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In September last year, Xiaomi introduced the Civi smartphone in China, which quickly became a hit in the home market. This is a mid-range model, and, at the same time, the company’s thinnest and lightest smartphone: the thickness is 6.98 mm, the weight is 166 grams. But Xiaomi is already preparing a successor to Civi.
According to an insider known in China under the nickname Digital Chat Station, the new model is called Civi S. The novelty will be just as thin and light, but it will become a little better: at least the SoC Snapdragon 778G will be replaced by Snapdragon 778G + (like Honor 60). Also in the Civi S configuration, a Full HD + OLED screen with a frame rate of 120 Hz, a 32-megapixel front camera, a main camera with a 64-megapixel sensor, support for 55 W charging and a pre-installed MIUI 13 based on, probably, Android 12. With Honor 60 Civi S has in common not only the platform, but also positioning as a stylish smartphone.
The release date of the novelty is not reported, but the premiere may happen as early as March. True, the likelihood that Civi S will be sold outside of China is extremely small: the same Civi is a Chinese exclusive.
Digital Chat Station is a reliable insider. Previously, he was the first to accurately announce the characteristics and release dates of Redmi K30, K40, Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 11.
“Born to accelerate the popularization of 5G.” Xiaomi introduced a cheap smartphone Redmi Note 11 SE with 90 Hz, 5000 mAh and 48 MP
The head of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, officially announced the company’s most affordable smartphone with support for fifth-generation networks, which was called the Redmi Note 11 SE.
“Born to accelerate the popularization of 5G,” is how the company leader describes this device. The Redmi Note 11 SE is priced at just $150.
Redmi Note 11 SE received a 6.5-inch FullHD + display with support for a refresh rate of 90 Hz and a hole for the front camera in the central upper part of the screen. It is based on a MediTek Dimensity 700 single-chip system with a 5G modem.
The amount of flash memory is 128 GB, the battery capacity is 5000 mAh, the main image sensor has a resolution of 48 megapixels.
Even more like the iPhone: Apple Watch Series 8 showed from all sides in high-quality images
Apple is expected to launch three smartwatch models this fall, including the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, and the first rugged watch. This post provides high-quality renderings of the Apple Watch Series 8 based on leaks and available information.
The biggest difference compared to the Apple Watch Series 7 is that the screen protector is completely flat. This makes the watch case look more like an iPhone case. You can also see that the screen frame has become even smaller. It is quite possible that the Apple Watch Series 8 will be the watch with the highest effective display area.
Enlarged slots for the speaker are visible on the left side of the case, the usual clock controls are located on the right side. The watch will be able to measure heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. As for measuring temperature, blood sugar and blood pressure, Apple is working on these features, but they are unlikely to appear this year.
According to rumors, the presentation of the Apple Watch Series 8 will take place in September this year.
Source: iPhone 14 will get a front camera with autofocus
According to South Korean sources, one of the major improvements in the iPhone 14 line of smartphones, which is expected to be released in September, will be the front camera. Apple considers LG Innotek as a supplier of such high-end modules. In this case, for the first time, the supplier of the front cameras for the iPhone will be a Korean company, and not the unnamed Chinese manufacturers, as before. According to the source, Apple has reconsidered the attitude to the front cameras of its smartphones as inexpensive components, and now these will be more advanced solutions.
Initially, Apple planned to start installing LG Innotek modules only in the iPhone 15, but then moved the deadlines, so the iPhone 14 will already have a high-quality front camera this fall. It is reported that the new module will be three times more expensive than the previous model, but the owners of the next generation iPhone will be able to use autofocus for selfies. A number of other improvements are also expected, thanks to which the front camera of the new iPhones will come close to the main one in terms of its capabilities. According to rumors, LG Innotek has already begun preparations for mass production of front cameras for the iPhone 14.
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By MATT OTT and DEE-ANN DURBIN | AP Business Writers
Kellogg Co., the maker of Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies and Eggo, will split into three companies focused on cereals, snacks, and plant-based foods.
Kellogg's, which also owns MorningStar Farms, the plant-based food maker, said Tuesday that the spinoff of the yet-to-be-named cereal and plant-based foods companies should be completed by the end of next year.
Kellogg’s had net sales of $14.2 billion in 2021, with $11.4 billion generated by its snack division, which makes Cheez-Its, Pringles and Pop-Tarts, among other brands. Cereal accounted for another $2.4 billion in sales last year while plant-based sales totaled around $340 million.
“These businesses all have significant standalone potential, and an enhanced focus will enable them to better direct their resources toward their distinct strategic priorities,” said CEO Steve Cahillane.
Cahillane will become chairman and CEO of the global snacking company. The management team of the cereal company will be named later. The board of directors has approved the spin-offs.
Shareholders will receive shares in the two spin-offs on a pro-rata basis relative to their Kellogg holdings.
U.S. cereal sales have been waning for years as consumers moved to more portable products, like energy bars. They saw a brief spike during pandemic lockdowns, when more people sat down for breakfast at home. But sales fell again last year.
Kellogg's cereal business was also rocked last fall by a 10-week strike by more than 1,000 workers at plants in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. The strike ended after the company promised higher wages, enhanced benefits and a quicker path to permanent employment for its temporary workers.
In March, a few hundred other workers at a plant that makes Cheez-Its won a new contract with 15% wage increases over three years.
Kellogg said it would explore other options for its plant-based business, including a possible sale. U.S. plant-based meat sales have been plateauing in recent months after several years of strong growth.
The cereal and plant-based meat companies will remain headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, where Kellogg was founded in 1906. The snack company, which accounts for 80% of Kellogg's current sales, will have dual campuses in Battle Creek and Chicago, with its headquarters in Chicago. Kellogg's three international headquarters in Europe, Latin America, and AMEA will remain in their current locations.
Kellogg has been sharpening its focus on snacks for years. In 2019, the company sold its cookie, pie crust, ice cream cone and fruit business to the Ferraro Group.
Big-name companies have begun to split up at an accelerated pace, including General Electric, IBM and Johnson & Johnson, but such splits are more rare for food producers. The last major split in the sector was in in 2012, when Kraft split to create Mondelez.
Mondelez made its own big play in the snack business on Monday, when it announced it will acquire Clif Bar & Co., a major energy bar company. The $2.9 billion deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
This is a particularly perilous time in the food industry due to rising costs, both for labor and for material. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed grain prices higher and this month, the U.S. reported that inflation is hitting four-decade highs.
Shares of Kellogg rose almost 4% to $70.15 in morning trading Tuesday.
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The Financial Post reports in its Wednesday, Jan. 2, edition that one of Spain's biggest banks, CaixaBank, has opened an outpost on Bay St. The Globe's Geoff Zochodne writes that CaixaBank will offer support and advisory services related to trade and corporate banking. CaixaBank is the sole Spanish bank with a physical presence in Canada.
The office will cater to Spanish companies doing business in Canada and Canadian companies doing business in Spain, as the lender said it aims to "consolidate its position as a benchmark bank in Canada for companies operating in the two countries."
CaixaBank touts itself as Spain's leading retail bank, with about 15.7 million customers and $603-billion in assets, according to its most recent financial results.
Its biggest shareholder is a holding company entirely owned by the "la Caixa" Banking Foundation, which holds a 40-per-cent interest in CaixaBank.
The opening of CaixaBank's Toronto office is the Spanish lender's second foray into North America, and follows the opening of a New York office in 2015. CaixaBank also has representative offices in Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Chile.
Canada, the bank said, offers "significant benefits" for Spanish companies.
© 2019 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.


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What a difference a year makes.
Last summer, the two-day Virgin Mobile Festival boasted top-tier names like Kanye West, Jack Johnson, Bob Dylan and the Foo Fighters at Pimlico Race Course. Tickets for both days ranged from $175 for general admission to $450 for VIP passes.
This year, the festival cuts back to one day, moves to the smaller Merriweather Post Pavilion and books slightly less glamorous headliners Blink-182, Weezer and Public Enemy.
But - and this is a big "but" - this year's festival is free. As in, complimentary. There will be no charge for concert-goers - not even for parking. Even the festival's name now has the word "free" in it: Virgin Mobile FreeFest.
"All I can say is, what we chose to do this year was meant to be unusually different and meant to help people out," said Ron Faris, Virgin Mobile's senior director for brand marketing and innovation.
The festival's lineup and pricing, unveiled yesterday, came after months of speculation among music fans and music bloggers. All of the other major music festivals, including Bonnaroo and All Points West, had long since announced their rosters.
If the Virgin Festival cost as much as previous years, it probably would have suffered poor ticket sales, said Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the industry trade magazine Pollstar. But now, he thinks, the festival will sell out quickly and give Virgin Mobile plenty of good publicity.
"What they came up with is a concept that is definitely going to work," he said. "It's great for the fans, it's a pretty nice lineup of talent, and you can't argue with the pricing."
Several months ago, Faris and his co-workers at Virgin Mobile were looking for ways to put a fresh spin on the four-year-old festival. Faris looked at the poor shape the economy was in and decided to make this year's festival free.
"It was recession, it was layoffs, it was swine flu - it was bad news," Faris said. "We figured we really had to put some good news out there."
Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster in two waves. Today and Friday, Virgin Mobile customers and concertgoers who attended one or more of the past three Virgin Mobile festivals will get the chance to earmark one of the 35,000 available spots at the Aug. 30 festival.
Ticketmaster will send out e-mails to past Virgin Mobile festival customers offering them the chance to reserve no more than two tickets each.
The remaining tickets will be up for grabs at 10 a.m. Saturday through Ticketmaster.com. In a rare gesture, Ticketmaster is waiving its notorious "convenience fees" if customers opt to pick up their tickets at the 9:30 Club in Washington or Merriweather. Otherwise, there will be a $5 fee for ticket delivery.
Faris and festival producer Seth Hurwitz said they thought about bringing the festival back to Pimlico, where it had been since the festival began in 2006. But the cost of setting up stages, lighting rigs and vendor tents was too high to keep the festival free.
"Pimlico is a hugely expensive venue," Hurwitz said. "When you do a show on a field like that, you have to bring in everything. Merriweather has all this stuff built in. If you're trying to do a free show, it's a much cheaper place to do it."
When Faris first toured Merriweather, he fell in love with the wooded amphitheater. For the festival, they plan to add a second stage, a dance tent and increase the amphitheater's capacity.
"It's like sleepaway camp down there," he said. "It' so amazing and beautiful. Seth's got a great venue down there."
But the move wasn't without its critics. When Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon heard rumors about the festival leaving Pimlico for Merriweather, she called Hurwitz, concerned about what it meant for Baltimore.
"I assured her that whatever we do this year doesn't mean we're necessarily leaving [permanently]," Hurwitz said. "It's not a statement about anything except we wanted to put a free show on, and this was the best place to do it."


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Last year, GQ published a definitive guide to the 50 greatest Nike collaborations in the Swoosh’s 50-year-history of industry-shifting designs. When we update the list for the next half-century, it will probably start here: the Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1 1837.
Images of the sneakers, which release March 7, leaked over the weekend, prompting both brands—and Tiffany executive Alexandre Arnault—to tease images of a Tiffany Blue sneaker box on Sunday. Though the sneakers had been long-rumored, the official look inside the box contains a few surprises. Besides the black suede AF1s, which come with sterling silver badges affixed to each heel, there’s an entire kit of sterling sneakerhead essentials, too: a shoe horn, a shoe brush, a whistle, and a dubrae (that metal shoelace ornament thing commonly found on AF1s).
Since joining the LVMH family of high-wattage French luxury in 2021, Tiffany has engineered moments of explosive cultural and commercial hype with the likes of Supreme and Patek Philippe (not to mention Jay-Z and Beyoncé). But this new release, while similar, represents a step forward. Those collaborations brought iconic brands into Tiffany’s world: save for a requisite box logo tee, the Tiffany x Supreme tie-up re-worked Tiffany classics, and the Tiffany Blue-dialed Patek Philippe Nautilus was a maximally flashy piece from a long-standing partnership. The Nike release, though, marks the first time the Fifth Avenue jeweler has lent its name, hue, or hardware to a shoe. (Previously, the closest Tiffany and Nike got to each other was that scene in Funny Face when Audrey Hepburn struts in front of the Nike of Samothrace at the Louvre. That, and the so-called “Tiffany” Nike Dunks, which were in fact a collab with Diamond Supply Co. and not the jeweler.)
Could Tiffany be testing the waters for a broader entry into the fashion world? Well, why not? Louis Vuitton used to be a luggagemaker, while Thierry Hermès made saddles. A couple hundred years later, both houses do brisk business in ready-to-wear. Like those heritage French labels, Tiffany can legitimately claim to be a lifestyle brand, one that both makes just about everything besides clothes, and which has an instantly recognizable mark and color—one that looked pretty good on a one-off varsity jacket the brand made for Cody Simpson in 2019. And like, say, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany represents a distinct strain of American image-making (thanks, in part, to Hepburn and Breakfast at Tiffany's).
If any further proof is required that Tiffany’s imprimatur carries weight beyond the world of engagements and I-got-a-promotion cufflinks, the sneakers, which are set to retail for $400 at Tiffany’s two NYC flagships, select Nike retailers, and on the Nike SNKRS app, are expected to sell out immediately.
See the full release below.


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MADISON, Wis. — Samsung took the wraps off a new LTE radio chip this week. The chip, supporting both FDD and TDD, is built on the 28-nm HKMG process. It's noteworthy that Samsung has integrated its own quad-core application processor and called it Exynos ModAP.
In short, Samsung is consolidating its cellular components under the Exynos brand, mimicking Qualcomm's Snapdragon family of mobile chips. The intention is clear: Get Qualcomm.
However, the amount of damage Samsung can wreak in today's totally Qualcomm-dominated LTE market remains unclear.
Samsung's move is destined to design Qualcomm's chips out of Samsung's handsets and tablets. But the LTE-app processor combo chip, which hasn't even hit the market yet, has already delivered the biggest blow. The casualty isn't Qualcomm. It's Broadcom, which announced plans in early June to shut down its cellular baseband business.
No matter how you slice the LTE market, Qualcomm still has a solid lock on the mobile chip market. "Qualcomm still enjoys over 95% of the multimode LTE market, even with new entries announced in 2014," Will Strauss, president of Forward Concepts, told us.
Strategy Analytics reported (subscription required) that Samsung ranked fourth in the LTE baseband market in the first quarter with a revenue share of just 1.7%.
Multi-mode and single-mode FDD-LTE baseband supplier share in 2013.
(Source: Forward Concepts)
Samsung isn't new to the LTE modem business. It has been shipping its own multimode 4G modem used inside its Galaxy 4 and 5 handsets, but the company has done so "only in Korea," according to Forward Concepts.
For handsets and tablets sold in the rest of the world, Samsung has relied on competitors' LTE modem chips. "Depending on the region, Samsung employed Qualcomm 4G modems, while they have employed 4G modems from Intel -- actually, the Galaxy Tab 3 10-inch socket -- and Marvell's and Renesas/Broadcom 4G modems in Galaxy Tab 3 seven-ince sockets," Strauss said.
That picture is about to change.


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Why Aswath Damodaran Thinks Nvidia Stock Is Only Worth $240
Aswath Damodaran thinks Nvidia is only worth $240 a share. That’s almost 50% LOWER than it's price. Here’s some reasons why he may consider it overpriced. 👇
1) Nvidia is selling for 32 TIMES the current revenue of the business. Yes you read that right REVENUE not profit.
2) Nvidia is selling for 101 TIMES the profit of the business.
3) Competition is increasing & it’s not the competition you want to compete with. Google, Apple, Microsoft & Tesla are actively investing in AI Chip research.
4) Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang has sold $100 million of his own shares recently.
5) Over the last 3 months insiders sold $276 million & bought exactly $0.
6) Yes AI will be huge in 15 years time. Just like in 2000 computers were set to be huge. But from 1999 to 2016 Microsoft shareholders made EXACTLY 0% RETURNS.


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Once upon a time, not so long ago, Cadillac was seen as an old fashioned car company with outdated ideas and products. Over the last few years they have been moving with the times, and now their new warranty program will match or exceed those offered by its German rivals.
General Motors has just announced that later this month, the Cadillac Shield program will be put in place. This is an extensive warranty service which includes oil changes and tire rotation for the first four-years or 50,000-miles, and a five-year, 100,000-miles powertrain warranty, including 24/7 roadside assistance.
OnStar’s Directions and Connections plan is also included for one-year and it now comes with its own smart phone app. Cadillac will also have its own special app, which will help owners locate their car in a parking lot, among other things.
Hit the jump to read the full press release:
Cadillac Announces Shield Owner Benefits Program
Highlights class-leading standard services and technologies
DETROIT, Feb. 14, 2011 — Cadillac announced today a new program called Cadillac Shield designed to heighten the brand’s focus on customer service by tying together the wide-ranging benefits and technologies Cadillac provides its owners.
Cadillac Shield includes Cadillac’s class-leading warranty coverage and recently launched maintenance program as well as courtesy transportation if warranty repairs are needed. It also includes 24-hour roadside assistance for the first five years or 100,000 miles.
“Cadillac offers a suite of ownership benefits that makes the brand a leader in the luxury market,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “Cadillac Shield allows us to raise consumer awareness of these benefits. It’s also a commitment by Cadillac to our owners to continually look for ways to improve these services and technologies.”
All new owners will become part of the Cadillac Shield along with previous buyers of 2011 models. The ownership benefits covered by Cadillac Shield include:
Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance, which provides scheduled oil changes, tire rotations, multi-point vehicle inspections and replacement of engine and cabin air filters for the first four years or 50,000 miles
Five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty
Four-year, 50,000-mile vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage
24/7 roadside assistance for the first five years or 100,000 miles
Courtesy transportation during service visits for warranty issues
Standard one-year OnStar Directions and Connections plan, which includes automatic crash response, turn-by-turn navigation, vehicle diagnostics, stolen vehicle assistance and hands-free calling
OnStar smart-phone app, which allows owners to track diagnostic information, such as oil life and fuel-tank levels, through their iPhone or Android, as well as access common key fob functions, such as starting the engine, unlocking doors and turning on the lights
myCadillac smart-phone app that allows owners to set a reminder of where they parked, schedule maintenance services, locate a dealer and request roadside assistance through their iPhone or Android
Cadillac dealers will begin promoting Cadillac Shield this month through a comprehensive marketing program.


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Symply, which makes media storage solutions, and FocalPoint Server which makes media management software have joined forces to add workflow software to the SymplyULTRA platform.
The new line of high-performance storage has been designed and produced by Studio Network Solutions, exclusively for Ross Video.
Also at NAB NY, the firm’s Flow media asset management, now compatible with third-party storage, and its award-winning approach to AQC of IMF files with QScan.
Caringo has announced the Swarm 10 Platform and a new single server appliance targeting post-production houses, studios, broadcasters and small enterprises.
Roswell Pro Audio has introduced the Colares Microphone, a new high-end condenser microphone designed especially for voice applications.
Addressing market demand for increased security conditions when connecting multiple computers to a single workstation area, IHSE now offers a compact and secure two-port KVM switching solution for extended-distance connections between computer sources and user stations.
The new, next-gen TV standard is expected to be launched by individual TV stations beginning in 2020, concurrent with the anticipated introduction of consumer TVs equipped to receive the new standard.
sE Electronics said the sE2300 features a handcrafted true condenser capsule, two attenuation pads, two low-cut filters and the same class-A discrete circuitry and output transformer as the sE2200.
Mobile editing that is self-contained on a cell phone has become a reality with capabilities that can be astonishing.
Gitzo has introduced the Mini Traveler tripod, calling it the world’s smallest carbon fiber tripod.
Netflix has launched its Post Technology Alliance program. The program identifies products that meet Netflix technical and delivery specifications today and will continue to do so in the future.
Akamai, one of the largest providers of CDN capacity and cloud services, has enhanced its platform with features for security, performance, quality and speed of development.
The Metadator app for Avid users, a cloud-based closed caption generation system and the latest version of its flagship Media Monitoring Platform was on show at NAB NY.
Bitmovin, an established video infrastructure supplier for leading media companies around the world, has released its “Video Developer Report 2018” survey results and it’s full of useful and revealing information about the online digital distribution of audio and video content.
The rise of the PTZ camera, discussed in a previous post, fits into the wider trends for remote operation, robotic cameras, and automated content production. We spoke with Mark Roberts Motion Control (Nikon-owned since 2016), one of the pioneers in robotic cameras to gain insight into the drivers for this, new applications and future developments.
Built on IHSE’s Draco ultra series extender platform and utilizing the company’s Lici technology, the new Draco 495 series extenders for HDMI 2.0 provides full 4K video distribution for UHD 2160p, 30-bit 4:4:4 signals.
Creative.space is described as “an entirely new concept in media storage” for featuring a high-speed, high-capacity platform with 24/7 monitoring, technical support and next-day repairs - all for fixed monthly rate.
A studio microphone stand that has earned a place alongside the most revered vintage microphones, consoles and outboard gear of the analog era has been reinvented for use today.


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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The U.S. Postal Service is beginning to resume mail service in neighborhoods affected by Black Forest Fire.
NEW: The Elbert Post Office, 80106, which had relocated operations to Kiowa, is returning to their building. All routes out of Elbert are resuming today and will be delivering accumulated mail.
NEW: The Black Forest Retail Postal Unit at the Forest Plaza Market will reopen on Monday. All mail and services are being serviced out of the Briargate Station.
NEW: Monument, 80132, still has 1400 addresses that will not get delivery today. However, 1,300 addresses that had been evacuated will see mail delivery service today. All accumulated mail will be delivered, but if your address is still in an evacuation zone, you can pick it up at the main Post Office, 543 3rd St.
NEW: Colorado Springs mail to the Gleneagle area, Zip 80921, will be delivered today, including all accumulated mail.
NEW: Approximately 200 addresses serviced by Peyton, ZIP 80831 in the Black Forest Falcon will resume today. About 25 will still be held at the Peyton Post Office, 13055 Bradshaw Road because of closures.
CONTINUING: Most mail for 80908, which is the heart of the Black Forest, will not be delivered because of road closures. This mail is being held at Briargate Station, 8585 Criterion Dr, and can be picked up at the side door in the lobby from 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The phone number to the station is (719) 265-4409.


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In a recent interview with Moroccan newspaper Akhbar Al Yaoum, the former professor at Collège Royal of Rabat, voiced his stance regarding the ongoing boycott against high commodity prices launched April 20.
According to Jirari, the government could have managed to solve the issue of the boycott if the reasons of the campaign were analyzed.
“Instead of decreeing a law to fight the boycott, government officials had to analyze the reasons that drove people to boycott,” said the King’s advisor.
The boycott takes aim at the “monopolization” of the top milk supplier in Morocco, dairy company Centrale Danone; oil distributor Afriquia gas; and bottled water firm Sidi Ali.
The companies have all suffered losses in revenue due to the boycott, especially Centrale Danone, who has been issuing statements to reconcile with consumers since the launch of the boycott.
Boycott: Citizens’ position
According to Jirari, the boycott is “a citizen position and an ancestral principle of giving up products that become expensive.”
Speaking about the business, he said that operators “must seek to have reasonable gains, while taking into account the economic situation of our society, most of which cannot come with high prices.”
“The middle is getting weak and is reaching the poor at the bottom of the social ladder,” underscored the King’s adviser in his interview.
This situation, according to Jirari, is “abnormal” as Morocco has the assets and “resources that allow all citizens to have their chances.”
Employment becomes a dream?
Jirari also criticized the lack of job opportunities in Morocco. “Staying without a job for four years after graduation is not a healthy” situation in a country like Morocco, he said.
“It will be almost a year since the king explained that the development model in Morocco is failing and that it will be necessary to prepare a new model, but no one has answered the call.”
In his recent speeches, King Mohammed VI called for a new development model that will serve the interests of citizens and meet their needs while promoting social justice and dignified life for all.
In October 2017, the King said in his speech during the opening session of the new legislative year that despite Morocco’s tangible progress, “we have to admit that our national development model no longer responds to citizens’ growing demands and pressing needs.”
He added that the current development model “has not been able to reduce disparities between segments of the population,” and has failed to “correct inter-regional imbalances or achieve social justice.”
The King also urged his government to reconsider the country’s development model “in order to keep abreast of changes in the country.”


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Are checking accounts now better for saving than savings accounts?
Send this story to a friend
It might seem counterintuitive, but interest-bearing personal checking accounts pay as much as 500 percent higher rates on balances up to $50,000 than savings and money market accounts.
That's according to a new report from WalletHub, an offshoot of the personal finance company Evolution Finance.
"This is surprising since most people are trained not to even consider using a checking account as a savings vehicle," the report says.
The report details the average fees, features, and rates associated with nearly 1,700 checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs available to general consumers, small business owners and students.
It also found that "online-only checking accounts are significantly cheaper than full-service (branch) checking accounts," and other benefits to online-only accounts as opposed to branch accounts.
Jason deBruyn covers The Biopharmaceutical and Health Care industries. Follow him on Twitter @jasondebruyn.
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In this week’s Week in Review: Bids emerge for Unilad after it goes into administration, Telaria’s shares fall after the company lowers its full year guidance, and MediaMath says it will cut ties with SSPs which it finds to be gaming auctions. To receive an update on the industry’s top stories every Friday, sign up to the weekly Video Round-Up.
Bidders Emerge for Unilad After it Goes Into Administration
British social media-focused publisher Unilad this week went into administration, with parent company Bentley Harrington holding debts of £6.5 million. Unilad founder and creditor Alex Partidge told an Insolvency and Companies Court in London that the publisher owed him £5m, and argued it should be placed into administration, with a further £1.5 million owed to HM Revenue and Customs. Bidders have since emerged for the business, with Linton Capital and Rocket Sports Media believed to have lined up a £10 million offer for the company.
Telaria Loses A Third of its Value After Revising Guidance Downward
Telaria’s share price fell by over a third on Wednesday after the company released preliminary Q3 results and revised its full year guidance downwards. The ad tech company now expects revenues for the year to reach between $50-$52 million, significantly lower than its previous prediction of $58-$62 million. The under-performance was attributed by the company to its decision to remove certain desktop video publishers from the Telaria platform in order for the company to focus exclusively on premium content, and on an inability to rapidly scale the company’s agency and brand demand sales force during Q3.
Telaria said however that its connected TV revenue is still strong, and it is confident in its strategy going forward. The board of directors has authorised a share repurchase programme, with CEO Mark Zagorski saying that the board and executive team believe Telaria’s common stock is undervalued. The company has pledged to continue investing in CTV, and to fortify its sales team to help drive greater demand.
MediaMath to Cut Ties With Supply Partners Who Manipulate Auctions
MediaMath send a letter to its suppliers this week warning that it will cut ties with any companies which game auctions through processes like bid caching, according to AdExchanger. The demand-side platform (DSP) is requiring supply-side platforms (SSPs) it works with to confirm their adherence to thirteen principles, including not duplicating bid requests unless authorised and not using wrappers to manipulate auctions. MediaMath said that any SSPs found to not be following these principles will be kicked out for a set period, and will only be allowed to re-enter after being vetted.
“As it relates to our platform, we are making those consequences far more clear and unambiguous,” said the letter. “Establishing a Code of Conduct starts with open participation, but if any member violates these polices, or even the spirit of this letter, that platform is out of the club.
The Week in Tech
Google’s Top Advertising Executive Departs
Sridhar Ramaswamy, SVP of ads and commerce at Google, revealed this week he is departing the company to join venture capital firm Greylock Partners. Ramaswamy had overseen Google’s advertising business for five years, and first joined Google’s ad division in 2003. In the fifteen years since then, Ramaswamy is credited with helping grow Google’s ad business from generating $1.5 billion a year when he joined, to an estimated $95.4 billion last year. He will now be replaced by Prabhakar Raghavan, VP of engineering at Google. “I’ve worked with Prabhakar over many years now and can think of no better person to lead our monetization efforts,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in an emailed statement. “He is the right person to succeed Sridhar, whose contributions over the past 15 years have helped grow Google into the company it is today.”
Facebook Risks £1.2 Billion EU Fine Over Latest Data Breach
Facebook could be hit with a fine of up to £1.2 billion after Ireland’s Data Protection Commission opened an investigation into a security breach revealed last Friday which allowed hackers to access over 50 million user accounts. The Commission will review whether the social media company did enough to safeguard its users data as required under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If not, Facebook could be landed a fine of up to 4 percent of its global annual revenue. The regulator said it is “concerned at the fact that this breach was discovered on Tuesday and affects many millions of user accounts but Facebook is unable to clarify the nature of the breach and the risk for users at this point,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
4C Adds New Integrations to Increase Accessibility of Inventory
Data science and tech company 4C unveiled new integrations this week with FreeWheel, Telaria and SpotX, which it says enable over-the-top (OTT) advertising inventory to be accessible alongside linear TV and social video in 4C’s Scope platform. “Marketers need to reach audiences when and where they’re most likely to consume premium video content, regardless of what device they’re on,” said 4C CEO Lance Neuhauser. “Through our new and existing partnerships, 4C makes this possible, removing technology barriers in planning, execution, and measurement that have been holding brands and agencies back from a truly integrated video advertising approach.”
The Week in TV
ITV Rules Out Bid for Endemol Shine
ITV this week ruled out a bid for production company Endemol Shine, telling the stock market that it instead wants to focus its efforts on building subscription streaming services in order to challenge the likes of Netflix. ITV has been investing in original content production as CEO Dame Carolyn McCall seeks to reduce the broadcaster’s reliance on ad sales, and it had been believed to be in the running for the Dutch media business. However, ITV reportedly values Endemol much lower than the £3 billion which its sellers are apparently seeking, and so has decided to walk away.
BBC Launches New Short-Form Content Hub ‘Reel’
The BBC on Monday launched a new global hub for short-form content, BBC Reel. The platform has been created by BBC Global News, an independent branch of the broadcaster supported by commercial revenue, and will feature a mix of recycled archive videos and newly commissioned content. Read the full story on VAN.
Pluto TV Expands Into Europe
Free US-based streaming platform Pluto TV announced on Wednesday it is expanding into Europe, launching first in the UK market via Sky’s Now TV devices. The company says its content and channels will be adapted to fit local markets. “The launch of Pluto TV in Europe is a monumental achievement as we actively pursue our mission of entertaining the planet,” said Tom Ryan, CEO & co-founder of Pluto TV. Read the full story on VAN.
OTT Apps Hit Hard by Churn
Over-the-top (OTT) apps are hit hard by churn according to new findings from CleverTap, which say that 43 percent of OTT apps are abandoned by consumers just one month after they’re downloaded. The research found that OTT apps experience 67 percent churn within the first two weeks of being downloaded, and that only 26 percent of new OTT app users engage with media on the app at least three times within the first month.
The Week in Publishing
Fresh Brand Safety Worries for Google Spurred by Washington Post Report
Despite Google’s best efforts to ensure brand safety for ads it delivers across the web, many ads for big brands being deliver on sites hosting very controversial content according to a Washington Post report. The Post’s review found, for example, an ad for Hertz appearing next to a story headlined “Are Liberal Pervs Sexually Obsessed With ‘Refugees’?”, and Girl Scouts ads on content talking about ‘Muslim invaders’ and ‘faked mass shootings’.
Google said in a statement: “We have strict policies that govern what kind of content we place ads on, and if we find a page or website that violates our policies, we take immediate action. Even when a site does not violate our content policies, we understand that advertisers may not want their ads appearing on certain sites or types of content.” The report highlights again the difficulty for companies like Google of vetting every site they place ads on. While some brands might be unnerved by the Washington Post’s report, none appear to be pulling their spending from Google as a result.
Pinterest Predicted to Hit $1 Billion in Ad Sales by 2020
Pinterest’s ad revenues will reach $1 billion by 2020 according to a forecast from eMarketer. The publisher bought in $384.7 million in the US last year, but this is expected to rise significantly over the next three years. The growth will be driven in part by increased video ad revenues for the company following the introduction of a new video ad product earlier this year.
YouTube Introduces New Ad Formats and Measurements
YouTube this week announced it is adding new capabilities to its TrueView in-stream ads which the company says will make ads on YouTube more actionable. New extensions will be introduced to TrueView ads, which will mean audiences can do things like download apps, find movie showtimes or book trips when prompted by an ad, without leaving YouTube. YouTube is also adding new lower-funnel metrics to its Brand Lift solution. Advertisers will be able to set up Brand Lift studies directly in Google Ads or Display & Video 360, and two new metrics – lifted users and cost-per-lifted-user, will be introduced.
Twitter Rolls Out In-Stream Video Ads Globally
Twitter announced on Monday that its in-stream video ad format will now be available globally. The company has been rolling out the format into new markets over the past year, including Australia, Brazil and Spain, but has now released it for Twitter’s entire video audience. Publishers were previously limited to running in-stream video ads in whichever market they were based – VP of publisher products Mike Park said that this will no longer be the case.
The Week for Agencies
Unilever Gives Details on Influencer Strategy
After Unilever CMO Keith Weed pledged the company would crack down on influencer fraud at Cannes earlier this year, the company gave fresh details of how it plans to work with influencer going forwards at this week’s Advertising Week New York conference. Unilever’s EVP for global media Luis Di Como told the conference that the company will invest more spend in influencer marketing over the next year, but that it will look to build long-term, purposeful relationships with influencers. Unilever will also be tracking KPIs beyond reach in order to help ensure it’s not working with fraudulent influencers.
IPG Completes Acquisition of Acxiom
Interpublic Group this week completed its acquisition of data services company Acxiom LLC (formerly Acxiom Marketing solutions), saying that the business will operate as a standalone unit within IPG. “Having the ability to leverage data at scale enables us to develop deeper relationships in the marketplace, and to do so by bringing together two companies with cultures that are highly aligned when it comes to our approach to high standards of transparency and respect for the consumer,” said IPG chairman and CEO Michael Roth.
Consumers Look to Brands to Solve Societal Problems
More than half of consumers (53 percent) believe brands can do more than governments to solve societal problems according to a study from Edelman. The research found that brands’ positions on controversial social or political issues can be just as important for driving purchase intent as a product’s features. Forty percent of those surveyed said they bought a product for the first time based solely on that brands position on a particular issue.
Hires of the Week
Adam Mosseri Takes Lead at Instagram
Adam Mosseri has been appointed as head of Instagram, replacing co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger who announced their departures last week. Mosseri had previously been head of product at Instagram, and will now look to fill his old role, as well as Krieger’s old role as head of engineering.
WPP’s Mark Read Makes Leadership Appointments
WPP’s new CEO Mark Read filled three of the holding company’s top roles this week. Andrew Scott has been appointed chief operating officer, Lindsay Pattison has been named chief client officer, and Stephan Pretorius has been named chief technology officer.
Marianne Gambelli to Oversee Majority of Ad Sales in New Fox
Marianne Gambelli, currently president of ad sales for Fox News, will be handed a bigger role in the new Fox which will form after the majority of 21st Century Fox’s assets are sold to Disney. Gambelli will oversee ad sales for most of new Fox’s properties, including sports channels and the Fox broadcast network.
This Week on VAN
BBC Launches New Short-Form Content Hub ‘Reel’, read more on VAN
Pluto TV Expands Into Europe, read more on VAN
Addressable TV Advertising’s Greatest Challenge is Commercial, Not Technical, read more on VAN
Ad of the Week
AT&T, Quit Cable, BBDO


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News : American Express Laying Off 150+ Employees from Utah Call Center
West Valley City, UT, USA, Aug 10, 2016 -- American Express has announced it will lay off at least 150 people from its call center in West Valley City.
According to company spokesman Daniel Clayton, 250 people were laid off Tuesday from the company's Global Servicing Network department. However, Clayton said, roughly 100 jobs with similar pay and benefits will shift to home-based positions and will likely be filled by many of those newly laid off employees.
The net job loss anticipated for Utah is estimated between 150-170, Clayton said. He said those jobs will be eliminated entirely and not outsourced somewhere else.
Clayton said American Express does not plan to close its West Valley City facility at this time, but he would not speculate about the future.
2018 Top Ranking Performers Present:
CONTACT CENTER & CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
BERLIN - ORLANDO - MACAOFIND OUT MORE!
Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Today's Tip of the Day - Measuring Performance
More Editorial From American Express
About American Express:
American Express is a leading global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850. American Express operates in over 130 countries around the globe. Since its founding in 1850, American Express has conducted business according to several guiding principles that over the years have become inextricably linked with the company’s brand, products, services and its people.
Published: Thursday, August 11, 2016
|Blue Ocean Contact Centers|
We thrive on delivering critical customer service solutions that go beyond transactional interactions. As such, our goal is to enhance lifetime customer value, providing support that is a reflection o...
|Horizon Contact Centers|
Horizon is an on demand international Contact Center and (BPO) Company.
TTEC (NASDAQ: TTEC) is a global customer experience company that designs, builds and operates captivating omnichannel customer experiences on behalf of the world's most innovative brands. Founded in 1...


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Welcome to the WeChat subscription number of “Sina Technology”: techsina
Text / Yan Zhangpan
Source/DataVision (ID: ycsypl)
The market is definitely divided on BYD.
On August 29, BYD announced a mid-year report with the highest profit since its listing. On August 30, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange reported that Buffett had reduced his holdings of BYD for a total of about 18 million shares for the first time after holding it for 14 years. information.
In contrast, at the end of the first quarter, only 473 funds held BYD. At the end of the second quarter, including a group of star fund managers, held 1,523 public funds, holding a total of 9.94% of the outstanding shares. And the Economic Daily issued an article saying that “there is no need to over-interpret Buffett’s reduction in BYD.”
So how did the differences arise?
Focusing on BYD’s mid-year report, Wang Chuanfu has high hopes for the car-making business. With its sales hitting record highs, it has taken the banner of profitability. The auto-related business contributes more than 80% of the net profit attributable to the parent, and its sales volume ranks first in the world. , but the gross profit margin is not only lower than the ideal of one of the new car-making forces that have not yet made a profit, but also far lower than Tesla.
Although it is the only one that makes money among the domestic new energy car companies, the net profit rate attributable to the parent is only 2.4%, and Tesla next door may have 16%.
Why can BYD stand out from the battle of new energy car companies? And why are gross profit margins and net profit margins so low? This article will try to give the answer.
first half victory
After the announcement of this interim report, I wonder if Wang Chuanfu’s waist straightened a little bit.
In the first half of 2022, BYD’s net profit attributable to its parent was 3.595 billion yuan, which is the peak of profitability since its listing. Especially in the second quarter of this year due to the impact of the epidemic on the supply chain and delivery, BYD was able to reverse the profit. increased momentum.
The core reason may be one: BYD, which completely ditched the fuel car, went into battle with light equipment, and improved profitability through the scale effect brought by the “sea of vehicles” tactics.
BYD’s core business is divided into two parts, namely the mobile phone business related to consumer electronics, and various automobile-related businesses including complete vehicles and batteries.
In the past few years, BYD’s profits have mainly come from the former, while the latter has been highly expected by BYD, but its contribution to profits has not been obvious. Earn money”; “Selling a car only earns running water, not money”.
However, in this financial report, the auto business finally took the lead, and the auto-related business contributed a net profit of 3.18 billion attributable to the parent, accounting for about 88.4%. According to estimates, in the first half of the year, BYD’s net profit per bicycle reached about 4,600 yuan, far exceeding the level of about 800 yuan in the same period last year. Wang Chuanfu finally ushered in BYD, which has a car to sell and makes money.
During this period, BYD’s biggest change was to completely stop production of fuel vehicles and become a pure new energy vehicle company.
In terms of monthly sales, BYD’s new energy vehicles have exceeded 100,000 units for 6 consecutive months, and the sales in August exceeded 170,000 units, which is a lot higher than the sales of some “new forces” in one year. cut.
In terms of total sales, BYD’s sales of new energy passenger vehicles from January to August exceeded 940,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 274%; it has successfully defeated Tesla to sit on the throne of global sales of new energy vehicles. BYD’s sales of nearly one million are 13.6 times, 10.8 times, and 12.9 times that of Wei Xiaoli, respectively.
And, limited by production capacity, BYD has more than 700,000 orders in hand.
As we all know, under the support of multiple factors such as “carbon neutrality”, “high oil prices” and government preferential policies, new energy vehicles have gradually become the preferred choice of consumers, and China has the highest penetration rate of new energy vehicles in the world. nation.
So now the cake is there, but why is BYD getting the biggest piece?
Because he has the most forks. In other words, BYD’s product line layout is the most complete, relying on the tactics of the sea to win.
In the low-end market, if you like a mature and stable style, BYD has the Dynasty series to match, and if you like sports fashion, BYD has the Ocean series to match. In the mid-to-high-end market, BYD also has a Denza that can match with Daimler, with a price range of 350,000-660,000; and the upcoming ultra-high-end brands, with a price range of 800,000-1.5 million.
In short, only if you don’t need it, you can’t give it without BYD.
The current electric vehicle market is in a period of growth dividends. BYD’s car sea tactics have maximized coverage of consumers at all levels, and can maximize the enjoyment of growth dividends. The mid-year report also proves this.
Of course, having a car to choose from is just an entry. The key is that every BYD car must be good enough to sell.
Basics of Sea of Vehicles Tactics
The key comes to the vertical integration model.
In the automotive industry, vertical integration is vertical integration, which is roughly equivalent to self-sufficiency of components. The most representative is the first-generation car king of the last century – Ford.
Vertical integration brings strong manufacturing capabilities to Ford. The Rouge River assembly line can produce a Model A in an average of 49 seconds. The great success of Ford’s efficient production method has become the first generation of automobile kings, and now Wang Chuanfu has carried it forward.
At present, BYD has achieved a vertically integrated self-developed structure from vehicle manufacturing to battery, motor, and electronic control technologies, to automotive power chips and components, and even to the frame, air conditioner, airbag, door handle, etc. , steering wheel, etc., can be self-sufficient.
Vertical integration not only brings BYD the above-mentioned hard-core three-electrical strength and platform-based manufacturing capabilities, but also brings supply chain security and ensures the stable implementation of the vehicle sea tactics.
The best example is the sudden outbreak of the epidemic in Shanghai in March this year, and the automotive supply chain ushered in a big test.
According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 600 auto parts companies above designated size in Shanghai. If small and micro enterprises are added, there are more than 20,000 auto parts companies in Shanghai. The sudden epidemic has brought Shanghai, the second largest automobile production base in the country, to a standstill.
On April 9, NIO announced the suspension of production of the whole vehicle, forcing the founder to complain in his own app; Xiaopeng, the new car that was originally scheduled to be released in April, began to delay the release; on April 20, Ideal was also in its own app. It issued a notice that due to supply chain problems, the production in April was greatly affected, resulting in delays in the delivery of new cars to some users.
Car production involves tens of thousands of parts. The process of producing a car by an OEM is like riding a Lego. Without any of them, a car cannot be completely assembled.
As a result, supply chain issues quickly spill over to vehicle deliveries. In April, Xpeng, NIO, and Ideal deliveries dropped by nearly 40%, 50%, and 60% month-on-month, respectively.
On the other hand, BYD, benefiting from the vertical integration model, not only achieved a month-on-month growth in sales, but also took the lead in market share in April with the assistance of major manufacturers.
To put it simply, BYD’s vertical integration model enables it to build an electric vehicle, which not only realizes that most of the components are almost self-developed and self-produced, but also enables it to have super-strong manufacturing capabilities, which can be easily dealt with. Different parts requirements for different models.
The current electric vehicle market is in a period of growth and dividends, and expansion of production is inevitable. And BYD’s vertical integration model requires more capital when expanding.
First of all, the vertical integration model covers the whole industry chain. When the production capacity is expanded, the whole industry chain needs to be expanded.
With the growth of BYD’s sales in the past two years, its production capacity has expanded rapidly. In recent years, it has cost tens of billions to buy land, build factories and buy equipment. Last year and the first half of this year, BYD’s investment in production expansion was 37.34 billion and 36.13 billion respectively. The pace of production expansion has accelerated significantly.
Secondly, the plant equipment is available, and the staffing needs to keep up immediately. As labor becomes more and more expensive, the expansion of recruitment brought about by the expansion of production is bound to increase the cost of employees.
By the end of 2021, BYD had 288,000 employees, and the salary of employees for half a year was 13.21 billion. With the expansion of production capacity this year, BYD’s labor cost in the first half of this year was 23.14 billion, spending nearly 10 billion more.
Now BYD has benefited from vertical integration and has seized the No. 1 position among new energy vehicle companies, but this is not a panacea, especially when it comes to how to make more money.
BYD’s second half
Compared with other new energy vehicle companies, BYD’s gross profit margin is relatively low. The lowest is only 16%. Even if it is not yet profitable, the gross profit margin exceeds 20%, and it is said that Tesla’s gross profit margin is nearly 30%.
According to common sense, BYD’s vertical integration model will lead other car companies in terms of cost, and BYD’s low gross profit has always caused a lot of speculation in the market. For example, “upstream lithium resources are too expensive, and all the money is earned by mine sellers”; “BYD’s pricing strategy is more aggressive in order to grab the market”; “BYD’s intelligence is low, and consumers’ willingness to pay is low”, etc.
The above speculation of low gross profit is basically in line with the facts, but with the advancement of the “new four modernizations” of automobiles, the degree of intelligence of automobiles is one of the most important reasons for automobiles to obtain premiums.
BYD’s auto-related business includes batteries and other businesses, and the gross profit margin of pure auto business will be slightly higher than this
The reason why intelligence can get a premium is also very simple, that is, it is easy to be perceived by consumers.
For example, the automatic parking technology makes “side parking” and “reversing into the garage” no longer a problem; the car-machine entertainment system makes the interaction between people and cars more interesting; and the hottest automatic driving technology in the city The road can also liberate the hands of drivers, and the degree of perception by consumers is significantly higher than the previous cruise control.
And compared to paying for car sunroofs, intelligence is obviously more worthwhile.
Inside BYD, Wang Chuanfu also divides the transformation of the auto industry into the second half, the first half is electrification, and the second half is intelligent.
In the first half of the competition, BYD was in the first echelon with its self-developed three-electric system (battery, motor and electronic control), and seized market share by virtue of its cost-effectiveness.
But in terms of intelligence, Tesla has taken the lead with its super chip + visual algorithm + operating system, and the name of Apple in the car industry is also ready to come out.
In short, electrification tests the hardware and manufacturing capabilities of vehicles, while intelligence tests software capabilities. In the development process of the automobile industry, the competition is basically based on manufacturing capabilities. For traditional car companies, software capabilities are indeed a shortcoming. And this has also attracted many new forces to enter the game, shouting the slogan of software-defined cars, and thinking that they can achieve corner overtaking.
For BYD, even if it throws away the burden of the production line of fuel vehicles, it is still transformed from a traditional car company after all, and it is helpless to prioritize hardware development and “neglect” software.
In order to make up for the shortcomings, go well in the second half. BYD launched the D++ platform as early as 2018, claiming to open up 341 sensors and 66 control rights, allowing autonomous driving companies, Internet manufacturers, online car-hailing platforms and individual developers to have room to play. In order to expand the influence, Wang Chuanfu invited Zhou Hongyi, the founder of 360, and Zhang Yaqin, the former president of Baidu, to be their platforms.
Simply put, it is to claim that everyone can easily make a software that adapts to BYD.
However, three years after D++ was launched, its voice gradually disappeared, and 360, which once chose to invest in “Nezha” for its platform, Baidu even went out to build cars in person, and the partner became Geely.
For BYD, the embarrassment of the D++ platform is that it is both an athlete and a referee at the same time. Both BYD and Internet companies want to sell components and technologies through the D++ platform; both sides want to use this platform to become the Bosch of the next era, but under this platform, the effect of intelligent applications will ultimately depend on BYD’s own “compatibility” is not strong.
In the era of smart electric vehicles, electricity is equivalent to the body, and intelligence is equivalent to the soul, and the game between the two will always exist. With the continuous appearance of products with “Huawei Inside” and the exposure of self-driving road test videos, Huawei has always insisted that it has no plans to build a car, so as not to let the OEM lose its soul and body at the same time.
The embarrassment of dual identities also makes BYD’s intelligent process relatively backward.
The seal launched by BYD this year is comparable to Tesla in both shape and price band, but the highlights emphasized at the press conference are still more focused on hardware, and there is not much mention in intelligence.
In order to promote its own intelligent capabilities, although the D++ platform has failed, BYD has always been catching up. In addition to its own research and development, BYD is also exploring cooperation models with Bosch and Huawei.
The electric vehicle market, which is in a period of growth and dividends, is still in the first half, but the second half will eventually come.
Although the intelligence is slightly behind, the final outcome is unknown. As long as the story continues, everything has a chance.
What’s more, BYD, which has already won the first half, is still suffering from production capacity problems.
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It’s been a while since we’ve seen this happen, but it’s just a firm reminder of the dark realities of game development at an independent studio. Once you finish a major game, there is always a chance that you might not be able to stick around while the bosses look for a new project.
That is the case with Just Cause 3 developer Avalanche Studios, which has been forced to release 24 workers now that it has wrapped up development on two major titles. It was properly staffed to make Just Cause 3 and Mad Max, but there wasn’t enough money flying around in between projects to keep everyone employed.
A representative broke the news to GameInformer.
The transition between major projects is always challenging, especially for independent developers.
We have just completed one project and are currently wrapping up another. In starting up our new projects, we were not able to perfectly match the team sizes and skill sets of the previous ones, and we unfortunately had to let some talented developers go.
Twelve developers were given notice in New York. There was a similar number of notices given this summer in Stockholm, but right now we are in the process of rehiring some of those who left. We expect to keep hiring in the new year. This unfortunate event does not affect any of our current projects, and we’re taking measures to avoid situations like this in the future.
It’s a crummy story no matter where it comes from, but it is especially hard when it happens to a studio you really like. Avalanche Studios is one of the best in the business right now. Its workers have provided me with hundreds of hours of entertainment, and Just Cause 3 is still one of my most anticipated games of the holiday season.
Likewise, while I might not have been interested in Mad Max, the general consensus is that it should be used as a standard for how PC ports are judged, and you need talented people to do that.
Best of luck finding new jobs or securing your old jobs back to those who were affected by this.
Just Cause 3 launches on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Dec. 1.


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Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Now let's turn the spotlight onto a food that spends most of its time in the dark.
Mushrooms don't need the sun to grow but some farmers are now giving their mushies a blast of ultra-violet light.
I hope you don't mind the idea these new-fashioned fungi, because as Kirsty reports it could be good news for our health.
KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: It looks like a scene from a science fiction film!
DOUG SCHIRRIPA, ADELAIDE MUSHROOMS: As you can see it's all high tech, you can see by looking down the centre alleyway we've got 30 rooms on both sides. It's 265 metres long, that's about one and half times the MCG.
KIRSTY: But you won't find footy players lurking in the darkness - it's mushrooms! This is the second biggest mushroom farm in the country and it's a full on operation. There are computers to control temperature, humidity and watering.
DOUG: Mushrooms are very temperamental, a change of two degrees could mean the crop could blow out and not be marketable.
KIRSTY: They're very touchy when it comes to growing conditions and don't need time in the sun. That's because mushrooms are a type of fungus, which unlike vegetables, don't need sunlight to grow. But researchers have found some benefits of exposing the mushrooms to light. They found that flashing the mushrooms with pulses of ultraviolet light increases the food's Vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D is important for our bodies because it helps us absorb the calcium we need for healthy bones, muscles and teeth. There are very small amounts of Vitamin D in some foods and drinks - but it's hard to get all you need from just your diet.
The most natural way to get Vitamin D is from the sun. But there's concern we aren't getting enough of it. It's a fine balancing act because too much sun can increase your risk of skin cancer. But some researchers say a lack of Vitamin D can lead to health problems in the future like heart disease.
So that's where this new technology comes in. The researchers say people only need to eat three of these new mushrooms a day to get all the Vitamin D they need. They also reckon that this special fungus has other health benefits like preventing some diseases.
The Vitamin D rich mushroom has found its way into supermarkets in the US but it hasn't been a big seller.
GREG SEYMOUR, AUSTRALIAN MUSHROOM GROWERS' ASSOCIATION: I guess the jury is a little bit out because the population has to understand that they need to get vitamin D from a dietary source. It hasn't sold enormous amounts yet but the market is maturing very, very quickly there.
KIRSTY: And you won't have to wait too long to test them out here. Mushrooms packed with extra Vitamin D will be on Australian supermarket shelves later this year.
So while the mushrooms will still enjoy much of their time in the dark - they'll get a bright wake up call just before they hit our shelves.


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Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Rights Protection Agency, Kofi Kapito has kicked against the British High Commission’s directive to Ghanaians to use Visa or Credit cards in applying for UK Visa.
The British High Commission has since January this year refused to take payment for UK Visas in cash.
The Commission now runs an online visa application system but applicants were given the option to either pay with credit card online, or in cash at the submission point.
This therefore cancels the cash payment system and the Commission insists that applicants pay for visas with internationally recognized Visa Card, MasterCard or Skrill Credit card.
The orders by the British High Commission seem to have riled the Consumer Rights Protection Agency Boss, who is vehemently calling for a re-introduction of the cash payment system.
According to him, though he wouldn’t entirely kick against the online application system or the use of the Visa Cards; the British High Commission is discriminating against the Ghanaian citizenry.
Kofi Kapito explained in an interview on Radio Gold, that taking the Ghanaian landscape into perspective, the new order may inconvenience the citizens.
He expounded that the Ghanaian setting is accustomed to the cash payment system and so, wondered how many Ghanaians hold Visa or Master cards; to meet the qualifications specified by the British High Commission.
Kofi Kapito berated the British High Commission over what he believed is a ‘ ridiculous‘ offer given to Ghanaians.
“In a country like ours where it is a cash society; it is not proper for them to take liberty of you or me being able to pay cash…What this means is they are technically telling you that they don’t want Ghana cedis…
“Being this country, not just this country…another form of payment should be available in the form of cash…This thing that they do, to me, is very very discriminatory in the sense that what people forget is Ghana is a sovereign country. What is even annoying is we have actually accepted these foreign embassies in our country as our visitors.”
He sought to find out from the British Embassy if same measure of treatment would be meted out to other foreign nationals from the United States of America and Germany.
He asked “are they asking people in America to pay with credit cards only? Are they asking people in Germany to pay with credit cards only? Is it because we are Africans?”
Kofi Kapito therefore called on the British Embassy to maintain the cash payment system to afford Ghanaians the opportunity to move to the United Kingdom.
“How many Ghanaians even have bank accounts to start with? How many even have this ordinary ATM card? And how many of them even have the new electronic card called VISA…?” he questioned.


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Allen Edmonds, a premium men’s shoe, clothing and accessories manufacturer, will set up shop in Baltimore’s Harbor East. The store will occupy approximately 1,300 square feet at 635 S. President Street in the former Starbucks space, between the Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites and Landmark Theatres.
While several high-end department and men’s shoe stores in Maryland carry Allen Edmonds product, the Harbor East location will be the brand’s first brick-and-mortar store in the state, exclusively featuring its signature line of hand-crafted men shoes, apparel, and accessories.
Allen Edmonds began handcrafting shoes on the shores of Lake Michigan in 1922. Today, its 212-step manufacturing tradition continues offering fine men’s dress and casual shoes and featuring classic American style and craftsmanship. The company prides itself on using superior leather combined with expert service from master fitters who have earned their title by fitting thousands of customers. Partnering with like-minded manufacturers, Allen Edmonds also offers men’s clothing and accessories including sportswear, ties and pocket squares, watches and leather goods. “It is with great anticipation that we bring our premium line of men’s shoes and apparel to the Harbor East shopper,” stated Paul Grangaard,
Allen Edmonds also offers men’s clothing and accessories including sportswear, ties and pocket squares, watches and leather goods.
“It is with great anticipation that we bring our premium line of men’s shoes and apparel to the Harbor East shopper,” stated Paul Grangaard, president, and CEO. “With its robust office and business traveler population, the neighborhood is a terrific fit for us. We look forward to serving both our loyal Allen Edmonds customers, as well as gentlemen new to the brand, in such a vibrant urban setting.”
“Harbor East is well-poised to welcome such an esteemed and timeless brand as Allen Edmonds,” stated Tim O’Donald, president of Harbor East. “It is a truly exciting time for the neighborhood as we see high-end retail open up in such rapid succession. We look forward to Allen Edmonds opening and a long relationship with the company.”
Harbor East welcomed Brooks Brothers earlier this month, and eyeglass retailer Warby Parker is projected to open in April.
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Consumers are being urged to get up to speed with changes to the financial advice they receive, particularly for superannuation, ahead of new laws beginning on July 1.
From Monday, sweeping changes come into effect relating to the commissions financial planners can charge customers.
The Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) legislation was passed by Federal Parliament just over a year ago, and the reforms came out of the Ripoll Inquiry into Financial Products and Services in Australia.
That inquiry examined the collapse of Storm Financial.
The FOFA reforms introduce a new duty for financial planners and advisers which make their responsibility to put their customers' interests first.
Mark Rantall, the chief of the Financial Planners Association, says the laws are good for consumers.
"When a consumer goes to see a financial planner, that financial planner will be charging them a fee for [a] service for any investment advice they provide, rather than a commission," he said.
"They have a legislative requirement to act in the best interests of their client and they are required to provide the client with an annual fee disclosure statement outlining the fees charged and the services provided and used.
"These requirements have been requirements of professional members of the Financial Planners Association for some time."
David Whitely from the Industry Super network says the payment of sales commissions from superannuation and other products to financial planners has been a contentious issue for more than a decade.
"What's happened in the last few years is that firstly, with the number of financial planner scandals, and secondly with the growth in importance of superannuation, people are becoming increasingly aware that sales commissions were not only creating a situation where people were not necessarily being recommended the best super funds for them, but secondly that the commissions were reducing people's retirement savings," he said.
"Given the compulsory nature of super and its importance to people's dignity in their retirement, I think a general mood amongst regulators and amongst the community at large evolved such that change was required."
Mr Whitely says it is important that consumers get up to speed with their super and whether they could still be paying commission for their fund despite the new laws coming into effect.
"The most important part is the fact that these changes are what's called prospective from the 1st of July onwards, so many people, literally millions of people will be paying commissions and will continue to be paying commissions in July and August and onwards unless they do something about it," he said.
"Our advice to people would be to get on the telephone.
"If they're with an industry super fund you don't need to worry because you're not paying sales commissions.
"But if they're a member of a retail fund typically owned by the major banks, get on the phone to that retail fund, find out what commissions you're paying, find out what value you're getting from that and make a judgment on whether you're going to continue to pay sales commissions."
Superannuation changes also coming into effect
The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) is urging people to get up to speed with a raft of changes to superannuation that also begin on Monday.
ASFA says they include the increase in the Superannuation Guarantee, changes to super for older workers and the launch of MySuper.
ASFA chief Pauline Vamos says it is not surprising there may be some confusion in the community.
She is urging employees to get more information from their workplaces on what the changes will mean for their superannuation.
"The way they impact on you will be different depending on your individual circumstances, which is why we have released this quick reference guide for consumers to help them navigate the new changes," Ms Vamos said.
"If you are still unsure, speak to your employer or contact your superannuation fund who will be able to explain in detail how the changes impact you."
Ms Vamos says the start of the new financial year is also a good time for people to start thinking about the lifestyle they want in retirement.
"Even just putting away a few dollars a week more can make a big difference to your superannuation balance once you reach retirement," she said.
"If you can afford to put away a few extra dollars per week, talk to your employer about how to make this happen.
"For example, if you are under 60 and earning under $300,000, you can contribute up to $25,000 per year into your super taxed at the concessional rate of 15 per cent."


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Writer Cheryl Sternman Rule will be signing her book, "RIPE, A Fresh, Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables" Thursday afternoon at the Downtown Los Altos Certified Farmers’ Market.
Inspired by the farmers’ markets, the cookbook emphasizes the appeal of the fruits or vegetable themselves as the sole reason for eating them.
Each fruit and vegetable is accompanied by a "lighthearted" essay, photography, and one showcase recipe, along with three “quick-hit” recipe ideas, according to Barbara Ambler-Thomas, Director of Marketing and Administration for the California Farmers' Markets Association.
Author and food writer Cheryl Sternman Rule of the popular food blog, 5 Second Rule, and award-winning food photographer Paulette Phlipot, collaborated to inspire readers to “embrace the vegetable, behold the fruit.” The book is published by RunningPress (April 2012; $25.00).
The Downtown Los Altos Certified Farmers’ Market is held every Thursday, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on State and Second Streets. Family farmers bring local produce and heirloom variety fruits and vegetables that they grow themselves. See the website for more information at www.CAFarmersMkts.com.


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Dan Duray takes a look at the online art sales space on Gallerist NY, including Paddle 8 (whose founders Alex Gilkes and Aditya Julka are pictured above.) He tries to quantify traffic for the sites using compete:
In the United States, the top country for all these sites, Artspace led on unique visitors with 42,795 unique visitors in November 2013, the latest traffic numbers available on the Web traffic site Compete. This was followed by Artsy, which hit 27,627 (its traffic possibly hindered by the fact it had to change its URL in early 2013 to Artsy.net, since its older, trendier URL Art.sy was technically based in Syria), and then Paddle8, which had numbers too low to be displayed on Compete. By comparison, the auction house Christie’s had 133,426 that month, and Sotheby’s had 60,128.
Duray also adds this line in the sand declaring 2014 the ‘moment of truth’ for online art sales.
“We look at the next year as the moment of truth,” said Sergey Skaterschikov, an investor and art market analyst who sits on the board of Paddle8, “which is basically going to confirm whether the business model is scalable to the numbers, the interest, or if it’s not. We’re really looking to get something like $50 million in turnover. We can’t disclose the numbers, but so far we believe they are on the right track.”
“Let’s see if consumers are ready to buy art in significant numbers online,” he added.
That leaves one question: can the traffic quoted above (which is probably not very accurate but still gives a sense of basic magnitude) support the business objectives below, namely, $50m in annual sales.


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Policybazaar, an online insurance selling platform, will sustain its long-term growth and have a digital monopoly in the segment due to high customer base and its consumer-centric approach, brokerage JM Financial said in a report.
PB FinTech, the company that holds the entire stake in Policybazaar and Paisabazaar, recently filed a draft red herring prospectus with the Securities Exchange Board of India. Policybazaar was launched in 2008, while Paisabazaar entered the market in 2014. So far, brokerages seem to approve this move as they expect both the subsidiaries to sustain their growth trajectory.
The consumer-centric approach has helped build a strong brand, the brokerage said. The insurer has sold 83% of its policies the previous financial year, and disbursed 66% of its loans. This has helped the platform save customer acquisition cost as well as have a high consumer base.
With 51 insurer partners, Policybazaar has 87.9% of all licensed insurers on the platform while Paisabazaar has 54 financier partners, ensuring availability of a wide range of insurance and credit products.
Policybazaar's insurance premium is expected to be at 33% for FY21-30, driven by an increase in digital penetration, the report added.
According to the report, the digital loans industry is expected to post 21% CAGR until financial year 2029-30, and disbursals of Paisabazaar could be at 21-22% during FY21-30.
After ramping up marketing spends in FY19 and FY20, Policybazaar’s contribution margin had dipped sharply. However, the company recovered its profitability to 36% in FY21, driven by a drop in call centre and advertising expenses. The report suggests that the company will achieve EBITDA margins of 24% by FY30 from -18% in FY21.
Policybazaar’s digital monopoly
Policybazaar is likely to retain its monopolistic position among digital insurance marketplaces, the brokerage said. The insurer held a 93.4% market share in financial year 2019-20, based on the number of policies sold.
As of FY20, the platform accounted for almost half the total premiums issued digitally. The company generated insurance premium more than twice that of the next four largest marketplaces.
PB FinTech's IPO
PB FinTech is planning a public issue of Rs 6,017.5 crore, which comprises a fresh issue of Rs 3,750 crore and an offer for sale of Rs 2,267.5 crore by existing shareholders.
The company may consider a further issue of equity shares up to Rs 750 crore, by way of a private placement. If the pre-IPO placement is undertaken, fresh issue size will accordingly be reduced by the amount raised from the pre-IPO placement.
Kotak Mahindra Capital Company and Morgan Stanley India Company are global co-ordinators and book running lead managers to the issue. Citigroup Global Markets India, ICICI Securities, HDFC Bank, IIFL Securities and Jefferies India are the book running lead managers to the offer.
The company proposed to utilise fresh issue proceeds, after deducting the offer related expenses, for enhancing visibility of brands, new expansion opportunities, which include consumer base, offline presence, strategic investments and acquisitions and global presence.


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US pushes trade partners to lift ractopamine ban
Taipei Times | Sun, Jul 08, 2012
US pushes trade partners to lift ractopamine ban
By Nadia Tsao and Stacy Hsu / Staff Reporter in Washington, with Staff Writer
The Office of the US Trade Representative yesterday urged US trading partners to eliminate any trade barriers caused by a ban against the use of leanness-enhancing feed additive ractopamine, following a Codex Alimentarius Commission decision to establish maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the drug in beef and pork.
“The US welcomed the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s decision to set up MRLs for the livestock leanness-enhancing feed additive ractopamine, as the stipulated standard could serve as an explicit reference for countries in the safe consumption of meat products containing the additive,” the Office of the US Trade Representative said yesterday.
However, officials from the Office of the US Trade Representative declined to give any direct responses when asked to comment on Taiwan’s stance on adopting separate permits for beef and pork imports, but reiterated that Washington urged its trading partners to “take down any trade barriers caused by an improper ban on the use of ractopamine.”
The proposed MRLs rendered by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives in 2004 were ratified at the 35th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Rome on Thursday, with ractopamine MRLs for both pork and beef set at 10 parts per billion (ppb) in muscle and fatty tissues, 40ppb in liver and 90ppb in kidneys.
In the wake of the commission’s narrowly reached consensus to lay down MRLs for the feed additive, the legislature has come under increased pressure to ease the ban on imports of US beef containing residue of ractopamine.
However, President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration continues to pledge it will maintain its stance on proposing separate restrictions on US beef and pork imports.
A US official familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity, said the Office of the US Trade Representative was by no means to consent to two sets of standards and that the US government only refrained from openly defying Ma’s rhetoric to avoid causing further disturbance.
An official at Taiwan’s representative office in the US also echoed such allegations, saying the issue of US pork imports would soon be put on the negotiating table between the US and Taiwan once the ban on imports of US beef containing ractopamine was lifted.
The ratification of the draft MRLs for ractopamine posed further difficulty for Taiwan to close the door on US pork imports, the official said, which was why the country must be ready for another round of US-Taiwan negotiations at the earliest possible time.
Please join the more than 1.95 million people who have signed the European Citizen’s Initiative to stop TTIP and CETA. Help us reach the 2 million mark! https://stop-ttip.org/sign/
News from the movements
29-May-2015 Amigos de la TierraAmigos de la Tierra y la campaña No al TTIP inauguran el tour del Tratado de Troya en Madrid.
28-May-2015 RLFUnder the title "Days of Mobilization: Reclaiming Peoples’ Sovereignty against the Corporate-led Trade and Investment Architecture" a counter summit is taking place with many activities on 8 - 10 June 2015, right before the official EU-CELAC-Summit hosted in Brussels this year (10 - 11 June 2015).
28-May-2015 Democracy Now
Julian Assange on the Trans-Pacific Partnership: Secretive deal isn’t about trade, but corporate controlWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange warns that the secret Trans-Pacific Partnership could chill the adoption of health and environmental regulations affecting 40 percent of the global economy.
27-May-2015 Counter Punch
Capitalism, culture and the legacy of victimization: Black America and the political economy of neoliberal trade dealsOver the last week African Americans organization have rallied in opposition to the TPP and established its defeat as an immediate priority for black people, even as some members of the Congressional Black Caucus are wavering in their initial opposition as a result of pressure from the Obama administration.
26-May-2015 New InternationalistIn a series of forthcoming votes, the European Parliament and US Congress are turning their attention to an agreement that is becoming more toxic with every passing day.
25-May-2015 NO 2 ISDS!Join this e-action on the European Parliament, asking MEPs to pledge that they will reject ISDS in TTIP. The action is going to run until the vote in the plenary on 10 June and is available in 9 languages.
25-May-2015 The EcologistIn the rush to oppose TTIP we mustn’t lose sight of the context in which the deal is being negotiated — the hundreds of bilateral treaties that give corporations the right to sue in secret ’trade courts’.
22-May-2015 Amigos de la TierraOrganizaciones lanzan una ciberacción para reclamar a los europarlamentarios que apuesten por la gente.
bilaterals.org is a collaborative space to share information and support movements struggling against bilateral trade and investment deals which serve corporations, not people. Multilingual. Global. No one owns it. Open publishing. Join us.


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It only took a couple of weeks for a digital currency investor to buy the revered Bitcoin domain BTC.com for $1 million. The domain’s new owner is Josh Garza of Connecticut-based mining equipment firm GAWMiners.
Apparently, Garza has “huge things in the works” for the world’s most famous cryptocurrency and its mining ecosystem, he told CryptoCoinsNews. Projects that are now closer to reality after the purchase of the domain, which was exclusively brokered by Domain Guardians.
According to Jen Sale, co-founder of Domain Guardians (quoted by International Business Times), “whether you’re a Bitcoin startup or existing company wishing to solidify your authority and optimize your marketing, there is no better opportunity than acquiring BTC.com”.
In the right hands, this domain has the power to change the Bitcoin landscape and establish a market leader.
The famous cryptocurrency entrepreneur Roger Ver, also known as “Bitcoin Jesus”, agrees: “for Bitcoin related companies, BTC.com is the best domain name currently available for sale that I am aware of. Any business using BTC.com would almost certainly catch a lot of extra attention because of this premier domain name”.
This is not the first Bitcoin domain to sell for a large sum, as bitcoinwallet.com was recently sold for a value close to $250,000. Other famous domain – Bitcoins.com – was also up for sale last month, but a court order stopped the auction. The domain belongs to Mark Karpeles, the chief executive of defunct Bitcoin exchange Mt Gox.


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The Rundown: When brand purpose looks like propaganda
Brand purpose has finally escaped the office of the CMO, where for the last year or so, it’s become the rallying cry around which the industry has coalesced. A group of company CEOs, who together form a non-profit consortium called the Business Roundtable, made it happen this week with a new open letter on the “Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation.” The declaration essentially says that companies are now responsible for delivering value to stakeholders beyond shareholders, which include communities, a company’s customers, its employees and its vendors. This is considered important because traditional business theories generally say that the only purpose of a corporation — and, therefore, of a person running it — is to ensure profitability. For those of us who cover brands and marketing for a living, this is more of a marketing message rather than, as many seem to think, some kind of major departure from the stated raison d’etre of companies.
For marketers, “purpose” is what should apparently drive every brand. And because there is a trust crisis — consumers no longer feel the way they felt about technology, about privacy or even about their government — corporations have stepped in many places to offer a modicum of conscience. That’s what’s led to the rise, for example, of many direct-to-consumer companies that put “purpose” at the center of their existence, from supply chains that do good to a waste-not philosophy that includes recycling.
At a time of commoditization, it makes sense that purpose is being used as a differentiator. At a brand marketing summit recently hosted by Digiday, attendees all agreed that the key is for them to show that they’re making a net gain for society by being part of it. Without that, they’re doomed. But as always, the key is how far this will go beyond marketing claptrap. After all, there’s enough research being bandied about on how people will buy more from companies with a purpose. Enough, at least, to make a public proclamation necessary, especially when combined with anti-corporation election-year rhetoric. But when put that way, it’s hard to see grandiose statements as little more than marketing propaganda. — Shareen Pathak
The renaissance of OOH?
Brands like Spotify and Casper have made a splash in recent years with colorful and witty out-of-home campaigns. For newer direct-to-consumer brands, using OOH, especially on the subway, has become part of the playbook to quickly get consumers’ attention when they launch. But even with the increased attention on OOH from DTC brands, the resurgence may truly come into focus this year.
On Wednesday, the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of America reported its highest quarterly growth since 2007, with OOH advertising revenue up 7.7% year over year to $2.69 billion in the second quarter. While that growth is coming from a variety of OOH placements — like billboards, street furniture, transit placements and more — the highest increase, 31%, came from digital OOH. That digital growth could be thanks to the growing ease of buying digital OOH programmatically. As previously reported by Digiday, demand-side and supply-side platforms have recognized the potential of digital OOH. The potential of digital OOH to make it easier for brands to pop up with OOH placements everywhere much easier than it has been before — like Kylie Jenner did with the debut of her Kylie Skin brand — could see the category grow even more. That could account for why marketers, per an eMarketer report from earlier this year, are growing their spend in OOH more than their spend on traditional TV. — Kristina Monllos
Jose Cuervo Tequila celebrates UFC’s 30th anniversary with Kevin Holland, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson ads
Mexico-based Jose Cuervo, is the first tequila brand to be a direct advertiser of the UFC with spots featuring UFC fighters Kevin Holland, a Cuervo ambassador, and Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson.
Benjamin Moore is using OOH near big-box retailers to say their paint isn’t there, encouraging people shop local
The 140-year-old paint brand wants to make sure people know that it is only available at local retailers.
With advertising in flux, Twitter is outsourcing ad monetization to ad tech
Since May 13, Twitter has been selling ad inventory through the mobile advertising marketplace Inmobi.
SponsoredHow enterprise-grade CDPs are enhancing data processes and improving customer experiences
Produced in partnership with Marketecture The following article highlights an interview between Martin Kihn, Salesforce’s senior vice president of Marketing Cloud, and Ari Paparo, founder and CEO of Marketecture Media. Register to watch more of the discussion and learn how brands are making the most of enterprise-grade CDP technologies. As brands expand across channels and […]
Two years in, Bose’s first CMO outlines his plan for the brand
It took a minute, but Bose is enjoying the benefits of having a CMO for the first time.
As America returns to the office, Xerox returns to advertising
As the next generation enters the workforce, Xerox tailors its ad strategy to them.


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Lingerie brand Finelines has entered into a new partnership to launch a world first, targeted tech development.
The Australian owned brand has joined forces with Renee Mayne, expert bra fitter and blogger aka Bra Queen, to produce the world’s first Bra Fitting App via Apple.
The ‘Finelines Bra Fitting App’ is the first of its kind and operates like a virtual fitting room for women to get advice and tips on bra suggestions for their particular body shape, as well as easy to understand videos on how to measure their own bra size.
According to Finelines, the app in particular aims to: educate women on how to find their correct bra size and the right bra shape for them through the ‘Fit & Size’ calculator and also support retailers by showing women where their nearest stockist is located and gives them directions.
Finelines Bra App co-collaborator Mayne said the development of the app will also have varied benefits for its stockists, including department stores.
“What I love about the app is the fact that it is a win/win for everybody - for women because they don't have to rely on a fitter, it's also great for department stores where service can be an issue and for women who don't have access to a fitter, or may be too shy to see a fitter,” she said.
Simon de Winter Group general manager of underwear Andrea Syme said the launch also signifies a new step up for Finelines, which has recently launched into the US where product been well received through Lord & Taylor.
“The key attribute is Finelines is known by professional fitters as the best fitting bra range in the market and this app strengthens our brand position on fitting,” she said.
“Finelines has the credibility to talk to women on how to be fitted and this app acts as a tool to all those women who can’t get fitted in-store or who aren’t comfortable with being fitted.”
The Finelines Bra App is available to download for free at the Apple store.