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When it comes to the rapidly evolving blockchain space, the majority of both media and public attention remains focused on bitcoin. The virtual currency has evolved from being a little-known technical novelty into a popular investment as rapidly as its price climbed late last year.
While enthusiasm levels have since cooled — along with the bitcoin price — there remains strong interest in blockchain projects and what they might mean for the future of the world of business. Investors are still looking for opportunities and seeking rapid capital gains.
The latest area to capture investor attention has been the growing array of alternative (alt) coins or tokens appearing on the market. Like bitcoin, these tokens can be bought and traded in a similar fashion to shares.
Investors have the option of trying to make short-term gains or holding them in the anticipation of strong growth over time, and most are created to support an underlying blockchain-based business model.
With new ones being launched almost every day in what are dubbed Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), understanding which are legitimate and which should be avoided has become a complex and ever-changing task. Investors need to know how to carefully evaluate new tokens to determine their intrinsic worth.
To make the situation even more complicated, tokens are sometimes created and released even when they are not actually required as part of a project’s functioning. They are simply seen by those behind the project as a way of raising capital.
Finding real value
For this reason, to understand the real value of a token, it is important to focus not on the cryptocurrency itself but on the project that it supports. If that project is not addressing a real-world need, it’s unlikely the token supporting it will retain its value.
Examples of potential blockchain-based projects include those creating new processes or services that could potentially streamline existing business processes. This might provide the ability to accurately track goods throughout a supply chain or rapidly process complex transactions such as mortgages.
One Australian start-up working on a project is Queensland-based Civic Ledger. This firm is using blockchain technologies to transform a range of business processes in the public sector. Interestingly, this company is building its structure and going to market without the distraction of using a token.
Such projects serve to highlight the important distinction between the cryptocurrency side of blockchains and the ways in which the technology is being put to work in other areas. Understanding this distinction is a vital part of assessing the real value of any project.
Another important element prospective investors should examine before purchasing tokens is how the projects underpinning them are being organised and governed. While the concept of the blockchain is one of a distributed community, having strong guidance and decision-making remains critical.
The projects that flourish will be those with a dedicated, focused team at the helm. The best projects will also have in place mechanisms for taking feedback from token owners (investors) in the same way a publicly listed company listens to its shareholders.
In many instances, the mechanism used to establish strong governance is through the establishment of a non-profit foundation that steers things such as technical development and promotion. If the project is of sufficient size, the foundation can be run by a team of salaried staff.
Token sales can provide the funds for this as well as funding the IT team needed to build the project’s technology. Each investor’s influence in the foundation’s decision-making process can be tied to the number of tokens they own.
Many observers have been quick to dismiss cryptocurrencies generally, and bitcoin in particular, as a bubble that will burst and disappear.
However, it must be recognised that the underlying blockchain technology is being used to solve to a myriad of real-world problems beyond the financial sector.
Blockchain technology has the potential to reshape entire industries and is undoubtedly here to stay.
There will continue to be new tokens launched onto the market at a rapid rate, but gyrations in their values should not distract people from the many potentially powerful blockchain projects to which they are linked.
Many projects will simply disappear over time; however, those which tap into real-world demand with a model that makes sense will succeed. For investors, the key challenge is figuring out into which category each falls.
Nathan Spataro is the chief executive of SecureVote.


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Tata Group, the renowned Indian conglomerate, has once again reaffirmed its position as the country’s most valuable brand, as stated in the recently published Brand Finance Report. This remarkable achievement reflects Tata’s relentless pursuit of excellence, unwavering commitment to innovation, and dedication to meeting the evolving needs of consumers.
The Brand Finance Report assesses various factors such as brand strength, financial performance, and market value to determine the rankings. Tata’s consistent track record of delivering high-quality products and services across a wide range of industries has played a pivotal role in its continued success.
With its extensive portfolio encompassing diverse sectors such as automotive, information technology, steel, energy, hospitality, and more, Tata has established itself as a formidable force in the Indian business landscape. Renowned companies under the Tata Group umbrella include Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Steel, Tata Power, and Taj, to name a few.
Taj, in particular, has emerged as the strongest brand in India for the second consecutive year, adding to Tata’s accolades. Taj Hotels, a subsidiary of Tata Group, has set a benchmark for exceptional hospitality experiences, combining luxury, heritage, and exemplary service. This recognition further solidifies Tata’s dominance not only in the corporate world but also in the realm of customer satisfaction and brand equity.
Apart from its commercial success, Tata has been at the forefront of promoting ethical business practices and sustainable development. The conglomerate’s commitment to corporate social responsibility is evident through its initiatives in education, healthcare, rural development, and environmental conservation. By aligning its business objectives with the larger goals of societal progress, Tata has become a beacon of responsible capitalism.
As India’s most valuable brand, Tata continues to inspire and set new standards for the industry. The company’s ability to adapt to changing market dynamics, embrace innovation, and prioritize customer-centricity has solidified its position as a leader. Tata’s unwavering dedication to excellence and its enduring legacy make it a driving force in India’s economic growth.
The retention of the title of India’s most valuable brand, along with Taj’s status as the strongest brand, underscores the unwavering dominance and influence of Tata Group. It symbolizes the conglomerate’s commitment to delivering exceptional products and services while contributing positively to society. With its rich heritage, forward-thinking approach, and unwavering commitment to excellence, Tata Group is poised to continue its remarkable journey of success, shaping the future of India’s business landscape.

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Finland’s DNA has launched a new Android TV device named the DNA TV-hubi.
It combines a set-top box, Chromecast built-in and a smart phone-style app store for TVs and allow users to watch TV and use online applications, play games and listen to music via one easy-to-use system.
As DNA TV-hubi uses the Android TV operating system, Katsomo, Yle Areena and Ruutu, the apps of the three major TV channels in Finland, are available, as well as YouTube and Deezer and a wide range of games and other apps. Netflix will also become available for the device soon.
DNA TV-hubi also includes Chromecast built-in.
DNA’s wide range of TV channels is also available for DNA TV-hubi via terrestrial, cable and IPTV distribution.
According to Mikko Saarentaus, director at DNA Entertainment Business, “the pre-sales of DNA TV-hubi proved that there is a real demand for an Android TV device and a new way of watching television. We have already sold thousands of hubs in advance. People are accustomed to using apps on their phones, and DNA TV-hubi makes them easily available for television, too”.


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Recent Entertainment, Hollywood & Arts News | Calgary Herald
Latest Entertainment Videos
'The Croods 2' leads sluggish U.S. Thanksgiving holiday weekend at box office
LOS ANGELES — Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the most popular times to go to the movies. Crowd pleasers like “Frozen,” “Coco” and “Knives Out” have propelled attendance and generated many, many millions in ticket sales over the holiday weekend in years past, cementing various box office records to boot.


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Huawei, Chinese tech giant will be excluded from providing technology for the core 5G network being developed by U.K. telecoms firm BT, over fears of Chinese government having access to its
The firm’s equipment will also be removed from BT’s existing 3G and 4G networks and this was confirmed by a BT spokesperson, who said it was done as a “part of network architecture principles in place since 2006.”
However, Huawei will still be permitted to provide some infrastructure support such as phone mast antennas, despite not being selected as a vendor for the core 5G network.
BT acquired telecoms firm EE in 2016 and will use its existing network to launch a national 5G rollout. 5G is widely expected to revolutionize technologies such as self-driving cars and the internet
of things and provide superfast mobile internet access.
Also,Australia and the U.S. have also banned Chinese tech firms Huawei and ZTE from their 5G networks over fears it could make national infrastructure accessible to the Chinese government.
Huawei and ZTE on the other hand, denied the accusation saying if Huawei is blocked from having access to the 3G market it could result in higher costs for both consumer and telecom.
Amazon under EU antitrust fire over use of merchant data
Germany accuses Facebook of abuse, slaps restrictions on how it can gather data
U.S. eases curbs on Huawei; founder says clampdown underestimates Chinese firm
Nigeria tech space excites venture capitalists as TLcom bet $5m on Terragon Group
Google is offering up to $10,000 to developers making Google Assistant actions
World first next generation digital identification tech created in South Africa to combat identity t...
Airport fracas puts Spirit Airlines in spotlight
British Airways suffers IT crash, cancels flights
Nigeria hosts intl. conference on use of technology in strengthening elections
NCC remits N51.3 billion to Nigerian govt in Q1 2019
Frontpage February 11, 2019
Frontpage September 17, 2019


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Vevo has announced a free app for the iPhone and iPod touch, allowing users to watch and share music videos via email, Twitter and Facebook, create playlists and watch exclusive video premieres.
The app provides access to Vevo’s entire catalog, featuring over 20,000 videos and employs a GPS feature which enables you to view videos being watched around your location.
Vevo is also launching an Ask: Reply! series, featuring artists like Ke$ha, Ciara, Maroon 5 and Mike Posner answering questions from fans submitted through Vevo on Twitter and Facebook.
The app can be downloaded for free at the iTunes store; the company is currently working on an app for the iPad, Android and other mobile platforms.


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Harold Tillman is in crisis talks to save the final piece of his retail empire.
Allders of Croydon, the department store in south London that Mr Tillman bought in 2005, is in crisis talks with its landlord to stave off administration.
It has requested a rent-free period and appealed to the local council for a business-rates-free period to give it breathing space.
Weak sales and a large rent bill have left the 300,000sq-ft store in dire straits.
In February, Mr Tillman restructured his ownership by reducing his stake to 35 per cent while the retail restructuring expert Hilco took a 35 per cent stake and Royal Bank of Scotland's West Register took a 30 per cent equity slice.
But the restructuring may not be enough to save the historic store, which dates back to 1862.
Andrew MacKenzie, whom Tillman appointed as Allders' chief executive, had been attempting to turn the business around by bringing in more concessions but it is thought its rent bill each month is too large compared to its sales.
The situation in Croydon is the latest woe for Mr Tillman. His Jaeger retail business was sold to Better Capital in April for just above its level of debts and Aquascutum was placed into administration later that month. But Mr Tillman retains a small stake in Jaeger.
Tillman bought Allders of Croydon out of administration in 2005 when it was part of a chain of stores.Reuse content


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Triodos Investment Management, a EUR 2.5 billion AUM Impact Asset Manager launched its first retail product earlier this week.
The Triodos Multi Impact Fund Currently is only available on the Dutch market via its mother company Triodos Bank, as well as by Rabobank. It will be available on Euronext Fund Service from 1 December 2015.
This is a new development for the impact market. ESG and SRI type funds have long been available to retail investors in many countries, but many actors believe that consumer appetite for environmental and social good could help propel impact assets under management.
Yet retail investors and managers alike find themselves up against prudential and regulatory limitations imposed on retail investors’ access to illiquid assets.
There are only limited opportunities for retail investors in the United States, such as the Calvert Notes or TriLinc funds. But the growth of public fixed income solutions such as green bonds over the past two years, coupled with innovation such as Fund of Funds or listed structures that facilitate liquidity may open a new era of growth for the market.
As a Fund-of-Funds, the Triodos Multi Impact Fund will invest predominantly in fixed income and to a lesser extent in public and private equity. 70 percent will go towards some of Triodos’ own funds, on themes ranging from microfinance to renewables and sustainable consumer businesses.
The remaining 30 percent will be invested in Euro-denominated Impact Bonds, including Green Blues, and Social Bonds in order to provide daily liquidity for the fund.


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B's Music Shop receives 2018 Celebrated Service Award
Each year Celebration Cinema awards six Michigan businesses for their outstanding service.
The movie theater chain recently named B’s Music Shop as the recipient of the 2018 Mount Pleasant Celebrated Service Award.
Ten total Mount Pleasant businesses were nominated for the award, which goes to the business who is voted as having the best overall recognition, value and service within the community.
Dog Central, Dube Dental, Hall of Heroes, Intricate Décor Tattooing, Ponder Coffee Company, RK Water Store, Salon Blu, Taco Boy and Yoga on Main – formerly Mount Pleasant Hot Yoga – were all nominated.
The award was sponsored by MLive, Studio C, Beene Garter, ZingTrain and Mercantile Bank.
Nominees were suggested by either Celebration Cinema employees or sponsoring businesses.
“Every time I’ve gone (into B’s Music Shop), (the staff) have been caring and truly want to engage in a discussion about what they love — music,” said Armando Brigham, Mount Pleasant Celebration Cinema assistant manager, in an audio endorsement. “They are so passionate about their work that it sucks you in and you’re immediately fascinated by their awesome inventory and diverse selection.”
It was the music shop’s first time being nominated for the award.
“We are really excited!” Owner Brian Hansen said. “I have been wanting to win (the award) for eight years.”
Staff, customers and the store’s 140 weekly music students helped the store receive votes by word of mouth and handing out promotional cards, Hansen said.
“A lot of the store is simply talking to people more than maybe a restaurant would,” he said. “I was never told the final vote total, but we were winning the entire way.”
A total of 60 nominees competed in the competition — 10 finalists from six different markets: Grand Rapids, Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, Kalamazoo and Portage, Mount Pleasant, Muskegon and Lansing and Okemos.
Each recipient of the award will receive a cash prize of $5,000, a VIP party for the whole business, 10 passes every month of the year and a full year of promotion on their local Celebration Cinema screens, lobby, website and social media.
The promotional video is most important to B’s music shop. Hansen said the shop’s education program will benefit from young kids seeing a commercial before a movie, which might spark an interest in learning to play an instrument.
B’s Music Shop is located at 613 N. Mission St. and is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12-5 p.m. Sunday.


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San Diego lights up this weekend with exciting holiday festivities through the county. Your 5 to Try awaits after the break.
On Thursday LEGOLAND debuted its newest attraction, Star Wars MiniLand. LEGOLand staff took thousands and thousands of Lego bricks and created a scene from each of the six movies and a scene from a Star Wars television series. Carrie Fisher was on hand to help cut the red ribbon and officially open up Star Wars Miniland. Below […]


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Partner at New Enterprise Associates
Medical College of Wisconsin director of research commercialization
Vice President for Research at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
President & CEO, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
Boston, MA-based SiteSpect, a leading provider of non-intrusive multivariate testing and behavioral targeting technology, is sponsoring a networking event for web analytics and online marketing professionals. Eric J. Hansen, Founder and CEO of SiteSpect, will speak on the best practices in optimizing web performance via testing and targeting. The event is being hosted by Michele Hinojosa of Red Door Interactive during the online marketing summit, Feb. 7-11. More information and online registration is here.


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For the timepiece-obsessed sportsman, it’s hard to beat a ticker from Richard Mille. The Swiss brand is a regular on the wrists of some of the world’s top professional athletes, including tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who wore one while winning his 11th French Open in June. The red-and-yellow showstopper was a sensational homage to the flag of Nadal’s native Spain and comes with a price tag hovering above the US$700,000 mark.
Canadian fans of the brand are no less discerning in their tastes. At the opening party for a new Canadian location in September, guests arrived in Ferraris to sip Louis XIII cognac while exploring Mille’s premium wares. Located at the centre of Toronto’s posh Yorkville neighbourhood is Richard Mille’s first standalone store in the country, joining boutiques in swish locales such as Monaco and Hong Kong.
To ensure exclusivity, Richard Mille’s timepieces, such as the women’s RM 71-01 Automatic Tourbillon Talisman, are produced in small quantities. Launched as a limited suite of 10 variations, each red or white gold dial hand set with mother-of-pearl, onyx and diamonds was produced in just five pieces. The watches also stand out for their advanced technology. Take the RM 60-01 Regatta Flyback Chronograph, an 18-karat white gold and grade five titanium piece specifically designed for sailing regattas and competitions. It features a four-part case, which takes nearly 11 hours to manufacture.
And then comes an individual quality-control check, which takes another day.
All of this is before an individual quality-control check that takes another day.
Richard Mille, 135 Yorkville Ave., 2nd Floor, Toronto, 416-923-9889, richardmille.com.
Swiss watchmaker Rado has announced a new global design competition being hosted for the first time in Canada. The Rado Star Prize is a collaboration with Toronto’s Interior Design Show (IDS) and will focus on the concept of “Design Inspired by Nature.” A jury comprised of IDS participants, Rado and members of Canada’s design community will select nine finalists and a winner, who will receive $5,000 to fund the production of their design concept. All finalists will have the opportunity to display their concepts at IDS in January, where a public winner will be selected through online voting at the end of the show. For more information, visit radostarprize.rado.com/canada.
For its latest designer collaboration, H&M has teamed up with Moschino, the much buzzed about Italian label led by American creative director Jeremy Scott. Available worldwide Nov. 8 in select H&M stores and online at hm.com, the Moschino X H&M collection is a playful celebration of friendship and positivity. “This is a loud and proud collection for everyone to share in the fun, no matter who you are or where you are from,” Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative advisor said in a release from the brand. The graphic collection features pieces for all genders, shapes and sizes, including a graphic puffer for your fashionable four-legged friends.
On Nov. 3, Montreal art and fashion lovers will celebrate at Nuit Couture, the 58th edition of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Ball. For this not-to-be-missed fete, nine Quebec designers have been commissioned to each transform a banquet hall into a glimpse of their artistic world, a list that includes Philippe Dubuc, Denis Gagnon and Atelier New Regime. This year, the guest of honour is Aldo Group founder Aldo Bensadoun, a long-time champion of the Canadian creative community, with entertainment provided by the Group Cirque du Soleil and participation by a number of artists, collaborators and fashion and design students.
The American Apparel brand has announced its digital return to Canada. Beginning Nov. 1, Canadian consumers can log onto americanapparel.com/ca to shop the fall 2018 collection called “Back to Basics.” With a new ad campaign shot in and around Vancouver, the collection includes some of the brand’s much beloved classic styles, including T-shirts, metallic jeggings, bodysuits and hoodies, as well as new items like corduroy jackets and pleated skirts. After a high-profile bankruptcy that began in 2015, American Apparel was acquired by Canadian manufacturer Gildan in 2017, which relaunched the brand in the United States earlier this year.


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In 2017 alone, online marketers lost over $7 billion to bot fraud and fake account-related advertising. A large part of these losses were attributable to website advertising and search ads but a not insignificant percentage belonged to the social media landscape. Clearly this isn’t a minor or uncommon problem. The big question that everyone from social media platforms on down focuses on is how to fight it.
As far as the social media platforms themselves are concerned, there are even accusations that giants like Facebook, Instagram, Google and others deliberately don’t do enough to deal with these advertising fraud issues because they earn money either way. While we tend to believe that the social networks are doing their earnest best to keep their advertising customers from suffering the harm caused by ad fraud, the fact remains that real economic losses are being generated, and that the efforts of these networks aren’t fully effective at stopping fraud losses.
It’s understandable that fraud continues to exist. The sheer number of social media user accounts on the big networks combined with inefficient methods of catching fake accounts and bots create a situation in which at least a part of any advertisers spending gets wasted on exposure to fake activity they still get billed for.
Exacerbating the difficulties social media has with fake ad filtering is the fact that some of the agents behind these types of ad fraud on today’s internet can become extremely sophisticated. This was demonstrated in 2016 when advertising security firms detected an ad fraud bot called Methbot, operated by a group of Russian hackers who had dubbed themselves AFK13. The scale of this one single operation? Traffic from over 570,000 fake viewers was directed to over 300 million advertisements to generate fake clicks. Because these were mostly video ads being promoted to falsified versions of major websites, the CPM on them averaged out at $13.04. This was a cost billed straight to online advertisers in a fraud that netted the hackers behind Methbot roughly $5 million dollars per day while it was operating.
Methbot was very smartly designed in a way that let it mimic real human users to a remarkable degree of detail. Existing ad platform mechanisms, both algorithmic and manual that analyze ad sharing and clicking activity for their customers could have a very difficult time detecting click fraud of such a sophisticated nature. Yet this type of activity continues to exist.
This is where the combination of technologies used by a digital marketing platform like Pinmo steps into the picture.
Pinmo also uses AI analytics and other security mechanisms like 2-factor authentication to verify that all of the users participating in the sharing of its clients’ digital advertisements are indeed real human users. However, since these tracking mechanisms clearly aren’t enough all by themselves. The Pinmo approach to ad fraud elimination also incorporates an entirely new and much more subversion-proof level of vigilance through blockchain technology.
The blockchain is a cornerstone of Pinmo’s efforts to deliver almost perfectly secure, fully authentic advertising performance for customers who want genuine ROI on their investments. How it works is what sets it apart from the methods used even by giant social media platforms in their own anti-fraud, anti-bot measures.
What the blockchain fundamentally does is allow all users and administrators of a network in which information is being transacted to verify each one of those transactions and source it back to a specific, known point of origin. Thus, in the case of the Pinmo platform, ad campaigns are created by advertisers through the AI-supported Pinmo dashboard for their accounts, these campaigns are then also optimized by Pinmo’s manual and algorithmic campaign support protocols. The specific ads in these campaigns are then shared to particular incentivized human social media users based on their interests, and those human users in turn share these ads as they see fit to their friends and followers for maximum reach and conversion.
With this, three different factors work together to ensure that each ad is being shared by real users through real social media accounts to other real users:
First, Pinmo’s own Watson-powered user verification procedures and two-factor authentication are working to filter a base of real people who are being compensated to share Pinmo ad campaigns on their social media accounts.
Secondly, these shares by users and the converting actions they generate are verified for their authenticity through Pinmo’s system, which is itself supported by IBM’s Watson supercomputer for maximum verification and processing power
Third and most importantly in this entire context, the entire sequential process of ad campaign creation, ad sharing to users, ad selection and sharing by users and advertisement response (clicks and converting actions) by friends and followers of those users are all tracked as transactions in Pinmo’s own decentralized blockchain network.
What this last characteristic means most of all is that users, advertisers and Pinmo’s own administrators can track the performance of each ad not just as an abstract analytics statistic but also as a specific series of cryptographically secured blockchain transactions which are all sequentially registered across a distributed ledger of events and cannot be falsified. These blocks can be individually reviewed live, as they’re created by advertisers who want to examine their own analytics down to the most granular possible level.
The full combination of AI ad optimization technology, manual verification of all user activity, shares and clicks, and sequential blockchain tracking of all transactions works to create an advertising environment in which fraudulent click activity through bots and fake user accounts become much more difficult to get away with.


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Describe 2016 in one word.
If you’re consulting the dictionary for a certain four-letter expletive, you’re probably not alone.
And who could blame you? Most of us will remember 2016 for its divisive politics and celebrity deaths. But it hasn’t all been bad.
2016 has brought with it key developments across the social media and tech world. It was the year that gave us driverless cars, Pokémon GO and a reason to live stream.
So, with 2017 fast approaching, we thought it necessary to offer our predictions for the year ahead, along with a few New Year’s resolutions.
Facebook will dominate video, much like they have live streaming
Facebook has blown the competition out of the water with their live streaming offering. So, what next for Zuckerberg and co.?
Social Chain’s Head of Video, Jason Fisher, says: “2017 will be a defining year for video. 2016 saw several industry giants move their chess pieces to support content-based experiences.
All stories have endings. This isn’t a story. pic.twitter.com/cU0IoBR6ij
— Social Chain (@TheSocialChain) November 10, 2016
Both Facebook and YouTube have invested heavily in support of Live and 360 video. However, as a platform built on audience interaction, Facebook seems to have the upper hand.
I believe we’ll see creators move more and more over to Facebook over the coming months. This will open up new opportunities for creators to take their audience interactions deeper than just engagement.”
But Twitter could make a comeback
But all that could be set to change in 2017 with the advent of ‘Go Live’, a new service that allows users to live stream direct on Twitter.
Social Chain’s Media Director, Hannah Anderson, has seen the rise of live streaming first hand.
She believes Twitter may have finally hit the nail on the head with their latest development.
Hannah says: “Twitter is known for its live timeline. If anything happens in the world, it now breaks on Twitter first.
So it’s surprising they didn’t take advantage of live as much as they could have.
We’ve already seen great value in the power of live streaming and have utilised it to create several campaigns for our clients.
These activations have earned us record-breaking engagement, so Twitter will have to come with something special if they’re to rival Facebook’s offering.
If Twitter can follow in Facebook’s footsteps and give more options for live streaming, who knows what we might be able to come up with!”
Expect a whole new level of live animation
2016 saw many content creators delve deeper into the world of live animation.
We did a little experimentation of our own with our José Mourinho live roast for Sporf.
The project combined motion software with voice technology, says Motion Designer, Merle Driver.
“The need to be reactive and engaging leads to the development of groundbreaking software and technologies.
I believe we’re going to see a lot more live animation in 2017. The software and technology surrounding these techniques are developing quickly.
Both are already available to mainstream consumers.”
Instagram will replace the high street for millennials and Gen Z
We’ve covered the retail industry in some detail in our recent Black Friday white paper, The Black Sheep of Black Friday.
The report gave an analysis of several top fashion and travel brands who continue to fall short on social media, despite having huge followings.
These brands, along with many others, will face a new set of challenges in 2017, with social media playing becoming even more ingrained in the consumer journey.
According to a study by The Intelligence Group (TIG), 72 percent of millennials research a potential purchase online before handing over their hard earned cash.
Capitalising on these new foundings, Instagram has proposed a shoppable tags feature that will allow brands to tag certain products.
Users will then be able to make purchases or research detailed product descriptions, without having to leave Instagram.
The photo-editing app is likely to play a vital role in the consumer journey, with audiences relying on social media to make purchase decisions.
With engagement now having a more measurable impact on sales, it’ll be interesting to see whether brands change their attitude toward social media.
The VR breakthrough we’ve all been waiting for
The Samsung Gear and Oculus Rift are just two VR headsets currently on the market, but these luxury gadgets have so far only appealed to the select few.
All that is set to change in 2017 when VR enters the mainstream’s wider conscience.
Both brands and creative agencies will want to jump on this trend as soon as possible.
How marketers will utilise this tool for engaging social content remains a mystery at this moment in time.
And as for those all-important New Year’s resolutions…
Our Business Development Manager, Beth Trundle, says take advantage of LinkedIn’s networking capabilities
Beth’s advice would be to wise up to LinkedIn’s capabilities, be that for networking, posting thought-leadership pieces or hiring staff.
Beth says: “Keep an eye on where LinkedIn is going. It’s an engaged audience, that’s full of talent and influence, and as of yet it’s not being utilised to its full potential.”
Mike Blake-Crawford, Head of Social Media Management, says adopt a social first mentality
Social media is still a box ticking exercise for many brands and their marketing teams.
It’s one of the reasons uninspired posts and dull ads still appear newsfeeds and timelines, along with poorly thought out hashtags.
Mike says: It’s time for brands to start adopting a social first mentality. 2017 is set to be the year that time spent on the Internet surpasses time spent watching TV, not just for millennials and Gen Z but for all ages.”
Rob Sullivan, Data Analyst, urges brands to stand out from the crowd in 2017
Social media is all about doing things differently, but time and time again we see brands following the crowd.
Rob says: “Think of something inventive, and don’t just jump on the VR/AR hype train without understanding why it is in your content.”
Merry Christmas one and all
And so concludes our final Scribe post of 2016. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading the blog as we’ve enjoyed writing it.
And while 2016 has had its share of low points, let’s not forget all the exciting developments and innovations that continue to craft the future.
If you’ve yet to read our latest white paper on the Black Sheep of Black Friday, you can download a copy here to read at the table on Christmas day – just kidding.
From all of us here at Social Chain, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We’ll see you in 2017!
Liked this? Then become a member of /Scribe. Your go-to destination for breaking news, insights and everything Social Chain.


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Lotus Garden Hotel, now Manila Lotus Garden, reopens under the management of Karl Chusuey, Henann Group's VP for Sales and Marketing.
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After working a decade in telecommunication market and offering voice logging solutions and Aegis has expanded its customer base 1200+ corporate clients and did the sale of more than two hundred thousand voice loggers.
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Rendering translated text sound amazing in Turkish isn't easy- having said that we make it look like so. We make things easier for your company to work in Turkish marketplaces.
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Posted on: 15 October 2014 by Mark Howells
As part of their ‘Widen Your World’ motto, Turkish Airlines’ in-flight entertainment (IFE) selection will now feature live concert videos, behind the scenes footage and up-to-date news from artists in the music industry courtesy of Universal Music Group.
“The partnerships we have established with the world’s largest brands are definitely very important in increasing our global brand awareness,” commented Akif Konar, Turkish Airlines’ CCO. “The partnership we have established with the global music leader Universal Music Group will have an impact on passenger satisfaction to a highest level.”
Olivier Robert-Murphy, Universal Music Group’s global head of brand partnerships complimented Turkish Airlines, calling it an “incredibly forward thinking organisation that is taking a pioneering approach to the passenger experience by embedding music right at the heart of their service.”
The music content, which is to be updated monthly, will be presented through ‘My Music Planet’, a new platform created by Turkish Airlines. It will also allow passengers to stream the latest albums from Universal Music Group’s unique library.
Other features of ‘My Music Planet’ include ‘Artist of the Month’, whereby a renowned artist will present a unique video about Turkish Airlines’ flight destination of the month. Destinations will also have specific playlists designed for them, showcasing music from around the globe.
Finally, passengers will have the opportunity to win VIP tour packages to some of the most exclusive shows and music events in the world, with round-trip plane tickets, VIP experiences, 4* hotel accommodation and more.
The airline also recently tweeted that passengers will be able to watch the Euro 2016 Qualifiers as a result of channelling ‘Sport24Live’ through its IFE system.


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Dozens of shops have been caught selling alcohol to children.
Sixty six stores out of 207 visited failed a trading standards test.
In one store a 12-year-old was behind the counter and served alcohol to a 15-year-old volunteer.
Among those caught during the operation in North Tyneside were supermarkets chains Tesco and Morrisons.
Colin MacDonald, trading standards manager for North Tyneside Council, said: "To give retailers a fair chance, we carried out the test purchases using young volunteers, usually 15 years-old.
"Despite this, the failure rate has been unacceptably high, way above the national average."
"Mistakes can be made, we realise that. However, we will consider prosecuting persistent rogue traders."
The trading standards team worked with Northumbria Police during the operation.
The police have applied for the review of eight licences and issued more than 60 fixed penalty notices, totalling around £5,000 in fines.


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In April, just before the release of the iPhone 4, data researchers discovered that the iPhone appeared to be recording users' every move and sending the information back to Apple. IPhone users became furious.
Apple didn't comment for about a week, but finally posted on the company's website that the iPhone was not technically recording users' locations. Rather, it was logging nearby Wi-Fi network locations to assist with GPS tracking.
Still, the company admitted that a software bug was failing to delete old location data after seven days, meaning that years of information was being recorded. The bug also meant that data was being sent to Apple even when users turned off location services on their iPhone.
Apple eventually fixed the bug with a software update.
It's got Siri, a fancier camera, a better processor and Sprint, but is it worth the upgrade?
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East African Bottling Share Company (EABSC) has started construction of a plant in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, as part of the larger agenda to invest US$500m in the country. The new plant, which is being constructed at the Amhara Regional State, will cost US$21m.
The plant is set for completion within 18 months and will be constructed on a 30ha plot. Herbert Nuwamanya, country sales and marketing manager at East African Bottling told Fortune that Ethiopia market was considered one of the largest and fastest growing in the continent. Once complete, the plant is expected to produce 15 million units a year.
The construction of the plant will be undertaken by Elmi-Olindo Plc, a local construction company. The latter has been involved in construction of East African’s bottling plant in Dire Dawa, among other beverage plants and construction projects. As part of the larger expansion, EABSC company has also announced that it would construct two other plants in Hawassa and another one in western Ethiopia, to be completed by 2020.
East Africa Bottling Share Company is the Coca Cola Franchise bottler in Ethiopia under Coca Cola South Africa Bottling Company (CCSABCO). The company already runs two plants in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
East African Bottling manufactures bottles for beverages, and has served renowned names such as Fanta group, Coca-Cola, Sprite, Schweppes, Coke Light and Dasani bottled water. The company announced last year that it would invest U.S $ 250 Million in Ethiopia in the coming five years, to boost its capacity.
The General manager had said last year that new production lines would be introduced in September last year, and this 2015, and a new production plant constructed. He also indicated that the company was working with an Indian company, Caba Impact to engage 2000 women in recycling plastic bottles in Ethiopia.


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The new plant will enable >Cardinal to provide contract manufacturing services for pharmaceutical tablets that offer new forms of drug delivery, using electrostatic powder coating technology developed by Phoqus, a UK-based drug delivery company.
Drug delivery technologies are applied to pharmaceuticals to provide benefits such as controlling the release of a drug into the body to improve the performance and efficacy of an existing drug, whilst reducing side-effects.
These benefits enable pharmaceutical companies to extend the life cycles of their products, strengthen their patent protection and thereby enhance the value of their products and development pipelines.
Thus, advanced delivery technologies are increasingly being used by drug companies to provide a competitive advantage in tough pharmaceutical markets and revamp existing products.
Installation of the new plant will begin in January 2006 at the company's existing site in Schorndorf, Germany.
In building the new facility, Cardinal has recognised the potential value of such technology in the pharmaceutical market.


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Brazil: Strike action is reported to take place on 8 August. Please expect nationwide delays.
Chile: Correos Chile has informed us of delays at customs due to increasing international volumes. Items can be queued up to 20 working days before being processed by Chilean customs.
Costa Rica: Correos de Costa Rica, informs us that the public sector labour unions have called an indefinite strike as of Monday, 10 September. This situation may result in collection, processing and delivery delays for both inbound and outbound mail (letters, parcels and EMS).
Guatemala: The procedure under way to enable Correos y Telegrafos to carry out its activities as designated operator and to hire additional staff is currently in the final stages. Letter-post, parcel-post and EMS services (inbound and outbound) will continue to be disrupted. Correos y Telégrafos asks operators to continue to hold items to be sent to Guatemala until services have been re-established.
India: Severe flooding has been impacting Kerala State, India, causing widespread disruption since August 11. Several roads and bridges have been destroyed and operations at Kochi International Airport have been disrupted. Mail delivery is expected to be delayed in the area for a minimum of 14 to 28 days.
Indonesia: Mail delivery delays of 7-14 days can be expected in the following regions of Indonesia due to an earthquake on the 5th August: Mataram (83000–83365), Selong (83600–83672) and Sumbawa Besar (84300–84381).
Indonesia: Traffic restrictions August 18 to September 2 will impact ground transportation in Jakarta, Indonesia, due to the celebration of the Asian Games.
Italy: 17 Aug, A 1-3 day delay in delivery can be expected in the Genoa region of Italy due to a collapsed bridge in the city.
Japan: The Postal service of Japan is experiencing delays in delivery of mail items and parcels in the Hokkaido region (postcode: 00・04-09 ), due to the impact of the strong earthquake that hit this region in the northern part of Japan on 6 September 2018.
Macao: Typhoon Mangkhut hit Macao on 16 September 2018, as a result Macao Post will not provide any postal services on 17 September 2018, and has suspended postal delivery services until further notice.
Nicaragua: The processing of post in Nicaragua has been halted due to political unrest in the country. IMS will continue to accept items for Nicaragua until the embargo has been lifted. Deliveries will suffer delays until the situation has been resolved.
Romania: The national courier of Romania has notified us that they are coping with backlogs, mostly due to peak volumes since earlier this year.
Deliveries to and from the region can experience delays until the backlog has been cleared.
Saudi Arabia: Parcels – Effective 1 January 2018, a value-added tax (VAT) of 5% will be applied to the total value of each individual item entering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to be paid by the consignee. This includes, without exception, all commodities being sent to Saudi Arabia, regardless of their purpose.
South Africa: Please expect delays in postal delivery due to a strike action from 3 July to 24 July. The strike has ended and backlogs of mail are now being processed.
Sweden: The Swedish government recently announced the introduction of a 25% Value Added Tax (VAT) on all ecommerce items imported from outside the European Union by consumers into Sweden. The effective date is March 1 2018.
Holidays Around the World
Australia 8/15; Brazil 9/7; Canada 8/20, 9/3; Chile 9/18, 9/19; China 9/22, 9/24; Colombia 8/20; India 8/11, 8/14, 8/15, 8/16, 8/17, 8/22 thru 8/26, 8/28, 9/2, 9/10, 9/19-9/21; Indonesia 8/17, 8/22, 8/23, 9/11; Israel 9/10, 9/19, 9/23, 9/24, 9/25; Japan 8/11, 9/18, 9/23; Malaysia 8/31, 9/9, 9/11, 9/16, 9/22; Mexico 9/16; Philippines 8/21, 8/27, 9/11, 9/21; South Korea 8/15; Singapore 8/9, 8/22; So Korea 8/15, 9/23; Thailand 7/27, 7/28, 7/29, 7/30, 8/12; Vietnam 9/2; UK 8/6, 8/27;


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Three students from St Clare’s Comprehensive in Manorhamilton have just launched their new phone app ‘Squeazy’ on to the world stage.
Squeazy, originally a challenging one person game in which the user attempts to link characters ‘Drop’ and ‘Drip’ together using compressed air inside a plastic bottle, is the frustrating but fun brainchild of Matthew Hewston, Luke Sheridan and Fergus Munday.
Having claimed first prize in the Senior Category of the National Student Enterprise Awards at Croke Park last year, the three teens decided to design a phone app so as to maximise Squeazy’s exposure.
The app went live worldwide last Tuesday, December 2nd and has already been a huge hit since it has become available on both iTunes and Google Play.
The lads teamed up with 15-year-old Johnathan White from Cavan whose company Sillan Studios specialises in app development and special effects.
The aim of the app is to descend by tapping the screen and avoiding bubbles. Users can collect bottle caps to customize their Drop on the way to earning high scores.


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Now we can move from asking about when they will announce it to asking about when they will release it.
Bethesda surprised everyone when they announced The Elder Scrolls 6 at E3 2018. It was surprising because no one saw it coming, and it was also surprising because the game’s years away. It’s a game for next generation consoles, so a few people were a bit taken aback by the fact that it had been announced already. Bethesda have already explained why they did so, but apparently, the announcement has had some other positive effects as well.
Pete Hines, VP of marketing at Bethesda, was asked in an interview with Yahoo if the announcement has allowed other games being made by the publisher to breathe, and he said that while that’s not necessarily the case, it has staved off constant questions about when the game would be confirmed.
“I don’t know about ‘letting them breathe’,” said Hines, “but it does help reduce the number of times we talk about anything as a publisher and somebody replies with: ‘when is The Elder Scrolls VI. Arkane announces their next thing and people ask “when is The Elder Scrolls VI?” and it doesn’t have anything to do with it. But at least now we have formally talked about The Elder Scrolls VI and given context, it does minimise some of that.”
Of course, instead of constantly asking about when the game will be announced, people will not be constantly asking about when it will release. As it turns out, though, Bethesda already knows the answer to that question. They’re just not gonna tell us about it anytime soon.


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Aerovent raising prices
Prices for most Aerovent products are going up.
Officials with parent company Twin City Fan Cos. Ltd. said the cost of most of Aerovent products are going up between 6 percent and 9 percent worldwide.
The new prices take effect immediately.
Twin City officials said double-digit price hikes in the cost of steel and aluminum parts, heath care, and labor and freight made the increase necessary.


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- Wealth PMS
Bajaj launched the Dominar 400 on 15th December to take on the market share held in the 1-2 lakh category by Royal Enfield. While the delivery of the Dominar 400 would be made from January, 2017 – the company has started accepting online bookings with an amount of Rs. 9,000.
Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said:
The Dominar is the best and biggest bike ever from our stable and we are entering a price segment of Rs 1-2 lakh which has a leader (Royal Enfield) with 80% market share. We are targeting about 20% of the segment and if achieve that the Dominar will be a USD 1 billion brand in the next 12-18 months. Eventually the company is looking at selling around 2 lakh units of the Dominar a year.
Initially the company is looking at selling around 10,000 units in the domestic market even as it will start exporting the new product to the global markets from February 2017. We will export to Europe, ASEAN countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines besides Latin America. In 2017, this will be a million units a year segment.
More about the Dominar 400 here.
In addition Bajaj Auto will also hike prices of its bikes by up to Rs 1,500 from January. This is basically to offset the impact of rising input costs and upgrading of its entire portfolio to BS-IV emission levels.
Bajaj Auto President (Motorcycle) Eric Vas said:
All two-wheeler manufacturers in the country are trying to be BS-IV compliant by April next year. We want to be the first ones to transition to the next emission levels. Some of the models have already been made BS-IV compliant and the company expects to covert the rest of the product lines conforming to next level of emission norms by middle of next month.
As a consequence of shifting to BS-IV norms we will be hiking the prices of our bikes between Rs 700 and Rs 1,500, depending upon specific models, from January. The price hike is due to the transition to BS IV and also to accommodate increase in raw material costs as well. The hike shall not affect recently launched products like the Dominar 400.
Bajaj Auto reported sales of 225,529 units in December, 2016 against 289,003 units during the same time last year resulting in a contraction of 22%.
- Domestic Sales stood at 1.19 lakh units against 1.43 lakh units
- Exports stood at 1.05 lakh units against 1.45 lakh units
Note: Sales numbers presented here are manufacturer reported sales numbers i.e. factory dispatches to dealerships. They are NOT retail sales figures to end customers.
Love it or hate it, do leave us with your reviews in the comment section below!


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Four out of 10 US online buyers like the idea of using a phone for payment instead of carrying around a wallet, according to The Bizrate Insights Apple Pay and Payment Security Study #1. But whether or not Apple Pay becomes the standard for wallet-less payment systems still remains to be seen.
Just eight weeks after it announced a private pilot mode launch of its customer-centric and secure mobile payment solution, CurrentC, the Merchant Customer Exchange announced its email database has been hacked. So what does this mean for CurrentC?
Most retailers are at a loss as to how to implement an omnichannel strategy in their physical and online stores. However, there are a number of solutions available to help retailers of all sizes cater to the consumer expectation for a personalized cross-channel shopping experience.
Is Apple banking too much on its brand strength as it launches Apple Pay? What kind of lessons can it learn from Google Wallet? In this video, Multichannel Merchant Senior Editor Mike O’Brien asks ACI Worldwide Director of Product Management John Gessau these questions and more.
For customers using Apple Pay wanting to pay for something in an app, can just tap “Pay with Apple Pay” by putting their finger on the fingerprint reader. The charge will go straight to the credit or debit card.
Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s to help launch Apple Pay; same-day delivery to be piloted in fall 2014; new POS technology and customer service enhancements in testing; new apps, web functionality and mobile wallet launched; RFID being expanded to fashion categories.
How will Apple Pay work, will it make mobile wallets go mainstream, and what does it mean for omnichannel retail? Ralf Gladis, CEO of payment services provider Computop, shares his thoughts with Multichannel Merchant.


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Showrooms and Buyers Feel Revitalized Energy at June L.A. Market
Los Angeles Market Week welcomed buyers to explore the latest trends for Fall and Holiday 2022 June 12–16 at The New Mart, Cooper Design Space and California Market Center.
In the spirit of innovation, The New Mart used this market to debut an immersive feature that bridged fashion shows with trade shows. “We co-hosted along with Art Hearts Fashion and Fashion Tech Works the first Los Angeles Swim Week [see page 18] and successfully held four consecutive nights of swim- and resortwear fashion shows in our newly completed Fashion Theatre,” said New Mart General Manager Tom Keefer.
“In addition,” Keefer said, “The New Mart explored some new initiatives to enhance the market with some exciting outcomes. Through a recently formed tenant committee we collectively offered some enhanced buyer benefits and incentives including free coffee and lunch services, cocktail receptions and a myriad of added benefits to make the buyer experience unsurpassed.”
Karen Anderson, manager of KLA Showroom, a multi-line showroom offering Immediates as well as preorder goods, said that “business has been busy at the retail level, and I have had a lot of reorders.” Anderson added that her manufacturers are readily available to recut pieces that are in high demand as the showroom prepares for Fall shipping.
Owner of the Legacy boutique Milena Hernandez and buyer Annie Williams shopped The New Mart to replenish the offerings in their Montecito, Calif., store. They were looking for “unique pieces in women’s clothing” and were also in the market for fresh cashmere pieces as their best-selling items are cashmere, in addition to goods in primary and pastel colors. The Legacy wholesale price point is $50–$100.
At the Cooper Design Space, Marketing and Communication Manager Mito Aviles commented that though historically June Market tends to be one of the slower markets, this year they were able to get close to 1,000 buyers through the doors.
“Within the Cooper building, we provided buyers with our Buyers Lounge, filled with refreshments and snacks,” said Aviles, “and if buyers had a moment to relax, we offered complimentary mini massages for them to enjoy. We also teamed up with the Ace Hotel and had Buyers Happy Hour where buyers could enjoy a variety of natural wines, walk the lobby and enjoy the new art by the late artist Paul Kempe.”
Located on the 11th floor of the Cooper was the Brand Assembly show, which featured 100 brands specializing in beauty, wellness, lifestyle, vintage and preloved goods.
At the Standard Stitch booth, Alana Schmidt and Anna Docking talked about their sustainable and size-inclusive brand for women. “The biggest thing about our brand is that our fabric is recycled and organic cotton, which is not common on the market. We worked with our factory to develop this fabric, and after a year of development it speaks for itself,” Schmidt said. She added that from the source of fabric to the finished product, Standard Stitch pieces are created in L.A. Wholesale price points for sweatshirts and bottoms range from $25 to $50.
At the CMC, Matthew Mathiasen, senior manager of events, said that June L.A. Market was appointment driven for showrooms and brands. “Buyers focused on smart buying plans given the current economic climate,” he said. “Showrooms saw their retention buyers, and orders were with bestsellers and products that have proven track records.”
Mathiasen added that they saw a range of boutique to corporate-buying teams, with 50 percent California retailers and an assortment of other states including Colorado, Indiana, Texas and Utah.
Gem Showroom Executive Director Jade Sykes expressed the revitalized energy found throughout the last couple of seasons of L.A. Market Week. “I felt like this has been the first true market where buyers are starting to come back and shop,” she said. “We were hoping for January, but March actually turned it around, and then this market.”
Owner of Tootsie’s Boutique Liz Taylor was looking for women’s contemporary clothing and footwear to update her Oakland, Calif., store’s offerings with the latest trends for Fall at a wholesale price point of under $100. Taylor said that one of the predominant trends that caught her eye was “a lot of emerald green.”
The CMC also hosted Label Array, Label Array Kids and Vegan World. Creative Director of Vegan World Emmanuelle Riendacurated a space that included vegan apparel, footwear, beauty and lifestyle products.
Photos by Betti Halsell.


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Apex Digital Chairman Arrested In China For Fraud
from the oh,-that-$500-million! dept
Earlier this year, we had a story noting that Apex Digital, known mainly as a distributor of insanely cheap Chinese-made consumer electronics, was doing amazingly well, and planning to move into the computer business as well. It appears, however, that the “amazingly well” part of the equation was helped along by, you know, not actually paying their vendors. Apex’s chairman has now been arrested in China on fraud charges, following the news that many companies believe Apex owes them millions of dollars. And you wondered why those DVD players were so cheap?
Comments on “Apex Digital Chairman Arrested In China For Fraud”
Its good to see that Apex got what it deserved. I own an Apex portable dvd player, and the battery broke. So i sent it in to be fixed.I sent it certified mail because the better buisness bureu has hundreds of complaints. So they got it september 8 2004. We call every few weeks and all they say is its on “back order” this has been like six months now and they refuse to send me back my product.


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– Apple Watch Sales Tumble 55%:
Tim Cook’s first major, standalone product is a flop. According to the latest IDC data, sales of the Apple Watch plunged by 55%, from 3.6 million a year ago to just 1.6 million in Q2.
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Inspite of the chances, the intimate comedy had been a massive success in the usa, from a crucial, commercial, and historic viewpoint.
Since the movie industry moves increasingly more toward prioritizing box that is worldwide over domestic admission product product product sales, genres such as for instance dramas and intimate comedies have started to perish away. Significant studios, dedicated to billion-dollar grosses that may go stock needles, mostly make franchises that are big. One of the better samples of that change is Disney reportedly decreasing to help make a sequel to its 2009 smash hit The Proposal due to the not enough wider merchandising opportunities—even though that film made a lot more than $300 million for a $40 million spending plan. Romantic comedies, the reasoning goes, are way too culturally particular to try out well worldwide.
The film anticipated to be the exclusion to this rule ended up being certainly one of 2018’s most surprising successes—Crazy Rich Asians, which had been created by Warner Bros. For $30 million and released in the doldrums of August. It grossed $173 million domestically, outstripping all predictions; a sequel has already been in development. Continue reading “Crazy Deep Asians Tanked in China—But That’s Ok”


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Join ePHOTOzine, the friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for free!
ePHOTOzine brings you a daily round up of all the latest photography news including camera news, exhibitions, events, special offers, industry news, digital photography news, announcements and launches.
A new 6 megapixel ultra-compact digital camera that is another product of Leica's collaboration with Panasonic.
The closing date for entries is December 29th 2006, giving people plenty of time to get out and about with their cameras.
The 'Macro' Nikon Competition closes at midnight tonight so get your entries in now before it's too late!
SRB-Griturn are holding two open days during November and December allowing customers to try before they buy.
Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2006: closing date 31 March 2006.
Unmatched Image Quality from Any Viewing Angle Delivered by Kodak-invented OLED Technology.
HTC has announced a new smartphone with a camera designed for optimum image quality with an UltraPixel sensor.
Nikon today introduces Nikon 1, a revolutionary digital camera system built from scratch to offer still image and movie recording without compromise.
Following Jessops' plans to axe 81 of its shops as announced last Thursday, the photographic retail giant have unveiled exactly which stores it plans to close down.
A clever photo of a family inside small boxes has helped a Nottingham photographer pick up his first national award.
Sony introduce a series of small cameras which they say will give a 'big performance'.
Lee Filters holder for Nikon's 14-24mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens
Corel add 75 new features to the latest version of their PaintShop Pro software.
Red Digital Cinema turn their attentions to the photography market.
Find out why this week's Photo of the Week was awarded the accolade.
Kodak has launched a new app, giving hints and tips on Kodak films and where they can be processed.
The firmware update corrects an issue with the camera's Best-shot mode.
A DIY camera aimed at teaching kids about technology has been launched.
Pentax Ricoh have a new ambassador and it's ePHOTOzine member John Riley.
Sigma is giving one lucky ePHOTOzine member the chance to win a Sigma A Lens in the 2013 prize draw.
ePHOTOzine members have once again had great success in the UK Butterflies photography competition.
Fujifilm help Mencap celebrate the sixth annual Snap! photography awards at London's Proud Gallery.
Sony is giving away a NEX-5T with standard kit lens to one lucky ePz member in the 2013 prize draw.
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While the researchers’ predictions for what’s to come include “several interesting ideas,” they “do not want to give the creators of Steam Stealers a roadmap for their activities.” They added, “We have already seen ransomware attacking videogame players with creations such as ‘TeslaCrypt’, and we fear that combining different malware families could become a potential nightmare and up the ante in this never-ending game.”
It’s a big business. So many roubles have been laundered too.
It is odd world we live in that my Steam and Google accounts use two factor authentication, while my online bank restricts the length of a password to 8 characters. lol
Also, PSA - use the Steam Guard app or at the very least attach to an email validation that uses Google Authenticator or something. Madness not to.


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The latest news and views on everything in consumer electronics tech. We cover digital cameras, computers, tablets, phones and everything in technology.
Monday, December 14, 2015
A Head's Up for Our Readers
Our offices are already closed and we will be on the road until CES in January. Yes, we will still get our next ePub out in a couple of weeks but don't look for a prompt response from us. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!!!!!


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Spain’s Olympic kit visible from space (photos)
SPAIN’S Olympic kit is visible from space. Alex Fàbregas tweeted a photo of himself in the kit and the words: “Olympic equipment, there are no adjectives …” Of course, there are many adjectives. Too many. And like that kit, thy’re going cheap if your buy a gross for cash….


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A House committee has approved a bill to outlaw eating cats and dogs in Hawaii, a measure supported by animal lovers who lobbied lawmakers with their pets.
The House Judiciary Committee advanced the bill (SB 2026) on Friday. It also bans trafficking cats and dogs for slaughter and consumption.
Supporters of the change say pet owners shouldn’t have to worry that lost animals may end up on a dinner table.
In some countries, eating meat from cats in dogs is culturally accepted. Other countries frown on the common American practice of eating meat from pigs and cows.
The bill now goes to the House floor for a vote.


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The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park will open for the season at 11am on Friday, October 29!
Christmas on Halloween? Count us in! Featuring over 170 new and returning merchants, the open-air Holiday Shops at Bryant Park will be open at the end of October from 11 am until 8 pm on weekdays and from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through January 2, 2022. New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink will open on October 29 at noon nd then daily from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. Skate time and rentals can be reserved in advance online here.
Masks are encouraged. Bryant Park will continue to implement additional cleaning protocols throughout the day to ensure high-touch surfaces and shared rental equipment are sanitized and safe for use. For more information on New York's magical winter wonderland at Bryant Park visit their official website.


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Three Burglary Arrests
(QUINCY)—Three 20-year-old Quincyans are charged following reports of possible internal theft at a convenience store at 48th and State near Quincy.
Adams County Sheriff’s deputies say the store owner was able to provide evidence of employees entering the store after hours and taking alcohol and cigarettes. Sheriff’s reports indicate the employees would de-activate the security system and re-activate it as they left. 20 year old Justin Holtman, 20 year old Trevor Zellerman and 20 year old Ethan Donaldson are charged with burglary. All three were taken to the Adams County Jail.
Deputies say the arrests also led to ten additional arrests for illegal consumption of alcohol as a minor. Those minors were released to their parents on notices to appear.


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It has been a turbulent week for Bitcoin — and it's only Tuesday.
After the cryptocurrency suffered a flash crash on Saturday — plummeting some 14 per cent — it attempted to bounce back Monday.
But the rebound fizzled out quickly.
Bitcoin fell 0.7 per cent against the US dollar around the time of the stock market close Monday, trading around US$56,000 ($72,188) per coin.
The weekend plunge was a rather dramatic end to a months-long rally that was topped off by Coinbase's enormous IPO last week, which valued the crypto exchange at nearly US$100 billion (approx. $128.9 billion).
Coinbase shares dropped 2.6 per cent on Monday.
Bitcoin had tumbled because of "some countries like Turkey making noise about banning Bitcoin as a payment methodology and also talk of further scrutiny by the US Treasury," Jefferies global head of FX Brad Bechtel said, addressing an unconfirmed Twitter rumour that is believed to have triggered the drop.
The crypto market is also getting more crowded: China is creating a digital yuan and is toying with the idea of rolling out the currency at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Meanwhile, the Bank of England announced the creation of a Central Bank Digital Currency as well as a task force to explore its uses.
"Big Tech is also developing their own versions of cryptocurrencies," said analysts at Action Economics in a note to clients.
"All this represents significant future competition for the likes of bitcoin."
At the same time, the cryptocurrency still has plenty of bullish backers.
"We don't think any of these factors change the fundamental story for Bitcoin which still seems supported by constrained supply and broadening institutional and retail investor adoption," wrote Win Thin, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, in a note.


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Fosse Park is paying towards the sprucing up of run-down parts of one of Leicester’s busiest shopping areas
The retail complex in Enderby has contributed to a £145,000 fund being used to fix parts of Narborough Road.
Fosse Park agreed to a Section 106 contribution - a payment in exchange for getting planning permission to expand - towards helping retail areas in the city.
The city council is funding the rest of the project
Work is due to begin on Monday, March 16 and will include replacing broken slabs, improved drainage, resurfacing work, and also installing new bollards, benches and cycle racks.
Damage to the footways has been caused by underground tree roots cracking or distorting paving slabs, or vehicles parking on pavements.
The works will be carried out in phases over the next 14 weeks in the area between Narborough Road’s junctions with Upperton Road and Equity Road.
It is the first stage of a series of improvements planned along the road, which will take place in gradual phases to avoid disrupting businesses.
Leicester deputy city mayor and Westcotes ward councillor Sarah Russell, said: “Narborough Road is a thriving retail and residential area, with a bustling community of shops, restaurants and bars, as well as being one of the key gateways into the city.
“We are carrying out these improvements to help make it a more attractive, pleasant environment for people to live and shop.
“In several places, old pavement slabs have become cracked, sunken or displaced by wear and tear, careless pavement parking and even underground tree roots.
“The work we’ll be doing will sort out these damaged pavements, and also install bollards in areas to prevent pavement parking in future.
"We’ll also be installing new cycle racks, benches and other street furniture to help the area for everyone who uses it.
“We are mindful that this is a very busy street, with scores of small businesses, so we’ll carry out this work over time to ensure it doesn’t cause too much disruption to businesses, residents and road users in the area.”
The road will remain open to traffic during the majority of the works.
Upperton Road, however, will be closed on occasional Sundays and at off-peak hours when work is being done around the traffic light junctions.
Road diversion signs will be placed on the days the road is closed.
There will be some cones and barriers preventing vehicles stopping in certain areas when work is taking place.
As part of the work, a tree which has badly damaged pavements is due to be removed from outside 129-133 Narborough Road, and replaced with a different specimen.
Letters have been sent to residents and businesses in the area where the works are being carried out to let them know about the works.
Access to premises will be maintained wherever possible, with works will be carried out between 7.30am and 3.30pm on Monday to Friday, plus occasional Sundays.


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Most Americans wouldn’t take a package of beef liver if you gave it to them. Indeed, the 15-lb. liver from a beef animal has a wholesale value of about $8. Although the value of liver is vastly greater as an export product, the condemnation of a liver on a harvest floor, by itself, is not significant.
But the overall condemnation of livers due to abscesses and the severity of those abscesses costs the U.S. beef industry $409 million annually.
That’s according to data gathered by the Beef Carcass Research Center at West Texas A&M, Canyon, Texas. On the harvest floor, liver abscesses receive one of five designations of severity. Those condemned with an “A” or “A-” by a USDA-FSIS inspector result in the loss of the liver for the packer.
“If that was the worst thing packers dealt with, this wouldn’t be an issue, and you and I wouldn’t be talking,” West Texas A&M professor and director of the BCRC, Ty Lawrence told me. “Reality is industry losses to liver abscesses go far beyond liver condemnations at the packing plant.”
Over a 12-month period, BCRC evaluated 271,436 carcasses, finding liver abscesses in 26% of beef steers, 21% of beef heifers, 20% of Mexican cattle, 29% of Holsteins and an eye-popping 68% of carcasses from beef-on-dairy crossbreds.
Extrapolating those observations over last year’s harvest of 27.3 million steers and heifers suggests an industry average of 27% liver condemnation.
Liver abscesses are due to infection, which causes adverse effects beyond the condemned liver. Lawrence says an A+ designation on a liver results in the loss of the liver, but also a 18-lb. decrease in hot carcass weight because the animal was fighting the infection. Lawrence values losses from A+ cattle at $49 per occurrence ($8 for the liver and $41 for reduced weight).
The next designation, A+ adhesion, results in a $107 loss per occurrence ($8 for the liver, $75 for 33 lb. of reduced hot carcass weight, and $24 for the loss of the skirt steaks). Skirt steaks are valuable as fajita meat in the U.S. and as export products.
The fifth designation, A+ open, is an open abscess that causes the entire viscera to be condemned. That amounts to a $50 loss for the liver and viscera and $99 for a 44-lb. decline in hot carcass weight for a $149 loss for each occurrence.
Losses to liver condemnations appear to be a growing problem, and, as Lawrence says, is an issue that “we as an industry have got to fix.”
Source: Drovers, By Greg Henderson November 3, 2022
Photo: Beef-on-dairy steers. Wyatt Bechtel


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Much like how Google periodically reveals plans to shut down some of its older products, Yahoo announced late on Friday plans to sunset a number of its websites and services, including one that's been around for 18 years.
Yahoo's Tumblr page reveals that it will finally shut down what's left of the AltaVista search engine on July 8th. Launched in 1995, AltaVista was one of the most popular search engines on the Internet but later lost ground to Yahoo and Google. Yahoo acquired AltaVista's parent company in 2003. There have been rumors that Yahoo would close AltaVista as early as 2010, but now it's official.
Yahoo also announced that today is the last day for the Yahoo Axis web browser plug-in program. The company revealed Yahoo Axis in May 2012 as a way to offer faster web searches but apparently the plug-in never caught on. Yahoo says that after today the plug-in will no longer work. Yahoo also released Axis as a mobile app and that will keep working but will no longer be maintained.
Other services that Yahoo will be shutting down today or sometime in the next few months include Yahoo WebPlayer (closing June 30th), Yahoo RSS Alerts (closing July 1st), Yahoo Downloads Beta (closing July 31st) and the Yahoo Local and Team Extraction APIs (September 28th).
Source: Yahoo | Image via Yahoo


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Symphony topped in Bangladesh in 2021: Counterpoint Report
Symphony propelled itself to the top position in the overall handset market in 2021 after a brief hiatus. This information surfaced from a recently published report by Counterpoint, a global research firm focusing on technology, media and telecom industry, According to the report, Symphony held the highest overall market share with 22%.
Smartphone, thanks to the advent of 4G has seen an 11% market growth in 2021 compared to 2020, says the report.
In the smartphone market of 2021, local brand Walton had the 2nd highest market share with 14.1% while Chinese brand Xiaomi trailed slightly behind in 3rd position with 13.6% market share.
The report also states that Bangladesh’s overall handset market declined 11% YoY in 2021 particularly feature phone shipments declined 24% YoY in 2021 and contributed 54% of the overall handset market.


text: Culp, Inc. (NYSE: CFI), today announced that it will provide an online, real-time webcast and rebroadcast of its fiscal 2010 third-quarter conference call on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. E.T. During this call Culp will review the company’s financial and operating results for the third quarter ended January 31, 2010. Results for the third quarter ended January 31, 2010, will be issued after the close of market trading on Monday, March 1, 2010. The live broadcast of Culp’s quarterly conference call will now be available on-line at www.culpinc.com or www.earnings.com on March 2, beginning at 10:00 a.m. E.T. Please note this is a change from the previously announced schedule. The on-line replay will be available approximately two hours later and continue for 30 days. To listen to the live webcast, please visit the web site at least 15 minutes early to download and install any necessary audio software. An Internet replay of the call will be available for 30 days using the same links. Culp, Inc. is one of the world's largest marketers of mattress fabrics for bedding and upholstery fabrics for furniture. The company's fabrics are used principally in the production of bedding products and residential and commercial upholstered furniture.


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Gymshark founder Ben Francis and the brand’s private equity backers have started talks with banks and investors in advance of a potential IPO.
The sportswear giant is in discussion with institutional investors and investment banks over a potential float on the London Stock Exchange, just over a year after the brand hit a £1bn valuation, according to Sky News.
Although any potential IPO is still in the discussion stages, a source told Sky that an announcement could be revealed in the coming months, with little idea of the size of any flotation.
Last year, the brand sold a 21% stake to US fund manager General Atlantic for £200m, while Francis still holds a 70% stake in the business.
The retailer has benefited hugely from the explosion in athleisurewear sales, with sales rising more than 50% to more than £400m since the start of the pandemic.
Francis founded the brand in 2012 as a teenager and returned to the role of chief executive in July. He replaced Steve Hewitt who had held the position since 2017. Hewitt has stepped into the role of executive president focusing on scaling the business commercially.
Gymshark, which has gained popularity with millennial and Generation Z consumers, actively uses social media, boasting 3.3 million followers on TikTok and 5.4 million on Instagram. It sells to over 130 countries globally.
A Gymshark spokesman said: “We regularly speak to financial institutions to ensure we are connected to the business world and we continue to learn.
“Any recent conversations we have had have been about introducing these organisations to Gymshark and our journey so far.”
A spokesperson for General Atlantic said: ”We are working with Ben and the team to build Gymshark into the global leader we know it can be.”


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MARKET EYE-India's Amara Raja Batteries jumps on 'strong' profit
* Shares in Amara Raja Batteries surge as much as 10.4 percent a day after the company reported a bigger-than-expected 35.2 percent gain in July-September net profit. * Angel Broking says the battery maker posted "extremely strong results," and adds earnings growth was driven by the automotive battery replacement segment, as well by momentum in the tubular and home uninterruptible power supply (UPS) segment. * Amara Raja rises 6.4 percent as of 0624 GMT. (firstname.lastname@example.org)
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DAVOS, Switzerland - Central banks have done their best to rescue the world economy by printing money and politicians must now act fast to enact structural reforms and pro-investment policies to boost growth, central bankers said on Saturday.
Trending On Reuters
Apple Inc quarterly results smashed Wall Street expectations with record sales of big-screen iPhones in the holiday shopping season and a 70 percent rise in China sales, powering the company to the largest profit in corporate history. Full Article | Related Story


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Blockchain experts and enthusiasts alike will gather in Bangalore on May 11 for one of the industry’s most powerful blockchain conferences, Digital India Blockchain Conference 2019.
Blockchain experts and enthusiasts alike will gather in Bangalore on May 11 for one of the industry’s most powerful blockchain conferences, Digital India Blockchain Conference 2019. The conference where great minds unite to create the future of blockchain – will feature an agenda packed with keynote addresses, panel discussions and insightful presentations from some of the industry’s brightest minds and innovative pioneers.
To visit the official page for Digital India Blockchain Conference 2019 – Bangalore, go to https://www.digitalindiablockchain.com/.
More than 15 blockchain experts will be presenting during the day-long conference. Conference highlights will be an interactive keynote address by Sanjay Sahay, IPS, ADGP, Police computer wing, Government of Karnataka and the last session by PWC’s Associate Director Gokul Alex on Blockchain for Social Impact, the Value Driven Models.
Notably, Decentralized Identity Management will be a significant part of this Digital India Blockchain Conference 2019. Featuring a series of executive-level summits, top industry thought leaders will be actively discussing challenges, solutions and best practices for integrating blockchain technology into the identity management landscape, among many others. Where Shiv Aggarwal will be launching EarthID in India.
“I am delighted about the launch of EarthID platform in India today. EarthID is going to revolutionise how we handle our identity-related information. Our vision is to provide universal identity to every human being, driving inclusion and enabling access to global services in a secure and borderless way. I am looking forward to working with all the companies that have already expressed their interest in working with us at this event,” said Shiv.
He will further be discussing on uncovering the incredible possibilities of Blockchain technology to revolutionize businesses through Fumae and building a collaborative ecosystem, providing economical transportation solutions for both humans and goods, in an environment and the user-friendly way through Truuber.
Other must-attend sessions include panel discussions that cover “The enabling role of Government in developing the blockchain industry in India,” “Propelling digital identity forward into Self-Sovereign Identity,” “Blockchain for India: The local context” “Will India emerge as the next fintech blockchain hub of the world?” “Can blockchain lead to a healthier India?” and “A shared ledger for trade: How blockchain can optimise the supply chain.”
One of the key speakers of the event Apoorv Srivastava, Director Global Services CIO, British Telecom says,
“Ease of business for India has fundamentally changed due to digitisation in the last couple of years but Blockchain as institutional technology would unlock its true potential for small and medium-sized businesses by infusing trust into this digital economy by remediating inefficiencies due to financial frauds and disputes in multiple party environments.”
While Abhay Tandon, Sr Manager Innovation & New Capabilities, Anheuser-Busch InBev quoted,
“There is a strong need in an emerging ecosystem such as India for stakeholders to come together to exchange notes on the disruptions in the financial domain specially Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies etc. The Digital India Blockchain conference by GBA should be able to focus on the necessary nuances for the relevant stakeholders to take back and disrupt!”
Comprehensive insight presentations will expert opinions on different aspects of blockchain industry, providing insights from their experience with their global clientele — just to name a few. In addition, the conference offers a huge exhibition hall, where attendees can network and talk blockchain shop with presenters and expo participants, enjoying one-on-one opportunities to gather information and establish relationships with leading service providers and experts in the blockchain world.
In addition to this, the Innovation Challenge will showcase innovative ideas from exciting startups in the blockchain space in India. Each startup will get 10 mins to pitch, followed by 5 mins of questions from the panel/audience. The winners will get cash prizes, an invitation to networking opportunities and participation in their next event in Europe.
Keynote speakers, presenters at the conference include:
- Shiv Aggarwal, CEO, Earth.Id | Head Of Europe, GBA
- Sharat Chandra, Chief Sales Officer, Fumae | President India, GBA
- Apoorv Srivastava, Director Global Services CIO, BT
- Vijetha Shastry, Open Innovation Lead, Nasscom
- Pritam Dutta, Head Of Digital Solutions Asia Pacific, Kimberly-Clark
- Gokul Alex, Associate Director, PWC
- Prasanna Lohar, Head Of Innovation & Architecture, DCB Bank
- Sudin Baraokar, Global It Innovation Advisor And Industry Expert
- Gnana Lakshmi T C, Leadership Fellow, Women Who Code
- Pankaj Joshi (Director at Deloitte, CISSP, SABSA)
- Yathish Nagavalli, Chief Enterprise Architect, Huawei Technologies
- Jaideep Reddy, Leader, Nishith Desai Associates
About Digital India Blockchain Conference 2019
The Digital India Blockchain Conference 2019 is an industry-focused event, connecting industry leaders, business decision makers, tech innovators, and investors. Its inaugural edition is in Bangalore on 11 May 2019 and will be an ideal opportunity to showcase leading developments in blockchain in India, and meet international players pioneering new solutions in this space.
Digital India Blockchain Conference 2019 is a pioneering event aimed at educating, inspiring and preparing today’s business leaders to become trailblazers in this new disruptive industry, and encouraging adoption across businesses, governments and societies.


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One of Yorkshire’s leading businessmen and entrepreneurs has joined forces with Harrogate-based multi-channel retailer High Street TV to create an ingenious handheld waste compressor to tackle the rapidly-increasing litter problem which is blighting Britain.
Gordon Black CBE, former chairman of Keighley-based Peter Black Holdings, has invented the Elefoot, designed to stamp out overflowing household bins and wheelies.
Elefoot has now been launched by High Street TV, the rapidly-expanding Harrogate retail business which has turned Mr Black’s idea into reality.
Mr Black commented: No-one needs reminding of how bad the litter problem is in the UK right now. Our cities, towns, countryside, rivers and canals are being used as dumping grounds for every kind of waste. Last month ITN’s News at Ten led on how litter is disfiguring our beautiful country, which, in view of all the other high-profile global stories at the moment, is a telling indication of how serious this problem is.
I believe the beauty of Elefoot is its simplicity. It is a sturdy, fully-assembled easy-to-use, handheld waste compressor that enables you to generate more space in your bins whilst protecting your hands from coming into contact with the contents. It’s easy to clean and very hygienic.
It comes in two sizes. The larger Elefoot compresses bin bags, recycling and garden waste in outdoor wheelie bins and the smaller Elefoot does the same on household and food waste, which generates more room in internal bins. It’s a real trashbasher!
In essence, it condenses excess pockets of air, making it easy to squash that overspill, to fit even more rubbish inside and completely close your bin lid. With cuts in bin collections becoming an increasingly common problem, and councils often refusing to empty waste bins which aren’t completely closed, Elefoot is the ideal solution for households generating an increasing amount of waste and struggling with the overflow.
The advantages are many. Elefoot contributes to cleaner and tidier backyards, driveways and neighbourhoods. It is a hygienic, mess-free and odour-free solution, helping prevent vermin, birds and cats getting into your waste. There’s no need to worry about being fined if your bins are closed, while the smaller Elefoot generates more room in inside bins, reducing the frequency of trips to the outdoor bin.
I would like to thank Andrew Malcher and Jim Coleman, the founders and dynamic driving forces behind the highly-successful High Street TV, for taking my idea and running with it. They have brought Elefoot to market, from design, to manufacture to branding, and without them, it would have remained just an idea that I had in my kitchen one day as I got splattered by yogurt, trying to squeeze everything into our bin by hand.
Elefoot is now available through High Street TV and Amazon and will soon be stocked at a number of leading retailers across the country.
Jim Coleman, Chief Executive of High Street TV, explained: I believe that Elefoot has huge potential. Whilst clearly ideal for households, it would also be incredibly helpful for organisations like local councils, hospitals, hotels, restaurants and care home operators, saving time and money and helping to protect the environment from the awful litter blight. We are already have interest from councils in both England and Scotland.
It is estimated that £1bn of local government money is spent on collecting litter every year. It therefore follows that less litter means more much-needed money for education, the police and social care – and would also help to keep Council Tax low.
Jim said: It’s very much the right product at the right time.
There’s also no doubt that the litter problem will get worse, as on-line companies such as Amazon create more and more packaging, while local councils are under increasing pressure to cut costs. It’s a vicious circle. The beauty of Elefoot is that it tackles this problem head on – and helps to solve it.


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November 5, 2018
IDC reports that Huawei surpassed Apple in smartphone shipments for Q2 and Q3 2018, marking the first time in seven years that Samsung and Apple did not maintain the top two spots together. Huawei held 14.6 percent of Q3 market share, representing a 32.9 percent jump over Q3 the previous year (Samsung took 20.3 percent of the market for Q3 this year, while Apple held 13.2 percent). Huawei is doing well with its P20, P20 Pro and Honor models, while analysts are watching what happens with the newly released Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro.
“Smartphone vendors shipped a total of 355.2 million smartphones worldwide in Q3 2018, down 6 percent from the 377.8 million units in Q3 2017,” explains VentureBeat. “Of the top five, only Samsung and Oppo shipped fewer units than the year before.”
Apple’s share only grew 0.8 points due largely to the iPhone XS, but the new iPhone XR is expected to be popular this holiday shopping season.
“Xiaomi jumped 2.2 points (to 9.7 percent), while Oppo gained 0.3 points (to 8.4 percent). Those two are battling it out for fourth just as closely as Apple and Huawei now are for second. Companies outside of the top five together lost 5.8 points.” (Pictured above: the Huawei P20 Pro.)
Analysts are paying close attention to Q4, since Samsung commonly leads the first three quarters and Apple dominates the fourth quarter.
“Will Q4 2018 follow the usual order (Apple, Samsung, Huawei) or will we see another shakeup?” asks VB. “And, more importantly, what will the overall numbers show for the full year?”
The holiday quarter should prove interesting “with a wide selection of new flagship devices available” and numerous options, including “new iPhones, Mate 20, [Google] Pixel 3, [LG] V40, Note 9, and OnePlus 6T.”
Meanwhile, IDC also reports that tablet shipments are down for the sixteenth consecutive quarter. According to VentureBeat, “Q3 2018 saw an 8.6 percent year-over-year decline: 36.4 million unites shipped worldwide, compared to 39.9 million units in the same quarter last year. The only silver lining is that the Q3 2018 decline wasn’t double digits again.”
Apple held its top spot, followed by Samsung and Amazon. “Huawei was the only company in the top five to ship more tablets than the year before,” notes VB. “The top five vendors accounted for 68.4 percent of the market, up from 67.1 percent last year.”