along with Mi 9 Pro 5G. Both the new smartphones will be released with 5G connectivity.
The Mi TV’s official Weibo account shared a teaser of their upcoming Smart Television which is included in this post. The teaser poster shows off the 8K resolution of the Television. The poster features “8K Ready” in the bold fonts. We could also see We Are Ready fonts at the bottom of the poster.
If we talk about the current market, Xiaomi has the highest resolution of their smart television is 4K. The company is adding new 8K Smart Television which would open up a new Premium range for the customers. Xiaomi’s products are there for economy buyers. However, the company releases premium-end gadgets for high-end users as well. The new 8K Smart TV range will be there exclusively for high-end users.
Recently, the company released four new Smart Television in the Indian market with 4K Resolution. The company knows what their consumers are expecting and for that reason, they are all set to come up with the 8K resolution Smart TVs.
According to previous reports and leaks, the company will unveil three different sizes of its 8K Smart Televisions with 43-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch. We expect these three sizes from the company of its new range of 8K Smart TVs.
Unfortunately, we don’t know much about the upcoming TVs from the Chinese giant as of now. However, the company will be using the same design, hardware, software and Operating System in the new range.
Xiaomi 8K Smart TV: Pricing and Availability
The new Xiaomi 8K Smart TVs are launching on 24th September. The expected price of this 8K Smart TV will be Rs. 57,000. The base model will come with 6GB RAM and 128GB Internal Storage memory.
For the latest tech news and updates, Install TechnoCodex App and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Also, if you like our efforts, consider sharing this story with your friends, this will encourage us to bring more exciting updates for you.


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Flame Retardants Linked to Cancer Banned from Furniture in 2014
New regulations concerning flame-retardant furniture went into effect in California yesterday, leading many safety officials to speculate that the rest of the nation may soon follow suit in updating decades old standards.
The new regulation means furniture sold in California is no longer required to meet the standard flammability requirements set in the 1970s. The old regulation required furniture to pass a 12-second flammability test, a precaution hoping to prevent fires from cigarettes dropped onto sofas and other flammable furniture.
The new requirements, which are known as the “Flammability Standard for Upholstered Furniture/Articles Exempt from the Flammability Standard” passed by the Department of Consumer Affairs, dictates furniture must pass a test that demonstrates it does not smolder for no more than 45 minutes after being lit on fire.
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The hope is that this smolder test will reduce the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment by flame retardants currently used in furniture. These chemicals are known to cause a slew of side effects including cancer, reproductive problems and cognitive impairment.
Taking effect January 1, 2014, many hope the law enacted in California will trigger a trickle effect for the rest of the country. After California first enacted the initial flame retardant regulation, the rest of the nation followed suit in the hopes to maintain a single standard, especially one which was spurred in such a highly populous state.
The old regulation meant manufacturers needed to inject furniture foam with large amounts of flame retardant to meet retardancy levels. The new measure does not require manufacturers to use flame retardants.
Instead, the manufacturers are called on to use fabrics that withstand exposures to heat or by lining furniture with a fire barrier, like polyester batting.
Furniture companies do not have to eliminate their inventory of flame retardant furniture. Manufacturers will be allowed to sell the remaining stock until depleted. Retailers will be required to sell furniture meeting the new requirements beginning January 2015.
The new regulation allows manufacturers to produce flame resistant furniture without flame retardants, but they still may use flame retardants to meet the standard. The new furniture will be tagged “TB 117-2013.”
Health Risks of Flame Retardants
Prior research has shown polybrominated diphenyl ethers, among other flame retardants, are linked to cancer, reproductive issues and lowered IQ.
One study conducted on pregnant women during their second trimester of pregnancy followed their children through childhood and found women who had the highest levels of flame retardant in their blood correlated to children with behavior, cognitive impairments and hyperactivity.
Other studies reveal the chemicals leach into homes through the form of dust released from the furniture foam.
Critics contend banning flame retardants will not solve the problem. The toxic chemicals which cause many severe side effects are already distributed widely throughout the United States in furniture which contain the chemicals.
Experts worry manufacturers will recycle the chemical-laden foam into different household products, furniture and foam which will be used for carpet padding, products which will end up right back in the homes of consumers.
There are no widespread recycling programs for chemical ridden furniture. Alternatives for furniture disposal include landfills where the chemicals do not break down quickly; instead seeping back into the environment where they can find their way back into the food chain and living tissue, causing toxic effects.
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Locally owned Vast Bank recently executed an end-to-end cryptocurrency transaction. The bank said it believes it is the first nationally chartered financial institution to both purchase and provide custody services for a digital asset on behalf of a customer and directly from their bank account.
Cryptocurrency is an emerging technology-based form of digital money with benefits over traditional currencies that include advanced security, reduced intermediaries, cross border transactions and nearly instant settlement, even with large transactions. More than 6,700 publicly-traded cryptocurrencies with a combined value of nearly $900 billion, according CoinMarketCap.
"We are beyond excited to have the ability to offer tightly integrated bank and cryptocurrency services to our customers and Fintech partners," Brad Scrivner, president and CEO of Vast Bank, said in a statement. "Digital assets have always been a part of our long-term strategy …"
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More needs to be done to support the private uptake of electrically-chargeable vehicles (EVs) in the UK, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). New figures show businesses are twice as likely to make the switch from petrol and diesel.
Analysis of new-car registrations in 2020 shows that just 4.6% of privately bought cars were battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), compared to 8.7% for businesses and large fleets. This equates to 34,324 private registrations and 73,881 corporate ones.
In response to this, the SMMT has unveiled a new blueprint to deliver a greater retail uptake. With the UK government planning to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, the body believes now is the time to change people’s attitudes towards EVs.
‘While last year’s bumper uptake of electric vehicles is to be welcomed, it is clear this has been an electric revolution primarily for fleets, not families,’ commented SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes. ‘Manufacturers are committed to the consumer, reducing costs and providing as wide a choice as possible of zero-emission capable vehicles with many more to come.
‘To deliver an electric revolution that is affordable, achievable and accessible to all by 2030, however, government and other stakeholders must put ordinary drivers at the heart of policy and planning.’
According to the SMMT, as of March 2021, manufacturers have brought more than 150 BEV, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) models to the UK market. BEVs and PHEVs alone account for 25% of all available car models.
However, current higher costs of components’ raw materials mean these vehicles are inherently more expensive to manufacture. This implies an EV will retail for more than its fossil fuel equivalents.
Manufacturers are working hard to bring the cost of production down. Yet, they are constrained by lower demand and battery production costs, which have yet to reach the economies of scale required. Batteries have the biggest overall impact, representing 30-45% of the total production cost the SMMT states. BEVs are not expected to reach purchase cost parity with their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts across all car segments in the next few years.
The area where EVs benefit their drivers is in terms of running costs. This is of particular interest to businesses. In addition, company car drivers currently receive stronger and longer-lasting motivation through reduced purchase-taxes and fiscal incentives compared to consumers.
Last week, the UK government announced it will reduce the plug-in car grant and lower the price threshold for eligibility. This effectively adds £500 (€583) to the purchase price of all qualifying EVs under £35,000, and £3,000 to the price of those above £35,000.
By comparison, private buyers in Germany receive a €9,000 grant towards a new BEV, while Dutch drivers do not pay VAT on BEV purchases, equivalent to a purchase cost saving of around a sixth.
The SMMT estimates that maintaining the grant and similarly exempting consumer EV purchases from VAT would increase uptake by almost two-thirds by 2026 compared to current predictions.
The blueprint also calls for more to be done to expand the UK’s EV infrastructure. Private-buyer acceptance remains low because of affordability concerns, charge point availability and infrastructure reliability, according to the SMMT. Around one in three households have no dedicated off-street parking, leaving them disproportionately dependent on public-charging points.
The SMMT’s projections suggest that most drivers will choose to charge their vehicle at home if they can. Therefore, they estimate there would need to be around 2.7 million public-charge points in service by 2030 to provide adequate coverage and tackle range anxiety. The SMMT believes there are around 40,000 charging points in the country, most of which are in London.
This means more than 700 new charge points would have to be installed every day until the end of the decade. By comparison, the current installation rate is approximately 42 a day, according to information provided to the SMMT from charge-point mapping service ZapMap. Funding this expansion is estimated to cost around £17.6 billion.
‘We need incentives that tempt consumers, infrastructure that is robust and charging points that provide reassurance, so that zero-emission mobility will be possible for everyone, regardless of income or location,’ stated Hawes. ‘When every market is vying for these new technologies, a clear and collaborative strategy engaging all would ensure the UK remains an attractive place both to manufacture and market electric vehicles, helping us achieve our net-zero ambition.’


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CHESTERTON – The Duneland Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the opening of the 2014 Season of Chesterton’s European Market this Saturday, May 3. From 8:00 am – 2:00 pm, Duneland community residents and tourists are welcomed to visit Third Street and Broadway in historic downtown Chesterton to experience Northwest Indiana’s premier outdoor artisan and farmers’ market.
Each weekend this season, the Market will boast more than 90 merchants, live musical performances from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, fresh food served on-site throughout the day and plenty of opportunities to enjoy gatherings with friends and family at picnic tables in nearby Thomas Centennial Park. “The best part about this weekly event is seeing the community come together to enjoy our downtown,” says Deanna Kasch, Manager of Chesterton’s European Market.
Market favorites Bit of Swiss, Rolling Stonebaker, Espress Yourself, Good to Go by Lucrezia, Butler Winery, Ivy’s Catering, Ben’s Soft Pretzels, Lehman’s Orchard, Flagel’s Sugarhouse, Pa’s Workshop and Marilyn’s Pies will be returning to Chesterton’s famous outdoor artisan market. “The Market wouldn’t be the same without everyone’s favorite coffee, pizza, pretzel and croissant merchants,” says Kasch.
While booth space at the Market is nearly booked for the entire season, a few spaces remain in October. “We’re always open to receiving applications, since sometimes our scheduled merchants have conflicts and can’t attend,” Kasch explains. “We especially love seeing applicants with new or unusual products – especially savory food items.” For more information about applying to or visiting Chesterton’s European Market, please call the Chamber office at (219) 926-5513, visit www.dunelandchamber.org, or email firstname.lastname@example.org.