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Omar is Detroit born and bred, and the love he feels for his city goes hand in hand with his passion for music. From listening to live beats at Cliff..
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Airbnb is currently working behind the scenes with Singapore Tourism Board, Brand USA and other governments and tourism agencies to promote cultural change and economic growth through its Online Experiences..
The U.S. Travel Association, Brand USA and others in the U.S., have key roles to play in...
On the heels of its reauthorization through Fiscal Year 2027, Brand USA announces the appointment of three new members and the reappointment of two current members to its board of..
HSMAI recognizes Brand USA’s marketing campaigns as best-in-class with eight Adrian Awards and names chief marketing officer as a top marketer
The six gold and two silver Adrian Awards were presented to Brand USA president and CEO and chief marketing officer on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in New York City Brand..
Brand USA Travel Week Europe 2020 will take place from Sept. 21 – 25 at etc. venues County Hall, London Today, details were released around Brand USA Travel Week Europe..
Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, announces the global streaming launch of “America’s Musical Journey,” presented in partnership with Expedia Group and Air Canada, on Brand..
Move to digital-only minimizes physical contact between participants and brewery staff; time extension provides opportunity for residents and visitors to support local breweries
Explore Fairbanks invites you to safely visit Interior and Arctic Alaska where social distancing is a way of life.
Travel + Leisure's Voters Have Made UnCruise Adventures Part of the Top Ten List for Three Consecutive Years


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Following the success of the Vietnamese Ri6 durian that has earned a name in Australia, the Embassy of Vietnam and Vietnam Trade Office in Australia have proposed the program to promote the fruit.
Passion fruit production of Australia is more than 4,700 tons a year. Vietnam has currently exported frozen passion fruit kernel to Australia. In December, two tons of Vietnamese passion fruit will be shipped to Australia for the first time. The price is AUD 9 per kilo.
Speaking at launching ceremony of the program, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh said that Vietnamese passion fruit has been exported to many countries. The plan on building brand for Vietnamese frozen passion fruit will be one of the outstanding contributions to the negotiation to bring Vietnamese passion fruit to Australia.

domain: news


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Kenyan Students Get to Global Final of Huawei ICT Competition
Despite sustained economic and social development over the last decade, lack of accessibility of quality healthcare services continues to grapple patients across Kenya.
In the wake of the festive season, the world fastest-growing smartphone brand realme plans to unveil another trendsetting product from
TecHub AS, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Henrik Mæhle said that, increased perpetual job
hoping and inevitable increased reliance on technology accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic,
paper business cards are losing their value and appeal.
realme UI is designed with 4 things in mind – system colors, icons, wallpapers, and animations.
Every great smartphone is defined by the power of its battery; how long it lasts, how long it takes to
In the month of August 2020, the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) conducted a survey across its member organizations to
Michael Gitonga understands the textile industry in Kenya like the back of his hands. He has his eyes firmly set
South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) will on this past week unveiled seven hydrogen fuel cell systems which
Kenya has pulled an African first by becoming the first African country to effect application of the Google loon technology


text: PC Mag reviews LinkSys wireless Ethernet 802.11b standard adapter. What is noteworthy about it is the price: $130 for the wireless adapter and $250 for the access point. According to Bill Machrone, this is a steep decline from the days of $1000 access points and $500 adapters. What’s more, it can be used on either a laptop or a desktop. With costs declining so quickly, universal, affordable wireless data access in hospitals and clinics can’t be far off. At this price, technology like this in health care is likely to become as ubiquitous as telephones are now.


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A set of new features are coming to Destiny as announced in Bungie's weekly update, and one of the primary things to look forward to is the week-long Valentine's-themed event coming in February, noted as "a ritual known by the brave as Crimson Days."
Along with Crimson Days also comes a new 2vs2 Crucible mode known as Crimson Doubles, which according to the studio "features a special twist, born of new gameplay and mechanics that only battle-tested star-crossed lovers will appreciate"
Plus, before all of this, Destiny's high-level Iron Banner playlist will return for a week, starting from the 26th of January to the 2nd of February. The Iron Banner game this time around will be Rift.
The blog post rounds up by acknowledging that players had expected more Destiny news past the Crimson Days event, however "very soon, we'll have more to share about a second, larger game update that will arrive sometime after February".
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Albany County could see a check from the sales tax collected for online sales as soon as April, the Wyoming Department of Revenue Director Dan Noble said.
House Enrolled Act 41, formerly House Bill 19, requires sellers without a physical presence in the state such as Amazon to remit sales tax after grossing $100,000 a year on transactions in Wyoming or completing 200 transactions in which personal property, admissions or services were delivered into the state.
The legislation was signed by Gov. Matt Mead on March 6.
“Once you’ve reached that threshold, you license with us and start collecting that tax,” Noble said.
He said the sales tax for the purchase is determined by the shipping address. An item purchased on a computer in Cheyenne and delivered to an address in Laramie would be charged sales tax according to Laramie statutes.
If the item purchased is digital media, he said the buyer would be charged sales tax according to the billing address registered with their payment method.
Once the sales tax is collected, the Wyoming Department of Revenue sends a check for the collected amount to the municipality or county, Noble said.
“The sales tax the city collects is used to support municipal operations,” Laramie City Manager Janine Jordan said. “Anything that helps that collection keep up with inflation is going to be good for the city.”
Sales tax is the second largest source of income for Laramie, and Jordan said it has not increased from the level it was during 2006.
“Any increase in sales tax (collection) is going to help us sustain the current level of services,” Jordan said.
Currently, the state averages about $2 million a year in streamline sales tax collection, or the category tax collected from remote sellers would fall under, Noble said.
“I would hope it would increase,” he said. “Amazon is a pretty big company.”
While the legislation dictates a seller does not have to remit sales tax until they reach the threshold, Noble said Amazon volunteered to start remitting March 1.
“Amazon began negotiation with us before this bill was even introduced,” he said. “They have been voluntarily collecting throughout the states.”
While customers might have noticed sales tax being applied to purchases directly from Amazon, Noble said the agreement was with Amazon alone. A purchase made on Amazon.com but from a company separate from Amazon might not include a sales tax charge unless that company reached the threshold determined by HEA 41 or the company volunteered to register with the Wyoming Department of Revenue.
As sales are reported monthly, Noble said Albany County should receive a check for March’s sales tax collections by the end of April.


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There was little sign of concerns about consumer spending affecting Whitbread. The owner of Costa Coffee and Premier Inn hotels leapt 106p to £15.63 as it posted an increase in second-quarter sales. That injected the benchmark index with a much-needed shot of caffeine and helped the FTSE 100 put on 54.26 points to 5156.84.
However, the FTSE 250 eased 12.94 points to 10071.17.
Despite an early bounce, the banks missed out on the rally as investors failed to quell their concerns about the European debt crisis amid fears that Germany was hardening its stance against giving countries more aid. Royal Bank of Scotland lost 0.61 to 21.17p while Barclays shed 3.4 to 150.75p. Not far behind was ITV, a penny worse at 53.75p and GKN, off 3.3 to 177.9p.
Private equity firm, 3i, eased 0.8 to 197p and is set to be demoted from the top flight at the reshuffle. Oil services group John Wood put on a ha’penny to 555p, but could also be relegated. They could be replaced by Ashmore - off 6.2 to 398.2p and Bunzl - up 13 to 785p.
4.10pm: Wall Street slides as FTSE holds nerve
Clearly a day's holiday hasn't done Wall Street much good. Re-opening after the Labor Day break, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has tumbled 247 points to 10992. Stocks are retreating amid growing concerns that Europe's debt crisis is deteriorating and data showing accelerated growth in US non-manufacturing sectors has failed to temper those anxieties.
Despite Wall Street's slide, the FTSE 100 is managing to hold its own, rising 19 points to 5123.
But retailers were experiencing mixed fortunes after yet more bearish commentary on the sector. Amid concerns the consumer economy is worsening, there has been a rash of negative notes on the sector recently, with Deutsche Bank downgrading many general retailers and Citigroup cutting their stance on Britain’s leading supermarkets.
Citi has now extended its pessimism to the general retail sector, downgrading its position on the sector to “neutral” and cutting its rating on Debenhams, Halfords and Marks & Spencer to “hold” from “buy”. Argos-owner, Home Retail, shrugged off the downgrade to rise a penny to 116p.
But Marks & Spencer eased 2.6 to 299.7p despite Liberum Capital raising its recommendation on the high street stalwart to “hold” from “sell”. Although analyst Simon Irwin said he saw some positive signs from the strategy and recruitment under the leadership of M&S chief executive, Marc Bolland, he cut a further 2pc from his earnings-per-share forecasts given a worsening environment and increased promotional activity.
Writing in a wider note on clothing retail, Mr Irwin said it had been a “brutal quarter” for most retailers globally, with slowing sales and rising inventories forcing retailers to discount much more heavily.
Although Mr Irwin said Next had shown more discipline, he was concerned about the rising competition from online retailers, who offer free delivery. “We believe Next could either lose sales if it does not respond, or 30-50pc of its delivery charge revenues if it does,” said Mr Irwin, who cut his stance on Next to “sell” from “hold”. Next eased 10p to £22.94.
1.05pm: Futures point to decline on Wall Street
As Wall Street prepares to re-open following yesterday's holiday, futures are pointing to a decline, putting the S&P 500 on track for a third straight fall. The FTSE 100 is paring its earlier gains too, now up just 35 points to 5138.
Louise Cooper, markets analyst at BGC Partners, said:
Today has seen a little calm return to equity markets, after the huge falls seen yesterday, but this is purely a period of peace in a continuing storm, temporary relief to the volatile times.
11am: Banks recover as FTSE moves higher
In a reversal of yesterday's fortunes, banks are among the biggest blue-chip winners this morning, with Lloyds Banking Group rising 4.5pc and Royal Bank of Scotland putting on 3.5pc. With banks back on the ascendant as traders hunt bargains, the FTSE 100 put on 68 points to 5172 and the FTSE 250 has gained 78 points to 10162.
David Miller, a partner at Cheviot, which has £3.5bn of assets under management, said:
We should take a deep breath and remember that the fundamentals are much better than 2008; companies are generally in good shape and traders are less heavily leveraged.
Amongst the second-liners, Betfair has bounced 9.8pc after the online gaming company said its second quarter had started strongly, following a 7pc drop in first-quarter revenue when it faced a tough comparative period. Trading in the second quarter has been encouraging, including a good start to the football season, said Betfair.
James Hollins, an analyst at Evolution Securities, said:
Assuming benign regulatory changes short-term, the shares look attractive against our 950p share price target. However, uncertainty over the next CEO (no announcement today) and potential regulatory and licensing issues across Europe lead us to retain a Neutral stance.
8.45am: Bargain-hunters buoy blue-chips
The FTSE 100 index of leading shares rose 0.5pc to 5,128.35 shortly after the open, as bargain hunters waded into the market to snap up share bargains.
Whitbread was the biggest riser, up 6pc on buoyant sales led by stronger performances at Premier Inn budget hotels and Costa coffee shops.
Marks and Spencer led a raft of retailers that fell after Citigroup downgraded its stance on the sector. Shares fell 1pc to 299.56p, while B&Q owner Kingfisher fell 0.75pc to 225.3p.
Elsewhere in Europe, the CAC 40 in Paris rose 0.77pc to 3,022.5, while the DAX 30 in Frankfurt ticked up 0.7pc to 5,280.93.
Asian stock markets fell on Tuesday spooked by fears of a worsening eurozone debt crisis and a fresh banking crisis.
Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 193.89 pooints - or 2.2pc - to 8,590.57, with shares of the country's export sector falling on worries over a slowdown in the global economy.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.6pc, South Korea's Kospi was down 1pc, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1.4pc, with property developers hurt by speculation that the Chinese government may further slow investment in construction as it seeks to tamp down inflation and rebalance the economy.
Gold shares were among the few gainers as the price for the precious metal hovered near record highs above $1,900 an ounce.
The declines in Asia come a day after European shares suffered sharp losses. Britain's FTSE 100 closed down 3.6pc to 5,102.58. Germany's DAX tumbled 5.3pc to 5,246.18, and France's CAC-40 dived 4.7pc to 2,999.54.
European stocks are expected to open lower today.
Wall Street, which was closed on Monday for the Labor Day holiday, was bracing for losses. Dow futures were down 2.5pc and broader S&P 500 futures fell 2.8pc.
US services data today is expected to reveal more weakness in the world's biggest economy.
Jackson Wong, vice president of Tanrich Securities in Hong Kong, said:
People are worrying about the US economy and the worsening situation in Europe, especially Italy and Spain. There are very big concerns in the market that they might not contain the situation in the short term.
A wave of negative sentiment was unleashed on Friday, when a government report said the US economy failed to add any new jobs in August. That caused European and Asian stock markets to sink sharply Monday.
In the eurozone, ministers from Germany, Finland and the Netherlands will today discuss a Finnish demand for collateral if it is to take part in the second Greek bailout agree in July. Yesterday the ECB urges government not to delay the ratification of the rescue.
Monday's market report
FTSE live: market report - as it happened September 5
Friday's market report
Thursday's market report
Wednesday's market report
Tuesday's market report
FTSE live: market report - as it happened August 30, 2011
Friday's market report


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HELENA – Montana’s unemployment rate rose to 5.4 percent in December, up from 4.9 percent in November.
The state Department of Labor says it’s the first time since January 2000 that the state’s unemployment rate has been above 5 percent. The department also notes the state’s jobless rate is far below the national average of 7.2 percent.
Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly says the recession is reducing demand for Montana’s goods and putting people out of work.
Kelly says the leisure and hospitality industry added 1,100 jobs, but losses in other industries outweighed those gains.
The seasonally-adjusted consumer price index decreased by 1 percent for December. Deflation was led by an 8.3 percent decrease in energy prices.
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Remember the whole LIAR business? There's another problem with a too-light-skinned character on the cover of a book. This time, Bloomsbury's cutting off the supply of the U.S. edition until a replacement cover can be issued. And they're apologizing:
Bloomsbury is ceasing to supply copies of the US edition of Magic Under Glass. The jacket design has caused offense and we apologize for our mistake. Copies of the book with a new jacket design will be available shortly.Here's what the author, Jaclyn Dolamore, has to say.
And this is just guessing on my part, but I bet if more cover designers read the story and not just the jacket blurb, we wouldn't have issues like this.


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Warner Bros. Pictures and Reface have launched a promotional partnership using Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning technology to swap fans’ faces with characters in scenes from the upcoming blockbuster film The Matrix Resurrections.
“Giving filmgoers the chance to digitally ‘live’ their favorite on-screen moments is a new frontier in personalized, immersive entertainment,” said Dima Shvets, CEO and co-founder of Reface. “Synthetic media is enriching fans’ connection to film and other entertainment mediums, opening doors for the creation of new engaging, customized and on-brand content that they can share at scale with their family and friends.”
The partnership with Reface is the latest in a wave of innovative promotions for The Matrix Resurrections in the runup to the film’s U.S. release in theaters and on HBO Max on December 22, 2021. Fans were first teased footage from the movie on an interactive website that served up 180,000 video variations depending on user choices and time of day.
“We are excited to be partnering with Reface and to leverage their cutting-edge use of AI and synthetic media to reach a global audience just as The Matrix Resurrections hits screens around the world. Allowing fans of The Matrix universe to place themself into that world via a digital simulation, well, what could be more Matrix than that?” said Bryan Warman, Warner Bros. Senior Vice President of Worldwide Digital Marketing.
Synthetic media is transforming content both in the entertainment industry itself and the massive marketing campaigns that support it.
“We’re really just starting to see the opportunities of synthetic media technologies, which makes this an incredibly exciting time for new innovative, forward-thinking partners to meet consumers wherever they are,” said Anton Volovyk, Reface’s Chief Business Officer. “The promise of AI/ML is facilitating previously impossible digital brand experiences that are more immersive, memorable and personal, while also being more accessible.”


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Report: Time Inc. in merger talks with Meredith
NEW YORK (AP) — Time Inc. is considering selling itself to fellow publisher Meredith Corp., according to media reports.
The New York Times initially reported that the New York-based publisher of Time and People is involved in a new round of negotiations with Meredith, the publisher of Family Circle and Better Homes and Gardens.
The report, based on unidentified people, also says that billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch are backing Meredith’s offer with more than $500 million in equity. Meredith is based in Des Moines, Iowa, and also owns TV stations.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Meredith had submitted a bid of $17 to $20 per share, which would value Time at almost $2 billion.
Time and Meredith both declined comment on the reports.
The reported negotiations come after speculation over a sale earlier this year. Time had said in April that several parties expressed interest, but no sales process was ever started, and that it would continue with its strategy of growing digital revenue. The company’s magazines include Time, Sports Illustrated and Fortune.
A deal in 2013 between Time and Meredith collapsed.
The shift in consumer attention to the internet has hit magazine publishers. Time has cut jobs in the face of two years of annual losses and declining revenue.
Time shares rose 28 percent to close at $16.20. Meredith shares added 10.5 percent to $59.95.


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Innovation strategies varied according to the shape, size, and sector of companies and the challenges they were facing, reported the survey conducted by EEF and Vodafone UK.
Large companies remained the broadest innovators, while sectors facing economic challenges were said to be innovating to diversify their way out of the investment downturn. One sector cited as an example of this was the oil and gas supply chain.
EEF said boosting productivity growth depended on the government matching its “strong ambition” on exports and workforce skills with long-term ambition on innovation.
Ambitious about innovation
While manufacturers were ambitious about innovation and were investing heavily in it using specialist resources, they were being forced to pull in employees, equipment and finance in from elsewhere in the business.
The survey revealed 94% of firms were engaged in some form of innovation, although the number reporting engagement in three or more activities had fallen from 43% in 2013 to 34% last year.
Also, while breadth of innovation activity had fallen, it was more focused on driving exports and developing new products – up from 59% to 64% of companies.
More than half (52%) of companies were using innovation to develop new markets while a third of companies said that growing exports was a long-term business objective. Of those, over half (54%) thought innovation would have a significant impact on their exports, while 40% thought innovation would have some impact.
But lack of resources to fund innovation and fears about falling behind competitors on innovation were also key results of the survey. The result reflected the broad economic situation, with the UK’s expenditure on research and innovation lagging well behind that of key competitors, said EEF.
What's holding manufacturers back?
“Innovation is a resource-hungry process, and manufacturers are finding that the results they achieve do not always match their ambition. Shortages of expertise, equipment and finance are holding manufacturers back.”
- Lee Hopley, EEF
The latest data on UK business expenditure on research and development revealed that it accounted for only 1.1% of gross domestic product in the UK. That compared with 2.02% in Germany and 1.6% estimated in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
‘Forge ahead into new markets’
EEF chief economist Lee Hopley explained the challenges encountered by manufacturing firms. “Manufacturers continue to forge ahead into new markets at home and abroad, with investments in innovation playing a starring role in achieving this,” said Hopley.
“However, innovation is a resource-hungry process, and manufacturers are finding that the results they achieve do not always match their ambition. Shortages of expertise, equipment and finance are holding manufacturers back.”
Government should match manufacturers’ investment in research and development, in order to help UK firms compete in world markets, she added.
Manufacturers were also using innovation to develop new domestic markets, with 38% adopting this tactic compared with 27% last year.
More than two thirds (69%) of companies said satisfying existing clients was a driver of innovation in the past three years, representing the main reason developing innovative products. Half of firms said that boosting margins was the main motivator.
Meanwhile, don’t miss the key results of the Food Manufacture Group’s recent survey of food and drink manufacturers’ business plans.
EEF survey of manufacturing innovation – at a glance
• 94% manufacturers engaged in innovation
• 65% of manufacturers developed new products in past three years
• Half of manufacturers using innovation to expand into new export markets
• Only two to three firms said efforts to move into new export markets were successful
• Four in 10 manufacturers lack resources they need
• Limited access to resources reduces success rates in most areas
• Manufacturers report more worries about falling behind competitors for second year running


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Oh my: apparently China is very concerned over the illegal and improper use of licensed emblems for the Shanghai Expo. In fact, they’re so concerned about intellectual property theft that they decided to have a mini expo about it. And you can go too!
For the next week, the World Exposition intellectual property rights protection exhibition will be open to the public at the Expo Exposition (does this seem redundant?) Center at 300 Huaihai Zhong Lu. Gasp at the 61 different Expo emblems for the Shanghai 2010 World Expo! Recoil in shock as you feel the difference between real, licenced plush Haibao dolls and the fake ones ubiquitously sold across China! Note the many…different world flags on display!
According to the deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, IPR is the fundamental key in having participants…well, in having participants, period. We’re not buying it: we’re pretty sure that anyone who’s participating in the Expo has already come to peace with the fact that intellectual property rights will be infringed upon. And we’re not even going to joke about the irony of both a) the government becoming concerned over IPR theft when they see the beloved Haibao being knocked off and b) staging a exhibition in the expo expo center to prove their resolve.
We don’t think we’ll make it to this one, but if you’re curious and in the area, tell us about it.


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Blockbuster Enter Administration, Will Still Take Gift Cards
You can stop worrying about that VHS copy of the Mortal Kombat film you forgot to return to Blockbuster in the late 90’s — the DVD rental firm has joined the likes of HMV and Jessops, announcing that it too is set to enter administration.
The chain, which has over 500 UK stores employing some 4,000 staff, has appointed Deloitte to handle the business whilst a new buyer is sought.
Blockbuster stores up-and-down the country will remain open for the time being, and it has been confirmed that, unlike others, the chain will still be accepting gift cards and store credit notes.Lee Manning, from appointed administrator Deloitte, said that they are:
“working closely with suppliers and employees to ensure the business has the best possible platform to secure a sale”
Manning continued, adding that:
“The core of the business is still profitable and we will continue to trade as normal in both retail and rental whilst we seek a buyer for all or parts of the business as a going concern.”
The video rental company, which also rents out a range of videogames, has suffered in recent years due to not adapting to a changing market and stiff competition from the likes of Amazon’s LoveFilm and Netflix.


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CHINA TRADE SURPLUS HITS RECORD $75B AS NOVEMBER EXPORTS RISE
China’s politically sensitive trade surplus soared to a record $75.4 billion in November as exports surged 21.1% over a year earlier, propelled by American consumer demand, Joe McDonald reported for the Associated Press (AP).
Exports to the US rose 46% despite lingering tariff hikes in a trade war with Washington, customs data showed Monday. Total exports rose to $268 billion, accelerating from October’s 11.4% growth. Imports gained 5% to $192.6 billion, up from the previous month’s 4.7%.
China’s global trade surplus for the first 11 months of 2020 is $460 billion, up 21.4% from this time last year, already one of the highest ever recorded. Chona benefited from its economic reopening in March 2020, before the COVID-19 epidemic zapped industrial economies.
Exports to the United States rose to $51.9 billion while imports of American goods gained 33% to $14.6 billion. The trade surplus with the US swelled 52% over a year earlier to $37.3 billion.


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eBay tanked following PayPal reporting weak TPV numbers for the online merchant.
The online retailer has only started the process of managed payments that removes PayPal from the process.
The stock is incredibly cheap with no actual confirmation that GMV will be weak due to the payments transition.
eBay(EBAY) plunged 9% on Friday as the market reacted to GMV numbers provided byPayPal(PYPL). Considering eBay is in the process of implementing managed payments that removes PayPal from the process, investors need to be careful with data from a potentially unhappy partner. Myinvestment thesisremains bullish.


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Sensors and cameras are about to transform the shopping experience in a big way.
At the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York this week, there were countless presentations in the expo area showing what the future of in-store experiences looks like.
The Intel booth alone aggregated a wide range of companies using products that include Intel technology, all of which are targeted to retail stores.
Frictionless checkout was a recurring theme at the show, and companies at the Intel booth presented different variants of it.
UST Global, CloudPick and Retail Business Services demonstrated automated checkout using computer vision, motion detection, product sensing and recognition and payment integration. The idea is that a shopper with a phone picks up products in the store and walks out, being automatically charged, much like the Amazon Go automated stores.
Hisense showed a modular point-of-sale kiosk that allows payment by facial recognition. A loyalty shopper would be identified by facial recognition as they enter the store, the products selected would be tracked and the shopper would simply look at a screen to be automatically checked out.
A system by Flooid showed a checkout system with a high-precision scale to weigh selected products at checkout and a camera to automatically identify the products being purchased. The system also can catch if a product goes by but is not scanned to be charged.
Retailers still have to purchase and install such systems, which is what companies like these and many others were pitching to retailers at the NRF event.
Cameras and sensors are coming to retail in a major push.
The only questions left are the timeframe and the cost. This technology is sophisticated, but not cheap.


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Making things easier for SMEs
RHB Banking Group is on a mission. Its head of group business and transaction banking Jeffrey Ng says it wants to make life easier for SMEs.
This focus has helped the bank in its journey towards becoming among the top three banks for SMEs in Malaysia in terms of market share.
There is a lot on the bank’s plate as it aims to grow the SME segment under its FIT22 roadmap, which runs until 2022.
Ng says they intend to help SMEs through a few ways. This is by simplifying the loan application process, tailoring products and services to suit their needs, and by helping SMEs with the adoption of technology into their operations.
Some of the common problems faced by SMEs in trying to obtain financing, he says, include complicated and lengthy application processes, and sometimes, not having the proper guidance or information on the type of financing they should opt for.
To make things simpler, RHB has identified several strategies that would aid them. These include the adoption of technology, using analytics to better anticipate the needs of SMEs and taking an agile approach to design products and services.
A recent development in the technology space was the launch of RHB’s online financing platform for small businesses.
The portal, launched in June, allows SMEs to apply for financing online by providing their company information and uploading two documents – a bank statement and a copy of the applicant’s MyKad.
Ng says the portal has already received over RM10mil applications.
“We are proud to be the first local bank to be able to create a self-service financing portal for our customers.
“It would only take about 10 minutes to complete the application, and then we would be able to start off the entire process,” he says.
He notes that they were able to approve applications in two days. Once the company has provided all the necessary documents, the SME would be able to access the funds in five days.
Through the portal, applicants will also be able to check the status of their applications.
“SMEs often say they don’t know the status of their application and that banks sometimes take a while to get back to them.
“By recognising the issues they face, we try to come up with propositions to help address them,” he adds.
The portal targets smaller SMEs, with a ticket size of up to RM300,000. This has also enabled the banking group to widen financial inclusion.
The bank has also equipped its SME sales force with a tablet-enabled web application called iSmart.
“Today, our relationship managers are able to provide advisory in a more efficient manner, for example, with situational simulations about how a product works.
“We bring the customers through a series of questions. And through this, we are able to narrow down the choices that are available to the customers,” he says.
He adds that this helps SMEs, who find it difficult to understand or choose from the variety of product offerings.
Another strategy outlined by the banking group under the FIT22 programme is having an “agile approach”.
This effort gathers employees from various divisions within the bank to look at ways to improve the customer journey. They are tasked with identifying the key issues faced by the customer, and to design products and services according to the findings.
The group is also assisting SMEs in making their operations more efficient via a connected ecosystem.
“Two years ago, we launched SME e-solutions, combining banking products with cloud-based solutions.
“Today, our partners include providers of payroll solutions, cloud accounting services and electronic point of sale – these are all cloud-based services.
“All the service providers are inter-linked seamlessly,” he says.
By adopting these technologies, he says, SMEs will be able to automate a lot of their business processes, increase efficiency and reduce operating costs.
He adds that the advantage of using cloud-based services is that the companies do not have to invest a hefty amount of capex, as the services are on a subscription basis.
RHB also has an internal financial supply chain, whereby it works with established companies to reach out to its vendors and distributors.
“We create a programme to help finance the vendors or suppliers that work with the principal company.
“We are working with a few key names in the market including large departmental stores and automotive companies,” he says.
The group is also investing heavily into analytics to better anticipate the needs of SMEs, particularly the bank’s existing customers.
Moving forward, Ng says SMEs will continue to be a key agenda for the group.
“If you look at key economies in the world today, SMEs contribute to half of the GDP in many of these countries. In Malaysia, however, we are still below 40%,” he says.
To help boost the sector’s contribution to the economy, ensuring adequate access to financing is crucial.
He notes that awareness among SMEs about the funding options available in the market to expand their business is still low.
“It is something that we, as an industry, will have to address. We do our part by engaging with various associations to promote awareness and knowledge of what is available in the market.
“However, there also needs to be a degree of proactiveness among SMEs to take charge of their financials and make an effort to find out the options that are available to them,” he says.
For RHB, the SME banking segment has grown at a pace of about 11% over the past five years.
Ng says they target to grow the segment by an average of 15% over the next five years.
He says the group also expects at least a third or more of financing to come from digital channels, moving forward.
“We want to come up with more platforms to allow SMEs to self-serve for financial solutions.
“One of our key objectives is to reach out to the public through technological platforms.
“The online SME financing portal was just the first step – there is more to come,” he says.
Source & Photo Courtesy: https://www.thestar.com.my


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One of India's biggest home stay and alternate stay aggregators, Stayzilla, has suspended operations. Coming a day after Snapdeal's massive restructuring, it is once again an indication of the troubles that India's consumer internet ventures are going through (See: Snapdeal axes 600; co-founders Bahl, Bansal take 100% pay cut). Stayzilla said it is looking to reboot with a different business model.
"This has been one of the toughest decisions that I have taken so far but it is the right thing to do. The hardest part is saying goodbye to a perfect team that has accomplished a lot by putting homestays on the map of India," wrote co-founder Yogendra Vasupal in a blogpost on the Stayzilla website on Thursday.
"I am the most fortunate to have had such a team on my side at this juncture. Whatever and how much ever I write about them is not going to do justice to their commitment. But try, I must!" he said.
Founded as Inasra in 2005 by Vasupal, Rupal Yogendra and Sanchit Singhi under the name Inasra, it was rebranded as Stayzilla in 2010. It has raised $34 million in funding from investors including Matrix Partners and Nexus Venture Partners.
Stayzilla had more than 55,000 stay options across 4,500 towns in the country that catered for both homeowners and travellers looking for non-hotel stay experiences. It has regional offices in Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
Vasupal shared some reasons why he thought the idea did not work. "The travel marketplace does not have local network effects and, therefore, we can't really take a focused city-by-city approach in terms of matching supply and demand. The demand and supply for home stays was non-existent 18 months back, excluding a few small pockets. As a result, we had to invest extensively in both sides of the marketplace, creating home stays as well as guests who would choose a home stay across the country.
''We were actually successful at this - we have created 8,000 homestays in over 900 towns - but this stretched us thin."
He said some of India's key macro trends further deteriorated their ability to expand quickly and cost effectively. "India does not have a lot of public goods often taken for granted in mature markets, like logistics, tech savvy suppliers and online user demand. A home stays marketplace needs to invest in educating the market on the concept and even using internet, and not just the product. The costs, both financial and opportunity costs, creep up on you over a period of time and it gets rationalized as cost of doing business in India," he wrote.
He also said it was further exacerbated by the discounting based growth rampant in the travel industry since 2015. "Forced to match prices, we could not even recoup what we put in, necessitating very large capital requirement simply to sustain growth."
Vasupal believes specialization could be the future mantra for Stayzilla. "Focusing all our energies on the supply side will allow us to build on our core strength that we have developed over the last 18 months. Specialized solutions such as the concept of 'Stayzilla Verified Homestays' excite me in particular. Originally conceived to increase trust, this could serve as the benchmark for the entire nascent and unstructured industry," he said.


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Promotion invites fans to share inspirational pictures for health and happiness
October 7, 2013
Bothell, Wash.-based Essentia Water launched its “Create A Better You” contest on Monday, Oct. 7. The four-week online promotion runs through Nov. 2 and invites contestants 18 years of age and older to share photos that illustrate what inspires them to be healthier and happier on the brand’s Facebook page.
New Aquafina FlavorSplash line targets teens and families
October 1, 2013
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo extended its Aquafina brand with Aquafina FlavorSplash sparkling waters and liquid concentrates. These new zero-calorie products were designed to provide great-tasting, better-for-you beverage options for teens and parents, the company says.
New York-based Wat-aah!, a premium brand of functional water for kids and teens, is helping to promote healthy hydration and the “Drink Up” initiative led by the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), Washington, D.C., and its honorary chair, first lady Michelle Obama, through a new TV advertisement. In the commercial, Atlanta-based children’s music group Yung Day 1 releases its first single, "Drink Wat-aah!," to encourage kids to hydrate healthily with the water.
Brand partners with America’s Got Talent judge Mel B to promote breast cancer awareness
September 24, 2013
Las Vegas-based Real Water announced a new venture with one of its brand ambassadors and partners Melanie Brown to benefit Susan G. Komen. Brown, also known as Mel B, is a pop star and judge on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Together Real Water and Mel B have designed a limited-edition pink bottle in support of Komen’s mission to save lives and end breast cancer forever.
Michelle Obama, beverage-makers join PHA to support cause
September 12, 2013
First lady Michelle Obama and actress, director and producer Eva Longoria joined Washington, D.C.-based Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), of which Obama is honorary chair, to launch an initiative that encourages everyone to drink more water.
Functional water brand partners with Hip Hop Public Health, Partnership for a Healthier America
August 23, 2013
New York-based functional water brand Wat-aah! announced its role as presenting sponsor of the "Songs for a Healthier America" program, which will be produced by Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH), and Washington, D.C.-based The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), whose honorary chairwoman is First Lady Michelle Obama.


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- Lamination Machine/Laminator
- Solar Panel Film
- Digital Film
- BOPP thermal lamination film
- Soft touch film
- Anti-scratch film
- Toner foil
- Pet metalized film
- Holographic film
- Bopp White Film
- PVC Binding Covers
- Stamping Machine
thong guan spending rm35mil to expand capacity at sungai petani plant
East Asia and Asia-Pacific region.
Datuk Ang Poon Chuan, general manager of the group, told StarBiz that one of the lines to be installed in September was installed for the stretch film division, which would increase the production capacity from 75,000 tons a year ago to 65,000 tons.
Despite a slowdown in the global market, the group is still increasing the production capacity of stretch films as it is infiltrating New markets in South America and Europe.
\"That\'s why we are increasing our capacity.
\"While Japan\'s stretch film market is still stable, other overseas and domestic markets have slowed.
\"The domestic market, which accounts for 15% of the group\'s revenue, has also recently contracted,\" he said . \".
The other two lines recently installed are for PVC food-
The wrap sector serving the ASEAN and Middle East markets.
\"PVC food has been added to this sport --
Packaging production capacity is increased by a total of 2,400 tons per year, which means that in the coming fiscal year, revenue is expected to increase by more than RM100mil per year.
\"In this regard, this meets the group\'s desire to continue to grow and ultimately become one of the largest PVC food packaging producers in Malaysia
\"The same is true in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region,\" he added . \".
According to Ang, the group is currently exploring opportunities to establish joint ventures with some Chinese plastic packaging material manufacturers
Risk business in the northern region.
\"We want to invest about 10 RMB for the joint venture.
The venture capital business is expected to generate about 40 million yuan per year.
\"Chinese manufacturers are investing here because
A trade war between China and the United States.
\"Chinese plastic products entering the United States face 25% import tax.
\"The Chinese are also prompted as the Chinese government strictly regulates new and existing manufacturers of industrial products,\" he added . \". The 75-
A year-old packaging company is expected to achieve more than three-fold growth in revenue and production capacity.
Over the next 10 years
The group has budgeted to increase its production capacity to 400,000 tons of capital expenditure, which will gradually increase its annual turnover to Myr.
\"The annual turnover of the group should reach RMB 1 yuan.
If the market price of industrial packaging products remains between $1,600 and $1,800 per ton, then the price will remain around $ in 2020.
\"The group\'s production capacity in 2020 was 220,000 tons.
\"The actual production is about 80% of the capacity, which means that if demand grows, the income may be higher,\" he said . \".
Stretch and shrink film 2016 as per Technavio overall
2020 the global market is expected to reach $14, according to the market report.
By 2020, it will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)of over 5%.
\"In terms of income, Asia-
The Pacific region holds the largest share of the global stretch and shrink film market.
\"The region accounts for nearly 2015 of the 37% market share.
\"This number is expected to increase to more than 39% by 2020, with a compound growth rate of nearly 7%,\" the report said . \".


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Mentioned in ?
References in periodicals archive ?
The AWI researchers found the highest concentration in samples gathered near a rural road in Bavaria -- 154,000 particles per litre.
Mark Venables, managing director of AWI, concluded: "The investment isn't going to stop there.
According to AWI CEO and co-founder Brian Mooney, 'Dam Easy is a unique patented Irish design, being the first barrier with a unique pneumatic seal requiring no tools or fixings or sealant to install.
AWI first launched Dam Easy Flood Barriers in Ireland and in the United Kingdom two years ago.
PARIS, April 21 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti fashion designer Muntaha Al-Ajeel took part in a fashion show held at the Arab World Institute (AWI) in Paris, with eye-catching heritage inspired pieces of her own design.
Further, Bingham earlier also managed the company's finance teams in China and Australia and before the separation from AWI, served as its director of Treasury, and Risk Management since 2014 and as general manager of Finance, Building Products Asia Pacific from 2011 to 2014.
This acquisition advances AWI's strategy to aggressively penetrate the architectural specialties segment and provide additional capabilities to sell into more spaces and sell more into every space.
He said that the villages of Reshun, Booni, Sonoghur and Awi faced potential danger of glacial lake outburst floods where stockpiles were being maintained in ample quantity to make their timely availability to the affected people besides creating awareness among them.
At that gathering, he presented a plan prepared by the AwI called Der Deutsche Volksschutz ("The German Peoples Protection"), a name freighted with nationalist and racist implications.
Antje Boetius hat die Leitung des Alfred-Wegener-Instituts, Helmholtz-Zentrum fur Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), ubernommen.
AWI offers automated solutions for fabricators and manufacturers of welded products in a range of sectors.
Encyclopedia browser ?
- Avtonomov, Aleksei
- Avtonomov, Aleksei Ivanovich
- Awami League
- Awe, Loch
- A-weighted sound level
- Awesome Bar
- awning blind
- awning deck
- awning window
- Awolowo, Obafemi
- AWS Lambda
- Awuru Odo Festival
- AX Wi-Fi
- Ax, Emanuel
- axed arch
- axed brick
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- Axel Fredrik Cronstedt
Full browser ?
- Awilco Offshore Asa


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Private Equity Fund Apax Grabs Software Firms Epicor and Activant
Software firms Epicor and Activant Solutions both agreed to be bought out by private equity funds affiliated with private-equity firm Apax Partners in a deal worth a combined $2 billion. Epicor, whose shares surged 11 percent to $12.50 early Monday, valued its deal–which probably includes debt–at about $976 million. Apax said it plans to merge the two companies into a privately held company under the Epicor name, which it said would have more than 30,000 customers and $825 million in annual revenues. Several law firms announced they would investigate the possibility that Epicor directors violated their fiduciary responsibility to shareholders by not shopping the company around before agreeing to Apax’s terms.


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Bunnings has officially launched its expanded range of over 700 new pet products including toys, bedding, grooming tools, carriers, training accessories, smart technology, treatments (flea/worming), and the introduction of pet food; taking the entire range to almost 1000 products to offer customers a one-stop-shop when it comes to pet needs in the home.
Partnering with some of Australia’s leading pet brands including PEDIGREE, WHISKAS, SCHMACKOS and SUPERCOAT; Australians can now shop for their pets with the same confidence in value as they do for their home and garden at Bunnings, backed by the lowest price guarantee.
With over 60% of Australian households home to a pet and the pet population outnumbering people by over two million, pets are considered an important family member with almost two in three pet owners agreeing their pet is the most pampered member of the family.
New Bunnings’ research has revealed pet owners are now designing their homes to cater to their pets. Almost half (48%) admit to having made or planning to make changes in the home to accommodate their fur baby, including installing a pet door (23%), adding a doghouse (16%) and changing/removing existing furniture (13%).
Bunnings Managing Director Mike Schneider says the launch was exciting for the business and customers, with store teams eagerly reworking the store’s layout to showcase the new expanded pet range.
“Customers have loved shopping our selected pets offer for several years now, so we are thrilled to unveil an even bigger and better range, giving customers the same confidence in value and more choice when shopping for their pets as they do for their home and garden,” Mr Schneider said.
“It’s also been great working with Australia’s leading and locally based pet suppliers to range some of the most trusted pet brands including PEDIGREE, OPTIMUM, SUPERCOAT and FANCY FEAST as well as exclusive brands in Trusty, Bugalugs, Happy Tails and Baxter & Bone.
“Our store teams have been busy reworking our store layout to create a one-stop pets destination, as well as undergoing training to deliver expert advice, and they are looking forward to helping customers shop the new pets range,” he said.
This expansion also marks the beginning of a new relationship with some of Australia’s leading and most trusted pet brands.
Mars Petcare Australia General Manager Craig Sargeant says the business was pleased to be part of Bunnings’ foray into the pet food category. “We love that Australians have even more convenient places to buy our well-loved pet food brands like PEDIGREE, OPTIMUM, and MY DOG than ever before.
“Almost all our pet food is made locally at our Bathurst or Wodonga sites, and we source locally where possible so partnering with an iconic Aussie retailer fits well with our 50-year history of manufacturing here in Australia,” Mr Sargeant said.
Pets have taken on a whole new role in our lives and in our homes, and with the majority of Australian pet owners (81%) claiming companionship as the most common reason for pet ownership and allowing free access to all rooms in the home for over 60% of cats and dogs, the relationship we have with our pets is a special one and something to be celebrated.
For more information on Bunnings’ Pet range, visit the store or shop the range online at bunnings.com.au/campaign/exciting-new-products.
 2021 Pets Research conducted by Fiftyfive5, n=1600 Australian pet owners aged 18+ (nationally representative).
 Bunnings Neighbourhood online community panel – March 2023, n=591.


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A Dublin shop has revealed it sold the €500,000 Euromillions Plus winning ticket.
The Centra shop on Grange Road near Marlay Park said it sold the winning ticket in a social media post soon after the results were announced.
The National Lottery confirmed that the winning ticket was sold in Dublin this evening - but was keeping quiet about where exactly that was.
The winning numbers in the EuroMillions Plus draw were 4, 5, 14, 15, 16.
Posting on its social media page, the shop said: "If you bought tonight's euro millions lotto ticket in Centra Marley Park! Check your ticket cause we sold the ticket worth €500,000!!
"Congratulations to the lucky winner!!
"Yippee for one of our Customers - delighted!"
There was one winner of the €190 million EuroMillions jackpot, and they were in the UK.
The last EuroMillions draw saw a lucky player win €2.5 million and the winning ticket was sold in Donabate.
The winning ticket of €2,521,015 was sold at Kane’s/McCartney’s SuperValu store.


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Nike’s Air Max 90 will be getting a new makeover which will be highlighted with Metallic Blue Swoosh logos across the sides.
The Air Max 90 is still one of the most popular Nike Air Max models despite all of the new trendy designs and spec updates. The model continues to thrive in new designs like this offering that surfaced just today. Sporting a white mesh upper with white leather overlays, light blue plastic overlays are added in standard AM90 fashion while metallic blue Swoosh logos are placed onto the sides. Matching tongue labels are also placed in while a white rubber midsole, grey Air Unit, and white rubber outsole are placed below to complete the new offering.
NIKE AIR MAX 90 METALLIC BLUE RELEASE INFORMATION
The Nike Air Max 90 has yet to be scheduled for an upcoming release but a drop is expected to go down soon in the coming weeks via select Air max retailers and Nike.com. The pair will retail for the usual $130 price tag. Check out the official images below and make sure to stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for updates and of course more of the latest sneaker news.
Nike Air Max 90
Style Code: DX0115-100
Release Date: 2022
Retail Price: $130


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Showcasing more than 1100 exhibiting companies while drawing 40,000-plus motorsports professionals from around the globe, the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show will be better than ever when it returns to Indianapolis this December.
Known as “The Annual Epicenter of New Racing Technology,” this year’s PRI Trade Show takes place Dec. 12-14 at the recently renovated Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Over 3300 booths displaying the latest products and services in hardcore racing have been plotted on the Convention Center’s expansive show floor.
Motorsports entrepreneurs, racing teams and more are invited to this trade-only event in which all forms of racing are represented, including stock car, sprint car, dirt late model, open wheel, drag racing, off-road, karting and more. In fact, tens of thousands of racing retail stores, warehouse distribution centers, professional race engine builders, race car production companies and more will make inventory decisions for 2014 and beyond at PRI.
“This extraordinary array of exhibitors, that hasn’t been experienced in years all in one place all at one time, is the most powerful magnet for buyer attendance that the PRI Trade Show can have,” said PRI Trade Show Producer John Kilroy. “It’s going to be an incredible showcase of the latest advances in racing technology a ‘must attend’ event for racing professionals everywhere.”
And, on the morning of December 12, the great heritage of the PRI Trade Show’s Grand Opening Breakfast continues with the special appearance of one of racing’s greatest champions, Richard Petty. “The King” is the most decorated driver in the history of NASCAR racing, winning a record 200 career races and seven NASCAR Cup championships during his illustrious career behind the wheel.
“We’re honored to have Richard Petty make his first-ever appearance at the PRI Trade Show’s Grand Opening Breakfast,” added Kilroy. “Everybody in the business of auto racing owes a lot to Richard, and the Petty family, for all they’ve done to establish NASCAR racing as one of America’s most popular sports.”
Admission to the PRI Show is complimentary, but all attendees must prove they own, manage or are employed by a racing business.
In addition to a three-day array of exhibits, over 45 conferences, seminars and special networking opportunities have been planned for Race Industry Week, which begins Dec. 9. Encompassing the days leading up to and including the annual PRI Trade Show, Race Industry Week 2013 plays host to a number of co-locating events and activities, including the Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (AETC), the International Council of Motorsport Sciences (ICMS) Annual Congress, the Race Track Business Conference, and the Vehicle Dynamics & Data Acquisition Seminar.
All-new Race Industry Week events for 2013 include the Race Safety & Technology Center, featuring keynote speakers Dr. Terry Trammell and Jim Campbell, head of motorsports at General Motors; the national championships of the Hot Rodders Of Tomorrow engine challenge; and Education Day, organized by SEMA’s Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC), which offers dedicated product training sessions by 15 top-level manufacturers in the motorsports industry.
What’s more, special sections of the 2013 Trade Show floor have been designated for PRI’s world-famous Machinery Row; race trailers, tow vehicles and motorcoaches; simulation and testing technologies; and the popular International Lounge for PRI’s overseas buyers and exhibitors.
Indeed, the hottest new racing products, the latest advances in motorsports engineering, and the best of today’s precision automotive machining equipment will be on display at PRI, which comes back to Indianapolis following a historic eight-year run in Orlando, Fla. PRI had previously taken place in Indianapolis from 1998-2004.
The PRI Show’s return to Indy was set into motion in late 2012, when the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), which owns PRI, purchased the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS), the racing trade show that was held annually in Indianapolis since 2009. The IMIS has since been consolidated with the PRI Show, unifying the racing industry’s two trade shows into one and creating the opportunity for exhibitors and buyers to do business in a single location.
“We are excited to bring the PRI Trade Show back to Indianapolis, where exhibitors and buyers experienced six very successful racing industry trade shows, from 1998 to 2004,” said John Kilroy, producer of the PRI Trade Show. “Chris Paulsen, Jeff Stoops, Tony Stewart and the entire IMIS team have done an excellent job starting up a new racing trade show, and we promise to build on their mission to keep Indianapolis the annual epicenter of new racing technology.”
More information on the PRI Trade Show can be found online at www.pri2013.com, or by calling (949) 499-5413.


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Moser Baer disrupted the DVD/VCD home video market with price differentiation/low price-point strategy (moser baer’s dvd price was Rs. 34, while others were selling at Rs. 100-150)
But the low cost doesn’t seems to be sustainable and Moser Baer has hiked the price.
Typically, home video rights are sold for a period of five years. After that it is again auctioned. So, players need to break even and make a decent profit during that period. As per reports, video rights of movies like Welcome and OSO were sold at Rs 1.5-2 crore. Thus, the challenge is to do million-plus copies to ensure profitability.
Say, a home video right is sold for Rs 1 crore. At a price of Rs 45 a VCD, margins aren’t more than Rs 15 a copy sold. This is because of 30% retail margin (around Rs 15) and another Rs 12-15 for making the CD as well its packaging.
By this logic, the company needs to sell around 6,70,000 copies just to break-even. And to make a decent profit, at least a million copies or more over a span of five years. And that is increasingly turning out to be a tough proposition. Also, today the Indian market is tilted towards the VCD market, where the margins are wafer thin. “Its 80:20 in terms of volumes in favour of VCD market,” ET
So, the next bet for Moser Baer is to reach out to the mass market and invest in wider distribution of DVDs/VCDs; and the company has come up with an innovative strategy for this – cycle carts.
Moser Baer has already rolled out 100 cycle carts and is planning to increase the number to 2,500 by this year.
Three carts were first rolled out in August on a trial run in Kolkata and the official country-wide launch came through early this year. Each cart that can carry about 35 titles with five CDs of each title, comes at a substantial investment of Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 each.
“We are yet to reach the breakeven point. Currently, we sell about 15 CDs per cart per day. To break even we have to sell a minimum of 20 CDs per cart per day, which we hope to achieve soon – BS
A classsic case of localized distribution and contextual selling (i.e. local movie CDs/DVDs).
Did someone ever thought the cycle carts which traditionally used to sell ice creams, vegetables will one day carry CDs?
The times, they are a changing!


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A new £3 million service station has opened in Laceby, creating 40 new jobs.
The Laceby Lodge Services houses a Spar shop and Shell petrol forecourt store alongside a Greggs, Subway and an Insomnia coffee shop on the Laceby Crossroads in Grimsby.
The 5,000 sq ft store, which occupies the former Little Chef site, was officially opened on Wednesday, August 10.
The Shell petrol station features eight standard fuel pumps, a jet wash and an electric car charging point.
Approximately 30 parking spaces are available for visitors to the site.
The store will be run by family-owned convenience store operator Blakemore Retail.
Carolyne Barker, Blakemore Retail Ltd Area Manager, parent company of Spar, said: “We’re looking forward to bringing our latest Spar convenience offer to Laceby and would like to welcome the local community to join us for our opening celebrations between 10am and 3pm on Saturday, August 13.”


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With people affected by cancer being at very high risk to the serious affects of Coronavirus, a lot of patients are opting to fully self-isolate themselves.
Ratha's Place in St Marys is the latest victim of the Coronavirus economic impact, announcing it will be closing its doors for good.
The Coffee Club has launched a new initiative, Care Kits, that provide access to home delivered essentials.
St Marys Senior High School is closed today after a student returned a positive test for COVID-19.
Parents hurting financially have joined the chorus of teachers demanding the Government shut down schools, as families continue to be slugged fees while their kids stay home.
Local cafes Percy Plunkett and Nutrition Station have teamed up to deliver home-style meals to everyone in western Sydney.
Rent relief for CBD business owners in Penrith.
Some of Penrith’s best-known retailers have closed their doors as they desperately try to survive the Coronavirus pandemic, leaving shopping centres like Westfield Penrith resembling a ghost town.
In a brand new podcast, The Western Weekender looks at the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on Penrith.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help save the iconic Emu Sports Club and Leonay Golf Course from administrators.
Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, some industries are still desperate for workers
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced an unprecedented $130 billion wage subsidy package in a massive attempt to keep people in jobs during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The National Rugby League has agreed on a recovery plan with Clubs relating to the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 season.
Mayoral election still set to go ahead in September.
During these unprecedented and challenging times, we need to look out for one another and do whatever we can to help those who need it.
Locals are being urged not to forget the spirit of ANZAC Day this year despite official services and marches being cancelled.
Here's where you can grab a take-away meal in the local area this weekend...
More jobs are being lost as retailers shut their doors this week due to mounting pressures resulting from Coronavirus.
The wheels of one of Penrith's biggest privately owned charter operators have come to a halt as a result of the new Roronavirus response regulations.
NSW Health have confirmed that a student from Blackwell Public School in St Clair has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19).


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Despite predictions for sales declines in 2018, the U.S. automotive industry booked solid sales gains throughout the year, exceeding 17 million vehicles for the fourth year in a row.
In addition, the US is expected to reach $12.73 billion in automotive digital ad spend in 2019. This is a 13% projected increase in US automotive digital ad spend from 2018.
Clearly, the automotive industry is booming and has a lot of potential for the future with advancements such as electric vehicles and driverless vehicles.
So the question is, where exactly do the opportunities lie to secure these dollars? We’re bringing you seven hot-off-the-press opportunities within the automotive industry to pursue now.
Check out seven brands to reach out to ASAP:
Increasing send, shifting more to digital
The automotive marketplace saw sales and marketing expenses for Q1 2019 increase to $54.7 million from that of $48.4 million in Q1 2018. As revenue increases spend is also expected to rise. New personnel have been brought on in order to bolster its marketing team, signaling the brand is ready to drive impact.
Historically, the majority of dollars have gone toward television, radio and digital. Spend throughout these channels increased from $1 million to $14.9 million in order to more effectively attract and engage customers. According to our team of in-house researchers, TrueCar’s executive team plans to dive deeper into digital spend as opposed to traditional.
Media Seller Opportunity: Sellers with an omnichannel strategy will likely have the advantage securing revenue. TrueCar typically targets millennials with a male skew along with a focus on a B2B demographic including car manufacturers like FCA and Mercedes. Keep in mind its planning period is Q1 and it’s buying period is Q4.
Taps MSL for PR as spend increases
Cadillac named MSLGroup as PR AOR because of its expertise in data analytics and media. As a result, new media opportunities may be created with the new agency in place as they evaluate current strategies.
Media Seller Opportunity: In efforts to combat struggles and re-engage its audience, Cadillac has been allocating dollars toward broadcast efforts to compete with American luxury car owners. Cadillac’s top planning and buying periods are Q1 and Q2 historically. The shift toward broadcast represents opportunity for sellers, as Cadillac attempts to salvage itself as a leader of US automotive brands. Keep in mind they are targeting for a younger than retired audience, and the demographic is shifting toward millennials and Gen X.
Agency Opportunity: Publicis has been the creative and digital AOR since 2014. All five partnered agencies have been with Cadillac for 3-4 years, approaching average agency tenure. Reviews tend to follow each other, so keep an eye out for shifts as the brand continues to combat struggles.
Sponsorship Opportunity: According to Hookit, most of Cadillac’s sponsorship is sports related with 68% invested in auto racing, 12% golf, 4% mountain biking, 4% skiing and 12% miscellaneous.
3. Firestone Tires
Launches campaign, aims to widen target demo
Firestone, the tire brand owned by Bridgestone Americas, launched a campaign called “Try ‘Em Yourself” promoting the brand’s 90 Day Buy & Try Guarantee.
Media Seller Opportunity: There should still be time to secure dollars from the campaign, so sellers are encouraged to reach out. After that, don’t hesitate to join conversations during planning period Q4 and buying period Q3. The typical demographic is mainly male, but the brand is attempting to shift towards a millennial and Gen-Z audience moving forward.
Sponsorship Opportunity: In addition to IndyCar, Hookit reports Firestone has sponsorship deals with Ed Carpenter Racing, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Juncos Racing, Sebastien Bourdais and JR Hildebrand.
Agency and Martech Opportunity: After the marketing VP retired, shake-ups in personnel followed. A new agency has not yet been named under the new hires, but continue to reach out for work as the shifts continue. Competition may include Periscope (creative and media since 2012) and Levelwing (social).
4. Mini Cooper
Launches global ad review amid spend decreases
According to our internal research team, Mini Cooper is looking for a global ad agency to handle its entire brand, specifically merchandise. The review is likely being conducted in an effort to reduce global costs by consolidating accounts and get a fresh perspective on how to combat struggles.
Media Seller Opportunity: Once a new agency is chosen, expect strategy shifts and new campaigns. In the meantime, sellers are encouraged to reach out and get involved in Mini’s 60th anniversary festivities. The celebration includes the release of limited edition cars, a digital and social campaign, and numerous events. Keep in mind its planning period is Q3 and buying period is Q2.
Sponsorship Seller Opportunity: Mini usually targets male millennials, and current sponsorships include Cyril Despres, the John Cooper Works Racing Team, Ben Martin, Big Shock Racing and Tanika Hoffman. Strategy is likely to change in order to combat struggles with spikes in spend to support those efforts.
Agency and Martech: Mini may soon consolidate global media as well, so those with automotive experience are encouraged to reach out. Competition may include Crossmedia, Universal McCann, and Wavemaker.
Concludes digital review, names four new agency teams
Audi concluded it’s digital review and revealed that AKQA is being replaced by a team of four agencies. Rauxa will handle digital marketing, UK-based Ixis will handle data analytics, SOMO will handle technical development and Designory will handle product enterprise/content.
Media Seller Opportunity: Exact campaign dates have not yet been established, but it will most likely be soon considering Audi is attempting to combat its sales declines from the beginning of the year. When reaching out for revenue, keep in mind Audi typically increases spend during Q2 and Q4, and keep an eye on new products. Its target audience is primarily men, with a focus on millennials and Gen-X.
Agency and Martech Opportunity: With reviews likely in 12-15 months, reach out for US creative and media work. Expect competition from PHD and Venables, Bell & Partners. Focus pitches on combating declines and outshining competitors such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Toyota.
6. Ferrari North America
Names email communications AOR
Ferrari has tapped Raare Solutions & The S3 Agency as joint email communications AOR. the agencies will work together on the brand’s email communications strategy with the ultimate goal of increasing new customer acquisition through data-driven, targeted campaigns.
Media Seller Opportunity: Ferrari’s ad placement is split between direct buys (44%) and programmatic (56%) on top publishers including ebay.com, edmunds.com, nytimes.com, and duponregistry.com. A large portion of ad spend is allocated to print as well, specifically national newspapers.
CEO Louis Camilleri has stated that Ferrari will launch 15 new models over the next five years, which will certainly be supported with a spike in ad spend. Sellers are encouraged to reach out prior to new model launches in order to stay ahead of budgetary windows.
Agency Opportunity: Mcgarrybowen has served as Ferrari North America’s AOR since late 2013, over the average agency tenure of three to four years. Since reviews tend to follow one another, keep an eye out for other agency reviews within 12-18 months.
Concludes creative review, selects the Martin Agency
Concluding its creative review, CarMax selected The Martin Agency as the replacement to incumbent McKinney. The IPG agency will focus especially on the nationwide rollout of the dealership’s new e-commerce option, expected to roll out in February 2020.
Media Seller Opportunity: The campaign for the new e-commerce option will likely remain local until the option is activated nationwide, so local sellers will have the advantage of securing revenue. Sellers are also encouraged to keep an eye out for new dealership locations. CarMax has a wide audience, so those with ROI and the ability to reach a large demographic will have the advantage. About 90% of Carmax’s budget is allocated towards TV, and the rest of dollars go to out-of-home, print and radio.
Agency and Martech Opportunity: Carmax is bolstering its marketing team with new personnel, signaling shifts in spend and strategy. Reviews also tend to follow one another, so agencies are encouraged to reach out for work. Focus pitches on highlighting what sets CarMax apart from competitors. Shift Communications (PR) and Vizeum (Media) will be among your competition.


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PranaQ, a healthcare technology startup, successfully completed $3M in Seed round funding raising. The round was participated by multiple global venture capital firms, including DSC Investment, Smilegate Investment, NAVER D2SF, and Lighthouse Combined Investment.
In particular, NAVER D2SF, CVC of NAVER, Korea’s largest internet company and global tech platform, joined the round as a strategic investor for a potential partnership on the back of their recent focus on healthcare as one of the new business drivers.
The company intends to use the funds to acquire a FDA certification on the first product, and to launch preliminary marketing initiatives.
Sooseob Won at DSC Investment, the lead investor of the round said “PranaQ has developed innovative AI-powered algorithms and compact sleep testing device near commercialization, which can replace conventional complicated sleep studies. We decided to invest in PranaQ as we expect that its offerings will give many people an easier and greater access to better sleep and further provide unique values to hospitals, insurance companies, and other related parties.”
Led by CEO Jerry Chen, PranaQ is a digital healthcare company, developing wearable medical devices with AI-based biosignal processing algorithms, including technology developed at Duke University. The company’s first endeavor is around detecting and monitoring sleep disorders including sleep apnea, to help people have a better knowledge and control of their sleep and overall health condition.


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Twitter is in the process of acquiring Tap Commerce, a New York-based mobile advertising technology firm, according to sources familiar with the situation. The deal is expected to be announced later on Monday.
The purchase price was in the ballpark of $100 million, according to sources, though Twitter is not likely to announce the price tag when it announces the deal.
Investors include RRE Ventures, Metamorphic Ventures, Eniac Ventures, Nextview Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures and Pereg Ventures. The company raised $10.5 million in a Series A round last November.
Tap Commerce is in the business of “re-targeting” — that is, convincing customers to reopen all those mobile apps they have downloaded, especially the ones of the shopping variety. Among Tap’s clients are Fab and eBay.
The company had also been working a lot with Facebook, which uses a ton of these kinds of ads in its mobile service, so it will be interesting to see what happens with all of that work.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.


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We’re sure you’ve all come across sci-fi movies or concepts where people interact with see-through screens where the information has been projected onto the glass. It makes for a very sleek concept, and now it seems that Jaguar Land Rover is considering bringing such a feature to their vehicles in the future.
Their concept has been dubbed the Virtual Windscreen and basically it would display information such as hazard, speed, and navigation graphics onto the driver’s windscreen. It will also add racing line and braking guidance, along with virtual cones if the driver was looking to get a bit more performance out of their vehicle (although we can imagine this could be dangerous on the road).
The car manufacturer also plans on including gesture controls, thus reducing the need for drivers to press buttons while they drive. It’s a pretty awesome concept but for now, it is just that, a concept. There’s no telling when Jaguar Land Rover plans on introducing these features into their vehicles, but it’s definitely worth looking forward to.
According to Dr. Wolfgang Epple, the Director of Research and Technology, “We have identified which functions still need to be controlled by physical buttons and which could be controlled by gesture and carefully calibrated motion sensors. The system is currently being tested on a number of features including sunblinds, rear wipers and satellite navigation maps. It has the potential to be on sale within the next few years.”


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Omg omg omg. It’s not even November and they have given us a sneak peak at our Christmas presents! How mean.
Pokemon has just announce their Pokemon Christmas 2018 theme the ‘Christmas Show’. Starting November 3rd, these goodies will appear in Pokemon Centers around Japan and online.
The ‘Christmas Show’ has the Pokemon all dressed up in Christmas clothing and ornaments. This year they have gone a little overboard but who doesn’t at Christmas? There are Plushies, little acrylic trees, ornaments, Christmas chocolate treats all the way to Pokemon themed Christmas tape. I don’t think I would ever wanna unwrap the presents?
These super cute Christmas plushies are now available!


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ThermaSol, a leader in smart shower, steam and sauna technology, announces the launch of its 2024 Look Book. Highlighting the company's extensive collection of wellness products, this new consumer and showroom piece celebrates the beauty and authenticity of over 65 years of steam, shower and sauna innovation.
"We are proud to debut our latest portfolio highlighting ThermaSol’s wide range of wellness products,” said Patrick Weidl, director of business development. “Since 1958, ThermaSol has made it our mission to go above and beyond ordinary with a focus on total wellness for our customers. We hope our new Look Book will serve as both an inspiration and as a tool to guide users in finding the perfect wellness solutions for their needs.”
To access a digital version of the 2024 ThermaSol Look Book, visit: www.thermasol.com.


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The Golden Arches lost some of their lustre last month when McDonald’s revealed it would be posting its first quarterly loss in its 47-year history.
The full extent of the fourth-quarter net loss will become clear later this month, and will include a $435m (£269.5m) one-off charge relating to restaurant closures, which were ordered as part of a restructure that cost chairman and chief executive Jack Greenberg his job. Greenberg has been replaced by former vice-chairman and president Jim Cantalupo, who is reviewing all aspects of the business. The UK market has not escaped retrenchment, with at least six London sites set to close.
At the heart of McDonald’s problems is a slump in sales that has affected the company for almost two years. But the fast-food chain is not alone in experiencing difficulties.
Rival Burger King has seen its global operating profit fall 20 per cent from $114m (£70.6m) for the six months to December 31, 2002 compared with the same period in 2001. And, after months of uncertainty, the burger chain was sold by parent Diageo Group to a venture capital company in December. Meanwhile, the UK and Ireland marketing director, Anna Joseph, resigned after just three months in the role (MW December 19, 2002).
A number of factors account for the waning of consumers’ love affair with burger chains. In the UK McDonald’s has failed to shake off negative perceptions raised by the McLibel trial, but more recently it had to cope with BSE. Worldwide, it has faced attacks from anti-American and anti-capitalist demonstrators because of its global expansion strategy. And now KFC is in the spotlight as animal welfare group Peta launches a global boycott of the chain in a bid to improve living conditions of the chickens used in KFC products.
But the biggest threat appears to come from an increasing awareness among consumers of the benefits of healthy eating. In the US, this translated into a rash of lawsuits against McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King from overweight consumers blaming the restaurants for their health problems.
There has been an increase in alternative “healthier” high street food outlets too. A Euromonitor report published in November, found that “a sandwich is viewed by the majority of consumers as an inherently healthier product than burgers, chicken, fish and chips, or many other fast-food subsectors.”
What is more, Euromonitor analysts say the UK burger market has reached saturation point and that, although companies have increased the number of units to boost sales, the average sales per unit has steadily decreased. The decline in sales per restaurant may well have been acerbated by fiercely competitive pricing by the burger chains.
In the US, a price war has not had the affect the burger chains had hoped. McDonald’s introduction of Dollar Menu, instead of fuelling sales, has led to a fall in the average amount a customer spends. Burger King also angered some of its franchisees by reducing the price of its flagship Whopper burger from $2.19 (£1.35) to 99 cents (61p) for this month.
“In desperation, they’ve hit price points,” says John Williamson, board director at brand consultancy Wolff Olins. “When your brand loses relevance, the temptation is to work on price, when you should be rethinking the brand.”
Alongside price, product promotions and film tie-ups drive sales. Once able to depend on basic burger products to attract consumers, the fast-food giants are having to be more innovative with new product development – as illustrated by Burger King’s Swiss Melt product and McDonald’s Italian selection.
With a UK advertising budget of more than £40m a year, McDonald’s spend far outweighs KFC’s £14m and Burger King’s £11m, reflecting its position as market leader. But McDonald’s has realised – albeit belatedly – that it dominates a particular section of the changing fast-food market and one that is at saturation point.
The company is trying to appeal to a wider market: it has used only free-range eggs in its breakfast products for two years and is now to sell organic milk. It has tried to diversify outside its core restaurant business by investing in sandwich chain Pret A Manger among others, and experimented with the launch of the Golden Arches hotel in Switzerland.
However, not all ventures have worked. In April 1999, McDonald’s bought the London-based Aroma cafÃ© chain, but sold it to the Caffe Nero Group less than three years later for almost half the price it had paid.
McDonald’s has since attempted to revive its coffee strategy under its own McCafe’s brand and is trialling three such outlets in Victoria Street, London, Solihull and Meadowhall, Sheffield. “The McCafe’s concept is about offering choice and variety, and having a range of products that appeal to different parts of the day,” says a McDonald’s spokeswoman.
But, observers are divided over whether the fast-food company’s use of its brand name and identity will work against these new cafÃ© and hotel concepts. Any move by Burger King to diversify in a similar fashion using its brand name could create negative perceptions among consumers.
Burger King has already lost out to KFC in the UK, with the latter’s sales overtaking those of the burger chain for the first time in 2001, according to Mintel.
KFC has been swift to recognise concerns about healthy eating by using marketing messages emphasising the quality of its food and by undertaking initiatives such as banning reconstituted chicken products from its outlets. “KFC has always been about an original recipe and great taste,” says KFC UK marketing director Claire Harrison-Church.
Despite its recent successes even KFC, alongside Burger King and McDonald’s, may have to go some way further to protect sales in the face of an increasing trend towards healthy eating – as well as making their products more relevant to an ageing UK population.


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Casey McCauley – Features Editor
As if Garnier Fructis’ haircare products haven’t already made a successful impact in the beauty department, the company is now going the extra mile to make an environmental one, too.
As a result of nearly half of Americans failing to regularly recycle their beauty products, a significant amount of landfill waste is created.
In an effort to reduce this waste, Garnier Fructis and TerraCycle, Inc., the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, are pairing up to launch a Rinse, Recycle, Repeat national campaign. The joint campaign encourages people to recycle their empty beauty and personal care product bottles.
On April 1, the college competition will kick off on 50 college campuses nationwide to see which university can collect the most empty bottles, or “empties.”
The college team that collects the most empties by Aug. 1 will be rewarded with a garden for their community, furnished by Garnier and TerraCycle. An avid recycler herself, Clarion business management and paralegal studies major, Victoria Nation, jumped at this opportunity to lend a green hand.
“I have always been an environmental advocate, which has been the fuel behind my passion for recycling. As I have gotten older, I have become more involved in recycling in the community. My boyfriend and I have recently begun the preliminary processes to start a company that will be recycling specialized products around the Clarion County area and neighboring counties,” said Nation.
Following the online application process, she was accepted as a representative for Clarion University’s team.
Among the extensive list of accepted recyclable materials are items that fall under the categories of skin care, make-up and hair care packaging. All materials must be plastic and have attached lids.
Students are encouraged to keep an eye on boxes labeled “Rinse, Recycle, Repeat” that will be placed in certain buildings on campus, including Still Hall, Founders Hall, the Science & Technology Center, Tippin Gym, Davis Hall, Marwick-Boyd Fine Arts Center, Becker Hall, Becht Hall, Gemmell Student Center, Carlson Library, Reinhard Villages Community Center, Suites on Main (North & South) and the Valley View Suites.
Nation emphasized the role social media can also play in tracking the university’s progress. “Once students have dropped off their recyclable materials at any of these locations, they can follow up with a post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the ‘#empties’ or ‘#clarionproud’ hashtag to link their posts with the recycling drive and Clarion University,” said Nation.
She will be traveling around campus hanging up flyers and visiting classes to discuss the different ways that students can contribute to Clarion’s recycling efforts. She hopes to recruit at least two more people to directly assist her in the overall process. A small reward will also be given at the end of the drive to those who help Nation.
If interested, contact her at V.D.Nation@eagle.clarion.edu. Students can also follow the progress on the “Rinse, Recycle, Repeat_Clarion University” Facebook page.
If all goes well with the recycling drive, Nation hopes to start a recycling club at Clarion University as the next step to saving the environment.


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Legal cryptocurrency trading in China is currently very difficult to access. Due to the recent restrictions of the Chinese government in the field of crypto trading, Chinese users have to look for new ways to implement it.
According to the report of South China Morning Post, traders solved this problem using VPN and Tether cryptocurrency. Chinese traders use “client to client” trades, which operate on conventional e-commerce platforms. Two users, confirming each other through the procedure “know your customer” (KYC), exchange the non-fiat currency for Tether, which is less volatile than Bitcoin. Meanwhile, the crypto exchanges only observe, reacting only in case of an error in the transaction. After Tether is received, traders use the VPN for trading on foreign exchanges.
While the servers of trading platforms are not located in China, and transactions remain decentralized, a complete ban on crypto trading remains the main problem for the Chinese government.
Moreover, experts argue that the process of banning VPN is also very long, as it takes a lot of time for negotiations with various stakeholders to reach a consensus on setting up the “Great Chinese Firewall.” Therefore, while the VPN works on the territory of China, traders will be able to exchange cryptocurrency abroad.
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Bizzarrini Returns With V12-Powered Giotto Supercar
An all-new Bizzarrini is coming in 2024.
Iconic 20th century Italian sports car brand Bizzarrini just revealed the supercar that will spearhead its 21st century revival.
After being purchased by an investment firm in 2020, Bizzarrini has unveiled the Giotto supercar, named for the company founder Giotto Bizzarrini and penned by Automotive Hall of Fame designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio, according to Road & Track.
“To have the opportunity to design an entirely new car from Bizzarrini is a privilege,” Giugiaro said in a statement.
“Our two names are united in nearly six decades of history and a series of now iconic designs. With the Giotto, we honor the past but we focus wholly on the future. Designed for purpose, and incorporating active aerodynamic technologies, we have created something that is both recognizably Bizzarrini and totally relevant for an entirely new era of this cherished Italian brand.”
Specifics on performance and powertrain haven’t been released, but the Bizzarrini will “look to its heritage” in selecting a naturally aspirated V12. Giotto, after all, was crucial to the birth of Lamborghini’s first V12, an engine that would spawn multiple variants until its retirement in 2010.
“We have a very clear vision for the Giotto, defined ultimately by how it makes a driver feel,” chief technical officer Chris Porritt said in a statement.
“Bizzarrini is a brand built on genius and passion, established by a polymath with world-class talents as a designer, engineer and test driver. We now very deliberately and authentically recreate Giotto’s vision, choosing not to chase acceleration times or lap records, but to develop a car that appeals to those experienced drivers seeking purity, authenticity and rarity.”
Expect more details on the Bizzarrini Giotto to be released later this year before testing begins in 2024.


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Michigan Senate Approves To-Go Cocktails
Michigan is one step closer to allowing bars and restaurants to sell to-go and delivery cocktails.
Right now, Michigan residents are allowed to order an unopened bottle of wine or a growler of beer with their dinner when doing delivery or takeout. That’s not allowed with cocktails, though.
The new regulation would allow customers to order a cocktail to go with their takeout or delivery orders, as restaurants work stay afloat amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
On Wednesday (June 10), the Michigan Senate approved legislation that would take away that restriction, plus temporarily lower the cost of liquor prices from the Liquor Control Commission.
The new bill would also allow local governments to make special “social districts” where people 21 and over are allowed to purchase to-go drinks from adjacent bars and drink them off-site, if they stay in the designated area.
Now that the bill has passed the Senate, will be now go to the House, where there is already bipartisan support for the idea.
House Bills 5781 and 5811, which are similar initiatives, were approved by the Michigan House Regulatory Reform Committee last week.


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[WORLD NEWS] TAIWAN : Starbucks Borrow a Cup Service
Starbucks in Taiwan is expanding its cup rental service, which began as a trial last year, to more than 500 stores beginning July 1, 2023.
The program aims to encourage a shift away from disposable cups as part of Starbucks' global goal of reducing waste sent to landfills by 50% by 2030.
To rent a reusable cup at a store participating in the "Borrow A Cup" program, users just have to sign in to the Starbucks app and order a drink. You will be charged 50 NTD (around 230 yen) per cup, and the deposit will be refunded when the cup is returned to a participating store.
To return, within seven days of borrowing the cup, either return the cup to the cashier at a participating Starbucks, or open the Starbucks app on the cup return machine in the store, scan the "Return Cup" QR code, and drop them off at the designated location.
The cups are collected, cleaned and sterilized according to government standards to ensure hygiene.
In addition to participating stores, customers will also be able to return rented cups at 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan. It will be easier and more convenient if you can return the cups at many convenience stores in the city, even outside of Starbucks! I hope that Starbucks in Japan will be able to do the same!
Source: Focus Taiwan
Take the Second Hand September challenge! Make your pledge to shop second hand for 30 days.
In our last post about our ten days spent in New York City, we introduce you to "A SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE" Zero Waste Shop & Refillery, which opened in 2021.
This time our New York research is about food. Here are just a few of the things we saw and places we enjoyed during our 10-day stay.


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ByteDance, the owner of rapidly growing social media platform TikTok, has started a joint venture with a state-owned Chinese media group to develop partnerships in blockchain and AI technology.
According to Bloomberg, the venture began last week in Junan, which is the capital of China’s Shandong province.
ByteDance reportedly owns 49% of the new firm, with Shanghai Dongfang Newspaper owning the rest.
The joint venture also comes weeks after an announcement from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who revealed that blockchain technology is vital to the nation’s future.
Business Insider Singapore has commented on the importance of the joint venture amid the trade war between China and the USA.
However, TikTok has now landed itself in hot water with the US government as the app could reportedly pose a security risk via its potential data gathering elements.
The company responded by reiterating that data is stored in America and that the Chinese government has no control over any of the platform’s content, in spite of the joint venture.
For more news, guides, and cryptocurrency analysis, click here.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author should not be considered as financial advice. We do not give advice on financial products.


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The firm, which helps companies employ and pay talent anywhere in the world, will use the funds to expand its global infrastructure and add new capabilities, and for hiring.
The round also saw participation from DST Global Partners, the company said in a release. The latest investment brings Multiplier’s total funding to $77.2 million, and its valuation to $400 million.
The new round comes three months after the company raised funds led by Sequoia Capital India.
Founded in 2020 by Sagar Khatri, Amritpal Singh and Vamsi Krishna, Multiplier helps companies tap global talent pools. Its clients can manage global payroll, provide benefits, insurance and tackle compliance starting at $300 per employee per month and $40 per freelancer per month.
“Country borders shouldn’t hinder the search for the right people for the right roles. We are resetting the mantra that hiring people from abroad is costly, time-consuming, and daunting,” said Sagar Khatri, CEO of Multiplier.
“The team will also roll out the crypto-payroll features so businesses can pay their freelancers in cryptocurrencies," the company said in a statement.
"Today, founders and businesses are not constrained by borders in their thinking. This has been one of the most fascinating trends in the last couple of years and it's a fundamental shift. Several founders across Asia are building for the world from day one and hiring from around the world from day one," said Rohit Agarwal, principal, Sequoia India.
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- Indices End 8-Day Rally Ahead of US Jobs Data
Indian equities reversed their eight-day winning streak Friday, taking a pause on their record-breaking path as traders trimmed bullish bets ahead of key US jobs data and carried lighter positions to next week amid a negative undertone in global markets.Luxe EV Sales on Full Charge, Push up Waiting Period
Luxury carmakers are seeing unprecedented demand for high-end electric vehicles (EVs), with the well-heeled snapping up models such as the Mercedes Benz EQS, BMW iX and Audi e-tron.OpenAI’s Chatbot Thinks Out of the Box, Comes up with Detailed Answers
A new chatbot created by artificial intelligence non-profit OpenAI Inc has taken the internet by storm, as users speculated on its ability to replace everything from playwrights to college essays.
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