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In our 5 minutes with profiles, MEF members talk about their business, their aspirations for the future and the wider mobile industry. This week, CEO, Dr. Ismaeel Makdisi introduces Intigral.
Who/what is Intigral?
Intigral was formed about four years ago in 2009 to fill the digital content gap in the Middle East market. About six to seven years ago, the region’s telecoms sector was undergoing massive changes. It was fast-expanding and there was an immediate need for focused digital media content services. The operators who were now moving to newer business models and expanding their services needed someone who could help ease their transition into the digital media space and support their migration from traditional environments to automated workflows.
We saw an opportunity here and established Intigral to address this need. Today, we act as the hub between telecom companies, media content producers, and end-users. We market, manage and monetize the digital advertising inventory across mobile, web, and IPTV/OTT platforms.
Intigral was formed through a joint-venture between Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and All Asia Networks (ASTRO) to bridge the gap between technology, content, and digital audiences. We provide a suite of digital content solutions to telecoms across IPTV, mobile and online; including convergence capabilities, video on demand, gaming, WAP, APPS, advertising, billing and monetization.
When did Intigral launch and what growth have you seen?
The joint venture was formalized and launched in 2009 and has been operational since.
Intigral is the Middle East’s leading digital hub with two core revenue streams i.e. Business-to-Business-to-consumer (B2B2C) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C). We work with most of the major telco groups in the region and independent operators as well.
Today we have operations in five countries in the Middle East, namely, UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
What are Intigral’s main goals?
Intigral has the know-how to leverage convergent applications, networks, and content to upgrade regional operators’ business and identify optimal means of providing an integrated user experience.
As the only full service digital hub in MENA, Intigral acts as a one-stop-shop for all digital content needs for telecom operators, content owners, application developers, advertisers and consumers. Our aim is to use this strength to raise the industry benchmark and be the leader and knowledge hub of the digital media world in the Middle East.
We leverage this knowledge and collection of insights to build profitable digital media services for our Telco partners and deliver innovations that can act as key differentiators.
Where do you see Intigral in three years’ time?
Intigral is on the verge of a period of intense growth as a company, and aims to expand its portfolio of telecom partners from seven to over thirty-five by 2014.
The rapid growth of the Arab world’s digital content market presents a significant opportunity for the region’s operators to capitalize on their non-voice revenues or VAS (Value Added Services), to boost ARPU (Average Revenue per User), and enhance customer loyalty and retention.
We see Intigral raising the standard of digital content – specifically locally generated Arabic content and becoming the partner of choice for operators who are seeking to leverage digital content in order to differentiate themselves in their local market.
We also see ourselves closely involved in contributing to the growth of the regional developer community. This is an area we want to help support and build in the coming years. Furthermore, to maintain our high level of innovation, we plan on launching a start-up incubator for the MENA region. This platform will offer entrepreneurs in the region access to our industry expertise and access to a revenue pipeline in the markets we are in. Overall, this will benefit the entire ecosystem.
What aspect of mobile is most exciting to you right now?
Well, everything! The Middle East region’s mobile industry has seen immense growth, both in terms of penetration and mobile ARPU, mostly fuelled by a “connected culture” brought upon by growth of smart devices, multi-device customer behaviour and availability of high-speed broadband.
Telecom operators are evolving from being focused on customer acquisition models to customer retention and now to customer experience management.
Operators in the region are working hard to lure smartphone owners to subscribe to data access packages by bringing down the entry barriers through various bundles, sachet pricing, off-peak allowances, and several other innovative tariff options. Moreover, to maximize the digital mobile services opportunity, operators in the region have been upgrading their networks to launch next generation LTE/4G services.
Middle East is also getting a lot of attention from vendors such as Apple, Nokia and Samsung who are working to “smart” up even the entry level devices and introduce feature rich smartphones at affordable price points.
These efforts are not just driving consumers towards mobile internet, but are also promoting adoption of more innovative and personalized service experiences. The media consumption landscape in the region is transforming with consumer’s desire to take advantage of latest apps and content services, and hence on-the-go infotainment and OTT services are becoming a reality. Unlike older days when people had little or no control over their media preferences, today’s consumer has complete freedom to choose and use the entertainment and information mediums according to his own requirements.
What’s the most critical issue that will hit mobile within the next 12 months?
The overall ecosystem will face change in the coming years; and some of this change can be challenging.
Consumer trends will force operators to move away from traditionally protected revenue sources. Increasingly discerning and technology-aware consumers will seek options outside of the telcos to satisfy their mobile lifestyle needs. Smartphone penetration will rise dramatically. Mobile tariffs will rationalize and availability of localized content will increase. Customer experience will be the winning factor – be it in terms of advanced technologies, localized and intuitive interfaces or custom-created content.
Owing to the interest/preference of users for local content, development of Arabic digital content mainly, digitization, translation and creation and reformatting from non-digital Arab content will seek huge demand.
To capitalize on this opportunity, operators will need to explore new customer engagement models, develop niche products for different customer segments, understand how to leverage an ever increasing mass of customer data, and harness new market drivers such as social networking and mobile advertising.
Apart from your own, which mobile companies most impress you?
There are several regional and global companies that are like beacons lighting the way. But if we have to highlight some that would be global majors like Apple, Samsung and Google who have been game changers in the hardware and software segments. They have created pioneering technologies and platforms that entire global ecosystems today thrive on – and in the process changing consumer lifestyles for ever.
Dr. Ismaeel Makdisi is CEO of Intigral – follow them on


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Open Casket, a 4.5% ABV deep-red beer is available across Brains’ pub estate, as well as a number of key wholesalers and retail businesses, throughout October.
The motion-effect pump clip uses lenticular printing – so when a pint is pulled customers will see a changing – and spooky – face.
Bruce Newman, head of marketing at Brains, explains: "Halloween has become one of the biggest seasonal calendar dates so it’s a great opportunity to bring people together over a pint of Brains. It’s so important to tap into customer mood and maximise that opportunity with a beer that stands out on the bar.
"It’s a real talking point – we believe it to be the first ever Halloween beer to use lenticular printing on the pump clip – and has a great bar call. We think customers will be dying to try it this Halloween."

domain: news


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A report found that Facebook is saving up to 800 pages of personal information for each one of its users. While this information shouldn’t be shocking, it does mean that hackers could have a field day with such a large volume of stored personal data.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.


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The Washington Post is focused on selling branded content internationally
The Washington Post has taken more of a slow and steady approach to international expansion compared to some pure-play digital publishers, whose global growth ambitions seem to be tempered. For the next year, the publisher will focus on growing its branded-content capabilities internationally after hiring its first head of marketing for Europe and Asia, Aaron Robinson.
The Post has an international sales team of roughly six people in Europe and Asia mostly focused on selling programmatic and direct deal ads, while branded-content campaigns have been created in the U.S. for international clients. By the end of next year, the Post will have a branded-content studio in London and hopes to have roughly a dozen employees across Europe, according to the publisher. The Post’s global digital advertising revenue has grown 35 percent from last year, according to Paul Tsigrikes, vp of marketing at the Post. In the next year, he expects a 50 percent growth in revenue from digital advertising in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
“The EMEA territory is an engine of growth for us,” he said. “We’re investing for a reason. We’re ready to focus and grow. We have the audience; the name recognition will come. Other folks you’ll see scale back, but we’ll be scaling up.”
Health care brand Sanofi’s rebranding campaign is the Post’s largest European campaign in terms of cost to run in Europe to date. The campaign, which consists of mainly text articles and images about how healthcare is evolving, launched two weeks ago and is also running in the U.S., according to Tsigrikes.
Along with other metrics for branded-content campaigns like scroll depth, pageviews and time spent, the Post scores each branded-content campaign on a scale from 1 to 10 on how well it compares to all the publisher’s other branded-content campaigns and its editorial coverage on the same topic. The publisher has also increased the number of campaigns on which it runs pre- and post-campaign analysis, with its four-person in-house research team based in the States running 20 post-campaign research analysis studies in the last 12 months, up from roughly four the year before, said Tsigrikes.
Branded content is competitive, with the Post competing for budgets against local players that have more resources. The Post said it can differentiate partly through its technology, with its native ad distribution platform Own and a number of native ad formats. Another differentiator is its connection to Washington, D.C., which appeals to certain brands. Richard Stokes, head of content at Wavemaker Global, said the publisher can differentiate by demonstrating how it can create branded content for its 1 million digital subscribers. “With the huge amount of data and understanding on subscribers they could do groundbreaking branded content work with less frequency,” he said. “They would be better placed to understand attribution too.”
Across the industry, publishers are working on bigger-ticket deals with fewer clients. The Post has seen the average cost of branded-content deals increase by 50 percent in the last year. “We’ll chip away at the established players to get the three-monthlong campaigns the way we did in the U.S.,” said Tsigrikes. “We weren’t established with branded content there three years ago.”
The Post previously told Digiday that it generates over $100 million from digital advertising globally and claims it has 90 million monthly unique users in the U.S. and 30 million in Europe, which it doesn’t break out by region. In October, the Post had 3.6 million monthly uniques in the U.K., according to comScore. For comparison, comScore indicates The New York Times had 6 million monthly uniques and The Atlantic had 2.8 million monthly uniques in October.
The Post has invested in international expansion editorially, according to Tsigrikes. At the end of January, the publisher launched a dedicated daily newsletter for global audiences, WorldViews, which Tsigrikes said has grown to 250,000 subscribers. The Post will also launch its first London editorial conference, PostLive, in February. Of course, being privately owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos means the Post can invest strategically over a longer term without expecting a return on investment within the quarter.
“We’re learning from our content amplification and applying it to Europe,” said Tsigrikes. “Being 12 months behind competitors is not a problem. We’re learning from their mistakes: Don’t hire 15 people in London if you don’t have clients there.”
‘We’re seeing a wide spectrum of feelings’: Reopening of society and offices is causing unexpected anxiety
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‘Brands tend to be selective’: OMG report offers options to media buyers facing upfront inventory crunch
With a tight upfront TV marketplace expected, one agency group is recommending alternatives in video and CTV.


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Companies are often behind on device patch management.
This is one of the findings from research by Jamf into the most important threats to devices in the workplace that occurred in the past year. A very important risk is that patch management on corporate (mobile) devices is not in order.
According to the survey, 64 percent of vulnerable devices work with collaboration platforms and 34 percent use corporate e-mail. That these devices are vulnerable, according to the researchers, means that little attention is paid to routine patch management. Even more striking was that one in five companies had not updated operating systems.
Social engineering and privacy
Another Jamf conclusion is that social engineering, particularly phishing, posed the biggest threat to organizations in 2022. More than a third of respondents had at least one employee fall victim to phishing last year.
In addition, privacy is becoming increasingly important. The survey found that personal information is often collected without consent. Also, information is more often resold or misused by companies in social engineering attacks.
Decrease in malware and stricter security requirements
The study also shows that by 2022 the number of malware infections will have decreased from 150 million to 100 million. However, multiple types of malware and other threats are increasingly being combined in an attack on companies.
For example, Jamf found that during one month, more than half of the compromised devices connected to a conferencing platform, more than a third to a business e-mail system, 12 percent to a CRM platform and 9 percent to cloud storage.
It was also found that companies are paying increasing attention to more stringent security requirements. This is due to having to meet laws, regulations and compliance, as well as the rise of home or hybrid working.
However, the researchers found that nearly a quarter of the employee devices surveyed were not yet configured correctly for this purpose. This made them vulnerable to potential risks.
Risk third-party app stores
Finally, Jamf’s researchers give attention to the use of third-party app stores. These app stores sometimes offer versions of legitimate apps that contain malicious code that then infects the devices.
Android devices in particular are at risk of being affected by this malware. The study shows that one in five Android devices connects to a third-party app store. For iOS devices, this risk is extremely low.


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A businessman, has being granted GHc 150,000 bail with two sureties to be justified by persons living within Accra, for stealing $50,000 belonging to a friend, by a circuit court.
John Hammond, 44, who allegedly sold two cars belonging to his friend, and stole the money, pleaded not guilty to two counts of stealing.
The court presided over by Ms Afia Owusua , adjourned the case to May 10.
Chief Inspector GuliverTenkorang told the court that the complainant, Eric Botchway, resident in the United States of America, shipped two vehicles valued at USD25,000.00 (GHC178,633,17,) and USD25,000.00, respectively to the accused to sell for him.
Prosecution said complainant after shipping the vehicles, sent total cost of duty and clearing charges on the two vehicles to accused and he (accused) cleared the vehicles.
Chief Insp Tenkorang said “Hammond after clearing the vehicles, first sold one of the cars, but failed to account for the proceeds to the complainant,” prosecution said.
The court heard that in 2019, accused again sold the second vehicle and failed to give the money to complainant and rather said the vehicles had not been sold.
Chief Insp Tenkorang said that when complainant visited Ghana the same year, he confronted accused after he realised accused had sold the cars.
Prosecution said Hammond pleaded with the complainant to give him some time to refund the money, but did not fufil his promise.
Chief Insp Tenkorang told the court that complainant reported the case to the police, leading to the arrest of accused.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU


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It’s the mid-afternoon lull at Grand Central Market, lunch rush past, but with customers still ordering tacos or squeezing the produce at the downtown Los Angeles institution, a collection of more than 75 vendors under one roof at the base of Bunker Hill.
Lydia Clarke will soon be among them. It’s Dec. 11, and we are behind the counter of her bare stand, talking about the effort that will soon put a sister location to Claremont’s The Cheese Cave in a vastly different environment.
The result is DTLA Cheese, or at least it will be once inspectors allow the cases and shelves to be stocked and sales to begin. DTLA is a hip acronym for downtown L.A.
Anticipation is building. A passerby, seeing four of us talking at the stall, inquires when it will open. He addresses the nearest person behind the counter, who happens to be me.
I quickly defer to Clarke, who says perhaps by this Friday.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on this sign,” the man says. “I’m a big cheese guy.”
Clarke is anxious too. The process of renovating an old space and bringing it up to code, which began shortly after the lease was signed in March, has been daunting.
“I can’t believe I thought we could open in August,” she says with a rueful chuckle.
By the following Tuesday, fire and building inspections had been passed, leaving only the health inspection. “We’ll be open by the weekend. Everything’s rolling,” Clarke reports.
You read it here first.
Grand Central Market has been part of the downtown L.A. scene for nearly a century. Angels Flight, currently grounded again, is across Hill Street from the west entrance, the Bradbury Building across Broadway from the east entrance. Downtown office workers rub shoulders with working-class immigrants at lunchtime.
That scene is a far cry from the Cheese Cave, and Claremont for that matter. Occupying a former travel agency at 325 Yale Ave., Cheese Cave opened in the low-rise Village in 2010, owned and operated by sisters Lydia and Marnie Clarke, and immediately became a local fixture.
The shop sells more than 100 varieties of cheese, as well as crackers — gotta have crackers — and other specialty food items. Not only is a cheese shop unique to the region, but the personable Clarke sisters have built a loyal community among customers in a food-oriented town.
Cheese is their mission. Their grandfather founded Alta Dena Dairy in 1945 and their parents were also in the dairy business. “Dairy is in our blood and in our bones,” Lydia jokes. Partnering to open a cheese shop put a fresh spin on a family legacy. They’re so evangelical about dairy products, they could host mass conversions for vegans.
The Clarkes began talking last year about expanding. They each had fiances who had joined the shop, and with other employees and relatives, it was getting crowded. And as creative types, they needed a new challenge.
Originally they thought they’d open a shop in Palm Springs. “So many of our customers beg us to expand to Redlands or Riverside. We thought we would expand further east,” Lydia says.
But then the sisters were approached by Grand Central Market.
They had met Joseph Shuldiner, a cookbook author who runs the Altadena Farmers Market, through Steve and Gloria Rudicel, who run The Press restaurant in Claremont. Shuldiner was also among the partners hired to rethink and update Grand Central Market. He approached the Clarkes in late 2012 about being the market’s cheesemonger.
“We never thought about expanding west until they approached us,” Lydia says. The Clarkes were looking at storefronts in Palm Springs when they decided the L.A. offer was too good an opportunity to pass up.
Planning and renovation began in a space formerly occupied by a produce vendor that had been out of business for a decade. Various unpermitted alterations had been made over the years, complicating the process. Adding a stove and range hood proved time-consuming as well.
DTLA Cheese will make hot sandwiches using seasonal ingredients, crafted by Reed Herrick, Lydia’s boyfriend, who attended culinary school and cooked in restaurants in San Francisco and Napa. They’ll sell box lunches and cheese plates to the downtown crowd and make items for the Claremont shop, which doesn’t have a kitchen.
“You can’t just take what we do in Claremont and do it in the Market,” Lydia says. “This is a city. It should feel different, taking those things we love about Claremont but making it work for an urban market.”
Clarke and Herrick relocated from La Verne to an apartment above the market in August. That’s allowed them to oversee the construction of their stall — clad in handmade white tiles that remind Lydia of wheels of cheese — and be on hand for inspections and visits to City Hall.
Since they don’t yet have a shop to run, they commute to Claremont via Metrolink; a subway stop is near the market.
DTLA Cheese is among the early wave of foodie businesses that have taken over vacant spaces in the market: a juice presser, a Thai kitchen, a coffeehouse, an egg specialist, a bakery — which a sign proclaims is “proudly serving” Augie’s Coffee from Redlands, another 909 connection — and a Texas-style barbecue. A Jewish deli, an oyster bar and a butcher are on the way.
Not just any butcher, mind you, but one from San Francisco, with meats emanating from a “vertically integrated organic slaughterhouse.” This stall will be so close, and yet so far, from the popular Grand Central Market eatery that still advertises chop suey, its counter seats crowded by retirees.
DTLA Cheese will have grab-and-go sandwiches and other items for those who aren’t especially curious about the provenance of their cheese. Carrying that idea further, maybe a corner of a refrigerated case can be set aside for Kraft American Singles. Or, among the artisanal cheeses, they can have one or two in aerosol versions.
The staff could say: “This cheese will pair wonderfully with our imported stone-ground wheat crackers, or you can spray it directly in your mouth.”
Christophe Farber, the market’s day to day manager — in other words, one of its big cheeses — tells me that as pioneers, DTLA Cheese suffered through the development process so that others won’t have to.
“The market will be better because of the patience and determination these guys have shown,” Farber says. “In five years, we expect them to be such a big part of the market, these weeks will be forgotten.”
Now stop for a moment and think about what this move represents. In the 909, we’re used to waiting for anything hip, from restaurant chains to awards-season movies, to come to us after L.A. has already approved them. Cheese Cave will be in the almost unheard-of position of starting in the 909 and expanding to L.A.
“Oh, DTLA Cheese?” you can say airily to your L.A. friends. “I’m so pleased you’ve discovered it, darling. The original in Claremont is such a gem. You’ve been there, of course?”
David Allen writes Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, cheesily. Contact firstname.lastname@example.org or 909-483-9339, visit insidesocal.com/davidallen, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.


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DealShare, a social commerce startup and e-tailer, has raised Rs 70 crore ($9.2 million) from venture debt provider Alteria Capital.
“We believe DealShare is poised to play a pivotal role in bringing e-commerce to the masses in India to serve their recurring shopping needs.
The company also empowers regional brands to participate in the e-commerce revolution and connect directly to the end consumer,” said Ankit Agarwal, partner at Alteria Capital.
DealShare had last month raised Rs 25 crore from another venture debt provider InnoVen Capital. The development came after grocery-focused DealShare raised $21 million in a round led by private equity firm Westbridge Capital in December 2020.
DealShare, operated by Merabo Labs Pvt Ltd, was founded by Vineet Rao, Sourjyendu Medda, Sankar Bora, Rishav Dev and Rajat Shikhar.
The company sources products directly from local manufacturers and suppliers. Every item on its platform is offered at a discount. Its services are targeted at middle and lower-income people in smaller cities and towns.
Alteria Capital was founded in 2017 by Vinod Murali and Ajay Hattangdi, who were top executives at InnoVen. Alteria Capital has made at least 25 investments in startups such as Dunzo, Lendingkart and Faasos parent Rebel Foods.
Earlier this year, it invested Rs 90 crore (about $12.3 million) in digital payments firm BharatPe.
Venture debt has become an integral part of a startup’s funding cycle in India over the past couple of years as it rarely involves stake dilution by founders and provides companies with more time to grow.
The social commerce space has recorded several transactions in the last couple of years.
For instance, Fashnear Technologies, which runs social ecommerce platform Meesho, raised $300 million in a growth funding round early this month, valuing the company at $2.1 billion. The round was led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.
The social commerce space faces competition from influencer-led ecommerce platforms such as Bulbulshop as well as from content-led commerce models like short video app Trell.


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Another American Idol season has come and gone. We have a winner – Scotty McCreery! And while this is not the most important news of the week given all the devastation created by severe weather, I was inspired by the two young teens who made it to the finals. Were they the most talented of all the people who auditioned and made it to Hollywood? Maybe. Maybe not. But the show had its moments and I want to talk about a few of them.
Those of you who regularly read my blog know how upset I become when retailers market push up bras to 8 year-olds and moms take their young children to spas for bikini and leg waxing. Well last week took the cake and I can’t ignore the story because it speaks to a sick cultural obsession – beauty at any cost.
This is my first Mother’s Day without my mom. She passed away before Christmas of 2010 and it will be sad to not talk to her, send her flowers, and recall fond memories. But for those of you who still have your moms, this is a time to honor her and make it a special day. Honoring mom will be easy for some of you, but more difficult for others.


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News on Fashion continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.
1 hr ago | Albany Times Union
This Jan. 19, 2014 file photo shows Lady Gaga at the showing of the Atelier Versace Spring-Summer 2014 Haute Couture fashion collection in Paris.
Trending on the Topix Network
6 hrs ago | Newkerala.com
New Delhi, March 11 : Tarun Tahiliani has been named the opening designer of the forthcoming edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2014, to be held here starting March 26. The five-day fashion event will be held at Pragati Maidan here.
10 hrs ago | Fabsugar
Few things are more glamorous in this world than the history of the couture house Dior.
14 hrs ago | DailyCandy
We began making ourselves at home at beachy boutique Cabana in May 2006. But for the last five months, we've spent more of our paycheck down the street at owner Merry Vose's latest fashion fixture, Canary.
18 hrs ago | My Fashion Life
Whether it's somewhere to splash out, to eat or simply to stay a few nights , the shopping malls, restaurants and hotels in Dubai showcase the very finest in luxury, so it's no surprise that the trendsetting emirates are fast becoming a major player in the fashion world.
Burberry Korea on Monday announced that it would sue a local underwear maker for abusing its idiosyncratic tartan pattern and infringing the trademark law.
Lyndsey Scott is a New York City model working for Prada, Gucci and Victoria's Secret.
Los Angeles, March 11: British designer Stella McCartney believes her designs reflect her personality and so, she is always conscious of making relevant yet timeless pieces.
This Spring "Think Pink!", as quoted from one my most favorite films, Funny Face.
The City of Light was the place to be last week. Tons of stylish stars were out and about during Paris Fashion Week.
Apparently Robert Lee Morris has defied the dictionary definition of what constitutes an accessory.
British singer Harry Styles from the band One Direction arrives to attend the presentation of the Burberry Autumn/Winter 2014 collection during London Fashion Week The Sun reported that Leo was so impressed with the One Direction singer that he invited him over to his residence to discuss women and work.
Karl Lagerfeld and a Macau casino operator announced plans Friday for the Chanel designer to create his first hotel.
The name Olsen may bring to mind two quite popular sisters in the fashion industry, but there's another name-twin worth committing to memory.
London, March 8 : Skirts have been given an edge for 2014 with asymmetrical hemlines, which are not only making waves at fashion runways but also as part of high street fashion.
From Monday designer creations from some of the famous names in fashion will arrive at Cancer Research UK shops as part of the Tatler Treasure Hunt.


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09 Jan 2019 What’s hot in marketing for 2019
Towards the end of last year, I got to experience the madness of MAD//Fest, discovering the latest in marketing and tech. Here’s a round-up of the top 3 trends that will make their mark on marketing in 2019 – garnered from Missguided, Not on the High Street, Moonpig, Tenzing, Uber and Goodvertising author Thomas Kolster.
GOING AU NAT-IVE
The average human has a shorter attention span than a goldfish. With so much attention deficiency out there – and reportedly only 16% of advertising passing through – how can brands cut through? Native advertising says Missguided’s Digital Marketing Director, Nick Bamber. Ad-blocking and the rise of platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, that have been built to camouflage ads, have led to an increase in native advertising spend. Missguided coupled up with reality TV series Love Island as its official clothing sponsor last summer. Viewers could shop Missguided clothes worn by contestants in the villa directly through the Love Island app; a move which saw the online fashion retailer’s sales increase by 40% week on week. Bamber stressed that relevancy is crucial for native ads. The winning formula, he argues, is merging the right message, at the right time and place to the right audience.
DO TAKE IT PERSONALLY
Most personalised ads are personalised but not personal, says Not on the High Street’s Penny Parnell. These ‘personalised’ ads forget you’re human and make assumptions about you, rather than suggestions. We’ve become too reliant on tech and forgotten the need for a human touch, Parnell argues. According to her, creativity needs to be added into the mix to access and segment data better; e.g. segmenting by music or what people find funny – going beyond segmenting by age and gender. This as a result, will deliver better, more meaningful personal experiences.
Moonpig’s recent marketing refresh has also been sparked by an ambition to “put the emotion back into occasion”. Despite being the leader in the online card market and renowned for its distinctive jingle, Moonpig customers weren’t associating the brand with the emotional aspect of giving and receiving a card. Speaking at MAD//FEST, CMO Andre Rickerby admits that “as a brand we didn’t fully realise we are actually an intermediary in that journey, which gives us permission to move into this space”. Its new brand positioning therefore has much more focus on emotion: ‘unleash the caring instinct and cultivate the caring habit’.
STAY TRUE TO YOUR BRAND PURPOSE
Another hot topic at MAD//FEST was brand purpose. Tenzing founder Huib van Bockel kicked off Day 1 by sharing his plant-based energy drink’s brand journey. Inspired by the natural energy brew that the Sherpa people drink on Mount Everest, Van Bockel named his drink after Tenzing Norgay – one of the first two individuals to reach the elusive summit. Huib admitted that he can’t compete with the marketing budgets of big dogs Red Bull & Coca Cola. But what he can do is offer a remarkable product with a strong brand purpose. And he’s done just that. Tenzing is sold on Mount Everest and throughout Nepal – its 2nd market after the UK. The brand is also dedicated to clearing litter along the trail to the summit – a great example of a brand that is staying true to its brand story.
The need for a strong brand purpose resounded with Uber’s Kelly McConville too. Acknowledging that whilst Uber has “done the innovation thing” and disrupted the market with a viral product, it hasn’t cracked marketing. The number of trips decreasing for the first time in Uber history in 2017 sparked a brand transformation. With a shift in focus from price to purpose, the ride-sharing company has introduced a new mantra: “we do the right thing, period”. So, when Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on women driving, Uber ran an entire campaign on the topic. It also has plans to pilot a new feature to encourage women to become Uber drivers in Saudi Arabia.
In his keynote, Goodvertising author Thomas Kolster echoed Tenzing and Uber sentiments on the importance of brand purpose. Whilst more and more big brands have embraced purpose in the past few years, Kolster questions their authenticity. Brands are too focused on sharing the good they’re doing, rather than doing good. Kolster argues that brands need to live their purpose – fight for it. And not just say that they stand for something.
Want to know what else is in store for 2019? Check out 12 trends that the Decidedly team predicts will shake up the business landscape this year.


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Egyptian authorities are taking precautionary measures to stem the wave of rising prices that hit the Egyptian market in recent months.
The measures, introduced at the beginning of the year, include steps to prevent price manipulation and an increase in the number of food outlets run by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade and the Armed Forces, which are offering items at very competitive prices, officials tell Al-Mashareq.
Merchants are manipulating prices by hoarding large quantities of basic food items and using similar tactics to manipulate foreign currency prices, said Sami Gheit, a researcher with Al-Sharq Centre for Regional and Strategic Studies.
Security agencies affiliated with the Egyptian police in co-operation with the Ministry of Supply’s Investigation Bureau carried out dozens of raids on warehouses of merchants who hoarded merchandise to sell on the black market, he said.
Additional quantities of basic consumables also were made available to control the market and rising prices, he said.
Curbing price manipulations
The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade "deployed many mobile kiosks in all Egyptian provinces to sell food items, meat, fish and fowl at competitive prices", said Amr Mukhtar, director of the ministry's chamber of planning.
The aim is to help "the average limited-income citizen cope with the current reality of rising prices", he told Al-Mashareq.
"For example, the price of one kilogramme of meat in the supermarkets is more than 80 pounds [$4], and as high as 120 pounds [$7], but stands at only 50 pounds [$3] at the [ministry's] outlets, a price that is not much different from what it was before the wave of rising prices," he said.
The ministry is also closely controlling the distribution of subsidised food that citizens can obtain at very low prices, Mukhtar said.
"Thousands of ineligible beneficiaries have been taken off the lists and scores have been prosecuted for holding forged [subsidy] cards or selling their cards on the black market in complicity with some merchants," he said.
In addition to intensified market monitoring patrols, Egyptian authorities also are cracking down on currency exchange shops after the Central Bank’s decision to liberalise the exchange rate of the Egyptian pound, said Raed al-Salamouni, a market inspector in Cairo.
"Dozens of currency exchange shops have been shut down for violations and attempts to manipulate exchange rates," he told Al-Mashareq.
Al-Salamouni said that through his interaction with Egyptians on a daily basis, he noticed that mobile and fixed sales outlets have indeed alleviated the situation for the average citizen.
The monitoring patrols deployed by the Ministry of Supply also have had an impact on curbing attempts to exploit the situation, he added.
Absorbing youth in new jobs
It was clear during the recent period that "many terrorist groups including the 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) and others, tried hard to keep conditions in Egypt unstable", Al-Sharq Centre's Gheit said.
"One of the most important gaps that terrorist ideology uses to infiltrate any society are [tough] economic conditions and the resulting social instability," he said.
"Those who espouse terrorist ideas brainwash youth to incite them against the ruling authorities and goad them to carry out terrorist acts to express their anger," he added.
Thousands of job opportunities were created in recent months, he said, with the establishment of massive projects in many provinces, particularly in the Suez region along the new canal.
The excavation works, construction of residential complexes, digging of tunnels, establishment of fish farms and logistics centres for ship maintenance "have provided jobs to thousands of young Egyptians of all specialisations who are native to the region, as well as those from other provinces", he said.
"Many smart villages and cities have been built in Upper Egypt provinces such as Sohag and Assiut, to provide job opportunities to the people of the region and stop their migration to Cairo in search of work," he said.
These measures helped "instill a sense of reassurance and safety in the provinces, cities and villages of Upper Egypt", Gheit said.


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New Delhi: If you get frustrated at the very thought of connecting with your mobile service provider for the time it takes to complete an interaction, there is hope. A new Ericsson report on Monday said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation have the potential to solve such issues with minimal effort.
Currently, it takes customers on average 2.2 attempts and 4.1 days to successfully complete an interaction with their mobile service providers, said the Ericsson “Consumer and IndustryLab” report.
For the study, titled “Zero Touch Customer Experience”, responses from approximately 7,000 online interviews with smartphone users aged 16 years and over across the globe were analysed.
The results showed that consumers expect telecom service providers to match leading digital consumer experiences.
More than half (56 per cent) of the smartphone users expect operators to anticipate their needs even before they realise what they are, it said.
The new zero-touch methods, such as those used in voice-enabled home assistant devices such as Amazon Alexa, can do away with need of typing, clicking and swiping on our devices.
This is setting consumer expectations for interactions with companies, including telecom service providers, the report said.
“The zero-touch customer experience report shows that zero-touch experiences are now an expectation of their customers,” Pernilla Jonsson, Head of Ericsson Consumer and IndustryLab, said in a statement.
Today, smartphone users interact with operators across multiple touch points — from discovering offerings and signing up to services, to requesting support for ending a contract.
Consumers believe telecom service providers treat these touchpoints like they are isolated interactions.
The report highlights that mobile service providers can leapfrog to a zero-touch customer experience future by harnessing the power of AI and analytics.
Enabled by AI, telecom service providers could use data from earlier interactions and consumer behaviour to predict what consumers need before they even contact them for support.
“Telecom service providers could leapfrog one-click and move from multiple-click to zero-touch by deploying future technologies in their customer offerings,” Jonsson said.


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Complementary medicine giants including Blackmores and Swiss will be allowed to brand export products with the respected "Australian Made" logo, after a review by the Morrison government.
Recent court rulings had stopped medicine and supplements manufacturers from branding some products as Australian made where they were manufactured locally using wholly imported ingredients.
Following pressure from Labor and the $4.9 billion complementary healthcare sector, Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews has decided complementary medicines by continue to access the logo.
Medicine products manufactured in Australian facilities regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration will be allowed to market products overseas as being Australian made and will be allowed to use the official Australian Made logo.
The sector, which employs about 29,000 people in Australia, was subject to a review by a taskforce established in December to consider rules limiting the use of country-of-origin labelling.
“This is a decision which will provide certainty for consumers and industry, and exports from this sector contribute about $1 billion to our economy," Ms Andrews told The Australian Financial Review.
“Consumers, whether they be in Australia, China, India or elsewhere can be confident that products using the logo are manufactured to the highest standards.”
In February, supplements giant Blackmores slammed the restrictions on branding its products as Australian made and called for an urgent change to regulation from the federal government.
Then outgoing chief executive Richard Henfrey said the restrictions were "simply ludicrous" and were damaging to the growing export market, which supports more than 80 factories in Australia.
Mr Henfrey left the company at the end of last month.
The government said the decision would help Australian businesses take advantage of access to new and bigger markets, including through free-trade agreements signed with China, Japan, Korea and Indonesia.
“The Australian Made logo can be of great benefit to local industry as a universal, high-brand recognition, point of difference to other products," Ms Andrews said.
“Its use demonstrates to consumers that they can have the confidence that a vitamin or mineral supplement carrying the Australian Made logo has been manufactured in Australia to the highest quality standards."
Labor's spokesman on industry, innovation, science and research, Kim Carr, has pursued the government over the rule change.
In February, Senator Carr accused the Coalition of misunderstanding the complexity of country-of-origin rules through a series of ministerial changes, risking $170 million in wages.
In 2018, there was $936 million in exports based on the Complementary Medicines Australia and Austrade definitions.
More than 56 per cent of the trade went to Chinese consumers — worth more than $526 million — ahead of lucrative markets in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Vietnam and South Korea.
Marcus Blackmore, the 73-year-old major shareholder of the vitamins group, said in March he would be trying to supercharge a reinvigoration of the company, which delivered a poor first-half result in February as China sales softened substantially.
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New Products, Growth and Good News Reported at Win-doorDecember 1st, 2014 by Editor
When Win-door North America wrapped up before those in the U.S. celebrated Thanksgiving, it was evident that door and window companies in both the U.S. and Canada have a lot for which to be thankful.
Chris Dimou, president Roto North America, reported that business has doubled organically in the last five years. “It’s encouraging to see that happen the last couple of years and especially this year the market has been developing so this is also very positive.”
He also reported that the company’s new Corner Drive product has received great feedback from its customers.
Diane Huybers, business manager at Windowmaker Software, also said “it has been a great year thus far for the U.S. and Canada.”
And the proof is in the buying, so to speak. On the machinery side, Joe Shaheen, director of sales and marketing for GED Integrated Solutions, reported that the company sold the RoboClean product on display at its booth to a Canadian customer.
As always, there were many new products on display, and several of them were on the door side. Novatech always has a variety of products on display and this year was no different. One of the products was an 8-foot door. “There is a real trend for 8-foot doors,” said Brigitte Cantin, marketing manager.
But the star of the show may have been the company’s new integrated aluminum mini blinds.
“Everyone wants it,” said Cantin. “We have had a huge response to this product.”
The company also unveiled its gliding garden door which can match the entry door and patio door starting in 2015. The unit on display also had an integrated retractable screen.
Cantin also highlighted the Barcello door which she says took two years to develop and offers privacy that complies with the new building code in Canada that goes into effect in 2015.
Novatech wasn’t the only company talking to attendees about building code compliance. At the Therma-Tru booth, Sarah Brainard, marketing specialist, reported that they were focused on letting attendees know that the company’s products are tested to meet the new National Building Code of Canada.
“We want people to know we are testing and getting ready for that,” she said.
The company also displayed four new decorative glasses and unveiled its new 7-foot doors. At the Mastergrain booth, Ken Kussen, business manager, said attendees were “really liking the new designs” on display.
He pointed out one door with a flush skin that is available with V-grooves.
“Fiberglass didn’t have the flexibility wood did and now we do,” said Kussen.
The company also displayed a 42 inch door with a square top. “No one has a square top, especially in this market,” said Kussen. “That’s all they want.”
The company also just purchased another moulding press, which should be operational in the spring.
Also, Laurentide unveiled its new Uraqua, which is an all water-based low VOC coating that can be used on any substrate.
“We are getting a ton of interest in this,” said Laurentide’s Robert Nadra.
All in all it was a great year for Win-door to celebrate its 20th anniversary. DWM spoke to Raymond Oulette, chairman of the board of Novatech who was involved when the Win-door show was formed 20 years ago. He was serving as president of Fenestration Canada at the time.
“Jim Parker came to us and strongly suggested a show like this,” he said. “We really needed a show for the window and door industry in Canada.”
When asked if Win-door will continue for 20 more he said, “Our industry needs the show for 20 more years.”
Win-door 2015 will be held November 3-5 in Toronto.


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If we talk about hottest technology trends 2014, the neoteny of Wearable devices is the most rugged technology so far. After the huge and successful marketing campaign for the Samsung Galaxy Gear, many companies like LG, Sony, Broadcoam, and ZTE are already working on the technology of Wearable devices. While Sony is almost ready with its smart watch SMW 2, LG has also joined the suit with its smart watch ‘G Arch’ to be launched in February, 2014.
Wearable devices would certainly be the most trending technology in 2014 but would that include the smart watches and Google Glasses?
Tech analyst Tim Bajarin in his interview with FoxNews.com considers all the attempts by Samsung and Google to enter the industry of Wearable devices as a mere failure. He considers that smart watches only appeal to ultra geeks and would be of no use to normal people and therefore, won’t go main stream at anytime in 2014.
Then what should we expect in Wearable devices?
In 2014, wearables would be your new ‘get fit & stay healthy’ devices. Wellness technology is what that is expected to work in the coming year. Exercise trackers, heart rate monitors, activity monitors, pedometers, step counters and other such Wearable Fitness Devices are expected to generate revenue of approximately $1.6 billion in 2014.
Wearable Devices for Health & Fitness
In what form would these devices be available in market? They maybe wristbands or embedded sensors in your clothes or shoes. There would be apps available for free so as to utilize such Wearable Devices.
But such a prediction, no matter how strong and logical it is, raised certain questions in my mind.
What’s the future of smartphones? Predictions also say that smart phones are going to be bigger and if we consider it to be true, we would obviously need devices like Samsung Gear so as to access normal features like calling or texting. Won’t we?
If smart watches are too ultra geek types, then why do we consider wearable fitness devices to be the ones for ‘normal type’ people?
What I believe is that Wearable Devices would obviously be the hot ones in 2014 but I certainly disagree with the prediction which doubts the future of smart watches and smart glasses. What do you think?
Share your views with me in the comments. Also, don’t forget to so as to get the latest posts right in your inbox. This is just the second post in the series. I am going to talk about a few more emerging technologies in the series
who said smartwatches are for ultra geeks?..wearable tech once combined with fashion will be the Next Big Thing in tech world..recently smartRings are announced in CES2014 which will help to control ur smartphone once u put it on..its just that not everybody is seeking interest in it bcz of high cost.But thing like G Glass is surely a master piece…BTW nyc article..
Hello Manpreet, First of all I am very sorry for replying so late. I had been away for a week and didn’t have internet access.
And I completely agree with the cost factor. Not everyone can afford a smart watch till now. Moreover, the kind of features are still limited.
Thank you for liking this article. There are going to be a few more in the series of Hottest Technology Trends 2014. This is the second one.
And yes, I have already visited your blog and I am greatly impressed by your work. I have a few suggestions which I would be sharing with you very soon. 🙂
KEEP VISITING FINIX POST 🙂
No worries at all.I agree with you on limited features but am sure the coming tech will definitely fill the empty spots.Thanks for the review btw.Am still working on the site.But you are doing amazing with this blog.Really nyc stuff to read here.will be sharing with friends for sure. 🙂
Do you know about the Contact lens project of Google? That is the real wearable device for an ultra geek. Though the patents mention that it will be doing glucose monitoring and will be using a tiny camera to assist a person who has weak eye sight but its application area is far more wider than that. It carries a potential to replace the glass even.
Hey Nitin, I haven’t read about this project yet. Thanks for bringing that to my notice. I would certainly check it out.
You are welcome. If you click on my name you will be redirected to an article on the topic. If you want I can draft a guest post for you on the same topic.


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22 charged in NY identity fraud ring
Authorities announced charges Tuesday against 22 people involved in an alleged identity theft ring.
Seven of them, including two New York City-based employees of the Department of Motor Vehicles, allegedly sold more than 200 New York state driver’s licenses and other identification documents in stolen identities, netting more than $1 million.
In addition, 15 customers who allegedly obtained DMV documents in stolen identities from the ring were charged in separate complaints.
Read more on ABC.


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"By welcoming Arrivalist to AirDNA, we’re accelerating our growth trajectory and reinforcing our commitment to delivering industry-leading insights to our customers. The union of our powerful data platforms will provide businesses with unrivaled intelligence, empowering them to strategize with increased precision" — Demi Horvat, CEO, AirDNA
"We’re delighted to join with AirDNA to bring customers even more insights, resources and innovative products. Bringing together these two powerhouses creates tremendous opportunities for future growth and continued innovation." — Cree Lawson, CEO and Founder, Arrivalist.
Tourism Insights is AirDNA’s new intelligence hub geared specifically for destination marketers, researchers, and tourism pros. The all-new platform is a synthesis of the travel industry’s two crucial data sets — AirDNA short-term rental data, and Arrivalist visitation intelligence.


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American fashion company Ralph Lauren has set a new goal to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
The announcement is part of the company’s recently published Global Citizenship and Sustainability Report, which provides an update on its Design the Change initiative.
Other goals the company has revealed include gaining Cradle to Cradle certification for five iconic products by 2025; creating resale and recycling experiences for consumers by 2022; and producing 100 percent recycled cotton products of high quality by 2025.
Ralph Lauren is also launching Color on Demand, a fabric processing initiative that aims to lead to the world’s first zero wastewater cotton dying process.
“The convergence of the global pandemic, climate crisis, and call to action to dismantle systemic racism has been a catalyst for the business community to focus and accelerate its progress toward a more equitable and sustainable future,” said Patrice Louvet, president and CEO of Ralph Lauren in a release.
He added, “We embrace that call to action wholeheartedly at Ralph Lauren, demonstrated by the progress our teams have made in the last year – including our increased transparency, climate goal and integration of ESG metrics into executive remuneration.
“As we look to the future, we will continue identifying ways to accelerate this work through partnership and collaboration that can deliver positive impact at scale.”
Ralph Lauren has also deepened its transparency with increased diversity data, climate data, and factory data disclosures.


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Have your eye on a new Mercedes? It is going to cost you.
The new 2023 Mercedes-AMG SL comes with a more than $137,000 price tag, Jalopnik reports. That makes it the most expensive Mercedes has ever rolled out.
“The highly anticipated 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL represents the rebirth of an icon, returning to its roots with a classic soft top and sporty character, as well as a luxurious 2+2 seat roadster suitable for everyday use,” Mercedes said in a recent announcement. “With its stunning design, state-of-the-art technology and exceptional driving characteristics, the new 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL sets a new standard in the luxury sports car segment.”
Buyers can choose between two trims. The AMG SL 55 is the base model, which starts at $137,400). The top-line model is the AMG SL 63, which starts at $178,100. Those price tags do not include the $1,050 destination charge that comes with the purchase.
The pricey new wheels hit the road as car buyers are facing surging loan payments.
Monthly car loan payments reached an average of $653 in June, a record high, according to data compiled by Edmunds. Almost 13% of new car buyers financed at upwards of $1,000 a month, also a new record and roughly three times the share just two years earlier.
The price point could cause some problems for the luxury automaker, Jalopnik’s Lawrence Hodge points out.
“Starting at nearly $140,000 puts the SL in a weird gray area between cars that perform better and cost the same, or does the same luxury GT dance for cheaper,” Hodge writes. “Not to mention it now costs more than the outgoing AMG GT ($118,000). A Porsche 911 will likely cost the same and perform better at this price point as you can either pick up a 4S convertible that’ll compete with the SL 55 or a Turbo convertible that competes with the SL 63.”
Meanwhile, Mercedes is struggling to ensure that its vehicles are safe to drive.
The company announced in July that it was recalling some 1 million ML and GL sport utility vehicles and R-class minivans built between 2004 and 2015. Mercedes said brakes may fail in the vehicles because of corrosion.
The company said four months earlier that it was recalling some 2022 EQS electric vehicles because of a defect that posed a fire risk.
California Lemon Law Rights
Mercedes is not alone. Major auto manufacturers call back millions of vehicles around the globe every year. These moves often come long after defective cars have left factory floors and been sold to unsuspecting buyers.
There is good news: California car owners have valuable rights and protections under the state’s lemon law.
The lemon law requires car manufacturers to perform a wide range of repairs on vehicles under warranty and to buy back cars that they are unable or not willing to fix. That means compensating the owner for the vehicle’s purchase price, as well as financing charges, rental car costs and other related expenses.
How Our Lawyers Can Help You
If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle or are haggling with a car manufacturer over repairs, the California lemon lawyers at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.


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Realme officially announced that it will hold the air launch of the new GT series of Realme at 14:00 on July 21. It will cooperate with Fukasawa Naoto once again to awaken the travel memory with synesthetic design.
Realme, which has been preheated many times before, will release a “master version of the phone” this month, which it calls “the peak of image” and “the peak of screen”.
According to the information previously exposed, Realme GT Master Edition will be equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chip, using a 6.5-inch 90Hz FHD+ screen, built-in 4500mAh capacity battery, supporting 65W fast charge. It adopts 8/12GB LPDDR4X operation storage and 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage, and has IMX 766, which can be selected in white, phantom color, apricot color and gray color.
This card, the digital blogger @digital chat station revealed that Realme “master version of mobile phone” is not one but two models, respectively for the Realme GT master version and master exploration version.


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Pandora still setting sights on AM/FM ad budgets
When ad-supported music-streaming services attract criticism from rightsholders, one of the arguments – see our piece earlier today on YouTube's Robert Kyncl for example – is that there is plenty more money to be unlocked...
September 4, 2017
Snapchat may be losing the attention of advertising agencies
There has been plenty of discussion this week about Snap, Inc’s share price, which has reached a record low following the Snapchat parent company’s IPO earlier this year. Now CNBC has published an article based on...
August 3, 2017
Twitter tests $99-a-month ads subscription service
Just to be clear: not a subscription service for Twitter users. This is all about small-to-medium sized businesses who want to make the process of advertising on Twitter a bit more automated. Under the trial, an account’s...
July 31, 2017
Mobile-video ad-spending tipped to overtake desktop in 2018
The amount of money spent globally on mobile video ads is expected to overtake that spent on desktop video ads next year. The forecast comes from research firm Zenith, which claims that mobile video ad-spending will grow...
July 24, 2017
Spotify for Brands launches Spotify.me tastes site
Spotify’s commercial division has quietly launched a new site that mines the streaming service’s big-data stash. Spotify.Me went live just before the recent Cannes Lions conference, aimed at persuading more brands...
July 11, 2017
Spotify tests ‘sponsored songs’ alongside playlists
Recently, a new option appeared in Spotify’s settings menu: a toggle to turn a feature called ‘sponsored song’ on or off. As we reported at the time, when we asked Spotify what this meant, the company said ‘we...
June 20, 2017
Amazon cracks down on Alexa-like ads for Echo
Amazon has made tentative moves recently to help developers start to make money from their Alexa skills, developed for the company’s Echo devices. However, Amazon is also cracking down on one of the early attempts by...
June 19, 2017
Report: celebrities are flouting influencer marketing guidelines
There’s a lot of excitement around influencer marketing at the moment – including among music-industry marketers – but also concerns about the transparency of this area. Those will only be enhanced by a new report...
June 13, 2017
Vevo capitalises on YouTube troubles with ‘brand-safe’ promise
That awkward moment when you call out one of your own shareholders for being less ‘brand-safe’ than you for any advertisers wanting to avoid having themselves associated with extremist content… Vevo’s latest move...
April 3, 2017
YouTube under fire over ads placed against extremist videos
YouTube and Google’s latest negative headlines aren’t related to music copyright. They concern adverts being pulled from the platforms after being placed next to extremist material. The story has been building fast...
March 20, 2017
Spotify and Disney build a castle for Beauty and the Beast
Spotify and Disney have worked together on an interesting digital marketing campaign for the new Beauty and the Beast film. Users of Spotify’s free tier in the UK are seeing video ads pointing them towards a website...
March 13, 2017
More than a third of UK ad spend will be mobile this year
Research firm eMarketer has put out some new predictions for the UK’s advertising market, with the headline claim that 36.6% of ad spending will be mobile this year: £6.89bn. “Overall digital ad spend will grow 11.0%...
March 8, 2017


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Carson Wentz is a man of many vehicles, including a bunch of very weird and wild outdoor contraptions like ATVs and Bobcat Tractors, but he has to drive (relatively) normal cars around South Jersey and South Philly.
Enter Barbera Autoland of Northeast Philly, which put a 2018 army green (can we maybe call it midnight green?) Challenger SRT Demon Coupe up for sale this weekend, with an extra selling point: the car comes from Wentz himself.
It comes with a neon green subwoofer/speaker system in the trunk, and an Eagles-themed No. 11 stitched into the driver's seat headrest, along with Wentz's signature:
It's extremely gaudy in all the ways you wouldn't expect from Wentz, which sort of makes it funnier.
Right now, Barbera's website lists the sale price at a cool $149,984 — which is a $6,016 discount! — with a portion of the proceeds going to Wentz's AO1 Foundation.
One of the most exciting parts of buying this car? The new owner will be able to pass a crucial milestone on the odometer. It's been driven 3,689 miles so far, which means the new owner can watch the number roll to 4,133 and remember, for one blissful mile, that the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
More on the Eagles
- J.J. Arcega-Whiteside reflects on tough rookie year: 'Nowhere to go but up'
- Andre Dillard is ready to take over Eagles' left tackle post
- NFL's former VP of officiating calls Clowney hit 'a cheap shot'
- A few thoughts on each of the NFC East coaching hires
- Jim Schwartz leaving Eagles would be a big loss


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Can the world’s most valuable company deliver another game-changing device with the iPhone 8, or will its star finally fade?
You would have to dive deep into business books to find a CEO at any company at any time in history who has faced a bigger challenge than Tim Cook at Apple faces right now.
Last fall, Cook announced the introduction of the iPhone 7. Fans learned that it would have a slightly better camera and a slightly improved processor, and they were profoundly disappointed.
In fact, the iPhone 7 was an impressive incremental improvement, but that’s all it was. . . (more)
Web Insight: do you have a driver's license?
Each week we examine a new key development in digital technology to clarify how the world uses the Web today — and how it will change tomorrow.
Our current topic comes from the Center’s upcoming study on the future of transportation: do you have a driver’s license?
Explore the current Web Insight topic here.
Center to release first study on digital technology and transportation in the United States
This month, the Center for the Digital Future will release its first study that explores how technology is affecting the views and behavior of Americans and their transportation.
Digital technology has produced the most significant transformation in transportation since the release of the Model T. The Center’s study explores these changes in a national survey that includes more than 100 issues involving personal cars and public transportation, emerging opportunities such as get-a-ride services and occasional-use car programs, and views about self-driving cars.
Sign up to get a free copy of the Future of Transportation report later this month.
Update — Brad Berens, Ph.D., chief strategy officer at the Center and project lead for the Future of Transportation Project, discussed opportunities and challenges for the transportation industry with Peter Kosak, executive director of General Motors’ Urban Mobility Program, in an interview published in the Oracle Data Cloud Blog. Read the interview here.
Center director Jeff Cole explores "cutting the cord"
Center director Jeffrey Cole highlights the unbundling of content from cable providers, pricing models, and new consumer behavior at 2015 annual leadership meeting of the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
View the video.


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In a new study from the Texas A&M University, researchers found some energy drinks have adverse effects on the muscle cells of the heart.
They found that cardiomyocytes—human heart cells grown in a laboratory—exposed to some energy drinks showed an increased beat rate and other factors affecting cardiac function.
When placed in the context of the human body, researchers linked consumption of these beverages to improper beating of the heart, cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle which makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood), increased blood pressure, and other heart conditions.
In the study, the team evaluated 17 widely available over-the-counter energy drink brands. They then treated heart cells with each drink.
The team also used new methods to study the composition of the energy drinks. By comparing the effects and differing ingredient concentrations in each drink, they were able to infer which ingredients may contribute more to adverse effects on the heart cells.
Using mathematical models, they determined that the possible presence of theophylline, adenine, and azelate, substances that can have negative effects on the heart.
The team says little is known about the ingredients that may contribute to the adverse effects of energy drinks on the heart
More work is needed to test the ingredients identified in the study to ensure the safety of their consumption, especially for consumers with pre-existing health conditions.
They hope that the consumers will carefully weigh the performance-enhancing benefits of these beverages versus the emerging data that suggests that they may have real adverse effects.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about these painkillers may harm your heart and kidneys and findings of vitamin D combo may prevent heart disease, diabetes.
For more information about heart disease prevention and treatment, please see recent studies about this health problem in middle-age may mean future heart failure and results showing that these two supplements may prevent stroke, heart disease.
The study is published in Food and Chemical Toxicology. One author of the study is Ivan Rusyn.
Copyright © 2021 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.


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On Oct. 1, Reed Quarfot, the grandson of the original owners, Gil and Betty Quarfot, will take over the store from Harold Paulson, 85, who has moved to Paynesville.
Reed served eight years in the Air Force and has worked two years in Alaska and eight years with Schwans Ice Cream out of St. Paul. He has been back in the Paynesville area a couple of months and started working at the store in June. “I like the idea of working for myself and I’m enjoying the slower pace of Hawick over St. Paul,” Reed said.
“The building dates back to the turn of the century,” Bill Quarfot, Reed’s father, said. “Harold and Katie have taken good care of the store and it should last a long time.”
Bill Quarfot said his dad (Gil) traded his farm at Marine on the St. Croix for the hardware store with Gus Peterson in June of 1938. “When they arrived at the store, all they found was 50 cents in the cash drawer,” he said. “They wondered at first if they had made the right decision.”
“After making only a nickle or a penny a day in the hardware store, they gradually switched to groceries and phased out the hardware portion by 1940,” Bill Quarfot said.
After the death of Gil and Betty Quarfot, their children: Bill, Tom and Mary, ran the store along with Harold and Katie Paulson, their aunt and uncle. Katie Paulson had been working with her sister in the store since 1942.
Since coming to Hawick in 1938, the family has lived above the store spending most of their time working downstairs waiting on customers. Reed now lives in that upstairs apartment.
The Paulsons remodeled the store, moving the Hawick Post Office out of the main store into its own area adjacent to the store. Paulson said the original store was only about 24 feet wide.
Harold Paulson recalls tearing down the building next door (to the east) which used to house the Hawick State Bank in the early 1920s and later was a bar. At one time, Katie had a restaurant in the building.
Harold Paulson said he moved to rural Hawick in 1927 at the age of 14. “We used to bring our eggs and cream to town and purchase our coal in town. Just about everything you needed could be purchased in Hawick,” he added.
Harold Paulson is the former Kandiyohi County assessor and cabinet maker. His wife Katie died last spring. He recalls seeing a lot of things changing in Hawick over the years. “The store provided us with a good living. It has been a lot of work, but it was all worth it.”
Harold Paulson recalls the “dinky” train which brought the mail to Hawick. Besides the mail it also brought people seeking help from the faith healer (Mrs. Ed Oliver) who lived in Hawick.
“People would arrive early in the morning and return to their homes in the evening on the last train through town,” he said. “The faith healer lived on the west corner of town. She was quite a woman. She brought a lot of people to town, especially on Good Friday. She never charged people, they just left donations in the bucket by the door.”
“According to stories, she left town and moved to Howard Lake because business was too good here. We saw cars from all over the country in front of her house while she lived in Hawick,” Bill Quarfot said.
Bill Quarfot, a UPS driver, said he still encounters people on his route that recall visiting the faith healer in Hawick.
The property owned by the faith healer was sold to Koronis Mills Turkey Farms and was the first large turkey barn in the area. “We thought that it was the biggest barn on earth when it was built,” Harold Paulson said. “By today’s standards, it is small in comparison.”
Among the early stories of Hawick is how a woman chased away Indians from Hawick with a broom in the 1800s. There are also stories of pioneers and railroad workers being buried in the town cemetery.
For many years the Paulsons hosted the Community Christmas Party. This year will mark the 55th year of the party. The party is always held on the first Saturday of December.
Gil’s Store will be open six days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and be closed on Sundays.
The Community Post Office will remain in the store where Reed Quarfot will still handle the sale of stamps and process money orders.
“The Post Office Department had talked about closing the store after Katie’s death, but the people in the area stressed the need for continued service and they decided to keep it open,” Paulson said.
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East Midlands Railway announces cuts to services across region.
Wetherspoons extends steak and curry clubs to seven days a week as part of huge menu shake up
New farm shop and brasserie turn Belvoir Castle into top quality food destination
CCTV shows ‘horror movie’ moment when thief jumps into woman’s car in Notts city centre
Motorpoint Arena Nottingham
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Nan-do’s: Restaurant offering 50 per cent off if you take your gran
Fast food chain Nando's is slashing its menu prices by 50 per cent if you go for a meal with your gran, grandad or anyone over 65.
June 3, 2021


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Square Enix already made clear that it plans to invest in blockchain technology and NFTs earlier this year. Despite how increasingly unpopular NFTs have become in the ensuing months, Square has stuck to its plans and recently unveiled its first NFT for the Final Fantasy franchise. Of course, it’s related to Final Fantasy VII.
Specifically, it’s a digital figure of protagonist Cloud Strife. Thankfully, there is an actual real statue you can purchase from the Square Enix store for $160, but the company is clearly eager for customers to obtain the digital version as well.
We’re not even going to get into the irony of making a Final Fantasy VII NFT or how needlessly complicated getting the digital figure is compared to just paying actual money for the physical one, but buried in the item’s description on the website is a rather damning admission by Square Enix. Namely, that you run the risk of losing the figure in the future.
To get the digital figure, you need an account with the Enjin NFT platform. Since the figure is tied to the platform, the figure will be lost to the ether if the platform ever goes away. Considering there’s no such risk with buying the physical figure, it’s hard to see why any fan would choose to acquire the digital one instead.
Square Enix no doubt has plans for future Final Fantasy NFTs. One saving grace, however, is that they won’t be incorporated into the Final Fantasy XIV MMO, according to that game’s director Naoki Yoshida. Since he’s also serving as producer on Final Fantasy XVI, it’s likely safe to assume that game won’t feature them either.
Although Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda has expressed interest and optimism with NFTs and their potential future within gaming, it seems like more and more companies are eager to distance themselves from them. Only yesterday, Minecraft developer Mojang said NFTs are banned from its game, and even Blizzard Entertainment seems disinterested in them.


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Articles tagged with: bulgaria
Research conducted by On the Beach reveals that 77 per cent of holidays are cheaper this summer than in 2012.
Are you looking for a winter sports holiday that won’t break the bank?
easyJet has added three new routes from London Stansted Airport for 2013.
Skiers should head to resorts in Europe this winter season to take advantage of the weakening euro, according to research from Moneycorp.
Frances Leate discovers Bulgaria has much more to offer than just good wine.
Bulgaria, Germany and Andorra offer the best value for skiing holidays in Europe this winter, according to TripIndex Ski, an inaugural cost comparison from TripAdvisor covering key destinations tracked against the British pound.
Bulgaria is emerging as one of Europe's premier destinations for golf holidays, according to the national tourist board.
Bulgaria could become a more appealing destination for UK travellers as a result of an advertising campaign being launched this year.
Bulgaria is a good option for cheap ski holidays during the 2011-12 winter season, according to Post Office Travel Money.
The term “gap year” means so many things these days… it doesn’t have to be a “gap” between school and university (people are choosing to take them post-uni or even smack bang in the middle of their careers) and it certainly doesn’t have to last for a whole year.
Bulgaria is this summer's "bargain buy" for families planning a seaside holiday abroad, according to Post Office Travel Money.
For hassle-free sightseeing through the heart of Central Europe's most beautiful cities and cultural centres, it's hard to beat a European rail holiday.
After the mad rush of Christmas and New Year festivities exhausted party goers will be planning a holiday to relax, refocus and detox for the start of 2011.
Here are the top 10 holiday destinations in 2011 as picked by Travelbite.co.uk editor Natasha von Geldern:
If the recent snowfall has you dreaming of days on the mountains of Europe, give your bank account a break with a travel deal on a ski holiday in Bulgaria.
The traditional fortnight in the sun is starting to take on a whole new meaning as Brits start to shun the Spanish beach holiday in favour of a completely new Costa.
Hailed as the ultimate 'surfers' paradise' it seems Australia's premier beaches have fallen rapidly from grace as Brits now value safety and price above all else in the latest best beaches in the world poll.
Sorry for the rather naff title for this post but I'm afraid I couldn't resist! As you might have guessed, we have made it to Istanbul in Turkey, and so are officially at the end of leg one of the trip.
Well isn't time flying. Today (May 9th) marks six weeks since we left our house in London.
Cicerone press have been hard at work publishing a new range of exciting and adventurous guide books.
February half term hot spots
Travellers on a budget and heading to Eastern Europe might like to consider the new easyHotel which is opening in Bulgaria.
Departing from Bristol Airport on August 10th 2009 guests can stay at the four star Hotel Riu Helios at Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, an all inclusive basis for seven nights from Ã‚Â£499 per person.
British holidaymakers are rushing to take advantage of the great value long haul packages available for departure in July and August, according to the latest research.
Departing from Gatwick Airport on July 10th 2009, guests can stay at the four star Hotel Riu Helios on an all inclusive basis for seven nights from Ã‚Â£390 per person with this late deal.


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Benelli will commence sales by January 2015, while prices will be announced in December this year. The company is currently setting up its dealerships across the country.
You read it first on MotorBeam. A month after officially announcing its arrival into India, world’s oldest motorcycle maker Benelli will be launching its range (and announcing prices) of five superbikes next month in the country. The sales however will commence in January next year. Owned by the Chinese Qianjiang Group, Benelli has tied up with Indian company DSK Motowheels that also retails products from Hyosung in the country, which will be retailing the Italian bikes and will also take care of the after sales and service.
At present, the five superbikes from Benelli spanning across different segments are under the homologation process at the ARAI, while the company is busy with setting up the first phase of dealerships which include 8 outlets across the country and will be operational by January 2015. The Italian motorcycle maker plans to have a total of 20 exclusive independent dealerships across the country that will be operational by the end of next year. Coming to the much awaited product lineup, the company’s offerings will be competing against the offerings from Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki as well as KTM across different segments.
Benelli’s entry-level bike is confirmed to be the BN 302 twin-cylinder street-fighter motorcycle that will compete against the KTM Duke 390 and the Kawasaki Z250 in the segment. Moving up on the Italian scale, the company will offer the BN 600 GT and BN 600I middle-weight sportbikes. The manufacturer’s flagship range however comprises of the TNT 899 and the TNT 1130R superbikes that offer outright power and the quintessential smouldering Italian looks. Benelli plans to bring its entire range via the CKD route as for now, while the company is also looking at manufacturing certain bikes in the future, with the BN 251 set to be their entry-level offering.


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Twitter friend @studshooter reports the finding of the LEGO Rebel A-wing Pilot minifigure polybag at Legoland California FREE with a $30 purchase.
New images have leaked out for LEGO Star Wars Rogue One sets and minifigures via The Brick Show on YouTube. Head on over to check them out.
Update: YouTube video removed but you can find the images by doing a simple Google search.
Yesterday, Rebelscum relayed news of a LEGO A-wing Pilot polybag image that has hit the web. There are no release date details as of yet for this figure, but based on the helmet deco, it looks to support the Star Wars Rebels crew as part of Phoenix Squadron.
A new image revealing LEGO Buildable Figures for Rogue One have turned up online. For the spoiler sensitive, we’ve put the images behind this link.
After taking a post-Star Wars Day break from the show last week, Flyguy and I are back to discuss the latest in Star Wars collecting. A mysterious Black Series set of astromechs turned up in Hong Kong and we speculate on its destination. Funko dropped their new Smuggler’s Bounty this week and we break down its contents and criticisms. Plus, Rogue One had a series of “spoilers” drop this week in terms of characters names, aliens and vehicles. All of this and more PLUS our latest acquisitions on Episode #97 of The Realm Recap.
May the 4th has come and gone, but for many the credit card hangover still remains. There were new releases from Disney, Sideshow, Gentle Giant, Hot Toys, plus sales at LEGO and more! Biggest of all, the next Star Wars Celebration convention was confirmed! On this week’s podcast Marjorie and Arnie are joined by Ryan and Amy from Star Wars Collecting Cosmos. The four look back on the highs, lows, and purchases of May the 4th, 2016!
Also on this week’s show, Brock reviews the new Star Wars novel BLOODLINE. Taking place between Episode VI and VII, this book had direct input from Lucasfilm to help shape the universe for Episode VIII. Join Brock to find out if this is a must read for you.
With a review of the S.H. Figuarts Captain Phasma, a Darth Vader Humidifier, and a run-down of the perks of being a Jedi Knight or Master, it’s all in this week’s new podcast!
Images for a new LEGO Star Wars set have made their way online revealing the Rebel Combat Frigate (Phoenix Home) from Star Wars Rebels. This set includes 5 mini figures including Commander Sato, Ezra Bridger, Chopper, Ahsoka Tano and Agent Kallus.
Thanks to Realm Recap co-host Flyguy for the heads up.
The official Star Wars Celebration site has updated today announcing the addition of Carrie Fisher to the guest list as well as writer and reporter Amy Ratcliffe.
All announced are the first Collecting Track panels covering: Palitoy, original props and costumes, one-of-a-kind collectibles, LEGO Star Wars, Vintage Coins and more.
On this latest episode, Flyguy and I discuss the reveals and announcements from companies such as Funko, Hot Toys, Sideshow and more as we celebrate May the Fourth: Star Wars Day. The big news didn’t stop with products though as we already have a new date to mark in our calendars as Lucasfilm and ReedPOP announce Celebration Orlando for April 2017. All of this and more PLUS our latest acquisitions on Episode #96 of The Realm Recap.
Since our last show, rumors have “gone Rogue” regarding the first waves of 6″ Black Series set to launch on Force Friday 2.0. Reports of 6″ Ahsoka figure sightings are becoming more prevalent as well as the appearance of the Kmart Exclusive Rey figure. New lists of Funko POP! figures have leaked as well with huge support for Rogue One characters. All of this plus Sideshow, Disney Elite, LEGO, Tsum Tsum news & reveals and much more including our latest acquisitions on Episode #94 of The Realm Recap.
On this week’s episode, Flyguy and I discuss the reveal of the much anticipated exclusive 6″ Rey figure from Kmart, new teases and reveals from Funko and their POP! line. Plus (newly confirmed) details for blu-ray release(s) of The Force Awakens, production updates for Episode VIII and much more. All of this plus our recent acquisitions on Episode #91 of The Realm Recap.
Things are looking much brighter, and fuller, in the toy aisles as store continue to receive new product. On this week’s episode, Flyguy and I discuss several store reports coming in from all over the US and Canada. Medicom’s MAFEX has stepped up to the plate offering their own take on 6″ scale figures from The Force Awakens. How do they rank against the likes of Hasbro and S.H.Figuarts? Listen on to find out. Gentle Giant is back with another new figure for their Jumbo Kenner line and Anovos debuts their new Kylo Ren ensemble! All of this plus our recent acquisitions on Episode #90 of The Realm Recap.
Facebook follower Trent B. sent us this image of a huge LEGO score he had at his Tennessee Walmart. Most of these sets are due to hit stores for a couple weeks but you know Walmart….
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures” is an all-new animated television series scheduled to debut this summer on Disney XD in the U.S. The fun-filled adventure comedy series will introduce all-new heroes and villains in exciting adventures with many familiar Star Wars characters.
Lucasfilm today has announced LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a new entry in the No. 1 LEGO video game franchise, allowing players to experience all the action of the hit film combined with LEGO’s hallmark humor and visual style. Coming June 28, 2016, for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 (along with exclusive DLC), PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, and Windows PC.


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Cork's Beara Peninsula and it's Fastnet Lighthouse both feature in a new Irish Tourism video aimed at bringing tourists to some of the hidden gems this country has to offer.
Fáilte Ireland is spending €6 million on a major new advertising campaign to encourage Irish people to holiday at home rather than abroad according to the Irish Times.
The ad itself featured during the Late Late show on Friday night, where the legendary Roy Keane was a guest and a 60 second clip has since been released.
— discoverireland.ie (@discoverirl) February 21, 2020
Fáilte Ireland director of marketing Niall Tracey said the majority of the revenues from staycations poured into areas outside Dublin, with rural communities often dependent on that business to sustain jobs.
“Tourism gets into every parish in the country. That’s the power of it. The economic importance of that domestic holiday to rural Ireland is huge,” he said.
Hopefully this will see the growth of tourist numbers across Ireland, but particularly right here in Cork.


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Kraft Recalls 1.2 Million Cases of Cottage Cheese
A manufacturing error at a California plant has led to a massive cottage cheese recall, as Kraft Foods officials say the products could spoil before their best-by dates.
According to The Huffington Post, Kraft has voluntarily recalled 1.2 million cases of cottage cheese as a precautionary measure after it was discovered that some cottage cheese ingredients were not stored properly at a manufacturing plant. Out of concern that not having stored some ingredients at proper temperatures could lead to food-borne illnesses or spoiling in the final product, Kraft has recalled cases of Kundsen Cottage Cheese, Breakstone’s Cottage Cheese, Simply Kraft Cottage Cheese, and Daily Chef Cottage Cheese.
Only products shipped to US retailers are affected, and the recalled containers of Kraft Foods cottage cheese and cottage cheese products are marked with a date between May 9 and July 23 on either the bottoms of the cups or the tops of the packages. Any such products can be returned to stores for exchanges or refunds.


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All Google Assistant headphones now support real-time translation0
Among the many features that came with this integration was real-time translation which, just as the name suggests, allowed owners of the accessories to have conversations with people in different languages. The only requirement aside from the Pixel Buds was a Pixel smartphone.
This feature remained exclusive to the Pixel Buds until last week when Google introduced the Pixel USB-C earbuds. But now the company has quietly updated one of the Pixel Buds support pages to confirm that it is no longer exclusive to its Pixel smartphones or earphones. Instead, those interested in the feature will now only need a pair of Google Assistant headphones and an Android smartphone complete with the virtual assistant.
It’s unclear why Google didn’t make a bigger deal about this at its hardware event considering the central role the Assistant plays in its strategy. But either way, the feature is understood to be available right now. So those who own a pair of Assistant-optimized headphones may want to try it out.


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Smartphone maker HTC November sales fall 31 percent on year
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp's consolidated sales for November were T$21.23 billion ($732 million), down 31.4 percent from the same month a year earlier, the firm said on Thursday.
That figure compared with T$30.94 billion a year ago, and T$17.21 billion in the previous month.
It did not give further details.
(Reporting by Lin Miao-jung; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)
- Tesla says in talks with BMW over car batteries, parts
- Missouri officials to reveal grand jury's decision on teen's shooting |
- Hagel, under pressure, resigns as U.S. defense secretary |
- Actor Dwight Henry eyed in New Orleans killing after arrest for theft
- Iran nuclear talks extended seven months after failing to meet deadline |


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Intel has showcased its first 32 nanometer (nm) chips and says the first chips using the faster and more energy-efficient technology will go into production in 2009.
At this week's Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Intel CEO Paul Otellini also described the near-term advantages computer users will experience with Intel's upcoming 45nm family of Penryn processors, which are based on Intel's high-k metal gate transistor technology.
The industry's first 45nm processors will be available from Intel in November. The company also demonstrated for the first time the next-generation chip architecture codenamed Nehalem, due out next year.
When Intel introduces Penryn in November, it will be the world's first high-volume 45nm processor.
Penryn, along with the Silverthorne family of 45nm processors (available next year) will have the small feature size, low-power requirements and high-performance capabilities to meet a wide variety of computing needs, from handheld internet computers to high-end servers.
Intel will quickly ramp up the technology with plans to introduce 15 new 45nm processors by the end of the year and another 20 in the first quarter of 2008.
"We expect our Penryn processors to provide up to a 20% performance increase while improving energy efficiency," said Otellini.
Looking to 2008, Otellini made the first public demonstration of Intel's Nehalem processor, and said the company is on track to deliver the new processor design in the second half of the year.
The Nehalem architecture is designed to improve performance and performance-per-watt benchmarks, and will be the first Intel processor to use the QuickPath Interconnect system architecture.
Quickpath will include integrated memory controller technology and improved communication links between system components to significantly improve overall system performance.
Otellini showed the world's first 300mm wafer built using next-generation 32nm process technology.
Intel's 32nm test chips incorporate logic and memory (static random access memory - SRam) to house more than 1.9bn transistors. The 32nm process uses the company's second-generation high-k and metal gate transistor technology.


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Tuesday 16th July 2019
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The New Zealand dollar held its gains ahead of second-quarter domestic inflation data as investors remained cheered by better-than-expected Chinese industrial production and retail sales.
The kiwi was trading at 67.21 US cents at 7:55 am in Wellington from 67.19 at 5pm. The trade-weighted index was at 73.38 from 73.35.
While China’s economic growth was the softest in decades in the June quarter, up 6.2 percent from a year earlier, better-than-expected industrial production growth of 6.3 percent and retail sales growth of 9.8 percent gave sentiment a lift.
“The kiwi leveraged the data to touch a high of 67.35 US cents overnight,” said Kiwibank trader Mike Shirley.
The focus is now shifting to the second-quarter inflation data due this morning. The market is expecting a 0.6 percent quarterly increase in the Consumers’ Price Index, taking the annual growth to 1.7 percent, according to the median estimate from a poll of economists by Bloomberg.
A weak read will mean that markets continue to expect the central bank to cut rates by 25 basis points at the August meeting to 1.25 percent.
While Kiwibank economists are expecting inflation to show a quarterly bounce to 0.7 percent, above the market and central bank’s forecasts of 0.6 percent, they say the outlook is soft.
As a result, they expect the “RBNZ to look through any strength shown in the June quarter. This week’s CPI figures are unlikely to deter the bank from cutting the OCR next month.”
Investors will also be watching for consumer confidence data in Australia and the release of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s July policy meeting.
The New Zealand dollar was at 95.45 Australian cents versus 95.54, at 53.69 British pence from 53.45, at 59.67 euro cents from 59.61, at 72.51 yen from 72.57, and at 4.6206 Chinese yuan from 4.6169.
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