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Ray Youssef, co-founder of Paxful, assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer at Noones, a peer-to-peer financial communication application. Noones aims to link the Global South to the world’s financial systems through innovative peer-to-peer technology.
Youssef, a seasoned professional in the industry, especially within the peer-to-peer sector, has a wealth of experience. Additionally,he co-founded the widely-used bitcoin trading platform Paxful, but his collaboration with fellow co-founder Artur Shaback dissolved amidst a company implosion.
Subsequently, Youssef contributed to CivKit, a project designed to offer a blueprint for developers and entrepreneurs to construct their censorship-resistant and permissionless global marketplace. As of May, Noones employs this open-source protocol.
Moreover, apart from his involvement in CivKit, Youssef played a pivotal role in establishing Built with Bitcoin, a humanitarian organization leveraging Bitcoin to enhance the financial well-being of communities across Africa.
Reflecting on his dedication to financial sovereignty for the Global South, Youssef stated;
“For the past 8 years, I have championed the cause of financial sovereignty for the Global South.”
Expressing confidence in Bitcoin’s role in promoting the continent’s prosperity, he emphasized the goal of establishing an interoperable Pan-African clearing layer, intending to elevate intra-African trade to levels comparable to intra-European trade.
Noones Launches, Gains 400,000 Global Users in 4 Months
The ‘official launch’ of Noones coincides with Youssef’s appointment, and the platform has already garnered over 400,000 users worldwide in less than four months of operation. Its primary markets include Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, India, and the Philippines.
Noones addresses the inefficiencies of traditional banking systems, providing users with the freedom to transact more swiftly using peer-to-peer technology.
Unlike conventional crypto exchanges facilitating trading between buyers and sellers, peer-to-peer marketplaces like Noones enable direct transactions of digital assets between users, whether in-person or online.
The Noones app boasts a marketplace where users across 190 countries can engage in bitcoin and stablecoin trading using more than 400 payment methods, including gift cards, mobile money, bank transfers, and other cryptocurrencies. Additionally, a messaging platform facilitates the majority of peer-to-peer trades.
Looking ahead, Noones plans to introduce wallet functionality for bill payments in collaboration with top African vendors.
Ray Youssef Bitcoin Vision, Paxful Insights, and Closure Challenges in 2023
Youssef is passionate about Bitcoin’s potential to combat poverty and amplify the Global South’s influence in the world’s financial ecosystem. Furthermore, he emphasized the transformative power of new financial tools, believing that Bitcoin is the key to unlocking unprecedented, borderless opportunities that empower people in unprecedented ways.
Consequently, reflecting on the trajectory of Paxful, founded in 2015 and reaching $5 billion in total volume traded in 2021, Youssef shared insights into the company’s closure in April of the current year. The decision followed challenging regulatory conditions for the industry, with Youssef stepping down as CEO.
Notably, he attributed the shutdown to a lawsuit filed by co-founder Artur Shaback, resulting from differences in business direction and governance.
Ray Youssef Leadership Transition at Noones Amid Disagreements and Accusations
Shaback’s perspective differed, citing disagreements in business direction and governance and accusing Youssef of migrating Paxful’s intellectual property, userbase, wallet history, and passwords to Noones.
However, despite Youssef’s subsequent announcement of reopening peer-to-peer trading through CivKit, which adopts “Know-Your-Peer oracles” in lieu of traditional KYC processes, Noones still requires a KYC onboarding process.
Moreover, Youssef’s transition to CEO marks a significant milestone for Noones, and the platform’s rapid growth underscores its potential to revolutionize financial transactions across borders.


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Jasmine Sanders looked stunning as she stepped out for New York Fashion Week. On Monday, she shared a photo of the outfit she wore to the event — a look that was golden.
In the double post, the model appeared to be arriving at the event after dark. She wore a metallic gold bra that was embellished with jewels, along with a matching miniskirt. The ensemble also featured a matching jacket, which Sanders wore over her shoulders. The tiny bra and skirt showcased the model's hourglass figure and long, toned legs, while the color of the fabric highlighted Sanders' bronzed skin. She wore a pair of gold heels to finish off the glamorous look, and accessorized the outfit with a small gold clutch. Sanders wore her hair long, and her makeup was expertly applied. The first photo of the set captured Sanders as she stepped out on a sidewalk. In the second snap, the model stopped and posed for the camera. Sanders lived up to her "@golden_barbie" handle on Instagram as her outfit shimmered in the light.
In the post's caption, Sanders said the secret to life was good lighting.
"The right lighting with a KILLER outfit," one fan replied.
"Those clothes would shine in the dark! Very hot!" another admirer wrote.
"Seems you have the perfect lighting at any time girl," one follower said.Most of the comments focused on how gorgeous Sanders looked.
"Can't find a word to explaine [sic] how beautiful you are," one follower told the model.
"Jaw drop," quipped one admirer.
"Wow! You've never looked better than this!" said another fan.
Sanders manages to look fabulous in just about everything she puts on her body. The Inquisitr previously reported on the beauty looking fabulous while wearing a green bikini that showed off her fit physique. Her Instagram page is filled with snaps that show why she was crowned Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition Rookie of the Year over the summer.As far as her handle goes, she said it was partially the result of a nickname she had while she was in school.
"I had a teacher who used to call me Goldilocks in school because of my curls, and my friends used to tell me I looked like a life-size Barbie," she said in an interview with Vogue magazine.
Sanders said that she and her sister were "playing around with silly usernames" when they came up with "Golden Barbie." She said the handle had a ring to it that she liked, so she decided to use it.
Fans wanting to keep up with Sanders can follow her Instagram account.

domain: news


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The first edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival China will take place in Hangzhou, in the province of Zhejiang, from October 5th to 8th 2021. This new Festival licence will offer an eclectic programme on the theme “When West Meets East”, combining Chinese and Asian music and of course jazz, which has been enjoying a new lease of life in the country in recent years. This new partnership pursues the Montreux Jazz Festival’s desire to forge links with other continents and to mix different musical cultures. Hangzhou shares many similarities with the original Festival venue. A lakeside town and tourist destination, it is situated on the shores of the West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as are the Lavaux vineyards and the audiovisual archives of the Montreux Jazz Festival. The balance between heritage and innovation is also at the heart of the values shared by the Festival and Hangzhou. The city combines a thousand-year-old culture with meteoric digital development, home to many companies engaged in digital transformation.
Daryoush Ziai, CEO of Jiading-based Schindler (China) Elevator Co, shares the honor of his Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award with his wife at the presentation ceremony. Having lived in China for 10 years, Iranian-American Daryoush Ziai really is a China hand. Chinese-style decorations on his desk include bamboo-carving art, duplicates of terra-cotta warriors and chinaware. Bamboo bonsai are planted inside the building, while the meeting rooms are adorned in traditional Chinese style. Last month, Ziai won the Magnolia Silver Award for his contributions to the elevator industry in Shanghai. He said the medal was a recognition not only for himself, but also for the leap in development of Jiading-based company Schindler (China) Elevator Co. Schindler Group, a Swiss company with a 140-year history, launched its largest research center in Jiading in 2016 and, after that, two more factories moved from Suzhou in neighboring Jiangsu Province to the district, both of which have been running on solar power since last year. The company’s goal is to provide high-technology and high-quality elevators for companies and consumers. “The annual production of elevators keeps increasing. We were also involved in the recent key project in Shanghai to install elevators in old residential houses, aiming to provide a more convenient way of life for residents,” said Ziai.
Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO, commented: “Nestlé has remained resilient in a difficult and volatile environment. Our people have acted in a responsible and prompt manner to mitigate the impact of the global pandemic and have adapted quickly to evolving consumer needs. Strong organic growth was broad based and supported by sustained momentum in the Americas, Purina PetCare and Nestlé Health Science, as well as the acceleration of our coffee business in the third quarter. We continue to develop our portfolio with speed and discipline. As an example, we are transforming Nestlé Health Science into a nutrition and health powerhouse through a combination of strong organic growth and targeted acquisitions. The recent additions of Zenpep, Vital Proteins and Aimmune Therapeutics are further steps in the expansion of our nutritional health offerings.” China saw negative growth, turning positive in the third quarter. Coffee, culinary and ice cream all delivered positive growth, with sequential quarterly improvements. The contraction in Wyeth infant formula sales continued to moderate. The roll-out of the locally produced Belsol brand is on track. Infant cereals and Purina PetCare both grew at a double-digit rate. Nestlé Professional reported a sales decrease, with growth recovering to almost flat in the third quarter. Strong momentum in e-commerce continued, driven by Nescafé, Starbucks products and dairy.
Givaudan opened its newest state-of-the-art fragrance production facility in Changzhou, China. In line with the recently announced 2025 strategy – Committed to Growth, with Purpose – China remains a key growth market for innovative and consumer-preferred fragranced products. The Changzhou production facility, costing more than CHF 100 million and constructed on a land area of 76,000 square metres, is outfitted with the most advanced auto-dosing system allowing for high accuracy and efficiency and an agile manufacturing environment. Consistent with Givaudan’s global manufacturing processes, the production facility meets the highest global and local standards in fragrance manufacturing including advanced environmental, health and safety features. It will substantially increase the company’s existing manufacturing output spanning personal, home and fabric care fragrances through to oral care flavours, encapsulated fragrances, and prestige perfumes to serve customers in China and Asia Pacific. CEO, Gilles Andrier said: “Opening this production facility in China – an important high growth market – demonstrates our commitment to our customers, and aligns to our 2025 strategy and purpose. This investment will strengthen our position as a strategic partner to our customers in the region and will cater to the increasing consumer demands for great smelling sustainable fragrances.”
ABB Ltd, the Switzerland-based technology company, will produce more industrial and service robots in China that can be used in the new energy vehicle, 5G, consumer electronics and healthcare sectors in the post-pandemic era, according to a senior executive. “COVID-19 is the single greatest catalyst for change in the industry in a generation, forcing our customers to reassess their priorities, but the global lockdown itself has not started any new trends on its own,” said Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s robotics and discrete automation business. He said the pandemic has accelerated four megatrends that will fundamentally change the face of manufacturing in the long term－the individualized consumer, labor shortages, uncertainty and digitalization. “China’s ‘new infrastructure’ initiative presents exciting opportunities for global companies. It is clear that many of our customers in different sectors need to enhance their manufacturing capability, such as new energy vehicles, railway, 5G equipment, logistics and healthcare,” said Atiya, who is also a member of ABB’s group executive committee.
With the commissioning of a new production facility in Chengdu, Sika has further expanded its capacity in the rapidly growing mortar market in China. In addition to profiting from the strong demand, Sika can also benefit from the launch of new products and the expansion of the distributor network offering Sika solutions directly to craftsmen and DIY customers. Mike Campion, Regional Manager Asia/Pacific: “The expanded mortar production in China enables us to address our customers’ needs on an even more targeted basis. With a population of 15 million people, Chengdu is one of the most important economic urban centers in Western China. Here we see a growing demand for Sika’s Building Finishing solutions due to large investments in the construction sector. The strong business trend following the corona-related lockdown shows that we are on the right track: our mortar sales have increased significantly this year despite the crisis. We will continue to expand the business and bring two additional plants onstream in the growing Chinese market over the next eighteen months.”
Schindler was the first western industrial to sign a joint venture in China in March 1980. This year, Schindler China celebrates its 40 years anniversary. The history of Schindler in China is a success story with many great achievements over a timespan of four decades. Tall buildings and their need for elevators and escalators in China were still an exception in the predominantly low-rise urban landscape of the late 1970s. However, elevators quickly started supporting a boom in skyscrapers. Today, supertall buildings such as the PingAn Finance Center in Shenzhen (660m), the International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong (484m), or the Qingdao Center in Qingdao (245m) are part of the skyline of every large Chinese city. We are looking back to 40 successful but challenging years. But, what will the next 40 years for Schindler in China look like and what megatrends will drive the elevator business in its biggest market?
Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 14th exchanged congratulatory messages with Simonetta Sommaruga, president of the Swiss Confederation, on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Switzerland. In his message, Xi noted that Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China. The two countries have jointly cultivated a cooperation spirit of equality, innovation and win-win over the past 70 years and set an example of friendly cooperation between countries that are different in social systems, development stages and sizes, he said. Xi underscored the mutual assistance between China and Switzerland in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He said he is willing to make joint efforts with Sommaruga to promote further development of bilateral innovative strategic partnership. Sommaruga said, Switzerland and China have upheld principles of openness and mutual respect in developing bilateral relations over the past 70 years.
The World Intellectual Property Organization has crowned Switzerland the most innovative country in the world for the tenth consecutive year. Switzerland not only offers fertile ground for innovation, but also inspires many new creations, as the number of patent applications shows. For the past ten years, Switzerland has ranked top of the Global Innovation Index (GII). The Index is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), French business school Insead and Cornell University. It ranks the performance of 130 countries, examining both the necessary conditions for innovation and the new creations that result from innovation. According to the report, Switzerland offers particularly fertile ground for innovation. It scored 69.42 points in the corresponding category of Innovation Input and ranks second in the world. The average in this category is 41.39 points. In addition to substantial investment in research and development, Switzerland’s strong position is due to the high quality of local universities and extensive human resources. Furthermore, it performed highly for its stable political environment, good regulatory environment and infrastructure. Switzerland is followed in the rankings by Sweden, the USA, the UK, the Netherlands and Denmark. China is ranked 14th in the world.
The Chinese life sciences company Hengrui Medicine is establishing a Swiss subsidiary in Basel. The European hub for clinical research and development will help the company to advance its innovative drugs, including cancer treatments. The Basel life sciences ecosystem is set to grow by another major global player. The international company Hengrui Medicine is establishing a Swiss subsidiary, Hengrui Europe Therapeutics AG. Founded in 1970, the Chinese company reportedly has a market capitalization of about USD 70 billion and therefore ranks as one of the top 30 life sciences companies in the world. It has more than 25,000 employees worldwide and currently runs more than 120 clinical trials globally. The Basel site will be dedicated to the clinical research and development of Hengrui’s innovative drugs in Europe. Hengrui Medicine operates in various fields, though its primary focus is on cancer treatments. The investment and innovation promotion agency Basel Area Business & Innovation is supporting Hengrui Medicine in establishing the Basel subsidiary.


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Sonny, we can remember when 700 horsepower was just for supercars. Nowadays, you spoiled kids have the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which throws what Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek calls “ludicrous” power behind the iconic muscle car. Watch Bruzek at the drag strip testing the fury the Hellcat hath in the video above.
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EA Games announced today that PC gamers worldwide can now play Medal of Honor(TM). For just three days — until October 7 at 11:59pm PDT — EA has pre-released a portion of the Medal of Honor multiplayer game, allowing thousands of players worldwide to see that Medal of Honor delivers unparalleled authentic action set in the unforgiving Afghanistan terrain using real-world weapons. The Open Beta also allows the development team to load-test the multiplayer servers to ensure easy connectivity and a smooth play experience when the game launches on October 12. Gamers can download the Open Beta today at www.medalofhonor.com/pcopenbeta.
The beta features two maps based on real-world locations – Shaikot Mountains and Kunar Base. On Shaikot, the Coalition will need to complete five objectives while the Opposing Force, or OPFOR, try and stop them. At the Kunar Base, both sides will struggle over control of various objectives. The open beta kicked off last night, and players only have until 11:59PM Pacific on October 7 to play, so if you’re trying to figure out if you’re picking the game up when it hits North America on October 12, now would be a good time.
“Medal of Honor” has been in the news a bit lately because its multiplayer component allowed half the players to take control of Taliban militants, with the aim of besting a team of American soldiers in such multiplayer staples as team deathmatch and sector control modes. In deference to service members and their families, EA recently announced that the Taliban would be referred to as the Opposing Force in multiplayer modes. The single-player aspect of the game, in which players only take control of coalition troops, remains unchanged.
The PC Multiplayer Open Beta goes live just days after EA announced that the opposing team in Medal of Honor multiplayer has been renamed Opposing Force (OPFOR). The change applies only to the name of the opposing team in multiplayer — the gameplay, environments, characters models and weapons have not changed. No changes have been made to the single-player game. Medal of Honor remains the same outstanding play experience that Official Xbox Magazine in the U.S. and Games Master in the UK each scored an 85. The team name “Taliban” was removed out of respect for the families of serving, veteran and fallen U.S. Soldiers. To further honor the troops, EA is giving back to several charities including Give Back 10, The Mission Continues and Adopt-a-Soldier.
The Medal of Honor Limited Edition will be released on October 12, 2010. Now you can pre-order it from Amazon Here.


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Betbrokers runs out of funds
Betbrokers, the internet gambling business placing bets for anonymous high rollers, warned today that trading has collapsed because it doesn't have enough money to service its biggest punters.
Fall at the first: Betbrokers has run out of money
The online betting broker was launched four years ago by Wayne Lochner who already has one dot-com casualty behind him, the one-time stellar cyberspace stock Affinity Internet which ended up in administration.
Backed by City moneybroker Derek Tullett and the former Formula One owner Eddie Jordan, Betbrokers' celebrity sporting "ambassadors" include Lester Piggott, Vinnie Jones, Nasser Hussein and Barry McGuigan.
But the firm is now admitting a funding crisis has meant it has been forced to turn away business.
Betbrokers acts as an intermediary for big punters. They place a bet with Betbrokers which executes the trade with the best price from 200 bookmakers. Betbrokers also acts as "clearing house" to settle the bets.
However, the company today reported that traded volumes in May halved to £2.2m, as the size of the average punt tumbled from £1370 last year to just £424.
Lochner was forced to admit a lack of funds in its clearing house system meant it could not take the bigger punts. Betbrokers shares crashed 23% to 0.5p.
It is not the first embarrassment for the firm. Last year it sent out an email with the internet addresses of 5000 of its once anonymous clients.
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President Trump now says he backs a deal in Congress to protect the young undocumented immigrants known as “Dreamers,” if it was accompanied by a “massive” border security upgrade — not necessarily his promised border wall. Trump hashed out the tentative arrangement over dinner on Wednesday night at the White House with top-ranking congressional Democrats Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California. Trump’s conservative backers were not happy about his accommodation with Democrats about DACA and the wall. [The New York Times]
Facebook allowed advertisers to direct their paid pitches to the News Feeds of almost 2,300 people who searched “Jew hater” or “How to burn Jews.” Until ProPublica asked Facebook about it — then the world’s largest social network removed the algorithm-generated anti-Semitic categories and promised to improve monitoring. It’s been a bad year for Facebook algorithms, starting with a realization this spring that the company’s News Feed algorithm was abused to help spread disinformation during last year’s U.S. presidential election. [ProPublica]
Google has held talks to invest around $1 billion in Lyft. It would be a stunning move, given that Google was an early investor in Lyft rival Uber, even though the two companies have since gotten litigious over allegations of trade secret theft. [Axios]
A new class action lawsuit claims that Google systematically pays women less than men doing similar work. The complaint, which accuses Google of denying promotions and career opportunities to qualified women who are “segregated” into lower-paying jobs, provided the most detailed formal accounts to date of gender discrimination and pay disparities at the company, after months of criticism and a growing chorus of women publicly speaking out. [Sam Levin / The Guardian]
Watch Recode’s lively onstage conversation with Uber’s new chief brand officer Bozoma Saint John, who discusses the company’s recent scandals, its culture crisis and what’s next with a new CEO on board. Recode wrapped up its two-day Code Commerce conference in New York City yesterday; you can catch up on all the interviews about the future of retail in this storystream. [Recode]
Is $1,000 too much for a phone? “Of course not,” says tech journalist Steven Levy, writing about Apple’s pricey new high-end iPhone X (pronounced “ten”). On the latest episode of the Too Embarrassed to Ask podcast, Kara Swisher, Lauren Goode and Recode’s Editor in Chief Dan Frommer answer your questions about Apple’s iPhone X and the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus — which were made available for preorder last night — along with the Series 3 Apple Watch and Apple’s foray into “wireless” charging, called AirPower. [Eric Johnson / Recode]
Top stories from Recode
Mobile is driving most of the ad-spending growth worldwide.
By 2019, advertisers will spend more on mobile than all traditional media, except television, put together.
Here’s how much social media stars get paid to post ads.
Surprise! The biggest celebrities aren’t always the highest-paid.
Snapchat’s new augmented-reality feature brings your cartoon Bitmoji into the real world.
Taking a selfie will never be the same.
New York Times reporter Mike Isaac is writing a book about Uber.
Crazy ambition, betrayal, sex, deceit and naked power grabs all make for a page-turner.
This is cool
That sound? It's the sound of hipsters sighing.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.


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CEO Comments: Our focus is on regaining momentum in a turbulent world
The start of 2022 was particularly turbulent around the world and especially for us here in Europe. We are seeing a terrible war in our European neighbors Ukraine, something that affects us all in different ways. At the same time, the pandemic is far from over and in China, among other places, restrictions are very extensive. Macroeconomic indicators point to greater turbulence, price increases and rising inflation.
Q1 2022, showed a decline in net sales of 10% and 16%, adjusted for currency effects, which can be attributed to our performance in the Americas region. The lower volumes had an effect of our profitability, and our EBITDA margin was 25% (28).
Developments in the Americas region did not meet our expectations during Q1, and net sales decreased by 9%. Order patterns for some of our larger customers in the region contributed to the lower outcome in the quarter. Interest in our products and probiotics in general remains high and we have many exciting projects with both new and existing customers. An important focus area going forward is to increase sales of ClinBac™ in the region and we have set ambitious goals for this. Our assessment is that in the short term we will see a more stable development in the region, with levels corresponding to the previous year.
The EMEA region saw a strong quarter. Although net sales were 15% lower than last year, this can be due to milestone-related revenue in connection with the Perrigo launch last year. We saw good development in the region and Perrigo's rollout continues. Our collaboration with Oriflame has gained momentum and saw a launch in a couple of markets during the second half of 2021. Oriflame is greatly exposed to Russia and Ukraine, which affects their operations. This will mean delays in launches in these markets and instead there will be focus on other regions.
Net sales in the APAC region were at the same level as last year, which was a relatively strong quarter. Our customer Sinopharm Foreign Trade has completed the launch of Probi Defendum[®] according to plan. Subsequently, the launch of Probi[®] Osteo is planned for Q2, followed by Probi Ferrosorb[®] later in 2022.
During the quarter, an important step in the technological transfer of Blis Technologies products was achieved when we completed the first production batch of BLIS K12. The transfer has gone in the best possible way thanks to the investments we have made in fermentation technology through our upgrade program. We expect to see initial revenues from Blis products, produced at our own facility, during the second half of this year.
We have also recently welcomed our new Vice President of Research & Development, Anita Johansen, who has a solid background from major international companies in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. She will be an important addition to group management.
We look forward with confidence to the rest of 2022. If there is one thing we have learned in the last two years, it is that changes can occur quickly. It has made us more agile and adaptable - something we will benefit from in the future. Our focus for 2022 is to regain momentum and to get back on track towards growth.
Invitation to teleconference
Probi's interim report for Q1 2022 is published on April 26, 2022, at 8.00 a.m. On the same day at 10.00, a teleconference will be held with Tom Rönnlund, CEO and Henrik Lundkvist, CFO, who will present the report. The conference call can be accessed on +46 (0)8 50 55 83 55. The presentation is available at www.probi.com and www.financialhearings.com
This information is information that Probi AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The Information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the CEO and CFO, on April 26, 2022 at 08:00 CET. This is a translation of the Swedish version of the interim report. When in doubt, the Swedish wording prevails.
This information was distributed by Cision http://www.cisionwire.se/


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Coverage: Apple Watch event Monday
Journalists spill a lot of virtual ink on Apple and the event to review the Apple Watch on Monday is no exception. But this new product is a big shift for the company, and could have far-reaching effects on fashion as well as technology.
Writing for Reuters, Nandita Bose and Piya Sinha-Roy that the watch will need to hit the mark on both technology and fashion:
Apple CEO Tim Cook summed up the problem during a conversation with sales staff at a London Apple Store: “We’ve never sold anything as a company that people could try on before.”
With the expected launch next month of the Apple Watch, the company’s first new product in five years, Apple will be stepping into new territory.
To conquer the marketplace, the watch will have to appeal not only as a gadget but as a fashion statement, a fact tacitly acknowledged by Apple’s decision to launch its advertising campaign with a 12-page insert in the March issue of Vogue.
The company isn’t talking about plans for marketing the Apple Watch in advance of it’s much-touted “Spring Forward” event on Monday, but it clearly intends to keep a tight grip on initial sales and distribution, leaving many retailers guessing about when — or if — they’ll be able to sell it.
The Wall Street Journal story by Daisuke Wakabayashi said that Apple was aiming to become a luxury brand with the high-end versions of the watch:
Apple Inc. is technology’s luxury brand. Now it is crossing into high-end fashion, with a smartwatch that blurs the lines between jewelry and gadgetry.
For the Apple Watch, due to be released next month, Apple is adapting its sales pitch to meet new, and differing, consumer expectations.
The smartwatch is the first Apple device designed explicitly to be displayed, rather than tucked away. So, Apple is offering an unusual range of choices, allowing consumers to customize the look—and price—of the Apple Watch with a wide selection of watch casings and straps geared to appeal to varying segments of the market. By contrast, when it introduced the iPhone and iPad, Apple offered one size and one color.
The priciest version of the new smartwatch will be among Apple’s most-expensive products ever, aimed at a clientele accustomed to luxury and personalized service, often in a quiet showroom.
The company hasn’t disclosed the price of the high-end Edition model, covered with clear sapphire and encased in 18-karat rose or yellow gold. Apple watchers estimate the price could surpass $10,000.
Marco della Cava wrote for USA Today that Apple just might cause a cultural shift back to the wristwatch, meaning higher sales for luxury and antique brands:
As Apple gets set to unveil here on Monday what the world assumes will be a consumer-ready version of its debut Watch, it’s natural to wonder whether a $350 smartwatch coup from the Cupertino company could once again spell doom for timepieces composed of microscopic interlocking parts often assembled by hand.
Those high-end watchmakers — whose heirloom wares typically start at $1,000 and can soar to seven figures — need not worry.
In fact, a hit Watch might train millennials to once again look for the time on their wrists — not on their phones. Industry executives and analysts point out Apple has done this with other markets, energizing the MP3 player with its iPod, smartphones with the iPhone and tablets with the iPad.
That cultural shift could result in a new fan base for handmade watches, thereby perpetuating the cult of so-called haute horologerie. The timing would be ripe for such a wristwatch renaissance. In 2010, only 23% of teens said they wore a watch, but that figure has crept up to 44% as fashion has turned the timepiece into jewelry.
Forbes contributor Anthony Wing Kosner had these details about the high end models that might be coming:
When Tim Cook hits the stage Monday to reveal availability and pricing information about Apple Watch, the biggest question he will answer will be about the price of the high-end Edition line. Rumors have pegged that price to range between $5,000 and $20,000. Not a lot, perhaps, compared to a gold Rolex. But a 20-year-old Rolex will still tell the time. Who knows how functional the first Watch will be in five years?
There is now a new development in the pricing story. A new Apple patent has surfaced for a “Method and Apparatus for forming a gold metal matrix composite.”In simple terms, this new “Apple gold” is lighter, stronger and more scratch-resistant than ordinary 18 karat gold through alloys of low-density ceramic particles instead of precious metals. It also contains roughly half the amount of pure 24 karat gold as ordinary 18 karat gold (which is 75% gold, 15% silver, and 10% copper). The math is all explained in geeky detail on a blog called All This.
How much actual gold will be in the Watch Edition? For the models on Apple’s current Edition page, the answer is about half an ounce (current value $640). What Apple isn’t showing on this page is a gold Edition with a solid gold link bracelet. This bracelet only appears in stainless steel on the Watch Collection page. It is not an unreasonable assumption that Apple will roll out a gold link bracelet Edition, which could add another full ounce of gold (total current value $1,920).
Apple as high fashion is interesting. The company rarely does anything half way so it’s not surprising that they have thought through the basic to the ultra-luxury models. And it is a good point that Apple could possibly create such a cultural shift that its newest product will be considered a luxury item.


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Adidas has filed a patent infringement suit against Skechers. The company claims that Skechers’ Mega Flex design is stolen from the design of Adidas’ Springblade shoe. Both shoes feature a series of blade-like structures that run underneath the sole of the shoe. The design provides a “high energy return” to runners, according to the suit, and “sense of buoyancy, even when you’re walking”.
“We will not stand by and allow others to blatantly copy our products and infringe on our valuable intellectual property,” Adidas said in a statement. “We are the leader in footwear innovation, design, and engineering, creating high-performance shoes for athletes. This pattern of unlawful behaviour and freeloading in the industry is outrageous and must end. We will take every legal measure possible to protect and defend our innovations.”
Nike has also filed a patent infringement suit against Skechers earlier this year. Skechers have seen significant growth in recent years and sales for 2015 totalled $3.1 billion, a 32 percent increase on the previous year. Skechers said it does not comment on pending litigation.


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Monocrystalline module producer Longi today announced the prices of all its PV wafers will be increased. The price for 166mm, ‘M6' wafers has gone up RMB0.25 (US$0.039) to RMB5.34 per piece (US$0.82) and 158.75mm G1 products will also cost RMB0.25 more, at RMB5.24 per piece. Longi's 182mm M10 wafers will go up RMB0.30 in price, to RMB6.41 per piece. The second price rise since June means M6 wafers will be 64% more costly than in January. The price of the polysilicon used to manufacture wafers resumed an upward trajectory last month after stabilizing in June and July.
Solar panel rack and tracker supplier AntaiSolar has landed a 400 MW order from Ningxia Jiayang Energy Co Ltd. AntaiSolar said its products will be used at two solar plants in the provinces of Ningxia and Gansu. The tracker maker had previously announced a 200 MW order from Ningxia Jiayang. The financial terms of the latest supply deal were not revealed.
Solar developer GCL New Energy yesterday announced the sale of another 198 MW of project capacity, some of which may be in breach of government regulations on the use of forest land. Agreement was reached to sell two project companies which own six solar parks with a combined generation capacity of 198 MW, to state-controlled renewables business Ningxia Hanguang New Energy Co Ltd. The sale will book a net loss of RMB132 million (US$20.5 million) on the projects but will generate an estimated RMB901 million (US$140 million) for GCL, after the RMB2.67 million (US$414,000) cost of rectifying unspecified “engineering and compliance defects” is taken out. The sale will reduce GCL New Energy’s liabilities by RMB816 million (US$126 million). As part of the transaction, the seller may have to compensate the buyer “if any of the solar plants … is partially demolished due to non-compliance of the relevant government notice in relation to the occupation and use of forest land,” GCL New Energy said in an update to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. A similar clause was inserted into the sale of 271 MW of project capacity between the two parties last month. The proposed sale will not be voted on by all GCL New Energy shareholders unless it fails to win the consent of 49% investor Elite Time Global and 9% backer Dongsheng Photovoltaic.
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Kenya’s ICT Authority has new acting CEO.
Mr. John Sergon takes the CEO tasks from Mr. Robert Mugo who has headed the corporation in acting capacity for more than two years. Mr. Mugo took over from Victor Kyalo who made a move to the Ministry of ICT as Permanent Secretary.
Prior to the appointment, Mr. Sergon was the Director of ICT in the Ministry of ICT and Innovation.
Mr. Mugo, on the other hand, has rolled back to his earlier post (Director Shared Services at ICT Authority) before his appointment as acting CEO in January 2016.
Established in 2013, ICT Authority is tasked with rationalizing and streamlining the management of government-related ICT functions. The state corporation is involved with several duties that involve enforcing ICT standards in the Central and County governments.
The formation of ICT Authority was one of Connected Kenya’s achievements, in addition to the review of the ICT Master Plan and the introduction of ICT Summit series in counties that is also under ICT Authority’s mandate.
Among its key achievements over the years include a 2014 partnership with Intel in a program called ‘Intel She Will Connect’ that aimed to cut gender and technology gap. In the same year, ICT Authority, OLX Kenya and Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) pioneered a campaign dubbed Kaa Rithoo to facilitate consumer safety when purchasing stuff online. It has been part of the Presidential Digital Talent Program that avails internship for fresh college graduates.
In 2017, the corporation signed a new MOU with Chinese technology company Huawei in a bid to spur digital transformation and provision of ICT skills in the country. The most recent lobbying from the authority was done in early March where it pushed for renewed uptake of ICTs to spur development in Kenya’s 47 counties.


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The pandemic created a lot of opportunity for Mondelēz International North America because people were stuck at home. It also created a lot of challenges, because people were stuck at home.
The opportunity came from homebound people snacking furiously. The challenge came from adjusting to COVID’s impacts on Mondelēz’s operations, especially its workforce. The former led to increased sales and a healthy bottom line; the latter, compounded with challenges facing the CPG industry as a whole, led to supply chain challenges. Both are still being sorted through on multiple levels throughout the Mondelēz International organization and its supply chain, as is the case for the broader food and CPG industry.
The entire food industry faced, and is still facing, these challenges. They’re made more challenging by Mondelēz International’s sprawling immensity – 133 manufacturing plants on five continents, including 23 in North America – plus the age of some of its legacy plants and the iconic status of many of its consumer brands.
“As we have navigated changes over the past 18 months, we’ve seen some interesting consumer trends, including an increase in snacking behavior globally, with many consumers turning to snacking for comfort and a sense of connection with something familiar, with people seeking out beloved brands and products they know and trust,” says Glen Walter, EVP and president for North America. “We saw many of our brands – including Oreo, Ritz and beyond – being there for consumers in meaningful and engaging ways throughout the pandemic.”
For many reasons, fulfilling the increased demand for Mondelez’s beloved brands became a challenge during the pandemic. Mondelēz found that concentrating on core brands was the best strategy, especially with direct store delivery (DSD) sales capabilities for its cookies and crackers.
“With the increase in consumer demand, we focused our manufacturing efforts on our core products, and benefitted from our DSD model, which helped us to get many of our products quickly stocked on store shelves,” Walter says.
Another initiative that helped Mondelēz keep their products on shelves: reducing SKUs. When the pandemic hit, Mondelēz International was in the process of SKU rationalization globally – a process that “happened to benefit us during the pandemic as demand increased,” according to a spokesperson. Cutting back on marginal SKUs allowed the company to concentrate on the more mainstream ones, for which demand had spiked. This portfolio pruning will probably be permanent, at least in some aspects, Walter says.
“Our SKU reductions were part of a broader simplification program to drive topline and bottom-line growth globally,” says Walter. “This includes a goal of 25% reduction in product offerings across each region within our global business, including North America. By doing this, we are able to create a larger presence of higher velocity SKUs in store that can drive incrementality and has several benefits for inventory, manufacturing, and with customers.”
The Mondelēz Workforce
As Mondelēz strived to fill the increases in demand for its products, the pressure inevitably filtered down to its workforce. The company instituted a number of enhanced measures to support employees from a health and safety perspective, as well as appreciation bonuses, additional paid leave and adding 1,000 employees to the U.S. workforce.
During the pandemic, as the company negotiated new contracts with the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers’ International Union—which represents employees across three Mondelēz U.S. bakeries and three U.S. sales distribution facilities—workers in those locations went on strike. Ultimately, those workers voted and ratified new contracts and normal operations resumed in mid-September.
“Like many organizations across the CPG industry and other sectors in the U.S. today, there is high demand for labor overall and our business is no different,” Walter says. “Some of this is more pronounced in temporary part-time roles, such as sales merchandisers, as well as in the broader U.S. supply chain, in areas like transportation and logistics. We believe we are relatively well-positioned, but need to continue to keep a close eye on things to ensure we have the right people in the right place to support our business.”
Despite being an international company with a global footprint, Mondelez International is committed to the U.S.— which is home to the company’s global headquarters (Chicago), North American headquarters (East Hanover, N.J.), and Latin American headquarters (Miami).
Mondelēz dates back to just 2012, but some of the Nabisco factories it inherited are more than 75 years old. In early February, the company announced plans to close two of its legacy biscuit facilities in Fair Lawn, N.J., and Atlanta, which were 63 and 80 years old, respectively, with Atlanta being the oldest bakery in the company’s U.S. network.
As part of that announcement, the company reinforced the importance of its U.S. manufacturing, identifying strategic biscuit manufacturing hubs on the East Coast (Richmond, Va.), Midwest (Chicago and Naperville, Ill.) and West Coast (Portland, Ore.). The company also confirmed no U.S. jobs will go to Mexico related to these two closures, and U.S. biscuit production levels will be maintained.
One example is the upgrade it recently announced to its production and distribution facilities in Henrico County, Va. The plans include a 68,000-sq.-ft. expansion of the company’s Richmond bakery, which will add a high-speed Oreo production line. It will also be opening a new sales fulfillment center close to the Richmond bakery. Other investments were made at bakeries in Naperville, Ill., and Portland, Ore.
"The U.S. is our largest market and we have made a robust commitment to manufacturing in the U.S.," said a spokesperson. "We’re also incredibly proud of our frontline workers who have been at the forefront of this pandemic in helping to keep our operations running and helping to secure the global food supply during what has been a very challenging time for everyone."
The company is working to deal with other production challenges, further in the future, through strategic capital spending. In 2016, it announced plans to invest $65 million in a Research, Development & Quality network housed in nine centers around the world, including East Hanover, N.J. One goal of this investment was to recruit and retain technical talent from around the world.
In 2017-18, it undertook an information technology upgrade to more than 50 production lines in 14 North American plants. The improvements included establishing a communications protocol for equipment and controls, standardizing the architecture for a control network and developing consistency in the collection and use of data on quality and equipment performance.
As America emerges from the pandemic, Mondelēz considers itself in a good position to face the future, Walter says.
“We have a bright future as a snacking leader here in the U.S., and our more than 16,000 U.S.-based employees across our operations – including those in offices and across our frontline in sales, manufacturing and distribution – play an important role in that future,” Walter says.
“We are proud of the dedication and commitment of our teams during the challenging period we’ve experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic and are proud that we have been able to play a role in supporting the continuity of the U.S. food supply during these trying times.”


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When Sor Songheng, a manager for an accountancy firm, wanted to replace his cheap Nokia phone a few months ago, he set his heart on a top-of-the-line iPhone 5S worth $780—nearly his entire monthly salary of $800.
But instead of scrimping and saving for months to be able to afford the iPhone, as he might have done in the past, he simply drove to Bayon Phone Shop on Sihanouk Boulevard, filled out an application for a loan from Aeon Microfinance, and walked away with the phone less than 24 hours later.
“Before when I would meet friends and businessmen with my old phone, I felt out of date, so I felt compelled to get a new, modern phone as soon as possible,” he said. The fact that he would have to pay an extra $100 in accrued interest did not bother him.
“The interest is higher than the bank’s if I calculate it, but Aeon’s service is quicker and easier.”
Aeon Microfinance entered the Cambodian market just two years ago, but its square purple-and-orange logo is already ubiquitous in retail storefronts, with more than 1,000 Aeon-affiliated merchants offering on-the-spot microloans to buy household appliances, electronics and motorcycles. Unlike traditional microfinance institutions (MFIs), which provide credit to help people in impoverished areas kick-start small businesses, Aeon is unapologetically consumer-oriented, and rapidly moving the microfinance sector away from its roots.
During the first four months of this year, Aeon disbursed $6.5 million in new consumer loans, a 195 percent increase compared with the same period in 2013. The firm’s loan disbursements rocketed from $3.1 million in 2012 to $14.7 million last year, according to Daisuke Maeda, managing director of Aeon Microfinance.
These numbers are set to grow even more this year, as Aeon Microfinance’s parent company is opening a $205-million shopping center on Sothearos Boulevard next month. The 68,000-square-meter Aeon Mall will feature an ice rink, a cinema, 190 shops and an Aeon Microfinance office where customers can take out microloans to buy anything from refrigerators to rice cookers.
“AEON Mall itself is attractive and powerful enough to [succeed] without microfinance,” Mr. Maeda said via email. “But we hope to be a…function to increase the sales of AEON Mall and its tenants.”
“Especially, there are a lot of tenants who will open their first shop in Cambodia. We hope to be their good partner to support their sales growth,” Mr. Maeda added.
One of those tenants is Malaysian bedding company Eadeco. David Tan, general manager of the Cambodian arm of the company, said the Aeon brand had helped lure Eadeco to Phnom Penh, since the easy availability of microloans in the mall would make customers less likely to balk at the thought of paying up to $500 for one of the company’s bedding sets.
“Having Aeon Microfinance in the mall will help people enjoy it by allowing them to buy what they want,” he said.
“How can an 18-year-old fresh grad afford to buy an iPhone? Microfinance. It has enabled people to own something they like even if it’s maybe a little high in price. This desperation to own something—everyone has it.”
Not only are Aeon outlets easy to find, but the approval process for a loan is relatively relaxed compared with other MFIs and banks. To apply for a loan from Aeon, a customer must provide an ID card, a certificate from their employer showing a reliable monthly income and a certificate of residence. The approval process takes only 24 hours. In contrast, most commercial banks demand collateral from potential borrowers, while MFIs do a background check and may require paperwork explaining how the loan will be used to generate income.
“Finance institutions in Cambodia are still conservative about giving a loan to consumers with consideration of its risk,” said Mr. Maeda. “But we take a risk to serve more people with a convenient scheme.”
And the risk is proving fruitful. In exchange for its ease of service, Aeon’s interest rates are about 2.3 to three percent higher per month than loans from commercial banks. According to Mr. Maeda, the rate of non-performing loans is about two percent—on par with the industry average.
The proliferation of easy consumer credit has also been a boon to retailers partnered with Aeon, who take on none of the risk in the loans being used to buy their products.
Heng Sreng, owner of the Heng Ly motorcycle shop, said since he became an Aeon merchant in early 2012, his sales have steadily increased. In 2013, he was selling about 80 units per month, 30 percent of which were financed by credit. This year, he is selling closer to 120 units per month, 50 percent on credit.
For electronics and household appliance chain K-Four, sales using Aeon loans have steadily increased since early 2012, with a nearly 20 percent increase in sales on Aeon credit in the last quarter of 2013, according to K4’s retail managing executive, Roniel Dionco.
“People, especially families, are buying higher value items [like TVs and refrigerators] and paying for them over six months. Customers can now buy a product they’ve dreamed about but couldn’t afford before,” he said.
However, Michel Chossudovsky, an economist and director of the Canada-based Center for Research on Globalization, cautioned that promoting financial products that encourage people to use their wages on expensive consumer goods can be risky.
“The problem is people making payments on a motorbike or cell phone, which they may eventually lose, have little money left to pay for necessary consumption, let alone food,” he said. “So it can impoverish people because they don’t have the ability to spend.”
But for Mr. Songheng, the extra risk was worth it now that he has his iPhone 5S in hand.
“If I bought the phone with cash, I would not have money to spend on business purposes,” he said last week after having paid the final installment of his $780 loan. “This is a great system.”
(Additional reporting by Hul Reaksmey and Kang Sothear)


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World Bulletin / News Desk
An entire city is in the ocean, a farm has been labeled as an airport, highways end in the middle of nowhere and a hospital now covers the entire center of British city Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's home.
Welcome to the new world of Apple Maps that greeted iPhone and iPad users when they downloaded the highly anticipated update to the consumer giant's mobile software platform, iOS 6.
Apple Inc's home-grown Maps feature was introduced with much fanfare in June by Apple's software chief Scott Forstall and is a direct challenge to the same service offered by friend-turned-rival Google Inc.
But the app is already facing criticism from users globally for a number of geographical errors, missing information and because it lacks features that made Google Maps so popular, including public transit directions, comprehensive traffic data or street view pictures.
Apple Maps has replaced Google Maps, which is no longer available on iOS 6.
The criticism comes on the eve of the launch of Apple's iPhone 5, which hits stores around the globe on Friday. The iPhone 5 comes pre-loaded with the new iOS 6 software and Maps.
Users have created a Tumblr blog sarcastically dubbed "The Amazing iOS 6 Maps" where many have posted screen shots of the errors (ht tp://theamazingios6maps.tumblr.com/) . Pictures showed the Norwegian town of Leknes in the Norwegian sea, the entire city center of Stratford-upon-Avon is labeled as a hospital.
Some of the errors have even irked politicians. Irish Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said he was surprised to discover that Airfield -- a 35-acre estate with working farm and café in center of his constituency in Dundrum, Ireland -- has been labeled with the image of an aircraft.
He said this could be dangerous for pilots and suggested in a statement that Apple use the image of "a cow, a goat, a sheep, a flower" instead, and that an "aircraft is an entirely inappropriate flight of imagination."
Users in Asia were surprised to see two sets of the disputed islands known by Japan as the Senkaku and by China as the Diaoyu. Some joked that this was Apple's effort at providing a diplomatic solution to Japan and China, both of which claim the islands. Later searches using iOS 6 appeared to show the disputed islands had been removed altogether.
NOT AN EASY FIX
Closer to home, New York city residents are unhappy that Apple maps doesn't offer public transit directions, one of the most-used features on Google Maps in cities.
"My phone should be able to tell me which bus and train to take," said Kenan Ali, a Brooklyn, New York, resident who exclusively uses public transport in the city and has been an iPhone user since 2008. "I am hoping in the next update they will somehow add transit directions."
Apple's map service comes with three-dimensional images of cities called "Flyover" along with real-time traffic updates and also turn-by-turn navigation, the last a feature that Google has in Android devices but had not made available in Apple devices.
Apple licenses mapping data from vehicle navigation systems maker TomTom. TomTom said it stands behind the quality of its maps but didn't develop the app.
"During the process of turning mapping data into an app, every manufacturer does it their own way," said TomTom spokesperson Cem Cohen. "We are not part of that process. Apple uses exactly the same maps as our other customers."
Cohen said TomTom hasn't talked to Apple about the issues.
While in theory it will be possible for Apple to update Maps with a software fix, the problems appear to be "pretty profound and pretty fundamental," said Marcus Thielking, co-founder of Skobbler, maker of the popular GPS Navigation 2 app, built using the crowdsourced OpenStreetMap platform.
"The question is really how much expertise do they have in-house and what they sourced from third parties," Thielking said, adding that Apple requires people with a very specific skill set to fix it.
"It's not their core competence," he added.
Google, for its part, did not say whether it would do a Google Maps apps for iOS 6. Users now have to access Google Maps through the browser.
"Our goal is to make Google Maps available to everyone who wants to use it, regardless of device, browser, or operating system," the company said in a statement.
Apple shares closed down about 0.5 percent at $698.70 on Nasdaq, a day after reaching an all-time high of $703.99. The shares have gained over 20 percent in the past 3-1/2 months in the build-up to the launch of the iPhone 5.
Direct trading using the 2 national currencies will be launched on the interbank forex market on Dec. 12, says FX watchdog
The Bank of France revised its 2016 and 2017 growth forecast down to 1.3 percent, having previously expected growth of 1.4 percent this year and 1.5 percent next year.
Ursula von der Leyen held talks with her Saudi counterpart, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on boosting the "excellent bilateral relations" between the two countries, the mission added.
Most analysts predict president Mario Draghi will extend an 80-billion-euro ($86-billion) per month bond-buying scheme beyond the current March deadline at his press conference.
A record-setting wave of Chinese investment abroad has fuelled concern in Beijing over capital flight, reckless spending overseas, and the yuan's fall against the US dollar.
The deal is part of a broader privatisation drive and comes despite Moscow being mired in Western sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine that have played a major part in plunging the country into recession.
Germany’s ambassador to Ankara says German companies operating in Turkey should think about tomorrow
After months of disagreement, OPEC members last week hammered out a deal to cut oil output for the first time in eight years.
Ali Shareef al-Emadi predicted growth of 3.4 percent in 2017, in line with an International Monetary Fund estimate and up from a projected 3.2 percent this year.
"Many citizens in advanced economies are facing heightened uncertainty, lamenting a loss of control and losing trust in the system," Carney said in a speech at Liverpool's John Moores University.
European stock markets are also set for a weak start, with Italy underperforming as investors brace for turbulence and political crisis in the euro zone's heavily indebted third-largest economy.
The euro tumbled on Monday after Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said he would resign as he conceded defeat in a referendum over his plan to reform the constitution
Rouhani's 2017-2018 budget is based on oil prices of $50 per barrel, up from $40 last year, with a focus on unemployment, water resources, railways and the environment.
Turkish parliament has already ratified the deal on construction of ‘TurkStream’ natural gas pipeline
The September rate was revised to 9.9 percent from the 10 percent first given last month.


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Mother Dairy forays into organic food biz to diversify product portfolio; eyes Rs 50 cr revenue in 2019
Mother Dairy has launched its organic range of fresh fruits and vegetables and other kitchen ingredients under its horticulture brand Safal.
New Delhi: Leading milk supplier Mother Dairy has entered into Rs 4,000 crore organic food business as part of its strategy to diversify product portfolio.
The company is targeting a revenue of Rs 50 crore next fiscal and Rs 100 crore in 2020-21, Mother Dairy Fruits and Vegetables director Saugata Mitra said.
To start with, Mother Dairy has launched its organic range of fresh fruits and vegetables and other kitchen ingredients under its horticulture brand Safal.
The new range of products – labelled as 'Safal Organic' – is available in select 100 Safal booths across Delhi NCR.
"With this foray, the company aims to make Safal Organic a brand worth Rs 100 crores by 2021. Safal is looking forward to generate a revenue of around Rs 50 crores by fiscal 2019 - 2020," Mitra said.
Safal Organic will offer fresh organic fruit and vegetables sourced from about 500 farmers with certified organic farms across the states of Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
A wide range of organic kitchen ingredients namely pulses, rice, spices, millets, dry fruits, wheat flour, besan, sugar, salt and flattened rice flakes (poha), have been introduced.
Going forward, the company plans to further expand Safal Organic range by adding seasonal fruits and vegetables along with honey, rock salt and more varieties of whole spices and pulses.
Safal has set up a facility to handle organic produce at Mangolpuri in the national capital to ensure a distinguished supply chain as mandated in the regulations. The capacity of the newly established organic facility is around 15 tonne/day.
Safal's organic products are in compliance with the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), under the central government, and it also conforms to the ‘Jaivik Bharat' initiative of FSSAI.
Mother Dairy said the harvested produce is subjected to stringent testing for 127 pesticidal residues by accredited labs. In addition, the logistics for organic is duly differentiated at all levels and processing too has been distinguished along with packaging storage and consumer touch-points to ensure compliance with laid norms.
As part of its agronomic interventions, Mother Dairy is also advising and helping farmers in growing organic produce.
"The company is also looking to expand its retail channels going forward, with plans to launch the product range in general trade and modern trade by end of current fiscal, starting with Delhi-NCR," Mitra said.
Mother Dairy was commissioned in 1974 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
It is a leading dairy player which manufactures, markets & sells milk and milk products, including cultured products, ice creams, paneer and ghee under the ‘Mother Dairy' brand.
The company also has a diversified portfolio with products in edible oils under the ‘Dhara' brand and fresh fruits & vegetables, frozen vegetables, unpolished pulses, honey etc. under the Safal brand.
Delhi's air quality remains "very poor"; schools shut till further notice, construction work to resume
The department order also mentioned that all Delhi Government offices, autonomous bodies and corporations will remain closed till 26 November except for the those involved in essential and emergency work
The Delhi government on Sunday night extended the ban on the entry of trucks carrying non-essential items and work-from-home for its employees till 26 November to combat air pollution and minimise its health effects
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said earlier this week that 97 percent of Delhiites have received their first dose of vaccine, and 57 percent are fully inoculated


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It’s barely been a year since Netflix became the exclusive site for streaming Disney movies. Now, in a stunning reversal, the House of Mouse has announced it plans to pull its films from the service and start up one of its own in 2019.
Announced during its earnings report today, Disney confirmed plans to remove all of its movies from the service and end its streaming agreement with Netflix in 2019, meaning that movies like Toy Story 4 or Frozen 2, both due out that year, will not come to Netflix . Exclusive rights were only granted to Netflix by Disney starting last September, making it the only place to stream new Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and—as of June, with the arrival of Rogue One on the platform—Star Wars movies.
After the deal is nullified, Disney is planning to launch its own streaming service sometime in 2019 as well, so don’t expect those movies to show up anywhere else.


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Bangladesh and Vietnam are working toward greater economic collaboration and the two nations have agreed to boost their annual bilateral trade to $1 billion by 2016.
At a meeting between Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi Monday, the leaders agreed to remove trade and investment barriers for both countries’ benefit, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Vietnam’s major exports to Bangladesh include iron, steel, fiber, textiles, plastics, rubber and electronics, and Bangladesh sent Vietnam its pharmaceuticals, raw materials for garments and machinery.
The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry reports that the existing trade volume between the two countries is less than $700 million, according to the Tribune.
Bangladesh and Vietnam also agreed to establish regular Foreign Office Consultation to keep cooperation close and to exchange market information and best practices and combat transitional crimes and irregular migration.
According to the Tribune, Hamid said Dhaka is eager to connect itself to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Sang said Vietnam will support Bangladesh with its regional integration and Hamid added, addressing Sang, that with Bangladesh’s Special Economic Zones (which allow for eased trade laws and financial breaks), investors will find a conducive environment for setting up industrial units.
Sustainability remains at the core of Target’s corporate ethos and the retailer is making a major move to combat climate change.Read more
NAFTA could end up being a bilateral trade agreement that doesn’t include the United States at all.Read more
Driven by the Trump administration’s hard line stance on global trade, the U.S. is set to lose its position and credibility on the world commercial stage.Read more
The Bangladesh High Court issued a stay this week on implementation of the Bangladesh Accord for Building and Fire Safety 2018.Read more
Alpargatas Argentina is investing $5.6 million reintroduce its footwear brand Havaianas, plus is social media causing Nike shares to drop?Read more
Behind every distressed retailer are suppliers, vendors, creditors and landlords who must determine how best to proceed—as partners or combatants.Read more
3-D printing is often viewed as an opportunity for companies, but the emergence of this technology could be curtains for cross-border trade.Read more


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Looking to the skies to save me
Sega and Microsoft announced that they have entered a “strategic alliance” that will enable Sega to explore the development of major video games via Microsoft’s cloud gaming platform, Azure. The alliance, which appears to form at least a part of Sega’s recent “Super Game” initiative, will along the developer to explore new opportunities via its range of globally recognized IPs and franchises.
“With the world now more connected than ever following the widespread deployment of 5G and cloud services in recent years, consumers can more easily enjoy high-quality entertainment content at any time,” said Sega said of the new endeavor. “Within this highly connected environment, the ecosystem surrounding the games industry continues to evolve and expand as more sophisticated tools and technologies become available.”
This partnership will see Sega experiment with the evolution of cloud gaming, or alternately “Always Online” gaming. Outside of mobile gaming, Sega has stayed relatively distant from subscription-based MMO titles, with the obvious exception being the popular Phantasy Star Online series, but this new alliance will open the door for the developer to investigate the possibilities of online and streaming games via Microsoft’s premier cloud gaming tools and services.
“Sega has played such an iconic role in the gaming industry and has been a tremendous partner over the years,” said Microsoft CVP Sarah Bond of the collaboration. “We look forward to working together as they explore new ways to create unique gaming experiences for the future using Microsoft cloud technologies. Together we will reimagine how games get built, hosted, and operated, with a goal of adding more value to players and Sega alike.”
No specific projects were announced. The partnership is expected to roll out across the ninth gen and possibly beyond.


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Samsung Recently introduced the Samsung SSD 980 PRO, the company’s first commercial PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid-state drive (SSD). The Korean giant said in an official press release that it is built for professionals and customers who want high-end PCs, workstations, and game consoles to achieve cutting-edge performance.
Samsung says all the main components of the 980 PRO have been developed by its in-house engineers, including the customised Elpis controller, V-NAND and DRAM.
The company claims that the 980 PRO can deliver up to 7,000 MB / s and 5,000 MB / s sequential read and write speeds, respectively, as well as up to 1,000 K IOPS random read and write speeds, making it up to two times faster than PCIe 3.0 SSDs and up to 12.7 times faster than SATA SSDs.
For enhanced reliability, the 980 PRO series also comes with improved thermal control. While most high-performance NVMe SSDs today rely on external copper heatsinks to disperse heat, Samsung’s 980 PRO uses a nickel coating on the controller for efficient heat dissipation as well as a heat spreader mark on the back, “the company said in an official statement”.
To further push down temperatures even under extreme workloads, the SSD also integrates Samsung’s patented Dynamic Thermal Guard technology.
The Samsung SSD 980 PRO comes with capacities of 250 GB, 500 GB, and 1 TB and will be available worldwide beginning this month. By the end of this year, the company also expects to launch a 2 TB model. Both models will have a limited five-year warranty.
980 PRO SSD Technical Specs
PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.3c
Samsung 1xx-layer V-NAND 3-bit MLC
Samsung Elpis Controller
1GB LPDDR4 (1TB)
1TB, 500GB, 250GB
Sequential Read/Write Speed
Up to 7,000 MB/s, Up to 5,000 MB/s
Random Read/Write Speed
Up to 1,000K IOPS, 1,000K IOPS
Samsung Magician Software
AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption, TCG/Opal V2.0, Encrypted Drive (IEEE1667)
Total Bytes Written
Five-year Limited Warranty (6)


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Respawn Entertainment, founded by Jason West and Vince Zampella who helped bring the greatest first person shooter in the world into our homes – Call of Duty, have teased an image of their next great creation since leaving Infinity Ward, set to be published by EA Games. (…so it’s bound to have an Online Pass…)
“Respawn Entertainment marks a fresh start for Jason and me,” said Vince Zampella, General Manager of Respawn Entertainment. “For the past decade we led a great development team and poured our hearts into creating an epic game franchise. We’re very proud of what we built — and proud that so many millions of fans enjoyed those games…”
“We’re excited,” added Jason West, President of Respawn Entertainment. “Now that the team is in control of the games and brands, we can ensure that the fans are treated as well as they deserve.”
With such leading key members of the Call of Duty franchise working on a new title for EA Games, this could potentially be the successor to Modern Warfare and blow its domination within the industry to pieces. West and Zampella have not yet announced what the first title from Respawn might be and if it would directly compete with Call of Duty, but in an interview with LA Times, April 2010 – West did say he expected it to be of “huge, summer blockbuster” scale – adding that they would consider turning their games into films, comic books and other media.
The teased image is shown above and can also be found on Respawn’s Official Website. Any further updates and we’ll keep you posted.


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Articles About wage growth
August 14, 2014
Numerous areas are still posting double-digit price increases.
August 07, 2014
First-time applications for unemployment benefits remain near pre-recession lows.
August 01, 2014
Is the U.S. economy “doing what it should” by creating more than 200,000 jobs -- a level considered to be an important benchmark of economic health?
July 31, 2014
When more people are employed, consumers have more cash at their disposal, meaning more money is being spent and businesses hire more employees.


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Faced with production problems due to supply chain problems, major automakers Maruti Suzuki (MSI) and Hyundai Motor reported lower shipments of vehicles from factories to dealerships in April this year.
Tata Motors, Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Skoda Auto meanwhile saw robust growth in vehicle shipments last month.
The country’s largest automaker, MSI, said its domestic sales fell 7% to 1,32,248 units from 1,42,454 units in April 2021.
Sales of minicars, including Alto and S-Presso, fell 32% to 17,137 units from 25,041 in the same month last year.
In the compact car segment, sales of models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire fell 18% to 59,184 units from 72,318 in April 2021.
However, sales of commercial vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga, rose 33% to 33,941 units from 25,484 vehicles last month, MSI said.
“The shortage of electronic components had a minor impact on the production of vehicles, mainly domestic models,” said the auto major.
Rival Hyundai Motor India reported a 10% drop in wholesale sales last month to 44,001 units last month from 49,002 units in April 2021.
Similarly, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) reported a 13% year-on-year drop in domestic wholesale sales to 7,874 units in April.
”Customer sentiment continues to show improvement and positivity, which is reflected in strong demand. However, supply chain issues remain a challenge for the industry, impacting the ability to meet growing demand,” said Yuichi Murata, HCIL Director (Marketing and Sales).
The automaker hopes the situation will improve as soon as possible so that the supply-demand equation can be more balanced, he added.
MG Motor India said its retail sales fell 22% to 2,008 units last month from 2,565 in April 2021.
Production remained volatile and immensely affected by global supply chain constraints due to sudden and new COVID-19 lockdowns in different parts of the world, the automaker said.
The brand is closely monitoring the situation caused by new waves of COVID and aligning its efforts to deal with it, the company added.
Local auto major Tata Motors meanwhile reported a 66% increase in shipments to dealers to 41,587 units last month from 25,095 units in April 2021.
Additionally, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) said its wholesale sales rose 57 percent in April to 15,085 units from 9,600 in the same month last year.
”Demand continues to peak in the new fiscal year as we end April with 57% overall growth over April 2021 wholesale sales. Along with the Crysta, Fortuner and Legender, the Camry Hybrid has received very encouraging results. reservation orders,” said Atul Sood, TKM Associate Vice President, Sales and Strategic Marketing.
Skoda Auto India said its sales increased more than fivefold in April to 5,152 units from 961 units in April 2021.
”It’s heartening to see that a sedan is helping us climb peak after peak of sales. The Slavia is a smash hit, while the Kushaq SUV continues to find new homes,” said Skoda Auto India Brand Director Zac Hollis.
(This story has not been edited by the Devdiscourse team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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New York International Auto Show: March 29-April 7
NEW YORK -- What started in 1900 as America's first automotive exhibition has blossomed into one of the premier events of its kind in the world with approximately 100 conferences, industry forums, symposiums, award ceremonies -- and, of course, tons of the latest cars!
Here's the show's vital information:
LOCATION: Jacob Javits Convention Center 11th Ave. (between 30th and 40th streets), Manhattan
PUBLIC SHOW HOURS: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 29 through 7, 2013; Sundays: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. WEBSITE: www.AutoShowNY.com
ADMISSION: General admission to the 2013 Chicago Auto Show is $15 for adults and $5 for children (ages 2- 12). Group tickets are available for $13 for groups of 20 or more, but most be ordered by Feb. 15.
In addition, private group tours are also availalble on select dates -- ranging from $40-$50 -- as well as early access passes, which will allow attendees to enter one hour early at 9 a.m. than the rest of the public on Fridays and Saturdays. These tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for children. Plus, those visitors who were planning on taking the nearby NY Waterway ferry, can purchase discount combo e-tickets for admission and a round-trip ferry pass for $31 for adults and $17 for children.
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY: Information on wheelchairs can be found by calling (212) 216-2196.
- Malaysia Airlines plane vanishes with 239 aboard
- AccuWeather: Milder, maybe a shower
- Live: Eyewitness News on 7online streamed live!
- Get WATCH ABC for your mobile device
- Kindergartener leaves school unnoticed in Morrisania
- Missing man found buried in nephew's backyard
- Measles cases confirmed in Manhattan, Bronx
- Florida family falls ill after eating meat with LSD
- Exclusive: Mistaken identity arrest
- Lehigh Valley Dairy recalls orange juice over milk concerns
- Virus hijacks your computer till you pay
- Battling a third party energy company
- Carmen Berra, wife of Yogi Berra dies at 85
- Photos: $3.25M summer home in Ocean City, NJ


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Global franchise giant, McDonald’s has finally weighed into the vegan and vegetarian market, launching a new partnership with alternative supplier brand Beyond Meat. The McDonald’s plant-based burger was unveiled by
When former McDonald’s career corporates Gavin and Raylee McLeod made the decision to enter the franchise world, they had a goal of more than just money. Now the pair is
When it comes to staying relevant, innovation is the name of the game. In this era of ordering platforms and delivery services, it’s the nation’s high-tech fast food franchise businesses
McDonald’s US has admitted to “shamelessly” stealing from its Aussie arm in an effort to replicate little brother’s success. Presenting the group’s Q1 results, McDonald’s Corporation CEO Steve Easterbrook outlined
McDonald’s Australia has announced the inaugural participants of its brand new two year Property Graduate Program. The graduates will work alongside industry professionals in on-the-job training and practical workshops, under
A paid partnership between supermodel Gigi Hadid and franchise giant McDonald’s is calling the role of social media marketing into question. Early this month, Hadid copped criticism for a promotional
McDonald’s has once again claimed top spot as the nation’s preferred fast-food or QSR outlet, beating off stiff competition from fellow franchise chains KFC and Domino’s.
McDonald’s Australia is preparing to spend more than $500m on expansion efforts across the country, including plans to bolster its representation in regional areas.
Global franchise giant, McDonald’s has reported its 13th consecutive month of positive same-stores sales, exceeding third quarter revenue expectations and topping Wall Street profit.
McDonald’s Australia has denied the fast food giant is easing older employees out of their shifts in a churning process that favours cheaper, younger staff members.


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The latest game from Zero Escape series creator Kotaro Uchikoshi, AI: The Somnium Files, appears to be flying under a lot of people's radars. It's out on PlayStation 4 on 17th September in the US and three days later in the EU, and this latest trailer dives into the game's investigation mechanics. Check it out above.
It's a stylish slice of footage that introduces a number of different characters, all of which have their own objectives and motives. We get a glimpse of how searching crime scenes will be done, interviewing potential witnesses and suspects, and dialogue choices that'll weed out answers and revelations.
It's all looking like a major step up from the PS Vita's Zero Time Dilemma, with a sync system that allows you to dive into people's dreams and make out further clues. Are you interested in picking this up despite the mad September rush of releases? Put your pre-order down in the comments below.


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Mueller Signs One Of The Brightest Young Stars In Women’s Soccer
June 25, 2012—MUELLER SPORTS MEDICINE, PRAIRIE DU SAC WI
Mueller Sports Medicine is pleased to announce that Alex Morgan, an outstanding member of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, has joined the Mueller Pro Team as a Brand Ambassador for MWrap® and Styling Wrap.
Morgan, who is known for wearing Pink MWrap® in her hair while playing, will represent the product through a variety of marketing efforts across all media.
MWrap was originally developed and marketed as a pre-taping underwrap used to protect the skin from athletic tape. However, in recent years, because of restrictions on hair clips and pins, many female athletes wear it to keep their hair out of their eyes. A similar product was introduced in 2009 under the brand name StylingWrap™ as a fashion-forward solution to hairstyling. Both products are available in a wide variety of colors, however, Morgan has made pink her signature color. She has said that she started wearing pink so that her family could identify her on the field. Since then, she has also said that she wears it to show her “girly side.”
“Alex is an inspirational athlete who has achieved great success both as a competitor and as an individual,” said Brett Mueller, President of Mueller Sports Medicine, said. “She is a wonderful example of the tough, fierce competitive nature of the American female athlete. A rising star with a large number of fans and followers, Alex will be a welcome addition to the Mueller Sports Medicine team.”
About Mueller Sports Medicine
Mueller Sports Medicine was founded in 1959 by Curt Mueller. The company is a family-owned and operated international sports medicine company offering a complete line of patented braces, supports, tapes and taping supplies, as well as Quench® Gum. Mueller Sports Medicine continues to introduce new and innovative products around the world.
About Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan, 22, made her debut for the United States women’s national team in 2010 and quickly established herself as a valuable team member. The youngest player on the US National Team, Morgan came off the bench last summer in five of the six games at the World Cup — scoring in both the Americans’ semifinal win over France and their championship game loss to Japan — but this year she has made a case for a regular starting role with a string of stronger performances. Morgan is the national team’s leading scorer with 17 goals this year and is on her way to become just the sixth U.S. player to score 20 goals in a calendar year.


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The faster chips have been on Intel's roadmap for months, and some OEMs, such as Dell Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co., began offering workstations featuring the processors in February.
Officials with Intel, of Santa Clara, Calif., declined to comment on Friday.
The 3.06GHz chip will feature a 533MHz front-side busthe vehicle through which data passes between the processor and its various components, such as the memory and chip set. A 3GHz version will feature a 400MHz front-side bus, according to the sources.
Currently, Intel's fastest dual-processing Xeon runs at 2.8GHz, with versions featuring either the 533Mhz or 400MHz front-side bus.
Dell, of Round Rock, Texas, is offering the 3.06GHz Xeon in its Precision 450 and 650 workstations. HP, of Palo Alto, Calif., is offering it in its xw6000 and xw8000 workstations
The Xeon speed bumps come two days before Intel launches its mobile computing platform, Centrino, which features the Pentium-M chipformerly known as Baniasthe accompanying 855 chipset and Wi-Fi module. That launch is scheduled for Wednesday in New York City.


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With its recent acquisition, how G.O.A.T Brand Labs is charting its D2C story
In a recent conversation with YourStory’s Daily Dispatch, powered by HSBC, Rishi Vasudev, Co-founder and Director, G.O.A.T Brand Labs, talks about the startup’s recent acquisition in The Label Life and the road ahead.
Bengaluru-basedis taking the Indian Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) market by storm after it recently acquired a 90 percent stake in The Label Life — a brand associated with Malaika Arora, Sussanne Khan, and Bipasha Basu.
Speaking about the acquisition, Rishi Vasudev, Co-founder and Director, G.O.A.T Brand Labs, said the women’s western wear space is growing exponentially, and this is the brand’s first acquisition in this space.
“We were on the lookout for a very strong D2C brand, which we could acquire and scale massively,” he added.
The Label Life is a strong brand that has had strong collaborations with global brands in the past, and thus, fits perfectly, said Rishi.
The startup began the process of identifying and building a pipeline of brands that could be a part of its acquisition drive last year.
“While we have announced 11 brands, another 10-12 brands are in the pipeline in the last stages of acquisition,” he said.
In 2022, G.O.A.T Brand Labs plans to add more brands into its portfolio. Besides, the existing brands in its portfolio are showcasing good traction, which it aims to grow by 2-3x by the end of this year.
Soon, the Thrasio-like D2C company will make announcements about its fundraising activities as there has been a lot of investor interest in this business model.
According to Rishi, presently, the big opportunity is that several people are moving towards online shopping. However, scaling a D2C brand is one of the biggest challenges faced by the sector.
“That’s the kind of brand we identify, who is doing well on one or two channels, and other areas where they are neglected because of money or bandwidth,” said Rishi. It also tracks another important metric — the efficiency of a brand because of the aggregation.
Speaking about key metrics, Rishi said G.O.A.T. Brand Lab aims to hit a turnover of a billion dollars in three years and two billion dollars in five years. “We are aiming to acquire about 150+ brands in the next five years,” he added.
The startup expects to grow its acquired brands by at least 2X.
Edited by Suman Singh


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Kick starts .ASIA promotional campaign with a brand new commercial
India, June 12, 2015: BigRock, one of India’s leading domain registrars, has announced the launch of their new marketing campaign in collaboration with the .ASIA registry. The campaign started with the launch of a brand new commercial to promote the .ASIA domain extension to small and medium businesses in the country.
The commercial conceptualized and produced by ideas@work, communicates the strong relevance of the .ASIA domain extension for businesses that wish to establish their digital footprint on a global scale and increase relevance amongst potential customers in Asia. Using BigRock’s trademark tongue-in-cheek communication style, the film showcases the potential adaption of traditional Indian products in other Asian markets.
Shashank Mehrotra, General Manager and Business Head, BigRock India, commented, “India is currently witnessing the dawn of a digital era through the combination of rapid internet penetration, government initiatives and entrepreneurial ventures. This means that a large number of businesses will seek to establish an online presence in an effort to reach a wider audience. Our latest campaign aims to reach out to consumers who wish for a more localized version of the internet medium.”
“With businesses constantly looking to strengthen and promote their brand, the .ASIA extension will help them towards targeting local markets and establishing their presence online to reach out to millions of potential customers in Asia”, he added.
With over 1 billion Internet users registered in Asia alone, statistics indicate that overall Internet penetration in the region is still at less than 35%. Launched in 2007, .ASIA has grown substantially to become one of the leading domain extensions in the world with over 300,000 registered domains.
Since its launch, BigRock has seen a steady growth in the demand for .ASIA domain names, and the new campaign is only expected to see this trend continue. As part of the campaign, BigRock is offering .ASIA domains at just Rs. 99/- per year.
BigRock, an ICANN accredited registrar and hosting company, is a leading provider of web-presence solutions to small-businesses, professionals and individuals. We provide our customers a complete suite of products that help them establish & grow their online presence. Our product portfolio includes – domain registration, web-hosting services, Personal email services & Business Email services, website builder products, Virtual Private Servers (VPS) and digital certificates. Our product platform represents over 12 years of investment in technology R&D and powers over 8 million domains worldwide.


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Google Home – the company’s smart speaker – has just received a new feature. A user on reddit discovered that Google Home can now visualize the weather forecast on a Chromecast-connected TV.
Despite not being the latest OnePlus models out on the market anymore, the OnePlus 3 and 3T continue to receive updates that fix issues and introduce new software features on a regular basis.
Today, new Open Beta patches have been made available for the two 2016 high-end models. The updates carry different names (OxygenOS Open Beta 29 for the OP 3 and 20 for the OP 3T), but the changes included are basically identical. Still, there’s a lot of new stuff on board, so let’s take a look at the entire patch log:
We deliberately omitted Tesla from our list of brands that let you start, stop or unlock your vehicle remotely with the help of your smartphone, as this car has been developed from the ground up with connectivity and apps in mind. Hey, Tesla cars even get firmware updates, so this latest news from the universe of the world’s most popular electric vehicle is not overly surprising.
How about getting your car battery preconditioned from the comfort of your phone? “Preconditioning” refers to the process of warming up the battery so as the software doesn’t limit the car’s abilities when you …
Pokemon GO creator Niantic is updating the popular mobile game with a glut of new features. For its most significant bump in quite some time, Pokemon GO adds a number of characters from the Sapphire and Ruby era including Mudkip, Treecko and Torchic, as part of a rollout that will see the introduction of some 50 creatures from the Hoenn region. Additionally, dynamic weather support means that a Pokemon hunter’s own climate can influence the game itself.
Carrot Weather is one of the unique weather apps on the App Store as it delivers weather updates with snarky, cynical, and funny messages every time you open it. For that, it is loved by many and maybe hated by some. The developers also do a great job at regularly updating the messages to keep them relevant to current social and political events, memes, and whatever else is in the news.
The app has received a major UI update for its Apple Watch version — it now features the speech synthesizer on the Watch, so will be able to hear the snide comments from your wrist; it features data point …
The launch of the iPhone X was not as uneventful as the that of the other iPhones released by Apple this year. Many customers found weird issues with Apple’s flagship, some more serious than others.
Last week we reported about such an issue that made the iPhone X screen become temporarily unresponsive to touch after a rapid change to a cold environment. At that time, Apple promised to address the problem in an upcoming software update, but aside from that, no other information was provided.
True to its promise, Apple has now released an update that fixes …
New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Observatory is home to some truly treacherous weather. In 1934, the summit even played host to the fastest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth: 231 miles per hour.
Now, 105 mph isn’t quite that fast. But, as you’ll see from the video above, it’s no picnic to walk in.
On Friday, weather observer Tony Padham ventured outside in those gusts — as well as the summit’s coldest wind chill of the year thus far (-40 degrees Fahrenheit) — for what he called “a bit of fun.”
Is struggling to stand in frigid mountain gusts my definition of fun? No. Is this video still extremely fun to watch? Yes. Please enjoy. Read more…
Some iPhone X users have noticed that their touchscreen becomes unresponsive with a rapid change of temperatures, like, say, going out of the house in cold weather. Well, the weather has to be near freezing, and the screen apparently stops being operational for a few brief seconds, plus locking and unlocking the display prompts the iPhone X to again register touches, but it must be annoying nonetheless, so Apple issued a promise for a fix.
More and more users are trying Android launchers to the point that it has become a trend. However, there are probably only a handful of launchers very popular among Android users, and Action Launcher is one of them.
Chris Lacy, the man behind Action Launcher has just released a brand new version of its app, which brings a couple of new features and improvements. If you already have the Android launcher installed, then you’ll want to know that the highlight of the most recent update is the new weather widget.
The new weather widget introduced in the latest update is still in alpha …


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For all NFL fans, they can pre-request Madden NFL 22 from June 17. Rankle 22 Release Date is August 20 and Cover Athletes are Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. The game will arrive on all mainstream console stages, including PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Xbox Series and PC. Not just that, as indicated by the news given by EA's advancement group, the game will make at least 16 upgrades to Franchise Mode. Players who like the NFL ought not miss it.
Madden 22 has no published tips or collections yet.


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updated 07:55 am EDT, Tue October 5, 2010
Microsoft Minneapolis retail across from Apple's
Microsoft stepped up the pressure on Apple this week with the discovery that the company's upcoming store in the Mall of America in Minneapolis will sit directly opposite the Apple store. The new location is designed to one-up the longstanding rival with a store twice as wide and likely more depth. The Microsoft shop has yet to get an opening date and is only listed as "coming soon," the Pioneer Press noted.
The storefront may open before the November 8 Windows Phone 7 launch, as graphics on the walls now show Windows Phone 7.
Previous Microsoft stores have opened near Apple's before, but the Mall of America store would be the first to sit directly next to an Apple location. The company has made no reservations about the stores being meant to imitate and potentially lure away customers and has gone so far as to have a Genius Bar equivalent, the Answer Desk, and to hold high-profile openings. In many cases, however, the company has used concerts as bait to lure parents that might not otherwise have shown up.
Microsoft has been cautious in opening stores so far and has opened just four locations in a year. Apple usually opens significantly more stores in just a single quarter and currently has a wide international presence reaching as far as China where Microsoft has so far limited itself to the US.