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Cyberpunk 2077 It is one of the most anticipated games of the year, and despite the fact that the game has been delayed again and its launch is expected to be until next December, that has not stopped CD Projekt Red from seeking alliances with other companies to launch special edition game accessories.
A few months ago we saw the controls, headphones and even chairs of Cyberpunk 2077, and now we see the first smartphone on the market special edition of the game, which has been built by OnePlus.
A OnePlus 8T inside, another smartphone outside
With this alliance between OnePlus and CD Projekt Red, the company has chosen to select its most recent phone, the OnePlus 8T, which has not undergone any type of modification inside, that is, we still have a Snapdragon 865 processor, a 6.5-inch Fluid AMOLED screen, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, a 4,500 mAh battery and a module quad camera.
However, that does not mean that the phone has not been modified, although the changes come in the physical aspect. To begin with, the camera module has been lengthened and occupies almost the entire length of the body of the phone, so the number 2077 has been entered on one side of the cameras along with a yellow barcode.
The back has 2 colors and aspects that make it look attractive, in fact, the firm also includes a cover that changes the gray part for the black color.
The box includes the classic red cable along with the 65W charger, and several OnePlus and Cyberpunk 2077 stickers also come as a gift.
OnePlus will also sell this equipment with a modified interface according to the game, it is actually a special theme, but the operating system is still Oxygen OS 11, so we talk about the fact that the phone comes with Android 11 out of the box.
Price and availability
At the moment the phone will go on sale in the Asian market, and although there are no details about its international distribution, OnePlus has not mentioned that it will be an exclusive phone for the Asian region.
Its price will be 3,999 yuan, which at the exchange rate is approximately 12,720 Mexican pesos, and it will go on sale on November 11.


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Digital TV News: Sony
Fransat and HD+ adopt Intertrust XCA content protection
Sep 12, 2019 – Intertrust has announced that Fransat and HD+, France and Germany’s leading free TV operators, have selected Intertrust’s ExpressPlay XCA to protect and manage video streams over major broadcast and IPTV networks.
News categories: Intertrust, Fransat, HD+, Talal G. Shamoon, Digital TV, DRM, France, Germany, IBC2019, Satellite, Set Top Box, Smart TV
Apple TV+ launches November 1 at $4.99 per month
Sep 10, 2019 – Apple has announced that Apple TV+ will launch November 1 in over 100 countries and regions. Apple TV+ will offer a lineup of original shows, movies and documentaries. The service will be available for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.
News categories: Apple, Zack Van Amburg, Jamie Erlicht, Apps, Digital TV, OTT, Worldwide
Vevo music videos available on Vewd-enabled devices
Aug 28, 2019 – Vevo has announced a partnership with Vewd. The agreement will make Vevo’s unparalleled premium music video content catalog available for tens of millions of Vewd-enabled devices from Sony, Hisense, Philips, and TiVo, among others.
News categories: Vewd, Vevo, Michael Winneker, Alex Kisch, Apps, Digital TV, Smart TV, Worldwide
New global launch dates confirmed for Disney+
Aug 19, 2019 – The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment has confirmed that Disney+ will launch in Canada and the Netherlands, in tandem with the U.S., on November 12 and in Australia and New Zealand on November 19.
News categories: Disney+, Australia, Canada, Digital TV, Netherlands, New Zealand, OTT, USA
Sony captured 30% of VR hardware revenues in 2018
Aug 5, 2019 – Strategy Analytics' data on the VR headset market shows a decline in annual hardware revenues for the first time. The decline is confined to the low value segment however. The forecast shows continued growth in the Console and PC-tethered VR segments.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, David MacQueen, David Kerr, Market Research, VR, Worldwide
ACT Fibernet launches OTT set-top box
Aug 1, 2019 – ACT Fibernet has launched an OTT media streamer called ACT Stream TV 4K. ACT Stream TV 4K runs on the latest Android 9.0 Pie version and enables content streaming from Netflix, Hooq, YuppTV, Zee5, Hungama Play, Sony Liv, and other similar platforms.
News categories: ACT Fibernet, Android TV, Digital TV, India, OTT, Set Top Box
Tastemade selects Telaria for programmatic OTT and CTV advertising
Jul 10, 2019 – Tastemade has selected Telaria (NYSE:TLRA) as a supply-side partner to monetize its OTT and connected TV inventory programmatically. The partnership will enable more programmatic advertisers to reach Tastemade's unique audience.
News categories: Telaria, Tastemade, Adam Lowy, Jeffrey Imberman, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, OTT, USA
Google leads European Smart Home market in 1Q19
Jul 1, 2019 – In the first quarter of this year, the smart home market in Europe grew 23.9%, reaching 21.3 million units shipped to the region, according to IDC. Video entertainment devices shipped 12.7 million units in 1Q19, increasing 11.2% annually.
News categories: IDC, Antonio Arantes, Digital TV, Europe, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Smart TV
Worldwide TV shipment growth hits 8-year high
Jul 1, 2019 – Worldwide TV shipments are riding high, ending 2018 with the strongest growth rate this decade, with value up by 6%, according to Futuresource Consulting. 8K shipments will grow from 0.2 million units in 2019 with a 130% CAGR through to 2023.
News categories: Futuresource Consulting, Matthew Rubin, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide
- Roku OS 9.2 to begin rollout
- Roku announces new streaming player line-up for UK
- Eros Now to develop online video platform with Microsoft
- FourthWall Media introduces Reveal 5 TV analytics and optimization platform
- Hearst Television moves to impressions-based selling of Local TV ad inventory
- Roku releases U.S. cord-cutting study
- Facebook introduces Portal TV set-top box
- CTA launches 8K Ultra HD logo program
- SVOD subscriptions soar by 38% in 2018
- Subscriptions now account for nearly 86% of US internet TV and movie spending
- NBCUniversal streaming service to be called 'Peacock'
- Vizio adds additional Alexa capabilities to SmartCast TVs
- LIWEST latest Austrian operator to deploy IPTV with Verimatrix and Ocilion
- Channel 4 to use Sky's AdSmart technology
- TV penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa still low
- Amazon Prime Video to be made available on Altice One
- NEOTION renews partnership with Irdeto
- Online video viewing to reach 100 minutes a day in 2021
- Irdeto secures Airtel Xstream 4K set-top box
- Netgem and Sharp release smart soundbar for telcos

domain: news


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Jakarta. The Ministry of Finance issued a new regulation to raise the threshold for free-on-board prices on personal imported goods from $250 to $500 per person as part of the ministry’s efforts to improve service, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Thursday (28/12).
Under the regulation, imported goods with values up to $500 carried by passengers will be exempt from import taxes. The government expects to impose the new rule by the end of January.
"We want to help and provide convenience for the community […] This is part of our reform, the concrete things we continue to do for the people," Sri Mulyani said at a press conference, adding that the new regulation is not to reach revenue targets.
The customs office has heightened baggage checking at international airports throughout the archipelago in recent months as it tries to crack down on illegal importing by individuals. Those imports usually involve online sellers who take short trips to neighboring countries to buy small items like smartphones and cosmetics for resale.
The checking, however, is often the source of ire for other passengers, who find out at the gate that they need to pay extra taxes for innocuous souvenirs or shopping items they bought overseas.
Sri Mulyani said the threshold increase is quite moderate compared to other countries with higher per capita income, including Malaysia, which sets the limit to $125 per person, Thailand to $285, Singapore to $600 and China to $764.
Indonesia's per capita income was about $3,600 in 2016, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
Individuals who carry imported goods worth more than $500 will be charged an import tax of 10 percent and the final income tax rate (PPh), which is 7.5 percent for those who have a tax identification number (NPWP) and 15 percent for those who do not.
The rate, according to the minister, is also moderate compared to other countries that implement single tariffs, such as Singapore with 7 percent, Japan with 15 percent and Malaysia with 30 percent.
Sri Mulyani urged the Directorate General of Customs and Excise to provide an easy procedure for passengers in implementing the new regulation.
The new Finance Ministry regulation, which is currently still being processed at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, is a revision of the existing regulation coded from 2010 that outlines guidelines on the importation of goods carried by passengers, crew members of airlines, border-crossers and delivery goods.


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Value for money
keddy by Europcar wants to make sure their customers and staff in the Düsseldorf area feel safe during COVID-19. As a result, keddy by Europcar has adopted strict enhanced cleaning methods throughout their Düsseldorf car hire locations. These safety measures include disinfecting high-touch areas such as door handles, steering wheels, and center consoles.
Hiring a car in Düsseldorf in September from keddy by Europcar will cost $37 per day on average. However, our users have seen daily prices for as low as $33 per day. If you need to hire a car from keddy by Europcar for 1 week in Düsseldorf, you can expect prices to be around $262 during the month of September. These rates are all based on last year's hire prices, but you are likely to find similar deals on momondo.
Yes, keddy by Europcar has 1 location at Duesseldorf Intl Airport which is located at Terminal Ring 1, Zentralgeb..
According to our data, Compact vehicles are the most popular type of car for our users to hire from keddy by Europcar while visiting Düsseldorf in September. Based on keddy by Europcar car hire prices in September last year, you can expect the average price for Compact hires to be $34/day. Our users have also found prices for as low as $33/day last September, which means you may be able to find similar hire prices this year on momondo.
There are 11 keddy by Europcar car hire locations in Düsseldorf. According to our users, the most popular keddy by Europcar location in Düsseldorf is located at Terminal Ring 1, Zentralgeb.. 88% of our users who hired a car from keddy by Europcar in Düsseldorf did so from this location in the past year.


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Nintendo is playing games with the emotions of NES Classic fans, but this time it's good news. The gaming company announced the popular console will be hitting stores once again.
NES Classic Edition returned June 29 and is expected to be available for the rest of the year, the company tweeted.
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic (SNES Classic) will also be available through the end of the year.
When the NES Classic first went on sale in November 2016, demand was so high that it crashed Amazon's website, and it went on to become one of the most popular Christmas gifts of the 2016 season. Nintendo discontinued sales in April 2017, so this announcement marks another opportunity for fans who missed it the last time around.
Learn more about the history of NES in the video above.


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Plastic bag consumption reduces in China
BEIJING: The number of plastic bags consumed in China’s stores and supermarkets decreased by one-third in 2015 from that in 2007, a year before the Chinese government imposed restrictions on the use of such materials.
Citing surveys from trade associations, Chinese media on February 17 said 7,00,000 tonnes of shopping plastic bags were used in 2015, compared to a million tonnes in 2007.
Less than 8,00,000 tonnes of shopping plastic bags were used per annum in the intervening years, Xinhua reported.
The reduction over the seven years combined is equivalent to cutting crude oil consumption by 8.4 million tonnes and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 30 million tonnes, according to the report.
The Chinese government introduced rules banning supermarkets and shops from handing out free plastic bags to customers on June 1, 2008 to reduce energy consumption and protect the environment. It also prohibited production and sale of bags thinner than 0.025 mm.


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GoldATM Premiers New ATMs at ATMIA 2024
In a move to make it easy and viable for every person to purchase, store and exchange gold, GoldATM is premiering new gold ATM kiosks at ATMIA 2024 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas Feb. 14-16 in Booth 219/318.
Beyond the show, the first operational gold ATM kiosks from GoldATM are available and open for business in Utah and Nevada.
In December 2023, GoldATM quietly launched its first five ATMs in Utah, in Roy, Layton, Salt Lake City, Kearns, and Pleasant Grove. It plans to test the technology and assess consumer interest in using ATM kiosks that dispense Goldback bills—made of pure 24-karat gold, but flexible and durable just like cash—for as little as $20.
So far, the response has been positive and consumer interest is high, according to the company. The company says it has received requests to install GoldATMs in additional Utah locations.
Goldbacks are paper bills embedded with real gold. They are the world’s first physical, interchangeable, gold currency. They are available in five denominations (1, 5, 10, 25, and 50). Investors and collectors acquire Goldbacks because they are spendable, physical 24k gold bills, each with a unique design featuring a US state and a set of virtues. While they are paper notes, they also have 24k gold embedded in precise measured amounts of 1/1,000th, 1/200th, 1/100th, 1/40th and 1/20th of a troy ounce in each bill, depending on the denomination. Each bill's artwork is combined with government-grade anti-counterfeiting features. They are manufactured by a Portland, OR-based company, Valaurum, the main manufacturer of Goldbacks in the US. Valaurum has perfected a manufacturing that incorporates 24-karat gold into each bill. The gold is visible as gleaming elements throughout each multilayered bill.
Until recently, Goldbacks could be purchased at approximately 200 coin stores around the world. With GoldATM's ATM machines, they can now be purchased in select locations in northern Utah, with more locations to be added soon.
While they can be used for trade and collecting, Goldbacks are seeking to be officially considered “Specie Legal Tender” a form of currency based on precious metals such as gold and silver that holds legal tender status and is recognized as an alternative currency. To date, Utah, Nevada, New Hampshire, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Texas are proposing or have already adopted similar legislation that would designate alternative gold-backed currency, such as Goldbacks, as Specie Legal Tender. Texas is set to be the latest state to implement gold based notes for purchase at ATMs.
Utah has been the leading state in the nation to embrace alternative currencies based on precious metals. In 2011 Utah's legislature passed HB317 which went into effect in May of that year, provided definitions, recognized gold and silver coins issued by the federal government as legal tender in Utah and set the stage to study the possibility of establishing gold and silver as an alternative form of legal tender.
On January 19, 2024, Rep. Ken Ivory, a republican lawmaker from Salt Lake County (district 39) introduced a bill, HB348, seeking to clarify and expand the definition of gold and silver as legal tender in Utah. Among other things, HB348 would expand the definition of "specie legal tender" to include gold or silver coin or bullion not issued by the United States.
“The Goldbacks that our Gold ATMs dispense are not a promise of gold, they are the gold, which can be easily used to save, store, exchange to dollars or even used to make payments at the steadily growing list of more than 1,000 merchant locations in Utah that accept the bills as a legal alternative currency,” said Florida-based Andrew Carey, CEO and Co-founder of GoldATM, who "has been involved with Bitcoin, NFTs and precious metals since 2013," according to LinkedIn.
Carey's LinkedIn profile also shows him as CEO and Co-founder of BitcoinATM.com, "provider of the Bitstop and Genesis Coin Bitcoin ATM software platforms. Our technology pioneered the BitcoinATM industry and now powers more than 10,000+ Bitcoin ATM terminals world-wide."
“Gold is more popular than ever with rising inflation,” said Carey.
He continued, “Costco reportedly sold more than one hundred million dollars of one ounce gold bars last fiscal quarter and had to limit purchases to two bars per customer because of overwhelming demand. Most gold bars have a minimum investment barrier of $2,000 which is out of reach for most people who just want to buy smaller amounts. Our Gold ATMs allow customers to buy as little as $20 of gold and to dollar cost average over time. We are serving a part of the retail gold market that has never been properly served before via a distribution method as familiar as an ATM.”
“The interest in our Gold ATMs is tremendous and growing, for a variety of reasons—which opens the need and opportunity for us to use our legacy of experience in the ATM industry to make this resource available in a way that is accessible and convenient for all. We have plans to deploy and distribute several thousand Gold ATMs across the United States over the next two years. We’re also in early discussion with prospective partners for international distribution already,” Carey concluded.
"Goldbacks level the playing field for people who want to own gold but may not be in a position to buy a $250, $500 or $1,000 gold coin." said Brad Moseley, AVP of Client Development at Finest Known, a company based in the LA area that sells rare coins, ancient coinage, shipwreck treasure, currency, documents, art and artifacts of historical significance. The company also sells Goldbacks from the states that currently offer them (Utah, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Wyoming, with Texas coming online next).
Moseley continued, "If you've got five bucks in your pocket, you now move some of your money into gold. GoldATMs gives people the ability to go where they were not able to before to obtain goldbacks that they can use us in barter and trade if they want as a hedge against inflation."
As of today, the exchange rate for one Goldback is $4.16 (or five Goldbacks = $20.80).
GoldATM.com is a privately-held company. It is the first organization to create true gold ATMs that can instantly convert cash into Goldbacks—pure 99.99% 24-karat gold resembling cash.
GoldATM’s initial launch in Utah with a set of five Gold ATMs is expanding to Nevada. The company says it plans to establish several hundred Gold ATMs nationwide in 2024.


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The Nottingham Building Society in Hucknall is holding a fundraising day today – Friday, October 7 – to promote hospice care in line with the Hospice care week which runs until Sunday.
Hospice care week is an annual week of activity to raise the profile of the hospice care across the UK.
Each year sees a week of celebration and action, which helps to change people’s perceptions of hospice care.
Caroline Wright, customer reviewer at The Nottingham’s Hucknall branch on High Street, said: “This charity is close to many of our hearts. The aim is to raise money through selling merchandise for the hospice.
“We are asking customers and local residents to donate money to this worthy cause.
“We will be holding a book sale within the Hucknall branch with refreshments available and would love it if people could come and join us to donate to a very worthy cause.”
The branch is open today from 9am to 5pm.
For more information, visit www.thenottingham.com


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After unveiling the new Focus Monday, Ford made another announcement at the Detroit Auto Show about its battery plans. Like General Motors and other automakers, Ford has decided that battery technology (not necessarily including cell chemistry) needs to be one of its core competencies going forward. To that end, it will officially take over responsibility for development and production of battery packs and management systems for its electric and hybrid vehicles. Ford will also bring the hybrid transmission development and production in-house, starting with the next-generation hybrid launch in 2012.
This is a major change for Ford, which has previously relied on companies like Aisin for transmissions for the Fusion and Escape and Delphi for battery packs. Ford will invest $450 million in engineering and manufacturing and create 1,000 new jobs in Michigan. The new hybrid transmissions will be built at the Van Dyke transmission plant north of Detroit. Ford hasn't yet announced where the battery packs would be built.
The shift should help Ford alleviate the supply limitations it has experienced over the last several years with transmissions and batteries. A new hybrid and plug-in hybrid will be built at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI, but vice president of powertrain development Barb Samardzich told ABG that it will not be the new Kuga-based Escape successor. It will be based on the Focus platform but could be an entirely different body style that we haven't seen yet. The press release is after the jump.
Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.
FORD INVESTS $450 MILLION MORE IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES; NEXT-GENERATION HYBRID, PLUG-IN HYBRID AND NEW BEV WILL BE PRODUCED AT MICHIGAN ASSEMBLY PLANT
· Ford will invest another $450 million in Michigan as part of the company's aggressive electric vehicle plan
· Engineering, production and launch of new electrified vehicles, battery systems and hybrid transaxles will create up to 1,000 new jobs in Michigan
· Ford will build a next-generation hybrid vehicle and plug-in hybrid vehicle at Michigan Assembly Plant beginning in 2012 – in addition to producing the new Ford Focus and Focus Electric at Michigan Assembly in 2010 and 2011, respectively
· Ford will design advanced lithium-ion battery systems for the next-generation hybrid in Michigan and move production of battery packs from Mexico to Michigan
· State of Michigan tax credits enabled Ford's electric vehicle investment
DETROIT, Jan. 11, 2010 – Ford Motor Company today announced it will invest an additional $450 million in its aggressive electric vehicle plan, paving the way to build a next-generation hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicle in Michigan beginning in 2012 and creating 1,000 new jobs.
This comes in addition to Ford's already announced plans to invest $550 million to transform Michigan Assembly Plant from a large SUV factory to a modern car plant to build the all-new Focus starting in 2010 and Focus Electric pure battery electric vehicle in 2011. With today's news, Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., will be the production site of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery electric vehicles, all of which will be built off the company's new global
"This investment underscores how serious we are about delivering a range of electrified vehicles to customers – including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles," said Bill Ford, Ford's executive chairman. "Our industry is at the intersection of three critical global issues –
the economy, energy and the environment. The winning companies will be those that address these issues with vehicles that are also exciting and fun to drive, without compromises."
In addition to building the Ford Focus Electric and next-generation hybrid and plug-in hybrid at Michigan Assembly Plant, Ford said it is bringing battery system design and development in-house.
Ford will design advanced lithium-ion battery systems in-house for the next-generation hybrid in Michigan and move production of the battery packs from Mexico to Michigan. The production site will be announced at a later date.
In addition, Ford has announced it will produce hybrid transaxles at its Van Dyke Transmission facility in Sterling Heights, Mich., beginning in 2012.
Partnering with the state of Michigan has been critical to the acceleration of the electric vehicle plan, Ford said. Today, the Michigan Economic Growth Authority board approved a package of incentives and tax credits totaling $188 million. The package includes job credits, brownfield site credits and battery pack assembly credits recently approved by the Michigan legislature.
"Vehicle electrification is part of our ongoing strategy to diversify Michigan's economy and make
the state a center for green and advanced manufacturing," said Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm. "That is why we have worked so hard to invest in and encourage development of battery and electric vehicle technology and production in the state. We applaud Ford's leadership and commitment to Michigan and our transportation future."
Ford's electric vehicle lineup
As part of its aggressive electrification plan, Ford in 2009 doubled the number and volume of its hybrid electric vehicles to include the award-winning Ford Fusion and Escape hybrids and Mercury Milan and Mariner hybrids.
Going forward, Ford plans to bring the following electrified vehicles to market over the next three years:
Ford Transit Connect battery electric vehicle commercial van in 2010
Ford Focus Electric passenger car in 2011
Next-generation hybrid based on C-car platform in 2012
Plug-in hybrid based on C-car platform in 2012
First to market will be a pure battery electric version of the Ford Transit Connect, a small commercial van introduced in North America in 2009. Transit Connect Electric will have a targeted range of up to 80 miles per full charge and zero tailpipe emissions. With Azure Dynamics serving as upfitter, the first units will enter the market later this year.
The pure battery electric version of the redesigned Ford Focus follows in 2011. Focus Electric will have a targeted range of up to 100 miles per full charge with zero tailpipe emissions.
The next-generation hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles slated for 2012 also will be built on Ford's global C platform. These vehicles – not yet revealed – will leverage Ford's considerable experience with both its current hybrid lineup and plug-in hybrid fleet that is undergoing road testing with the company's utility industry partners.
A key component driving development of Ford's upcoming electric vehicles is lithium-ion battery system technology – the design, development and assembly of which Ford will bring in-house for its new hybrid vehicles.
"Battery system design and development will be a core competency for Ford in the 21st century," said Nancy Gioia, Ford's director of Global Electrification. "Building in-house expertise and leveraging our global scale is critical to developing electrified vehicles that are affordable, connected and fun to drive."
The future of electric vehicle manufacturing in Michigan
Ford's investment and the state's incentives will create approximately 1,000 new jobs related to the production of the company's future electric vehicles and the production of key hybrid components, including battery pack assembly. Most of those jobs will be created at Michigan Assembly Plant, which is being transformed to produce fuel-efficient, small global cars.
"Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant is quickly becoming a symbol of transformation on many different levels," said Jim Tetreault, vice president, North America Manufacturing. "Not only will the new facility enable Ford to meet increased market demand for small fuel-efficient cars, it also promises to become the hub of Ford's advanced technology vehicle manufacturing in Michigan that will benefit the company, the UAW, the state and our customers throughout North America."


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The iPhone's Application Store is becoming a target for pirates who have illegally cracked twenty percent of paid applications. The App Store offers about 25,000 paid apps, and it is estimated that over 5,000 have been pirated.
This is a real problem that developers, Apple and the community need to address. It is unclear how much piracy affects App Store sales. The economic impact of software piracy is tens of billions of dollars according to The Business Software Alliance. According to the study, f the amount of software piracy were reduced 10 percent over four years, the end result would be $41 billion in economic growth.
There are websites that host dozens of pirated iPhone apps, such as The Monkeys Ball, recently relaunched with 80 cracked apps. The Monkeys Ball promotes its site as "trials" to download, encouraging users to buy the apps after they've tried them. "We want people to think of these as trial apps since Apple doesn't allow trials of apps before purchase," said "Omar," one of the creators of the site,"It's Apple's fault for not putting up a trials system."
President of BeeJive, said he installed analytics software in his IM application BeeJive, and discovered 60 percent of activity comes from users who own pirated copies. "We think that current piracy of content from the App Store is much more widespread than most people realize," Yu said. Since Apple has not installed security in the App Store to combat piracy, Apps have had to enforce its own measures to disable cracked versions of its software
It is believed that Apple is aware of the piracy and is working towards a solution.


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December 06, 2015
In “Back to the Future Part II,” Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel from 1985 to October 21, 2015, to find a world filled with flying cars, hoverboards and self-drying jackets.
Those predictions didn’t exactly pan out, although people are working on each of those concepts. (Screenwriter Bob Gale did get a lot of things — from drones to fingerprint scanners — right, as he told TODAY earlier this year.)
The future is now, and it’s pretty cool. But what will the world be like in another 30 years? Three futurists shared their predictions with NBC News.
Katie Aquino, a.k.a. ‘Miss Metaverse’: Super-fast travel, nanomedicine and virtual immortality
“No longer will expensive and lengthy flights be the norm for world travel,” said the futurist and filmmaker known as Miss Metaverse. Instead, frictionless maglev trains will allow “us to travel at speeds in excess of 6,000 miles per hour while only feeling a G1 gravitational force, the same we feel when riding in a car.”
At those speeds, going from New York to Beijing will only take two hours. And if you get sick on your trip?
“Nanotechnology, although not a hot topic today, will likely unlock the keys to destroying cancer cells and ‘programming’ stem cells for a myriad of health benefits in the future,” she said.
Customized drugs will solve a lot of ailments. Death isn’t one of them, but we could still find a way to become immortal … kind of.
Related: 10 Ways to Celebrate ‘Back to the Future’ Day
“Our future lives may truly be limitless thanks to an organization known as the 2045 Initiative that’s working towards a goal of uploading human consciousness into synthetic avatars,” she said. “Much like in the movie ‘Avatar,’ humans may evolve into what are theoretically known as post-humans, human consciousness in upgraded or synthetic bodies.”
Jamais Cascio: Jurassic pets and augmented reality clothing
Love the movie “Jurassic Park” but don’t like being eaten by terrifying symbols of man’s hubris?
Synthetic biology could let people create “miniature versions of various dinosaurs or other prehistorical creatures,” said writer and futurist Jamais Cascio. That might include a “mini-Velociraptor on a leash, with the right behavior modification to make sure it’s safe to be around,” or a “micro-Brontosaurus that’s perfect for a kid to ride.”
Related: How ‘Jurassic World’ Created a Terrifying New Dinosaur
Of course, you want to look when riding around on your designer dinosaur. Hence the augmented reality clothing, which, Cascio said, will be visible to people wearing the “ubiquitous smart glasses, digital contact lenses, and eye upgrades.”
“Imagine a dress that looks like (and acts like) it’s made of water,” he said. “Or a Halloween costume that appears to be entirely made of living spiders.”
That would look great with a pair of sneakers with power laces.
James Canton: Digital memories and robot soldiers
Sharing a Facebook photo won’t seem very impressive in 2045, according to James Canton, a futurist, writer and business consultant.
That’s because people will share “entertainment memories,” which are “like real-time videos,” he said, “except others can experience the emotion, physical sensation and actual experience as if they were there.”
Intense and kind of creepy! Gene-editing will eliminate genetic diseases, he predicted, and replica organs will be printable on demand.
And yes, “Terminator” fans, there will be machine combat as “robots fight our wars, no more human soldiers.”
There is no guarantee that any of these technologies will arrive, of course. Hopefully by 2045, we will see at least some of the predictions from “Back to the Future Part II” come true, although there is a decent chance we still won’t have flying cars and the Chicago Cubs (currently losing in the playoffs to the Mets) will still be waiting for their first World Series win since 1908.
[…] Read more […]


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A recent partnership between prominent transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and Bud Light prompted an anti-trans backlash from conservatives. As the LGBTQ+ community and allies have rallied to support Mulvaney, some have criticized Bud Light for not adequately defending her—and for not being more vocal in its support of the community.
Mulvaney partnered with Bud Light earlier this month and made a sponsored Instagram post for the beer that showed a custom can featuring an image of her face. The post was quickly bombarded with hateful comments and threats to boycott the company for featuring her.
Online, criticism has grown over Bud Light’s quiet retreat following the backlash. The incident has prompted further conversation about how companies treat queer representation in their marketing.
Queer—and particularly transgender—representation in advertising has become more common in commercials, billboards, and social media, and activists say the impact can be positive, but the queer community has long advised to be critical of superficial allyship, known as “pinkwashing.”
In advertising, pinkwashing refers to corporations appropriating LGBTQ+ symbolism to promote their brands or products, without committing to support queer equality financially or legally. People online also point out the beer producer’s previous involvement donating to politicians that support anti-lgbtq policies, a classic indicator of pinkwashing. The clash is stark as anti-trans discrimination and legislation persist as a focal point in America’s political culture wars.
More from TIME
What has Bud Light said?
Mulvaney’s video post showcased Bud Light cans featuring a picture of her face, which the brand sent her as “possibly the best gift ever” to celebrate her “day 365 of womanhood,” she said.
The comments section, though filled with some support, quickly drew in hateful, anti-trans language, with some Instagram users misgendering Mulvaney and calling to #cancelbudlight.
On Friday, Bud Light owner Anheuser-Busch released a public statement on its Instagram page about the company’s history that many criticized for falling short of addressing the harassment Mulvaney faced. In the statement, CEO Brendan Whitworth said, “we never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”
In a statement to TIME, Anheuser-Busch said: “From time to time we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public. Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics.”
For some activists, Bud Light’s response has not been adequate. “I think that if a company is going to take a stand by being inclusive, in some way, shape, or form—Bud Light for example with Dylan Mulvaney—and there’s backlash that receives attention, the company in an ideal world would respond in a more full-throated way,” Matt Wagner, vice president of client services for Target 10, an LGBTQ+ marketing agency, tells TIME.
“If I were a partner, an influencer or creator of a company or brand that received backlash, largely as a result of my very existence as a human being, I would want that company to stand up for me,” he adds
How have other companies handled similar controversies?
The debate online among the queer community and allies on whether to respect or drop Bud Light has been mixed, but some express disappointment that the beermaker didn’t say more to defend Mulvaney. Just a week after the Bud Light backlash, Mulvaney posted a sponsored Instagram post for her partnership with Nike that received similar response from conservative, anti-trans commenters.
Nike didn’t directly address the controversy, but the athletic brand wrote in an Instagram post that it welcomes “comments that contribute to a positive and constructive discussion: Be kind, be inclusive, encourage each other,” it said. “Hate speech, bullying, or other behaviors that are not in the spirit of a diverse and inclusive community will be deleted.”
Other major brands that have begun featuring trans actors, models and influencers in their ad campaigns include Hershey, Adidas and Pantene, who have been praised for sticking to their choice even in the face of opposition. In a Tweet last month, Hershey said the company values “togetherness” and recognizes “the strength created by diversity.” M&M’s on the other hand, opted to abandon its iconic colorful mascots earlier this year after polarizing backlash to the company’s stylistic tweaks of the characters. (Critics and some advertising experts called the entire M&M’s controversy an elaborate marketing stunt.)
Bob Witeck, president of Witeck Communications, who focuses on communication for brands that further LGBTQ+ advancement, argues that rather than upholding an authentic partnership, Bud Light is acting the same way that many other brands do in the face of controversy—and focusing on its bottom line instead of standing with the LGBTQ+ community. “This is simply an instance when a popular retail brand paid an online influencer—in this instance, Dylan Mulvaney—to tout the product. This is done every day by some brands, especially beer and alcoholic beverages, which do not really take serious stands on social issues or causes,” Witeck tells TIME. “From their POV, it was a simple instance of putting a beer can in the hand of a celebrity.”
How to tell if a company’s response is sincere
Queer activists and groups suggest looking closely into how a company treats queer employees and handles partnerships with the LGBTQ+ community that can help consumers distinguish pinkwashing from true allyship.
For example, looking at the benefits a company offers for same-sex couples or gender-affirming health care, and whether a company has queer employees in executive leaders can be indicative of allyship. Insight into whether a company donates to queer nonprofits and advocacy groups is also a tell-tale sign. “As we get closer to pride season, we will start seeing these pride promotions and pride products. Take a look at the fine print and see is it a 10% donation of all proceeds? Or is it 100%?” Wagner says.
A key indicator of pinkwashing can be companies who hop on pride advertising, but privately donate to political campaigns that support anti-LGBTQ policy. Major brands like Walmart, AT&T, Comcast, and CVS Health publicly celebrate pride, but according to research into their campaign finance documents, they’ve collectively donated millions of dollars to state and federal lawmakers who sponsor legislation like “bathroom bills” that restrict transgender people from using their preferred public bathroom or efforts to limit trans children’s participation in school sports.
Although such information isn’t always publicly available or can be hard to access, Wagner recommends that consumers interested in queer-friendly brands can follow a growing class of activist-influencer-educators, such as Elle Deran, Blair Imani and Matt Bernstein. Creators like these post about queer issues and sometimes share background on why they decide to partner with brands. People can also learn more from visiting queer news and culture sites, such as Queerty, Autostraddle and The Advocate, whose coverage is more focused on queerness than mainstream media tends to be.


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Disney Parks are reaching deep into the vault for this one!
If there’s one thing that Disney isn’t short on, it’s characters! From the very beginning, Walt Disney characterized the work of the studio by its relatable characters, expressiveness, and iconic looks. In the 100 years since the founding of the Walt Disney Studio, there are few people around the world that wouldn’t recognize those three interconnected circles as Mickey Mouse. Now, one of those cherished characters is finally getting his due at the Disneyland Resort!
Since 1955, Disneyland has been home to many meet-and-greet characters. For most Guests, stopping by and saying hello to one or many of these characters is a must on their to-do list at the Park. From very early on, Guests have been able to visit, meet, and get autographs from classics like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Snow White, The Seven Dwarves, and many, many more.
As the years went on, costumes (thankfully) progressed and got more and more realistic. Along with that, capabilities for building and designing costumes improved, and the catalog of characters expanded! Soon, every Disney Princess made her appearance at the Parks, more obscure characters began making special appearances, and even characters that many would think impossible, like Baloo from The Jungle Book (1967), appeared on the scene!
With the remodel of Disney California Adventure and the addition of Buena Vista Street, Disney had the opportunity to bring some classic characters to the Parks as well. Guests were able to meet Clarabelle Cow, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and, just this year, Ortensia the Cat. Still, with all of the characters Disney has been able to introduce at the Disneyland Resort and Disney Parks around the world, there has been one character that has still been missing.
Disney is no stranger to having villain meet-and-greets around the Parks. Fans love to stop by and be harassed by Gaston or Cruella Deville, but one notable villain, arguably the first Disney villain, has been conspicuously absent until now! Disney and entertainment journalist Scott Gustin reported just this morning that Pete, sometimes known as Peg Leg Pete, will be making his first Disney Parks appearance as part of the newly remodeled Mickey’s Toontown, which opens on March 19.
NEW: When Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland officially reopens on Sunday, March 19, Pete will greet guests for the first time in any Disney park.
NEW: When Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland officially reopens on Sunday, March 19, Pete will greet guests for the first time in any Disney park. pic.twitter.com/JuJcIe7aTZ
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 17, 2023
Sporting a classic look with his overalls and no peg leg, it looks like this Pete will be taking his inspiration from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse version of the character, which, given the surroundings, is probably a safe bet. Pete will appear alongside other Mickey Mouse classic characters like the mouse himself, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, and Clarabelle. The question is: will Guests now see a Steamboat Willie version of Pete on the Mark Twain or on Buena Vista Street?
As this will be Pete’s first appearance in any Disney Park, he’s sure to be a popular meet-and-greet this Sunday, March 19, when Toontown reopens to the public, but there’s no indication that his appearance will be temporary. Guests will certainly agree that it’s about time Pete gets his due at the Parks and hope that he is here to stay!
What do you think about Pete at the Parks? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!


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Others raised the possibility that its omission meant that having had been shown in 2014, the game h
Nintendo decided not to show Zelda at E3 this week as they wanted to avoid raising hopes that it might be released earlier then they plan.
The Japanese games publisher has had to go on record in the past and say that title is stilll in the works and hasn't been pinched for their next console, the NX project.
There was plenty of Zelda-linked news during Nintendo's digital event, with the announcement that The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes and Hyrule Warriors Legends were heading for 3DS.
“We just fundamentally don’t believe in showing content at E3 that is going to be a long term proposition,” Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime explained to IGN.
“Our mentality is more near-term when we think about E3. And, yes, we take it on a case-by-case basis.
"There’s also a recognition that we didn't want to frustrate the consumer.
“We could have scored a lot of points and showed some little tidbit of Zelda Wii U, but in our collective opinion the belief was, in the end, that would cause more frustration than benefit.
"We like to show content that typically will launch in the upcoming holiday and maybe extending into the first half of the following year. And at this point, the new Zelda for Wii U is not a 2015 project."
Others raised the possibility that its omission meant that having had been shown in 2014, the game had veered off-course and could be set for further delays.
Fils-Aime wasn't ready to concede that, adding: “No. I don't believe that it sends that messages.
“In fact, in separate interviews Miyamoto has reinforced that it’s a 2016 game, and I also believe he’s reinforced that it’s a Wii U game because I know that there is that thinking floating around."


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New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….
Original story (published on February 06, 2021) follows:
Oppo was one of the first OEMs to begin seeding the Android 11 update to its devices. As expected, the Oppo Find X2 and Find X2 Pro were the first to bag the new Android version.
Most recently, the stable ColorOS 11 update based on Android 11 went live for the Oppo A9, and other devices expected to get it soon.
Since December, the company has been sharing its plans for the deployment of Android 11 to its eligible devices in the particular month.
And now that February has begun, the company has announced its rollout plans for Color OS 11 or Android 11 in beta and stable form this month.
The information was revealed via the official ColorOS team on Twitter. We’ve shared the official version and beta timelines below:
As usual, the ColorOS 11 timeline for the European Union and European Economic Area is slightly different and you can check it out below:
As per the official timeline, the Oppo A91 is expected to pick up the ColorOS 11 beta update based on Android 11 in Indonesia from February 27.
Further, the Reno3 Pro 5G is slated to get the new Android version in a stable form in Russia and Kazakhstan from February 27 as well.
As for the EU/EEA region, the update will go live for the Oppo Reno4 5G in Portugal and Italy. Find X2 Neo users in the Netherlands, France, and Spain will also get the ColorOS 11 update.
Last but not the least, Reno3 Pro and Reno4 Pro users in Ukraine will also bag the Android 11-based custom skin.
As usual, we will continue to keep track of the rollout. Therefore, we’d suggest checking out our dedicated tracker to know when the stable or beta update goes live for your device.
Update 1 (February 25)
IST 11:14 am: Ahead of schedule, the beta update to ColorOS 11 for Oppo A91 is now open for application. See details here.
Update 2 (February 26)
IST 1:39 pm: Reports now indicate that Oppo is rolling out Stable Android 11-based ColorOS 11 to users of the Oppo Find X2 Neo in the Netherlands.
PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.


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POLICE are warning children to be wary of a chain letter claiming to be connected with a record attempt for the Guinness Book of Records.
They are urging any youngsters who have received the letter to be careful about supplying personal information which may be accessed by strangers.
The letter, which is sent specifically to young people under the age of 16, asks for the recipient to put the names and addresses of five friends on the outside of the envelope, which they should mark "Guinness Book of Records" and post it to seven new people.
The letter claims the senders are attempting to get in to the Guinness Book of Records for being the longest chain letter in existence.
It also states the Post Office is monitoring the letter to see if anyone breaks the chain.
Detective Sergeant Sean Pyne, of the Child Protection Unit at Warwickshire Police, has urged caution about providing personal information and advises that any child who receives a letter should discuss it with a parent, guardian or teacher.
He said: "All children should be very careful about supplying their personal details either on a letter such as a chain letter or on the Internet, where strangers could get access to these details."
He also said the chain letter was not endorsed by Guinness World of Records and was not being monitored by the Post Office.


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- The Bitcoin subreddit has been very welcoming to merchants from r/WallStreetBets
- Just like the retail traders who refused to promote, many in r/Bitcoin advocate “hodling”
- The subscriber enhance might have been an aftereffect of the GameStop inventory debacle
The subreddit r/Bitcoin has hit 2.2 million subscribers as an aftereffect of retail merchants on r/WallStreetBets pushing up the GameStop inventory.
The Bitcoin Reddit web page achieved the two million milestone on Friday, based on Frontpagemetrics.com. The subreddit has continued to achieve subscribers previously few days, simply eclipsing no matter push it had through the 2017 Bitcoin mania when retail curiosity for the dominant cryptocurrency was at its peak.
Its earlier milestone of hitting 1 million was achieved on July 13, 2019, amid a short rally on the time. On the time this text was written, r/Bitcoin was the 173rd hottest subreddit.
Most of the brand new subscribers might have joined r/Bitcoin after experiences started circulating of retail traders making an attempt to push the value of the GameStop inventory as much as brief squeeze a bunch of brief merchants, the vast majority of whom are hedge fund managers. It’s a monetary David and Goliath story, stated Cointelegraph, that was adopted by assertions that buying and selling apps had been coerced by Wall Avenue to cease retail merchants from shopping for the GameStop inventory.
Among the retail merchants might have additionally been drawn to Bitcoin. Created by the nameless Satoshi Nakamoto, retail traders might even see the dominant cryptocurrency as a revolt towards the established order, based on Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Bitfinex.
Ardoino stated most of the work being executed within the blockchain area was impressed by the obstacles to monetary markets. “Eradicating obstacles to regular, on a regular basis working folks which can be constructing and searching for wealth rising alternatives has at all times been a part of the ethos of crypto,” he informed Cointelegraph.
To date, the r/Bitcoin neighborhood has been very welcoming to merchants from r/WallStreetBets. “We welcome you and your diamond fingers,” said one submit.
“Diamond fingers” consult with traders who didn’t promote regardless of the GameStop inventory worth going up, which is an ideal alternative to promote. In addition they refused to promote even when apps like Robinhood restricted inventory shopping for, limiting them to only promoting it.
The Bitcoin subreddit is an advocate of “hodling,” which suggests disregarding the cryptocurrency’s volatility and with none intention of promoting. “Telling us to carry our positions is like telling a fish to swim, we don’t know the rest,” one person stated.


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My Lords, the Government welcome the Kalifa Review of UK Fintech. The Chancellor recently set out the Government’s response at UK FinTech Week. This includes plans to take forward a regulatory scale box for growing firms; government support for an industry-led centre for finance, innovation and technology; improvements to tech visas to attract global talent; and plans to make the UK a more attractive location for public listings.
My Lords, fintech has a critical role to play in our Covid recovery, in enabling financial inclusion and in levelling up, not least through the nations’ and regions’ fintech clusters. Does my noble friend the Minister agree? What is the Government’s plan to make these criticalities a reality?
My Lords, the Government recognise the importance of fintech in our economy. Indeed, that needs to flow through to the curriculum; we have extended the number of pupils studying computer science at A-level, for example. In the Cabinet Office, in my role overseeing the Government Digital Service I pushed that out to Bristol and Manchester to engage much more closely with FE and HE in those cities. My noble friend is absolutely right; continual focus on this is needed.
My Lords, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said at the UK FinTech Week conference that the Government would
“push the boundaries of digital finance”.
Does the Minister acknowledge the risk that, in cheerleading the latest technology, the Government will fail to count the costs of runaway financial innovation: both the obvious environmental costs—Bitcoin climate emissions are equivalent to those of the whole nation of Norway—and the dangers to the security of our real economy and lives? This was the world experience of 2007 and 2008, which they risk forgetting.
My Lords, I refer to my interests as set out in the register. Has the Treasury given any consideration to the specific recommendation to amend the EIS, SEIS and VCT rules to make it easier to attract investment into these start-ups and to retain the tax reliefs when the business models evolve into more regulated activities? This would cost the Treasury very little but unlock a potentially substantial amount of capital.
My noble friend raises important points. These matters are always under discussion in the Treasury, although it is important to stress that there is a large amount of capital out there to support early-stage businesses. We see that in the valuations these businesses are achieving, even at an early stage. However, we will keep it under review.
My Lords, while it is encouraging to see the Chancellor’s commitment to the scale-up visa scheme, what are the Government doing to ensure that our education system is updated to bring in financial, digital and business skills to encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators?
My Lords, as I touched on in answer to an earlier question, we absolutely recognise how important is to get our young people enthused by this industry of the future. I referred to computer science, and we are certainly looking at increasing the number of maths teachers so that children can be more enthused at an early age. I hope to meet the Israeli ambassador shortly in order to understand more about Israel’s Magshimim programme, which gets 14 year-olds involved in a career in cybersecurity.
My Lords, this is an important report, laying down the way to go in this area, but what I find lacking is consideration of how it will affect the consumer of financial services. It is important not to fall into stereotypes, but there is a real problem with the digital exclusion of some consumers across all sections of our society. Will the Minister assure the House that, hand in hand with the development of financial technology, consideration will be given to ensuring the widest possible sharing of the benefits by consumers?
The noble Lord is right: we do not want to see citizens excluded from the digital world into which we are heading, and that matter is under continual consideration. It is also worth stressing that, as a country, we are very much innovators and our consumers are keen for the sort of products that are coming out. For example, 2.5 million UK consumers and businesses now use open banking-enabled products; indeed, we were the first country to develop open banking standards, in 2018.
Scale-up for our fintech sector requires access to international markets. The Government overlooked this in Brexit negotiations and equivalence from the EU now looks unattainable. Fintech is problematic in trade negotiations with the US because the UK industry risks being swamped. How will this Government deliver access for fintech to major and key international markets?
My Lords, the Department for International Trade has just announced two initiatives which I hope will help to address the noble Baroness’s concerns: a new fintech cohort within the DIT Export Academy initiative to provide bespoke one-to-one advice to eligible UK fintechs that are ready to scale into key markets, and a DIT-led fintech champions scheme to promote UK fintech overseas and support UK fintechs to grow internationally through mentoring and peer-to-peer learning.
My Lords, fintech has much to offer. I am pleased that, when I was on the board, Transport for London united its huge customer base with the banks to introduce and deliver contactless payment to this country—well ahead of the United States, it should be said. However, finance remains a risky business. Does my noble friend agree that we should not be led astray by the glitz of the new, that the underlying financial transactions are broadly what they always were, and that the financial risks, particular and systemic, remain essentially the same?
My noble friend is right that finance is an inherently risky business; my great-plus-three grandfather and his two brothers founded Close Brothers, so risk is certainly in my genes. That is one reason why we are introducing the sandbox concept, whereby this technology can be tested in a safe environment without exposing the economy to any risk.
My Lords, in the Chancellor’s recent Written Statement on fintech, he speaks of a “scale-up visa stream” allowing qualification for a fast-track visa without the need for sponsorship or third-party endorsement. What criteria was used to select fintech for this fast track, and where else in the economy is it envisaged that scale-up visas will be introduced?
My Lords, these concepts are still being designed and I will be very happy to update the noble Lord when more information is available. However, the key emphasis of scale-up is to attract global talent and boost the fintech workforce, so it will be focused on the skills these people can offer our country.
The CBI, of which I am president, welcomes the recommendations set out in my friend Ron Kalifa’s fintech review to ensure the UK’s position as the best place in the world to start and grow fintech business. Do the Government agree that having a proportionate, innovation-friendly regulatory framework will help support economic growth, facilitate access to global markets and enhance competition? Do they also agree with the review’s recommendation that a centre for finance, innovation and technology be created?
My Lords, we are certainly keen to support the creation of a centre for finance, innovation and technology. In UK FinTech Week the Chancellor announced his support for the industry, and we certainly recognise a private sector-led centre for finance, innovation and technology’s potential as an accelerator of fintech sector growth. This can be achieved through research, thought leadership and working with regional fintech hubs and national fintech bodies. The Government are committed to working with industry to make this a reality.
My Lords, as we have just heard, the Government welcomed the recommendations of the Kalifa review, which has diagnosed the ingredients, including the EIS, that have led to the UK economy blossoming over the last decade, especially the SME sector. I have been chairman of the EIS Association during this time. The UK is recognised as the best place to start and scale up a business. What aspects of the findings of the Kalifa report do the Government view as the most important?
I gave noble Lords a sense of the key findings in my opening answer, but there are several others that I can make my noble friend aware of: for example, a task force led by the Treasury and the Bank of England to co-ordinate exploration of a potential UK central bank digital currency, and a new Bank of England account type that will allow innovative financial market infrastructures to provide enhanced wholesale payments and settlements. There are also the DIT initiatives that I mentioned earlier.


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For the last 12 years, YouTube’s logo has been a pair of anachronisms wrapped inside each other. “We have the word tube in a...
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In an extensive and candid interview with The New York Times, Jimmy Fallon finally responded to the backlash he received for interviewing Donald Trump...


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According to reports, only a third of the 90 staff will be retained in what was Ad Age’s 2017 In-house Agency of the Year, responsible for moving beyond the brand’s sonic signature and changing how consumers regarded the chipmaker with commercials featuring the likes of Lady Gaga and Tom Brady and breaking the record for the most UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones) airborne simultaneously.
As CMO Steve Fund observed at an ANA conference last year: “We’ve reversed the ... [negative] trend across every brand metric, and we’ve grown our brand value in the past two years after several years of decline” – and boosted market cap along the way.
But now Intel says it is “recalibrating our marketing strategy to be more B2B and ecosystem-focused”.
“Agency Inside was founded to tell the brand’s untold stories to consumers and to bring brand awareness on a global scale,” Teresa Herd, vice president and global creative director at Intel, explained to Adweek.
“If telling brand stories won’t move business in the ways that Intel wants it to move, then the org’s focus as it stands today no longer fits into the overall marketing concept.”
There is speculation that this shift could benefit Intel’s existing external agencies, such as TBWA which handles B2B, in a development that runs counter to the prevailing trend.
A few weeks ago, the ANA released a report highlighting “the explosive growth of in-house agencies”, which it described as “one of the most significant trends in the advertising and marketing industry today”.
That study showed that 78% of participating ANA members now have in-house agencies – a major increase on the 2013 findings (58%) and the total disclosed ten years ago (42%).
Medialink’s Nick Manning, speaking at the 2018 Automated Trading Debate in London last week, argued that the in-housing debate “is much more led by the need to manage data than it is by the economies you can get .
“In-housing is about having the motive to manage the supply chain: knowing exactly what technologies you’re using and why, how much they cost, how much data sits within that, and knowing that the data is secure.”
Sourced from AdAge, Adweek, Mediatel; additional content by WARC staff


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If we say the word Nexus, chances are you'll be thinking about the Nexus 7 tablet, or maybe the trio of Nexus phones that came before it.
But of course there's a third Nexus device – the Nexus Q, the black ball media streamer announced alongside Android Jelly Bean at the I/O conference last month. And turns out it's rather popular.
The spherical Nexus Q went on sale in the Google Play Store over in the US yesterday, and launch stock took just hours to sell out, with the estimated shipping date having already slipped to 2-3 weeks.
That still beats our prospects for getting our hands on the Nexus Q here in the UK, where Google's position on launching the device is that it has no position – there's no word on when it'll launch here, in other words.
Still, if it can actually make enough of the things to catch up with US demand – US punters are being charged $299 for the Android Ice Cream Sandwich media streamer, by the way – at least its favourable reception Stateside should give the G confidence that the Nexus Q will be well received on these shores too.


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They told me if I voted for Romney, the price of gasoline would rise [Darleen Click]
Yessireebob, my local gas station, tonight, $4.29/gal regular.
After sending consumers into sticker shock the past month, how much more can gasoline prices climb?
Another 20 to 50 cents a gallon — a level that could propel the cost of gasoline, now $3.75 a gallon, to all-time highs, some experts say.
Gasoline prices typically climb from February to Memorial Day on expectations of rising consumption and costlier summer-blend gas. But so far this year, prices are surging sooner and faster than ever before — up 45 cents since mid-January.


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Microsoft is moving closer to the launch of a new major update for the owners of Windows Phone 8 devices, and signs that the upcoming platform release is already being tested have started to emerge.
Supposedly set to hit devices as Windows Phone 8.1 (which would bring it in line with the desktop OS), the new software version has emerged in the logs of an application as build 8.10.12112.0, Plaffo reports.
Apparently, this OS version will land on smartphones after the Windows Phone 8 GDR2 and GDR3 updates are released later this year, and might not be released until early 2014.
According to WMPoweruser, Windows Phone 8.1 should pack Miracast support for screen sharing, among other appealing enhancements.
Before that, however, Windows Phone 8 is expected to receive support for 1080p displays, as part of the aforementioned GDR3 update.


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Savings to continue with new discounts and unprecedented 15 percent off two-day sale in stores and online this Sunday and Monday
Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) today reported a strong start to the holiday shopping season. Millions of guests visited Target stores across the country and Target.com, which had its biggest day ever and experienced double-digit growth, to save on Black Friday deals, including the retailer’s lowest prices ever on select items.
“Shopping at Target has become an annual Thanksgiving tradition for millions of our guests, and we’re thrilled at the response we’ve seen this year. We had a record-breaking day on Target.com and traffic to our stores was strong,” said Brian Cornell, chairman and CEO of Target, who greeted shoppers at the Jersey City Target store in N.J. on Thanksgiving and will be ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in celebration of Kids Day later this morning. “This year, we doubled down on offering guests an incredible assortment at outstanding prices. Based on early results, it’s clear that our deals are cutting through. We expect this momentum to continue throughout the weekend and into next week as we offer Target’s guests a truly unprecedented opportunity to save 15 percent off nearly everything online and in our stores this Sunday and Monday.”
Black Friday Pre-Sale and Thanksgiving Day Shopping
On Wednesday, guests started their shopping early with Target’s Black Friday pre-sale on Target.com. New this year, Target’s guests could take advantage of pre-sale deals in stores via Cartwheel, resulting in the biggest day ever for new users of the popular savings app. Early on Thursday morning, the savings continued as Target offered guests access to nearly all of its Black Friday doorbuster deals on Target.com. Target.com had a record-breaking day, with traffic and sales eclipsing 2015 Cyber Monday, driven largely by doorbusters in electronics. Target also saw an increase in guests shopping via mobile, contributing to more than 60 percent of the retailer’s online sales. Top performing Black Friday deals at Target include:
TVs were a top seller, with more than 3,200 TVs sold every minute in the first hour of store opening.
Apple products were among the most popular deals, with guests taking advantage of savings on the iPad Air 2, iPad Pro and Apple Watch Series 1.
Popular gaming systems included Xbox One S and PlayStation 4. Target sold half a million video games within the first hour of store opening.
Wearables saw a 50 percent sales increase, including the Fitbit Charge HR.
Top-selling toys included LEGO, NERF, Our Generation and the Jetson V6 Hoverboard, which sold out in minutes on Target.com.
Target sold five times more wireless headphones this Black Friday compared to last year, including the popular Powerbeats Wireless In-Ear Headphone 2.
Robotic vacuums, including the Hoover Quest 700 Robotic Vacuum, generated 10 times the sales compared to last year.
Sales for family sleepwear were nearly double compared to last year, driven by a 30 percent off savings plus an additional 15 percent off in stores with Cartwheel.
And, the 3-foot stuffed bear for $10, a surprise hit from last year, sold out quickly in stores across the country.
The Savings Continue, Including 15 Percent Off in Stores and Online
As part of Target’s “10 Days of Deals,” today and tomorrow, guests will receive 30 percent off apparel and accessories for the entire family, plus an additional 15 percent off in stores using Cartwheel. On Saturday, Nov. 26, guests can get big discounts on holiday decorations, saving $50 when they spend $100 in the Wondershop, Target’s destination in stores and online that features more than 2,000 new festive products for the season.
Capping off “10 Days of Deals” and kicking off Cyber Week, Target’s guests will receive an unprecedented opportunity to save 15 percent off nearly everything in stores and on Target.com this Sunday, Nov. 27 and Monday, Nov. 28. The discount will go live online early Sunday morning and will be applied at checkout online and in stores during the two-day sale. No promo code or coupon is required. The discount includes all gaming consoles, iRobot vacuums, KitchenAid appliances and all Apple products.
As always, guests can use their REDcard for an additional five percent off on nearly all items purchased in stores and online, adding to the significant discounts Target is offering this season. Online shoppers can continue to take advantage of free shipping on Target.com through January 1, 2017. And the 30 million savvy deal seekers who use Cartwheel will continue to find thousands of offers throughout the holiday season.
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,802 stores and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit to communities, which today equals more than $4 million a week. For more information, visit Target.com/Pressroom. For a behind-the-scenes look at Target, visit Target.com/abullseyeview or follow @TargetNews on Twitter.
Note: Target welcomes media to its stores. To contact your local store about shooting b-roll or photos or to request a local interview during the holiday season, please visit “Find a Store” at Target.com and contact the Leader on Duty.
Follow @TargetNews on Twitter for real-time news and trends on holiday at Target.
For more information and assets, visit Target.com/Pressroom.


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Apple’s teeny, tiny Rosedale store to get bigger digs
Apple’s teeny, tiny retail store at the Rosedale Center mall is relocating to bigger digs on Saturday.
Store employees seemed thrilled about this, and I can’t blame them: The current store is shaped like a shoebox and, I imagine, can get pretty claustrophobic after a while. I would hate to have worked there.
I took these pictures — including the two above shot through a crack in the black facade, to the amusement (and annoyance?) of an Apple worker, who said he was in charge of the new-store setup.
The move has been in the works for a while — I blogged about this in May.
Apple’s Rosedale expansion follows a similar store expansion at Southdale back in April.


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It was mid January when Sirma Karapeeva was named as the Meat Industry Association’s new chief executive.
Covid-19 had been identified in China the previous month but no one had any idea what an impact it would have on global health and economies.
For the New Zealand meat industry the effects were beginning to bite by late January with the shutdown of the Chinese market, which went into a big dive in February.
China’s logistical and distribution shutdown limited the capacity to offload NZ’s primary exports at ports while at the same time cold store availability was limited, the effective result a severe restriction on getting products to consumers.
That, on top of the restaurant trade shutting, had a dramatic effect on supplying what in recent years has become an increasingly significant export market, especially during the last 12 months as a result of African swine fever, which devastated China’s pig population, forcing consumers to look elsewhere for protein.
Fortunately, Karapeeva says, the NZ meat industry had pursued a policy of diversifying its markets to more than 120 worldwide so when China was no longer a viable option companies redirect products to other countries, with beef exports increasing to places like the United States and Taiwan and sheep meat being redirected to Britain and Malaysia.
Now China is coming back online she is optimistic the market can get back on track as countries like the US are now being hit themselves, resulting in significant disruption.
“We are waiting to see how that is going to play out. It’s coming in waves.”
It’s a long way for someone originally from southeastern Europe who spent some of her formative years in Africa.
Karapeeva was born in Bulgaria. She then lived in Tanzania and later Zimbabwe where her architect mother was involved in building medical storage facilities, hospitals and clinics.
When it became time to consider university most of her friends were going to South Africa but Karapeeva was looking for more of an overseas experience.
She has a Danish half-brother so moved to Copenhagen where, after learning Danish, she took courses in social and political systems and current affairs.
While living in Denmark Karapeeva met New Zealanders travelling on a gap year and they told her about universities here.
Having already developed an interest in international business relations she heard Massey University offered a business studies degree with a focus on international business and business law.
“Massey had a very good system set up for international students and was very proactive after I got in touch.”
By the time she left Palmerston North in 1989 Karapeeva had a first class honours degree in her chosen field.
At the Ministry of Economic Development she progressed from graduate policy analyst to its regulatory policy team then its trade environment team, where she was involved in a variety of trade negotiations and free trade deals, including with China, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
From there she moved to the Primary Industries Ministry, taking with her valuable trade negotiation knowledge and experience.
She says it was a natural progression, providing a chance to dive more deeply into issues affecting the primary sector, the core foundation of the NZ economy.
In today’s uncertain times Karapeeva says collaboration between different parts of the primary sector is more important than ever.
“It’s a no-brainer. We have to find a way to make one plus one equal three.”
That involves taking the story from the farm gate and using the input of organisations like Beef + Lamb and DairyNZ.
“There are shared interests there. It’s a symbiotic relationship and one is not the same without the other.
“We need to position the sector as a whole.”
A key focus for the MIA is working closely with Beef + Lamb to ensure the sector’s story is understood by not only the public but also the Government.
She says the meat industry has a large manufacturing component to it, which is heavily regulated across a variety of areas, including education and training and environmental impact so it’s important to work closely with the Government on all those issues.
That means ensuring regulations are fit for purpose, based on science but with enough flexibility for the industry to get on and do what it needs to for the economy.
On a domestic level Karapeeva recognises many regions have been grappling with drought so there is real pressure on farmers wanting to shift stock with animal welfare a big concern.
She says meat companies are doing their best to optimise stock throughput but strict operating protocols to control the spread of covid-19 have had a big impact on the number of people on processing chains.
Despite the challenges the industry is well placed to get through the testing times it is facing.
The diversified markets it has around the world will help match products to new customers with increased opportunities in retail markets a potential solution to uncertainty surrounding the food service industry.
Recent product development work focusing on shelf-life and packaging will help support that.
NZ’s trusted reputation as a supplier of high-quality, natural food product will also be important while marketing programmes will need to highlight food safety and its nutritional value and that it’s produced in line with high animal welfare standards.
As a country NZ needs to be mindful of other countries trying to protect their own primary sectors in what will be testing economic times for a while yet.
She says NZ has a longstanding commitment to fair and open trade, which must continue.
“If we see countries putting in place measures that distort the trade environment, that affect the flow of goods then we need to stand up and call it out.
“International trade rules must continue to operate.
“If we don’t call out moves against open trade and instead allow them to proliferate it will set us back and the recovery will take longer.”
And no one wants that.


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[LONDON] European shares fell on Monday but were off earlier lows as a decision by China to resume its easing cycle partly offset disappointment over the G20 meeting failing to agree new measures to boost growth.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index ended up 0.7 per cent at 1,313.74 points, its highest level since Feb 2. The index however registered its third straight month of losses due to investor concerns over the global growth outlook.
Fresh euro zone data showed inflation unexpectedly turned negative in February, helping the market come off lows and adding weight to expectations the ECB will further boost stimulus measures at its meeting next month.
Sentiment however was fragile due to worries over growth. "Ongoing investor worries about deflation and other economic risks mean the potential gains for the markets may be limited unless we see a marked improvement in global data," Gain Capital analyst Fawad Razaqzada said.
On Monday, China's central bank cut the reserve requirement ratio, or the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves, by 50 basis points, to help revive a slowing economy.
The Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers said they needed to look beyond ultra-low interest rates to revive the global economy, flagging risks to growth including volatile capital flows, and sinking commodity prices. "The G20 conclusions confirm that policymakers still have not felt enough the pressure from markets," said Didier Saint-Georges, Managing Director at Carmignac.
Miners were the top sectoral gainer, up 3.4 per cent, as metal prices turned higher after the rate move by China, a top global metal consumer.
Autos rose 1.7 per cent, helped by a rise of more than 4 per cent in Fiat Chrysler on speculation about a potential tie-up with Peugeot.
British supermarket group Morrisons surged 5.9 per cent, outperforming its sector, after striking a distribution deal with online retailer Amazon. "The tie-up with Amazon is also consistent with Morrisons'plans to drive volume, broaden its brand reach and leverage its marginal costs," Shore Capital said in a note. "Operational improvement should lead to free cash generation that shareholders can expect in time to receive." Elsewhere in the sector, Tesco fell 2 per cent, Carrefour inched 0.6 per cent higher and Ahold was up 0.5 per cent.
Germany's DAX fell 0.2 per cent, dragged down by BASF after Credit Suisse and Kepler cut their price targets on the chemicals company.
German utilities E.ON and RWE both fell more than 1 per cent with traders citing longer than expected talks over how to share the costs of the country's exit from nuclear power.
Ireland's benchmark equity index rose 1.6 per cent. Two of the country's biggest parties said they would each try to form their own government over the next 10 days following an inconclusive election.


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Glu Mobile (GLUU) has regained investor confidence after a tough start to the year as Wall Street seems to have taken note of the company's rapid top-line growth. The stock is up roughly 19% since the Feb. 9 drop that followed its quarterly earnings report on Feb. 8. The mobile gaming specialist has been aggressively pursuing revenue growth by striking big-name partnerships and setting up a strong portfolio of games, but this has come at a cost to margins.
Can Glu get its act together and become a solid long-term pick? I don't think so. Here's why.
What's working for Glu
Glu Mobile's business is growing rapidly. Its top line shot up 73% year over year during the fourth quarter that ended in December, driven by a 44% increase in bookings, which is the amount spent by users within games on virtual items. What's more, Glu's 2017 bookings increased 50% to $320 million, with 63% of these bookings coming from just three titles -- Design Home, Tap Sports Baseball, and Covet Fashion.
Glu categorizes these three franchises as its growth-centric titles, and it plans to keep milking them to boost sales. For instance, it recently launched MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2018 in the iOS and Android stores. This is Glu's second-most popular game, as it accounted for 13% of total bookings, which is why the company keeps adding interesting features, such as allowing users to predict real game results and win prizes. It is also promising console-level graphics and actual baseball strategies.
So, Glu is trying to enhance user engagement, which is the right thing to do. Last quarter, the company's average bookings per monthly active user increased close to 80% year over year, and its focus on delivering additional updates to make its leading titles more relevant and interesting should help it boost this metric further.
Moreover, Glu has been striking partnerships with big names. In February, Glu announced that it is collaborating with Disney for the development of a mobile game that will be based on stories and include characters from the Disney and Pixar franchises.
Now, Disney is the world's 13th-most "powerful" brand according to Forbes, and Glu can use this partnership to its advantage by getting access to a ready base of fans. The mobile gaming market is estimated to grow almost 41% to $65 billion by 2020.
Investors seem to be betting on Glu Mobile to sustain its impressive growth, but there's one thing that could throw a spanner in the works.
Glu isn't focused on bottom-line growth
Glu has achieved massive revenue growth at the expense of its margins as it has been spending a lot of money to get users. In the fourth quarter of 2016, Glu's marketing expenses were $11.3 million, or 20% of its total bookings. The company's marketing expenses as a percentage of total bookings increased to 26% in the fourth quarter of 2017, to $21.8 million.
So, Glu's marketing outlay almost doubled, and this led to a 33% jump in operating expenses. Not surprisingly, Glu's net loss increased to $39.6 million last quarter as compared to $17.2 million in the prior-year period.
Now, mobile gaming is a very competitive industry, so a lot of investment is needed to keep fickle gamers hooked on a title. This strategy worked for Glu in driving its top line, but the flip side is that any slowdown in the marketing push could hamper its growth, and that seems likely to happen this year.
Glu Mobile expects $330 million in bookings this year, which is an increase of just 3% over last year. Additionally, its marketing expenses are expected to drop around 13%, which clearly shows that when marketing spending drops, bookings drop.
Glu has converted 90% of its annual bookings into revenue over the past two years, and an identical performance in 2018 will put its top line at an estimated $297 million. This means that Glu's terrific revenue growth could come to an end this year, and this can be blamed on the drop in marketing spend.
Also concerning is the fact that Glu is a small company with limited assets. The company had a cash balance of just $64 million last year as compared to $102 million in the year-ago period. In fact, Glu's cash position has been on a steady decline over the past few years as seen below:
Glu has taken advantage of mobile gaming growth with the help of its aggressive investments. But the company's thin cash position means that it cannot keep investing forever and fight against more resourceful video gaming giants, so investors should be wary.


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Amazon no longer supports certain kinds of encryption on its Fire devices, the company said. Their move comes as the debate continues around whether Apple should unlock an iPhone for an FBI investigation.
The change applies to Fire device users who've upgraded to the Fire OS 5 operating system, according to the company. Amazon told TechCrunch on Friday that encryption of data stored on the devices was an enterprise feature that customers weren't using.
"In the fall when we released Fire OS 5, we removed some enterprise features that we found customers weren't using," Amazon spokesperson Robin Handaly told CNBC in an email. "All Fire tablets' communication with Amazon's cloud meet our high standards for privacy and security including appropriate use of encryption."
Fire device users will not be able to encrypt data stored on the phones, but data transmitted from the phones will still be encrypted, according to a Fire tablet user guide screenshot tweeted by David Scovetta, a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an organization that aims to protect technology users' rights.
Read the full TechCrunch report here.
Update: Since this story was published, Amazon changed course, and said it would restore the previously removed encryption feature.


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International Merger Guidelines Issued
WASHINGTON, DC - Antitrust officials from about 50 countries including the US have worked out voluntary guidelines for cross-border merger notifications, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ described the four new recommended practices adopted by the International Competition Network (ICN) at its most recent conference in Merida, Mexico.
One recommendation says that reviews of pending merger transactions should be accomplished "within a reasonable time period." Another says that laws controlling mergers should be enforced transparently and that governments to review their
merger-control policies periodically to compare those policies with best practices.
The recommendations also suggest requirements for initial notifications by companies that are proposing mergers.
In addition, the officials discussed ways of assisting new antitrust agencies in developing countries.
"Adoption of these practices, based upon sound antitrust enforcement ideals, are important steps toward streamlining multi-jurisdictional merger review, and global antitrust convergence generally," said R. Hewitt Pate, the US Assistant Attorney General who headed the US delegation to the conference.
Representatives of antitrust agencies were joined at the conference by approximately 60 non-governmental advisors, including representatives of international organizations, antitrust practitioners, economists, representatives of industry and consumer associations, and members of the academic community.
The ICN was launched in October, 2001 by the DOJ, the Federal Trade Commission, and 13 foreign antitrust agencies to provide a venue where senior antitrust officials from developed and developing countries work to reach consensus on proposals for procedural and substantive convergence in antitrust enforcement.
back, or read the latest Front Page stories:
US Seeks Stronger Ties With Brazil
WASHINGTON, DC – 06/13/06 – Rebounding from the failure to craft a Free Trade Area of the Americas pact, the Bush Administration is aiming at strengthening trade ties with Brazil in an effort to counter China’s fast-growing economic influence in Latin America; China should not only be seen as an export market with 1.3 billion consumers, but also as a nation of 1.3 billion ''new competitors,'' says US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Guittierez.
US Threatens WTO Action Against China
WASHINGTON, DC – 06/10/06 – The White House is threatening to slap China with a World Trade Organization case unless Beijing responds quickly to US concerns over its lack of action on securing intellectual property rights for US products; talks on bringing the WTO case are at a ''very advanced stage,'' according to a high level official in the Office of the US trade Representative.
High Hopes for Central American Trade Pact
WASHINGTON, DC – 06/08/06 – The US -Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) still faces some hurdles, but could become a reality ''very soon,'' according to Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick; the issues relating to government procurement, intellectual property rights and agriculture still need to be worked through, says the former US Trade Representative following a session of the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.


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The coronavirus pandemic has been one of the biggest challenges for retailers in modern history. Retail sales were down by a record 5.1% in March, with the outlook for the next few months looking equally as bleak as lockdown continues. Yet, whilst the situation is unprecedented – with sales quite naturally falling across the board – consumers still need to shop for goods, despite being at home. Likewise, once restrictions on movement have been lifted, it’s likely the economy will begin to pick up as consumers return to a new normal. As such, it’s critical for retail brands to continue with trying to maintain customer loyalty as much as possible during this time.
A recent survey conducted by PwC suggests that once post-lockdown spending resumes, consumers intend to reward those that they perceive as being more responsible retailers. According to the study, consumers will be looking to shop with those who looked after their staff and will be keen to support local, smaller or independent retailers that have survived the crisis. These are interesting insights that reveal a lot about the types of experiences customers are wanting to have with retail brands both now and in the future. For many consumers, the key to enduring through the current situation and staying positive is to remain connected and in good communication with the outside world. More than ever before, we’re calling, texting, video-calling and using social media to stay in touch. We’re also engaging in activities en-masse; standing in doorways or on balconies clapping together and drawing rainbows to put into our windows. These same principles of togetherness, consistent communication and simply just being there for one another is also true for retailers during this time.
Over the course of lockdown so far, we will all have received countless emails from brands, but there will be some that stand out within the inbox more than others. The way brands are communicating throughout the pandemic will almost certainly be remembered and it’s important to bear this in mind when crafting all your communications with customers.
I recently received an email from a skincare clinic that was a great example of thoughtful communication during this time. Acknowledging that customers will be unable to visit the clinic, the email was well crafted to encourage engagement and inspire a positive experience regardless of not being able to visit a physical location. Within the content, the brand had provided a useful video tutorial for night-time skincare routines, links to some excellent free online workouts to take part in, a link to an online course to keep the mind active; tips/updates on some of the activities the team had been taking part in to keep themselves feeling upbeat, and finally a chance to ask the brand questions about looking after the skin, with these to be answered in regular blogs. The tone of the email was just right for what it needed it achieve; it was empathetic to the reality of customers new needs during this time. Right now, customers of these clinics are more concerned with their health and mental wellbeing than aesthetic appearance and are looking for more meaningful interactions with businesses.
Another brand that has done well to pivot and adapt to changing needs is Secret Cinema. With our need to feel connected heightened during this time, we’ve seen a huge increase in online hangouts in lieu of being able to be physically with friends and family. Secret Cinema has tapped into this well in launching their Secret Sofa project. The events are sponsored by Haagen Dazs, which has teamed up with Amazon Prime to bring ice cream treats straight to people’s doors. Every week, the Secret Sofa community can enjoy some great films together and are encouraged to get involved with characters and costumes, era-defining music and activities – as they would do if they were attending an original Secret Cinema event. This great initiative provides people with a weekly ‘event’ to look forward to from inside their own homes whilst also still catering to the community aspect of Secret Cinema gatherings.
More than ever before, it’s important for brands to be genuine. Customers will be anxious; some may be unwell and others even grieving. Awareness of tone and how messages may be received is crucial for maintaining loyalty. By adapting to new needs and providing customers with a thoughtful and valuable experience, both brands and customers can help each other navigate through difficult times of crisis.


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Infinix to bring smart TVs to India next year
Smartphone maker Infinix will soon join peers such as Xiaomi, Motorola and OnePlus by bringing its smart televisions (TVs) to the Indian market in the first half of 2020.
Chinese cousins help reduce 71% of Moto sales
“Motorola lost in the sales channel strategy,” said Counterpoint Technology Market Research ass...
Handset, electronics companies seek sops for export edge
Want subsidies better than those offered by China, Vietnam
Mesmerised by iPhone 11? Samsung & Nokia's feature-rich smartphones will help you beat the Apple temptation
If you want to join the folding phone bandwagon, the LG G8X ThinQ can be your best bet.
Motorola joins hands with Flipkart to foray into smart TV segment in India
With this, Motorola joins players like Samsung, Xiaomi, Micromax and Intex who sell both smartphones and smart TVs.
Motorola One Action, with 117-degree ultra-wide angle camera, launched in India at Rs 13,999
The phone is powered by the Samsung Exynos 9609 processor that clocks up to 2.2 GHz.
Lenovo-Motorola shifts focus to profitability; making India exports hub: Country head
The Lenovo-Motorola combine has increased manufacturing capacity to 12 million units, including exports, Mani said.
Leslie Moonves might lose his $180 mn golden parachute; here's what the term means
Some of the recent golden parachutes include Marissa Mayer, Sanjay Jha .
Lenovo chairman Yang Yuanqing says India business will grow to $5-6 billion
Yang Yuanqing, Chairman and CEO of Lenovo, said he was "satisfied" with the company's growth in the PC and tablet segment in the Indian market .
Goodbye Moto: Sudhin Mathur quits as Lenovo-Motorola India head
Lenovo-Motorola group’s Asia Pacific head Shashank Sharma will take on Mathur’s responsibilities in the interim, the company said in a response to ET queries on Thursday.
Now, Moto G5S 'special edition' in midnight blue colour at Rs 14,999
The smartphone was introduced in 'fine gold' and 'lunar gray' colour options in August.
Motorola ties up with 2 retail chains to expand presence in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
The company announced the expansion of `Moto Hub' stores in AP and Telangana with the launch of its first such outlet here today in partnership with BigC.
Motorola sets up Moto Hub in Chennai, first in South India
Motorola announced the expansion of Moto Hubs in the southern region with the opening of experiential retail stores in Chennai, a company statement said today.
Make In India: Lenovo-Motorola starts making smartphones at Chennai plant
Lenovo, which also owns Motorola Mobility, has already started rolling out two of the 4G variant of Moto E smartphone from the plant.
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