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VNG, Vietnam's top consumer tech company, just announced that its chat app, Zalo, just hit 30 million registered users.
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FPT, Vietnam's largest tech company, with revenues over a $1 billion per year, is now opening its own $3 milion-per-year seed fund, FPT Ventures.
Seedcom is one of the more promising vertically integrated venture builder funds in Vietnam. It comes from a generation of successful entrepreneurs and young promising talent.
Xiaomi is by far China’s most important tech company. Its founder embodies all of Silicon Valley’s greatest heroes, from Bill Gates to Steve Jobs to Elon Musk.
Since we just had Startup Asia Jakarta, Andre and I thought it’d be apt to take a close look at some numbers that give us a picture of what Indonesia is like. Each of these numbers tells a different s...
With the megaton investments of GrabTaxi and Uber, we take an intimate look at the war raging in Vietnam's taxi market. Who are the players and how are they faring?
CocCoc, a Russian-backed Vietnamese search engine, just released its Mac browser. And it’s set on kicking Google out of Vietnam.
Vietnam’s startup scene is in an existential crisis. What does this mean for the young startups that want to build for the future? They should just go global.
Here’s 13 Vietnamese mobile app studios that are available for client work. They come from all backgrounds to build mobile apps for foreign and local clients.
Topica Founder’s Institute has just graduated its latest batch of startups. Three of them have already been funded. Can you guess which?
Uber has now arrived in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. That makes two cities in Vietnam, that’s a pretty fast expansion in three months.
What makes the Alibaba and Amazon billionaires tick and how does that influence their companies?
There's startups in Vietnam focused on the new frontiers of the internet and MegaNet is intent on becoming the Cisco of Vietnam, pioneering all new router technology.
The Vietnamese government, via the Ministry of Science and Technology, is intent on making a bigger impact on the startup ecosystem in Vietnam. It knows that innovation will key to the next generation...
If you want to build products and companies that can compete on the world stage, don’t pay attention to where you are from. Look forward.
HaiVL is one of Vietnam's most promising media startups. It cloned the 9gag funny image model and achieved 4 million uniqe visits per day within 2 years.


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It looks like Apple has accidentally leaked a new band for the Apple Watch.
The lack of an option to buy the strap — along with the fact it is missing from a list of straps of the Czech Apple Store available now — suggests it may be launching at some point in the future, and the page was inadvertently set live early.
Here it is from another angle:
The regular Milanese Loop strap sells for $149 in the US, and £129 in Britain.
Business Insider has reached out to Apple for comment, and will update this story when it responds.
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The company said the addition of this new AI key to its keyboards will “usher in a significant shift toward a more personal and intelligent computing future where AI will be seamlessly woven into Windows from the system, to the silicon, to the hardware”.
Writing on Microsoft’s blog, Yusuf Mehdi, the company’s executive vice president, consumer chief marketing officer, said 2024 will be “the year of the AI PC”.
He added, “The introduction of the Copilot key marks the first significant change to the Windows PC keyboard in nearly three decades. We believe it will empower people to participate in the AI transformation more easily.
“The Copilot key joins the Windows key as a core part of the PC keyboard and when pressed, the new key will invoke the Copilot in Windows experience to make it seamless to engage Copilot in your day to day.
“Nearly 30 years ago, we introduced the Windows key to the PC keyboard that enabled people all over the world to interact with Windows. We see this as another transformative moment in our journey with Windows where Copilot will be the entry point into the world of AI on the PC.”
Keyboards featuring the new Copilot key are expected to be unveiled at this year’s CES. Microsoft said availability will begin in late February through to Spring.
Microsoft unveiled Copilot last March, with the product combining large language models (LLMs) with Microsoft 365 user data to improve productivity.


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This year has been one that most investors won't soon forget. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic brought on the fastest bear market in history, followed by a rapid recovery -- and even new all-time highs -- for some of the biggest and most well-known stocks out there.
At the same time, online stock trading app Robinhood has gained in popularity, particularly with young, unseasoned investors, who quickly turned to the platform in droves, hoping to cash in on the once-in-a-lifetime investing opportunity.
While not all of their favorite picks are worthwhile (and some are actually pretty risky), Robinhood investors have been laying out their hard-earned cash on these high-growth stocks during the trailing 30-day period ended July 27, 2020.
Driven to Tesla stock
Without a doubt, the single most popular stock among Robinhood investors over the past 30 days has been electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla (TSLA -1.10%). A whopping 217,873 of the platform's investors have added Tesla to their accounts in the past month, bringing the total to 537,244. This surge in popularity has led the company to become the eighth most popular stock among the investing app's members.
Robinhood investors are no doubt enthralled by Tesla's recent impressive rally. Even after a pullback over the past couple of trading days, the stock has still gained an impressive 49% in the past month alone, and 242% so far in 2020.
Tesla has made headlines in recent weeks, as it surpassed several major milestones that bode well for the company's future, while also helping line founder Elon Musk's pocket in the process. The electric carmaker reported its fourth consecutive quarter of GAAP profitability during its second-quarter financial report last week, making the stock eligible for inclusion in the S&P 500.
The recent electrifying rally drove Telsa's stock briefly above a market cap of $300 billion, though it has cooled somewhat over the past several days. The stock's performance has also resulted in a lucrative payday for Musk, making him eligible for an additional 1.69 million stock options. With a strike price of about $350, the enigmatic inventor could reap a payday of more than $2 billion, though he is restricted from selling the shares for the next five years.
Those metrics help to illustrate the bright future that's ahead for Tesla, so it's little wonder that Robinhood investors have the EV carmaker at the top of their lists.
Buying up Amazon stock
Another stock that's been a huge hit with Robinhood investors over the past 30 days is e-commerce giant Amazon.com (AMZN -1.57%), attracting 117,908 investors in the past month. This makes the tech giant the twelfth most popular holding overall among Robinhood members.
Amazon has been in the news since the coronavirus pandemic struck, no doubt keeping the company top-of-mind for Robinhood investors adding to their portfolios. The company's seen a surge in online retail orders from consumers sheltering in place. Demand for Amazon Web Services (AWS) -- its cloud computing service -- has also increased as companies across the globe scrambled to adopt remote work. Amazon Prime Video and Music have also helped entertain families stuck at home.
The tech titan is due to report its second-quarter earnings later this week, and the question isn't whether Amazon's business will grow, but by how much. During the first quarter, revenue growth accelerated to 26% year over year, up from 17% in the prior-year quarter, and marking the highest pace of growth since third-quarter 2018. CEO Jeff Bezos said that Amazon planned to spend all of its expected $4 billion operating profit, and potentially more, on "COVID-related expenses, getting products to customers, and keeping employees safe."
Robinhood investors are also no doubt aware of Amazon's surging stock price, which has rallied more than 64% so far in 2020, easily outpacing the breakeven performance of the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ, which has gained about 16%.
With multiple growth generators and the pandemic far from over, it's easy to see why Robinhood investors find Amazon such an intriguing buy.
A bite of Apple stock
Another high-profile stock that's a hit with Robinhood investors is none other than Apple (AAPL -3.00%). Considering the affinity that millennial consumers have for the tech titan's devices, it's little wonder that 89,346 Robinhood investors have added Apple to their plate over the past 30 days. This makes the device maker the sixth most popular stock overall on the investing platform.
While sales of the iconic iPhone took a hit last quarter, there are a number of other growth drivers that keep Robinhood investors coming back to the Apple well. Earlier this year, Apple reintroduced the iPhone SE, its budget-conscious device, giving cash-strapped consumers another smartphone option.
Additionally, the company's services and wearables categories have stepped in to help take up the slack. Over the past four quarters, Apple's services segment has produced more than $50 billion in revenue, growing to more than 18% of the tech giant's total sales. At the same time, the wearables, home, and accessories segment has generated more than $28 billion and grown to nearly 11% of Apple's total revenue.
Sales edged higher in Apple's fiscal second quarter (ended March 28, 2020), climbing 1% year over year, while services revenue reached a new all-time high and wearables notched a new quarterly record. This combination of growth drivers has helped Apple outperform the broader market, gaining 28% so far this year.
Robinhood investors are no doubt keen on Apple's continuing prospects and current performance, making the iconic device maker a favorite among Robinhood investors.


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A “bonfire of red tape” has repeatedly been promised by the Coalition but Government departments’ performance in meeting the commitment has been inconsistent, reports The Telegraph.
Mr Fallon, who was given the role in Vince Cable’s department to be “the voice of business” in the recent reshuffle, said: “One of my briefs is to make sure all departments are playing their part.”
He admitted the red tape drive, which he insisted is now building “momentum”, can be undermined by the “constant pressure” from European regulations – which fall outside the Government’s so-called “one-in, one-out system”.
Ministers seeking to implement new regulations that impose costs on businesses first have to identify existing measures of “equal value” that can be removed.
“I’ll be going to Brussels to ensure a commitment from Europe for smarter regulation is met. But the more constant that flow [of European regulations], the harder we have to work domestically,” said Mr Fallon.
The British Chambers of Commerce has warned that efforts to reduce poorly conceived rules are being undermined by the flouting of the one-in, one-out promise.
In July, the BCC found the volume of proposals for new regulations being made outside the flagship deregulation policy is making “a mockery of the whole system”. Half of all new proposals for regulation this year were “not in scope” of one-in, one-out, up from 42pc last year.
Departments have also been accused of failing to quantify the costs to business of new rules and exaggerating the savings associated with outgoing regulations in order to allow complex and costly new red tape to be brought in.
“There have been difficulties with scoring,” Mr Fallon said. “I’m getting to work on that. With the Prime Minister’s permission, I’ll chase ministers up and down Whitehall.”
Mr Fallon was speaking ahead of his appearance on Thursday at the Made entrepreneur festival in Sheffield, where he announced a plan to free “innovative, challenger” businesses from outmoded regulations. “New innovative, [often] internet-based businesses can face barriers to entry because of regulatory regimes designed for a different age,” he said.
For example, the Government plans to amend the Estate Agents Act to exempt property portal websites from rules which say they should check that the descriptions of homes in adverts are accurate.
The Regulatory Policy Committee, the independent red-tape watchdog, will be asked to scrutinise sectors that may be affected by outdated rules and publicly advise the Government “where regimes should be relaxed”.
Innovative companies will be asked to tell the Government which regulations they feel are no longer appropriate.
“It will help us to identify barriers to growth that hold businesses back,” Mr Fallon said.
He indicated that the Government views self regulation as most appropriate for so called ‘peer-to-peer’ lenders, online services which link up retail investors with private and corporate borrowers.
“We have to be careful the first wave [of these businesses] don’t pull the drawbridge up behind them.”
Rhydian Lewis, chief executive of RateSetter, a consumer lending peer-to-peer website, said this represents a “significant development for the sector”.
He added that it was “testament that self regulation has achieved the goal of providing increased protection for consumers and small business customers”.
Mr Fallon also told entrepreneurs at the Made event that there are now 22,000 trained mentors available “across the UK” for small businesses through Mentorsme, an online advice directory operated by the British Bankers’ Association.


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Every second one truck full of clothes is dumped in landfills across the globe. 95% of those clothes could have been recycled, repurposed or reused. We live in a world that produces 22 million tonnes of textile waste per year…That’s as heavy as 310,000 airplanes!
“We can’t just consume our way to a more sustainable world” – Jennifer Nini.
It was found in a 2021 report by Monash Sustainable Development Institute, that 100 billion garments are produced globally each year, with 33% going to landfill within the first year of purchase.
In addition to this terrifying figure, it also came to light earlier last year that many fast fashion brands send over half their returns to an incinerator or landfill just to save themselves a bit of money…
At Luxe To Kill, we are striving to make a change to this, we never dump or destroy returns. Any spoiled or damaged goods are washed before being donated to charity or even sent off to be recycled.
All the items returned to us in ‘as new’ condition are restocked and resold to our lovely, loyal customers.


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Need to Know
- Facebook Shop is a new tab available directly in the Facebook mobile app and via browser.
- The tool will display merchandise collections that are curated by Facebook alongside those of individual stores and merchants, which Facebook users can follow within the Shop tab.
- Purchases can be made directly through Facebook Shop using Facebook Commerce Manager, Shopify, or BigCommerce.
- Merchants can monitor customer behavior directly in-app, using Facebook’s Commerce Manager analytics tool.
Facebook is making it easier for shoppers and merchants to buy and sell directly within the social network, unveiling Facebook Shop, a new retail hub available directly within the Facebook app and browser version.
Facebook Shop, which is an offshoot of Shops, which Facebook revealed in May, is a centralized location for merchants who have set up storefronts within Facebook. Accessible through a new tab on Facebook, Facebook Shops will feature themed merchandise collections curated by Facebook, as well as individual merchant shops organized by category.
In addition, Facebook has unveiled new features for merchants that allow them to better customize their Shops, including new layout templates, the ability to preview collections to customers as they’re designed, and the ability to track customer behavior within Customer Manager, an analytics tool.
Facebook Shops has added several functionalities that allow the purchasing journey to exist entirely within the Facebook ecosystem. Facebook Shops allows customers the ability to purchase items directly within Facebook, using Facebook Commerce Manager, Shopify, or BigCommerce. Additionally, customers and merchants can communicate directly with one another via Messenger.
The new Facebook tools are being complemented by an expansion of shopping functions within Instagram. Most notable among them is Instagram Live Shopping, which allows customers to purchase products that are being showcased in a merchant’s live video. These purchases can be made via Instagram Checkout, which means customers can buy products without leaving the Instagram app.
Facebook’s product launches have recently shown the company’s strategic emphasis on ensuring that users of their various tools and platforms remain within the Facebook ecosystem. Earlier this month, the company launched Facebook Financial, which will oversee Facebook Pay and Facebook’s other financial initiatives, Libra (Facebook’s own cryptocurrency network), and Novi, the digital wallet created for Libra. This product is being positioned as a competitor to Venmo and CashApp: users will be given the option to transfer funds directly within Facebook, by sending links through Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and can engage in Facebook Shops without utilizing third-party finance apps.
Facebook has been consistently innovative in offering shopping options within its platform and via Instagram, which it purchased in 2012. But a number of its competitors are offering similarly innovative options: Google, for instance, which began offering e-commerce integrations in 2002 and launched Google Shopping in 2012, launched video shopping in July of this year. Shoploop, which is Google’s video shopping platform, allows users to scroll product reviews and testimonials in video form. If a user is interested in a product, they can then click on the video to buy directly through Shoploop, or save the product for later.


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Oculus had to weather some fan backlash and skepticism when the virtual-reality hardware firm announced in March that it was being sold to Facebook for $2 billion. But now, it's facing a much bigger problem: a possible legal challenge from one of the country's largest video game companies.
ZeniMax, which is based in Rockville, Md., said in a statement to The Washington Post that it had "recently sent formal notice of its legal rights to Oculus concerning its ownership of key technology used by Oculus to develop and market the Oculus Rift." ZeniMax also said that it's prepared to take "necessary action to protect its interests."
The average person probably knows ZeniMax best as the parent of subsidiary Bethesda Game Studios, the team responsible for mega-hits such as The Elder Scrolls games and Dishonored. But several other studios fall under its umbrella -- including id Software, a studio co-founded by Oculus chief technology officer and legendary game programmer John Carmack.
According to the ZeniMax statement, Carmack worked extensively on virtual reality research and development projects when he was still employed by the Maryland company, including some projects with Oculus VR in 2012 and 2013. When Carmack left ZeniMax, the statement said, Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey acknowledged in writing -- ahead of the Facebook deal -- that ZeniMax owned the intellectual property for the work Carmack did there during that time period.
"The proprietary technology and know-how Mr. Carmack developed when he was a ZeniMax employee, and used by Oculus, are owned by ZeniMax," the statement said. ZeniMax also said that Luckey agreed not to disclose the technology to third parties without the Maryland company's approval.
The statement also said that the two gaming firms had tried to strike a deal that would compensate ZeniMax for its technology by giving the firm equity ownership in Oculus but that they were "unable to reach a satisfactory resolution."
For its part, Oculus isn't going down without a fight. In a statement sent to The Post, the firm said that ZeniMax is in the wrong. "It's unfortunate, but when there's this type of transaction, people come out of the woodwork with ridiculous and absurd claims. We intend to vigorously defend Oculus and its investors to the fullest extent," the statement said.
Facebook declined to comment on the matter.


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Telecommunication company Safaricom on Monday announced new internet packages for small to medium-sized businesses in Kenya.
The company introduced three new options for unlimited internet connectivity delivered through Safaricom Fibre.
The packages are Ksh3,999 ($39.99) for 3 Mbps monthly unlimited internet connectivity, Ksh5,499 ($54.99) for 5 Mbps and Ksh14,999 ($149.99) for 10 Mbps.
“We committed to be simple, transparent and honest across all our products and operations. As part of this pledge we are renewing our promise to our enterprise customers by introducing packages that suit their business needs, optimising our response time and by ensuring we deliver simple solutions with easy and transparent processes,” CEO Michael Joseph said.
According to Safaricom, it has already connected close to 3,000 buildings to its fibre network and plans to have another 1,500 buildings connected by March 2020.


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Walmart Stores Inc. today reported financial results for the first quarter ended April 30, 2013.
Net sales for the first quarter were $113.4 billion, an increase of 1.0 percent over last year. Net sales last year benefited by 1.0 percent from the extra day due to leap year. On a constant currency basis, net sales would have increased 1.8 percent to $114.2 billion, according to a news release. Membership and other income increased 1.6 percent vs. last year, due primarily to an increase in membership income. Total revenue for the first quarter was $114.2 billion, a 1.0 percent increase over last year.
Consolidated net income attributable to Walmart for the first quarter was $3.8 billion, up 1.1 percent. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) attributable to Walmart were $1.14, a 4.6 percent increase, compared to $1.09 last year.
“In a quarter marked by considerable headwinds to top-line sales, Walmart delivered solid EPS growth of 4.6 percent,” said Mike Duke, Walmart Stores Inc. president and CEO. “Walmart’s mission is simple and focused—to help people save money so they can live better. When we simplify and focus our execution against this mission, it’s easy for our associates to prioritize what they have to do to serve our customers.
“I’m confident about our long-term strategy and the direction Walmart is headed,” Duke added. “Our expectations about our U.S. businesses’ performance, coupled with more discipline in International, will allow us to improve our performance throughout the year.”
Duke also noted that e-commerce sales grew more than 30 percent in the first quarter vs. last year.
“There is no doubt that our company is making the right investments in e-commerce to differentiate ourselves and become a better Walmart,” said Duke. “And with our sales growth in the first quarter, we believe our investments are paying off.”
The company’s operating expense leverage was relatively flat for the first quarter, but the commitment to leverage for the full year remains a priority, the news release says.
“We are proud that our U.S. segments leveraged operating expenses in the first quarter, and we expect them to continue leveraging,” said Duke. “To operate in a difficult sales environment requires disciplined expense and productivity management, the core of EDLC and EDLP. We are committed to have the total company achieve expense leverage for the year.”
“Although we believe our company will leverage expenses for the year, the second quarter will be challenging, given expense pressures in International and our corporate area,” said Charles Holley, EVP and CFO. “Expense leverage may not be delivered evenly across the quarters, but we believe that by executing our plans, we will continue to reduce expenses and improve productivity.”
“We deployed cash to grow our business and return value to shareholders,” said Holley. “Despite the multiple headwinds during the quarter, we grew operating profits ahead of sales growth. Our balance sheet is strong, and we continue to grow.”
During the first quarter, the company repurchased approximately 30 million shares for $2.2 billion. In addition, the company paid $1.6 billion in dividends. As previously announced, the company increased its dividend by 18 percent for fiscal 2014 to $1.88 per share.
Return on investment (ROI) for the trailing 12 months ended April 30 was 17.8 percent, compared to 18.1 percent for the prior trailing 12 months ended April 30, 2012. The decline was primarily the result of acquisitions, along with an increase in fixed assets within Walmart’s base business.
Walmart ended the quarter with free cash flow of $1.9 billion, compared to $3.1 billion in the prior year. An increase in income tax payments due primarily to changes in federal bonus depreciation rules and an increase in capital expenditures contributed to the free cash flow decline.
“Given current business and economic trends, including currency, we expect second quarter EPS to be in the range of $1.22 to $1.27,” said Holley. “Investments in global e-commerce initiatives were forecast to have an incremental $0.09 impact for fiscal 2014, and this remains in our guidance. We expect the Q2 impact to be in line with the $0.02 per share we had in the first quarter. In addition to e-commerce initiatives, expenses related to FCPA matters are expected to range from $65 to $70 million for the second quarter.”
Last year, Walmart delivered $1.18 in EPS for the second quarter.
Net sales, including fuel, were as follows:
• Last year’s net sales included an extra day for leap year, which added approximately 1.0 percent growth in the first quarter of last year.
• On a constant currency basis, Walmart International’s net sales would have been $33.8 billion, an increase of 5.4 percent over last year.
• Net sales for Sam’s Club, excluding fuel, were $12.2 billion, an increase of 0.5 percent from last year.
• Consolidated net sales, on a constant currency basis would have increased 1.8 percent to $114.2 billion.
“On a constant currency basis, Walmart International’s first quarter sales were $33.8 billion, up 5.4 percent. Our stores in the U.K., Africa, Mexico, Central America, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, China and India delivered positive comp sales,” said Doug McMillon, Walmart International president and CEO. “Comps in Canada and Japan declined. We grew our share in seven of our 11 markets.”
During the 13-week period, the Walmart U.S. comp was negatively impacted by a delay in tax refund checks, challenging weather conditions, less grocery inflation than expected and the payroll tax increase, the news release says. Comp traffic was down 1.8 percent, while average ticket increased 0.4 percent.
“Despite comps being lower than expected, we continued to generate market share gains,” said Bill Simon, Walmart U.S. president and CEO. “According to The Nielsen Co., we gained 20 basis points of market share in the measured category of ‘food, consumables and health and wellness/OTC’ during the 13 weeks ended Apr. 27, 2013.”
For the 13-week period ending July 26, Walmart U.S. expects comp store sales to increase from flat to 2.0 percent. Last year, Walmart’s comp sales rose 2.2 percent for the comparable period.
“The second quarter is off to a good start, with positive comps,” Simon said. “We continue to believe in the strength of our strategic plan to deliver a broad assortment with EDLP. We also continue to monitor the impact of the 2 percent payroll tax increase, along with other factors, like fuel prices.”
In the first quarter, Sam’s Club comp traffic was up 1.3 percent, while ticket was down 1.1 percent for the 13-week period ended April 26.
“Comp sales for the first quarter were impacted by unfavorable weather and less than expected inflation,” said Rosalind Brewer, Sam’s Club president and CEO. “Our business member is an integral part of our business, and comp sales and traffic patterns indicated that they remained pressured in the first quarter. Small business optimism remains at historically low levels, as businesses adapt to higher payroll taxes and cautious consumers.”
As of May 15, Sam’s Club increased its membership fee to $45 nationwide for both Advantage and Business base memberships, reflecting a $5 and $10 increase, respectively. The fee for Plus membership remains $100. This is Sam’s Club’s first fee increase since January 2006.
“The combination of our strategies, including our membership fee increase, positions us well for the second quarter, and we have a number of events to drive sales,” said Brewer. “Members will experience exciting merchandise, heightened by local brands, all displayed with a new level of visual excitement.”
Sam’s Club expects comp sales, excluding fuel, for the current 13-week period ending July 26 to increase from 1.0 to 3.0 percent. Last year, for the 13-week period, comp sales, excluding fuel, increased 4.2 percent.
Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club will report comparable sales for the 13-week period ending July 26 on Aug. 15, when the company reports second quarter results. For fiscal year 2014, Walmart will report comparable store sales on a 53-week basis, with 4-5-5 week reporting for the fourth quarter.


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ASUS currently has a team of engineers working on Android-based netbooks, according to Eee PC team leader Samson Hu. However, despite the investment in development, the decision to release an Eee PC running the Google open-source OS has not been made.
Hu gave no specific details about the team and their exact intent, but it seems likely that ASUS are viewing Android as a cross-device platform to replace the existing Linux OS. ASUS have already committed to producing an Android-based smartphone, which we’re expecting to see sometime in 2009, and according to company executive Jonney Shih the handset would be able to act as a remote control for multiple ASUS products.
Google have been open about their intent to not only position Android as a smartphone platform but also as one for ultraportable devices, set-top boxes and other consumer electronics. Recently, an unnamed Android team member disclosed that Intel are heavily promoting Android-based netbooks, and that Chinese firms are particularly keen to embrace the open-source OS.


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When a beauty brand rules an entire country as the #1 best-selling makeup line, you know it’s gotta be good. When it also happens to be wallet-friendly enough to be sold at Walgreens? Get ready to thank the beauty heavens. Swedish brand IsaDora is coming to the US.
IsaDora is the best-selling color cosmetics brand in Sweden, according to statistics from The Swedish Cosmetics, Toiletry and Detergent Association, reports WWD. Nailing the line between the luxe feeling you get with high-end boutique makeup and the deal high you get from drugstore beauty, IsaDora is launching on Walgreens.com this month.
If the brand (already sold in department and drugstores in 40 countries around the world, according to WWD) looks familiar, that’s because it is. The line was sold at Walgreens here in the US back in 2005 when Walgreens was first building out its beauty aisle before it disappeared from shelves in 2008.


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The former tech giant accidentally reveals what it has been working on lately.
In a stunning turn of events, International Business Machines has finally shown the public what it actually does.
Since creating Watson in 2011, no one knows what IBM does anymore. The three most influential investigators in American politics — the FBI, CIA and KGB — all have failed to find what IBM does in their office buildings leftover from when people still bought desktop computers.
After their stock underperformed since investors have no way of knowing what they are purchasing, the former tech giant has wallowed in loneliness. But on April 1, 2018, all that changed for the better.
A horde of over 10,000 brain-eating drones blocked out the sun that morning. Each robot was programmed to devour any civilian’s brain on sight. For unknown reasons, Apple product users were more frequently targeted.
Of course, the American public cheered the onslaught of devilish automatons. After many dark years of living in ignorance, people have found what they have been doing all this time.
We spoke to one ecstatic civilian, Sue Smith.
“This is fantastic! These things are so cool! And imagine all the jobs that will be created to clean this mess up! Also, think of the military applications! Oh, and don’t forget about … aaaaahh!”
Smith tragically met her end toward the end of the interview as a drone sank its titanium teeth deep into her cranium. She looked happy.
Ginny Rometty, CEO of IBM, commented on the affair.
“We went through many phases to design these machines. We originally had them attached with speakers to play Bruno Mars music. But we figured that would violate restrictions on cruel and unusual punishment, so we went with brain-eating.”
When asked whether the affair was an accident, Rometty remained calm.
“Did this increase our stock? Yes. Was that worth the human lives sacrificed? Of course. But no. Releasing them was an accident of an intern.”
The intern she spoke of, Superninja6969, has been promoted to CIO.
Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett-Packard, expressed her frustration on the matter.
“How did they beat us to it? Now what do we do with our thousands of flesh-eating robots disguised as toasters? You know how hard it was to convince the public that HP was making toasters in the first place?”
Some say the drones could positively affect the economy as well. With fewer brains in the market, the market for intelligent jobs would remove its glut.
This event may open doors for other tech companies to accidentally release their secret products for the betterment of humanity as well. Tesla may lose its giant death robot, for example. Or Apple will release its iPhone 15, which it probably developed a few years ago and will hold so they can continue making each iPhone only slightly better than the last so they can sell a new phone each year.
As the sun sets over the carnage of what used to be Tulsa, humanity rejoiced in hopeful song. Millennials, though dying, can have comfort in another tech company producing overpriced goods that border on the unethical.


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October was a surprisingly good month for national newspapers. Let me explain. The total market declined in the first half of the year by -5%. This rate slowed in the summer to -3%, but then speeded up again in September to -5.1%. So October's -3.7% year-on-year fall is something of a relief, especially given that comparisons are with a period of intense DVD promotions.
However, the picture is mixed. The popular market is down by -2.7% year on year, with the dailies (-0.9%) faring much better than the Sundays (-4.3%). The cut-price Star continues its long-term circulation surge. With a +20% jump on weekdays and a +3% rise on Sundays, it is the only paper to show a year-on-year increase. The 30p Sun is down by only 1.1%, but it has just enraged independent retailers by cutting their margins by more than a penny a copy. The Mirror (-9%) and the People (-10%) continue to suffer.
The mid-markets are down by -3.2% year on year. Here both the Daily Mail (-0.5%) and the Mail on Sunday (-3.4%) are outperforming their Express competitors, helped by a major home delivery campaign.
Activity is intense in the quality sector, which is performing significantly below the rest of the market, down by -7.2% on weekdays and -6.4% on Sundays. The underlying trend has been bad for some time, but stripping out bulk sales is starting to have an impact, most noticeably for the Telegraph, which has pulled 27,000 bulks out of circulation between September and October, resulting in its topline figure dipping below 800,000.
The Guardian and the Observer are now completely "bulk free" and News International has announced that it will have reduced its titles' dependence on bulks massively by January. Yet, looking at the overall market, there are still more than 40,000 more bulk sales in circulation now than a year ago, showing that it is going to take some time before this channel is truly "cleansed".
The marketing focus of the qualities is clearly shifting from bulks to subscriptions. The attractions of dealing directly with the reader while increasing the frequency of purchase is powerful. The two Telegraph titles continue to dominate the retail subscription market with over 330,000 subs on the daily and 325,000 on the Sunday, but the Times titles and the Guardian/Observer have driven subscription sales aggressively – the Guardian from a standing start at the beginning of the year to over 32,000 subscriptions in the October ABCs. Both the troubled Independent titles are using bulks and heavily incentivised subscriptions at the same time. On the daily, bulks are up by 3,500, year on year, to just under 40,000 (28% of its total UK ABC) and subscriptions from nothing a year ago to 3,900 in October.
Yet the push for subscriptions is not without its setbacks. A major voucher scam has recently been unearthed in London – professional counterfeiters infiltrated fake vouchers into the system, sucking in more than 100 retailers over a period of several months. The fraud, which has hit News International and other publishers, totals hundreds of thousands of pounds. The investigation into the full scale of the scam and who has been involved is ongoing.
London remains a fascinating battleground. The demise of the 500,000 free distribution the London Paper and the 400,000 London Lite, together with the conversion of the Evening Standard's 128,000 paid-for sale into a 600,000 free distribution, are causing massive turbulence in the capital with unpredictable consequences for paid-for national newspapers.
The writer is managing partner of Wessenden Marketing – wessenden.com


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April 24 is observed as ‘Fashion Revolution Day’, and the week of the same date is known as ‘Fashion Revolution Week’. Fashion Revolution is a global movement calling for greater ethics, sustainability and transparency in the fashion industry. Fashion Revolution Day commemorates the anniversary of the2013 Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh, when nearly 1133 people died and over 2500 were injured. These were the victims of an industry dominated by large global corporate groups and their sponsored media who encourage a dream lifestyle of selfishness, apathy, superficiality and greed to a growing worldwide audience.
Fast fashion is an industry which provides the latest fashion at low prices. It is an industry that thrives on planned obsolescence, ignorance and waste. It promotes the increase in consumer’s demand for buying more and more by creating a culture of fast changing trends. To keep up with the insatiable need for buying more and more, the consumer chooses to buy cheaper products, thus compromising on the quality, with a view that he or she doesn’t need it to last as the trend will change soon. This creates a cycle in which one buys more, discards more, either because the trend has changed, or the piece of clothing bought is so poorly made that it falls apart in no time.
The fashion industry as a whole is one of the largest industries in the world, employing one sixth of the world’s population. But it is also the second most polluting industry in the world. It uses more water than any other industry apart from agriculture. Statistics have suggested that up to 20,000 litres of water can be consumed to produce a single pair of jeans. It discharges chemicals into the environment, uses huge amounts of energy and is a major contributor to global warming.
Fashion is indeed a massive human, social and environmental disgrace in need of a paradigm shift. The need of the hour is to create a holistic way to minimize waste and make people embrace sustainability in their regular lifestyle.
Conscious fashion doesn’t only mean that the fabric has to be organic, but also the techniques applied in creating the garment has to be ethical. If you want to make a difference in your clothing, adopt a few small changes.
Choose natural fibres like cotton, linen, silk, wool and jute.They decompose faster. One way of reducing the price of a fast fashion item is by increasing the percentage of cheaper artificial fibres in the fabric. These fibres are not only uncomfortable for the wearer, but are harmful to the earth when they end up in landfills at the end of their lifecycle.
Choose natural dyes as opposed to chemical dyes that pollute the earth and cause harm to human and animal health. The textile industry generates toxic waste, including bleach and sulphuric dyes that are directly dumped into nearby rivers.
Choose organic cotton. It keeps the soil fertile and the absence of chemical pesticides means that it doesn’t harm human health. You may even prevent a farmer suicide as the cost of GMO seeds is 4 to 10 times higher than native cotton seeds; they’re sterile and require the use of pesticides which are also expensive.
Choose handloom fabrics, handcrafts and hand embroidery. You would be contributing to the income of an artisan and his family and supporting a craft. Many textiles and crafts are on the brink of extinction in India. The onus is on the consumer to support these crafts and sustain traditions.
Choose to up-cycle and recycle clothing. Not only will you be giving your clothes a second life, you will also be minimizing wastage.
Find out who made your clothes. The fast fashion industry has sustained due to the lack of information to the consumer about how and where the garments have been made. If the consumer really saw this, the demand for cheap clothing wouldn’t be there. The fast fashion industry is based on unacceptable labour laws of the underdeveloped countries. In these areas, to be able to compete and quote lesser prices than the neighbouring countries, they are forced to compromise on the working conditions and wages of the workers. They are further burdened with late delivery charges, in which the buyer can deduct a minimum of 5 per cent for each week’s delay. Research the brand you wear, follow them on social media and learn about their company policies.
Yves Saint Laurent said, “Fashion fades, style is eternal.” Rather than focusing on changing trends and fashions, it is more important to adopt sustainability and stay stylish.
Ninoshka Alvares-Delaney is a fashion designer and is available at www.ninoshka.co.in


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This Lobby Speaks Software And Carries A Big Stick
Software has become a potent force in the U.S. economy. That's the message that the Business Software Alliance (BSA), a trade group, hoped to get across on Mar. 10, when it planned to descend on Washington. With industry executives and two Senators on hand, it planned to release a report showing that software is now the fastest-growing industry in America. From 1982 to 1992, the report says, the industry grew by 269% in real terms, compared with 30% for the rest of the economy. U.S. software companies now employ 421,000 people, up from 127,000 in 1982. And in terms of value added to the economy, software, at $34 billion, overtook computers and office equipment in 1990.
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Volvo is promising a wider range of smaller products when its S40 and V40 range is replaced in 2003. Bosses believe the platform for the replacement will be more versatile and a larger range of vehicles will help the company reach its increasing sales targets.
The car will share the platform used for the Ford Mondeo and will be built at Ghent, in Belgium, where the S60 and V70 are built. The Swedish manufacturer hopes its worldwide sales will reach 600,000 by 2005/6 - nearly one third more than its current output.
Next year a sport utility vehicle will join four other product lines currently using its large car platform and a similar variety of vehicles are expected. Diesel engines are likely to be sourced through the Ford-PSA partnership, which is currently developing engines for the Ford group and Peugeot and Citroen


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The organization of the petroleum exporting countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC oil producers (Russia) will meet on July 1-2.
Gold ascends at start of busy trading week
On Monday, gold soared in the beginning of a busy week because market participants looked ahead to major American economic reports to evaluate how it will affect the Fed’s view on monetary policy in the nearer months.
Gold futures tacked on about 0.2% being worth $1,277.04 a troy ounce.
On Friday, the number one precious metal concluded at $13.30, down 1%, although still booked a weekly revenue of nearly 0.4%, thus marking its first weekly ascend for the last four weeks.
Investors will closely watch a few American economic reports, with Wednesday's inflation news in the spotlight, for new clues on the probable trajectory of monetary policy.
Aside from the inflation report, this week's calendar also offers American data on retail sales, building permits, producer prices, housing starts, industrial output and also surveys on manufacturing conditions in the Philadelphia as well as New York regions.
The Fed is expected to hold its final policy gathering of the year on December 12-13. Traders hope for a rate lift at that meeting.
In July, Britain's inflation rate rallied for the first time in 2018, thus leaving many UK households feeling quite squeezed by prices, soaring at nearly the same tempo as their wages…
On Friday, the evergreen buck rallied versus its counterparts after data disclosed that the American economy generated more jobs than anticipated In October, thus backing the Fed’s case to proceed with gradual rate lifts…
On Tuesday, gold rallied because uncertainty over the latest developments in Britain’s departure from the EU backed safe haven demand and traders looked ahead for American inflation data to underpin the Fed’s pledge to remain on hold…


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New study measures impact of co-ops on New Brunswick economy
The study, conducted by University of Moncton professor André Leclerc for the Co-operative Enterprise Council of New Brunswick and the Coopérative de développement régional - Acadie, found that the province's co-operative sector is responsible for the creation of more than 12,400 direct and indirect jobs and contributes $117.4 million to the province in taxes.
The study also deals with the impact of the co-operative movement in such areas as sustainable development, social housing, sponsorship of community programs and integration of people with special needs. Co-operatives also support local producers by purchasing their products: for example, more than 40 per cent of the value of products sold in Co-op Atlantic’s co-op stores are bought from businesses in the Atlantic provinces.
Go to www.cecnb.ca/pdf/EconomicImpactNB2010-06-29.pdf to download the study


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Iresa, an energy supplier with less than 100,000 domestic customers, has ceased trading. The energy supply of Iresa customers will continue as normal, and their outstanding credit balances protected under Ofgem’s safety net.
Ofgem has announced that it will choose a new supplier to take on Iresa’s customers. This supplier will contact these customers individually when this process is complete.
Ofgem has recommended that in the short term that customers don’t switch supplier and take a meter reading and wait until your new supplier contacts you. This will make the process of handing Iresa’s customers over to a new supplier, and paying back their outstanding credit balances, as hassle free for these customers as possible.
Rob Salter-Church, Ofgem’s interim executive director for consumers and markets, said “If you are an Iresa customer there is no need to worry as we will make sure your energy supplies are secure and your credit balance is protected. Ofgem is working to choose a new supplier as quickly as possible for you. Whilst we’re doing this our advice is to ‘sit tight’ and don’t switch. Your energy supply will not be affected and will continue as normal – the thing that will change is that your energy will come from a new supplier.”
Iresa was the UK cheapest and most complained-about energy supplier.


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Minnesota state health and food safety officials are warning Minnesota consumers not to eat fresh, whole peaches supplied by Wawona Packing Company and purchased at retail locations including Aldi and Target after linking Salmonella infections to the produce.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to consumption of peaches supplied by Wawona Packing Company.
According to the MDH, several people that have fallen ill reported purchasing peaches from Aldi, Target, and possibly other retail locations. On August 19, Aldi announced a recall of peaches from Wawona Packing Company, including both loose and bagged peaches.
Foodsafetynews.com reports that, so far, there have been 68 reported cases of Salmonella Enteritidis resulting in 14 hospitalizations in 9 states. — Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The full CDC report can be read here.
- Target Item # 267-03-4038, Peach per pound; UPC # 492670340386
- Target Item # 266-03-0010, Peach by the each; UPC # 204038000005
- Target Item # 266-03-0002, 2 lb peach bag; UPC # 033383322056
- Target Item # 267-50-4044, 2 lb organic peach; UPC # 849315000400
- Target Item # 267-03-4405, White Peach per pound UPC # 492670344056
Target is in the process of removing peaches from its stores. Customers who have purchased the peaches should not consume them and dispose of them immediately.


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It’s been 10 years since Keeping Up With The Kardashians first aired on TV. This week, we examine how the world's most famous family has entertained us, angered us, and made an indisputable impact on our culture.
“Once I have a kid I’m not going to be on Instagram,’ she said in the cover story. “You know, I’ll probably delete my Instagram and just… I don’t know, live life.”
Between the pregnancy rumors and having 97.7 million followers on Instagram, we’re certain Kylie Jenner will make it to 100 million followers very soon.
Jenner who launched her beauty brand in November of 2015, has already created a cushy empire for herself turning a $29 lipstick business into a $420 million empire. This was all done in less than two years. Social media played a major role in spreading the word about the Lip Kit brand.
She's also been hailed as the Queen of Snapchat, having garnered the most followers in 2016. That’s an awful lot of influence for one 20-year-old.
Splashy graphics and advertising campaigns aside, Jenner’s supporters were no doubt tempted to feed their every makeup indulgence after seeing her sport the line herself. And while it may seem unrelated, surely Jenner’s own personal Instagram account, with its many provocative selfies, angled ever-so-perfectly, awash in just enough sunlight, inspired a few sales?
A number of celebrities have leaped from the Instagram train over the past year or so, for various reasons. However, not many have a business model steeped so heavily in social media shares. To say Jenner’s line is lucrative is an understatement — the company has made $420M since it's launch.
Maybe Jenner will switch gears and focus on her Snapchat game, considering her continued reigning status. Then again, at 18 I vowed to go vegetarian only to find myself in college eating turkey sandwiches, months later.
Perhaps we shouldn’t hold Jenner to her word.


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Indian cryptocurrency platform raises $ 19.4 million
Coin DCX, an India-based cryptocurrency exchange, continues to aggressively expand its business by raising new funds to boost its investments.
According to the Coin Telegraph website, which specializes in the economies of cryptocurrencies, the platform collected about $ 13.9 million from investors, bringing the total sums raised by the company to about $ 19.4 million in December.
The platform said it plans to use the newly raised funds to further boost the adoption of cryptocurrency in India, using products aimed at bringing together about 50 million Indian citizens to invest in cryptocurrency trading and services.
The platform recorded a 20% growth in trading volumes, and a 12% increase in the number of new dealers during the past two quarters.
It also witnessed a 21% monthly growth in trading volume in October 2020.
CEO and co-founder of Coin DCX, Sumit Gupta, said the platform had tripled its employee base from 30 in March 2020 to 90 in December.
He added that this year is the most exciting for the company.
The remarkable growth of the Indian trading platform in 2020 shows that the adoption of the cryptocurrency is on the rise in India, after the country's Supreme Court canceled the Reserve Bank of India ban on banks providing services to crypto companies.
Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news


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If one of your resolutions for this year is to eat more healthy foods, one way is to start sleeping better.
According to a study by King’s College London, sleeping for longer each night is a simple lifestyle intervention that could help reduce intake of sugary foods and lead to a generally healthier diet.
As part of their study, the researchers looked at the impact of increasing sleep hours on nutrient intake. They found that extending sleep patterns resulted in a 10-gram reduction in reported intake of free sugars compared to baseline levels. The researchers also noticed trends for reduced intake of total carbohydrates reported by the sleep extension group.
Principal investigator Dr. Wendy Hall said, ‘The fact that extending sleep led to a reduction in intake of free sugars, by which we mean the sugars that are added to foods by manufacturers or in cooking at home as well as sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juice, suggests that a simple change in lifestyle may really help people to consume healthier diets.’
The study followed the sleep patterns of 21 participants.


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New Delhi, July 28
Emphasising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar India mission, Railway and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday launched the SBI-IRCTC bank card that provides a number of advantages to rail passengers.
“We are strongly committed in making Railways ‘Atmanirbhar’ in all the fields with ‘Make in India’ initiatives as envisaged by the Prime Minister. The IRCTC-SBI co-branded credit card is one of the many Make in India activities undertaken by the Railways,” he mentioned whereas launching the cardboard.
Highlighting its security options, the Minister mentioned the cardboard engaged on RuPay platform is provided with Near Field Communication (NFC) know-how whereby the customers can expedite their transactions on the POS machines by simply tapping as an alternative of swiping it.
He additional mentioned that the State Bank of India (SBI) card is designed to reward frequent railway travellers.
“The new credit card offers the rail passengers maximum savings proposition on their travel together with exclusive benefits on retail, dining and entertainment as well as transaction fee waivers,” Goyal mentioned.
He additionally mentioned that the cardholders will obtain as much as 10 per cent worth again on 1st AC, 2nd AC, third AC, Executive Chair Car and AC Chair Car bookings made on the Indian Rail Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) web site.
He mentioned that the cardboard additionally gives on-line transaction price waiver (1 per cent of transaction quantity), 1 per cent gas surcharge waiver and 4 free entry to premium lounges at railway stations in a 12 months (one per quarter).
According to railways, the customers of the bank card will obtain 350 bonus reward factors upon activation of the cardboard with a minimal spent.
“The users can redeem the accumulated reward points against purchase of train tickets on IRCTC’s ticketing website. In addition to savings on rail travel, the IRCTC-SBI card offers several benefits for online shopping portals. Customers can avail discounts while shopping at e-commerce sites,” the ministry mentioned in a press release.


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- Retailers of all types are aggressively entering the advertising business.
- Adtech companies have increasingly emerged to help them build and scale these businesses.
- These 10 companies are helping companies like Walmart, Dollar General and Klarna crack retail media.
This is the 10th in a 10-part series that examines Amazon’s booming advertising business: the people powering it, the ripple effects on other businesses, and what’s next.
Retailers like Walmart, Michaels and Kroger are aggressively building advertising weapons and advertising technology companies want to cash in.
Retailers see an opportunity to capture a slice of an industry dominated by Amazon but growing. Boston Consulting Group estimates that e-commerce advertising will grow to $100 billion by 2026, representing 25% of total digital media spend.
Retail media is also a way for retailers to compensate for their small margins. BCG suggests that gross margins for ads sold on a retailer’s own website are at least 70%, versus retail margins of 19% to 38%.
“Retail media produces a pool of profits that can be transformative in financing a retailer’s key strategic bets — it’s net new profit,” said Lauren Wiener, director and partner at BCG.
With billions at stake, a cottage industry of startups and tech giants, including Criteo, PromoteIQ and The Trade Desk, has sprung up to help retailers sell ads on their websites and across the web.
These retail adtech companies help retailers with a wide range of services. For example, Michaels outsources his advertising sales to the advertising agency Criteo, while Walmart works with The Trade Desk for its programmatic advertising. Two competing adtech companies, CitrusAd and Criteo, both build tools for Target’s advertising platform. Other ad-tech companies help advertisers manage their purchases across the vast retail landscape so that they reach a large enough audience.
Matt Prohaska, the CEO of Prohaska Consulting, compared the growth of the retail adtech industry to the early days of social media advertising, when dozens of third parties emerged to help advertisers buy ads on Facebook, Twitter and Snap. Many of those companies struggled when the social media companies started offering advertisers similar tools for free, and Prohaska predicted that retail adtech companies could follow a similar path. He said he also saw these adtech companies as acquisition targets for retailers.
“There is definitely interest in the M&A market to acquire some of these companies when they scale up and with the right valuations,” he said.
Insider identified 10 companies, listed alphabetically, that help retailers set up ad businesses. We have provided funding or revenue figures where available.


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Wirecard logo on a phone
The UK's financial watchdog has lifted restrictions on German payments company Wirecard, allowing it to resume payment activities.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) imposed restrictions on the company's UK arm after its collapse last week.
Thousands of people could not
"Our primary objective all along has been to protect the interests and money of consumers,"
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Deliveries of electric vehicles (EVs) in China nearly tripled in the third quarter over the April-June period, according to a report released on Tuesday by rating agency Fitch.
The accelerated sales helped to mitigate sharp drops in production and sales of traditional internal-combustion-engine vehicles.
EVs increased their share of total passenger vehicle sales in China to 18.6% from 13.2% in the second quarter.
However, overall China car production fell 12% and sales dipped 11.9% year on year, as the global microchip supply chain was strained by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially among suppliers in Malaysia. The ongoing chip squeeze saw auto sales in China fall 12.4% in June, for example, from the corresponding month a year earlier.
Wholesale deliveries of internal-combustion cars plunged by 25%.
“The prolonged chip shortage disrupted production of most leading Sino-foreign joint ventures, including the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of the previously outperforming luxury and Japanese brands,” Fitch said in a note on Tuesday.
However, the chip shortage is not having a uniform effect on all manufacturing. This year has seen increases in smartphone production, among other goods.
However, supply bottlenecks have weighed on automotive retail sales with dealers’ inventories falling to the lowest since early 2018.
China’s EV makers have seen a share rally this week, with Xpeng and Li Auto up nearly 10% and Nio up as much as 2%.
“EVs have become increasingly popular, especially as battery costs have fallen, charging times have declined, and charging infrastructure has spread,” said Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management.


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The “ACTION CAM” industry all over the world has been rapidly growing double every year. Mountain climbing, Skydiving,
Snowboarding, Surfing are quite the ones in the world and today, more people enjoy extreme sports than ever before.
Associated with these sports characteristics, ACTION CAM is an ideal and optimized for video shooting in these sports. In
the past, there were relatively bulky, expensive, with limited memory and compatibility to others. But recently it is rugged,
inexpensive, compact, portable device and surprisingly affordable so that this “ACTION CAM” has become common and
now it is time of popularity. As everyone knows, Camcorder/Camera are in its declining year but the marketplace of
“ACTION CAM” offers excellent potential for increasing sales and expects to post double digit sales growth in every years.
The study, released this week, estimates that shipments for wearable cameras, which include everything from action cameras
to body cameras, will increase from last year’s 7.4 million to 24 million by 2021. Tractica estimates that the market will be
worth about $3.4 billion by the end of that period.
Action cameras sales worldwide are forecast to increase from 8.5 million units in 2015 to nearly 11 million in 2016. It is
likely to see growth in unit sales and revenue through at least 2019, according to Futuresource Consulting. The worldwide
action camera market grew 44% in 2014, reaching 7.6 million units, with a retail value of $3.2 billion, Futuresource said in a
report Friday. (7/08/2015)


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LAST UPDATED : Apr 18, 2021, 02:39 PM IST
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- Covid-19: Mamata Banerjee slams BJP govt over vaccine price disparity
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- OnePlus Watch Goes Live On Amazon Today; Find Prices, Specifications Here
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- 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa India-launch on April 26
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Only a few months passed after Italian air traffic controllers were on strike. Now they are going to hold on strike for one more day – on May 8th. The majority of Italian airports will be affected, so passengers who have plans to travel from or to Italy next Tuesday should be aware and check their flight status.
Travel delays and cancellations can be expected from 10:00 until 18:00 (local time). Therefore, passengers should prepare for all kinds of disruptions at the Italian airports: longer queues at the check-in, security, and baggage drop-off checkpoints are unavoidable. In accordance with Italian law, minimum levels of services must be guaranteed during the mentioned nationwide strikes.
“A number of strikes are increasing every year. Unfortunately, passengers usually have their flights delayed or even cancelled because of the strike actions. But even during this kind of flight disruptions passengers have their rights. Carriers need to take care of their customers according to the EC 261/2004 Regulation,” comments Marius Stonkus, the CEO of flight compensation company Skycop.


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Apple provides detailed reasoning behind abandoning iPhone CSAM detection
A child safety group pushed Apple on why the announced CSAM detection feature was abandoned, and the company has given its most detailed response yet as to why it backed off its plans.
Apple's scrapped CSAM detection tool
Child Sexual Abuse Material is an ongoing severe concern Apple attempted to address with on-device and iCloud detection tools. These controversial tools were ultimately abandoned in December 2022, leaving more controversy in its wake.
A child safety group known as Heat Initiative told Apple it would organize a campaign against the choice to abandon CSAM detection, hoping to force it to offer such tools. Apple responded in detail, and Wired was sent the response and detailed its contents in a report.
The response focuses on consumer safety and privacy as Apple's reason to pivot to a feature set called Communication Safety. Trying to find a way to access information that is normally encrypted goes against Apple's wider privacy and security stance -- a position that continues to upset world powers.
"Child sexual abuse material is abhorrent and we are committed to breaking the chain of coercion and influence that makes children susceptible to it," wrote Erik Neuenschwander, Apple's director of user privacy and child safety.
"Scanning every user's privately stored iCloud data would create new threat vectors for data thieves to find and exploit," Neuenschwander continued. "It would also inject the potential for a slippery slope of unintended consequences. Scanning for one type of content, for instance, opens the door for bulk surveillance and could create a desire to search other encrypted messaging systems across content types."
"We decided to not proceed with the proposal for a hybrid client-server approach to CSAM detection for iCloud Photos from a few years ago," he finished. "We concluded it was not practically possible to implement without ultimately imperiling the security and privacy of our users."
Neuenschwander was responding to a request by Sarah Gardner, leader of the Heat Initiative. Gardner was asking why Apple backed down on the on-device CSAM identification program.
"We firmly believe that the solution you unveiled not only positioned Apple as a global leader in user privacy but also promised to eradicate millions of child sexual abuse images and videos from iCloud," Gardner wrote. "I am a part of a developing initiative involving concerned child safety experts and advocates who intend to engage with you and your company, Apple, on your continued delay in implementing critical technology."
"Child sexual abuse is a difficult issue that no one wants to talk about, which is why it gets silenced and left behind, added Gardner. "We are here to make sure that doesn't happen."
Rather than take an approach that would violate user trust and make Apple a middleman for processing reports, the company wants to help direct victims to resources and law enforcement. Developer APIs that apps like Discord can use will help educate users and direct them to report offenders.
Apple doesn't "scan" user photos stored on device or in iCloud in any way. The Communication Safety feature can be enabled for children's accounts but won't notify parents when nudity is detected in chats.
The feature is being expanded to adults in iOS 17, which will enable users to filter out unwanted nude photos from iMessage. Apple hopes to expand these features to more areas in the future.
Read on AppleInsider


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With the cost of diesel reaching £2 a litre across the UK many of us are attempting to drive more economically in a bid to spend less on fuel amid the cost of living crisis.
But as some motorists are discovering, changing gear sooner, staying in a higher gear and running your car on a half-empty tank can actually cause problems with diesel engines which could lead to a bill for thousands of pounds. One Lancashire mechanic, Tim Hill from Penwortham Garage, explained why driving diesel cars economically isn't always the best bet.
"The problem is that we're being conditioned, not only through rising fuel prices but also because of this desire to be greener, to drive more economically," Tim told LancsLive. "In a lot of diesel cars there is a process of regeneration, carried out by the diesel particulate filter, and if you have less than 15 litres in your car then it won't regenerate.
"It's definitely an issue that we're coming across. If people are trying to stick to short journeys and to drive more economically, then the DPF won't regenerate and this will cause problems for your engine as the soot builds up."
A diesel particulate filter (DPF) is a filter that captures and stores exhaust soot in order to reduce emissions from diesel cars. But because they only have a finite capacity, this trapped soot periodically has to be emptied or 'burned off' to regenerate the DPF.
DPFs have fitted to diesel cars for the last two decades, in a bid to reduce emissions, and it is illegal to remove one. It can also invalidate your car insurance.
Michael, a mechanic at Albion Mills Garage in Lancaster, says it is 'definitely becoming more of an issue'. "We have tended to see that it's more the older generation, or those who just drive to the shops and back, who have issues with their DPFs getting blocked up but it's definitely becoming more of an issue," he told LancsLive.
"At the end of the day diesel cars need a good run so I'd recommend once a week taking it on a good run on the motorway, and you can even Google how long your car might need to regenerate, and I'd make it a weekly maintenance task because if you don't do it then you might end up needing a new DPF which can cost a lot of money."
What causes a diesel particulate filter blockage?
Short journeys at low speeds are the prime cause of blocked diesel particulate filters. This is why car makers often go as far as recommending city-bound short-hop drivers choose a petrol car instead of diesel (and it’s why diesels are something of a rarity in the city car sector).
Other things that are bad for DPFs include poor servicing. A diesel particulate filter on a poorly serviced car may fail sooner than a well maintained one, generally, they should last for at least 100,000 miles.
It’s important you use the right type of oil as well – some oils contain additives that can actually block filters. Performance modifications can damage a diesel particulate filter, as can using low-quality fuel and even running the car frequently on a low fuel level as the car may avoid DPF regeneration in order to save fuel. (information from the RAC)
Regeneration occurs when the car is running at speed on long motorway journeys which allows the exhaust temperature to increase to a higher level and cleanly burn off the excess soot in the filter. So it is advised that drivers regularly give their diesel vehicle a good 30 to 50 minute run at sustained speed on a motorway or A-road to help clear the filter.
- DWP's PIP review sees thousands wait up to a year for vital cost of living help
- Martin Lewis warns households will pay £273 a year without using energy at all
- Latest cost of living news
- DWP benefit claimants to get free cash to help cover Christmas costs
- Martin Lewis explains problem with Liz Truss' rumoured energy freeze plan


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Relief efforts in Japan began even before the first horrible pictures came back, and they are of course continuing. It was just a matter of time before charity albums appeared, but the first one I’ve seen happens to be a gem:
In what stands as a major global music relief effort to benefit those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, over 30 of the biggest names in contemporary music have joined together for the worldwide release of “Songs for Japan,” an unprecedented compilation of 38 chart-topping hits and classic tracks, available worldwide on the iTunes Store for $9.99.
How unprecedented? John Lennon is on it (“Imagine,” of course). How much of that $9.99 is actually going to support disaster relief?
Proceeds from “Songs for Japan” will be directed to the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) to support its disaster relief efforts. The society will use the funds for the ongoing provision of immediate relief and for eventual recovery support to the affected population. The artists participating on “Songs for Japan,” the music labels and music publishers have waived their royalties and proceeds from the worldwide sales of the album to ensure that the JRCS receives as much support as possible from this global initiative. iTunes will also donate its proceeds from the album’s worldwide sales to the benefit of the JRCS, and has prominently featured the project throughout its stores worldwide.
Some of these I already had, and some of these I might not have admitted to having if I had them yes, there’s a Justin Bieber track but hey, it’s ten bucks for thirty-eight tracks. I’m in.


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Editorial: Promoters are picking the wrong fight
Saturday's championship bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao generated an estimated $475 million in ticket sales and pay-per-view fees, a tribute to the promoters' ability to frame the long-delayed fight between two past-their-prime welterweights as an epic event.
So masterful was their marketing that many fans resorted to watching bootlegged versions of the broadcast sent from cellphone cameras pointed at TV screens.
Not satisfied with their record-breaking haul, the promoters are now threatening to sue the companies that provided the technology used to broadcast the bootlegs — a technology, by the way, that the promoters themselves had used to build the pre-fight hype. Instead of wasting the courts' time, they should think about the opportunities the new technology presents to satisfy their audience.
Copyright owners have been fighting a losing battle against online bootlegging ever since the original Napster song-copying service introduced mass-scale piracy in 1999. Napster turned every computer into a potential source of free music; now, live streaming technologies such as Skype, Twitter's Periscope, Meerkat and Apple's FaceTime turn every smartphone into a potential source of free video. Unlike Napster, though, these technologies were created for a legitimate purpose: to let people stream live, original videos. Piracy is just an unfortunate byproduct.
Why would anybody watch the fight of the century through the lens of a smartphone? Well, that might have something to do with ticket prices that started near $3,000 and pay-per-view fees of $90 to $100 (the highest ever for a fight). But it also might have something to do with the social nature of Periscope et al, which give users a seat in a virtual venue with an interactive global audience.
Offended by the online moochers, the president of Top Rank Inc., which promoted the fight alongside Mayweather Promotions, threatened Sunday to take legal action against the technology companies. The problem for Top Rank is that the law doesn't require Periscope and its rivals to prevent bootlegging. It requires them to take down bootlegs promptly when alerted to them (which Twitter says it did), and it bars them from encouraging people to use their networks to commit piracy.
It's one thing to target companies that obtain and deliver bootlegged goods. It's another to take on the provider of a communications tool that's protected against liability by federal law.
Rather than lashing out at such grass-roots broadcasting platforms, Top Rank needs to take a step back and consider what happened over the weekend. The biggest story wasn't that some people found a way to watch the fight for free, but that so many paid to do so.
©2015 Los Angeles Times


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Future Cars Charted: Ford to Change Almost Entire Lineup Between 2013 and 2016
The car business is big business—very big business. And charting the changes from year to year can be a little tough. But when investment banks get involved, their goal is to be absolutely sure of what's on the horizon to keep investors interested in the right companies, referencing knowledge of future products and the market overall. Heavy hitter Bank of America and Merrill Lynch did some homework, and they think Ford's gonna be the one to beat in the U.S. In a report called "Car Wars," which they publish annually, the banks say that the 2012 to 2016 prospectus for Ford shows 106 percent of their products being revised or replaced in the near term. How can there be more than 100 percent? Easy. It means Ford's adding some new, not-yet-seen vehicles to its lineups including the 2014 Lincoln MKD small crossover, 2014 MKC small sedan, and what they're calling the 2016 Lincoln Aviator large crossover that will likely replace the Navigator or MKT. Filling in the gaps will be the new 2013 Ford C-Max, Transit commercial van, and redesigned versions of almost all the current Ford cars but the Focus, Explorer, and Flex. The investment analysts say Ford will have one of the youngest model lineups on the market along with Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and the Korean brands. But the Korean brands will be coming out with fewer and fewer new products, according to the information used by the investment firms, suggesting their share of the market will actually decline. And the market will be tightening up with redesigns and refreshes driving new vehicle sales. Meaning the old expression "He who has the most toys wins" will have a certain amount of validity to it in the next few years. Looking at the report with a certain amount of skepticism, it's hard to take it all as gospel. Save for another dip in the recession, all indications point to the auto market rebounding to pre-2008 levels in the not-too-distant future, but with a caveat: Customers are going to want more for their dollars, suggesting the Korean brands aren't as bad off as Merrill Lynch and BoA are reporting. They may not maintain market share, but if they don't, it'll only be because the market is growing at a faster rate than their sales. Additionally, most of the product rollouts the investment firms are mentioning are speculative. There are some obvious omissions on the list of redesigned (2014 Kia Sedona) and some pretty obvious additions that may take a little more than a spoonful of sugar to go down, such as Volkswagen bringing its pint-sized Polo to the U.S. next year. We're sure their insiders parsed through PR jargon like the rest of us to get some of their information, but a good bit of it seems to be prodded along in a bubble of enthusiasm—sort of like BoA's outlook on derivatives of subprime loans back in the 2000s. It's fun to look at, and we think there's a modicum of validity that demonstrates the notion of a resurrection of the American Big Three in the U.S. But we get that from using some common sense—not by trying to establish something that isn't there. But then again, investment firms have historically been very, very good at the latter. Click here to see the full report. A subscription may be required. Source: Automotive News
When we got our first look at the Fisker Atlantic ahead of this year's New York International Auto Show, we...


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Bronze sponsor announced for National Awards of Excellence
By Alice Richard
Thursday, 06 April, 2017
Hayward Pool Products Australia has been announced as the bronze sponsor for the 2017 SPASA Australia National Awards of Excellence. The award winners will be announced in August 2017 at Jones Bay Wharf in Sydney.
“We’re excited to be a part of this event that celebrates the achievements of our industry and have our brand aligned with the industry’s night of nights,” said Tony Sharpe, managing director of Hayward Pool Products Australia.
Hayward Pool Products Australia is a subsidiary of global manufacturer Hayward Industries, Inc.
A full sponsorship prospectus for 2017 SPASA events is available here.
SPASA Australia has appointed a new sales executive: David Stennett. Stennett will oversee sales...
The organisers of the SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show have issued a call for papers for the...
SPASA Australia has appointed Australasian Exhibitions and Events (AEE) to manage its Adelaide...


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Verizon just started getting serious about Windows Phone 8, but it looks like they aren’t stopping there. A reader over at WPCentral snapped a picture of a Microsoft Surface tabletn display in a Verizon store. The manager at the store said that Verizon would be selling them “soon.”
The Surface tablet is only WiFi enabled, so it’s unlikely we’ll see a LTE model. Currently you can only buy Surface tablets online or in Microsoft Stores, so getting a little retail help from Verizon should help a lot. Hopefully the Windows 8 Pro versions start popping up soon, too.


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Zomato has raised $250 million, two months after closing a $660 million Series J financing spherical, because the Indian meals supply startup builds a war-chest forward of its IPO later this yr.
Kora (which contributed $115 million), Fidelity ($55 million), Tiger Global ($50 million), Bow Wave ($20 million) and Dragoneer ($10 million) pumped the new capital into the 12-year-old Gurgaon-headquartered startup, Info Edge, a publicly listed investor in Zomato, disclosed in a submitting (PDF) to an area inventory change. The new investment provides Zomato a post-money valuation of $5.4 billion, up from $3.9 billion in December final yr, mentioned Info Edge, which owns 18.4% stake in the Indian startup.
The new investment reinforces the sturdy confidence traders have in Zomato, which struggled to lift cash for a lot of final yr. Zomato, which acquired the Indian meals supply enterprise of Uber early final yr, competes with Prosus Ventures-backed Swiggy (valued at about $3.6 billion) in India. Together they work with over 440,000 supply companions, a bigger workforce than that employed by Indian Department of Posts.
A 3rd participant, Amazon, additionally entered the meals supply market in India final yr, although its operations are nonetheless restricted to components of Bangalore.
At stake is India’s meals supply market, which analysts at Bernstein anticipate to balloon to be value $12 billion by 2022, they wrote in a report back to purchasers. With about 50% of the market share, Zomato is the present chief among the many three, Bernstein analysts wrote.
“We find the food-tech industry in India to be well positioned to sustained growth with improving unit economics. Take-rates are one of the highest in India at 20-25% and consumer traction is increasing. Market is largely a duopoly between Zomato and Swiggy with 80%+ share,” wrote analysts at Bank of America in a current report, reviewed by TechCrunch.
Zomato and Swiggy have improved their funds in current years, which is particularly spectacular as a result of making a living with meals supply may be very typically tougher in India. Unlike Western markets such because the U.S., the place the worth of every supply merchandise is about $33, in India, the same merchandise carries the value tag of $3 to $4, in keeping with analysis corporations.
Both the startups eradicated a whole lot of jobs final yr because the coronavirus pandemic hit their companies. Zomato co-founder and chief government Deepinder Goyal mentioned in December that the meals supply market was “rapidly coming out of COVID-19 shadows.”
“December 2020 is expected to be the highest ever GMV month in our history. We are now clocking ~25% higher GMV than our previous peaks in February 2020. I am supremely excited about what lies ahead and the impact that we will create for our customers, delivery partners and restaurant partners,” he mentioned.
In an e mail to workers in September final yr, Goyal mentioned Zomato was engaged on its IPO for “sometime in the first half” of 2021 and was elevating cash to construct a war-chest for “future M&A, and fighting off any mischief or price wars from our competition in various areas of our business.”


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In order to fully focus on the busy holiday mailing season and to minimize logistical issues, the U.S. Postal Service retail and delivery unit optimization efforts will be temporarily suspended from Nov. 19 through Jan. 2, 2012.
Only the actual physical closing of a Post Office and the relocation of carrier routes from one facility to another will be affected by this suspension. The reviews will continue and community meetings will occur as scheduled. The temporary suspension is similar to the one issued for last year’s holiday season.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
# # #
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.


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Mid & small brands fair better in Q3
CMAI’s Apparel Index for Q3 (Oct-Dec FY 2018-19) reveals growth rate was better than previous quarter but still lower than expectation.
Cotton, yarn prices sluggish
In line with the cotton prices, the cotton yarn prices have also witnessed sluggishness during the period.
PTA to face price pressure on fresh supply?
Supply of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) in Asia is expected to lengthen in the second half of 2018 as new capacities will start up in the major markets of India and China, amid a slowdown in demand, according to ICIS, a leading petrochemicals market information provider.
Cotton price to rise 8-10%?
The Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) has revised its cotton output estimate to 370 lakh bales (1bale= 170 kg) from the previous estimate of 377 lakh bales for cotton season 2018 beginning October 1, 2017.
Cotton output recovery continues
Recovery continues in cotton production for 2017-18 with a projected 11 per cent growth due to increased area to a projected 25.4 million tonne (MT).
Apparel Index dips on GST impact
Q2 is the first quarter post-GST. And much like other sectors, apparel brands and retailers too were busy putting GST processes in place and sales suffered a big blow. July was the first month when the industry emerged after clearing pre-GST inventories.
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The weight-loss effects of green tea have been known for some time.
The weight-loss effects of green tea have been known for some time, with recent studies showing that it can cause a decrease in body fat. But what are the mechanisms behind this? A study published in the International Journal of Obesity reviewed multiple studies on green tea and found that its main benefit comes from two compounds: caffeine and catechins (also known as antioxidants). Both of these compounds help to increase energy expenditure, which is defined as how much energy your body burns during digestion without any physical activity. This means that you burn more calories throughout the day, even when being relatively sedentary.
This new study evaluated the effects of green tea in people who are already very close to their ideal body weight.
While the study was done on participants with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or less, green tea is still a healthy addition to anyone’s lifestyle. In fact, it makes an excellent alternative to most sugary drinks that you can find in convenience stores and restaurants. A 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar—that’s more than 9 teaspoons! On the other hand, green tea has zero calories and zero sugar. In addition to helping you lose weight and keep it off, drinking green tea also improves brain function and lowers your risk of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and even Parkinson’s disease. Plus there are several different varieties of green tea—from matcha powder to loose tea leaves—so there are many ways that you can incorporate this natural product into your diet.
The researchers found that the group of people who took the green tea extract did indeed lose more weight than the group who didn’t.
The researchers found that the group of people who took the green tea extract did indeed lose more weight than the group who didn’t. They lost 0.3 kilograms (kg), or about three-quarters of a pound, more than the control group. They also saw a decrease in body mass index (BMI) and waist measurements, as well.
This isn’t the first time green tea has been linked to possible weight loss benefits. Previous studies have shown that a compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is found in green tea, could boost metabolism by 4 to 5 percent and increase fat burning by up to 17 percent, according to Healthline.
In addition to losing a small amount of weight, those who took the supplement also saw a reduction in their BMI as well as their waist measurements.
BMI is a measure of your body fat based on your height and weight. A waist circumference above 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions. Losing weight lowers these measurements.
While losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help lower blood sugar, improve cholesterol levels, and decrease inflammation risk factors for diabetes and heart disease, any weight loss at all is beneficial.
The researchers concluded that supplements like this one could be a helpful tool for people looking for “that extra help” to reach or maintain their fitness goals.
Weight loss is a journey, and it’s also a science, so why not enlist the help of some clever little lab rats? Researchers isolated the effect of green tea on fat cells in mice, and found that the leaves’ catechins (antioxidants) can trigger a chain reaction that results in the breakdown of stored fat.
In other words: Green tea is pretty much magic when it comes to dropping pounds—but only if you use it as an aid, not as your sole method for losing weight. The researchers concluded that supplements like this one could be a helpful tool for people looking for “that extra help” to reach or maintain their fitness goals.
So if you’re already exercising and eating healthy, consider adding green tea to your diet. It’s easy to find at any grocery store or health food market and doesn’t need much more preparation than boiling water before consumption. Plus, after drinking green tea instead of soda for just one week you’ll have saved nearly 100 calories per day!
Green tea has been proven to help with weight loss and this study suggests that it may play an important role in fighting obesity
When it comes to weight loss and fitness, green tea has proven its worth. We already know that green tea contains a special compound called epigallocatechin gallate that increases metabolism and boosts the body’s ability to burn fat. This new study suggests that this compound may actually interfere with the growth of fat cells, ultimately reducing the amount of body fat we have.
This news is exciting for many people who are working toward their fitness goals but need some extra help shedding a few pounds. Green tea could be just what you need!
Green tea could help you shave off a few extra pounds. Of course, if you’re trying to lose weight, then you should still be mindful of how many calories you consume—and don’t underestimate the importance of exercise. But if your goal is simply to increase your body’s calorie burn throughout the day, then regular consumption of green tea could help.