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Samsung has cut prices of its popular Galaxy range of smartphones in India. The Galaxy S III received the biggest price drop of Rs 3,000 for both 16GB and 32GB variants, according to our friends at PriceBaba.com. OnFlipkart, the Galaxy S III 16GB variant is now available for Rs 31,900 while the 32GB variant is available for Rs 34,900 on Saholic.… Read More »
Research in Motion has announced that its delayed BlackBerry 10 operating system has passed a critical milestone and has now been handed over to the mobile networks to start testing. The company said that over 50 unnamed mobile networks are now testing the platform in anticipation of a launch in the first quarter of next… Read More »
Samsung is clear leader by getting 20% Market share.
Nokia shifted to second position by getting 19% market share.
The countdown has started as Apple has started sending out invitations to a press event, to be held as expected next Tuesday at its head-office. Confirming that an iPhone will be the topic of the announcement, the invitation doesn’t elaborate on whether we will see the long anticipated iPhone 5, or maybe a half-way house… Read More »
Samsung has sold 10 million Galaxy S II smartphones globally, the company has announced. Samsung Galaxy S II was launched in April. In July, Samsung announced it sold 5 million units. Reaching the 10 million milestone in such a short time span is quite an achievement, given the device only became available in the U.S.… Read More »


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After last month’s announcement that the largest retail store chain in the U.K. would start offering the iPhone, now comes word that Tesco is also slashing prices that would make even its U.S. cousin Wal-Mart jealous.
Tesco is selling the iPhone in their Tesco Phone Shops throughout the U.K., and they have announced that the base plan for service is a mere £20 ($32.54 US) per month, a full 1/3 lower than competing carriers, according to AppleInsider.
Customers will be able to purchase an iPhone 3G on a 12-month contract instead of the usual 24 months, at a slightly higher up-front cost of £222 ($361 US).
Tesco Mobile relies on the O2 network for its service, but signing up directly with O2, the cheapest iPhone plan is £34.26 ($55.74 US) per month with a two-year contract, and the device itself is free. Tesco Mobile is also offering an iPhone 3G for free with a two-year contract, but the monthly plan adds up to only £702 ($1,142.15 US) over 24 months instead of O2’s cost of £822 ($1,337.39 US). However, O2 customers get 600 minutes per month, while Tesco customers only get 300.
Chatterboxes who require unlimited calling with Tesco will have to fork over £60 ($97.62 US) each month on a 24-month contract, and if they want the newer iPhone 3GS, that will cost them £320 ($520.64).
The U.K. iPhone market has heated up in recent months after O2 lost its exclusivity in September. Competitors Vodafone and Orange quickly jumped into the fray to offer the device, and the Tesco Mobile deal is seen as a way for O2 to gain back some of their market share.

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UPS reinvents itself as international company
- Roxanna Guilford
- Contributing Writer
(Page 2 of 4)
During the 1980s, UPS purchased 16 delivery companies in Europe and one in Asia, and in 1985, UPS inaugurated international air service between the United States and six European countries. The company now is the largest package-delivery company in Europe, with its air hub in Cologne, Germany.
As UPS entered new markets, it worked with officials to address flying rights, customs restrictions and other potential barriers to trade. It also had to stay on top of political and economic fluctuations. "UPS has to respond to the markets and be flexible," said Ron Wallace, president of UPS International.
That flexibility paid off.
"In the last 10 years, we've transformed ourselves," Flick said. This transformation has occurred during a period of tremendous international change, particularly in terms of trade. Global changes set the stage, but UPS' rapid expansion rests on two critical factors, he said, including advances in information technology and UPS' development of its own airline.
UPS' electronic highway connects UPS centers worldwide. And just like customers here, international customers can track their packages -- and find out other information -- via the company's Web site. Technological advances also helped UPS expedite the customs-clearance process by providing advance notice to officials. Technology doesn't eliminate trade barriers, but it makes them easier to clear.
UPS has spent $10 billion since 1984 on computer and information services; the annual technology budget now exceeds $1 billion, Flick said.
The second piece of strategy took flight when UPS formed its own airline in 1988; the airline is now the 10th-largest in the world, with more than 500 aircraft and growing. Just this summer, UPS announced plans to acquire the assets of Challenge Air Cargo; this move will make UPS into the largest air cargo and express carrier in Latin America. Challenge Air has aviation operating to almost every country in Central and South America, he said. It currently operates about 120 flights a week to 16 cities in 13 countries.
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ACT condemns “irresponsible” EU watchdog vote
October 25, 2023
ACT, the Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe, has issued a statement saying it “deplores” the vote that took place today (October 25th) in the European Parliament’s IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee). The statement reads:
“Contractual freedom and territorial exclusivity are at the heart of how the audiovisual industry finances itself. The entire set of audiovisual actors in Europe, small and large, public and private, national or pan-European acknowledge that these are fundamental pillars for the sector’s sustainability.
By seeking to include copyright protected works in the scope of the geo-blocking regulation, the IMCO committee has regrettably let Europe’s creative industries down; preferring to pursue a populist agenda that sits far from the realities of our sector and the realities on the ground.
The completion of the Single Market has always been an exercise of balance with other core principles of the Union such as cultural diversity and media pluralism. We would expect that all decisions should be taken based on a thorough assessment of the impact of policy measures on said markets, as clearly stated by the European Commission in their short-term review of the Geo-blocking Regulation. The data for now tells a clear story of success, growth and access. The European Audiovisual Observatory’s independent analyses and data collection confirm a giant leap in the availability and circulation of works, new services and titles across Europe for all consumers to enjoy.
Regrettably, the measures envisioned in the text by the Committee responsible for consumers, will end up harming consumers most. At stake is the economic sustainability of the sector, and with it the ability for audiences to benefit from a diversity of content produced and distributed across multiple distribution channels offline and online. For more than 20 years, our sector has been responding to consumer demand, embracing the opportunities created by digital technologies in offline and online exploitation. We want to continue doing so.
We thus call on all Members of the European Parliament to be guided by their Culture and Education Committee (CULT) colleagues in the plenary vote. CULT members adopted an Opinion supported by the entire AV chain; reflecting CULT’s deep understanding of the sector and the balanced approach required to support a healthy, robust and lively cultural and creative sector.”
Grégoire Polad, ACT Director General, commented: “We regret that the proponents of this radical change continue to operate on anecdotal or partial evidence, to suggest a market failure that is not verified by facts. We also regret political posturing which gambles with the growth of companies across Europe and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that they support. Specifically, where the changes advocated in the name of the Single Market clearly fail to demonstrate (a) a problem, and; (b) valid alternative financing systems. We strongly encourage MEPs to follow the CULT Committee’s recommendations on the upcoming plenary vote for the geo-blocking implementation INI”.


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Apple has denied the claims that it violated Qualcomm's battery life patents and alleged that Qualcomm's patents were invalid, a common move in such cases.
To view the full article, register now. Apple started seeking those patents several years before Qualcomm started seeking the patents it claims against Apple in this litigation. As happened in the case of Apple and Samsung and now Apple and Qualcomm.
Qualcomm alleged the infringement took place in a range of Apple devices. Apple has said it develops its technology and patents to power its iPhones.
There are more lawsuits filed by Apple and Qualcomm against each other in the dispute over patents.
Separately, Qualcomm is facing a lawsuit from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over numerous same pricing practices Apple names in its complaints. Apple cam eout and filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm making similar accusations and continued with those claims as it attacked Qualcomm all over the globe.
The first complaint accused Apple of infringing USA patent numbers 8,683,362; 8,497,928; 7,844,037; and 9,203,940, relating to a range of technologies including those which allow multiple apps to run at once, camera focusing techniques and methods of responding to incoming calls and texts.
AT&T and T-Mobile sell models of the latest iPhone that use the Intel model. Apple alleges it owns at least eight battery life patents that Qualcomm has violated.
Apple first sued Qualcomm in January, refusing to pay around $1 billion in rebates, stating that Qualcomm was overcharging for its chips and charging royalties for technologies it did not control.


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The priority registration period for being an exhibitor at Fruit Attraction 2022, which grants exhibitors the preferential right to choose a space within the fair, ends on Monday, April 11. However, the participation of new exhibitors remains open until days before the celebration of the competition, from October 5 to 7, in Madrid.
The next edition of the fair will be organized by IFEMA Madrid and FEPEX. It will include spaces from previous years, such as The Innovation Hub and Foro Innova, dedicated to innovation and business innovations in the sector, as well as new monographic areas, such as Startups hub, dedicated to newly created companies in the Fresh Produce segment and in the Auxiliary Industry that were incorporated between January 1, 2021, and September 1, 2022. Strawberry will be this year's Fruit Attraction's star product.
The fair will continue to bet on the International Buyers Program, one of the tools best valued by exhibitors, as it allows bringing to Madrid the main buyers, retailers, and purchasing managers of the main European chains. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Canada are this year's guest importing countries.


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Reseller organisations across the UK can now become fully accredited under the government-backed Technology Means Business (TMB) programme. Launched in 2000 and supported by the Department of Trade and...
Framework will facilitate the purchase of hardware, software and services
Arcus Global CEO Denis Kaminskiy says many in the public sector don't understand the value the channel brings to public cloud
Softcat, CCS and SBL among suppliers on framework
Crown Commercial Service director says cloud-first strategy is 'not doable for everyone in the short to medium term'
The project will be the biggest end-to-end utilities project the MSP has thus far undertaken, according to sales and marketing chief Angelo Di Ventura
Xerox is pursuing a hostile takeover after HP's board rejected a merger bid
Q3 is second best server quarter by volume ever, following record high in Q2


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The ability to download full games will be available at Wii U launch.
New Super Mario Bros. 2 won't just be coming to retail stores in August, it will also be coming to the eShop as a download. Additionally, the ability to download full games will be available at the launch of the Wii U. The news came out of Nintendo's end-of-the-year investors' meeting in Japan.
Onitore, the new Brain Age game, will also be sold in both formats and is expected to release in Japan this summer. It will come out in other regions later.
Part of the logic behind this move, according to Nintendo's Satoru Iwata, is that game life is getting shorter, and this offers a place for games to be available past their retail shelf life. Retail stores will also sell download codes, and as such, Iwata doesn't expect a big price disparity between retail and download.
Wii U will be out worldwide by the end of 2012, and according to the same report, price details won't be announced at E3 2012.
New Super Mario Bros. 2, revealed last week, is scheduled for an August release. We reported earlier today that it seemed like Nintendo would be offering full retail releases soon, and it looks like they are.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Seagate Technology
on Tuesday reported a third-quarter profit of $344 million, or 65 cents a share, on revenue of $3.1 billion. During the same period a year ago, Seagate earned $212 million, or 37 cents a share, on $2.8 billion in sales. Excluding one-time items, Seagate would have earned $369 million, or 70 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research had forecast Seagate to earn 73 cents a share on $3.26 billion in revenue. The No. 1 maker of hard-disk drives used in computers and other electronic products said that for its fourth quarter, it expects to earn between 37 cents and 41 cents a share on sales in a range of $2.85 billion to $3 billion.


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The key to innovation in the insurance industry is “outside-in” thinking, according to an executive from Nationwide, who uses the term to reinforce the idea that customer-centric mindsets are the best way to move innovation forward.
Executive Summary"Are you using your vehicle to transport people?" That's just one of the archaic questions that insurers might still be asking, Chetan Kandhari, Chief Innovation and Digital Officer for Nationwide, observed during a recent CM Virtual Roundtable, "Is Innovation Overrated?" Panelists Jeffrey Bohn, Chief Research and Innovation Officer, Swiss Re Institute, and Phil Edmundson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Corvus Insurance, weighed in as well, reporting on how an abundance of data paves the way for greater innovation. Watch the entire Virtual Roundtable—"Is Insurance Innovation Overrated?"—on the Carrier Management channel of InsuranceJournal.TV
“It’s too easy to think inside out,” said Chetan Kandhari, chief innovation and digital officer for Nationwide. “‘How do you put the customer in the center?’ is a question that we should ask,” he said, summing up his idea that “innovation for innovation’s sake” is not a laudable goal. The North Star is innovation trying to create a better experience for the customer, he said during Carrier Management’s Virtual Roundtable, titled “Is Insurance Innovation Overrated?”
“We have forced the customer to think about the way we are organized as a company usually, in our profit and loss [centers], and the customer doesn’t really understand that,” Kandhari said, going on to describe the complexity of some property/casualty coverages that leave customers thinking, “I don’t really know what I have.”
Carriers are missing opportunities to educate their customers about risks and provide better coverage, he suggested.


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RBN Web Desk: In a decision that could have a far reaching impact on the production and distribution of films in West Bengal, president of Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA) Krishna Daga, has announced that Bengali films may not be released in the state in the coming days.
The additional seven percent General Service Tax (GST) is being cited as the biggest villain in this regard.
According to Daga, cinema hall owners have been paying the additional GST from their pockets for the past seven months, which has now become a burden on them.
The state government had earlier said that only two percent GST will be levied on ticket sales of Bengali films. The balance seven percent would have to be borne by hall owners which the government promised to refund.
However, even after seven months of that promise, hall owners have not received any refund from the state government.
Managing director of Priya Entertainment, Arijit Dutta, said that they will be compelled to stop exhibiting Bengali films if the government doesn’t start the refund immediately. Hall owners are staring at a huge financial loss, he added.
The refund due to hall owners has reportedly exceeded ₹10 crore.
EIMPA executive committee member, Shyamal Chanda, said that hall owners had to pay two percent tax before GST was implemented. The state government promised exhibitors to refund seven percent GST after the Centre revised the rate to nine percent. The state government must refund the due GST in 15 days time, failing which, hall owners would have no option but levy nine percent in taxes on ticket sales. It has become impossible for exhibitors to bear the additional taxes for an indefinite time, Chanda added.


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Prices at Gem Diamonds’ latest small-stone tender dropped 18% versus its previous sale in November due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic crisis, the company said Thursday.
“The results of the Letšeng small-diamond tender are resilient given the difficult circumstances under which the tender was held, caused by the ongoing COVID-19 situation,” said Gem Diamonds CEO Clifford Elphick.
The sale, which was held in Antwerp, closed Wednesday with proceeds of $7.8 million. The miner canceled the tender of large diamonds from its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, which began March 16 and was scheduled to run until March 25, due to travel restrictions imposed by the Belgian government, it noted.
To replace the large-diamond tender, Gem Diamonds intends to institute a flexible direct-sale process, which will include both direct sales and partnership arrangements, it reported. The company will hold any diamonds not sold through this procedure for a future sale.
Image: The Letšeng mine. (Gem Diamonds)


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The Fed minutes also note that "a couple" members wanted a 50 basis point cut, based primarily on the weak inflation readings.The Fedread more
Federal Reserve members worried over future growth are highly concerned about the U.S.-China tariff battleThe Fedread more
President Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook have had a rocky relationship in recent years, but Trump is now complimenting the executive publicly.Technologyread more
Corporate debt recently passed the $1 trillion mark in a continuing sign of global financial displacement.Marketsread more
"Federal debt, which is already high by historical standards, is on an unsustainable course," CBO director Phillip Swagel said in the report.Politicsread more
The president's remark followed a string of criticisms aimed at his predecessors, whom he claimed had ignored China's alleged malpractice on trade.Politicsread more
President Trump liked Germany's sale of no-interest, 30-year bonds Wednesday, but investors weren't so eager to buy them.Market Insiderread more
SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analysts said in a research note the "Off-Facebook Activity" feature "appears to fall somewhat short of the original pledge by CEO Zuckerberg of...Technologyread more
"If you look at the market over the past week, stocks don't need any help. They are roaring ahead, without the Fed doing anything," says the longtime market strategist.Marketsread more
Target CEO Brian Cornell still thinks the U.S. consumer is strong and spending. Target's latest quarterly results showed the big-box retailer is benefiting from that.Retailread more
Stocks rose on Wednesday as strong quarterly results from retailers such as Target and Lowe's lifted investor sentiment.US Marketsread more
Facebook should hire more people instead of relying on machines to detect the presence of fake accounts and bullying on its social network, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Thursday.
The company, which has more than 2 billion active users, is also hiring 4,000 more people to increase oversight of ads and content, Sandberg said.
"I do not trust the machines to do what people can do at this stage of the game," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street. "
"But it would cost them money to have humans to review and spot check, and yet humans are the only ones right now who can detect this," the host of CNBC's "Mad Money" added. "When it comes to fake news and lies, you actually need a human component."
Congress is currently investigating the role of Russian actors in the 2016 U.S. election, including thousands of advertisements that ran on Facebook. The company is working with Congress to provide information.
Cramer asked whether it would actually significantly hurt Facebook's gross margins to hire more human oversight.
He urged Congress to ask social media companies to put "some humans in charge of the machines."
"This is about the gross margins of these companies," Cramer said. "If they have to start hiring people who are English lit. majors rather than those computer scientists out of Stanford, you would see their gross margins go down."
Cramer added that he has " tremendous respect for machines and machine learning for what's been done algorithmically."
"I think they are fantastic at looking at what I regard as keywords," he said.
CNBC has reached out to Facebook for comment.
— Disclosure: Jim Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Facebook.


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Monday, October 14th, 2019
Access to the ePaper is part of your subscription.
Statesville Record & Landmark
Photos: Notable Deaths in 2019
Celebrity Birthdays: Oct. 14
Free or discounted care is available at some hospitals. But they don't make it easy.
American consumers might save paper recycling
Trump orders remaining US troops to leave northern Syria amid growing chaos


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The government gridlock has a big business owner calling on his customers to rally.
Starbucks is delving into politics and CEO Howard Shultz is hoping his faithful customers will grab a latte and take a stand this weekend.
In an effort to act as a peacemaker of sorts the popular chain Starbucks is hoping its customers' actions over the next few days will spark some kind of reaction in Washington, D.C.
The company is asking its customers to sign a Come Together Petition that address frustrations with the government shutdown.
FOX6 News didn't have to wait around long at this Starbucks in Tuscaloosa to find those frustrations.
"I think it's awful they would leave Americans hanging," a customer said.
The petition asks lawmakers to reopen the government, pay our national debts on time and pass a long-term budget deal by the end of 2013.
"We want to have America run great…you know I think it's a good thing…I think every American wants the debts to be paid on time….You know we want to keep our credit rating," customer Frank Mercurio said.
Madria McCool says she will more than likely sign the petition but she isn't sure it will actually work.
"I think it's a good idea…I'm not sure if would actually affect what the government is doing to us…but maybe if enough of us come together that would be a great thing and maybe they would actually stop the shutdown," she said.
You can sign the petition at ComeTogetherPetition.com. Starbucks says it will present the petition to lawmakers soon.
Copyright 2013 WBRC. All rights reserved.


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What are the advantages and drawbacks of using OpenDNS?
bralphye 2 years ago
I've been thinking about signing up for OpenDNS for a while, and a friend just told me that if I was using OpenDNS I wouldn't have to even think of Flashback. Is that true? I thought OpenDNS was mostly for filtering web sites, which is significant issue with two 14 year old boys in my house. I never considered it as a security tool per se. Is it also useful for that? Also, are there any drawback to OpenDNS? Does it significantly slow download speeds, for example? Thanks for your help.
Topic: SecurityAnswer this Question
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Attackers deploy Web-based reconnaissance tool to gather information about potential targets in different industries
Europol launched a cybercrime task force Monday to fight online crime in the EU and other countries.
A file-encrypting ransomware program called CryptoWall infected over 600,000 computer systems in the past six months and held 5 billion files hostage, earning its creators more than US$1 million, researchers found.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for a "global compact" on surveillance and the use of collected data, saying the U.S. isn't the only country that does it and American technology companies are unfairly targeted for the government's actions.
Electric carmaker Tesla Motors wants security researchers to hack its vehicles. The Silicon Valley based high-tech carmaker will hire up to 30 full-time hackers whose job will be to find and close vulnerabilities in the sophisticated firmware that controls its cars.
Two recent vulnerabilities are examples of problems that could have been avoided if we had just applied the lessons already learned in similar contexts.
Windows XP users may now download a fourth service pack for the 13-year-old operating system, but it isn't coming from Microsoft.
The growing number of data breaches resulting in massive numbers of payment cards being stolen from retail stores and other businesses is occurring because they're failing to keep up with the Payment Card Industry's data security standard, according to the PCI Security Standards Council.
Email addresses and encrypted passwords of around 97,000 users who tested early builds of the Bugzilla bug tracking software were left exposed for three months following a server migration.


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Attending Glee, the leading garden and leisure industry show, was a great opportunity for Nathan Dodd to spot trends and anticipate products that will come onto the market in the near future.
GLEE, held at the NEC in Birmingham last week, gave David Coton an excellent opportunity to catch up on everything that is currently happening in the garden and leisure industry and what the future holds. Here is his review of the exhibition.
Attending GLEE, the garden retail industry's annual show, which took place between 12 – 14 September, allowed me the chance to meet current and potential suppliers, discuss trends and source new products for our customers.
First impressions were that the show was very well attended with manufacturers such as Rowlinson returning and all the regular exhibitors including many current and potential suppliers present.
There were companies representing the entire industry including landscaping, garden design, clothing, garden care, gifts, even pets and speciality food. Naturally this offering attracted retailers from national chains to independent garden centres.
The layout of stands and exhibition spaces seemed more inviting than I remember and intelligently planned, easy to get around and firmly aimed at the garden trade.
Companies offering similar products and services were grouped together which made it far easier to locate who the people I wanted to network with and collect information from.
Having won the award for Best Online Selling Team last year, I and my colleagues from GardenSite were again invited to the awards ceremony on Tuesday.
We had no idea that we were going to win again, but we did, and it was very satisfying that our team's efforts over the past year have again been rewarded.
These 'Buyers Power List' awards are highly sort after and it crossed my mind that they could be further expanded to include other garden sectors.
I gained the impression while walking around the show that manufacturers have consolidated their current product range rather than introducing a host of new products.
This might be due to the uncertain economic climate, but the fresh merchandise I did see in the 'New Product Showcase' and 'Innovations Zone' will certainly enhance the range we sell on GardenSite in the coming months and next year.
It was good to see plants make a come back at the 'Green Heart' of the show but disappointingly there were no greenhouse exhibitors, I presume probably due to a competing European show.
As a major part of our business, and as fishkeeping is an essential part of many of our customers' gardening activities, it would also be great to have aquatics return to the exhibition.
There's no doubt that the start of the year was disappointing, but after attending this year's show it is clear to me that the good summer has created a sense of optimism that's shared by the whole gardening industry.
Although the days are short and the view from our Garden Centre is frosty and overcast, Andy Taylor suggests various jobs that can be done in the garden during the month of January.
Showcasing young musical talent, this year's Winter Concert at Arthur Terry School was an outstanding success and took place against the stunning backdrop of a Christmas Tree donated by GardenSite.
It was quite an honour for GardenSite to be asked to supply the Christmas Tree to Birmingham New Street Station this year, and to celebrate we're offering a Champagne High Tea to the winners of a seasonal selfie competition.
With Storm Caroline reeking havoc many people are likely to be contacting their insurance companies at some time regarding damage caused to sheds, greenhouses, fences and other garden property. Robert Hall explains how GardenSite.co.uk can help with an independent insurance quote and claim.


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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Kroger is holding a hiring event on Saturday to fill approximately 250 positions in the 18 stores in the Richmond area.
Interviews will be held at the Kroger Training Center located at 2235 Staples Mill Road between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Interested persons should apply online and are asked to bring their resumes to the interviews, which do not require an appointment.
“Kroger provides competitive wages and excellent benefits,” said Allison McGee, spokesperson for Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Division. “Kroger is a place where you can come for a job and stay for a career.”
McGee also noted that many store managers and executives started as part-time clerks.
The jobs are in all areas of stores and most are for part-time positions.


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- The high-band 5G coverage is available for newly launched Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and S20 Ultra
- 5GE is like an upgraded LTE service reportedly
AT&T has announced that its high-band mmWave 5G network, branded as “5G Plus,” will be commercially available in parts of 35 cities. The operator had launched its 5G sub-6GHz 850MHz network since few months.This high-band network is expected to achieve even faster speeds that AT&T’s existing low-band offerings, potentially reaching the highest download speeds of over 2Gbps, as shared by the operator.
Three different 5G brands
This network launch also coincides with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and S20 Ultra. As of now, AT&T has come up with three different 5G brands : 1) 5GE, which is more like an upgraded LTE service; 2) 5G, which makes up the bulk of the carrier’s 5G network and uses low-band 850MHz spectrum technology, similar to T-Mobile’s 600MHz network; and 3) 5G Plus, the operator’s mmWave 5G, based in high-band radio frequencies.
Presently, AT&T’s mmWave network is only available on the Galaxy S20 Plus and S20 Ultra, while the Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, which was the operator’s first 5G phone, will only be able to access the low-band 850MHz portion of the network.
AT&T is also looking forward to nationwide 5G coverage by the year end considering it has been slowly progressing towards the goal.
The operator’s current low-band rollouts included Denver, CO; Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Albany, NY; Binghamton, NY; and Athens, GA. AT&T presently has low-band 5G coverage in a total of 80 cities across the country.


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As previously reported, the inaugural Independent Label Market will set up stall in Soho, London this Saturday, 21 May.
The event will take place on Berwick Street, where the heads of each participating label will sell their products directly to customers.
“I started making mixtapes and selling them,” recalls Richard Russell, boss of XL Recordings. “I had a stall in Camden market. That’s really what a record company is, apart from the fact it’s not legal. You sort the music, get the artwork done, do the manufacturing and then sell them. That was actually the most fun, visceral way of running a record label that I’ve ever been involved in, because you talk to every single person who buys something.”
As well as XL, other notable labels taking the opportunity to sell rarities, merchandise and collectibles include Soul Jazz, Domino, R&S Records, Bella Union, Mute, Tri Angle, Peacefrog and Merok. Angular Records will be carrying the last copies of debut singles by Klaxons and These New Puritans, Heavenly will have the last ever copies of the Saint Etienne 7” box set, and Rough Trade will have an exclusive single from Alexander on sale. Perhaps most interestingly, Tri Angle Records will be hawking exclusive T-shirts and the first physical copies of its Lindsay Lohan tribute album, originally available only on digital.
Guest artists turning up to the market include Blawan, These New Puritans, Tim Key, Slow Club and Vondelpark. A list of confirmed labels and the wares they’ll be offering is below. For more information, visit independentlabelmarket.com.
Last ever copies of These New Puritans debut EP ‘Now Pluvial’, last copies of Klaxons debut single ‘Gravity’s Rainbow’, copies of our first ever release, ‘The New Cross’ compilation feat. Bloc Party’s debut track.
Artist guests: Tim Key, Gyratory System, These New Puritans
Signed copies of for example Explosions In The Sky, Marques Toliver and Midlake, plus special hand-crafted fanzine and karaoke cassette.
Chess Club hits big with a handful of the first ever White Lies release, the ‘Unfinished Business’ 7”, AND Mumford And Sons super rare tour EP 10”
As well as a host of special editions, box sets and limited releases ‘Domino Baggu’ – bags exclusively designed by artist Jason Evans will be on sale in perky summer colours.
The last ever copies of St Etienne’s 7’’s special box set, signed copies from The Head & The Heart, extremely limited 7’’s Motown Junk from Manic Street Preachers
Last copy of The Big Pink’s debut single, and last remaining copies of Zoo Kid and 2:54’s recent and sought after limited singles.
Ltd edition tape cassettes of brand new release by Deptford Goth.
The last few copies of Klaxons second single, and the last copies of Crystal Castles debut EP.
Obscure stock clearance gems at giveaway prices from The Drums, Lykke Li, Florence and The Machine. Early Hot Chip 7’’s. Artist guest: Slow Club
The first batch of their special, 20th anniversary releases, including Theo Parrish and Little Dragon and more
Limited editions of sold out items, test pressings and rare back catalogue finds. Artist guests: Vondelpark and Blawan
A release exclusive to this event. Alexander – ‘Truth’ on the a-side, ‘Truth’ remix by White Arrows on the b-side. Alexander is the lead singer of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and this is a song off his debut self-titled solo album.
Rare titles form Yuck, Purity Ring, Holy Others etc, plus exclusive handmade t-shirts
Tri-angle T-shirts exclusively on sale at the event. First physical copies of Tri-angle’s Lindsay Lohan tribute album, ‘Let Me Shine For You’, previously only available digitally.
WALL OF SOUND
Stockroom finds such as promo only vinyls with promo only tracks, slipmatts, stickers, badges and mugs. Artist guest: Jon McClure from The Reverend and the Makers. Fellow label Play it Again Sam will join the stall.


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Restaurant Managers are now invited to compete in this prestigious competition to become the UK Restaurant Manager of the Year 2019. Anyone who fulfils the role of a Restaurant Manager (but not necessarily holding this title) is welcome to enter, having responsibility for business performance; managing people; staff training and co-ordinating the operation of the […]
This week the Craft Guild of Chefs will reveal the winner of The National Chef of the Year award, which is one of the most hotly-anticipated announcements in the chef world. For 2018, the Guild has introduced a new award which has been created in memory of talented chef, Matt Campbell, who tragically died running […]
ARYZTA Food Solutions has added two new products to its growing range of premium desserts; unique and indulgent Band layer desserts in zesty Lemon Brulee and Trio of Chocolate Mousse varieties. The versatile new desserts are supplied un-portioned, giving caterers the option to adapt serving size in accordance with occasion or daypart, and premiumise with […]
The Restaurant Show, featuring Bar & Pub and Catering Equipment Expo, takes place next week 1st – 3rd October at Olympia London and will bring to life the issues that face the hospitality industry, plus provide access to the latest food and drink trends. In just a few hours on the show floor you’ll be […]
Mortimer House Kitchen in Fitzrovia is delighted to announce the launch of its original Menu Masterclass series this autumn. Masterclasses will be held monthly with six spaces in each class which can be booked individually or as a group. The first of the four unique and exclusive masterclasses will be held on Wednesday 26th September, […]
Bringing a brand new addition to Islington’s ever-evolving food scene, Chef James Cochran has now opened the doors to his much-anticipated new restaurant 1251. Situated right in the heart of the bustling Upper Street, moments away from both Angel and Highbury & Islington, 1251 seats forty-eight covers across two floors with an additional eight seats […]
Luxury five-star resort, Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech is set to host its first Pro-Am Golf Tournament this autumn. The highly anticipated five-day tournament, Wednesday 14 November – Sunday 18 November 2018, will offer professionals and amateurs alike, a unique and unforgettable experience to enjoy world-class golfing.
Wrapmaster – part of Cofresco Foodservice – has become an official business partner of the Craft Guild of Chefs. The move is part of the award-winning company’s ongoing commitment to the foodservice and hospitality market, and improving working standards within professional kitchens. Speaking about the new partnership, Adrian Brown, Managing Director, Cofresco Foodservice said: “We […]


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Farmers market to open in Lake Milton next week
Special to The Vindicator
The Lake Milton Farmers’ Market will open at 8 a.m. Aug. 6, at the Amphitheater located at the beach at Lake Milton State Park on Grandview Road.
The market includes fresh, locally produced vegetables, fruits, and other seasonal produce as well as a variety of baked goods and more.
For a complete listing of the vendors, go to www.lakemiltoninfo.com. The market will be every Saturday through October.
To participate in the farmers’ market, call the Lake Milton State Park office at 330-654-4989.
Also that day is the Lake Milton Nature Arts Council annual beach party at 6 p.m. The event features Rudy & the Professionals as well as a steel-drum player who was born and raised in the Caribbean. Food will be available for purchase. Participants should bring a beach blanket or chair. Discounted tickets are available at the Lake Milton Pharmacy on Mahoning Avenue. Admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. The cost for children is $3.


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Apple and Google make up almost 70 percent of growing US smartphone market
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Sixty-nine percent of smartphones sold in the US run either Apple’s iOS or Google's Android platforms.
In the three-month period ending July 2011 Apple and Google both grew their US market share, pushing smartphone makers such as RIM and Microsoft further out of the picture.
According to figures from market researcher comScore, Google continued its run as the smartphone market leader adding 5.4 points to its April 2011 market share of 36.4 percent.
Apple’s market share grew too, albeit by a smaller 1 point to claim 27 percent of the market in July. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) slipped from 25.7 percent to 21.7 percent, Microsoft dropped from 6.7 percent to 5.7 percent and Nokia’s Symbian platform dwindled from 2.3 percent to 1.9 percent of the market.
Smartphone ownership in the country is on the increase, making up 35 percent of the entire mobile market.
"82.2 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in July 2011, up 10 percent from the preceding three month period," said comScore.
Samsung retained its position as the number one OEM across the entire mobile market in the US, capturing a 25.5 percent market share. LG, Motorola, Apple and RIM followed with market shares of 20.9 percent, 14.1 percent, 9.5 percent and 7.6 percent respectively.
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Facebook attacked over dead relative photos in 'Year in Review' slides
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Anti-smoking adverts accused of 'scaremongering'
GTA 5 pulled from shelves after petition
Millions of Britons struggling to feed themselves and facing malnourishment
British actor Idris Elba cannot star as James Bond because he is black, says shock jock Rush Limbaugh
Germany anti-Islam protests: 17,000 march on Dresden against 'Islamification of the West'
Ukip member gets into Christmas spirit with Union Flag plea to Santa 'for our country back'
Nigel Farage: Ukip leader named 'Briton of the year' by The Times
Douglas Carswell tells Ukip to stop blaming foreigners as youth poll shows Nigel Farage is even less popular than Nick Clegg
- 1 President of Argentina adopts Jewish godson to 'stop him turning into a werewolf'
- 2 Doctors remove 80 teeth from boy's jaw
- 3 The 'Black Museum': After 150 years, public set to see exhibits from police’s grisly crime museum
- 4 Sir Winston Churchill’s family begged him not to convert to Islam, letter reveals
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Animal rights advocacy group pressures Aldi over welfare transparency
An animal rights group has put pressure on Aldi Australia asking the supermarket to open up about its animal welfare polices to the same degree as its competitors.
Non-for-profit, World Animal Protection, is asking Aldi to “match its competitors and introduce a comprehensive animal welfare policy for its home brand products”.
World Animal Protection says while other major Australian supermarkets provide customers with extensive information on their animal welfare policies with targets and timetables included, Aldi only has a single page on animal welfare.
The page specifies fresh meat must meet Aldi’s standards but the standards are not specified says World Animal Protection.
The page also says Aldi is a member of a certification scheme that sets standards for humane transport and slaughter, but according to World Animal Protection, the page does not make it clear animal welfare on farms is not covered.
Ben Pearson, Senior Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection, said Aldi’s customers have the right to know how the animals in Aldi’s home brand products were treated.
“In recent years, the treatment of animals has increasingly attracted local and international attention, reflecting a shift in consumers’ expectations of acceptable standards for farm animal welfare,” Pearson said.
“On behalf of Australians who expect better and Australian farm animals that deserve better, World Animal Protection is calling on Aldi to show leadership on farm animal welfare.”
World Animal Protection has started an online petition asking Aldi Australia to become more transparent about its animal welfare standards.
The petition specifies that at a minimum, World Animal Protection wants Aldi Australia to publicly guarantee its pork products do not confine mother pigs to cages during pregnancy.
In response to the World Animal Protection’s criticisms, Aldi Australia told Australian Food News it is committed to animal welfare.
“As part of our commitment, suppliers of Aldi branded fresh mean are required to be audited against Aldi’s standards, which are based on continuous improvement,” an Aldi spokesperson said.
“In addition to the independent audits conducted by Aldi, we are a signatory to the Australian Livestock Processing Industry Animal Welfare System (AAWCS) for our fresh beef, lamb and pork.
“Fresh beef, lamb and pork products are only sourced from suppliers who can demonstrate the superior animal welfare practices that are required to be certified under AAWCS.”
Aldi outlined AAWCS standards to Australian Food News with some standards including that facilities and equipment are designed to ensure minimal interference and stress to livestock and that processing staff are professionally trained to manage livestock in accordance with low stress handling techniques.
“In addition to the AAWCS, there are several further standards that Aldi also adheres to, including four our fresh pork products, which are sourced from Australian Pork Industry Quality Assurance Program Gestation Staff Free Certified Farms,” Aldi’s spokesperson said.
“At an international level, Aldi has engaged stakeholders, reviewed international practices and the Business Benchmark on Animal Welfare, to develop an International Position Statement on Animal Welfare. Aldi Australia’s Animal Welfare policy is consistent with the principles and processes outlined in the international position,” the spokesperson concluded.
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Australian restaurant chain Hog’s Breath has launched a new quick-service dining concept.


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Feb. 19, 2021 - Progroup announced that construction is starting for its "PW14" corrugated sheetfeeder facility located at the company's paper mill in Stryków, Poland.
Progroup is investing about 72 million euros in the facility which will be powered by a combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) plant.
The new sheetfeeder plant is designed to produce up to 200,000 tonnes of corrugated board sheets per year with start-up expected in the fourth quarter of 2022.
"With this new plant, Progroup will not only boost Stryków as a location, but at the same time it will expand its position in the market in Central and Eastern Europe," said Jürgen Heindl, Chief Executive Officer of Progroup. "We are consistently following our growth strategy and this will allow us to continue to offer our customers the high reliability of supply and impressive quality of product that they are used to."
Progroup said PW14 will manufacture virtually all common grades of corrugated board. The production speed will be 400 m/min and the working width 3.35 metres. The production line is designed to produce single-wall and double-wall Next Board® corrugated boardsheets with B, C and E flutes and smaller grammages in all combinations.
Progroup noted that its long-term development plans span ten-year time periods, and the aim for the current period (2015-2025) is to double the size of the company. This involves the construction of a total of 8 corrugated sheetfeeder plants, a CHP power plant and the recent start-up of PM3 — a new machine at its Sandersdorf-Brehna paper mill in Germany with the capacity to produce 750,000 tonnes per year of recycled containerboard.
Currently, PM3 is in the run-up stage of production. When PM3 reaches its designed capacity, Progroup's total containerboard production will increase from 1.1 million tonnes to a total of around 1.85 million tonnes per year.
Progroup AG, located in Landau in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, is one of the leading manufacturers of containerboard and corrugated board in Europe. To learn more, visit: www.progroup.ag.
SOURCE: Progroup AG
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2021 Maserati new cars
Maserati's sedan duo will get high-performance upgrades in 2021, while the brand's first supercar in 15 years is minus a Ferrari engine.
Maserati fared better than most premium car makers in 2020, with sales down just 4.7 per cent compared with the same period last year. The manufacturer sold 422 cars to the end of November 2020, only 21 less than the amount shifted over the same period in 2019.
The Italian brand will launch high-performance Trofeo versions of its Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans next year, both scoring 433kW Ferrari V8 engines, sportier styling and technology upgrades. The hot sedan duo are set to reach Maserati showrooms in the first quarter of 2021.
Maserati have also confirmed the brand new MC20 will arrive in Australia in 2021 – its first supercar in 15 years. Indicating a significant moment for the marque, the new mid-engine supercar will feature Maserati's first fully in-house manufactured engine in nearly 20 years. But those wanting a MC20 will have to wait until 2022, as the Australian allocation for 2021 is already sold out.
MORE: Everything Maserati


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The new logo will appear before all originals released following the 1 February and will be retrospectively added to other TV series and films over the coming months.
"Starting today (1 February)," the streaming service wrote on Twitter, "there’s a new logo animation before our originals.
"It shows the spectrum of stories, languages, fans and creators that make Netflix beautiful — now on a velvety background to better set the mood.”
The animation sees the letter "N" burst into an array of colour, wrapping the screen in an array of light.
A spokesperson for Netflix told the Fast Company that the "barcode visualisation" was meant to give originals a more cinematic feel and was inspired by "the idea of turning Netflix’s own show thumbnails sideways, like records on a shelf."
The spokesperson also said that the Netflix in-house design team worked with an independent agency for two years to develop the new animation.
Netflix are no doubt hoping the new branding will set its original content further apart from competitors, as Disney and Apple entering the streaming arena.
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Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies


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Imperial Logistics International (UK) has renewed its contract with a major car manufacturer. The company, which declined to reveal the identity of the car manufacturer, has been re-appointed to provide just in time (JIT) and just in sequence (JIS) operations. The contract sees Imperial provide nationwide transport services including the collection of components and assemblies from 19 suppliers and their delivery to a central storage facility. The South African-owned logistics firm, which is based in Swindon, will also operate shuttles […]
Outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Go Outdoors has taken a 353,000sq ft distribution centre in Middlewich, Cheshire.
A Norfolk haulage firm’s plans to modernise its warehousing requirements and create more jobs has drawn criticism from nearby residents, who have objected to HGV movements on local roads.
Hermes has launched a new service allowing consumers to inform retailers which items they are returning in advance, helping to make the process more efficient.


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A study published on Feb. 17 by Informa furthered the scientific support of the effects of medicinal plants. Today, Benji’s Farm Organic Botanical Dog Treats is discovering that plants with medicinal purposes for humans may have the same effects for dogs.
Rocky Graziose, a botanist, and his wife Allison, a health wellness teacher, created the company, using their backgrounds to develop “plant-powered” treats.
“We think the focus on meat in the dog food industry is neglecting the value and the virtues the plants have to offer,” Rocky Graziose said.
Graziose has been interested in plants since he was a child. He earned his Ph.D. in botany studying medicinal plants at Rutgers University. Each flavor of Benji’s Farm dog treats incorporates a unique combination of medicinal herbs.
Their flavor “Sleepy” is most popular. It uses lavender, passionflower and chamomile to induce calmness and relaxation.
“My dogs have very high energy,” Denise Loughlin, a customer, said. “Believe it or not, I definitely notice a calming effect after about 15 to 20 minutes.”
Interest in the treats can also be attributed to how they are gluten free. The global gluten-free food market size is predicted to nearly double from 2015 to 2020 according to Statista, a market research agency. A gluten-free diet has become trendy for humans in recent years, but is it healthy for this trend to spread into the dog world?
“I have seen many dogs get sick from gluten especially and many grains,” Dr. Marcie Fallek, a veterinarian specializing in holistic treatment, said. Fallek, who is also a staff writer for Dogs Naturally magazine, said that dogs’ digestive systems are not suited for gluten. “Some tend to get diarrhea and all kinds of digestive problems.”
Some dogs, like some people, cannot tolerate gluten, according to a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For humans, the condition is called celiac disease. For dogs, it is known as gluten-induced enteropathy.
The vegan-friendly aspect of the treats is gaining praise as well. “We appreciate and commend their work,” Erika Galera, the marketing manager of the Food Empowerment Project, a non-profit vegan justice organization, said. “We would advocate for dogs to try vegan diets.”
Many vegan products find ways to draw protein from sources other than meat. Benji’s Farm uses peanut flour in their mixture, which faces some criticism.
“Just because something is marked organic and gluten-free doesn’t mean it is healthy,” Susan Blake Davis, a pet nutritionist, said. “These treats are loaded with carbohydrates like peanut flour and molasses. Excess carbohydrates can lead to ear infections and skin problems among other things.”
Although the treats continue to draw in customers looking to feed their dogs on vegan or gluten-free diets, they were not created with this intention.
“We don’t particularly endorse or discredit vegetarian diets for dogs,” Rocky Graziose, the co-creator of the company, said. “It is the customer’s choice that they should consult with their veterinarian.”
Another flavor that uses a new combination of herbs for a different effect is currently in development, said Rocky Graziose. The new mystery flavor will not be revealed until next month.


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Third Chinese City to Open Economic Mission in Israel
(CTech) — Next month, Xiamen, a port city on China’s southeast coast, will open a trade mission to Israel, becoming the third Chinese city to do so this year. The other two are Beijing and Dongguan, an industrial center in southern China.
All three initiatives are designed to help facilitate business ties between Chinese companies and Israeli entrepreneurs offering technological innovation.
Traditionally, Israeli businesses have looked to strike partnerships and market products in the U.S. and Europe where linguistic and cultural barriers are minimal compared to China. But a global realignment of economic and political interests and the growing reputation of Israel’s tech sector have combined to open up new opportunities in East Asia.
The scale of Chinese cities—even modestly sized ones like Xiamen have millions of residents—means that that country’s municipal governments are large enough to provide the foreign commercial aid usually supplied by the embassies of national governments.
Starting in August, representatives of the Xiamen Torch Hi-Tech Development Zone will scout for technological innovation for the Chinese city’s largest companies from an office of Tel Aviv, according to an announcement made on Sunday.
This article was first published at CTech.
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Nov 19 13:42
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Nov 18 18:34
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- 1Two Persons Diagnosed With Pneumonic Plague in Beijing
- 2U.S. to Extend Huawei Reprieve by Allowing It to Continue Trade With U.S. Clients: Report
- 3Beijing Plague Patients Were Medical Transfers, Further Cases in Capital Unlikely: Officials
- 4Top Bank Regulators Move to Defuse Jitters After Two Bank Runs
- 5In Depth: The Rise and Fall of Asian Twin Cities
- 1Power To The People: Pintec Serves A Booming Consumer Class
- 2Largest hotel group in Europe accepts UnionPay
- 3UnionPay mobile QuickPass debuts in Hong Kong
- 4UnionPay International launches premium catering privilege U Dining Collection
- 5UnionPay International’s U Plan has covered over 1600 stores overseas


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President Donald Trump’s administration will unveil new rules on the importation of fur coats into the United States on Tuesday, but the move could have major implications for domestic fur production, which has been the target of an unprecedented crackdown in recent years.
The Interior Department will issue new rules aimed at “ensuring the protection of the fur trade from the import of imported fur coats,” the department said in a memo to industry and animal welfare groups.
“These new regulations will apply to fur imported from abroad and imported by retailers,” the agency said.
“The proposed rules will prohibit imports of fur coat imports from China, which is currently the world’s leading importer of fur.
We have previously proposed a similar rule for imported fur from Canada, but those proposals have not been adopted.
These new rules will ensure that fur imports from countries that are not members of the EU are not subject to import restrictions.”
The new regulations, which are expected to be published in the coming weeks, will apply “to imported fur coat imported from China and imported to the United Sates,” according to the memo.
“This new rule will be effective on January 6, 2020,” the memo said.
Trump’s proposed new rules could have a major impact on the domestic fur industry.
A federal judge ruled in October that fur imported to China from the U.S. is not protected by federal law.
The judge found that the import ban would violate the Animal Welfare Act of 1966, the U


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Neoteris, a start-up chaired by Jim Clark, who founded Silicon Graphics, Netscape Communications and Healtheon, has closed $15 million in a round of financing led by New Enterprise Associates. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company said its original investors--Clark and his Barksdale Group--also participated in the round. Neoteris said it will use the additional funds to continue building its services.
Neoteris aims to simplify the way employees connect to a corporate network remotely, replacing the two major solutions used today: extranets and virtual private networks. In November, Neoteris launched its first products, dubbed EmployeeAccess and PartnerAccess. With the latest financing, the company said it has appointed Scott Sandell, general partner at New Enterprise, to its board of directors.


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OUYA’s Kickstarter campaign is ending tonight, but the company has sent out an update to insure investors in the highly hyped Android gaming box that the real work is only beginning.
Updated with the official statement:
“NAMCO BANDAI Games and OUYA are currently in active discussions to bring some of the world’s biggest gaming properties to the exciting open gaming platform,” said Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing, NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Inc. “NAMCO BANDAI brings with it a rich history of iconic gaming franchises, from classics like PAC-MAN and GALAGA, to seminal franchises like TEKKEN and Ridge Racer, and we’re excited to explore how we can work with OUYA to bring some great titles to the forthcoming console.”
Additionally, OUYA is rounding out media player support with Plex. Yesterday the company announced support for XBMC but is looking to please customers with their choice of media streaming software.
As the end of OUYA’s first round of funding draws near, the company has already sold out of personalized OUYA consoles as well developer preview editions. I still hold the opinion that OUYA won’t be quite as successful as most think it will be, but I have to admit they have done a remarkable job turning concept into cash cow.
Source: Android Phone Fans


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Inter-Korean scheme offers apparel-making gains
In the week that talks resumed on the free trade deal between South Korea and US, Peter Chang reports on South Korea's latest production initiative. The Gaesong Industrial Park in North Korea pairs South Korean technology and management expertise with North Korea's cheap and abundant labour force.
Some South Korean textile and shoe-making companies are producing their products in North Korea in order to take advantage of the communist country's cheap labor costs. Wages here are at least 20 times lower than in their main plants in South Korea.
The manufacturing move is made possible by the fact that the two Koreas - South and North - are developing a 66m m² complex in the North's city of Gaesong, just over the Korean border. The complex, which will be completed by 2012, includes a 26m m² special economic zone called the Gaesong Industrial Park.
The two sides are trying to combine the South's capital and technology expertise with the North's cheap land and labour.
In addition to the economic synergies, which will help South Korean textile and clothing companies to offer products at cheaper prices than their Asian rivals, the Gaesong Industrial Park is also a peace project, breaking down the world's last Cold War frontier.
Of the 11 companies currently operating in the complex, three South Korean consumer goods companies have hired around 6,000 North Korean workers to produce products such as clothing, shoes and cosmetics in their plants.
The remaining eight companies are making kitchen appliances, automobile fuel pumps, watches and electrical cords. Some of these products are being exported to China and Mexico.
South Korean officials working in the North's Industrial Park say all products made in the complex will be classified as made in South Korean - which could be a hot issue in the Free Trade Agreement talks between South Korea and the US.
On Monday, South Korean and US officials met in Seoul for preliminary talks on the free trade deal, ahead of the opening of formal negotiations in June.
ShinWon mulls expansion
ShinWon Inc, an exporter of textile products, has five assembly lines covering an area of 7,300m². These produce some 20,000 pieces of clothing (such as women's jackets, skirts and trousers) per month using 326 North Korean workers.
All products made in the North will be bought and sold in South Korea, company officials said. In 2005, North Korean products accounted for 5% of the company's total production on the Korean peninsula. But, it will rise to 13.6% in 2006.
ShinWon officials also said they expect to hire more North Korean workers in the coming months due to the relatively low costs compared with other workers in South East Asia.
"North Korean workers are quickly adapting to the South Korean way of production and business management, showing rapid improvement in terms of both physical and psychological aspects," said a company official. "The labour cost is extremely low, so a worker gets paid just $57.5 per month."
The official said North Korean workers are working an average of 48 hours a week, but they often volunteer for overtime and even work at weekends when the workload is heavy.
The workers, who have great manual skills, are highly motivated and diligent, and their productivity is improving much faster than expected, according to officials. The workers are mostly high school or college graduates.
While all North Korean products will be brought into South Korea, the products that are being consumed in some foreign countries will be produced in ShinWon's overseas plants.
ShinWon currently has four overseas plants. It makes knitwear in Vietnam (ShinWon Ebenezer Vietnam Co), Indonesia (PT ShinWon Ebenezer) and Guatemala (ShinWon Guatemala SA), and handbags in its Chinese factory Qingdao ShinWon Garment Co.
While it continues to produce more products in its North Korean factory, ShinWon is also planning to expand production in its foreign plants.
At its Vietnamese plant, ShinWon has earmarked $2.2m to produce more "low-cost" but "high quality" products utilising the country's cheap labour.
And in Indonesia, ShinWon is to invest $1m expanding its production capacity. The company also plans to expand production at its Guatemalan plant to take advantage of its geographic proximity to the US market.
Current buyers of ShinWon's products - currently 30 companies - are Target, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Sears, Gap, Macy's and H&M.
More companies head North
Despite minor problems stemming from the different economic and political systems between the two countries, South Korean officials believe more companies will start making their products in the North as North Korean officials become more cooperative in the management and operation of the Gaesong Industrial Park.
North Korean officials have begun to understand the importance of "corporate profits," "market exploration," and "investment attraction, " they said.
As an example of this changing attitude, North Korea has been allowing foreign buyers and investors to visit the complex since June 2005. In November, North Korea welcomed a 31-member delegation from the EUCCK (European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea).
Such events signal that North Korea is trying to open its doors to the foreign community, they said.
ShinWon isn't the only South Korean company expanding in the North. Samduk Trading, a shoemaker based in South Korea's second-largest city of Busan, is seeking additional space in the complex to expand production from its current 18 sewing lines and three manufacturing lines.
Samduk makes 1.8m finished shoe products, 3.6m shoe uppers and 2.6m soles annually. It employs 1,055 North Koreans and 11 South Korean workers in the plant, which was constructed in November 2004.
By Peter Chang.
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Apparel giant Gap Inc has announced that its new women's retail division will be called Forth & Towne, alongside revealing a number of strategic growth initiatives....
Sears Holdings Corp and Latina Media Ventures, which publishes Latina magazine, have signed a deal to launch an apparel, footwear and bag collection aimed at Hispanic women....
Apparel giant Gap Inc has named Cynthia Harriss, currently president of Gap Inc Outlet, as new president of the Gap brand....
Nike Inc, the world's biggest athletic apparel maker, has started selling shoes in Wal-Mart under its new Starter brand....
Infosys Technologies Ltd has been chosen by children's apparel company Kids Headquarters to help the company comply with existing mandates from major retailers....
US retail giant Sears Holding Corp is planning a "mass layoff" of at least 500 employees at its Chicago headquarters, according to a revised report filed with the state's Department of Commerce and Ec...
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- Global apparel markets: product developments and innovations, October 2016
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- REPORT BUNDLE: Africa-Med, Southeast Asia and Central America strategic sourcing pack


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The ASUS ZenFone 6 has long been overdue if we are to follow the company’s yearly schedule. The ZenFone 5 was announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC 2018). This year’s MWC has already passed but we believe the next flagship Android phone is coming very soon. Prototype images have surfaced online last year but still nothing until this week when a teaser was shared by ASUS’ official Twitter account. The ASUS ZenFone 6 is described as something that will “Defy Ordinary”.
The public is encouraged to “embrace the extraordinary revolution” and looking at the video teaser, we think it has the potential to become a bestseller. ASUS Global (@asus) has directed the consumers to a product page that contains little information.
The site tells us the smartphone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. We can’t say if it’s Snapdragon 855 already or just a mid-range chipset.
Don’t be confused here. It really is the ASUS Zenfone 6 even if the name was already used five years ago. The latest teaser doesn’t show any notch. The display appears to be almost bezel-less but we’re curious about that small area at the top, middle of the front screen.
Could it be a pop-up selfie camera? If it is, then it’s not really hidden. It could also be just for the earpiece as previously leaked.
The image above shows a camera notch on the right side of the screen. It appears to be like a camera hole but we’re assuming ASUS was experimenting on the design since it’s an image of a prototype.
Nothing much is said about the specs but here’s what we know so far: in-display camera, triple rear cameras (although we only see two lenses), external speaker grille, 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C port, and super slim bezels. Let’s wait and see for the official announcement which is happening on May 16, 2019 in Valencia, Spain.


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SunPower shares fall after Needham downgrade
Shares of SunPower Corp. fell nearly 8 percent Monday after a Needham analyst downgraded the maker of solar cells and panels, saying currency concerns and spending cuts in Europe pose risks to the company’s business there.
THE SPARK: Analyst Y. Edwin Mok downgraded the shares to “Hold” from “Buy,” pointing to possible subsidy cuts in Europe and economic concerns in the region linked to heavy debt burdens and resulting austerity measures.
THE BIG PICTURE: The euro touched another four-year low on Monday and markets in Europe dropped, a sign of growing concerns about Europe’s ability to rein in its debt without falling back into recession. U.S. companies with large businesses in the eurozone also are feeling the heat.
THE ANALYSIS: SunPower has lost market share in California but has grown sales to Europe, Mok said. The company derived 60 percent of its first-quarter sales from Europe compared with 35 percent in the same period a year earlier, he noted. As such, it is facing increased risks associated with the falling euro and economic problems facing the continent.
SHARE ACTION: Class A shares of San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower fell $1.03, or 8 percent, to $11.87 in midday trading. The stock has traded between $10.11 and $34 in the past 52 weeks.


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If you read a lot of crafty blogs you probably know about the new rules set to go into effect February 10 that could potentially shut down a lot of small handmade toy companies. If you don’t, the basics are that new consumer product safety rules are set to require lead testing of all prodcucts intended for use by children.
This is a time where a law was written too broadly and the unintented consequences weren’t thought of. It’s meant to keep big toy manufacturers from using lead in their products, in the hope of preventing the huge recalls we saw a couple of years ago.
But small toy makers don’t have the funds to get lead testing for all of their products. They’re not using lead now, they’re not trying to hide, they just want to be able to stay in business providing great toys for kids and families. (You can read more on the issue at CNN.)
If you’d like to see small toy makers stay in business, you can support them by following the latest news on the Buy Handmade blog, and sign up at Change.org today and vote to save handmade toys. (You can vote for other issues, too.) Today, January 15, is the last day for voting. The 10 ideas that get the most votes will be presented to the Obama administration at the National Press Club tomorrow.
Make your voice heard again and stand up for handmade!


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New-car sales in Australia continue to increase, with the second-largest May on record also the industry's seventh consecutive month of growth
Australian new-car sales in May 2021 represented the second-largest result for the month since records were kept as the industry sees continued growth towards the end of the financial year.
VFACTS, a new-car sales data report compiled by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), recorded 100,809 new cars sold in Australia during May. The number signifies a 68.3 per cent increase year-on-year from the 59,894 figure tallied in May 2020 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.
However, perhaps most impressive in May 2021’s sales result, is that it exceeds even pre-COVID figures: The FCAI recorded 92,561 new cars sold in May 2019, marking an 8.9 per cent growth for the industry’s May results from 2019 to 2021.
Related: Australian new-car sales April 2021
The FCAI believes the result was fuelled by increasing consumer confidence and “pent-up demand”, which has also seen waiting times for some new vehicles blow out.
“While we cannot be certain about the future economic impacts of the COVID-19 situation, businesses and households are showing their confidence by purchasing new vehicles,” FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said.
“I expect this situation will continue to improve in the second half of this calendar year as confidence continues to grow.”
Australia's best-selling car brands in May 2021
Toyota continued its lead in May with 21,156 new cars sold (up 46.2 per cent year-on-year) and a 21 per cent slice of the market share pie, helped by having five of its nameplates comprising the top 10 best-selling model list.
Mazda finished in second place again with 10,554 new cars sold (up 86.4 per cent and a 10.5 per cent market share), while Kia rounded out the top three with 7124 cars sold (up 158.1 per cent and a 7.1 per cent share).
Ford and Mitsubishi closed out the top five with 6493 and 6478 cars sold respectively and each taking a 6.4 per cent market share. Hyundai, Nissan, Volkswagen, Isuzu and Subaru made up the rest of the top 10.
Australia's best-selling car models in May 2021
The Toyota HiLux regained its crown after falling out of the top two best-sellers for the first time in recent memory during April, with 4402 examples moving in May (up 24.8 per cent).
Ford’s Ranger took silver with 4254 sold (up 59.7 per cent), while Toyota’s RAV4 continued its run in the top three with 4014 of the SUV selling May (up 71.2 per cent(.
Mazda’s CX-5 placed fifth with 2768 sold (up 87.2 per cent), comprising more than a quarter of the brand’s total in May.
Isuzu sold 3058 of its D-Max ute (up 202.8 per cent and from tenth to fifth in the best-sellers list), accounting for 77.5 per cent of the brand’s 3946 total sales. (Isuzu D-Max pictured at top of story.)
Combined success of the HiLux, Ranger, D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton meant four of the top seven best-sellers were utes.
- Toyota Hi-Lux (4402 sold, up 24.8 per cent)
- Ford Ranger (4254 sold, up 59.7 per cent)
- Toyota RAV4 (4014 sold, up 71.2 per cent)
- Toyota Landcruiser (3399 sold, up 59.4 per cent)
- Isuzu Ute D-Max (3058 sold, up 202.8 per cent)
- Mazda CX-5 (2768 sold, up 87.2 per cent)
- Mitsubishi Triton (2317 sold, up 167.6 per cent)
- Toyota Prado (2214 sold, up 63.0 per cent)
- Toyota Corolla (2190 sold, up 34.7 per cent)
- Hyundai i30 (2127 sold, up 78.6 per cent)


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Metz Culinary Management rolled out the red carpet for plant-forward cuisine last month as part of its annual VegFest celebration.
The event was held in honor of National Vegetarian Month which takes place every year in October. As part of the month-long festivities, Metz’s partners in the healthcare, K-12, corporate, senior living and college segments were encouraged to menu a plant-forward dish one day a week at each station at their operation.
“We wanted to showcase plant-based global cuisine that we have been expanding for the last 18 months,” Brian Bachman, vice president of purchasing for Metz, said in a statement. “Our chefs created unique recipes featuring global dishes designed to delight not just vegans and vegetarians, but all guests."
Metz chefs served a variety of dishes, including Cauliflower Coconut Curry, Smokey Three Bean Chili, Crispy Cauliflower Tacos and Pumpkin Pie Hummus Dip. The foodservice provider also teamed up with Iron Chef winner Chef Ming Tsai to serve MingBings, a plant-based product created by Tsai that is inspired by Bing, a traditional Chinese flatbread.
“We received excellent feedback this Fall,” Bachman added. “Our Pumpkin Pie Hummus Dip and chocolate hummus were particular standout favorites with our K-12 and higher education guests.”
Fall has been a busy season for the foodservice provider. Alongside its VegFest event, Metz also celebrated Halloween and Day of the Dead last month with a selection of themed menu items for its diners in the K-12, college, healthcare, corporate and senior living segments. It also launched its Global Kitchen concept in August and recently rolled out a new 'stealth nutrition' strategy for the K-12 segment.


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German food conglomerate Dr. August Oetker KG has entered into an agreement to acquire Wilton Brands, a baking, cake decorating and candy making brand, from TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“The acquisition of Wilton means the expansion of our position in the large and interesting U.S. market for baking and decorating,” said Albert Christmann, chairman of the board of management of Dr. Oetker. “For American consumers, the Wilton brand has been synonymous with home baking and the creative decorating of cakes, pies and baked goods for almost 90 years. With its product portfolio and strong brand, Wilton fits well with Dr. Oetker. Wilton also is very progressively positioned in terms of the use of digital brand management. Dr. Oetker’s entire organization will benefit from this expertise.”
Founded in 1929, Wilton Brands is based in Naperville, Ill., and was acquired by investment funds managed by TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P. in 2009. Under the leadership of chief executive officer Sue Buchta, the company has refocused the business on its baking and food core while divesting non-core businesses. Following the transaction, which is expected to close by the end of the year, Wilton Brands will remain in Naperville and will be run as a division within the brand portfolio of companies owned by Dr. Oetker. Ms. Buchta will remain in her role as c.e.o.
“Wilton is passionate about bringing the love of baking and decorating to everyone, everywhere, every day through quality products that make baking and decorating fun and easy,” Ms. Buchta said. “I could not imagine a better owner for Wilton Brands. The opportunity to draw on both companies’ strengths, combined knowledge and commitment to the category will position us to innovate and grow more quickly, benefitting our customers, our retail partners and our employees. This is a proud and exciting milestone in Wilton’s 89-year history as a trusted name in baking.”
Founded in 1891, Dr. Oetker offers a broad range of more than 1,000 products in Germany and 4,000 products worldwide, spanning the categories of baking mixes, desserts, frozen pizzas and snacks.
By Monica Watrous
Source: Food Business News
The Coca-Cola Co. has promoted Evguenia (Jeny) Stoichkova to president of global ventures, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Ms. Stoichkova joined Coca-Cola Bulgaria in 2004 and was most recently the president of the company’s Eurasia & Middle East division, a role she has held since 2021.
US-based Perfect Day, is partnering with Onego Bio, which specializes in creating animal-free eggs, aiming to accelerate the timeline to bring the eggs to the market. The business, with the use of its technology, plans to commercialize animal-free ovalbumin, the most abundant egg white protein extracted through precision fermentation.
Food waste costs the EU €143 billion per year (US$141.7 billion), with a report by Feedback EU raising the alarm of how it’s vital to reduce waste from farm to fork 50% by 2030 and the only way this will be achieved is by enforcing a mandatory directive forcing the food industry to do better and retailers to pay a tax of food waste.


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AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega said his company has plans for shared data offerings for customers. He shared that tidbit during an interview at the AllThingsD D9 conference this week, but didn’t offer up much in the way of details.
Mr. de la Vega noted that consumers are carrying more portable devices thanks to the popularity of the iPhone and iPad, and they want to be online with all of them.
“You may want a shared plan. We’re working on one,” he said. “It will be soon. I can’t comment on a quarter [when it will launch] but it will be soon.”
Mr. de la Vega didn’t say how customers would be able to use a shared data plan. Presumably, they would be able to use a single 3G wireless data plan with their smartphone and tablet, and a mobile 3G hotspot device.


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Banking as we know it is changing. Challenger banks are emerging in most markets across the globe and with their disruptive technologies they are redefining banking. In the present day, we have stepped into the era of digital banking and we are heading towards a foreseeable future where brick and mortar banks may cease to exist. Bill Gates once said, “we need banking, but we don’t need banks anymore.” The global digital banking market size is forecasted to reach $30750 million by 2026, from $9098.7million in 2019, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19 percent during 2021-2026, according to a Valuates report. More than 200 digital banks have popped up across the globe since 2010.
While the trend started in Europe and the UK, the digital banking space in Southeast Asia is growing. Out of the 200 plus digital banks, nearly 50 of them are based in the Asia Pacific region. Digital is becoming mainstream and digital banking is being driven by disruptive technologies, digital penetration and evolving customer expectation. The Covid-19 pandemic has also given digital banking a significant push.
According to a research report, nearly 70 percent of adults in Southeast Asia were underbanked or unbanked. The biggest market is Indonesia, which has around 42 million underbanked and 92 million unbanked adults. Also, there is a huge funding gap when it comes to small and medium and small-sized businesses in the region. Digital banking solves these problems.
Another survey has also revealed that the lack of personalised advice, higher fees and an unattractive image are the reasons for consumers to shift from traditional banks in Southeast Asia. While the changes in terms of banking have been tremendous, traditional banks have been equally slow to adapt to these changes. A Roland Berger report has revealed that around 18 percent of the bank branches in Southeast Asia will be closed by 2030, which is around 9,000 branches.
The report further forecasts that the most significant market consolidations include Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, as these economies move towards continued growth along with increasing internet penetration, digitalisation and the growing irrelevance of brick-and-mortar branches.
Why is digital banking on the rise?
Few industries have seen the magnitude of technological disruption than the financial sector. Digital banks have the ability to satisfy evolving customer needs in a much better way. Also, the traditional bank’s inability to adapt to the changes is playing a role in the rise of digital banks across the globe.
It is estimated that currently, around 2.5 billion people are using digital banking services. However, according to toa Juniper Research’s report, almost 53 percent of the world’s population will access digital banking by 2026.
The neobanks or challenger banks offer similar services as traditional banks such as savings accounts, payment and money transfer services, and financial education solutions, among other segments but more efficiently. Some of these digital banks also offer money lending services in partnership with other banks and credit union services.
In the case of a digital bank, a customer can almost carry out any financial activities from the comfort of his home. This is not the case when it comes to traditional banks. Customers do need to visit the branch from time to time. Even though many traditional banks have understood the importance of digitalisation, the process of digital adaptation is slow.
Greg Krasnov, founder and CEO of Tonik told International Finance that the main advantage of purely digital banks over traditional players is being able to reallocate investments to more quick wins for the customer. He said, “For instance, Tonik offers the highest interest rate for time deposits in the Philippines at 6 percent per annum.
“Whereas more brick-and-mortar banks have to invest in operational expenses such as maintaining and staffing these branches and other infrastructure, we do not have this need and can easily invest in features that enable customers to save and earn bigger with their money. Accessibility and security are also huge factors for customers to prefer digital banks.”
Financial services are literally at ones’ fingertips in digital banking, usually in the form of a secured mobile app and device. As such, digital banks heavily invest in making their core banking services and security solutions as robust and user-friendly as possible through partnering with internationally recognised names such as Mastercard, Finastra and Amazon Cloud Services.
What makes Southeast Asia a fertile ground for a digital banking boom?
Some of the world’s most emerging economies are in Southeast Asia. Economies such as Vietnam are growing at a substantial rate. Economies such as Thailand, the Philippines are Singapore are now opening their doors to digital banking. With a population of 675 million as of July 19, 2021, the region is ripe for disruption.
It is estimated that Southeast Asia’s population will reach 721 million by 2030, positioning it as one of the most populous regional markets in the world behind China and India. Also, a huge middle class is emerging in the region that holds a large disposable income. The number of people categorised as middle-class is expected to more than double from 24 percent to 51 percent in 2030, from 135 million people to 334 million people.
Economic growth in emerging markets continues to outpace global averages. The combined gross domestic product (GDP) of Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand could reach an estimated $4.3 trillion by 2030. This positions the region as the sixth-largest global economic bloc.
Greg Krasnov believes that the region holds great potential in terms of unbanked and underserved markets. It is very exciting for new fintech players or neobanks to leverage this diverse, digitally savvy and predominantly young region in terms of offering more attractive deposits and consumer lending propositions.
For instance, there is over 70 percent of the adult population in the Philippines alone is underserved by traditional banks in the country. He said, “We are talking about a market with potential values of up to $140 billion in retail deposits and $100 billion in lending. This is largely caused by lack of more competitive rates and returns from older and bigger players in the country which we aim to address with our game-changing offers”
Southeast Asia is also blessed with supportive regulators who share the vision of propelling the region to digitalisation and financial inclusion. Governments in the region have understood how digital banking can propel the region’s economic growth. Greg Krasnov said, “Our close collaboration with the BSP in the Philippines has been instrumental in our continuous growth and acquisition. We have been witnessing similar developments in other countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia which should make the industry more dynamic and competitive in the next few years.”
Digital banking landscape in SEA
Over the last couple of years, the digital banking landscape in Southeast Asia has expanded rapidly. In the Philippines, its central bank granted digital banking licences to Tonik and UNObank. State-backed Overseas Filipino Bank received its digital banking licence in March 2020.
Tonik went live in March this year. Previously, Tonik was operating in the country with a rural banking license. Greg Krasnov said, “Tonik is the first private neobank in the Philippines to secure an official digital bank license from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). We offer accessible, flexible, and inclusive financial services, including industry-leading deposit interest rates of up to 6 percent per annum, and unique saving features such our Solo Stash and Group Stash products.
“Being a purely digital neobank, we make these services available on a highly secure platform through our mobile app. This allows for more convenience as customers can open a fully functional Tonik account in under five minutes via the app using only one valid ID and a selfie – a far cry from the often tedious process that they are accustomed to with traditional banks.”
Last year, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) approved the country’s first digital banking licenses. The central bank issued two types of licences- digital full bank license (DFB) and digital wholesale bank license (DWB). The licences went to a consortium of Singapore-based telco Singtel and Grab, Sea Limited, Ant Financial and another consortium of Greenland Financial, Linklogis Hong Kong and Beijing Co-operative Equity Investment Fund Management.
In Malaysia, the central bank released its Licensing Framework for Digital Banks earlier this year. It is estimated that around 40 different parties have applied for digital banking licences in the country. The applicants include telecom company Axiata through a tie-up with local bank RHB Group; real estate firm Sunway, low-cost carrier AirAsia and tech company Green Packet. Malaysia plans to hand five digital banking licenses in the first quarter of 2022.
Meanwhile, Thailand is one of the few Southeast Asian economies that has not unveiled a digital banking roadmap as of yet. However, plans to issue digital banking licences are in the pipeline. Last year, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) said that it was exploring the possibility of issuing digital bank licenses. While it can be argued there is a lack of urgency to promote digital banking in Thailand from the authorities, it is primarily due to the fact that 80 percent of Thai adults have an account at a formal financial institution, as per the World Bank.
In Indonesia, there are already seven digital banks and another seven are still waiting for licences from the Financial Services Authority (OJK). The digital banking market in Indonesia, in particular, is ripe because of the 145 million millennials, who account for more than half of the country’s population.
Digital banks to propagate in most emerging SEA markets
The paradigm shift in consumer behavior and demand presents itself as a major opportunity for digital banking institutions to tap into this growing market of both banked and especially unbanked consumers in the Southeast Asian region. Digital banks or neobanks will continue to propagate in most emerging Southeast Asian markets. Rapid customer take-up in the region proves that more customers in this part of the world are hungry for financial enablers that make banking simplified, nonintimidating, digital-driven, and actually make their money grow.
“The new normal has transformed consumer banking behavior in many ways, and we can expect that the future will continue to be in the direction of digital,” Greg Krasnov said.
Similar events are also unfolding in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia with regulators granting more digital bank licenses and setting up frameworks for new challengers. Customers will continue to be on the lookout for and choose banks that encourage a more human relationship built on mutual trust, speed and convenience, rather than usual transactional interactions that are often tedious and frustrating.
Traditional banks are also adapting to the rapid changes. To meet the changing expectations of their customers in the rapidly evolving landscape, the incumbents are creating their own low-cost operating models that can win in a low-growth future environment. The number of digital banks launched by traditional banks across the globe has doubled over the last decade, catering to a marketplace where digital is substantially becoming mainstream.


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Eight former feathers hotels have joined the Hallmark Hotels brand, owner Topland has announced.
The hotels group acquired the eight properties in January 2015, including the Feathers and Alicia hotels in Liverpool.
It said following another positive financial year for Topland, and five months after the new Hallmark Hotels brand was unveiled, the portfolio will expand by 40% after welcoming the Feathers Hotels Collection into the group, taking its total number to 28 and another step closer to fulfilling its objective to build a £1bn hotel business.
Topland Group director of Hotels, Lionel Benjamin, said: “The expansion of the Hallmark Hotels portfolio within this specific region brings with and supports employment, both for hotel teams, suppliers and partners while also driving demand to the destination both for leisure and business travellers.”
Robert Alley, Hallmark Hotels group sales and marketing director, said: “Feathers Hotels bring with them a strong reputation in their local markets for originality and service culture.
“A popular choice for social events, they are a perfect fit into the enlarged Hallmark Hotels portfolio where progress has been made to establish the portfolio as one of the leading independent hotel brands in the UK.”
The eight former Feathers Hotels will receive investment from Topland Group, including refurbishment of a significant number of bedrooms.
Two are situated in Liverpool, one in Warrington, with others in Preston, Manchester, and three in Chester.
Topland has already injected substantial investment across the group, from bedroom and function suite refurbishments, to leisure club facility upgrades including state of the art gym equipment and improvements to the golf courses of its two golfing hotels, Hallmark Hotel The Welcombe and Hallmark Hotel Cambridge.
Additional investment has, and will continue to be made in new technology, enabling guests to enjoy complementary high speed wi-fi across the group while all restaurants adopt the new Hallmark Hotels F&B. This will include the introduction of the new breakfast standards being rolled out across the group in early March 2016.