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Adcount Technologies Pvt. Ltd. announces the launch of its new warehousing and logistics service vertical, SupplyLink that will cater to the supply chain requirements of food businesses, thereby expanding its existing portfolio of SaaS offerings, SupplyNote and Posify. With this launch, SupplyLink alone aims to grow their client base by 400% by adding support to their supply chain.
SupplyLink aims to deliver a seamless supply chain service for food businesses, allowing the food businesses to focus better on its core. This service reduces the management cost and hours spent by food businesses in their supply chain management and offers higher visibility and control of the supply chain as a whole.
SupplyLink services include supply chain planning, storage, transportation, operations, management and comprehensive reporting across ambient, chilled and frozen temperature formats.
SupplyLink contains a spectrum of features, including a single dashboard for inventory visibility, order handling, vehicle tracking, temperature tracking, single point of contact and pay-per-use cost models, with availability in multiple regions, that include Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Karnataka and Gujarat.
Formerly operating as Fulfillment Services, the Company has been serving a closed group of F&B businesses, including Natural’s Ice Cream, Burgrill, Wat-a-Burger, Bakingo and Vadilal Ice Cream. With the new construct of SupplyLink, the company is making its services available to a broader range of F&B businesses, helping them to grow and succeed in today’s competitive market with a strong track record of success.
With the addition of SupplyLink, the Company aims to serve food businesses as small as 5+ outlets to enterprises with 100+ outlets.
“We are thrilled to announce SupplyLink to the market officially,” stated Nitin Prakash, Co-Founder of Adcount Technologies. “Our goal is to bring tangible advantages of technology to help the food businesses grow faster. With the addition of SupplyLink to our portfolio, apart from indicating where the optimizations are needed, we can even take necessary actions to implement and execute the same.”
With 7+ years of expertize in the F&B industry, a team of experienced individuals and a growing list of satisfied customers, Adcount Technologies stands solid and confident that SupplyLink will help food businesses, providing a reliable supply chain solution to scale up their businesses and increase their bottom line, just as it has done for its existing clients.


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In the 1970s gay tours took men rafting in the Grand Canyon and to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival. Gay hotels began opening in Key West, Fla. And destinations like Provincetown, Mass., were creating some of the first marketing to gay and lesbian travelers.
Today, there are tours spanning the globe not only for gay men, but also for lesbian, bisexual and transgender travelers and their children. Major hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott have dedicated L.G.B.T. microsites and vacation packages. And same-sex marriage laws are transforming cities into travel destinations, with tourism boards and hotels sponsoring L.G.B.T. events and funding advertising campaigns with taglines like Las Vegas’s “Everyone’s welcome. Even straight people.”
Most of these changes have come in the aftermath of the recession — when hospitality brands began ramping up ways to lure a niche market that studies said prioritized travel and spent accordingly — and when more and more states are legalizing same-sex marriage.
“Having gay marriage passed in so many states has made a big difference,” said Robert Adams, editorial director of Passport magazine, which has an audience of mostly affluent gay male travelers. “People feel they can go someplace and be themselves.”
The number of places where L.G.B.T. travelers can be themselves has grown exponentially from the pre-Stonewall refuges. Sure, there are plenty of cruises and tours that specifically cater to gay travelers. But the gay vacation that once existed out of necessity is now often simply a vacation — be it a routine family getaway, a destination wedding or a romantic weekend.
Major cities including Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington continue to be among the most popular vacation spots, according to Community Marketing & Insights in San Francisco, which has been tracking L.G.B.T. travel trends for 20 years. However, medium-size cities like St. Louis, Rochester and, in Florida, St. Petersburg are emerging as regional destinations. Countries in Latin America such as Argentina and Uruguay are opening up thanks to new gay-rights laws. Even the Caribbean — where there has been violence against gay people in places like St. Lucia and Jamaica — is garnering L.G.B.T. tourists because of islands like Saba, a municipality of the Netherlands, which began implementing Dutch same-sex marriage laws in 2012.
“It used to be the San Franciscos, the Miamis, New York,” said John Tanzella, the president and chief executive of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association. “Now you’re seeing competition from all-size destinations and hotel groups wanting a piece of the pie. L.G.B.T. travelers have more options now than just the big urban centers.”
Certainly, to define any traveler by his or her sexuality is to view that person through a narrow lens. Countless factors shape travel interests including, but hardly limited to, age, gender, race, socioeconomic status and, of course, personal taste. Some crave adventure; others long to be pampered. There are those seeking a party and those seeking a respite. Plenty of gay and lesbian travelers want to participate in L.G.B.T.-related activities; many do not. Yet the quest for the so-called “pink dollar” has accelerated — pleasing some industry veterans and putting off others — amid reports about how potentially lucrative gay travel is and could be.
Just how lucrative is difficult to quantify. Community Marketing has estimated that the annual economic impact of L.G.B.T. travelers is already about $70 billion a year in the United States. But arriving at such a figure is not a science. That number and others like it are derived based on the assumption that 6 to 8 percent of overall American tourism spending (according to Department of Commerce figures) is L.G.B.T. spending, Mr. Tanzella said.
“This is such a high-traveling, high-spending population,” said Andrew Flack, vice president for product marketing and customer insights of Hilton Worldwide, adding that in the United States a higher percentage of L.G.B.T. travelers have passports than the general travel population.
One boost to gay tourism, travel industry experts say, is same-sex marriage. In New York City alone, the economic impact of the first year of gay marriage was $259.5 million plus $16.5 million in local tax and fee revenues, according to NYC & Company, the city’s marketing and tourism organization.
And the marriage and honeymoon business is still in its infancy. A 2013 study from Community Marketing found that most couples who married had their wedding receptions at restaurants and private residences. Nonetheless, hotels are preparing for an influx of same-sex ceremonies. Last year W Retreat & Spa-Vieques Island partnered with one of the first businesses in the United States to specialize in planning legal same-sex weddings. And this year, despite Florida’s same-sex marriage ban, the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Fla., struck the words “bride and groom” from its wedding marketing materials and has two same-sex wedding planners at the ready.
As for honeymoons, only about 57 percent of same-sex couples went on one after their ceremony (65 percent of them were women) last year, according to Community Marketing. David Paisley, the company’s senior research director, said the reason for that might be that when a state allows same-sex marriage, couples rush to legally tie the knot yet delay the honeymoon because they haven’t found time to plan it or have already made all their travel plans for the year. Time will tell. Among those who did take a honeymoon, there was no far and away favorite destination, although Hawaii was at the top of the list with 7 percent of couples opting to celebrate there.
Families are another fast-growing segment. More than a decade ago, when a company called R Family Vacations began specializing in cruises for L.G.B.T. families and friends, it was in the vanguard.
“There has really been a huge change,” said Don Tuthill, the publisher of Passport magazine. “When they did that they were the only one. Now everyone is reaching out for that market.” Although Community Marketing’s research shows that when gay couples have children, finding a child-friendly hotel becomes more important than an L.G.B.T.-friendly hotel.
In a survey of readers of Curve, a leading lesbian magazine, Orlando was the No. 1 vacation destination for L.G.B.T. families. “It’s safe, it’s accessible, it’s affordable,” said Merryn Johns, the magazine’s editor in chief. “And Orlando has done a lot of outreach lately.”
Orlando is, in general, extremely popular, according to Community Marketing, despite being in a state that does not allow same-sex marriage. That’s in large part because it has an effective tourism association. The same can be said of Las Vegas.
Ms. Johns praised a new spring television commercial from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority that begins with a man and a woman walking up to a hotel check-in counter together. The desk clerk says he will be with them momentarily, then steps away. While he’s gone, the woman tells her boyfriend that she’s going to freshen up, then leaves. Suddenly, another hotel guest, a man, approaches the counter and stands beside the woman’s boyfriend. A moment later, a different desk clerk appears. She smiles and says: “You gentlemen ready to check in?”
“I think if you ask any lesbian of a certain age who has traveled at all, upon check-in they have gotten funny looks,” Ms. Johns said. “And that’s happened to me, and it really is such a turnoff. It boggles the mind that it still happens.”
Ms. Johns also appreciated Las Vegas’s “Everyone’s welcome. Even straight people” print and digital campaign, introduced in 2012, because it aimed to make gay and lesbian travelers feel as if they are a majority.
When it comes to hotels, some boutique brands, like Kimpton, have already established themselves in the L.G.B.T. market. Now major hotel groups are working to do the same. Over the last few years Marriott and Hilton have created advertisements with gay and lesbian travelers in mind. “Gay-specific creative is new,” said Mr. Tuthill, who works with brands including Marriott on campaigns that appear in his magazine and elsewhere. An advertisement for the nation’s capital, for instance, shows two young men smiling in the back of a car and the words “Hot dates. Cool city. Washington, DC.”
Sophisticated brands and locations are evolving beyond images of rainbow flags and shirtless men, Mr. Adams said, creating ads that, while showing same-sex couples, look like the rest of the brand’s advertising. “It’s great to see a couple together or a family together,” he said. “Don’t throw in every logo.”
Ms. Johns said people could also do without advertisements showing “supermodels” hugging and clinking glasses. “We can tell they’re not really gay people,” she said.
One company that has impressed L.G.B.T. travel veterans is Hilton.
“In the last three years we’ve really increased the emphasis on this,” said Mr. Flack of Hilton Worldwide. The company, which was founded nearly a century ago, is a member of GLAAD and is a sponsor of two large L.G.B.T. events: WorldPride in Toronto and Capital Pride in Washington, D.C., both in June. “A big part of what we do is trying to react to the way the world is evolving and traveling differently,” Mr. Flack said.
Hilton for the first time this year is moving away from destination and resort photography in its advertising and instead highlighting images of people, including same-sex couples in its L.G.B.T. advertising. And it is expanding its “Stay Hilton. Go Out” L.G.B.T. vacation campaign, which it introduced in 2012. The campaign includes a vacation package (with high-speed Internet and a one-year digital subscription to Out magazine) at more than 460 Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Grand Vacations properties around the world. The Go Out program also has a landing page on Hilton.com with information about travel and promotions. This summer, the site will include a new feature called Bedtime Stories: interviews with L.G.B.T. tastemakers about their travels. And Hilton’s L.G.B.T. e-newsletter about travel ideas and events, which it began offering bimonthly last year, will now be distributed every month.
At the same time that brands like Hilton are extending their reach, industry professionals say there continues to be interest in gay-related tours and events, particularly among older travelers who grew up in a time of widespread discrimination.
“I think there’s always going to be a demand for that,” said Ms. Johns, “even though we are seeing progress in equal rights legislation.” That is especially true for people who take only one or two big trips a year or who live in places that are not welcoming. “They want a sure thing,” Ms. Johns said. “They want to know there’s like-minded women, lesbian entertainers.” That’s one reason some readers of Curve like cruises organized by Olivia Travel, Ms. Johns said, because it guarantees the presence of those like-minded travelers, as well as being good value for the money (despite the research figures being bandied about, not all gay travelers have money to spare).
“Watching companies and destinations bending over backward for gays has been an astounding change,” said Zachary Moses, the director of marketing for HE Travel in Key West, which offers tours and vacations for gay men and lesbians.
HE Travel — the result of a merger between Hanns Ebensten Travel, which began leading tours in the 1970s, and Alyson Adventures, founded in the 1990s — has been around in one form or another for more than 40 years. So despite the sea change in the last few years, Mr. Moses is skeptical of companies suddenly trying to tap the L.G.B.T. market.
“The thing is, it’s already been tapped,” he said. “Gay and lesbian people have been traveling for all time, and in fact they were some of the first travelers because they were people who didn’t feel accepted in their own communities.”
Some industry insiders like Mr. Moses are concerned that big international companies are simply paying lip service to gay travelers. “A lot of those prejudices still exist,” he said. “They’re just being hidden,” a process he refers to as gay-washing. “It doesn’t really matter what’s being said,” he added, “it doesn’t always translate on the ground.”
With mainstream brands marketing themselves as L.G.B.T.-friendly, tour operators like HE travel face new challenges.
“It used to be really clear whether a company was gay-friendly or not,” said Mr. Moses. These days, he said it is more difficult to determine who is walking the walk. “We have a lot more to sift through,” he said, adding that when designing tours for HE Travel he chats up staff members at potential hotels and other service providers to suss out how they feel about L.G.B.T. people.
In Key West, where Mr. Moses is based, he notes that things are changing. “In just the last two years at least four gay guesthouses have gone ‘all welcome,’” Mr. Moses said, referring to the practice of allowing anyone to check in. “The gay guesthouse, they’re disappearing,” he said.
Even so, it seems the need for L.G.B.T. tours and services is not.
“We’re mixing more and more, but there is always going to be a need for people to be with their friends and family and community,” said Mr. Tuthill of Passport magazine. “There are issues you encounter that other people don’t deal with.”
One of those issues is safety, even in places considered gay-friendly — Provincetown, Mass., Boston, Seattle, Palm Springs, Calif., Mexico, Canada, England, Spain, France.
Mr. Paisley of Community Marketing recalled walking in San Francisco not too long ago and having someone roll down a car window and yell a gay slur at him. This month, he said a gay friend of his was harassed on the New York City subway.
“This kind of stuff happens to gay people all the time,” he said, “and because of that, safety is really important.”
Places like Russia, Egypt and India are now considered too dangerous, Ms. Johns said. Mr. Adams of Passport magazine strives to share with his readers, each of whom travels on average 11 times a year, places that are culturally compelling yet safe. “We’re not going to Brunei anytime soon,” he said, referring to the Southeast Asian country that recently introduced antigay laws.
To be considered L.G.B.T.-friendly, a destination usually has a local gay community with which visitors can connect, businesses with nondiscrimination polices and diversity training, and an overall welcoming feel.
Sometimes, travelers find this in unexpected places. Bobby Laurie, a California-based flight attendant and a travel correspondent for the Daily Buzz, a nationally syndicated morning show, was surprised at how he felt on a trip to Madison, Wis., where he saw quite a few equality stickers on storefronts. “It’s not like you’re looking for it,” he said. “Subconsciously you see it. It does give you more of a sense of security.”
At a gay bar and dance club called Plan B, “there weren’t just gay men at the bar,” he said. “There were straight couples dancing on the floor.” He asked some of them why they were hanging out in a gay bar. The response? “Why shouldn’t we?”
“This is how it could be everywhere,” he said. “And it is slowly getting there.”

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PepsiCo, a leading FMCG company has declared that it is in talks to sell Tropicana, Naked and other North American juice brands to a French private equity firm, PAI Partners.
The deal with PAI Partners will net pretax cash proceeds of $3.3 billion for Pepsi.
The food and beverage giant PepsiCo will also receive a 39% stake in a newly formed joint venture with PAI and the exclusive U.S. distribution rights for the juice brands for certain channels, like food service.
Ramon Laguarta, Pepsi CEO, speaking in a statement said: “This joint venture with PAI enables us to realize significant upfront value, whilst providing the focus and resources necessary to drive additional long-term growth for these beloved brands”.
“The deal will free us to concentrate on our current portfolio of diverse offerings, including growing our portfolio of healthier snacks, zero-calorie beverages, and products like SodaStream.” He added
Meanwhile, PAI will also have the irrevocable option to buy certain Pepsi juice businesses in Europe.
The transaction is expected to close in late 2021 or early 2022. Pepsi said it will use the proceeds from the sale to strengthen its balance sheet and invest back in its business.
The juice business delivered about $3 billion in revenue for PepsiCo last year, but at operating profit margins that were below the company’s overall margins, it said.
In its annual report, Pepsi said falling juice sales offset gains for other products in North America, including water, sports drinks like Gatorade and energy drinks like Propel.


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Latest Retirement Plan Advisor Trends™ report from Escalent demonstrates value of brand recognition, perseverance
A new Cogent Syndicated report from Escalent shows Empower is now recognized by more than half of Established DC advisors managing $10 million or more in DC assets (55%), up from 44% in 2021 and 31% in 2020. The brand now ranks fourth in overall awareness behind the historical market leaders Fidelity Investments, American Funds and Vanguard.
This was one of the key findings from Escalent’s Retirement Plan Advisor Trends™ report, which is designed to help retirement plan providers and DC investment managers maximize market share by better understanding financial advisors who sell and support workplace retirement plans.
Established in 2014, Empower went all in to build its presence among the plan advisor population – a radically different direction than that chosen by firms with more well-known consumer-facing brands. Heavily focused on connecting directly with advisors through education, support and conferences has proved successful to its steady climb up the rankings. Empower’s brand recognition has significantly increased among Established DC advisors since Cogent Syndicated began tracking the brand in 2015:
“It’s been eight years and we are now seeing the fruits of Empower’s brand building prowess in action,” said Sonia Davis, senior product director at Escalent. “Building its business through acquisitions and using advisors as a lynchpin to gain traction in the DC ecosystem, Empower is proof that it takes time to build a brand and this is one way to do it. Other plan providers can learn from this approach and should certainly keep their eye on Empower as the firm strengthens its competitive position.”
Further, the report explored the top drivers of consideration for advisors when choosing a DC plan provider. Underscoring the value of relationships, being easy for advisors to do business with emerges as a top consideration driver. Brand trustworthiness continues to play an influential role, particularly among DC specialists, while reliability is also a key attribute to demonstrate.
To learn more about the Retirement Plan Advisor Trends™ report, visit escalent.co.
Cogent Syndicated, a division of Escalent, conducted an online survey of a representative cross section of 538 plan advisors from August 19 to August 30, 2022. Survey participants were required to have an active book of business of at least $5 million and be actively managing DC plans. Strict quotas were set during the data collection period, and post-fielding statistical weighting (where necessary) was applied. The data have a margin of error of ±4.23% at the 95% confidence level. Escalent will supply the exact wording of any survey question upon request.
Click below for more information about the full report.


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Crowdfunding: special focus
Euromoney's latest coverage of the sector's growth – and where it goes from here.
The industry needs a change in the macroeconomic environment.
The French bank hopes with one small acquisition to burnish its green credentials, meet government requirements on renewable energy and show its potential to adapt disruptive financial technology.
Beijing has spent years sitting back and encouraging its powerful fintech firms to create and innovate. But it is starting to crack down on parts of an industry that it feels may have grown too far too fast, starting with peer-to-peer lenders.
China has finally started to open up its financial sector, but international banks seem to be struggling to find a clear or coherent strategy for tackling the market. It may be time to start worrying.
Bloodbath at AMP and the crowdfunding of startup Xinja are signs of new era.
Most new challengers are attacking retail, but a few ingenious startups are moving into the more fragmented and poorly served small business market. It is here that concepts of open banking and banking as a platform may first become real.
The CFA Institute has suggested that the European Commission’s legislative proposal for an EU framework on crowd and peer-to-peer finance creates a precedent for exploring the possibility of creating an EU-wide sandbox and investigating the benefits and challenges such a regime.
CEO has broader ambitions as firm turns 10; impact investing still modest in Asia but growing.
If Australian banking needs a fundamental shake-up, it may come from insiders-turned-outsiders, and few fit that bill better than Jason Yetton at SocietyOne.
The bank has found a model that puts the local community first – feeding prosperity, not feeding off it as the big four do, says chief executive Mike Hirst.
It’s goodbye cash, hello mobile wallets and digital payments, as Egypt uses financial technology to streamline payroll, keep money in the financial system and improve tax collection.
The pace of change at Imperial FX during the past 10 months highlights the scale of the task of transitioning from high-street remittance to an online platform.
The region’s affluent classes are well served by traditional banks. But fintech firms hope to gain a foothold in financial services through customers that have been left behind.
Chinese fintechs have been redrawing the map of financial services for a while now, and Tencent has just added the latest amendment.
Recently emerged challenger banks are taking advantage of new regulations to team up with multiple third-party payment service providers (TPPs) to gain a slice of the customer’s business they would otherwise not have access to.
Taking payments off retail investors’ debit cards for new share placings has quickly changed the way AIM-listed companies place new equity and could have implications for bigger deals.
Beehive and Eureeca are using online crowdfunding to raise debt and equity for small businesses in the Middle East. Becoming regulated will allow them to grow rapidly. In time, they could eat the banks’ lunch, or the banks just might swallow them.
With increasing wealth and a desire to create sustainable social and environmental impacts, Asia is overtaking the US as the driver of innovation in philanthropy. It’s also creating a great opportunity for private banks and others.
It started out as one of 3,000 peer-to-peer lenders in China. In six years, it has become a broad wealth management platform that may raise as much as $5 billion in an international IPO this year. The pace of its growth has been every bit as breathtaking as Tencent’s WeChat or Alibaba’s Alipay, yet few outside China have heard of it. They will. CEO Gregory Gibb tells us why.
Lithuania has also passed laws this year regulating peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding; legislation on remote identification is being prepared.
The application of fintech to wholesale banking is, to date, less clear than in retail financial services, where peer-to-peer lenders, start-up remittance companies, crowdfunders and robo-advisers are quickly picking up market share from the incumbents. It is more likely that fintech startups will collaborate with and sell to the incumbents in capital markets than disintermediate them. But they will still transform those markets and the business leaders.
Small corporates and not-for-profit organizations are increasingly looking at peer-to-peer FX as a way to lower costs. Euromoney speaks to four customers who have taken their business away from banks.
Start-ups fear a funding stop and loss of access to the single market, but are already making back-up plans that could point the way for their peers in the more established parts of UK finance.
Cheerleaders for marketplace lending took comfort from two events in late May that seemed to signal a potential recovery in a sector that had been rocked by the near failure of Lending Club, the leading listed specialist in online lending.
UBS oncology fund raises $471 million; banks turn to foundations to collaborate.
New Change FX is developing a peer-to-peer matching platform that will enable corporates to net down their portfolios and reduce their need to trade currencies with banks. But is this a stepping stone towards a full P2P FX exchange suitable for corporates, or is such a venue ultimately only of interest to retail traders?
Specialist small business lender grows fast; more banks seek to white label its offering.
Two large fund-raising rounds have equipped the property-focused marketplace lender to grow into a mainstream mortgage provider.
While credit conditions appear to be easing for medium-size borrowers, small companies face big hurdles in securing finance. Finpoint aims to help them over.
As worries mount that large volumes of student debt extended in developed markets will never be repaid, crowdfunding platform EdAid seeks a new model for student loans and new lenders.
Having attracted investment from Zoopla and with an Isa offering in the works, Landbay sees a big opportunity in marketplace lending for landlords.
Leading P2P providers are confident their FX products can rival leading banks, but tech bulls concede the shifting FX market-structure landscape will still see the top-tier financial institutions dominate.
In a possible further sign of disintermediation, corporates are deploying their excess cash in their self-funded supply chain finance programmes to assist their suppliers downstream.
Once the preserve of risk-taking individuals, P2P lending platforms are now no such thing.
P2P FX is rapidly gaining traction in the retail space, but even providers acknowledge it will take time to achieve significant volumes at the upper end of the corporate market.
Equity platform matches business angels with crowd investors – a sign that the venture capital industry is changing fast.
A host of new technology and new business models are aiming to transform the financial system. Many will fall by the wayside. But among them are potential winners that could be the Goldman Sachs or Nasdaq of the 21st century. Euromoney looks at the smart people and smart firms attempting to reshape finance.
London is strutting its stuff as a world centre for fintech innovation to rival Silicon Valley and New York. The first-stage disruptors, challengers and innovators are now established and growing. Government and regulators want to build a better financial system and see technology as the key.
Want to see improvements to your town or city? Don’t just rely on municipal budgets. New crowdfunding sources are springing up. The disruptors even have municipal bond markets in their sights.
Intercompany credit data suggests companies are more willing to borrow than banks claim. But what’s the point of banks if they won’t lend?
The world’s biggest banks have been slow to embrace the digital era. What can financial services CEOs learn from new, tech-based companies that have successfully disrupted other industries? What needs to change?
The foreign-exchange benchmark scandal looks set to be a boon for burgeoning peer-to-peer (P2P) currency-exchange platforms, as they capitalize on the demand for transparent and innovative solutions.
Most Austrian SMEs depend on banks for funding. And while lending by insurers is emerging, it will be limited to the top end of the borrower market.
UK companies offering peer-to-peer lending are following their US counterparts into the financial mainstream, with an hospitable regulatory climate, as well as new sources of demand and products.
P2P lending is coming of age, thanks to pent-up demand for credit, new technology and new innovative providers in the market, but the jury is out on whether the sector can become a long-term viable alternative to traditional bank finance.
Peer-to-peer lender in exploratory talks with banks, hedge funds and family offices; P2P ‘can be 20% of market within a decade’.
Some six million businesses were created in the US in 2012. The country is experiencing a start-up boom. What impact is the wave of entrepreneurs having, and how are the angel investor and venture capital industry adapting?
In July, the SEC voted four-to-one to implement Title II of the Jobs Act, lifting the ban on general solicitation of private offerings. That means issuers of non-public equity – namely small businesses – can now approach accredited investors directly and more easily raise capital in private markets.
Disintermediation (doggy-style)July 2013
BrewDog, probably the most ridiculous name for a beer-brewing company in the world, is retapping a particularly liquid source of funding.
The first crowdlending site specifically for small businesses launched this week in New York, with hopes to expand.
Lending campaigns have a 90% success rate and donations-based projects 50%, but equity-based platforms have been slow to take off.
FSA approves Crowdcube, appoints crowdfunding officer; US P2P lenders take off, endorsed by industry stalwarts.
Small banks reduce lending by $100 billion; crowdfunders join banks to source loans.
Paypal can make your payments. Google wants your wallet. Facebook sees what you like. Apple and Amazon know when you spend and what you spend it on. How far can the new, powerful technology companies threaten the traditional role of banks?
Romney and Obama support losing banks; US falling behind Europe in the ‘non-bank bank’ sector.
Impact investing – putting money to work both for profit and social impact – is in its infancy as an industry. But it has the potential to become part of the fabric of financial markets.
Impact investing – putting money to work both for profit and social impact – is in its infancy as an industry. But it has the potential to become part of the fabric of financial markets. A group of leading wealth managers, foundations and sector specialists discuss how impact investment will develop, and the challenges they face.
"The entire lending industry was so inefficient, and the way to make it efficient was to cut out the bank."
The first-ever survey to track the growth and trends in the burgeoning crowdfunding industry was released on Tuesday.
The crowd is taking over from traditional sources of finance and it is here to stay. It’s the start of the big bank disintermediation. Unless banks join the revolution, consumer lending may no longer be their sole domain.
Banks’ misgivings about the Jobs Act reflect their own failure to cater to the full spectrum of US enterprise.
Research rules resurrect conflicts of interest; cost savings ‘compromise safety’.
Former Morgan Stanley chairman John Mack is to be appointed to the board of Lending Club, a US crowdlending platform that has advanced more than $500 million in loans via its website since its inception.


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FEED mill enterprise CP Cambodia Co, whose Thai parent Charoen Pokphand Group is one of the biggest firms in that country, entered the Cambodian market nearly two decades ago. The company produces food products, feed for farm animals as well as livestock.
On Tuesday, Post reporter Rann Reuy interviewed CP Cambodia vice-president Wittaya Kreangkriwit on the progress of agricultural investment in Cambodia.
Having been in Cambodia more than 10 years, what do you think about future business opportunities here?
From my perspective, investment in Cambodia has potential for agriculture because [Cambodia] has qualifying land and our future target is exporting our products to sell abroad.
Cambodia has rich water resources with tremendous natural water lines. In a nutshell, Cambodia has more chance than other countries.
What should the government do to help the agricultural sector develop?
The government has to support the agricultural sector so that foreigners will come and invest in it.
Another aspect is banking. I think some farmers living off farming have to co-operate with banks and companies. When this kind of co-operation exists, we have to train our farmers to expand the agricultural sector. Then both raising animals and cultivat-ion will be more progressive.
How many farmers are involved with CP?
We calculate by the family unit, and [we have] hundreds of thousands of families.
Here, we are talking about families involved in agricul-ture, but if we talk about business involvement with the CP company, we can count half the country’s population, because CP is a maker of animal feed and foods.
Sichuan New Agribusiness recently opened in Cambodia. Is the sector becoming too competitive?
This is a free market, and the market is the freest for investors. This means that if businesses come here to invest, it’s good, because nowadays Cambodia still makes inadequate food products. If they come here to help produce, those products will be competitive in quality and those benefiting most are farmers.
CP Group has also put up the biggest amount of capital to invest in hundreds of factories in China. This is normal for the free market.
Providing investors with opportunities is beneficial, because we are competitive on product quality – and that means it’s good for consumers.


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DES MOINES, Iowa -- The National Pork Board (NPB) here said the first nine months of pork's rebranding effort was a success and has yielded a positive return on investment.
NPB launched the campaign, "The Other White Meat. Don't Be Blah," in 2005 as an integrated marketing campaign in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia and Sacramento. The campaign was designed to increase pork sales by positioning pork as an exciting solution to the everyday meal rut that today's cook falls into.
Success of the campaign was measured by awareness of the product, image of the brand and impact, or purchase. A consumer brand perception tracking study showed awareness of The Other White Meat advertising increased significantly since the start of the campaign, and within target markets, there was an increase in "upbeat" descriptions of pork. The study also found that those consumers who were aware of the brand campaign had significantly higher ratings for pork than those not aware.
Additionally, an analysis from Dr. Oral Capps Jr., an agricultural economist with Texas A&M University, illustrated the real impact of marketing efforts in the six target markets. The Deflated Per Capita Pork Expenditures measure that was developed is: Deflated Price x Quantity Per Person = Deflated Expenditures (or sales) Per Person. An economic analysis used with this measure accounted for variations in the marketplace.
"The targeted campaign program was successful in increasing retail sales for the at-home food market," said Capps, noting, "In all targeted cities, real per capita pork expenditures rose due to the program efforts."
For the analysis, Capps used weekly supermarket scanner data from Jan. 6, 2002, to Jan. 1, 2006, from FreshLook and Information Resources Inc. The data was reviewed on a monthly basis and combined with data pertaining to national pork expenditures and prices of beef, chicken, income, inflation and population.
"Over the period March 2005 to November 2005, the targeted program in the six markets generated between $17.2 million and $20.1 million in additional inflation-adjusted pork sales," Capps reported in his research findings. "Every $1 invested in the targeted campaign program yielded $4.22 in retail pork sales."
Karen Boillot, NPB's director of retail marketing for the National Pork Board, said the finds are both encouraging and exciting. "The aim of the National Pork Board with this campaign is to reach consumers about the opportunity pork offers - its ease of use, versatility and great taste. The campaign focus was to help consumers make pork a part of everyday life, not just an alternative to other proteins. This economic analysis proves we're moving the dial. That's exciting," Boillot said.
At the retail level, the Don't Be Blah campaign is modified to meet individual retail needs, which is one of the reasons it's been successful, Boillot contends. "Components such as magnetic signs and meatcase signage are customized to fit individual retailers. This specialized approach helps retailers connect with consumers about pork in store."


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Abuja, Nigeria – December 22, 2021: AFTRADE DMCC has opened a new office in Abuja to cater to its growing presence in Western Africa. AFTRADE distributes agricultural and mining equipment in Africa, and its Nigeria representative Jad Ibrahim will ensure that the company’s presence in Western Africa is more efficient.
“We are excited to establish a strong presence in Western Africa with this new office in Nigeria. It will be our base for our sales and servicing across this important region. This follows our success in southern Africa, where our local servicing centres provide spare parts and warranty services,” said Alexander Zingman, head of AFTRADE DMCC.
Agricultural machinery is in demand in Africa as the continent gears up to increase food production. AFTRADE DMCC is the authorized dealer in the African market for most Belarussian manufacturers, and has agricultural deals with several countries to provide tractors and other farming machinery, as well as to provide training in modern farming techniques.
The company has signed an agreement in Nigeria to supply thousands of affordable tractors to help farmers boost their farm output. The tractors will be manufactured in Belarus, and distributed in Nigeria.
“Our range of tractors will revolutionize farming in Nigeria, with local farmers able to mechanize the sowing and harvesting of their crops. This will give smallholders the means to boost the yields and earnings they get from their farms,” said Alexander Zingman.
The company supports the Nigerian government’s efforts to boost agricultural productivity. This will help provide sufficient quantities of food to meet domestic demand, as well as commodity crops for export to the international market.


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Dr. Pooran Jaiswal.
Dr. Pooran Jaiswal, Chief Technology Officer of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri (TBZ) Limited, a leading jewelry brand, has quit the company. Dr. Jaiswal joined TBZ in 2018 and led IT budgeting and planning, technology improvement, and automation efforts at the jewelry retail chain.
TBZ has a presence in more than 29 Indian cities and is among the largest and oldest jewelers in the country.
Under Dr. Pooran Jaiswal’s leadership, TBZ, the 156-year-old jewelry major, enhanced several vital processes and improved customer experience by transforming its overall IT infrastructure and implementing robotic process transformation (RPT). He was instrumental in deploying Oracle’s Autonomous Database at TBZ, one of the first of its kind for any jewelry maker in Asia.
During his tenure at TBZ, Jaiswal also created a strong cloud strategy, moving the company’s workload-heavy processes to cloud-based infrastructure.
Jaiswal had also led several innovations such as testing and embedding small internet of things (IoT) devices in the premium jewelry category to analyze whether the jewelry had been tried, sold, or unsold.
Before joining TBZ, Dr. Jaiswal was CTO at Globus. With over 20 years of extensive experience in the IT industry, Jaiswal had earlier worked with Rediff and NIIT. It is not known yet if Jaiswal has accepted any new role, but if the industry buzz is to be believed, he is close to finalizing his next move.
About Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri (TBZ)
Located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, TBZ is part of the organized jewelry markets with a strong legacy of 156 years. Today, the company’s operations spread across 26 cities and 11 Indian states, covering a total retail space of 110,666 sq. ft.
Historically, TBZ was the country’s first jeweler to offer buy-back guarantees for jewelry purchased through their stores in 1938. The company primarily sells gold jewelry and diamond-studded jewelry through its 37 showrooms, including five franchise-operated stores.
For other recent C-Track movements, click here.


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Northern Westchester’s most-popular rumor is not a rumor.
Dealer Joe’s is coming to Yorktown Heights.
Yorktown City Supervisor Matthew Slater confirmed the city constructing division obtained plans tied to the Lowe’s Procuring Heart on Crompond Highway, close to the Taconic State Parkway, which name “for an inside buildout and façade figuring out Dealer Joe’s because the tenant.”
City paperwork had beforehand acknowledged, and Breslin Realty Improvement Corp., the middle’s developer, had confirmed, a specialty grocer would are available to the placement, however the title of the grocery store was not revealed.
The closest Dealer Joe’s places to the realm are in Hartsdale, Westchester County, and Danbury, Connecticut.
In a press release, Slater known as Dealer Joe’s “a nationwide model that can undoubtedly present a significant increase to our economic system.
“I’ve repeatedly heard from residents that they needed a specialty grocer,” he mentioned. “When the city board launched the ‘Vacation spot Y’ advertising marketing campaign final 12 months, it was exactly to encourage the opening of locations like Dealer Joe’s.”
The shop can be situated in a 12,500-square-foot constructing within the entrance of the procuring middle. At the moment, the positioning has a retaining wall and huge piles of grime surrounded by a fence. In January Slater mentioned the then-unnamed grocer had a aim of opening within the fall; he didn’t supply an up to date timeline Tuesd
Dialogue over which specialty grocer was moving to the area has been a hot topic for upper Westchester County communities. The rumor was additional fueled in March when storeopeninghours.com posted a list for Dealer Joe’s as the brand new 3200 Crompond Highway tenant.
On the time, Dealer Joe’s spokesperson Kenya Pal-Daniel didn’t verify whether or not the itemizing was correct.
“All I can let you know proper now’s that we’re taken with bringing a retailer to Yorktown and are taking the mandatory steps to make that occur,” Pal-Daniel mentioned in March. “Nevertheless, nothing is confirmed and we’re within the VERY early levels of the method to convey a retailer to the realm.”
Pal-Daniel couldn’t be reached for remark Tuesday.
The Lowe’s Shopping Center welcomed Starbucks and AAA Journey Retailer earlier this 12 months to the positioning subsequent to Dealer Joe’s. The middle will quickly be house to Slice Pizza, as properly.
This can be a growing story. Verify again for updates.
Heather Clark covers enterprise openings and closings all through Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. Sustain on the most recent comings and goings by becoming a member of our Fb group at What’s going there Westchester, Rockland, Putnam. Contact Clark through e-mail, firstname.lastname@example.org.


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BBM for Android and iOS may have had a pretty encouraging start, especially with the 10 million downloads in its first 24 hours alone, but those who have used it will know that it is still lacking in features compared to its native BlackBerry 10 version. Features such as video calls and voice chats, for example, were not available for the cross-platform variant of the app.
Thankfully, BlackBerry is planning to add support for the two features “in the coming months”. Unfortunately, it will involve certain fundamental changes to the app – such as the inclusion of ads. As BlackBerry’s BBM chief, Andrew Bocking says, “We have other ideas on how to monetize that service.” For example, ads may come to the cross-platform BBM in another native BBM feature, such as BBM Channels, or other methods.
However, BlackBerry has confirmed that the app will remain a free service on both Android and iOS.


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Shenzhen dangles port subsidies
Hong Kong under pressure as rival offers up to five million yuan to shipping lines
Shenzhen will offer one-off concessions of as much as five million yuan to international shipping lines and freight forwarders that increase their presence in the city, increasing the pressure on rival Hong Kong's harbour operations.
Deputy mayor Zhang Siping announced the incentive during the holiday weekend, according to the municipal government's website, describing it as a move to ensure the city can fill the three new berths that will increase capacity 15 per cent.
In the subsidy programme, shipping lines would receive five million yuan for every international route added and 1.5 million yuan for new domestic coastal routes, the Nanfang Daily reported. It also said barge service providers - small vessels moving goods from feeder ports to the container terminal - were being offered 75,000 yuan per new service calling at Shenzhen.
Qualified international shipping lines will receive as much as four million yuan for moving their headquarters or operation centres to Shenzhen. Freight forwarders opening their headquarters in the city and multinationals setting up a distribution centre there can claim up to three million yuan in subsidies.
'This is a very aggressive policy and will deprive Hong Kong of cargo growth over the long term,' said Zheng Tianxiang, an infrastructure studies professor at Sun Yat-sen University.
Although Beijing in its most recent five-year plan has deemed shipping and logistics as one of Hong Kong's strengths, exporters have been increasingly using Shenzhen's ports as they are much closer to the factories producing the shipped goods.
Last year, Shenzhen ports handled 18.4 million 20-foot equivalent units (teu) while Hong Kong moved 24 million teu. In the first quarter of this year, Shenzhen ports handled 4.53 million teu, up 15 per cent from a year earlier. In comparison, for the first two months of the year, Hong Kong handled 6.8 per cent more containers, or 3.55 million teu.
Shenzhen has only become a serious industry player in the past five years, and its growth has spurred Hong Kong port operators to hedge by also running terminals there.
Modern Terminals, controlled by China Merchants Holdings (International) and Wharf (Holdings), operates a port in west Shenzhen and Hutchison Whampoa's terminal arm HIT has one in Yantian container terminal.
'In terms of absolute numbers of containers handled, Shenzhen surpassed Hong Kong last year, when 95 per cent of the containers that Shenzhen handled was direct, compared with only 40 per cent in Hong Kong,' said Alan Lee, the chairman of the Hong Kong Container Terminals Association.
Most goods shipped through Hong Kong are double-counted, once when they arrive from the mainland and again when they are sent off to a third destination.
Shenzhen is expanding its container terminal capacity in Dachan Bay, Shekou and Yantian, aiming to add three berths by the end of this year and boosting its capacity to 27 million teu. The city aims to surpass 20 million teu of throughput this year.
In the meantime, Hong Kong's own plan to add its 10th terminal is still under review.
'It is not possible for Hong Kong to build a new terminal while the usage rate of the existing terminals is just 50 per cent,' Mr Lee said.
While each Hong Kong berth can handle 1.25 million teu per year, they averaged only 666,000 teu last year.


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American International Group, the largest commercial insurer in the U.S. and Canada, named Michael Lewis chief digital officer as the company turns to technology to simplify operations and gain an edge against smaller rivals.
Lewis, 51, joins from JPMorgan Chase, where he was most recently global chief technology officer for digital at the consumer businesses, the New York-based insurer said Thursday in a statement. He will report to Chief Information Officer Philip Fasano.
Chief Executive Officer Peter Hancock is working to better integrate operations at a company that was built through decades of acquisitions and then abruptly shrunk through asset sales that were required to help repay a 2008 bailout. The company hired Fasano in 2014 from Kaiser Permanente and then added Michael Brady the next year to the new post of chief technology officer.
"Improved digital capabilities will create a global competitive advantage," Fasano said in the statement. "Michael's proven record of success in developing and executing visionary digital transformation strategies will provide a strong foundation for the overall digital landscape we are working toward."
AIG's business provides access to huge amounts of data on the frequency of natural disasters, industrial mishaps and auto accidents. The company is hoping to better use that information to price policies and decide which risks to pursue. Lewis will also work on "enhancing the customer and employee experience," AIG said.
At JPMorgan, Lewis worked on applications such as Chase Pay for handheld devices and helped integrate the bank's cards with Apple Inc.'s mobile wallet, according to the statement. He previously had senior technology roles at Lloyds Banking Group Plc and Bank of America Corp. Trish Wexler, a JPMorgan spokeswoman, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.


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Pennant Media Group Ltd. is looking for volunteers on Wednesday, July 9th in the morning, TIME TBD for a press conference we are hosting at the MaRS Centre located at 101 College Street.
Volunteers will be assisting with signing media in, ushering guests, handling executives, talents and helping set up press interviews on site, and any additional logistics that they are needed for.
Blogger Bazaar TO – June 1, 2014
This Saturday is the 2nd annual Blogger Bazaar TO at Soho House Toronto. Some of Toronto’s Top Fashion Bloggers will be selling selected items from our wardrobes that are looking for new homes. 10% of all proceeds will go to The Corsage Project.
Blogger Bazaar Participants
1. The BackseatStylers – From Hermes silks to Louboutin pumps, Sharon and Tara are putting…
Lauryn Hill rockin M.E. Telephone earrings on tour. #melodyehsani #laurynhill #❤ (at Melody Ehsani)


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Bangkok, 16 November, 2018 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and partners in the public and private sector are jointly launching the special year-end Amazing Thailand Grand Sale promotion with a unique “Passport Privileges” twist, targeting arrivals from short-haul markets from ASEAN, East Asia and South Asia.
H.E. Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports (above photo, speaking), said: “This promotion the first of a series ‘special year-end gift’ from the Thai public and private sector for international visitors while helping to stimulate revenue for the locals through the boost in tourist shopping activities.
“Following this, the Immigration Bureau is planning to offer double-entry and re-entry visas for tourists, after having grant a two-month for travellers from 20 countries,” Mr. Weerasak added.
Runs from 15 November, 2018, to 15 January, 2019, the year-end Amazing Thailand Grand Sale promotion offers extra discounts on existing promotions already available from participating department stores and shops in Bangkok. It aims at boosting tourism revenue from those who especially enjoy shopping whilst travelling to and from Thailand.
Joining the TAT in launching the special year-end promotion for tourists include the Department of Internal Trade, Revenue Department, Thai Retailers Association, Narai Intertrade Co., Ltd., and the Jewel fest club.
TAT Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said: “TAT is working with our strategic partners as well as manufacturers, leading and popular brand merchandisers, shopping malls and department stores, community malls, and credit card companies to offer “Passport Privileges” to arrivals from strategic short-haul markets.
“Of course, tourists from all other major markets also enjoy the usual incredible discounts associated with this latest Amazing Thailand Grand Sale promotion, which is an ideal time before the annual Festive Season holidays start in December,” Mr. Yuthasak said.
To get the word out, all TAT offices around ASEAN, East Asia and South Asia are arranging familiarisation trips for Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), including bloggers, travel and shopping bloggers in their respective markets to experience first-hand the year-end Thailand shopping extravaganza using the “Passport Privileges” at participating shops, restaurants, shopping malls and department stores.
TAT is also promoting ‘sales’ of popular products favoured by tourists including handcrafted Thai textiles, cosmetics, home appliances and top Thai brands. It will also promote and create pop-up ‘shopping events’ at shopping malls and department stores that are popular with tourists.
Brochures, vouchers along with further details about the ‘Passport Privileges’ will be provided for tourists at the airports. A promotional tent card in English and Chinese is presented at the airport’s immigration counters, featuring a QR code for tourists to obtain more information on the privileges.
For more information, please visit:


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China's exports grew at a marginal one percent in July from a year earlier to $176.9 billion, the General Administration of Customs said in a statement, down from the 11.3 percent gain seen in June.
Imports rose 4.7 percent year-on-year to $151.8 billion last month, compared with the June increase of 6.3 percent indicating slowing domestic demand.
China, the world's biggest exporter, has been hit by weakness in overseas economies including debt-ravaged Europe, a key trading partner. A sluggish property market and softening consumer spending have also become a drag on the economy.
Exports to Europe fell by 3.6 percent to $192.4 billion in the first seven months of the year from the same period in 2011, according to the data, extending the 0.8 percent decline in the first half of the year.
Shipments to the United States, meanwhile, rose 11.4 percent on year in the seven months through July to $195.4 billion in the period, though that was a slower pace than the 13.6 percent increase in the first six months.


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The City of Vancouver's Ironclad Art Manhole Cover Design Challenge team have announced two People's Choice awards in addition to the two winning designs selected by a panel of judges.
From the 1000+ designs submitted, the review panel selected a short list of 28 artists who received a culture and recreation prize pack valued at over $200. From that shortlist, the panel selected the two best designs to go on storm and sanitary sewer covers throughout the city, and the public voted for People's Choice awards both online and at an exhibition held at Vancouver's Interurban Gallery.
The panel's selections for two best designs are by Nigel Dembick (storm cover) and Andrew (Enpaauk) Dexel (sanitary cover). The People's Choice winners are Lou-ann Ika'wega Neel and Les Blydo.
The winning designs highlight the importance of the City of Vancouver's separated sewer system. As the City replaces and upgrades old sewer mains each year, two new pipes are laid to help prevent flooding and eliminate overflow into Vancouver's waterways. The competition increases citizens' environmental awareness and the importance of improving our water quality and contributing to a greener Vancouver.
The Ironclad Art Design Challenge winners were announced on Saturday, June 1 and People's Choice winners were announced Monday, June 18.
Visit http://ironcladart.ca/top_designs.php to see all of the shortlisted designs.


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New dedicated website and feature video previews next generation Honda DCT technology for bikes.
It is no secret that the Honda DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) stands one of the most revolutionary pieces of technology currently fielded in bikes. Honda was the first bike maker to introduce the transmission into a production bike, and it looks set to become the first to use it in a superbike as well. (Read our initial rumour report here)
The firm recently setup a new website dedicated in enlightening people about its technology and published the featured video above. The short film depicts what it would probably be like to ride a bike equipped with the Honda DCT gearbox, with much of the stylised film highlighting the ease of riding and the endless possibilities it promises.
Putting the gimmick aside, it is easy to see that Honda is really on to something here with its DCT technology. Dual-clutch or twin-clutch transmissions have contributed towards increased efficiency and reduced emissions in cars, but we reckon bikes would benefit more from the former. With the new Honda DCT website though, Honda intends to send the message of this technology much clearer.
Putting into perspective of bikes, DCTs offer quicker shift times and improved emissions as it is much quicker in its operation as opposed to a regular manual. This is something many have already experiences in some of Honda’s bikes like the VFR1200F, NM4 Vultus, NC700X, CTX700 and, more recently, the all-new Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin adventure bike.
And if recent rumours are to be believed, Honda is aiming to field its DCT technology into its next generation superbikes and perhaps adopting it into its MotoGP program as well. Honda does remain coy about its targeted date and time frame to get its DCT technology implemented in its performance models. Hoever, given the fact that the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade is due for replacement soon, we could probably see its replacement stand as the first production superbike to feature the Honda DCT.
In the meantime, you can visit the site and watch the video to see just what Honda’s ideal vision of future biking would be like with its DCT technology.


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The 2018 visual effects driven film “Higher Power” from director Matthew Santoro is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc on August 14th via Magnet Releasing (Magnolia Home Entertainment). This news comes in an early alert to retailers. It’s worth noting that this will actually be the first 4K UHD Blu-ray release for Magnet and Magnolia. Tech specs for the release include full 2160p 4K video with both HDR10 and Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range and Dolby Atmos sound. The release will come in the form of a “combo pack” including a Blu-ray Disc of the film. It’s available for PRE-ORDER now over at Amazon. No word yet on bonus materials set to be included on the release, but stay tuned for an update.
The film’s director has a pretty impressive list of IMDb credits as a visual effects artist on such films as “300” (2006), “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006), “The Incredible Hulk” (2008), and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009). The trailer originally caught some folks attention back earlier in the year, as you’ll see discussed in an article over on Gizmodo discussing the director’s previous VFX work. With that being said, further below, after the break, you can find the official trailer for the film.


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Toshiba Profits Sink – Toshiba is suffering greatly from having lost out with the failed HD DVD hi-def disc format. They once announced over 26 billion Yen in profits and are now down to 1.25 billion. They also had losses from the prices of the flash memory they make falling greatly. However, they haven’t given up, and later this year plan to introduce a new DVD player that they claim will deliver the same hi-def quality as Blu-ray, but from ordinary DVDs. Standard DVDs currently play back content at about 350,000-pixel resolution, and Blu-ray is six times greater, or about 2 million pixels. Many players and displays now upsample the standard DVD or TV images to display them at 1080p, but Toshiba claims it has a new technology using a large integrated circuit to convert standard def images to hi-res – producing images comparable to Blu-ray from standard DVDs. (It sounds like pie-in-the-sky to us but we’ll see.) Toshiba says the new players will be up to 25% cheaper than Blu-ray players and are expected to go on sale by the end of this year.
Big Budgets at the Met – It has been an exciting and expensive year for the Metropolitan Opera under its general manager Peter Gelb, now in his second season. The live HDTV transmissions to movie theaters worldwide have been a tremendous success and next season again eight complete operas will be telecast. They reached over 900,000 people – more than the total number who attended live performances. The Met has a lively channel going on Sirius satellite radio 24/7, and in spite of the recession, their box-office figures have gone up. The Met’s operating budget has grown over 21% in two years. Last year it had a break-even budget and expects the same next year. 88% of house was sold this season, and 58% of the performances sold out – up 10% from the previous year. There were a total of 28 separate productions, with the orchestra under the leadership of James Levine and with a new chorus master, Donald Palumbo.


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Last week, the administrator of the Homeform Group, the stricken owner of Moben Kitchens and Dolphin, confirmed that it will not pay out on any customer warranties or guarantees provided by Moben, Kitchens Direct, Dolphin or Tecnik appliances.
The news will come as an obvious blow to the thousands of Homeform Group customers who may need to have faults repaired or replacement parts to their Homeform Group bathrooms and kitchens.
The confirmation comes as administrator Deloitte updated creditors on its progress since Manchester based Homeform ceased trading in July last year. Deloitte has said that any costs incurred by consumers in rectifying faults would be considered an unsecured claim against the company – but the chances of seeing any return is negligible.
“The administrators do not anticipate that there will be sufficient funds to facilitate a distribution to unsecured creditors, therefore it is unlikely that you will recover any monies,” a statement from Deloitte said.
In October last year the Manchester kitchen company owed nearly £95m when it went into administration, with £60.5m of that owed to HFUK3 – believed to be the vehicle through which Homeform owner Sun Capital funded the company.
The remaining brands of Moben, Dolphin and Kitchens Direct have been marketed for sale with, -as stressed by the administrator- a number of firm offers to date. It is currently in “advanced negotiations” with one party with a view to finalising a sale of all three brands.
The news echoes the woe of last year which revealed that more than 400 customers of collapsed firm Homeform Group stand to lose as much as £1.5m, with people who paid cash deposits for Moben, Dolphin and Kitchens Direct products left out of pocket.
Moben has some 122 showrooms in the UK and with the head office in the North West they featured very prominently for people buying kitchens in Wigan, Widnes, Southport, kitchens stockport, kitchens in Preston, Liverpool and kitchens Manchester. amongst others.


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SCOTIA, N.Y. (NEWS10) — After much anticipation, Jumpin’ Jack’s Drive-In will be opening the doors for their 2021 season on Thursday, March 25. The Capital Region icon known for their burger, fries and shakes first opening in 1952.
This year customers can enjoy two new menu items this year including sweet potato fries and waffle cones.
The restaurant is open 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. every day of the week.
They’re located at 83 Schonowee Ave, Scotia, N.Y. 12302.


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Cardenas Markets shoppers can track their Cocina order as it’s prepared, picked up and delivered by their DoorDash driver, who will leave items at the door for a contactless experience.
Cardenas Markets has joined forces with DoorDash to deliver the wide variety of fresh and authentic Hispanic dishes prepared daily at the grocer’s Cocinas (kitchens).
“As the needs of our customers and communities continue to shift, as well as their desire to have expanded accessibility to our authentic goods and services, our customers can count on Cardenas Markets to adapt with them,” said Adam Salgado, the company’s CMO. “We’re very excited to bring the convenience of delivery of our delicious, freshly prepared Cocina menu items to our valued customers who are looking for ways to enjoy our authentic offerings from the comfort of their home.”
To order, customers can choose their nearest Cardenas Markets location in the DoorDash app or on the website, select their meals, and then check out. Shoppers will also be able to track their order as it’s prepared, picked up and delivered by their DoorDash driver, who will leave the items at the door for a contactless experience.
San Francisco-based DoorDash connects customers with local and national restaurants in more than 4,000 cities across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Australia.
Ontario, California-based Cardenas Markets operates a total of 53 stores under the Cardenas banner and seven stores under the Cardenas Ranch Markets banner. The company is one of the largest Hispanic grocery chains in the country, with stores in California, Nevada and Arizona.


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TimeVallée has been designed in such a way to offer guests a remarkable & personalized experience while providing an unparalleled journey of discovery for the Luxury Watch Maisons presented.
“TimeVallée is a multi-brand innovative concept developed in 2014 to give our guest’s access to our prestigious Luxury Watch Maisons in one inspirational space,” said Michael Guenoun, CEO, TimeVallée.
Fuad Sharaf, managing director, Majid Al Futtaim, commented, “We are delighted to bring the exclusive TimeVallée experience to our shoppers in City Centre Mirdif. A regional first, TimeVallée adds a new experiential retail offering to the mall that goes above and beyond the traditional retail norms. Showcasing exquisite watches and jewellery from some of the best international brands, shoppers can look forward to immersing themselves in the world of horology in this one-of-a-kind new concept store.”
The pop-up is now open at Mirdif City Centre Dubai, in the Central Galleria Area.


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The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) order on Paytm Payments Bank has raised a few questions among its customers. Allaying all the apprehensions, Paytm’s parent company One97 Communications, stated that the RBI order does not impact any existing customers of Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL).
The RBI last week directed Vijay Shekhar Sharma- promoted Paytm Payments Bank to stop opening new accounts amid “material supervisory concerns” observed in the bank.
RBI ORDER TO PAYTM PAYMENTS BANK
“Reserve Bank of India has today, in exercise of its powers, inter alia, under section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, directed Paytm Payments Bank Ltd to stop, with immediate effect, onboarding of new customers,” the central bank said in a statement.
The bank has also been directed to appoint an IT audit firm to conduct a comprehensive system audit of its IT system.
“Onboarding of new customers by Paytm Payments Bank Ltd will be subject to specific permission to be granted by RBI after reviewing reports of the IT auditors. This action is based on certain material supervisory concerns observed in the bank,” it said.
- This is the third time that Paytm Payments Bank is facing action from the banking regulator since its inception in May 2017. It has been prohibited from opening new accounts for the second time, according to a PTI report.
- Paytm Payments Bank was incorporated in August 2016 and formally began its operations in May 2017 from a branch in Noida. As per the last disclosed numbers, PPBL had around 6.4 crore customers.
- The RBI had in June 2018 too prohibited PPBL from onboarding new customers on account of supervisory concerns. The restrictions were lifted on December 31, 2018.
- The central bank had also issued a show cause notice to the firm dated July 29, 2021, stating that Paytm Payments Bank had committed an offence under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 by submitting false information to RBI confirming completion of the transfer of Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit business by One97 Communications to PPBL.
- The RBI had imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore on Paytm Payments Bank for the offence.
- Sharma holds 51 per cent stake in Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL), while the remaining 49 per cent is held by One97 Communications.
- China-based Alibaba group is the biggest shareholder in One97 Communications with about 31 per cent stake through its subsidiaries.
TOP POINTS FOR CUSTOMERS
- The Company would like to reiterate that this does not impact any existing customers of PPBL, who can continue to use all banking and payment services without interruption, One97 Communications stated in a BSE filing.
- All existing users of Paytm UPI, Paytm Wallet, Paytm FASTag, and bank accounts can continue to use these instruments, including debit cards and net banking, for payments, according to One97 Communications.
- New users can also sign up on the Paytm app, and transact by creating UPI handles and linking them to their bank accounts, or by using third party payment instruments, for transactions on the Paytm app, the company said.
- However, users can not, until further notice, sign up for new PPBL wallets or PPBL savings or current accounts.
NO DATA LEAK
Paytm Payments Bank on Monday said it is fully compliant with the data localisation rules of the Reserve Bank of India and the entire data of the bank resides in the country.
Investors in India’s Paytm do not have access to customer data of its payments bank, CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma told Reuters while seeking to allay concerns over reports of user data being leaked to Chinese firms.


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Marketing agency Pavone, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pavone Marketing Group (PMG), has announced a partnership with Medifast. The company awarded its business to Pavone following a competitive review, making the Philadelphia and Harrisburg-based shop the brand’s creative and digital agency of record. Medifast is the company behind one of the fastest-growing health & […]
The Physicians Foundation is conducting three surveys on the impact COVID-19 has on physicians.
2019 was another great year for the 4A’s Workers’ Compensation Program, with covered payroll increasing to $10.8 billion, and insured employees increasing to 155,000 employees. The 4A’s Captive continues to enjoy a favorable claims trend while insuring more payroll for less premium again in 2019. This overall reduction in the cost of insurance has provided […]
Med Ad News announces the winners of the 2020 Manny Awards, celebrating the best in the healthcare communications industry.
Partnership Supports Programs to Help Break the Chain of COVID-19 Transmission OVERLAND PARK, KS (May 6, 2020) — Intouch Group, a full-service agency network serving the pharmaceutical industry, announced a new partnership today with Heart to Heart International (HHI), a global humanitarian organization focused on improving access to healthcare services. Intouch is donating more […]
UpliftArkansas.com hub for resources for Arkansans amidst COVID-19 pandemic LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 20, 2020) – Mangan Holcomb Partners/Team SI (MHP/SI) and the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) announce a new partnership with mental health practices across Arkansas, led by Chenal Family Therapy PLC. UpliftArkansas.com will now host a directory of mental […]
Pearl Strategy surveyed 1,000 Canadians to understand their health and wellness behaviors.
Nashville, TN (April 16, 2020) – The Buntin Group, through its subsidiary Buntin Out-of-Home Media, today unveiled an outdoor advertising campaign themed #OUTPOUR, designed to celebrate and thank the frontline medical workers fighting coronavirus. Consisting of traditional, poster and digital out-of-home units, the message will be placed across a city that’s known not just for […]
Assets Created for Monroe County in Upstate New York Can Be Downloaded and Adapted for Use Anywhere Rochester, NY, April 6, 2020 – With social distancing a critical part of inhibiting the spread of COVID-19, Rochester-based ad agency Partners + Napier has created a pro bono communications effort to encourage people to stay home or […]
See how Canadian and American consumers rank the most trusted CPG brands in BrandSpark’s annual ranking.
To help reduce the growing strain on U.S. health systems and workers, Lewis Communications today launched a nationwide public awareness campaign and pledge to urge all Americans to stay at home and “Act Contagious.”
4A’s Research surveyed 1000 consumers to understand how consumers feel about brand communication during the pandemic and learn how COVID-19 is changing people’s daily routines.


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Monday 22nd December 2014
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Kiwi Property Group, formerly Kiwi Income Property Trust, has agreed to buy Apex Mega Centre for $64 million as it expands its retail footprint.
The Auckland-based company bought the 16,200 square metre retail centre, across the road from its flagship retail property Sylvia Park, in Mt Wellington, using existing debt facilities, it said in a statement. Apex Mega Centre was wholly owned by a United Arab Emirates-based investor, Murzah International FZE, according to the Companies Office.
“Sylvia Park continues to develop as a dominant retail destination within the Auckland region," chief executive Chris Gudgeon said. "Expanding our retail footprint at this key location enables us to present our customers with a broader, complementary and more compelling retail offer."
Last week, unitholders overwhelmingly voted in favour of corporatisation of the property investor, completing a year-long transformation that saw the property trust take management in house by buying out the contract from Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Shares of the company, its first day of trading as Kiwi Property Group, fell 0.8 percent to $1.245.
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FIRST CUT: Fletcher's annual operating earnings meet guidance
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The keys to the city: Retired locksmith selling master keys that will open subways, elevators and power stations
- Undercover reporter sold 'firemen's key ring' - which can open elevators, subway station gates and electric panels all over New York City
- Ferraris also has listings on eBay for keys from Los Angeles and Boston
A retired locksmith is leaving the door open for anybody who wants to make themselves at home in various areas of New York City’s infrastructure.
Daniel Ferraris, 69, of Union City, New Jersey, is reportedly not asking questions as he sells the keys, which have some crying foul over a possible security breach.
Ferraris recently collected $150 for a 'firemen's key ring' - a collection that can grant access to places like elevators, subway station gates and electric panels in pretty much any building in the Big Apple.
Open: Retired locksmith and key collector Daniel Ferraris could be charged with a crime for selling his keys
The keys were sold to an undercover New York Post reporter - no questions asked - by Ferraris, who peddles a number of antique keys and locks on eBay under the name 'thesixlever.'
The Post reported that as Ferraris handed over the ring, he said the keys 'probably still work, but don’t try to use them.'
The reporter found that the keys did indeed work.
And it’s not just New York, as Ferraris is also selling similar keys for Los Angeles and Boston on his eBay page.
Ferraris told the paper that he has been collecting fire department keys for years, and he got them from both his days as a locksmith and from those selling the items at shows.
Unlocked: An undercover reporter paid $150 for a 'firemen's key ring' that includes keys like the ones above - a collection that can grant access to places like elevators, subway stations and electric panels
The sale outraged a former member of the FDNY.
Speaking to the Post, the ex-firefighter, who was not identified, said: 'With all the anti-terrorism activities, with all the protection that the NYPD is trying to provide, it’s astounding that you could get hold of this type of thing.'
He added: 'Think about the people at Occupy Wall Street who hate the NYPD, hate the establishment. They would love to have a set. Wouldn’t it be nice to walk in and disable Chase’s elevators?'
An eBay listing for a Los Angeles Fire Department maltese cross key includes a note from Ferraris saying: 'I also have some items NOT permitted for listing on EBAY.'
Firemen's ring: Ferraris says he obtained his collection in his days as a locksmith, as well as at various shows
He claims that the keys he sells are obsolete and have not been used in some time, but others disagree.
The former New York City firefighter told the Post that eBay sellers use the word 'obsolete' to get around the auction site’s regulations.
Ferraris refused to comment when told by the Post that he had sold the keys to a reporter, and that having them in his possession could lead to him being charged with a crime.
Among them would be possession of burglary tools - a misdemeanor that's punishable by up to one year in prison.
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The Malibu VIP app, created by Zone, is an online loyalty programme that features content including drinks recipes, games and fashion tips.
Every time a user interacts with this content, they receive VIP points and gain a "status" such as Malibu Mover and Shaker, Idol or Legend.
The higher their status, the greater access they get to more content and givaways, such as designer handbags.
The app can be accessed from Malibu's UK Facebook page.
The app supports Malibu's Malibutique activity, which is an experiential and digital campaign to create the "ultimate dressing room", for getting women ready for a night out.
Malibu is expanding the campaign, now in its second year, to create pop-up dressing rooms in Cardiff, Liverpool and Birmingham from 28 June to 15 July.
Visitors will be able to try partner brands, including ghd and Fake Bake. Heat magazine is sending a style team to the event to offer style tips for the summer.
Heat will also be running a Malibu-sponsored mini-mag in its 29 May issue and will be running a series of Malibu advertorials over the summer months.
Patrick Venning, marketing director at Pernod Ricard UK, said the Malibutique pop-up last year was a "huge success", attracting 12,000 target-consumers in London, Manchester and Birmingham.
He said: "Malibutique serves as a relevant and engaging platform for us to showcase Malibu's versatility to our target audience who love music, fashion and exploring the latest styles for their social get-togethers."
Pernod Ricard is looking to widen the appeal of Malibu, as an all-year-round drink, and last autumn it rolled out a Winter Edition bottle.
Follow Sarah Shearman on Twitter @Shearmans


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The waiting continues as Terrace Bay residents hope the town's idle pulp mill might start-up once again with a new owner — the Mumbai, India-based Aditya Burla Group.
Workers have been out of a job for the past eight months, but recently started thinking they might get to work for the global textile giant.
Those plans are now on hold as a Chinese company tries to make its own case for taking over the mill.
The mayor of Terrace Bay said people are eager to see the mill restarted as soon as possible.
“We just really need to see this pulp mill restarted, not just for our community, but for a really large area including many communities around us that supply this [mill],” Mike King said.
He noted people are pleased with the plans to convert the mill to produce rayon, as it would have a long-term future which could bring stability back to the community.
A spokesperson for the Steelworkers, the union that represents workers at the mill, was told it could be a week before a Toronto judge releases a decision on whether or not to approve the sale of the mill to the Indian company.
“This has been a pretty long process,” King said. “The mill has been shut down and everyone [has been] laid off for the past eight months. So they certainly are anxious to see the purchase agreement finalized and approved by the courts.”
He said the community has been “adversely impacted for a number of years … over the problems with the world economy and the forest industry … People are really looking forward to getting some stability back, and [to] a bright future.”


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It turns out that it does exist: a magazine that prides itself on not altering their models’ faces or bodies in Photoshop. Verily is a fashion and lifestyle magazine aimed at women 18 to 35, and even though that is prime demographic territory when it comes to Photoshop use, the whole purpose of the magazine is to at least begin reversing this trend. Read more…
What if all advertising photos came with a number that revealed the degree to which they were Photoshopped? We might not be very far off, especially with recent advertising controversies and efforts to get “anti-Photoshop laws” passed. Researchers Hany Farid and Eric Kee at Dartmouth have developed a software tool that detects how much fashion and beauty photos have been altered compared to the original image, grading each photo on a scale of 1-5. The program may eventually be used as a tool for regulation: both publications and models could require that retouchers stay within a certain threshold when editing images.
(via Dartmouth via NYTimes)
A Lancome advertisement featuring Julia Roberts caused a stir back in July after it was banned by the UK for being too “Photoshopped”. Now a couple in the US are trying to bring stricter regulation to the United States. Seth and Eva Matlins, founders of Off Our Chests, have started the Self Esteem Act:
We’re asking for support to pass federal legislation requiring advertising and editorial that’s meaningfully changed the human form through photoshopping or airbrushing to carry “Truth in Advertising” labels. The labels will simply state that the models shown have been altered. No judgments, no morality, just clarity.
[...] Photoshopping, airbrushing, digital manipulation isn’t the issue. The issue is too many look at these images and theink they should look LIKE these images. And they can’t…because they’re not real.
So let’s call a duck a duck and modified picture a modified picture. All we’re asking is that if you do it – you tell us you did.
They’re currently trying to raise 10,000 signatures for the petition, which can be signed here.
The Self Esteem Act (via Daily Mail via Xatakafoto)


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Motorola is set to launch its new smartphone coined “Moto E7 Power” in India later this week. The new smartphone has already been listed on Flipkart, which has ultimately revealed a number of key specifications and features.
Scheduled to officially launch on February 19 at 12 noon, the Moto E7 Power can be seen sporting a dewdrop-like notch at the front, while the rear panel houses a vertical camera module that contains two censors and an LED Flash.
The Moto E7 Power will follow the Moto E7 Plus in the Moto E-series as the E7 Plus was launched in September last year. Looking at the specifications revealed on Flipkart, it is likely that the Moto E7 Power is a power-packed budget smartphone from Motorola.
Moto E7 Power specifications and features
Moto E7 Power will feature a 6.5-inch HD+ display that will have a 720 x 1,600p resolution. Under the hood, the smartphone is going to be powered by the MediaTek Helio P22 chipset. This was confirmed by the smartphone’s appearance on the Geekbench listing as it was spotted with this chipset on the benchmark listing site. Moreover, the listing also confirmed that the device will run on Android 10 OS out of the box. Motorola confirmed via a tweet that the E7 Power will feature 4GB of RAM and have 64GB of onboard storage. Moreover, it’ll come packed with a 5,000mAh battery, which will allow you to use the devices for hours before having to recharge once again.
In terms of camera specifications, the Moto E7 Power is expected to sport a dual rear camera setup that houses a 13MP primary camera and a 2MP secondary sensor. For taking stunning selfies and video calling, the device is likely to come with a 5MP front camera. While the camera setup was confirmed by Motorola on Twitter, the company is yet to comment on the sensor details.
The Flipkart listing also revealed that the E7 Power will come with a “fast focusing 13MP dual rear camera”. Meanwhile, the other highlights are a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner for security, a USB Type-C port, 2×2 MIMO network support, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
|Display||6.5-inch Max Vision HD+ display|
|Chipset||Octa-core MediaTek Helio P22|
|OS||Android 10 OS|
|Camera||13MP + 2MP | 5MP|
Moto E7 Power availability in India
While Motorola hasn’t yet announced the pricing details of its upcoming E7 Power, the launch date of the smartphone was confirmed by Flipkart. The e-commerce giant Flipkart has a dedicated page for the Moto E7 Power that reveals that the smartphone will go on sale from 12 noon on February 19. Moreover, it will come in a single – 4GB RAM+64GB internal storage variant.


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When corporates with large supply chains go under, the effects can be devastating for suppliers. Here’s how to avoid being one of them.
The fall of the retail titan leaves some 300 suppliers with substantial bad debts. Nimbla calculates that Arcadia could have left its suppliers with as much as £250 million in unpaid invoices.
The majority of the small businesses affected had not insured their invoices, and so were unprotected against Arcadia’s default on payment.
The default could push Arcadia’s smaller suppliers into insolvency themselves, creating a domino effect that sweeps through the supply chain.
Arcadia Group, which owns brands Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Burtons and Miss Selfridge, joins a host of other major retailers that have entered administration following the pandemic lockdown measures.
These include; Debenhams, Bonmarche, Edinburgh Woolen Mill Group, DW Sports, Oliver Sweeney, Peter Jones, TM Lewin, Monsoon, Victoria’s Secret, Aldo, Oasis and Warehouse Group, Cath Kidston, Laura Ashley.
Around 600 major corporations have entered administration in 2020, with devastating effects for their smaller suppliers. Other than retail, the sectors with the most insolvencies were the leisure, real estate and hospitality sectors.
Even under normal trading conditions, it’s not a question of whether your business will be hit by a customer default on payment, but when. In 2019, small businesses were owed £23.4 billion in late payments by suppliers (Pay.uk data). This year, SMEs have written off £5.8 billion in bad debt (debt that won’t be paid).
Small businesses are especially vulnerable to recessionary shocks. The average firm is currently owed £63,000 in unpaid invoices. For many businesses, this has resulted in severe constraints on cash flow, and two thirds of businesses say they are on the verge of insolvency as a result (ONS data).
At the time of writing, the Government restrictions on winding up processes are due to end on 31st December 2020, which could trigger a “flood” of insolvencies in the subsequent months, according to the ONS. The danger is not just a credit bubble that restricts recovery, but an insolvency domino effect that wipes out supply chains.
Thankfully, there are ways you can protect your business in the upcoming months. For free, real-time insights into the credit worthiness of your customers, sign up for Nimbla today. There’s no obligation to purchase insurance, but protection against defaults starts at just 0.2% of the invoice value.


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A Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows report covering October-December 2018 shows a dramatic spike in malware attacks, targeting mobile devices and which has seen unsuspecting Kenyans defrauded in online platforms. A proliferation of mobile applications on popular online stores is thus exposing Kenyans to increased cyberattacks and fraud, the latest sector statistics. ‘‘In particular, there was a rise in cases of malware and the sale of stolen data and credentials including personal data and credit card information,’’notes the report in part. Additionally, the report notes that cyber criminals are targeting their attacks on end-users who have limited cyber security skills. In the three months, the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team –Coordination
Truecaller is introducing its own Chat, an instant messaging (IM) service to chat with your Truecaller friends and help avoid the spreading of viral fake news. With the aim to make communication safer and to preventing fake news from circulating, the IM platform will allow people to report spam messages and links, ensuring that fake news is not circulated unchecked by our community. Truecaller has helped erode spam faced by users as phone calls through the Caller ID and has also smoothened the SMS experience by filtering unwanted messages. As a step towards decreasing the spread of fake information, we’re looking to our community to help report fake articles, misinformed blogs, and any type of websites that could pose threats or even cause viruses. Additionally, Truecaller Chat is bu
As part of efforts to address food shortages as well as make agriculture attractive and beneficial to Nigerians, agricultural technological firm, Farmcrowdy, has unveiled a digital application called Farmcrowdy. The organisation stated that it's also currently empowering more than 2000 Nigerian farmers across the country. The Chief Executive Officer of Farmcrowdy, Onyeka Akumah, disclosed that the application is an agricultural platform which connects small scale farmers and sponsors investors' who are ready to produce more food for the country, while also focusing on assisting them with the latest farming techniques and funds to make their lives more meaningful. Akumah who spoke at Farmcrowdy first year anniversary and the recent launch of the application in IOS, windows and And...
Google is bringing their virtual Google assistant, An artificial intelligence (AI)-powered helping hand , to more Android phones this week. Already offered on Google’s Pixel phones, Home personal assistant, Allo messaging app, and Android wear devices, Google Assistant will be available on all smartphones running Android 7.0 Nougat and Android 6.0 Marshmallow starting this week, the company has announced. This marks yet another expansion into the mobile environment for Google, which is predicting that Assistant could reach “hundreds of millions” of devices. However, just under 31 per cent and slightly over one per cent of Android devices are currently using Marshmallow and Nougat respectively, the company says. Whether a user needs to know how to say “nice to meet you” in Korean
The mobile apps industry is growing tremendously with social apps reigning supreme. Additionally, Consumers are spending more time on their apps than ever before. Over the past half-decade, the proliferation of mobile devices has transformed us into an app-driven society, presenting marketers with new opportunities to connect with consumers by creating more interesting and sophisticated apps to command their attention. Yahoo’s mobile analytics wing Flurry released a new study, State of Mobile report for 2016, that reports that Thousands of mobile apps appear every day and with the pace at which they are growing, in the next couple of years, these apps will cannibalize one another. However, the study mentioned that time spent in social media and messaging apps grew by an ast


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Seeking to be the Groupon of the automotive world, WheelsNeedDeals.com recently launched in Plainview, offering weekly deals on anything from oil change packages to key finders.
Using a collective buying approach, the website is able to offer discounts on a variety of car-related products and services.
While online deals are available nationwide, deals for individual brick-and-mortar stores are currently only available in the Long Island and Queens markets.[dmc-related-post-wp numitems="3" title="Also read"]
Family Auto in Baldwin and Bethpage Car Wash in Bethpage have already signed on with WheelsNeedDeals.com to offer discounted services.
“Car owners want to know that their automobile is being taken care of by top-level professionals,” said Jeff Cohen, WheelsNeedDeals’ co-founder and vice president of operations. “Before we sign a merchant to our program, all WheelsNeedDeals potential merchants are thoroughly vetted by our staff to ensure our members a hassle-free experience with merchants they can trust.”
Cohen founded the company along with fellow Plainview residents Jimmy Palakis and Jared Kugel. The trio also offer weekly car-care tips through the website’s blog.
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