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When Fidé Fashion Weeks (FFW) launched its series of shows in 2011, it was said that Singapore finally enjoyed “a complete fashion season”. Four years down the road, the season is awfully quiet. Elsewhere, however, FFW is still staging fashion spectacles. Have we been abandoned while it goes a-wandering?
Screen grab of Paris-based Vietnamese designer Tran Thi Thanh Nga’s label Defined Moment at Vietnam International Fashion Week 2015
“I’ve got the outfit for the party,” sang Rufus Wainwright, “but you’ve taken away the invitation.” Whatever regret he was feeling in the rock-inflected song Rashida, the singer wasn’t missing the revelry he was supposed to partake. Unlike Mr Wainwright, no one with a party dress is relieved of an invitation now that the October shows by Fidé Fashion Weeks (FFW) are conspicuously absent, and nothing is missed either. However, the inquisitive mind has been inviting itself to hear the hum of an increasingly audible poser: what happened to FFW’s noble aim of “positioning Singapore as a global fashion city”?
Local media have not paid much attention to FFW’s movements since the organiser announced in September last year that the shows would go on a “World Tour”, starting with Telstra Perth Fashion Festival in the same month, and followed by the debut of Vietnam International Fashion Week (VIFW) three months later. In total, that’s one percent of all the countries in the world. VIFW was, by FFW’s own brag, so successful that Fidé Productions (part of FFW’s sprawling group of companies) was invited to stage the second VIFW, which took place in Ho Chi Minh City two weeks ago.
FFW’s lack of noise locally led to loss of recall for what was considered one of the most exciting events on Singapore’s fashion calendar. The stillness, however, was un-hushed last week by a 19-October, 4.13-am post on Facebook that aroused much curiosity across our city’s fashion-scape and in those seeking bite and rage: “I have decided to quit fashion production in Vietnam in PROTEST of the UNSCRUPULOUS and UNPROFESSIONAL practices of KEY management at Fide Fashion Weeks and Asian Couture Federation.”
The full-cap fury was made by Vietnamese-American, Ryan Hubris, following an announcement, also made on Facebook, an hour and thirteen minutes earlier that made clear he had “left job at Vietnam International Fashion Week”. What could have transpired that would push a man to make such a public statement in the wee hours of the morning?
Lebanese fashion designer Basil Soda’s haute couture collection at the first anniversary celebrations of the Asian Couture Federation last year
A Storm Brews
Before Fidé Fashion Weeks became associated with a series of shows that made the “complete fashion season”—the first Men’s Fashion Week (hyped as the first outside Europe), Women’s Fashion Week, and Haute Couture Week, there was Fidé Multimedia, a company closely associated with its founder Frank Cintamani. The debut of Men’s Fashion Week in 2011, produced to the tune of S$2 million (according to the event’s press release), kick-started what became an annual celebration of fashion seen through the eyes of a small group of individuals behind the glamour-saturated project.
By 2013, Fidé Fashion Weeks became the overseer of the fashion seasons that was steadily gaining attention. In the same year, the FFW-linked Asian Couture Federation (ACF) was inaugurated, and in November 2014, it threw a lavish black-tie party at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) to celebrate its first anniversary. The evening’s program and show were concocted to project glamour and imbue ACF with grandiosity. Inside the conjoined Heliconia and Hibiscus ballrooms of MBS, a raised catwalk took to the centre like a bed in a bedroom, flanked by troughs of white roses.
In front of the blooms, the special guests, as well as the members of ACF, sat to eat a dinner dreamed up by restaurant Hide Yamamoto (operated by proprietor-chef Yamamoto Hidemasa, who, according to his PR spin, “held the esteemed distinction of serving three generations of Presidents: Reagan, Bush and Clinton”). From those linear vantage points, the attendees took visible pleasure in the presentations—couture confections by invited designers as well as those recognised by the ACF as “Couturier Extraordinaire”. It was a night that “youth seem age, and age seem youth”, as elegantly phrased by Walter Scott in the poem The Lay of the Last Minstrel.
Those who came that evening were a mix of socialites (old and new money), FFW supporters (moral and financial), models (new and ex), and those who are simply wealthy. Among the well-heeled was Ryan Hubris, then not mired in anything that would lead to early-morning outbursts on social media. Despite the relative jollity, there seemed to be scepticism about what the evening was really about.
What intrigued some of the more inquisitive guests was the absence of French couturiers. This wasn’t really about them, the proceedings of the evening served as reminder. Had ACF, the curious wondered, dispensed with the blessing of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture (France’s regulating body that agrees on those fashion houses qualifiable as true haute couture practitioners) now that the former is able to stand on its own? There was even talk at some point in the evening that the Chambre Syndicale had issued letters to its members to distance itself from ACF, fascinating, if true, since it was the Chambre Syndicale that had, in the beginning, supported FFW’s first couture show here. But what caused the relationship to thaw?
Korean pop-star Rain performing at the first anniversary gala dinner of the Asian Couture Federation
Until 2011, few in Singapore without the means would dream of coming close to haute couture. For quite a few, however, haute couture did come, and closely too. The inaugural Haute Couture Week in Singapore four years ago was touted by Fidé Multimedia as “a dedicated Haute Couture Week endorsed by La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture”. It gave our island-nation a high-fashion boost we have never enjoyed before. Fidé Multimedia was fairy godmother to those impoverished of the sight of impossibly expensive clothes.
With eight collections from Paris, of which four were by members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, the event promised to take fashion shows in Singapore to an all new height. With one of France’s most artistic disciplines showing in the country, Singapore was getting spotlighted on the international stage (even when the three Singaporean designers that participated—Ashley Isham, Frederick Lee, and Thomas Wee—received scant mention). Fidé Multimedia’s Haute Couture Week was “supported” by what it termed as “the title sponsor” Marina Bay Sands, and, as it turned out, the event was enchanting; it was romantic and it was escapist.
Then, Haute Couture Week 2012 arrived. On the surface, the second showing appeared grander. There were 16 designers participating, but this time, from three regions, resulting in a segmented week: Asian Couture, Japanese Couture, and French Couture. FFW described it as a “milestone for Singapore’s fashion industry”. There were a total of six French couturiers—returning and newcomers—and, although the figure was equal to that of the year before, the French constituted less than half of the total number of participants.
Still, Didier Grumbach, then President of the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt à Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode (French Federation of Fashion and of Ready-to-Wear Couturiers and Fashion Designers) and leader of the French contingent for both years said, according to a Fidé Multimedia press release, “In a period when mass production is the rule and uniformism a trend, it is refreshing to observe that Haute Couture Week in Singapore promotes individuality and savoir faire. Associating French couture with Singapore in these circumstances is an exciting experience… It is the beginning of a long-term relationship”.
The last pronouncement now seemed premature. In a Business of Fashion (BOF) article ‘A Couture Stage Beyond Paris: Destiny, Dream or Delusion?’ published in February last year, Mr Grumbach sounded like he was distancing himself from ACF’s events when he said: “As for what they show in Singapore, that’s something else. It’s not haute couture; it’s a kind of ready-to-wear. It’s well done; clever; it has its position. But it is not really couture.”
The members of the Asian Couture Federation in 2014
How successful, in dollar terms, the two Haute Couture Weeks were, no one knew (or revealed). By the third edition in 2013, also supported by and held at MBS, French participation dropped to four designers. Didier Grumbach was not present. The French couture FFW was trumpeting with gusto just three years earlier appeared downplayed when the Asian Couture Federation was established. The Asians, this time, dominated in the glare of publicity, which was intense as the retired Kenzo Takada had graced the presentations and was appointed the “honorary president” of the AFC.
Ten Asian designers, including Singapore’s sole representative Frederick Lee, showed, seemingly delighted that there was to be a platform for couture that they could call their own. Following the formation of the ACF, which FFW announced was “inspired by La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and the Council of Fashion Designers of America”, some minds boggled. Could two vastly different organisations with vastly different missions really be placed on the same platform to inspire another with no real experience in promoting what the French recognises as couture? And would the French, proud to near imperiousness of an artistic tradition that characteristically speaks of France (or Paris), be pleased to be associated with the Americans?
Fashion has always been about creativity as much as rivalry. When ACF’s founding members were announced in October 2013, the discussions that played out among the audience were potentially contentious too: is there Asian couture and is couture really couture if it’s not French? (It should be noted that ACF has hitherto carefully avoided using the word “haute” in their description of what Asian designers do, suggesting, perhaps, they know the difference.) Despite ACF’s efforts, the answer is not as glaringly clear as bugle beads on silk satin.
In the same BOF report, Frank Cintamani, ACF’s founder, spoke out: “To suggest that any one city has the monopoly on couture is clearly nonsensical.” To prove how absurd the suggestion is, FFW and ACF started moving their events abroad. Their fashion weeks would be an itinerant show. In August last year, it was announced that FFW and ACF would bring their “Couture Extraordinaires” Sebastian Gunawan (Indonesia) Michael Cinco (the Philippines) to participate in the 16-year-old Telstra Perth Fashion Festival. Four months later in Ho Chi Minh City, together with local partner Multimedia JSC, FFW staged the city’s very own Vietnam International Fashion Week, billed as “the largest international fashion week to have taken place in Vietnam”. Like the circus, the travelling has begun.
Mannequins ready for a couture exhibition at the post-Asian Couture Federation first anniversary celebration party called Couturista
In November last year, it was also announced that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Couture Council (MCC) will be inaugurated under the auspices of the Asian Couture Federation. The MCC is needed because, as ACF noted, “there has been no region-wide organisation to recognise these couturiers and to represent their interests” although the region “has been associated with a number of exceptional couture level designers”. Its main mission “is to inspire, support, and promote the highest levels of couture design, talent and artistry based in the Middle East and North Africa to both regional and international markets.” Initial MCC members, in spite of MENA’s geographical scope, were just two Lebanese designers Basil Soda and Abed Mahfouz.
However FFW and ACF spin it, many observers maintain that couture will lose much of its significance, appeal, and even worth when it is no longer associated with the country (or city) of its origin. It should be noted, again, that in none of ACF’s communication is the word haute used. On its own, couture means ‘sewing’ and this could apply to any dressmaking that exists in any city. However, in popular usage, and specifically in fashion, couture mostly refers to haute couture. Truncating long and tricky-to-pronounce foreign fashion phrases is not uncommon, but that does not mean that, reduced to a single word, the original connotation is lost or can be redefined. In addition, while there is a tradition of dressmaking that adheres to Western standards and aesthetics, a dress made following these guidelines does not necessarily become a couture dress.
Haute couture as descriptive term and, in particular, branding, is protected by French law. For close to 150 years, it is also regulated and fiercely guarded by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. To qualify as a member and to have the right to use the term haute couture to brand his designs, the designer must operate in an atelier located in Paris. For the same reason, only French wines produced in the region of Champagne can be called champagne. In fact, the laws of the European Union and most countries limit the name ‘champagne’ to wines that originate from this region, about 160 kilometres east of Paris. But haute couture, to the practitioners of the craft, is more than a spot on the map. It’s the embodiment of an entire industry, as well as French skills and dressmaking savoir faire.
Crucial to the ateliers are the dwindling groups of petites mains or ‘little hands’—the skilled craftspeople who provide so much of what is seen and unseen in a couture garment. Apart from the couture ateliers, there are the specialist ateliers, in which those who work with feathers, embroidery, leather and other materials are found. These skilled mains are so vital to haute couture that the house of Chanel salutes them annually with the Metiers D’Art Show.
Stéphane Rolland’s autumn/winter 2013 haute couture collection that was shown during the gala dinner of inauguration of the Asian Couture Federation
The coming together of the talents of these artisans is, to many, what haute couture is all about. It is these rarefied skills that are truly the beauty and magnificence of France’s exquisitely wearable art. Few cities in the word have the traditions and support network that are found in Paris. These legacies can be traced to the 17th Century when French sumptuary laws were used to support native textile industries such as lace.
In the exaltation of couture, ACF has ironically also brought about the erosion of reverence. The historical context, too, is perhaps overshadowed by modern entrepreneurial drive. Furthermore, to say no city has the monopoly on couture is like K-pop stars declaring that no one has the monopoly on blond hair. Just as it is not expected of the French to say the Indonesians have no monopoly on batik, there really should be no succumbing to the belief that couture can be free for all cities.
It is commendable that ACF and FFW are carrying the torch for what they believe can be labelled as Asian couture, but the over-confidence it projects may be construed as arrogance and its criticisms deemed incendiary. Those who have worked the grapevine have heard the disappointment and displeasure of FFW’s previous partners. One of them, Lee Kien Meng, whose company Senatus (also the name of their online magazine) was co-organiser of Women’s Fashion Week in 2011 and provider of digital media services to Fidé Multimedia, was embroiled in a 2012 court battle with FFW’s chairman, Frank Cintamani. While Mr Lee lost the case, the result of the ruling—announced in February this year—did not bear positively on FFW.
Then came the extremely early morning of 19 October, just a week ago. Ryan Hubris had before that appeared to be enjoying himself at VIFW, posting pictures of his hobnobbing with the attendees of the event (and still posting even much later, including photos of him and his family) on Facebook. He appeared to be a cognoscente of Vietnamese fashion although, in news on public domain, he is a business consultant, as well as a “serial entrepreneur” with interest in the restaurant business. The excitement on VIFW’s digital media outlets gave no clue to what was to strike. Mr Hubris’s post was a long, two-paragraph chiding that ended with a warning: “I will hold off on naming names for now but if you don’t take corrective measures, I will spend my days unraveling everything you have done…”
Image from the homepage of the new e-shop Couturissimo
No one would say what happened, not even those who had attended VIFW last week. Not wanting to jump into the fray was the reason offered almost unanimously. Some information, however, did come out of Ho Chi Minh City: it appeared that the organisers of VIFW, Multimedia JSC (one of the leading media companies in Vietnam), was deeply unhappy with its co-organiser over matters relating to who was getting what out of whom—the kind not uncommon between stakeholders involved in fashion-related businesses that are highly visible. Still, the discord must have been so deep, the rift so wide, and the exchange so strident that Mr Hubris, who is known to be close to the founder of Multimedia JSC, Trang Le Thi Quynh, needed to take to social media to air his grievances.
Amid the flare-up, another FFW-linked project emerged. Couturissimo, an e-shop that purports to be “the only premium site offering affordable access to Couture creations designed by a collective of world renowned Couture Designers”, is doing the rounds of social media. From staging couture shows to selling couture clothes, FFW can now add e-tailer to their roster of enterprises. On its Facebook page, an entry last Monday urged followers to “get dressed in affordable ‘fast couture’ with COUTURíSSIMO™ that aims to allow Couture designers to present ‘fast-couture’ at very affordable prices!” It garnered 1,297 likes (as of 26 October 2015).
Despite the bargain-slant urging on social media, Couturissimo’s website does not offer a workable e-commerce page. Last week, however, a click on the homepage did allow visitors to access merchandise for sale. What was available did not by any remote chance appear to have any couture cred. It could have been a Walmart page mis-linked! The site was eventually redesigned, and merchandise is no longer available. A header presently reads, “Stay tuned for more updates on the official launch of COUTURíSSIMO™ in New York City.”
“New York!”, went the collective wow.
It is not exactly clear at the present who is truly running the show for Couturissimo, but based on FFW’s preference for prefixing the word ‘couture’ to names, such as the after-party of last year’s ACF anniversary celebration that was called ‘Couturista’, it is not unreasonable to assume that FFW is behind this new project. Couturissimo not only shows that FFW can change the geographic importance of couture, it can revolutionise how couture garments are sold. Additionally, it can audaciously pair ‘couture’ with ‘fast’ (it typically takes 100 to 700 hours to create one couture dress), as well as with ‘affordable’ (according to the New York Times, a Stéphane Rolland couture gown costs between €35,000 and €45,000).
Yes, it can do it all, all over the world.
Note on usage: when referring to French couture (haute or otherwise), we use the italic form. Couture not associated with the French is set in roman
This article was updated on 28 October 2015 to reflect the additional information SOTD received following the publication of the original post
Photos: Zhao Xiangji
Thanks for the insightful piece. In business, as in life…and fashion, when people are treated with respect and dignity, no one has the need to cry foul.
Fashion is such a beautiful industry and forum, let’s not ruin it with tyrants and drama queens.
A men – The first time in my life doing Fashion week for 18 years in fashion industry
I have decided to quit …..
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The Foundry, a new makerspace, is now open to bring creative ideas around campus to life.
The University of Texas at Austin has been an educational leader promoting “maker culture” for more than a decade. Successful spaces like the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Longhorn Maker Studio have been the envy of nonmajors itching to get their hands on a 3-D printer.
But the Foundry is the first space open to all students, faculty members and staffers — definitely the latest Longhorn perk. Anyone interested in game development, music production, digital visual arts or product development and design is welcome to use the facilities.
Located in the Fine Arts Library, the space will bring together students and faculty members from many disciplines to generate new ideas, research, art and inventions — both curricular and noncurricular. There are specialized labs and studios to support creative projects that involve recording, editing, design and fabrication.
Supporting collaboration and out-of-the-box thinking is a priority of the university in educating the next generation of leaders.
“The Foundry gives students the tools, technology and creative space needed to compose, research, record, design, print, program and create the next masterpiece or million-dollar invention,” said Douglas Dempster, dean of the College of Fine Arts.
$740,000 in new equipment came from the College of Fine Arts, UT’s library system and a grant from the Hearst Foundation.
Here are just some of the available tools:
- LulzBot Taz 6 3D Printers: Create art and prototypes from a variety of materials, including plastics, wood and stainless steel.
- 3-D scanner to replicate objects.
- 3-D mill that can carve wax used to create molds for metal sculptures.
- CO2 Laser for etching detailed designs and fonts into wood and other materials.
- 2-D router that can be used to make circuit boards.
- A Cintiq interactive display used for architectural renderings, product design, 3-D animation, design, live video and more.
- A video wall to display and test visualizations, and a multiscreen display that connects to a variety of devices.
- Several Mac Pros for rendering large files, motion graphics, sound editing and other things that require high-power processing.
- You can also rent a variety of things, from GoPros to drawing tablets.
- Programmable sewing machines and embroidery machines.
- A 54-inch printer cutter for textile transfers, high-quality photos, vinyl and film.
- 10 inputs that can be used for professional recordings, podcasts and other audio recording.
[[Making cool stuff on campus? Tag us on social so we can share #UTAustin.]]

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The iPhone 7 rumor mill has been swirling at full-force recently, as a slew of new concepts and potential features, galore, continue to offer us a shimmering glimpse of what Apple might have waiting just over the imminent horizon.
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Several reports have so far alluded to the device perhaps being as much as 1 mm thinner, while ditching the standard 3.5mm headphone jack in the process. Other reports point to a 3rd or 4th ‘iPhone Pro’ variant, which sources indicate could feature a premium camera set up boasting a dual-lens optical image stabilization functionality.
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What do you think about these new iPhone features? Let us know in the comments!
Featured photo: Hasan Kaymak
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]


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Stay connected with recent updates from Google, TikTok, Twitter & many more!
Job listings reveal TikTok is planning to set up a global fulfilment centre in US, to provide warehousing & free returns to accelerate shopping features
A series of job listings posted on LinkedIn have revealed that TikTok is looking into developing a global fulfilment centre in Seattle, to help them on their US e-commerce expansion that we reported on last week. One job post for a ‘Business Solutions and Merchant Development Manager’ explained that “by providing warehousing, delivery, and customer service returns, our mission is to help sellers improve their operational capability and efficiency, provide buyers a satisfying shopping experience and ensure fast and sustainable growth of TikTok Shop.”
Our takeaway… This could be an exciting development of TikTok’s new e-commerce features and make it a more desirable option for businesses. Watch out Amazon - you might soon have competition!
In partnership with a range of retailers, Pinterest has launched it’s first-ever holiday gift guides - with curated boards of shoppable items
Pinterest’s new Gift Guide feature is designed to help shoppers find the perfect gifts for family and friends through a series of curated boards of shoppable items. In partnership with Very, M&S, John Lewis, Sweaty Betty and the Cotswold Company, the new feature will help users discover, browse and shop gifts this festive season - “making the shopping experience even easier for pinners”. Including specially designed gift guides for neighbours, colleagues, partners, teachers and friends.
Our takeaway… Often missing from businesses marketing strategies, Pinterest is a great e-commerce tool, with plenty of users using the platform for gift inspiration.
Netflix has partnered with British TV ratings agency, BARB, to reveal streaming figures & monthly reach of each show for the first time
Having been criticised for not publicly sharing its viewership metrics for all of its shows, the streaming service has decided to become more transparent with the help of British TV ratings agency BARB. The partnership will help measure Netflix’s daily streaming numbers, monthly reach and share of total identified viewing - determining which shows are proving popular and which are total flops, right in time for its new ad offering.
Our takeaway… This will be a useful tool in deciding which shows you want to place your ads next to, and which you don’t, because why waste your ad spend on an unsuccessful show?
TikTok’s new campaign objective ‘Focused view’ only charges advertisers for ads that have been watched for at least six seconds
Announced at TikTok World, the platform has a new ad objective that only charges advertisers based on attention and engagement. Only ads that have been watched for at least six seconds, or interacted with before the six second mark will be charged for - “this means that ads are shown to users who are truly paying attention and voluntarily engaging with the brand“ explains TikTok.
Our takeaway… We think this will be a really useful ad objective, making sure that you’re getting the most out of your ad spend, especially as speedy swiping is so habitual on TikTok.
Twitter has rolled out its Link Spotlight feature to all U.S professional accounts, allowing them to display an interactive button at the top of their profile pages
Having tested this feature for the past few months, Twitter has announced it has rolled out its Link Spotlight to all professional accounts in the US. The new feature enables businesses/brands to add a URL via a chosen call-to-action button at the top of their profiles. There is, unfortunately, a limited range of URLs available to link through to, including YouTube, Ticketmaster and food delivery services. Twitter explained this is due to ‘technical complexity’ and ‘safety concerns. The list of call-to-action button options include ‘Book an appointment’, ‘Listen now’ and ‘View menu’.
Our takeaway… We are hoping this feature is a success in the US so it is soon rolled out to all professional accounts in the UK too! Simple call-to-action buttons like this will be a great way of driving traffic to your chosen URL.
Snapchat is allowing users to try-on, share and shop halloween costumes through AR Lenses
Finding the perfect halloween costume just got a whole lot easier with Snapchat’s new Disguise AR lenses. Users can try-on, share with friends and buy costumes of their favourite characters including those from Disney, Squid Game, Stranger Things and many more. The app enables users to upload full body photos to see how the costumes would look on them, before buying the costume without having to leave the app.
Publisher Advertiser Identity Reconciliation (PAIR) lets publishers & advertisers reconcile first-party data
Google has announced PAIR, its latest first-party data solution for Display & Video 360. Although the platform's demise of third-party cookies keeps being delayed (most recently to 2024) it is coming, making first-party data solutions like this more important - helping advertisers continue to target the right audiences following the changes. Google PAIR will privately reconcile first-party data for audiences who have visited advertisers & publishers sites.
Boots has announced its latest partnership with Uber Eats, trialling doorstep delivery of health and beauty products to its customers
In an unexpected partnership, Boots has announced it is teaming up with Uber Eats to offer customers within range access to doorstep delivery. The partnership is being trialled with a number of major stores and shopping centres across the UK, offering over 900 products available for delivery. So now you can get your new shampoo and conditioner on the same app as your takeaway pizza!
TikTok has launched Profile Kit, giving creators option to display up to 6 videos on other sites, aggregated in one place via Linktree
Profile Kit was one of the many platform updates announced at TikTok’s global summit, TikTok World. As part of the TikTok for Developers Program, Profile Kit allows users to integrate their TikTok accounts to display their content on third-party apps. The platform has partnered with Linktree, giving creators the ability to direct new audiences to their TikTok channels. According to TechCrunch, TikTok is already one of the most popular “Linked-to” platforms on Linktree, so making this relationship more formal and well-used is likely to help TikTok boost their audience even more.
Netflix has announced its new ad supported tier will launch November 3rd and cost only £4.99 per month - £2 cheaper than the current basic tier
After recently revealing that Netflix’s new ad supported tier would arrive on our screens sooner than we thought, we now have a date - November 3rd. This new ‘Basic with ads’ tier is priced at £4.99, £2 cheaper than the current basic plan which will make it an attractive new offering for price conscious consumers. Netflix estimates that 5-10% of titles will not be available on the new tier, though states they will work to reduce this over time. In addition, those with the new tier will no longer be able to download titles for offline viewing, and will only be able to stream on one screen at a time. Despite its costly ad space, Netflix apparently has hundreds of advertisers on board.
Google has renamed Google Data Studio, its analytics and data platform, to Looker Studio and announced a paid version with premium features
Google has changed the name of its popular analytics tool ‘Google Data Studio’ as a way of unifying the Google business intelligence products “under the Looker umbrella”. Google explains Looker Studio “will help you go beyond dashboards and infuse your workflows and applications with the intelligence needed to help make data-driven decisions”. Looker Studio Pro, a new paid version will have new enterprise management features, team collaboration capabilities and SLAs.
Twitter launches test of dedicated audio chats within Communities, combining features of Twitter Spaces and Twitter Communities to help engage smaller groups
Twitter has announced they are testing a new feature known as Community Spaces, which combines the existing Communities feature and the Spaces feature - giving select community admins the ability to host audio chats. Twitter explained this will “add an extra layer of personality and connectivity” and give admins the ability to “better lead their communities, engage their members, and participate in quality conversations with others who share the same interests.”
New travel features allow attraction and tour operators compare prices, book additional attractions and edit prices on Google business profiles
Google’s new travel features are designed to make it easier for people to use the platform to book travel tickets and experiences, as well as giving businesses the ability to connect with potential customers. The three new features include ticket booking links for attractions, things to do ads and the ability to edit prices on Google business profiles.
Our takeaway… If you’re in the travel and tourism industry make sure that you’re taking full advantage of these new features to help drive more traffic to your business.
Pinterest has announced an update to its Pinterest Trends tool to provide new insights to marketers as well as a new API for conversions
Pinterest has made several updates to its Pinterest Trends tool, providing marketers with more key information on the latest trends happening in the app - such as through trend shortcuts and an enhanced UI that prioritises important data reports and notes. Marketers will now have access to ‘Trends your audience loves’, ‘Trends by demographic’ and ‘Seasonal trends’ to help inform their campaign strategy. In addition, access to Pinterest Trends is expanding to 30 additional countries and 22 languages globally. Pinterest’s API for conversions enables advertisers to send the off-platform conversion data directly to Pinterest without requiring a Pinterest tag, helping to improve conversion visibility.
Twitter is developing a way for users to control who can mention them - limiting to only users they follow, or turning off mentions altogether
Mentions are a way for Twitter users to connect with each other, though as with any feature sometimes this can be used to facilitate bullying and harassment of individuals. It seems Twitter is developing ways to curb this harassment by giving users more control over the accounts that can mention them. One user spotted new Twitter settings that allowed them to limit mentions to people who they follow, or to turn them off altogether. This feature would of course be more useful for individual mentions rather than larger scale abuse, and it is not sure yet if it will be rolled out to the public.


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Country cuppa, day trip can save these towns
CORONAVIRUS restrictions have eased and it is the perfect opportunity to get out, take a drive through the Fraser Coast region and support rural business such as those in Tiaro.
Tiaro Chamber of Commerce secretary Linda Harris said Tiaro relied on motorists passing through the town and local business supplied excellent products and services for travellers.
Ms Harris encouraged Fraser Coast residents to come out to the Tiaro area and support the rural economy.
Retro Espresso in Tiaro has been open through the crisis and for manager Thor Olsen, it has meant he has been able to support his family through the crisis.
The coffee shop relies on travelling customers to remain open and was hoping for business to pick up following the easing of restrictions.
Mr Olsen said the easing of restrictions made for a more pleasant cafe atmosphere.
He said he was optimistic and there was light at the end of the tunnel as long as Australians used common sense.
Royal Hotel Tiaro owner Bill Halliwell said residents could soon buy meals again, with the hotel opening to serve meals on Thursday.
Mr Halliwell said it was testing time for businesses in the area with the coronavirus crisis making the usually busy highway quiet.
He said it was a credit to the Tiaro community the area had no cases of coronavirus.
For Hippie Garage in Tiaro, the easing of restrictions meant reopening after a three- week hiatus.
Owner Corey Pickett said the business relied on the support of travellers from the Fraser Coast and surrounding regions.
Mr Pickett said business had been consistent and wanted to thank the community for its continued support.


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ColorTV is an end-to-end platform for broadcasters to promote, personalize and attribute content on connected TVs and streaming devices
Video data start-up ColorTV acquired Guidebox Inc, the OTT video search, and discovery metadata provider, to strengthen its position and combat competition. The deal will ensure TV network revenues and distribution on OTT and mobile do not become eroded with Facebook, Google and Apple entering the TV market with full force. ColorTV entered into OTT discovery business just a few months back in 2016.
Premier Personalized User Experience with Optimized Monetization
Giancarlo Maniaci, CEO of ColorTV, said, “The key to success in the new TV landscape is simple: increase viewership and retain each customer through a premier personalized user experience while optimizing monetization. This is easier said than done. Combining the Guidebox team and technology with ColorTV creates an even stronger solution for our clients.”
The CEO and founder of Guidebox, Jeremey Riney will now serve as the COO to ColorTV. He founded the company in 2012 with $350,000 capital. Guidebox will operate under the Guidebox by ColorTV label. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “We are excited to join the ColorTV team, as our combined platform offerings will add intrinsic value to TV networks and current customers alike,” said Riney. “The TV industry is changing rapidly, and ColorTV’s product combined with our data and partnerships will give video platforms the deepest insight and control on what their users are watching, how long they watch it, and what content to promote to them,” he added.
ColorTV is a data and advertising company that provides data, discovery and analytics solutions for connected TV and streaming devices. It is venture backed, with $1.5 million in seed funding led by Foxconn in 2016.
On the other hand, Guidebox is a movie, TV and video API for the new generation of consumer electronics, smart TVs, and apps. Guidebox won the trust of Facebook co-founder Andrew McCollum, who is one of the investors in the seed round of financing in 2013.
Amalgamation of Analytics, Retention and Content Promotion with Valuable Search Data
Guidebox data touches over 50 million US households. The acquisition enables ColorTV to combine its expertise in analytics, retention and content promotion with valuable search data for providing better user insights to TV networks. ColorTV will get access to data mined from Guidebox customers, including Ericsson, Synacor, WWE, Fandor and various Lionsgate streaming services such as Tribeca Shortlist and Comic-Con HQ.
ColorTV’s SDK and suite of analytic tools power over 300 apps and major brands on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire. Whereas, GuideBox enables TV viewers to search for and discover TV programming on connected TV platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Google Home, Android, iOS, and the web. Guidebox is also powering Roku’s universal search.


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August 15, 2016
(Bloomberg) — Dropbox Inc., the popular file-storage company, has met with advisers to discuss the possibility of an initial public offering as soon as 2017, according to people familiar with the matter.
Management wanted to talk about the feasibility of a listing and get a sense of the valuation the company could fetch from public market investors, the people said. The conversations were exploratory and no final decision has been made on a potential IPO, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.
The meetings, which the people said Dropbox sought out, signal a shift in thinking by the closely held company and its Chief Executive Officer Drew Houston, who said last year it had no plans to go public anytime soon.
A spokeswoman for Dropbox declined to comment.
Dropbox, based in San Francisco, has faced questions over whether it’s worth the $10 billion valuation it was awarded in a 2014 funding round. Since then, a number of investors who also invest in both public and private stocks have written down the value of their holdings in the company.
Though not yet profitable, the company is free-cash-flow positive, Houston said at the Bloomberg Technology Conference in June. Getting to that point took revenue growth and greater discipline on costs, Todd Jackson, the company’s vice president of product and design, said in June.
Some 200,000 business teams pay for Dropbox products, Houston said at Fortune’s Brainstorm conference last month. The company recently added sports retailer Adidas AG to its list of enterprise customers. It has 500 million registered users, according to its website.
After making its name in file-syncing and sharing, Dropbox has been trying to expand into the larger market of cloud-based collaboration. The company has recently added tools for scanning documents with a smartphone camera and for creating new Microsoft Office documents with the click of a button.
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WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Live music and a firetruck display have been added to the offerings of the next Friday After 5 event in downtown Waynesboro.
The 5 to 8 p.m. event on Sept. 5 is designed to complement businesses' specials and discounts with things like sweet potato fries, funnel cakes, music by the Boro Boogie Pickers and face painting. Paperwork from nonprofit organization Main Street Waynesboro Inc. promises that at least 20 businesses will be open until 8 p.m. or later.
"This event is to bring in the community so that they see Waynesboro doesn't shut down at 5 o'clock," said Cyndie Flasher, a representative of Main Street Waynesboro Inc.
Businesses that have received grant money through the Downtown Business Incentive program are required to stay open until 8 p.m. on Fridays. Flasher said the Friday After 5 events have been held to bring people to those shops.


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Deere & Co posted higher quarterly earnings that topped estimates on Wednesday and raised its full-year profit outlook on rising global demand for farm equipment.
The U.S. farm sector is booming on higher worldwide food demand and as biofuels help drive up crop production. Companies like Deere are benefiting from record-high farm income that is spurring farmers to update their equipment.
"Deere is hitting on all cylinders," said Gary Bradshaw, portfolio manager at Hodges Capital in Dallas.
Sales increased by double digits in the agriculture, and construction and forestry equipment divisions during the quarter.
"Trying to feed everyone, and with more folks going into the middle class that want to eat more meat and protein, you need to feed more cattle and hogs and plant more corn, milo and wheat," Bradshaw said. With commodities prices up, farmers' "pockets are full and they tend to run and buy more equipment."
The world's largest farm equipment maker said fiscal second-quarter net income rose to $1.056 billion, or $2.61 per share, from $904.3 million, or $2.12 a share, a year ago. The results topped the average estimate of $2.53, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Net sales of equipment operations rose to $9.4 billion from $8.33 billion a year earlier.
The company also raised its forecast for 2012 net income to about $3.35 billion from $3.275 billion.
It reported net earnings of $3.91 per share for the first half of the year, up from $3.32 a year earlier.
U.S. farmers planted the largest corn crop in 75 years this year, underscoring greater need for tractors and combine harvesters.
Loans to buy farm machinery and equipment stayed strong even as farmers also bought more equipment with cash, U.S. Federal Reserve data showed.
Deere said in March it plans to invest $70 million to expand large tractor production at its Waterloo, Iowa, facility, increasing its bet on growing global demand for agricultural machinery.
Moline, Illinois-based Deere is working on more than a dozen major plant expansions globally and plans to spend $1.3 billion on capital investments this year.
"Our extensive investments in new products and additional global capacity are moving ahead at an accelerated rate," Samuel R. Allen, chairman and chief executive, said in a statement. "They put Deere in a sound position to respond to a rising global need for food, shelter, and infrastructure in the years ahead."
Deere shares rose 1.4 percent to $77.70 in premarket trading.
Competitor AGCO Corp scorched Wall Street estimates on May 1, with a 50 percent earnings surge in the first quarter on strong sales in North America and a pickup in European demand for agricultural equipment.
CNH Global NV posted quarterly results on April 25 that blew past analysts' expectations as strong wheat, corn and other commodities prices led farmers to buy equipment.


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Consumer Court: News
06 Sep 2023ITC Limited
FMCG giant ITC Limited has been directed to pay Rs. 1 lakh in compensation for selling biscuit packets with one biscuit less than advertised.
24 May 2022Consumer Forum
Following consumer complaints, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) lambasted restaurants for forcing consumers to pay service charges "often fixed at arbitrarily high rates."
08 Jul 2019Zomato
A Pune-based eatery and Zomato have been slapped with Rs. 55,000 as penalty for delivering a non-vegetarian dish instead of paneer to a customer.
19 Apr 2019Chandigarh
A leading shoe firm has been asked to pay Rs. 9,000 to a customer for deficiency in services.
16 Mar 2019India
Booking movie tickets has never been easier thanks to online movie ticket booking platforms. Everyone who has ever booked movie tickets online knows about "Internet Handling Fees" levied by every online ticketing platform.
02 Feb 2019West Bengal
The apex consumer forum has directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to allow the widow of a defense personnel access to her monthly family pension which was withheld.
22 Nov 2018Jaipur
Mukesh Sharma, one of the passengers who suffered ear bleed after the crew of a Jet Airways plane forgot to change cabin pressure, has lost his hearing permanently, reports said.
09 Nov 2018Fortis Hospital
A Chandigarh Consumer Forum observed alcohol taken in limited quantity wasn't poison but sugar content while directing insurance companies to pay Rs. 1.93 lakh to a Mohali resident.
17 Sep 2018Kolkata
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), hearing a review plea of IndiGo Airlines against the Tripura state commission's order, asked IndiGo to pay Rs. 20,000 to Kalpana Rani Debbarma and her family, who failed to board the flight due to a deficiency in the airline's services.
03 Sep 2018Karnataka
Baldness is a concern for all, and when we come across advertisements promising hair re-growth within a stipulated (and impossible) time-frame, hopes get kindled in us.
14 Jun 2018Saharanpur
When retired professor Vishnu Kant Shukla boarded the train from Saharanpur to Jaunpur on November 19, 2013, he wasn't prepared for what was coming his way.
23 Mar 2018Bengaluru
A consumer court ordered a Bengaluru-based salon to pay Rs. 30,000 to a woman who had sued them for damaging her hair and 'dignity.'
15 Mar 2018India
Cases of cheating and fraud are common, especially in India, with its 1.2 billion people and lax laws.
06 Jan 2018Celebrity
In a bid to intensify the crackdown on false and misleading advertisements and protect consumers from being misled, the government has introduced the new, tougher Consumer Protection Bill in Lok Sabha.
18 Dec 2017Jet Airways
Jet Airways has been ordered to pay Rs. 50,000 to a passenger who found a button in his in-flight meal.
13 Nov 2017Walmart
An Alabama man recently won a $7.5 million verdict against Walmart over a hip injury he suffered while buying watermelons at the global retail giant in 2015.
28 Oct 2017India
A new Consumer Protection Bill has been sent to the Cabinet for approval. The government will try to bring it in the winter session of parliament.
29 Sep 2017Mumbai
A Mumbai consumer court ordered TATA AIG General Insurance to pay Rs. 5.22L and Rs. 40,000 compensation to a Skoda car owner in a 2015 case.
25 Sep 2017Bengaluru
A Bengaluru consumer court awarded Rs. 12,000 compensation to a man who was overcharged for a Kinley water-bottle by a mall-outlet owner.
29 Apr 2017Indian Railways
A consumer grievance forum has fined Railways Rs. 5,000 for failing to wake up a passenger who had registered on its wake-up alert services.


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Super Mario Run Stories March 22, 2017
Super Mario Run Stories March 18, 2017
Nintendo has finally announced that Super Mario Run will arrive on the Play Store on March 23. This has been a long time coming for Android users, since Nintendo released the game on iOS back in December. Previously, Nintendo confirmed that Super Mario Run would arrive on the Play Store in March without giving specifics…
Deal: Get Pixelbook at 25% off: $750!
Super Mario Run Stories December 28, 2016
Super Mario Run Stories September 7, 2016
Shortly before announcing the iPhone 7, Apple revealed that Nintendo would be launching the first official Mario title on mobile. Since it was announced at an Apple event, many falsely assumed that it was an iOS exclusive. Nintendo rather said it would be on iOS first, and now, Kotaku has obtained confirmation from Nintendo that the game will indeed be coming to Android in the future…


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LONDON -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today, Box announced its continued expansion across Europe with strong customer growth and new partnerships in Sweden, France and the Netherlands. Businesses and universities, including SUNET and Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden; Zodiac Marine and Pool, COYOTE and Altavia in France, and Royal HaskoningDHV in the Netherlands, have all adopted Box to help them securely manage, share and collaborate on content in the cloud. Box also announced that five new partners have joined its growing network including EVRY and SUNET in Sweden, SHI and Nextmodernity in France, and CRMWaypoint in the Netherlands.
“Businesses of all sizes and across various industries are increasing the speed in which they get work done and sharpening their competitive edge by moving to the cloud,” said David Quantrell, Box senior vice president and general manager of EMEA. “The combination of cloud and mobile is having a profound effect on not only how we work and collaborate, but also on how we structure our businesses and manage information. For IT, this is a shift that’s requiring new strategies and a new mindset, which our customers across Europe are embracing with Box.”
Box provides simple and secure access to content from anywhere and on any device. Overall, Box has more than 25 million users worldwide at more than 225,000 businesses, including 99% percent of the Fortune 500. The company has been named a leader by both Forrester Research ("The Forrester Wave™: File Sync and Share Platforms, Q3 2013."1) and Gartner, Inc. ("MarketScope for Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing2") for file sync and sharing. New customers in Europe join leading global companies moving to the cloud with Box, including Schneider Electric, Procter & Gamble, Netflix and Electronic Arts.
European Businesses Strengthen Productivity and Speed with the Cloud
Box’s mission is to make businesses more competitive, productive and collaborative by connecting people with their most important information. Businesses across Europe are realizing the benefits of providing access to information through secure mobile and cloud solutions. Today, companies across various industries, including retail, construction, education, consumer technology and trade, are adopting the Box platform to securely move to the cloud and strengthen internal and external information sharing. New Box customers include:
Box Continues to Build European Partner Network
Box also announced that new partners in Sweden, France and the Netherlands have joined its growing partner network in EMEA, which already includes more than 115 technology vendors such as Exaduo, Comsoft Direct, Econocom Telecom Services, and KERNEL Networks. New Box partners include:
Box continues to grow its channel and partner network across Europe and the Middle East, which includes companies such as Deutsche Telecom and EE as well as leading channel partners such as NSI, Insight, Bechtle and Bytes. For more information about the Box partner program, please visit, www.box.com/partners.
To learn more about Box in your region, please visit us at one of our next customer events in Stockholm, Amsterdam or Paris. You can check out the agenda and register by visiting, http://www.boxworldtour.com.
Box’s mission is to make businesses more productive, competitive, and powerful by connecting people and their most important information. Worldwide, more than 25M users at 225,000 businesses use Box, including National Rail, Procter & Gamble, Rosetta Stone, and Schneider Electric. Since first opening a London office in June 2012, Box has more than doubled customer growth outside of the US and continues to expand throughout Europe. In addition to growing its existing offices in London, Munich and Paris, Box has recently added employees in the UK and in select countries to address growing demand for partnerships and sales in Eastern Europe, Middle East, the Nordics, Benelux, Spain and Italy.
1 Forrester Research, Inc. "The Forrester Wave™: File Sync and Share Platforms, Q3 2013" by Ted Schadler and Rob Koplowitz, July 10, 2013.
2 Gartner "MarketScope for Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing" by Monica Basso, Jeffrey Mann, February 12, 2013.


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It’s been a while since we’ve seen Kim Kardashian switch things up but last month, Platinum Motorsport hinted to the fact that they were giving her and Kanye’s rides a full makeover and over the last few days, Kim’s been spotted in two different c… Continue Reading
What makes this even crazier is that these are just SOME of the cars from the collection between the Kardashian, Jenner, and West families. Kylie Jenner posted this photo of Kim’s G, and Rolls Royce Ghost, Kanye’s Lamborghini Aventador, and Kylie’s G, and new Range Rover.
Which one would you take?
Usually Kanye West runs around New York in the backseat of a Maybach but this past week, Yeezy was spotted getting into the backseat of a yellow cab instead.
Kim would not approve.
Posted in Kanye West | Continue Reading


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Diesel's Fall campaign doesn't beat around the bush—it acknowledges that 2020 has been one long round of cancellations.
The work, from Publicis Italy, invites people to customize the leather tags on their denim with memories of all the things they didn't get to do this year. The service will be available via a portal on Diesel.com as well as in selected stores worldwide.
So why would people want to celebrate events that didn't happen? The idea, says Diesel, is to commemorate "the memory-making moments that ensued in the absence of those plans."
It's being promoted with a spot, seen here, illustrating all the exciting things you might have missed, such as a surf camp in Bali or a music festival. Meanwhile, there will be online and social content illustrating real-life anecdotes in video clips directed by Pantera via Anonymous Content.
Diesel will follow the stories of influencers like Evan Mock, a skateboarder and model, who chose to enter isolation in Mallorca, Spain, and Julia Fox, an Italian-American actress, who unexpectedly found love during lockdown.
Diesel is also partnering with a canceled event, the Untold Music Festival, to create a series of limited-edition denim trousers called the 2020 Fallen Edition.
The fashion retailer is not the only brand capitalizing on big fetes and confabs that didn't happen; this week we also saw a campaign from Romanian chocolate brand ROM by McCann that offers to "sponsor" canceled events in order to promote a new spin-off candy bar.


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To some degree, EA’s exclusivity deal with the NFL is coming to an end. While Madden maintains its status as the exclusive simulation football title, 2K Games is dipping its toes back in the water. Specifically, 2K and the NFL have entered into an agreement that will see 2K release “non-simulation football game experiences.” The projects, which are in early development, will fly under the NFL 2K banner. Interestingly, the first of such experiences is on track to launch within the 2021 calendar year.
2K Games shared the fascinating news in a press release, announcing that “specific game titles, developers, and release dates will be announced at a later date.” According to IGN, 2K’s Senior VP of Sports Strategy and Licensing, Jason Argent, offered the following when asked to clarify what kind of title will launch under the NFL 2K umbrella: “Our goal is always authenticity, depth, fun and as it relates to these titles–approachable and social football experiences. We think this is a good opportunity to service a more casual market, and our research shows there’s an appetite for that.”
NFL VP and Head of Gaming and eSports Rachel Hoagland, noted 2K and the NFL have been talking quietly for the last two years or so. Further, the league’s Senior VP of Consumer Products, Joe Ruggiero, explained this new way forward is a result of the NFL’s desire to expand its presence in the gaming space.
An NFL deal of this kind in gaming hasn’t come to fruition in over 15 years. With the release of ESPN NFL 2K5, 2004 marked the last time a non-EA publisher released an officially licensed NFL project. Late in 2004, EA signed an exclusivity deal with the professional football league, ensuring it as the only game company with the rights to use NFL players, teams, and stadiums.
Social media is already abuzz with guesses as to what this may all entail. Might NFL 2K lead to something more arcade-like, perhaps in the realm of NFL Blitz? With 2K’s project launching in 2021, we’ll know for sure soon enough.
[Source: 2K Games via IGN]


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Westlife Development Says It’s Confident Of Meeting Same-Store-Sales Growth Target
Westlife Development Ltd., the operator of two-thirds of McDonald’s outlets in India, said it’s confident of achieving its same-store-sales growth target of 7-9 percent by 2021-22 despite a change in consumer sentiment.
“Even though the economy is volatile and impacts consumer spending, we had internally taken a challenge to keep same store sales positive,” Amit Jatia, vice chairman at the franchise partner for burger chain’s stores in west and south India, told BloombergQuint during an interview. “When you have seen a 30 percent top line growth, I don’t expect the trend to continue every year. But a sustainable number is yet deliverable through the ups and downs.”
Watch the full interview here:


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Amazon shareholders will vote to ban the company's controversial facial recognition technology next week in a key symbolic process. Amazon set the vote date, May 22nd, after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rejected the company's request to have the motion squashed. A group of shareholders, led by nonprofit Open MIC, asked Amazon's board to stop selling the deep learning tools until a third party can confirm "it does not cause or contribute to actual or potential violations of human rights."
On a technical basis, a vote to ban the technology might not mean much, as shareholder resolutions aren't binding and are rarely approved. Still, it would lend credence to claims by activist investors that the technology could "endanger or violate privacy or civil rights and disproportionately impact people of color, immigrants and activists."
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) tested Amazon's tech and found that it falsely matched 28 members of Congress to suspected criminals, struggling particularly with people of color. Amazon argued that the tech wasn't being used in the right way, but that claim was undermined by a US police department in Oregon that uses it.
Amazon: New technology should not be banned or condemned because of its potential misuse; instead, there should be open, honest, and earnest dialogue among all parties involved to ensure that the technology is applied appropriately and is continuously enhanced.
Rekognition uses deep learning AI to identify objects like faces and animals in video and images. It could be used, for instance, to scan crowds of people to see if they are in criminal databases are watchlists. The ACLU and others are particularly concerned that governments could use the technology to illegally track activists and others participating in legitimate demonstrations and other activities. Amazon was recently question about the technology in Congress after attempting to sell it law enforcement, immigration officials and others.
Amazon has said that the technology helps identify criminals and missing persons, adding that it has not received any reports of misuse since it became available in 2017. Amazon and Microsoft have proposed that the technology be regulated by governments, not the companies themselves. "It's critical that any legislation protect civil rights while also allowing for continued innovation and practical application of the technology," they wrote. Amazon's board has recommended that shareholders vote against a ban, so a positive vote will certainly send a strong message.


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USG and Boral joint venture on track, but delayed
The USG Corporation/Boral Limited joint venture, which was originally slated for completion Jan. 31, has been delayed about a month over regulatory procedures.
The completion of the 50/50 strategic joint venture is now expected to occur on or before Feb. 28, 2014.
The joint venture, to be named USG Boral Building Products, will include Boral’s Gypsum division, which includes its plasterboard operations in Australia and Asia, and USG’s Asian and Middle Eastern businesses.
The move is aimed at harnessing both companies’ branding, geographic footprint and positioning within the burgeoning plasterboard market.
Q4 sales and earnings decline at Plum Creek
Seattle-based Plum Creek Timber Co. posted fourth-quarter earnings of $40 million, down from $79 million in the same quarter last year.
Sales in the fourth quarter were $331 million, down 6.9% from $354 million.
Results for the fourth quarter include $12 million of expenses directly related to the completion of the company’s December acquisition of timberland, real estate, and subsurface resources from MeadWestvaco Corp.
“Over the course of the past year, results have improved significantly in our timber resources, manufacturing and non-timber resource businesses,” said Rick Holley, CEO. “Importantly, we achieved our goal of growing the adjusted EBITDA from these three business segments by approximately $50 million. We completed a very good fourth quarter, with earnings coming in at the high-end of our initial expectations after taking into consideration the expenses related to closing the acquisition. Momentum is building, and we are well positioned to grow the company’s overall cash flow in 2014."
For the full year, earnings were $214 million, up 5.4% from $203 million in the previous year. Full-year revenues of $1.34 billion were essentially flat.
PGT hires new sales managers
North Venice, Fla.-based PGT Industries, a national supplier of residential impact-resistant doors and windows, has hired Doug Ferrante and Jamison Eige to its sales team.
"Expanding our sales leadership provides PGT with the ability to capitalize on the growth and momentum we see in the market place," said Todd Antonelli, VP sales and marketing. "Doug and Jamison have the strategic and team building skills to help develop new opportunities and facilitate key relationships."
Ferrante joins PGT from H.D. Smith and Cardinal Health, where he worked in sales and business development. As the first-ever national account sales manager, he will be responsible for all national accounts.
Meanwhile, Eige will serve as regional sales manager for Southwest Florida. He has been working in the building products industry for some time, most recently with AWP Windows and Doors.


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Xiaomi has shown great success this year. It has sold 18.7 million smartphones in 2013, up 160% from last year. This brought the company way over its goal of 15 million devices, which is damn impressive for such a young company. And with only four devices released that year, it makes it even more impressive.
These sales brought in CNY 31.6 billion, or around $5 billion USD. This is an increase of 150% from last year, pretty much matching the sales numbers. And considering that all the devices the company sells are fairly cheap, those are impressive numbers.
Unfortunately, the company is currently limited to selling devices in China. We’ve kept our eye on the company for a long time, and the devices it puts out are impressive and lust worthy. We can’t wait to see the company expand into the US and Europe, because with the trend of off-contract and cheap devices getting really popular, Xiaomi has a huge chance of succeeding here. Would you buy a Xiaomi device like the Mi3?


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Employees and machines from Atkinson Construction finished digging Sound Transit’s future light-rail tunnel in Bellevue this week from East Main Street to Bellevue Downtown Station...
The stunning 8-minute trailer for “Ghost of Tsushima,” from Bellevue-based gaming studio Sucker Punch, drew huge cheers from a packed audience at Sony’s briefing in...
A very visible piece of the eastside light-rail extension is the bridge crossing I-405 in downtown Bellevue. Service is projected to start in 2023 to...
A four-story, mixed-use development brings shopping, a restaurant and health care to Bellevue's Wilburton neighborhood.
Some new happy hours launched in Bellevue and Seattle, from $2 noshes to $7 margaritas. Plenty of them have patios to soak in the sun.
Target plans new small-format stores in Bellevue, Ballard and the University District to open in 2019 and 2020.
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It seems Motorola has launched its Moto E4 and E4 Plus in USA and certain other markets. Only recently we reported that the company is preparing for the unveil of its new range of Moto E phones.
The smaller of the two devices comes with a 5-inch display with 720p resolution. It runs on Android 7.1.1 which is currently the latest version of the software and is powered by the quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. The RAM is 2 GB with 16 GB of internal storage. As far as camera is concerned, it comes with a 8MP rear camera with f2.2 and a 5MP front camera. The phone is priced at $129.99.
Moto E4 Plus
The bigger sibling is equipped with a 5.5-inch display with the same 720p resolution and comes with Nougat 7.1.1 out-of-the-box. It is also powered by the same Snapdragon 425 processor with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The biggest difference is in the camera, the Plus variant gets a 13MP rear lens with f2.0 for more light and a front 5 MP camera with f2.2. Also, as we reported earlier, it comes with a massive 5,000mAh battery for seemingly fantastic life.
Keep watching this space as we expect to get updates about the phones’ India launch.
News source: tech.sina.com


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Retail Outlook 2004
The Philippines: Coming up roses
Rosy and robust. That is the forecast for the Philippines’ retail sector, which is pinning its hopes on a fast-growing population and steady flow of remittance by Filipinos working abroad, reports Tina Arceo-Dumlao from Manila.
With huge crowds thronging the established retail shops and bargain outlets, or tiangges , that dot Metro Manila, the Philippine retail industry looks set to continue posting a robust growth this year, despite jitters over the countrys forthcoming elections.
Fuelled by a growing population and over US$6.3 billion in remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the local retail sector expects to grow at least 5% in 2004, outpacing the country's gross domestic product (GDP) growth, pegged at about 4.5% for the year.
Behind these rosy figures are plans by leading mall operators and upcoming players to build at least 10 malls this year, taking advantage of malling becoming an integral part of the Filipino lifestyle.
When interviewed, Roberto Claudio, Philippine Retailers Association's (PRA) vice-president for external affairs, said that the prospects were still bright for the retail industry, which rides on the growth of the GDP and OFW remittances.
Tariffs in the region are also going down, making more products available to Filipino consumers and retailers are flexible so they could easily shift products to cater to changing tastes, Claudio explained.
While recognising that the major growth drivers are increasing purchasing power and steady inflow of funds from OFWs to their families in the Philippines, he expects the national and local elections in May to bring a surge in spending to boost retail business.
Claudio describes 2003 as a mixed year for the retail industry, with some sectors showing improvement while others did not perform well.
Claudio, who also operates the successful Toby's sports shops in the Philippines, said the leisure and entertainment sectors did well in 2003, owing to growing health-consciousness.
Stores selling high-end products, however, did not perform as well, and fine-dining restaurants paled in comparison to those that target the middle class.
In the area of sports, we expect the good growth to continue next year, especially with the Philippines hosting the 2005 South-east Asian games. A lot of preparation would accompany that so there should be improvement, said Claudio.
The PRA is organising a major conference this month to promote Manila as a shopping destination with myriad choices of retail outlets, from overseas brands to home-grown enterprises.
SM Prime Holdings Inc's vice-president, Millie Dizon, who also sees continued retail growth next year, says SM will continue to expand.
We will be opening two malls south of Metro Manila and are reopening our department store in Makati with a new look. [Being in an] expansion mode is a statement that we see growth down the road, said Dizon.
SM Prime, the owner and developer of SM Supermalls, expanded its gross floor area to 2.2 million sqm at end-2003, with the opening of two malls last year.
It now has 17 malls eight in Metro Manila, five in Luzon, four in the Visayas and four in Mindanao.
Its expansion plans include the Mall of Asia within a 60ha property by the scenic Manila bay. This is a mixed-use development offering shopping and entertainment malls, hotels, office space, residential condominiums and leisure-sports amenities.
SM said the Mall of Asia is part of the group's plans to firmly establish the Philippines as a major shopping destination in Asia.
According to Rex C Drilon II, chief operating officer of Ortigas and Co Ltd, operator of Greenhills Shopping Center, another driver for growth in the retail sector is the underground economy, not measured in the GDP.
He said that the underground economy should contribute as much as 40% of the GDP. This explains why the retail sector has been a steady performer while other industries have remained flat. It has been growing at a rate of 5% over the past year. The challenge is to beat that growth.
Drilon reported that the Greenhills Shopping Center, a mecca for bargain hunters, especially during the holiday season, posted a 33% growth due to its redevelopment.
The shopping centre, one of the country's first, enjoys a huge patronage among the A, B and C income classes, which account for 60% of its shoppers. We are also enjoying good patronage from the tourist market, and we are making more improvements [this] year, Drilon said.
Another retail company that has mapped out expansion plans for the year in anticipation of retail growth is Novecento. The menswear chain's owner, Merle, said that it may add four more branches in 2004 to its current three.
Business is good because we provide good quality and value for money. We can control the quality of our clothes as they are locally made, unlike those coming from China and Hong Kong. We also do our own designs so our clothes are unique, said Drilon.
However, she foresees retail growth bringing stiffer competition as more retail outlets sprout up. Small and medium-scale retailers like us find it difficult to compete with those that have big marketing budgets. Our only chance is to get customers by word of mouth [about] our quality, price and style, she pointed out.
Richmond Lim of watch chain Time Depot is likewise expanding in 2004 to better service the needs of customers.
Most of the growth in sales will come from servicing new markets. We expect that growth would be around 15%-18%, he said.Ana Cuervo of furniture chain Barnyard said that she was looking at opening a third outlet in 2004. Growth really depends on the products, location and customer service. For growth to happen, you have to research on what the target market wants and needs, and be able to deliver in those aspects, she said.


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New 'Daily Show' Site Launches with 13,000 Clips
Comedy Central has launched a new Web site in beta for The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, giving the program its own destination and making available 13,000 video clips. Although full-length episodes will not be viewable, users can search for and view specific segments free of charge.
The effort is a sign that media giants like Viacom, which owns Comedy Central, are finally embracing the Web as a means for distributing content. Because clips dating back to The Daily Show's debut in 1999 will be available to watch, the company expects to attract even those who religiously watch Jon Stewart on TV. Viacom has placed 5-second ads before each video to offset the site's costs.


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- Breaking industry news & commentary
- 10 year searchable archive
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- FN on mobile and iPad
UK corporate ownership continues to decline
The UK is set to see a net decline in corporate ownership for the second year in a row, as foreign acquisitions by UK companies fail to make up for the rush of foreign buyers coming to the UK.
Foreign companies have announced deals to buy some $137bn (â‚¬114bn) worth of UK companies in the year to November 3, according to Thomson Financial. UK companies have only announced $86bn worth of foreign deals. Between 2000 and 2003, UK companies were net acquirers.
The net effect of stock withdrawal from the UK market via takeovers and share buybacks is that the equity markets are shrinking, says Citigroup. The bank estimates that 1.4% of the UK stock market will be wiped out if this weekâ€™s foreign takeover attempts of O2, P&O and Pilkington are successful.
Other press digests in this section


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Audi retains no 1 spot in luxury car pecking order, Mercedes-Benz & BMW follows
Audi, which wrested the crown in the Indian market from BMW in 2013, and a supercharged Mercedes-Benz posted handsome growth in sales.
NEW DELHI: No changes in the pecking order at India’s luxurycar space, which expanded faster than the broader auto market in the past year. Sales of luxury cars and sportutility vehicles made by companies such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volvo are estimated to have grown about 9% in 2014, compared with a less than 1% expansion in the overall auto market.
Audi led the pack, followed by Mercedes-Benz and BMW. While the market grew, BMW posted a fall in sales for the second successive year in the country. While it was third on the list in India, BMW leads its German rivals globally. BMW India sold 6,812 cars and SUVs in the past year, a drop of 7% from 2013. Audi, which wrested the crown in the Indian market from BMW in 2013, and a supercharged Mercedes-Benz posted handsome growth in sales. In 2013, BMW’s sales had dropped as much as 22% in India.
The BMW Group currently sells three brands in India. Two brands, BMW and MINI, are sold directly by the Indian subsidiary. The third, Rolls-Royce, is sold separately. Automobile analysts blame BMW India’s inability to shift gears at the right time and its product portfolio for the dismal performance. BMW launched several new cars in India in the past year, like the new X3 SUV, 3 Series Gran Turismo, M6 Gran Coupe, X5, ActiveHybrid 7 Series and the new MINI 3-door and 5-door.
But according to experts, rivals have come up with more competitively priced products and better discounts to attract buyers as the overall automobile market remained sluggish. “Audi and Mercedes benefitted from their newly launched products which are competitively priced to cater to the wider Indian audience,” said Amit Kaushik, principal analyst with auto forecasting and consultancy firm IHS Automotive. BMW has failed to respond quickly to competition, he added. BMW didn’t comment on its sales performance.
But BMW Group India President Philipp Von Sahr had earlier told ET that the company was trying to focus on sustainable growth. “We want to be the leading luxury-car company with delighted customers, strong partners and most important, sustainable leadership,” he had said. “We are aiming at both profitability and growth in the long term.”
The Indian luxury-car market had grown about sevenfold to around 35,000 units over fiveseven years. But that pace has slowed down over the past couple of years, as the base expanded and because of economic uncertainties. Kaushik doesn’t expect any sharp increase in the luxury car market in 2015. “We are not expecting any drastic changes, but would settle with double-digit growth for the luxe brands this year. Some anticipated positive changes in the economy and younger customers could drive growth for the luxury brands this year,” he said.
Meanwhile, India’s luxury car market has seen the emergence of Chinese Geely-owned Volvo Cars, which sold 1,202 sedans and SUVs last year, up 27% from 2013. Tata-owned British company Jaguar and Land Rover, which sold 2,913 units in 2013, has yet to release latest sales data. It is widely estimated to have sold around 3,200 units in India.
India’s luxury-car market is expected to witnesses a slew of launched in 2015. Audi is aiming to bring in 10 new cars in the next 12 months including the A3 hatchback, R8 LMX and TT sports car. Mercedes-Benz will debut its much-awaited CLA sedan on January 22. It will be the auto maker’s smallest sedan in the Indian market and is expected to drive volumes in 2015, as it aims to regain leadership in the luxury car market after a gap of six years.


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Calgary businesses feel the pinch of subdued Stampede celebrations
Bookings and foot traffic are down on what should be the busiest time of the year
The Unicorn on Stephen Avenue is open for business. The Stampede decorations are up, the hay bales are out.
Operations manager Wendy Irvine is hoping the customers will also be back.
"We can still party like it's Stampede, unfortunately without the rodeo," she said. "We're just asking for people to just come on down, whether it's downtown or around the city. Support all your businesses and, you know, be mindful and be safe."
Every year, the Calgary Stampede draws visitors from around the province and around the world to spend money in Calgary's shops, restaurants and hotels. Not this year.
Irvine says the Stampede typically draws in crowds, corporate bookings and other significant revenue boosts to the Unicorn. But Irvine estimates bookings are down about 80 per cent, compare with this time of year.
With Stampede events cancelled this year, Irvine is just one of many business owners who is expecting to take some significant revenue hits. The revelry that Calgary normally sees in July — the eating, the drinking, the purchasing of souvenirs, cowboy boots and paraphernalia — is subdued.
But Irvine says she remains hopeful that customer numbers will keep building in the days ahead.
"When I came in to work this morning, it was a ghost town. Normally the CTrain would be packed, like wall-to-wall, from seven o'clock in the morning," she said. "I came downtown around 10 and the train was empty."
Irvine is thankful for the support she has had, both government support and customer support.
"Surviving the past five years and the recession, we were very lucky to survive that, and rise from that … it's a little better than we thought, we are surviving. But still, it's very hard every day, trying to stay positive, trying to keep your customers positive, and feel safe to come back in the building and know that they'll be OK."
Irvine says that her business is working hard to make the location feel COVID-safe for customers.
Down the street, Kanata Trading Post owner Nizar Mohamed says his gift shop earns a significant portion of its annual revenue during the Stampede, especially from tourists.
"As long as we get support, we'll keep on going," he said. "I love Calgary, and I would hate to close down. I love this store."
As local businesses work through pandemic-related relaunch plans, he's hoping Albertans will continue to follow COVID-19 safety measures but also take some time to visit shops, restaurants and other businesses in the days ahead.
With files from Dave Gilson


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Pictures | Life & Style
New York Easter Bonnet Parade sees hundreds turn out
New Yorkers gather in front of St Patrick’s Cathedral wearing colourful hats and costumes to celebrate one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar
Picture editor's choice
All the action from the the qualifying session at Yas Marina racetrack.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan celebrates her father’s birthday by gifting 100 surgeries to children born with cleft palates
Abu Dhabi’s latest retail destination, opens its doors to visitors with multiple new retail brands


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Most presidents in real life and in games have stained their hands with the blood of innocents, and Sonic the Hedgehog's president is no different. In "Sonic Adventure 2," we learn that Mr. President requested Eggman's grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, to unlock the secrets of immortality. Robotnik was driven by his need to cure his fatally ill granddaughter, Maria Robotnik. Of course, these experiments led to the creation of the "ultimate lifeform" Shadow the Hedgehog, as well as a galaxy-level threat in some kind of biolizard thing that Sonic kills as Super Sonic. Anyway, the point is that there's a direct line of cause and effect from Mr. President's decisions and the creation of the Eggman Empire, which threatens the peace of the United Federations.
SAVE $400: The Dell G7 4K gaming laptop is a great way to experience PC gaming without the bulk of a desktop -- it's $400 off at Best Buy as of Jan. 20. Before they all start coming out, you're going to want to prepare by getting the right gear, whether that's one of the elusive new consoles or a high-end PC. If you haven't had any luck snagging a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, you should definitely look at dipping your toes into the world of PC gaming. A gaming laptop is a good way to start, and the Dell G7 is $400 off at Best Buy as of Jan. 20. The Dell G7 gets you a high-quality pc gaming experience without the bulk of a desktop.
In the US, today is Inauguration Day, and as Joe Biden prepares to take the oath as our 46th president, it's worth taking a look back at the discussions four years ago. Back then, the "most tech-savvy" president exited as all eyes turned to Donald Trump trading in his Android Twitter machine for a secure device. We know how things went after that. Donald Trump isn't tweeting anymore (at least not from his main accounts), and the country is struggling through a pandemic. The outgoing president just saw his temporary YouTube ban extended and, in one of his last official acts, pardoned Anthony Levandowski for stealing self-driving car secrets from Google's subsidiary Waymo.
I've already talked at length about how the brilliant second mission alone, based on "Knives out" or Agatha Christie's "Poirot" murder mysteries, already justifies this game's existence. Chongqing is another highlight, a deliberate throwback to the old Hong Kong levels of the original PC release. It's a rain-drenched district that once again illustrates the kind of grand interconnectivity and neon sheen that "Cyberpunk" tried to achieve, and "Hitman" does effortlessly. Rain slithers off his leather-coated back as he waits outside his mark's building, assessing the place. In the meantime, he can open an umbrella and make small talk with a woman waiting for her girlfriend, just one of the series' many small but important storytelling flourishes to make each level feel more alive than you've seen in any action adventure.
If you're listening to music right now, chances are you didn't choose what to put on--you outsourced it to an algorithm. Such is the popularity of recommendation systems that we've come to rely on them to serve us what we want without us even having to ask, with music streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora, and Deezer all using personalized systems to suggest playlists or tracks tailored to the user. This story originally appeared on WIRED UK. Generally, these systems are very good. The problem, for some, is that they're perhaps really too good.
The lengthy video breaks down how Choi built his "Labo Fit Adventure Kart Kit." The heart of his creation is TAPBO, a small robotic device he engineered that holds the Joy-Con in place and has motorized arms that press down on two of the controller's buttons for accelerating and slowing down in "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe." To play, you sit on the bike (which he comically calls the Bike-Con and covered in cardboard to resemble Nintendo Labo's line of products), hold the Ring-Con in both hands like a steering wheel, and peddle to move forward.
In the last decades, artificial intelligence has shown to be very good at achieving exceptional goals in several fields. Chess is one of them: in 1996, for the first time, the computer Deep Blue beat a human player, chess champion Garry Kasparov. A new piece of research shows now that the brain strategy for storing memories may lead to imperfect memories, but in turn, allows it to store more memories, and with less hassle than AI. The new study, carried out by SISSA scientists in collaboration with Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience & Centre for Neural Computation, Trondheim, Norway, has just been published in Physical Review Letters. Neural networks, real or artificial, learn by tweaking the connections between neurons.
Too often game worlds can feel like static backdrops for gameplay. But by incorporating elemental reactions, developers bring complexity and characterization to a player's surroundings. By now we're all familiar with the overused exploding barrel trope. A single bullet is all it takes to create an explosion that can take out multiple enemies, turning an element in the environment into an interactive arrow in your quiver as you progress. While environmental storytelling has stolen the spotlight when it comes to designing spaces, emergent environmental narrative design is quietly the bigger innovation happening in games right now, with elemental reactions being the easiest to grasp.
There's plenty of drama on Reddit, but it's not often that drama gets to play out on the screen. On Sunday, 24-year-old software engineer Micah Price from Cape Town, South Africa, unveiled what can only be described as a niche-but-genius creation: a bot that takes everyday arguments on Reddit and has them play out in the style of scenes from Ace Attorney, Capcom's animated courtroom-based video game series. The end result is a gloriously dramatic affair that shines a whole new spotlight on Reddit's comment section. Price's video was shared on Reddit's r/Videos sub shortly after it went live on YouTube, and at the time of writing it's racked up over 21,000 upvotes. Price told Mashable he's always been a fan of Ace Attorney, which sees players taking on the role of defense attorneys who must carry out investigations to protect their clients (the game's episodes culminate in a courtroom trial where you have to cross-examine witnesses and present evidence to a judge).
While CES was a bit different this year, we still managed to check out a number of inspiring new devices, apps and services. While we acknowledged the most promising tech in Engadget's Best of CES awards, there remain a bunch of gadgets that didn't make the list that will be worth checking out when they actually hit shelves later this year. Things like HP's new Dragonfly laptops, TCL's 8K TVs and Cowin's two-piece soundbar are all things to look forward to as 2021 progresses (and some are even available already). Here are some of the CES 2021 gadgets you may have missed this week. Cherlynn Low found a lot to like about last year's HP Dragonfly laptop: it was lightweight at 2.2 pounds, had a great battery life and an attractive design.