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Tesla has shown the world that it can make really great electric cars but so far the models it has sold have been out of the reach for most average consumers, considering the fact that they can cost as much as $100,000. Tesla aims to fix that with the Model 3 that’s due to be partly unveiled next month. Interested customers might be able to pick one up for as much as $25,000 which is certainly a very affordable price when compared to the Model X and Model S.
Tesla has said time and again that the Model 3 is going to be sold for $35,000 but the price tag doesn’t include federal and state incentives that customers are entitled to. Combined, these incentives can knock off as much as $10,000 off the retail price of the Model 3, making it a compelling option for those in the market for a new car.
State incentives will obviously vary by state but customers will receive a $7,500 federal income tax credit when they pick up a Model 3. Residents of Colorado get an additional $6,000 while those based in California, Massachusetts and Tennessee will get an additional $2,500 incentive for purchasing an electric car.
It’s great that Tesla will finally be able to offer an electric car that the mass market can afford but the question remains if it will be able to make cars fast enough to meet demand. The company has struggled with delays in the past and that remains a concern now.


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A fresh standoff has ensued between Stuttafords and SA’s elite furniture family Ellerine Brothers, which could jeopardise the fashion retailer’s crucial business rescue process.
Since Stuttafords placed itself into voluntary business rescue on October 28, management, shareholders and creditors have been jostling over a contentious rescue plan to save the 159-year-old retailer from liquidation.
In March, approximately 85% of creditors voted in favour of an amended rescue plan, which will see Ellerines feed R12 million into Stuttafords for a 76% stake. It currently owns a 26.4% stake in Stuttafords Stores, Stuttafords’ parent company.
Under the Ellerines-backed rescue plan, venture capitalist firm Vestacor would cede management of Stuttafords, paving the way for an unnamed retail expert to run the show.
Moneyweb has seen heated letter exchanges between attorneys representing rescue practitioners and Ellerines, which said it wasn’t obligated to inject money until a number of key concerns were addressed. This effectively delays the implementation of the approved rescue plan.
Fluxmans Attorneys’ Colin Strime, who represents rescue practitioners Neil Miller and John Evans, sent a letter on April 10 to Jane Andropoulos, a Bowman Gilfillan attorney representing Ellerines, on whether it still planned to inject R12 million.
Andropoulos responded that Stuttafords had not met conditions of the plan including the retailer agreeing with its landlords for continued tenancy and the reduction of rent and Nedbank (Stuttafords’ banker) or other financial institutions providing the retailer with a new overdraft facility.
Ellerines said it was also frustrated by its attempts to access Stuttafords’ financial records in order to determine whether it’s capable of rescue and engage with creditors on whether they would continue to supply the retailer. Based on these concerns, Ellerines believes that Stuttafords doesn’t have sufficient agreements with creditors that would enable it to continue on a solvent basis.
Creditors – as contained in the rescue plan – are owed R836 million including Nedbank (R120 million), Levi Strauss (R2.2m), L’Oréal SA (R13.5m), Tommy Hilfiger (R14.6m), Polo (R10.9m), Puma (R2.1m), Adidas (R1.34m), Estée Lauder (R53.8m) and many others.
Under the approved rescue plan, creditors will be paid 4 cents in the rand, an additional 21 cents in the rand over the next 21 months and a further undisclosed final distribution. This means that creditors will be taking an estimated 75% write-off on their debt.
The retailer has nine department stores and 16 mono-brand stores (brands with their stand-alone stores) and three stores outside SA (two in Botswana and one in Namibia). Various creditors of Namibia and Botswana have not been paid by Stuttafords.
Rescue practitioners respond
The rescue practitioners said they were “shocked and astounded” by Ellerines’ latest assertions and accused it of trying to “escape” from its promises. Since creditors voted in favour on March 8 on a rescue plan amended by Ellerine to include its cash injection, Strime said it was always privy to Stuttafords’ financial information and that it had an opportunity to meet with some creditors. He added that a number of agreements have already been concluded with suppliers and “huge strides of progress” have been made with landlords.
“If your clients [Ellerines] persist with their attitude again, we reiterate that this will most likely lead to the liquidation of Stuttafords,” he said in the letter dated April 19 to Andropoulos.
He further claimed that Ellerines refused to meet with Nedbank to arrange new overdraft facilities and withdrew from a crucial equity process after the rescue plan was approved, in which bidders were invited to subscribe for some or all of the equity in the company – signs that it was no longer interested in rescuing Stuttafords.
An urgent meeting with creditors will be held on Wednesday to discuss prospects of the business rescue.
Brought to you by Moneyweb

domain: news


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More capital is flowing into the purchasing and upgrade of property tied to fledgling marijuana businesses in states where it has been legalized, according to statistics from Viridian Capital Advisors, an investment bank that specializes in the pot trade.
Last year businesses that focused on growing or dispensing marijuana raised about $475 million, according to the Viridian Cannabis Deal Tracker. This year the figure has already hit $225 million, the firm said.
Continue Reading Below
Those businesses are using most of that money either to buy or upgrade indoor and outdoor farms and stores, Viridian executives said.
"You can't get a license to grow or sell unless you've already identified as part of the application property that is legally zoned," said Scott Greiper, Veridian's founder and president.
Mr. Greiper noted 29 states have legalized marijuana for recreational or medicinal use. "There's now a rush among real-estate investors to acquire these legally built facilities," he said.
Late last year, Innovative Industrial Properties Inc., a company that owns properties used for growing medical-use marijuana, raised $61.1 million in an initial public offering. Innovative Industrial leases the properties to operators.
Write to Peter Grant at email@example.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 02, 2017 19:28 ET (23:28 GMT)


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Welcome to Ad Age Datacenter Weekly, our data-obsessed newsletter for marketing and media professionals. Reading this online? Sign up to get it delivered to your inbox here.
Amazon spent a record $4.38 million on lobbying in the second quarter, Bloomberg News reports.
Why this matters now: Amazon chief Jeff Bezos is about to make his Capitol Hill debut in the form of an appearance before the House antitrust subcommittee on Monday, July 27. Apple’s Tim Cook will be there too (also making his first appearance), along with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai (who have both been to this rodeo before).
+ ICYMI: Amazon “last year spent about $21,000 per minute on advertising and promotion,” Ad Age Datacenter’s Bradley Johnson writes in “How Amazon ad spending went from $30,000 to $11 billion”—a post that serves up plenty of other stats about the e-tailer’s journey to the tippy-top of the must-read Ad Age Leading National Advertisers 2020 report/ranking.
The latest unemployment data in context
“The level of new jobless claims unexpectedly rose last week, signaling a weakening trend in the labor market as states across the U.S. grapple with a resurgence in coronavirus cases,” Yahoo Finance reports, citing the latest Labor Department data. “Another 1.416 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment insurance benefits, up from just over 1.3 million the prior week.”
The bigger picture: “Roughly one in five workers are collecting unemployment benefits,” per The New York Times.
Old Navy’s massive TV push
We recently kicked off a regular look at marketers that have been increasing their TV ad spend (across national broadcast and cable). The previous installment covered Starbucks; the subject of today’s close-up is Old Navy, with TV ad spend provided exclusively to Datacenter Weekly by iSpot.tv. To wit:
• Old Navy spent less than $12 million on TV advertising from January through June, per iSpot’s estimates.
• From June 1 through July 21, Old Navy has been catching up on lost time, plowing an estimated $31.3 million into TV advertising—i.e., more than twice what it spent during the first five months of 2020.
• That surge puts Old Navy in 29th place among all brands in terms of TV ad spending from June 1 to date.
• Among the ads Old Navy has put into heavy rotation: “Together,” featuring artist Noah Scalin, which has racked up 1.58 billion TV ad impressions since June 1.
To put this all another way... If Old Navy ads have seemed omnipresent while you’ve watched TV recently, you’re not imagining things. The brand lately accounts for a remarkable 64 percent of TV ad spend in the clothing/footwear category tracked by iSpot.
Billionaire road trip
Back in May we shared what we called “an astonishing visualization of Jeff Bezos’ wealth,” courtesy of web developer Matt Korostof, who figured out a way to make something rather incomprehensible—the real scale of billions and billions of dollars—exhaustingly comprehensible through the physical activity of scrolling.
Now we’re directing your attention to another fascinating wealth visualization (though one that doesn’t focus on Bezos) that also uses movement to get the point across.
In “A Million Dollars vs A Billion Dollars, Visualized: A Road Trip,” British vlogger Tom Scott literally travels to convey the nearly unfathomable distance between being a millionaire and a billionaire.
The video, incidentally, is a YouTube millionaire, so to speak. Though Scott originally posted it on July 13, it recently surged past the milllion-view mark thanks to briefly landing on Reddit’s home page. (Spoiler: You’re going to find yourself skipping around and ahead quite a bit, because this is a long road trip.)
Speaking of YouTube, conservative anti-Trump PAC The Lincoln Project, which we’ve been watching closely as part of our ongoing Campaign Trail coverage, sure seems to know its way about the platform, according to data that social video analytics platform Tubular Labs shared exclusively with Datacenter Weekly:
• TLP has racked up more YouTube views than Joe Biden from April 1 through July 21: 63.6 million vs. 44.7 million.
• TLP’s YouTube videos over that same measurement window had 2.6 million engagements—Tubular’s term for combined shares, likes and comments—vs. just over 292,000 for Biden.
• TLP has had 25 YouTube videos with 1 million or more views, vs. just four for Biden.
• TLP has been accelerating its output lately with 42 videos uploaded to YouTube from June 1 through July 21. Biden’s YouTube channel has posted 64 videos during the same timeframe—but, again, they individually tend to draw fewer eyeballs than the typical Lincoln Project video.
• “NFL to continue data tracking in helmets, cleats and mouthguards amid COVID-19,” per The Atlantic.
• ‘True number of U.S. coronavirus infections likely 10 times larger than reported, CDC data shows,” per Politico.
• “EU Regulators Take Tough Data-Transfer Approach After Ruling,” Bloomberg News reports.
• “Google announces 100,000 scholarships for online certificates in data analytics, project management and UX,” via CNBC.
• “Hundreds Of Thousands Of Instacart Customers’ Personal Data Is Being Sold Online,” BuzzFeed News reports.
• “How to download your Instagram data and get a file with all of your photos, comments, messages, and more,” from Business Insider.
• “This data campaign lowers the price of condoms as STIs go up,” via Ad Age’s Creativity.
The newsletter is brought to you by Ad Age Datacenter, the industry’s most authoritative source of competitive intel and home to the Ad Age Leading National Advertisers, the Ad Age Agency Report: World’s Biggest Agency Companies and other exclusive data-driven reports. Access or subscribe to Ad Age Datacenter at AdAge.com/Datacenter.
Ad Age Datacenter is Kevin Brown, Bradley Johnson and Catherine Wolf.
This week’s newsletter was compiled and written by Simon Dumenco.


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Zoom users who reuse the same passwords from other accounts can face an ugly unintended consequence. Personal account information including email addresses, passwords and the web addresses for Zoom meetings are both being posted freely and sold for pennies.
One dataset for sale on a dark web marketplace, discovered by an independent security firm and verified by NBC News, includes about 530,000 accounts.
Some of these Zoom accounts are offered for free on hacker forums so that hackers can use them in zoom-bombing pranks and malicious activities. Others are sold for less than a penny each.
Cybersecurity intelligence firm Cyble told BleepingComputer that around April 1st, 2020, they began to see free Zoom accounts being posted on hacker forums to gain an increased reputation in the hacker community.
Cyble has told BleepingComputer that these accounts include ones for well-known companies such as Chase, Citibank, educational institutions, and more. For the accounts that belonged to clients of Cyble, the intelligence firm was able to confirm that they were valid account credentials.
Zoom declined to share specifics about how the information could get out, but many of the email addresses listed had been part of previous data breaches, which are often sold and repacked on hacker forums.
In a statement to BleepingComputer, Zoom stated that they have already hired intelligence firms to help find these password dumps so that they can reset affected users’ passwords.
“It is common for web services that serve consumers to be targeted by this type of activity, which typically involves bad actors testing large numbers of already compromised credentials from other platforms to see if users have reused them elsewhere. This kind of attack generally does not affect our large enterprise customers that use their single sign-on systems.
We have already hired multiple intelligence firms to find these password dumps and the tools used to create them, as well as a firm that has shut down thousands of websites attempting to trick users into downloading malware or giving up their credentials. We continue to investigate, are locking accounts we have found to be compromised, asking users to change their passwords to something more secure, and are looking at implementing additional technology solutions to bolster our efforts.”
The platform has also given rise to a new form of harassment — Zoombombing — in which an unwanted person joins a Zoom meeting and is disruptive. Concerns that Zoom’s security wasn’t ready for such scrutiny led to a handful of school districts, like New York City, and companies, like SpaceX, to ban the use of the software.
Change Zoom passwords if used elsewhere
As all companies are affected by credential stuffing attacks, you must use unique passwords for each site that you register an account.
With these attacks utilizing accounts exposed in past data breaches and then being sold online, using a unique password at every site will prevent a data breach from one site affecting you at another site.
Both services will list data breaches containing your email address and further confirm that your credentials have been potentially exposed.


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UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi welcomed the heads of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) to discussions at UNCTAD's Trade and Development Board on 21 September.
In discussions with WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo and ITC Executive Director Arancha González, UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi reiterated UNCTAD's belief in multilateralism and highlighted the importance of delivering tangible development-oriented outcomes at the Tenth Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Nairobi, Kenya from 15 to 18 December 2015.
Dr. Kituyi also outlined the wider role of trade.
"At UNCTAD, we are not just interested in quantifying trade as such. We are interested in the intersection between trade and development, particularly inclusive prosperity," Dr. Kituyi said.
UNCTAD and the WTO collaborate in a number of fields, including technical cooperation, capacity building and training initiatives, as well as research and analysis. The Aid for Trade initiative is an important example of the joint efforts between UNCTAD and the WTO.
Mr. Azevêdo reaffirmed the strong cooperation between UNCTAD and WTO in helping to realise the benefits of trade for development.
"When we join forces I think we can achieve a great deal," Mr. Azevêdo said. "I think there used to be a perception that UNCTAD and the WTO had quite different agendas. But that is not the case today."
UNCTAD and ITC closely cooperate in numerous areas, among which the UNCTAD led UN Inter-Agency Cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity, joint programmes implemented under the umbrella of the United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks and, jointly with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on trade facilitation in the context of the implementation of the Bali Ministerial Declaration and the ministerial decisions adopted in the context of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to name a few.
In her remarks, Ms. González said that helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries connect to international markets allows many to access the benefits of trade. Connecting SMEs to global supply chains can ensure that the gains from trade can often go to sectors of the economy that tend to be easily marginalized, she said.
Ms. González highlighted the compelling role of SMEs as the missing link for inclusive growth. She also expressed the important role of trade as a vehicle for women's economic empowerment - "but only if women are able to connect to markets as entrepreneurs, employees, producers, and consumers."
"While women own close to 40 percent of SMEs worldwide, ITC business surveys from twenty developing countries suggest that only about one-fifth of firms that engage in trade are led by women," Ms. González said.
Collectively badging their organisations as the "Geneva trade hub", the heads of UNCTAD, the WTO and the ITC said they remained united to support delegations and governments to foster positive outcomes for sustainable development in upcoming trade-related forums such as the WTO's Tenth Ministerial Conference in December and UNCTAD XIV in 2016.


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Semiconductor technology company BlueGlass (ASX: BLG) has opened its new $6 million manufacturing laboratory in Sydney as it moves to commercialise novel opto-electronics devices.
The company is developing its patented remote plasma chemical vapour deposition (RPCVD) technology to make high performance and cheaper devices.
The new laboratories incorporate two new clean rooms which house two semiconductor deposition systems, significantly expending the company’s manufacturing capacity.
BlueGlass CEO Giles Bourne said: “These new systems and infrastructure allow us to expand our revenue-generating epitaxy foundry services (and) accelerate our RPCVD development.”
Bourne said negotiations with three industry partners undertaking product development trials could now be accelerated.
The trials are being undertaken in the field of LED lights for power electronics by semiconductor equipment manufacturer Veeco Instruments, Chinese chip manufacturer HC SemiTek and lighting manufacturer Lumileds.
BlueGlass, 20 per cent owned by a subsidiary of Japan’s Sumitomo, is developing technology which originated in research at Macquarie University.
The technology has potential in lighting technology, light emitting diodes (LEDs), power electronics and concentrated solar cells
Picture: BlueGlass/semiconductor wafer testing
Subscribe to our free @AuManufacturing newsletter here.


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Like all the pandemics that came before it, coronavirus will bring forth many changes in human society. From arts to politics, the pandemic will leave its mark on everything.
However, IT would be the first to experience radical changes as the world reshapes after the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some predictions on how technology will evolve after the current crisis is over.
Public Monitoring through Big Data Will Increase
Data has played a crucial role in the pandemic. Whether it’s examining the curve or enforcing social distancing protocols, governments have relied on the latest figures to strategize their every move.
South Korea used big data for smart contact tracing and was extremely successful in curtailing the spread of the virus. The country provides a model on how the world can collectively deal with pandemics in the future using big data.
Shopping Moves Online
In the pre-pandemic world, only 4% of Americans ordered groceries online. But in the second week of March, the demand for online groceries soared as many local stores had run out of essential items. Retailers selling groceries online had to work overtime to address this new spike in demand.
This will have a long-term impact. Consumers satisfied with their online grocery shopping would take a liking to this new option. Meanwhile, retailers that previously invested little resources into their online operations would approach eCommerce differently. This will drive them to invest in their logistics and delivery systems as they’d be wary of changing customer preferences and the possibility of any future pandemic.
Remote Working Goes Mainstream
One of the biggest effects of coronavirus has been an increase in the number of people working from home. An MIT survey of 25,000 American employees discovered that 34% of workers who had been employed four weeks earlier were currently working from home. Combined with this, 15% claimed they had been working remotely since before COVID-19.
Based on this data, nearly half of America’s workforce now consists of remote workers and this includes individuals 55 and older. Of course, many companies will prefer to have their staff in the office but some organizations might have gained a new perspective on remote work.
Google and Facebook have extended their work from home options to 2021. These tech giants will inspire many other industry players to be laxer with their remote work policies and in doing so, they will discover the benefits of not letting physical barriers dictate the talent their company can acquire.
It may be the case that many businesses will find the presence of an office unnecessary in a post-coronavirus world.
The world is currently experiencing a crisis that is unprecedented in modern times. While the pandemic will change life from here on out, one can hope that all these changes will be for the better.


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Quinn: City will overcome economic doldrums
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said she's optimistic New York City will weather the current economic storm and emerge stronger than ever.
Quinn, in her State of the City address, says she plans to put an extra focus on the city's small businesses, since they employ millions of New Yorkers.
"Even if we can't see it today, the economy is going to recover," Quinn says. "People will start spending again, people will hire new workers and brand-new businesses will emerge."


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Friday, Friday, gotta get free roti on Friday…
And on Friday, December 13, you can.
Butter Chicken Roti is celebrating the grand opening of it’s new GTA location by offering free meals to its first visitors, starting at 11 am.
For the first 100 guests who visit the new restaurant at 213 Queen Street South, Mississauga, free meals will be offered up to a value of $15 each.
And if you don’t happen to be one of the first 100 in line, don’t fret. You’ll still be able to get your hands on a free snack — that’s a gulab jamum or samosa — with any roti purchase all weekend long.
Plus, the spot is offering a “two can dine for $20” deal all month long, featuring veggie roti meals, and soft drinks.
Finally, the restaurant will also be donating 100 meals to local Mississauga food banks.
View this post on Instagram
Remember: If you’re hoping for a free lunch tomorrow, make sure you arrive early to make it into the top 100 at this new spot.
Butter Chicken Roti Grand Opening
When: December 13 from 11 am
Where: 213 Queen Street South, Mississauga


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The music industry was in the spotlight earlier this month when Taylor Swift pulled her hot new album release from Spotify’s digital streaming service. Claims were made from Taylor and her record label that the artists weren’t getting a big enough payout from having their music available on the service, but today Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek has hit back. Mr Ek announced that the company has now paid out over $2 billion in royalties to the music industry – which includes record labels and artists and their encompassing surrounds.
Mr Ek also made mention that the services userbase isn’t slowing down either – making note that the first billion dollars of payments came spanning the years of 2008-2013, whereas the second billion was paid just over the last 12 months. Another incredible figure that Mr Ek noted was that Spotify has more paid subscribers than all of it’s music streaming competitors combined.
“[Taylor Swift] is the only artist who has sold more than a million copies in an album’s first week since 2002. In the old days, multiple artists sold multiple millions every year. That just doesn’t happen any more; people’s listening habits have changed – and they’re not going to change back.”
The CEO also went on to exclaim that because Swift had pulled her entire catalogue from the service, she is set to lose over $6M is profits in the short term from not being on Spotify’s streaming service. At the end of the day, it would seem that Swift and her management pulled her catalogue from Spotify because they’re one of the last remaining artists who wields enough power to afford to manoeuvre such a stunt. In the meantime, I’m sure many of you have other tunes and artists to listen to and enjoy.
Thanks to The Verge for providing us with this information.


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The future of marketing: collaboration, values, and skills
Looking ahead, marketers see improving skills in content marketing, campaign strategy, and data analytics as crucial to success in the next two years.
The eighth annual State of Marketing report, produced by our partners at Salesforce, brings together insights from marketing leaders worldwide to reveal how they’re driving value and delivering exceptional customer experience in a rapidly evolving landscape. Based on a survey of 6,000 marketing managers, directors, VPs, and CMOs across 35 countries, the report explores how marketers are prioritising their efforts in the face of uncertainty and innovating to meet changing customer needs.
Here at redk, we’ve summarised the highlights of this in-depth report in a series of three blog posts. This week, part three:
‘Building a future-proof marketing organisation’
Collaboration: the key to a seamless customer experience
Marketers today are facing a number of challenges: rising customer expectations, challenges managing data, and shifting KPIs. Collaboration is key to gaining a 360° view of the customer and providing a first-class customer experience. High-performance marketers are increasingly tracking cross-departmental metrics, with 89% of B2B marketers using an account-based marketing (ABM) platform to deliver a unified end-to-end customer experience.
80% of marketers say their organisation coordinates its customer experience initiatives across marketing, sales, service, and commerce
However, successful ABM relies on complex, holistic data-driven marketing strategies, which many companies still haven’t fully established. 31% of B2B marketers still feel that sharing a unified view of customer data is a challenge, and 62% of business buyers say they feel they’re communicating with separate departments rather than one single company.
According to Salesforce, 69% of marketers feel it’s harder to collaborate now than before the pandemic
And collaboration isn’t just an issue across business units: the global pandemic brought with it a rapid shift to distributed teams, meaning that collaboration became a priority. In a digital-first environment, the speed and ease of collaboration can make the crucial difference between you and the competition.
Marketers have adopted an average of four collaboration techniques to unify their global marketing teams. Most notable has been the rise of video conferencing, closely followed by the adoption of collaboration platforms and instant messaging – although traditional communication tools such as voice messaging and phones still have their place.
Values-based messaging: a unique opportunity to connect with customers
As a May 2022 Salesforce report found, customers are increasingly looking to buy from companies that clearly state their values, with ethical, social, and environmental issues being of particular concern to consumers. 88% of customers say they expect brands to demonstrate clear, strong values – and 66% have stopped buying from a company whose values didn’t align with theirs.
93% of high-performing marketers say their external messaging reflects their corporate values, compared to 70% of underperformers
In 2022, Salesforce itself launched a values-based marketing campaign, #TeamEarth, to coincide with the Team USA campaign for the Olympic Winter Games, including an advertising spot featuring actor Matthew McConaughey. Promoting the company’s core values of sustainability, equality, and inclusion, the campaign aimed to engage global audiences and promote the power of business to ensure a fairer, better future.
Initial results have been positive: a 30% increase in organic search of the brand during the first few months of the campaign, as well as a sharp increase in social conversations. And after seeing the campaign, employees reported an 80% increase in their pride in working for Salesforce.
Mind the skills gap: the top five skills for the future
Employees are, of course, another vital factor for the success of any organisation – and in today’s challenging economic climate, recruiting and nurturing skilled talent is more important than ever. Rising customer expectations and rapidly evolving technology mean that marketers must constantly update their skills in order to stay ahead of the competition.
Talent gaps remain a top challenge for one in three marketers
How do marketers anticipate filling this talent gap? Survey responses revealed that content marketing was viewed as the most important skill to improve over the next two years, with campaign strategy and data analytics also featuring in the top five.
Despite the challenges, it’s clear that marketers have a number of strategies at their disposal. Collaboration, values-based marketing, and upskilling teams all present opportunities to build a future-proof marketing organisation.
Here at redk, we have over 15 years of experience in digital transformation, working with our expert partners to advise on and implement the technical solutions that are right for your business. Get in touch now to find out how we can help you optimise your processes, drive value and deliver a great customer experience.


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AN INCENTIVE to lure shoppers into the city through discounted car parking is already proving successful, but it is hoped more people from the county will avail of the new offer.
‘Freepark Limerick’ is a new trial initiative which aims to bring more shoppers into the city centre.
When customers spend a set amount in participating shops, hotels, restaurants and businesses, they will be rewarded with parking vouchers, based on a minimum spend in that outlet.
Depending on the amount spent, customers may park in participating city centre car parks for free.
“Business in Limerick, like any other city, is difficult. This is one of the short-term practical initiatives we’re putting forward. The idea is to get more people into the city,” said Helen O’Donnell, who runs the restaurant in the Hunt Museum, and is a representative of the Limerick City Business Association.
“This is a way of saying ‘thank you’ to our customers,” she added.
She said while the amount of car parking spaces available in the city is not an issue, the cost of parking can prohibit some customers from coming into the city, especially as it is free in major suburban shopping complexes.
There are 11 car parks participating in the initiative, as well as 43 businesses.
“If you see the logo on the door [of a business], with a minimum spend, you are entitled to a voucher. For example the minimum spend in the Hunt Museum is €25 and it’s €100 in Brown Thomas,” she said.
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Mobile development in Africa is at an all time high, but with so many mobile devices entering the market, the amount of mobile tech being dumped is also on the increase.
The Ivory Coast is no stranger to the challenges of tech dumping, and with a sick economy that is unable to pick up pace in terms of development, they are perhaps even more ill-equipped to deal with environmental issues then other African nations.
Thousands of mobile phones are discarded in the capital city, Abidjan, every month, and most of these en up in Ebrie Lagoon –at the heart of the city. From afar the pollution is hardly visible, but on closer inspection all kinds of debris becomes visible. Cellphones and tech waste in particular are of great concern to environmentalists; just some of the chemicals released into the lagoon through tech dumping include lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and chlorine.
Enter Mesad, an Ivorian charity that focuses on health, education and development. It also runs Ivory Coast’s first mobile phone recycling collection centre. Abidjan is riddled with mobile phone repair shops, yet mobile waste is on the increase; this is where Mesad steps in. Couriers are sent to these shops to collect packaged mobile tech waste — for which the suppliers are paid — and return it to Mesad’s Electronic Waste Project. Here everything is sorted, repackaged and sent to France for recycling.
The Mesad Electronic Waste Project is one of five set up by European mobile giant Orange. The initiative changes civil behaviour and gears people towards recycling by adding a financial reward… all the while helping the Ivory Coast lead the way in recycling efforts on the continent.


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Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group plans to bring its lifestyle select brand Radisson RED to Dubai in the third quarter of 2018 with the 171-room Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis.
Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas opened its latest concept, OUTDOOR, the first open-air VOX Cinemas address in the region.
Following the launch of Concourse D at Dubai International, dnata began operations at the new facility. The global air services provider will handle all flights and baggage, as well as all
Meraas Holding revealed plans for Hub Zero, the Middle East’s first immersive entertainment park that will offer innovative
WITH THE OPENING OF CONCOURSE D, DUBAI INTERNATIONAL’S ANNUAL PASSENGER CAPACITY HAS RISEN FROM 75 MILLION TO 90 MILLION.
Rove Hotels, the joint venture of Emaar Properties and Meraas, plans to open a property adjacent to the upcoming Dubai Parks and Resorts project.
In a bid to introduce itself, Nikki Beach Restaurant & Beach Club Dubai is gearing up to host its grand opening on March 17. The club is part of the upcoming Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai,


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Group Hauls In Shoes
ST. MARYS — A local organization held a drive along Spring Street during Small Business Saturday.
The Family Life Center of Auglaize County hosted a community drop-off for its shoe drive on Saturday. The center is hosting the Barney the Shoeman Program, in conjunction with the Hands Across the Sea Foundation, through Wednesday.
“We’ve gotten a lot,” Family Life Center Director Candice Dicke said. “We filled up my car, we filled up my husband’s truck. They’ve (the Rosenbeck apartments on Spring Street) let us store shoes there. It’s amazing how many we’ve got.”
The center held a community drive on Saturday in conjunction with Small Business Saturday.
“We thought we’d try this,” Dicke said.
“There’s people out here shopping, and if they had to work during the week, they can stop by today.”
She added they did have some people donate shoes on Saturday.
“Some people have stopped by and said they’ll bring shoes back later,” she said.
Dicke noted there are conjoining shoe drives for the center at Wayne Street United Methodist Church, at Faith Alliance Church and at New Knoxville Schools.
“Calvary Christian is collecting shoes and so is Minster Bank,” she added.
Dicke noted this is the first time the Family Life Center has done the Barney the Shoeman fundraiser.
“They take the shoes to third world countries for people who need shoes over there,” she said. “They sell the shoes to developing country thrift store suppliers around the world, and they fix them up and make them available to those who need them.”
Dicke said they are accepting any type and size of shoes.
“As long as they’re in repairable condition,” she said. “We’ve gotten some really good shoes.”
The Family Life Center will receive 50 cents per pound of shoes donated.
“We’re probably going to have a couple thousand pounds of shoes,” Dicke said. “Our goal is 2,000 pounds, and anything over that would be wonderful.”
The money, she noted, will be used toward the purchase of an ultrasound machine for the center.
Anyone interested in donating shoes can bring them to the Family Life Center. The center, which is located next to Coldwell Banker on Spring Street, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.


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Amid many manufacturers putting their newest flagship product in the hands of reviewers to get the best feedback before its launch time, it seems to make the Google services giant reportedly also doing the same.
Ahead of the launch of their new Google Home Mini AI speakers on October 19, Google has received a number of unfavorable reports that occurred on its flagship product from its loyal reviewers around the world. Since the complaints are very diverse, Google seems to first sort through them carefully.
According to a report by one of its reviewers, the Google Home Mini it uses almost always records sounds at home. For some, this may not be a big deal, but it’s different if all the recordings are actually sent to Google servers.
Although so far the credibility of Google in the eyes of its users is no doubt, but with such work will still cause anxiety for some people because related to privacy issues. Thanks to the smart system available on Google Home Mini, the system will automatically send what it hears to the server to get the appropriate feedback. Incidentally the way the work is said there is a resemblance to what is accommodated AI speaker system made by Amazon.
Google Home Mini will usually ignore any sounds heard until there is a direct command from the owner like “Hey Google” or “OK Google”. However, due to problems in the device, the system will listen continuously without adequate response. In addition, Google’s AI speakers also have a bad touch sensor on the top.
Google has acknowledged this problem and has issued a software update to resolve the issue. Normally the light above the speaker will light while listening. Fixed software prevents touch-speaker activation, which is a feature intended to offer activation options. Google Home Mini can be able to respond when listening to direct greetings from the owner.
Google seems to have a very good idea of the issues that impact a small number of Google Home Mini devices that can cause touch mechanisms to behave incorrectly. Related to that, Google itself reportedly has launched a software update on 7 October ago to reduce the problem. As for anyone who still gets complaints on Google Home Mini, please contact the Google Support hotline 1-855-971-9121 to get Google Home Mini replacement.


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The issue with Baseball Card and filters has been resolved and the site is functioning as expected again.
Posted Dec 13, 2018 - 08:12 EST
We have identified an issue that is causing Baseball Card to not open for end users. This is also affecting filters, which can impact releasing tests. The DevOps team is working on this. We will continue to update this page as we have more information.


text: After much publicity, Microsoft is slowly inching their way into turning their xCloud game streaming service into reality. The tech giant is rumored to release an Xbox Switch prototype controller which is expected to simplify mobile gaming in the coming months. \n \nCloud gaming or gaming on demand is a new form of online game service utilizing the cloud to stream console quality games. Portable gadgets, including smartphones and tablets, has fast become the preferred equipment used. And more and more companies are shifting their focus on creating additional accessories that modify a gadget’s lack of gaming support. \n \nMicrosoft Research has been reported to experiment with an Xbox controller prototype which easily accommodates phone and tablets of any size. The controllers can be attached to either side of a unit creating a slide-in attachment for a versatile and less cumbersome xCloud gaming. \n \n \n \nThough device as this has been in the market for a long time, what customers can expect from the Microsoft gaming attachment is its exclusive connectivity with the service provider’s cloud system and various other features that provides a versatile and less cumbersome gaming experience. \n \nMicrosoft has also been reported to experiment with a variety of handheld slide-in grips to maximize the gadget’s viability and create a physical control that actually makes a difference to existing console-quality mobile gadget attachments like the GameVice, GameCase, or the ION iCade. The first prototype controllers were first documented back in October the previous year, and Microsoft has sought a patent for the xCloud gadget accessory. \n \nThe attachment though may take some time to complete and may not be released in time for the launch of the Microsoft xCloud game streaming service. Microsoft though has been putting extreme pressure on its Research laboratories to turn their latest concepts into reality. CEO Satya Nadella continually changes the landscape of the company not just to bring every Microsoft conceptualized technology to life, but make them impactful. \n \nThe micro-console for the xCloud gaming and streaming is not just filling the gap of quality gaming on demand, but also closing in on mobile and tablet inadequacies in terms of gaming experience and efficiency. \n \nWith the launch of the xCloud in the coming months, Microsoft promises every Android phone user the ability to play console quality games from its library. Touch Adaptive Kits for the xCloud gaming service is expected to be available in the market soon after the tech giant launches its game streaming service in the coming months.


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Mumbai. The disruption and outages in BlackBerry internet services early this week successfully removed the disparity between managers and common employees in many offices, sources say. According to industry experts, many bosses and managers were totally indistinguishable from other employees of their offices once their BlackBerry smartphones turned into normal mobile phones due to the outages.
“BlackBerry has played a vital part in maintaining corporate hierarchy since its launch, and many companies have been using these phones as part of their HR strategy and employee management,” Harish Kala, an HR consultant and industry expert said, “Companies have been giving BlackBerry phones to its employees as part of promotion in jobs, which made these phones a status symbol; Emails that were not marked with ‘Sent from my BlackBerry’ were not given the importance it otherwise deserved.”
“Many HR managers privately confess that this strategy has saved them a lot of money that could have otherwise gone into salary hikes as part of promotion in jobs,” he added.
Harish further claimed that flashing BlackBerry phones during meetings or even during informal chats in canteens had become an integral part of office culture over years – something that suffered heavily due to the outages.
“Bosses felt helpless and many of them had to employ techniques of anger management when they saw their junior employees flashing their Chinese Android phones in meetings and offering to mail ‘minutes of the meetings’ to the group from their phones operating on GPRS,” Harish informed about the hardships BlackBerry carrying managers had to go through due to disruption in services.
In another example of how outages caused agony to corporate honchos, a senior manager in a manufacturing company (names withheld on request) was stopped by a security guard at the entrance after he failed to flash his BlackBerry smartphone while entering the office.
“I couldn’t recognize him as normally he would normally be looking at the screen of his phone when he entered the office; I mistook him for being that irritating salesman and asked him to show his identity-card,” the now-suspended security guard recalled the incident.
However, the junior employees in such offices expressed happiness and satisfaction at the BlackBerry outages.
“It gave us a lot of confidence,” a trainee with an ad-agency revealed, “It reassured us that nothing but a black smartphone separated them from us. I’m now confident of climbing the corporate ladder and become a successful professional.”
(originally written for and published in leading English daily DNA)


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In honor of International Day of Friendship Thursday, Hasbro's My Little Pony brand celebrated famous friendships with a collection of crossover figures.
Disney Consumer Products has revealed the new product line for its upcoming TV movie Descendants, which will premiere July 31 on the Disney Channel.
Disney Consumer Products and Marvel are following up this weekend’s debut of the new Ant-Man film with a cross-category product assortment from best-in-class licensees.
Hasbro and generationOn, the youth division of Points of Light, a volunteer service organization, are coming together for a new global campaign that encourages kids to volunteer.
In an agreement between Hasbro and multi-channel network Machinima, the Transformers will be re-imagined in a new series based on “Generations: The Combiner Wars.”
Hasbro has signed multiple new licensing deals for several of its game brands, and is introducing a new Internet brand to physical games.
Hasbro has sold two of its manufacturing locations to playing cards and card game company Cartamundi Group in order to further focus on its brand building initiatives.
USAopoly, under license from Hasbro and in partnership with HBO Global Licensing, is planning a new twist on the strategy conquest game Risk–a "Game of Thrones" edition.
Hasbro has returned to Comic-Con featuring iconic brands including Transformers, My Little Pony, Magic: The Gather, Jem and the Holograms and G.I. Joe.
Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media and partner Hasbro have launched pre-sale of the Playmation Marvel’s Avengers system of toys and wearables.
Hasbro and Ubisoft announced the launch of the Hasbro Game Channel which will begin airing on game consoles this fall.
IDW Publishing is expanding its long-standing relationship with Hasbro with plans for a comic book series featuring Jem and the Holograms.
Hasbro is showcasing its 2015 lineup of brand experiences at New York Toy Fair including new offerings for all of its top brands.
Character World is planning an exclusive line of bedding and accessories featuring characters from My Little Pony as part of its ongoing deal with Hasbro.
USAopoly has released its latest Monopoly crossover edition based on the TV series “The Big Bang Theory.”
Purple carpet on the main aisle wasn’t the only new addition at Brand Licensing Europe this year. The event welcomed more exhibitors than ever before, highlighting the vibrancy of the EMEA licensing industry.
Dentsu Entertainment USA and TV Tokyo have partnered with Hasbro to bring the Japanese multi-media franchise Yo-Kai Watch to new markets.
Disney Consumer Products has unveiled a new system of smart toys and wearables called Playmation, created in partnership with Hasbro.
©2015 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Automobile stocks are trading strong led by Tata Motors and Escorts. According to a leading financial daily, Tata Motors is looking to buy auto parts from China. The automobile company will buy sub-assemblies including automatic transmissions from the neighbouring country at cheaper prices. Tata Motors is facing increasing competition domestically from competitors such as Toyota Motors and Force Motors. For this, Tata wants to offer a wider choice of vehicles to entice customers, including vehicles with automatic transmissions. The Tata company fears that no domestic supplier would be willing to build such vehicles unless the volumes were high enough. Thus, it is looking at China to procure auto parts for these.
Steel stocks are trading in the green. JSW Steel and JSW Ispat are the biggest gainers, while Bhushan Steel and Maharashtra Seamless are the biggest losers. According to a leading financial daily, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is planning to expand its production capacity to 45 million tonne per annum (mtpa) by 2020. The company is currently in the middle of expanding its crude steel production capacity to 21.40 mtpa from 12.84 mtpa now with an investment of Rs 720 bn. On top of this, it plans to invest Rs 1,310 bn to raise capacity from 21.4 mtpa to 45 mtpa. SAIL will start work on increasing capacity to 45 mtpa as soon as the current phase of expansions is over next year. They will increase capacity through both greenfield and brownfield expansions. The greenfield plant may come up at Sindri in Jharkhand at the site of erstwhile Fretiliser Corporation of India.


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According to an inside source at Jaguar speaking to Auto Express, the automaker has “done an R-S version with over 700 bhp that will do over 200 mph – it’s going to be insane.”
It’s likely that the Jaguar F-Type Coupe R-S will borrow some of its engine technology from the now-cancelled C-X75 hybrid which packed 900 hp from a twin-charged 1.6-liter gasoline engine complemented by multiple electric motors. For a production R-S model, expect a smaller turbocharged engine with a hybrid powertrain to give it a boost in performance.
The Jaguar F-Type Coupe is expected to land next year, but the high-performance R-S variant won’t go into production until at least 2016.
GALLERY: Jaguar C-X16 Concept
[Source: Auto Express]
Discuss this story at F-TypeForum.com


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HHLA TK Estonia joined the TradeLens blockchain shipping platform.
Launched in 2018, the blockchain-based supply chain platform is used by more than 100 participants worldwide, incl. biggest container shipping companies and port operators. The platform allows companies to exchange cargo data in real-time throughout the authorized blockchain, which ultimately increases the transparency and efficiency of international trade.
The HHLA TK Estonia's main intention for joining the TradeLens blockchain shipping platform is to get the global visibility and transparency lengthways the supply chain and to provide even more digitally favorable solution for all of our good partners.


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The 2nd Season of National Finance Olympiad titled “IDLC Finance Olympiad 2.0” has started online.
Eager youths aged between 14-24 years can participate in the competition through the online platform idlcfinanceolympiad.com, a press release of IDLC says.
The platform went live on September 15 and will be kept open for the participants till October 6.
This year’s winners of the Olympiad will get a trip for two persons to Bali, laptops, smartphones and medals.
The participants can login and answer few basic questions, clues to which will be given to them via tutorial videos.
To participate, one just needs to login in the website for the Olympiad (idlc.com/Olympiad) or download the app available in Google Play store.
IDLC Finance Limited has been organizing the event from last year to make the youths more aware about basic financial literacy, so they can make conscious financial decisions, the press release read.


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Envision Offering 'Go Green, Save Green' Auto Loan
What better place to think of a new auto loan program than in your own car?
Envision Credit Union CEO Ray E. Cromer, Jr. said he was mulling over different ways to promote fuel efficiency and also boost vehicle purchasing. Media reports on the increasing cost of gas and higher sales of hybrid cars and SUVs are published virtually every day and were also on Cromer's mind as he drove to the office one day.
"It just popped into my head," he said.
Cromer pitched the idea to his staff who created Envision's "Go Green, Save Green" loan product that reduces the vehicle owner's annual percentage rate (APR) by 1%. During a 36-month obligation, drivers will save close to $700 on a $20,000 loan.
Drivers will qualify for the new "Green Rate" when they agree to buy a vehicle with mileage of 30 miles per gallon or higher. Cromer said the loan's final APR is determined by the member's credit score, so the campaign doesn't exclude anyone in the credit union.
"Everyone can play and get the benefit," he said. Cromer said another reason to create the new loan is the rising competition from automakers, some of whom have re-launched 0% loans to entice buyers. Cromer said the loan program is too new to quote data or determine what a typical member is like, but the dollar savings should equate to roughly a year's worth of gasoline.
The new product reeled in six members for "Go Green" loans in a week and a half, Cromer said. Members will have to wait for their fuel-efficient vehicles as high demand nationwide has created a backlog of orders for vehicles such as the popular Toyota Prius or the Honda Civic Hybrid.
To market the "Go Green" loans, Cromer said ECU turned to a simple, familiar and effective tool: coupons. The dated coupons were sent in newsletters and member statements. "We've heard a lot of nice comments about it so far. People love coupons," he said with a laugh. "It's a fairly simple thing to create a coupon."
Members bring the coupon in to make a deal and credit union staff simply staple it to the loan application. Cromer said the "Go Green" campaign required no changes or added costs to the Envision CU loan process.
"It works pretty cleanly. It's pretty easy," he said.
Cromer said Envision's use of dated coupons is easy and inexpensive for a credit union to duplicate. Cromer said the current "Go Green" coupons are dated to end in October just after the new car models hit the streets.
Envision CU serves 33,500 members with $190 million in assets.


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In this edition of Mobile Monday, we’re taking a look at the latest mobile user acquisition trends from Fiksu, updates in mobile wireless charging, and the Nintendo game that’s evolving from 3DS to mobile.
User Acquisition Costs on the Decline
Mobile tracking and analytics company Fiksu recently released user acquisition data for May, and the results are promising for UA managers on a budget. The cost to acquire a loyal user dropped 10% last month, now resting at $2.47 per user. Micah Adler, the CEO of Fiksu, noted in a statement to VentureBeat, accredited this decline to improved targeting:
“As we predicted last month, smarter spending across the ecosystem will, in due course, cause loyalty rates of app users to improve.”
Faster Wireless Charging on the Way
Recently, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced an upcoming update to the QI standard that will boost the power it can deliver to smartphones to 15 watts. While the standard is not yet in effect and mobile phones will need to be developed to accept this standard, The Verge recommends keeping an eye on Samsung and LG for early adoption.
As mobile charging becomes even less of a hassle and batteries become more powerful, the dreaded low battery warning after hours of
playing Candy Crush answering emails may soon be behind us.
Pokemon Shuffle to Mobile
It’s a good thing that mobile charging may soon become easier, as Pokemon fans may soon find their thumbs as drained as their batteries: Pokemon Shuffle Mobile is slated to release later this year. The game, which was previously available only on the Nintendo 3DS, had over 4.5 million downloads on the handheld. As Nintendo expands its development of mobile games, expect to see additional 3DS titles released in the near future.
Join the Conversation
Mobile Monday examines the latest news, trends, and developments in mobile apps, tech, and advertising. Do you have a story to share for the next Mobile Monday? Tweet your thoughts to @AdColony. For the latest AdColony mobile news and updates, follow @AdColony on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or connect on Linkedin.
- Rewarding to Engage: New Mobile User Survey Results Now Available - March 28, 2018
- Mobile Monday: Mixed Reality Promotion, Seriously Connected Fans, & FCC Acceleration - March 26, 2018
- Mobile Monday: GDC 2018 - March 19, 2018


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What happened to using press releases for press?
The press release is on life support. Do you agree with this statement? Perhaps it’s a bit severe, but upon reviewing how press releases have changed over the years, this once critical PR tool could be considered in critical condition.
The concept of the press release dates back over 100 years. And while social media has contributed to changing how they’re used, the majority of press releases stopped containing news for the audience for whom they’re intended – the PRESS — well before we were Tweeting and posting them.
It’s safe to say that this traditional communication tool has almost exclusively evolved into a content marketing device that is utilized by marketers, advertisers and social media specialists, not just by the media relations team.
Press Release 2.0
Between the internet and various industry technologies, the press release has splintered into a variety of formats to serve different audiences and wide ranging purposes: traditional releases are still utilized to announce real news, marketing-driven releases are for chronicling everyday company and brand developments, and online releases are issued specifically to influence SEO.
Marketers are even writing releases with the customer – not the media – as the intended target audience. We refer to these as “marketing releases.” This newer breed of releases has driven a significant change in how release text is crafted. Many press releases are now written like actual articles, pseudo impartial, designed to be read by specific customers. In these cases we are basically eliminating the “middleman” – the press – delivering messages exactly as we want them read directly to end-users. By doing this under the façade of a “press release,” the information often appears more official, timely and credible.
We must say that along with new “interpretations” of the press release there has been a lot of creativity, transforming a once serious, respected and important tool in the land of public relations into personal letters, extremely long Facebook posts and even cartoons.
Pushing the Envelope
So where do the liberties taken stop? How far can people push a press release? Here are examples of releases that we believe went too far and are complete embarrassments:
- “Moms, are you closet alcoholics who can’t wait till the kids are gone to booze it up?” – This is a press release that is actively encouraging women already depressed about their kids going off to college to abuse alcohol, while trying to promote a new cocktail. What could go wrong with that? We hope this tequila company – to remain unnamed here — has a good crisis communications plan!
- Action Automotive – Auto Repair Eugene – (541) 686-0191 – Why, when and where would a headline that reads like a phone book be news or even appropriate for a press release? Giving the benefit of the doubt, maybe they have a new phone number? But no, this release is about aerospace engineers and technicians working together at a local repair shop. Confusing, huh?
- BDD Corporation Plans To Utilize Twitter Research – How credible is this? There’s no news, no explanation, and no relevant information, yet this was issued by “BDD Marketing and Management, a breakout company with a fully customizable menu of business options to fit every need.” How can a breakout company issue a press release about a “plan?” Our team is planning to win the lottery – maybe we should issue a release?
- Klein Honda reveals its huge inventory of Honda certified vehicles for its customers – First of all, what gives them the right to say Klein Honda is “the preferred Honda Dealer in Seattle area” – do they have data to back this up? And while clearly they’re looking to sell extra inventory, maybe they should have tied the headline to something timely, such as the economy or even something fluffy like Father’s Day!
We’ve accepted that press releases come in different flavors and serve many purposes. But please remember that well-written press releases are far from dead. In fact, when developed strategically, their opportunities, appeal and benefits are expanding along with the groups of various influencers and consumers who rely on them for relevant information. But please, please, please be smart about it and don’t abuse a tool that’s been a backbone in our field since the beginning!


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IND Vs PAK | Match 22 Jun 16, 2019
IND 336/5 (50.0)
Latest News on Mobikwik
Showing of 0 - 10 from 60 results
Mobikwik - Total results - 60
Oct 04, 2017
Mobile wallet MobiKwik relaunches its payment gateway Zaakpay as 'MobiKwik Payment Gateway'Indian mobile wallet major MobiKwik on Wednesday said it has relaunched its payment gateway Zaakpay as "MobiKwik Payment Gateway".
Oct 04, 2017
MobiKwik announces partnership with IRCTC, payment gateway to be integrated with Rail connect appDuring the current fiscal year, as much as 17 per cent of total tickets, both reserved and unreserved, were booked through various cashless modes of payment.
Sep 19, 2017
Google Tez will have to add more services to stay on top of digital payments gameIt is too early to say whether Tez will disrupt the hugely crowded digital payments market but one thing is sure - consumers can expect more options to choose from
Sep 18, 2017
United Nations backed Gender Alliance initiative launches Bandhan Tod app to fight child marriageGender Alliance Bihar, a collective effort of over 270 civil society organisations has come up with a mobile app to fight child marriage in the state.
Aug 17, 2017
BSNL launches mobile wallet app for bill payments and transaction on e-commerce platformsBharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched a mobile wallet that would enable its customers to make bill payments and transact on e-commerce platforms.
Aug 16, 2017
Jio ties up with Paytm, Amazon and Flipkart to deliver big cashback offers on rechargeReliance Jio's recharge cashback offers are now available on AmazonPay, PhonePe and Paytm.
Aug 08, 2017
Xiaomi Redmi 4 to go on sale today at 12 pm on Amazon and Mi.comThe Xiaomi Redmi 4 will go on sale today at 12 pm on Amazon as well as the company's Mi.com. The sale is part of the company's weekly sale for the Redmi 4.
Aug 06, 2017
MobiKwik looking to raising $100 in funding this year as it heads towards expansionMobile wallet companies like Paytm and MobiKwik have witnessed significant growth in number of users as well as volume of transactions on their platforms.
Jul 21, 2017
Paytm aims to sell 5 tonnes of gold in a bid to develop a 'viable business' from its e-wallet platformPaytm plans to sell 5 tonnes of gold valued around $200 million this year, the digital payments firm said on Friday, as it strives to develop a viable business from its e-wallet platform.
May 17, 2017
Paytm to commence payment bank operations from 23 May, to shift wallet biz to new coCurrently, Airtel and India Post are the only players that have started Payments Bank operations.


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For decades, the Honda Civic has been one of the most popular compact cars on the road. With its Honda reliability, reasonable pricing and sporty style, the Civic has dominated the market. And now the Civic is at it again, already released are the 2017 Civic sedan and coupes, and now we’re getting the hatchback.
For the first time in over a decade, Honda will offer the Civic in a hatchback since the seventh-generation model. Honda plans to use the Civic hatchback as the base for their upcoming Civic Type R and the Civic Si, the two performance Civics that are due to come out in the up in the future. In the past the hatchback was the dominant body style for smaller cars, because small trunks were impractical. But as SUVs and crossovers became more popular, consumers went that route for having cargo space in their vehicle. But by popular demand, Honda is bringing the hatch back.
The Civic Hatchback will be available in LX, EX, EX-L, Sport and Sport Touring models and will all have the same turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4 engine. The LX, EX and EX-L models will deliver 174 hp with 162 lb-ft torque and 180 hp and 162 lb-ft torque for the Sport and Sport Touring models. Honda gives you choice of a 6-speed manual or CVT transmission, and getting an anticipated EPA-rated fuel economy of 31 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway*. The new Civic hatchback has a staggering 122 cubic feet of room for cargo and passengers, up 13 cubic feet from the 2016 sedan.


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Thousands of London taxi drivers plan to sue Uber for damages alleging the ride-hailing firm operated unlawfully.
BBC News reports that the action, part of a planned anti-Uber campaign by black-cab drivers, claims it didn't follow private hire rules between 2012 and 2018. If successful, Uber could be hit with a bill for millions of pounds.
The lawsuit will claim that for six years Uber let people hail its drivers directly instead of through a booking office.
A litigation specialist company working with the cabbies to bring the case, said more than 4,000 had signed up so far.
There are about 5,200 further registrations being processed, and the firm is funding a marketing campaign looking to sign up as many as 30,000 eligible drivers.
A full-time driver over those six years could claim about £25,000 in lost earnings, it added. The group action is aiming to bring a case to the High Court no later than the first quarter of 2022.
This is not the first time that London's black cabs have done battle with Uber, but this announcement shows neither side has conceded defeat.
The proposed claim itself is huge - loss of earnings for up to 30,000 drivers for nearly six years - and comes at a time when London black cabs and private hire vehicle drivers are struggling for work after nearly a year of lockdowns and restrictions.
Uber might now have its licence back, but the black cabs aren't willing to give them an easy ride.
An Uber spokeswoman said: "Uber operates lawfully in London and these allegations are completely unfounded.
"We are proud to serve this great global city and the 45,000 drivers in London who rely on the app for earnings opportunities, and are committed to helping people move safely."


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BMW iX1 Sold Out For 2023 Within A Few Hours (Press Release) | V3Cars
BMW India launched the iX1 electric SUV through their online shop on September 28. Just a day later, BMW informed us that the iX1 is sold out for 2023. The electric BMW SUV was launched as a completely built unit with a price tag of Rs. 66.90 lakh.
Also Read: BMW iX1 Electric SUV Launched
The deliveries of the BMW iX1 will begin in October 2023. The new BMW iX1 rivals electric SUVs like the Volvo XC40 Recharge, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6.
Unlike the India-spec X1 that is only offered with a 2WD drivetrain, the iX1 gets all-wheel-drive as standard thanks to its twin electric motor setup. The combined power and torque output of the twin electric motors stand at 313PS and 494Nm, respectively.
The electric motors draw power from a 64.7kWh battery pack that sits under the floor of the SUV. The iX1 offers a WLTP-certified range of 440km on a single charge.
Note: Instantly Sell Your Old Car With V3Cars Sell Used Car Platform
Here’s what BMW have to say about the latest development:
Gurugram. The first fully electric BMW iX1 launched today in India has been completely sold out for 2023 within a few hours.
Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “It is thrilling to receive such an extraordinary response for the first fully electric BMW iX1. Being sold-out completely on launch day itself is a great debut for the iX1 in India. True to its nature, it has charged ahead and exceeded. And this is just the beginning! We are confident that this exclusive electric SAV is poised to be a front-runner in the luxury electric car segment. With cutting-edge electric choices from BMW Group India, our progressive consumers will further drive the advent of sustainable mobility.”
BMW Group India continues its dominance in electric luxury segment thanks to the most diverse electric portfolio – BMW iX1, BMW i7, BMW iX, BMW i4 and MINI SE.
Bookings for the first fully electric BMW iX1 were opened exclusively online and received an overwhelming demand. The car was launched as a completely-built-up unit at an ex-showroom price of INR 66,90,000.
Also Read: Tata Punch EV Spotted On Test
Note: Now Find Out The Fuel Price In India Using V3Cars


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Subscribe to S|W using this form to ensure you don’t miss out on the most important SaaS news every week!
Vancouver-based Vistara Growth has raised over $200 million CAD for its latest technology-focused private credit fund.
Vistara, which targets enterprise software companies with between $10 million and $100 million in annual recurring revenue, creates tailored investment structures comprised of debt, equity, or some combination of the two to help tech companies finance organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, or shareholder liquidity initiatives.
BlackBerry names new CEO as company ditches connected-car IPO – but still plans to split in two
(THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
BlackBerry has promoted cybersecurity president John Giamatteo to replace recently departed chief executive John Chen and killed plans to spin off its connected car software business into a separate public company.
The company now plans to restructure its two business units into standalone entities in a way that suggests it is preparing to sell one outright. Giamatteo will keep his job running the cybersecurity business in addition to his CEO duties.
Durable raises $18 million CAD as it looks to help service-based businesses run on autopilot
One month after soft-launching its artificial intelligence-powered website builder in the fall of 2022, Durable had already created 26,000 websites.
Today, Durable revealed it has raised $18 million CAD ($14 million USD) in Series A financing, and is now looking to become a full-stack “business in a box” platform for service-based entrepreneurs.
The website builder allows users to input information about their business, and in less than 30 seconds, Durable generates a website complete with a banner, list of services, elevator pitch, and more.
POWERED BY: YORK UNIVERSITY
Over the past decade, the focus on customer engagement and retention has reshaped business strategies, leading to the vital emergence of the Customer Success Manager role. This role is key in enhancing the value of purchases and expanding business opportunities.
York University’s School of Continuing Studies introduces its innovative Certificate in Customer Success Management. This program equips you with essential skills in business acumen, problem-solving, and communication, pivotal for fortifying the bond between an organization and its clientele, catalyzing customer value, and propelling business growth.
Experience practical learning with our hands-on classes, led by experienced customer success managers. Dive deep into understanding the customer lifecycle, and master strategies to amplify customer engagement and retention.
What’s more, our accelerated program format enables you to complete this comprehensive training in just five weeks, through convenient part-time, online study.
Embark on a journey to unlock your potential in customer success management.
OpenView Ventures’ sudden decision last week to lay off most of its staff and halt investments in new startups left one major question unanswered: what to do with the $570 million that endowments and other institutions recently committed to its latest fund.
The final decision, which could come as soon as the first quarter, will indicate whether the nearly 18-year-old firm can chart a new chapter as a smaller firm after the departure of its senior leaders and as the venture capital sector enters a period of austerity and slower dealmaking.
Founded by former Wave CEO Kirk Simpson and early Wave investor Peter Carrescia, Toronto-based identity verification Confirm officially launched its identity verification product on Wednesday, aimed at making peer-to-peer selling over online marketplaces safer.
Confirm says it allows people to create a verified digital ID, called a ConfirmID, by submitting a headshot and government-issued document. Users can then create a transaction with their ConfirmID and send it as a link when facilitating an online transaction, which will prove the identity of the buyer and seller without oversharing personal information.
It’s no secret that 2023 has been a tumultuous year for tech. But in some ways, for founders, it was a year like any other: navigating challenges and uncertainty to find opportunity and success.
We asked a group of Canadian tech founders to reflect back on an unpredictable year. They shared their views on adopting new technologies, celebrated their biggest wins, and shared what learnings they’ll bring into 2024.
Epic wins its antitrust lawsuit against the Play Store. What does this verdict mean for Google?
Google lost an antitrust lawsuit over barriers to its Android app store, as a federal court jury has decided that the company’s payments system was anticompetitive and damaged smartphone consumers and software developers.
Were it not for Google’s “anticompetitive” behavior, Epic said in its complaint, Android users “could freely download apps from developers’ websites, rather than through an app store, just as they might do on a personal computer.”
How did Google lose this case?
Toronto-based Terminal, a trucking telematics integrations startup, has closed a $3.1-million USD ($4.2 million CAD) seed round after being one of seven Canadian-affiliated companies participating in Y Combinator’s Summer 2023 cohort.
The growing number of telematics, and the disorganized nature of having separate telematics providers for needs from GPS to LEDs, has been a pain point for trucking fleet owners which require the integrations for regulated safety and insurance purposes. Terminal offers its own API which allows insurance products and fleet software access to various digitized vehicle stats all in one place.
Building a business is an exercise in living in the future, according to Marcos Torres, CFO of managed cybersecurity platform Huntress.
In a recent #CIBCInnovationBanking podcast episode, Torres shared his advice for founders who want the best chance of success in difficult times.
After successfully operating businesses through both the dot-com bust and the 2008 Financial Crisis, John Raeder has developed a “paranoia of operational frailty,” always planning for a doomsday scenario.
In a recent #CIBCInnovationBanking podcast episode, Raeder shared how he thinks about growing businesses—and what founders should be doing to set the stage for growth.
Toronto city council is rescinding its temporary cap on the number of licences for ride-share drivers in the city, just over two months after it was initially passed.
At a council meeting Thursday, councillors voted to get rid of the ban, but also to conduct a consultation process and produce a report about the issue, which could lead to the cap being reinstated at a later date.
The change comes after Uber made a court application in an effort to overturn the ban earlier this month.
Notman House, the Montréal startup hub run within a 187-year-old heritage building, will likely be put up for sale as government creditors claim years of unpaid debt.
Many are now concerned about what Notman’s uncertain future means for Montréal tech.
A new initiative with a similar mission called Ax-C, which is set to open on the former trading floor of the Montréal Exchange by the end of next year, has garnered $48 million in government support. Meanwhile the OSMO Foundation, which owns and operates Notman House, owes $323,000 in unpaid mortgage fees to the Business Development Bank of Canada and Investissement Québec.
E-Signature Company DocuSign Explores a Deal
(THE WALL STREET JOURNAL)
E-signature company DocuSign is working with advisers to explore a sale, in what could be one of the largest leveraged buyouts in recent memory.
Conversations for the $11 billion company are in the early stages, people familiar with the situation said, and there are no guarantees a deal will be reached. DocuSign could attract interest from private-equity firms and technology companies.
New Zealand-headquartered and Canada-connected Xero recently launched a gen AI solution for its Xero Central self-service helpdesk, built in partnership with Québec-based AI software platform Coveo.
Speaking with BetaKit, Nigel Piper, executive general manager at Xero, explained how the project came to be and what it took to build and implement a solution.


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Confidence isn’t particularly high at the Research In Motion camp. After reporting pretty dismal Q4 numbers late last month, CEO Thorsten Heins admitted there was “no guarantee” the company would ever turn its fortunes around. But there may be light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. According to RIM’s senior vice president of BlackBerry security, Scott Totzke, the Waterloo-based company’s market share the U.S. government market “is probably increasing.” Probably.
In an interview on April 5, Totzke said RIM sold 400,000 devices to the U.S. federal government over the past twelve months — 40 percent of those sales were for upgrades to a new BlackBerry device. The numbers are encouraging, but that doesn’t mean all government agencies are on board with the Research In Motion train for the long haul. Joe Consumer has already jumped off of the RIM bandwagon, though: the company’s market share fell 57 percent in the U.S. last quarter, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
Totzke’s comments hardly mean RIM is getting itself back on track. Totzke said RIM’s share in the U.S. government “is probably increasing.” That’s not much different than hearing Heins say there is “no guarantee of success.” As we said a few weeks ago, if RIM’s CEO can’t guarantee success, who can? It’s hard to have confidence in a company that’s unsure of itself.


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AGENDA: Pre-registration and lodging specials for Vegas show, Aug. 17-19.
SIA: Cooling down NYC with annual Summer Snowdown media event.
Details on Industry Insight.
Billabong reported earnings this afternoon for the six months ended Dec. 31, 2010.
Here are the highlights:
Group sales revenue: $834.9 million. Up 24.4% in constant currency. Up 15.8% in reported AUD.
Net profit after tax (NPAT): $57.2 million. Down 9.8% in constant currency. Down 18% in reported AUD.
The strong Australian dollar dampened reported results. The company said on a constant currency basis, total sales would have been $49 million higher and NPAT $6 million higher.
Consolidated gross margin: 54.3% vs. 55.5%.
Group EBITDA: $94.6 million, down 17.3% in constant currency terms.
Group EBITDA margin: 11.3% vs. 17.1% during the same period last year. Excluding M&A and restructuring costs, EBITDA margins were 12.6%.
Company retail: 635 stores vs. 380 at the end of June. Retail revenue accounted for about 40% of total company revenue during the period.
EBITDA retail margins: 13.6% vs. 14.9% during the same period last year. Margins improved in Americas and Europe and weakened in Australia. Margins also hurt by initial dilutive effect of acquisitions. This is expected to improve as more company-owned product is integrated into new stores.
Net debt: $382.7 million
Revenue: up 38.2% to $408.4 million compared with same period last year. Revenue grew from acquisition of West 49 and improved company owned retail sales, particularly at Honolua and Beachworks banners.
Operational EBITDA: up 12.5% to $46.6 million.
Operational margins: 11.4% vs. 14% due to the recent acquisition of West 49, though this is expected to improve once more company branded product is integrated.
Revenue: up 14.3% to $157.2 million largely due to Element, Nixon and DaKine in Germany, France and central Europe. Southern countries still weak, particularly Spain.
Operational EBITDA: up 7.7% to $30.8 million
Operational EBITDA margins: 19.6% vs. 20.8% due to higher input costs
Revenue: up 13% to $269.3 million. The increase was due to acquisition of Jetty Surf and Surf Rush. However, weak consumer spending and a wet summer led to soft retail sales and soft wholesale sales.
Operational EBITDA: down 22.9% to $51.8 million
Operational margins: fell to 19.3% from 28.2%. Company owned retail EBIDA margins in Australasia, including Jetty Surf and Surf Rush, fell to 18% vs. 24.4% in the same period last year.
The company has previously said 2011 will be a transition year as Billabong digests its acquisitions.
Full year group sales: $1.7 billion at current exchange rates.
Full year net profit after tax: flat vs. last year in constant currency terms.


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EIT Food, the world’s largest food innovation community, has today announced the launch of two open calls for proposals for impactful and scalable public engagement projects and consumer food research and insights knowledge. EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
The calls are open to organisations and individuals who aim to champion public engagement to accelerate:
- Improvements in conditions for enhanced public trust in the food system
- Better health outcomes from our diet
- Improved environmental impact of the agrifood system
- The transition to a circular and sustainable economy.
EIT Food Consumer Observatory Call
EIT Food is looking for organisations to join their new programme that will identify trends across the food system and create a valuable resource for consumer research and insights. As part of this call, EIT Food is seeking proposals from individuals, organisations and consortia from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associate Countries across five different work packages, including project management, trend watch mechanism development, data visualisation, communication and financial sustainability.
Those selected for funding will help position EIT Food at the forefront of the latest consumer insights on agrifood topics. Proposals for the Consumer Observatory call can be submitted by 15 November 2022. More information on call guidelines and the application process can be found here.
Proof of Concepts Call
EIT Food is looking for innovative public engagement project ideas which have the potential for societal impact, to be tested for six months in a Proof of Concept phase.
Project proposals should aim to test proof of concept for ideas in one of the following areas:
- Equipping individuals to make more informed choices
- Increasing transparency and engagement in the food system
- Including consumers in shaping the future of the food system.
Proposals for the Proof of Concepts call can be submitted by 15 November 2022. More information on call guidelines and applications can be found here.
“Consumers are central to the development of a better food system. They are the driver of food trends and the ultimate reason why food is produced. Through these calls, EIT Food will support impactful public engagement projects, individuals and organisations that share the goal of putting consumers at the centre of food innovation and research. We want to hear from those who share our mission of creating a healthier, more sustainable and trusted food system.”
For more information, please contact: email@example.com
About EIT Food
EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. We accelerate innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all.
Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, we invest in projects, organisations and individuals that share our goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. We unlock innovation potential in businesses and universities and create and scale agrifood startups to bring new technologies and products to market. We equip entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system and put consumers at the heart of our work, helping build trust by reconnecting them to the origins of their food.
We are one of nine innovation communities established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.


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Samsung, the world’s greatest cell phone OLED board producer, is forcefully focusing on the gaming cell phone market. The organization’s 6.78-inch OLED board, which has a local revive pace of 120Hz, is utilized in the as of late delivered gaming cell phone, the ASUS ROG Phone 5. The presentation additionally includes 1 billion tones, Full HD+ goal, HDR10+, and 1,200 nits of pinnacle brilliance.
The South Korean firm referenced recently that it plans to sell such OLED boards to more brands that make gaming cell phones. Samsung Display likewise referenced that its most recent high-revive rate OLED board got the ‘Consistent Display’ confirmation from Swiss firm SGS S.A., one of the world’s driving accreditation firms. It said that Samsung’s most recent OLED board offers an industry-driving film reaction season of 11ms and a haze length of 0.7mm. The Swiss firm additionally granted the ‘Eye Care Display’ certificate to Samsung’s OLED board.
Different brands, including Samsung, have been delivering cell phones with high-revive rate presentations to offer portable gamers a bleeding edge gaming experience. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals have been remaining at home to rehearse social separating, which has prompted a flood in the quantity of individuals playing web based games on PCs, gaming supports, and cell phones. Cell phone brands need to profit by that market by offering gaming cell phones with quick processors and high-revive rate shows. Samsung’s own top of the line Galaxy cell phones and tablets utilize 120Hz OLED shows for a smoother experience.
Samsung Display at present has an immense lead in the cell phone OLED market, and it likewise entered the PC market in 2019. The South Korean association’s 15.6-inch 4K OLED screen is utilized in the Razer Blade 15. The organization as of late disclosed its 14-inch and 15.6-inch 90Hz OLED boards for workstations and PCs that utilization Samsung’s new OLED board will begin showing up in Q2 2021.


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By Collin Breaux | Email: firstname.lastname@example.org | Twitter: @collin_breaux
Crisis Kitchen Coalition, a new group banding together with small restaurant owners, is looking to help feed people as the coronavirus pandemic has practically shut down most aspects of daily life.
James Parris, CEO of Sweet Home Capistrano, said the group will provide food for people who are not able to get homemade meals. Distribution will be Saturday, March 21, and it is not believed the statewide stay at home order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom will affect operations. The Coalition is accepting donations. Contact Parris at email@example.com if you have items to donate or call 949.485.9733 for more information.
The distribution site will be in Marbella Plaza (31115 Ranho Viejo Road) n San Juan Capistrano. Pick-up times are 8 to 10 a.m., 12 to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Limits will be two meals per car. The food is free.
San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce board member Ricardo Beas, owner of Ricardo’s Place restaurant in San Juan Capistrano, which is among the restaurants that had to close during the pandemic, said the Chamber is on board with the Coalition. Other groups are welcome to join in and help if they want to, Beas said. The Coalition of California Chambers Orange County is also involved.
“This is to help the needy. Seniors, kids,” Beas said. “We’re trying to do the right thing right now.”
The grassroots effort comes as businesses, restaurants and small shops have closed in San Juan Capistrano, and throughout the country and world, due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus. Downtown San Juan Capistrano, usually bustling with tourists and residents, has been a ghost town lately.
Construction workers and the occasional pedestrian pass by the movie theater of 3:16 Bakery Shop, but the streets are mostly empty.


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Los Angeles News
Lakers parade street vendors cash in on fans
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- While many businesses around the parade route were closed for safety reasons, street vendors capitalized on the many fans who came out to celebrate their team's victory.
To quench the thirst and satisfy the appetites of Lakers fans, vendors set up shop along the parade route Monday.
Sandra Crockett figured she could cash in on the Lakers' victory by selling snacks and T-shirts on 23rd Street.
"I'm hoping to make at least $500, and I'll be out until at least 5 p.m.," said Crockett.
Those who didn't already have a 2010 NBA Champs T-shirt were given their pick, and there were also buttons for sale at three for $10.
Sharon Williams wanted to add a little more flair to her already colorful Kobe shirt.
"I bought the button today, but the Kobe shirt I bought like a month ago when we beat the Phoenix Suns. I knew then we were going to do it," said Williams, a Lakers fan.
If you made the mistake of coming to the parade not wearing purple and gold, there were plenty of things you could buy to show your Lakers spirit.
"I came ill-prepared, but it is what it is. I got my shirt now," said Danielle Parker, a Lakers fan.
Some fans didn't need to buy anything new. Arminda Romero showed off her late husband's vintage purple and gold jacket from 1982.
"We loved the Lakers for many, many years - forever. Lakers number one," said Romero.
Also, plastic horns and air horns were abundant for the most boisterous fans lined up on Figueroa Street, but the most important accessory was a camera to document another proud moment in Lakers history.
nba finals, los angeles lakers, parade, nba playoffs, los angeles news
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- AB Inbev: Manufacturing over 1 million bottles of hand sanitizers.
- Neuhaus: Brightened up the lives of more than 10,000 health workers with a chocolate delivery.
- Van de Velde: Stitching mouth masks for local Belgian hospitals
- Iristick: Helping out with their smart glasses and remote assistance for doctors in covid-19 quarantine areas and hands free remote assistance in factories in Northern Italy.
- Twikit: Developing product concepts for mouth masks and safety equipment.
- Imec istart companies: Multiple initiatives to tackle COVID-19 and flatten the curve.
- Odoo: Italian fire brigade association automates its fight against covid-19 thanks to a 48h Odoo implementation/
- Easyfairs: In Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, Easyfairs is making its venues available to the local authorities.


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(Bloomberg) — Two of the biggest U.S. banks are gaining confidence that the pandemic won’t send the economy into a calamitous slide, even if they see a long path back to growth.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. set aside just $2.87 billion for loan losses in the third quarter, less than half what analysts expected and even lower than the charge-offs they had this period, in part because they’d already been aggressive in beefing up their reserves in the first half of the year. The lenders said they’ve been encouraged as consumers have been quick to pay down their credit-card bills and corporate borrowers have repaid the revolving credit lines they tapped at the start of the lockdowns.
Executives are still cautioning that the economy is in for a long grind: JPMorgan said it expects to see material losses in its consumer portfolio starting in the second half of next year, later than initially anticipated. And Citigroup said unemployment will probably be higher at the end of next year than initially expected.
But the banks’ actions indicate that some of the worst outcomes are now less likely to occur in the near-term even with the pandemic dragging on and lawmakers failing to agree on another round of fiscal stimulus.
“Our base case has improved a bit, but uncertainty is still high, 20 million are still unemployed,” JPMorgan Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Piepszak said. “We don’t think we’ll see real material losses emerge until the second half of next year because the consumer is in good shape.”
The smaller provisions helped JPMorgan and Citigroup notch better-than-expected earnings in the third quarter. Still, shares in both companies fell as investors worried that the quarter signaled a pause in pain from soured loans, rather than the end of the


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Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 8, and if you're looking for some ideas to melt mom's heart, Newswatch 16 may be able to help! Our own Ryan Leckey visited the Viewmont Mall in Lackawanna County for a few suggestions this morning.
Shopping guru Amanda Hoprich says some of the most popular gift items this year include DIY gift baskets. They range from $20 to $100 that allow dad and the kids to get creative when it comes to gathering some of mom's favorite things from her favorite stores like fragrances and spa kits. Amanda's other tips include: ask store employees about any extra specials for Mother's Day, freebies, or discounts. Be sure to also check their social media sites like Facebook and Instagram for "secret coupon" offers.
Plus, Ryan's mom makes a special morning show cameo on the morning show!
According to the National Retail Federation, some of the hottest items this year by popularity are jewelry, special outings (dinners/spa days), flowers, and gift cards. The average person is expected to spend around $172.22 this weekend on the special lady in their life. To see the full spending report, click here!


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Monster Rancher port heading to Switch in Japan
Posted on August 19, 2019 by Matt(@OnePunchMaz) in News, Switch eShop
A modern port of Monster Rancher (known as Monster Farm in Japan), which was originally released on the PlayStation in 1997, was recently announced. However, at the time, it wasn’t revealed which platforms would be receiving the port. The newest issue of Nintendo Dream magazine has now revealed that Monster Rancher will be released on the Nintendo Switch eShop sometime this year. The port will be published by Koei Tecmo. Note that so far this release has only been confirmed for Japan. We will keep you updated should a Western release be announced.