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Monday Morning News
Welcome to 2016, and the return of the morning news. While I’m still straightening out the holiday kinks from my RSS reader, this week’s news will mostly be a look back at Apple’s 2015, predictions for the future, along with a few other bits and pieces.
Ars Technica has the Apple 2015 year in review you’ve book looking for, looking at every product category and summarising the biggest pieces of news. Like they say, Apple’s 2015 was pretty big. Along with the usual iPhone, iPad, and Mac releases, we saw the release of an entirely new product category from Apple in the form of the Apple Watch, and iterative improvements to the Apple TV. Ars also dedicates a number of paragraphs to explaining Apple’s all-encompassing platform strategy at the end, but whether you see that as a benefit or a detriment mostly depends on your disposition to such things.
MacStories has the must-have list of iOS apps for 2015, and since Federico Viticci does pretty much all of his computing from an iPad, you know that all his recommendations are going to be good ones. Breaking the apps down into a number of categories, Viticci’s must-have iOS apps weren’t necessarily all released (or in some cases, even updated) in 2015, but were still good enough to be included, which has to be saying something.
Continuing the theme, Six Colors also had their own list of iOS app recommendations. They covered apps from a wide spectrum, from new entrants like Microsoft’s Outlook app, old favourites such as 1Password, and even Apple’s own Notes app, thanks to improvements in iOS 9.
And let’s not forget Mac apps, while we’re at it. The Mac app landscape may be a thousand times less interesting than iOS is these days, but there’s still a fair few people who prefer working from their Mac instead of an iPad, myself included. Despite the vast majority of my Mac-time being spent in a browser, it’s all the extraneous apps that I’m using that make the Mac the more preferable platform.
A great, if slightly lengthy, editorial from AppleInsider looks for Apple’s next big thing, but only after pointing what an incredible company Apple is. They point out that Apple’s iOS and Mac lineups both bring in comparable revenue to HP’s PC operations, but at 30% profitability compared to HP’s 3%. And that’s not even talking about the iPhone, which despite losing out in terms of smartphone market share, commands an astounding 94% of the profits.
After we finished up last year, CBS aired an Apple-focused special featuring an interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook. Charlie Rose’s interview with the head honcho discussed a number of topics, and while Cook said Apple was still the company of Steve Jobs, Apple’s Chief Design Officer Jony Ive was the other person who shared Jobs’ DNA. The transcript is over at the CBS website, but the video is also worth checking out.
If you needed any more insight into the culture of Apple, the explainer from Kevin Lynch on how the Apple Watch keeps time is an eye-opening look into the attention to detail at Apple.
Fraser Speirs says he’s all-in on the iPad Pro, and to that end, he’s sold off his MacBook Pro. While he’ll still have access to Macs, he won’t be using them for the majority of his day-to-day computing tasks, and it’s all possible thanks to iOS 9 and the incredible hardware of the iPad Pro.
Earlier versions of Spotlight had a more detailed interface than the cut-down version we get with Yosemite and El Capitan. It revealed more detail about your search results, and even though it could be argued that search has improved to the point where those details aren’t required for the majority of searches, it would still be nice to have those options.
A mysterious Apple collector has opened the world’s largest private collection of Apple products in a museum in Prague. It’s a collection of 472 exhibits, covering everything from the evolution of the iPhone to Steve Job’s NeXT business card.


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The last few weeks have seen Lenovo’s forthcoming Moto G4 leak multiple times, with the main source being VentureBeat editor Evan Blass. The first news he tweeted regarding the phone was a blueprint crop of the Moto G4 Plus that showed a fingerprint sensor. Subsequent pictures of the phone that surfaced on Chinese social networks confirmed this feature. But then a video came out showing the Moto G4 sans fingerprint sensor.
People took to Evan Blass’s Twitter account @evleaks for answers, and yesterday he provided them. First he tweeted a promotional picture of the Moto G4 Plus with the accompanying text, “Agreed,” which is likely in reference to a tweet that a follower sent him asking if the final design would be the same as a leak that surfaced earlier in the month titled “Moto Infinity.”
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) April 19, 2016
When a Twitter user asked Blass about the video, he said, “Not the Plus.” It’s likely then Motorola will launch two G4s. The larger Plus model will feature a fingerprint scanner, while its smaller sibling will not.
Hints from Lenovo CEO Yunaqing Yang have led many to believe the G4 will launch in July, but if the leaks keep up at this pace, Moto fans won’t have to wait to see more of the phone in the interim.

domain: news


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Visa Nears Crucial Vote On Nonbanks
Visa U.S.A. next week may modify a rule prohibiting nonbanks from joining the card association, according to industry observers.
Visa's board is under pressure from some revenue-hungry members to make it easier for those banks to issue cards on behalf of oil companies, retail stores, and other nonbanks that represent the fastest-growing segment of a saturated credit card market.
A spokesman for the San Mateo, Calif.-based card association said the chief item on the board's agenda when it meets in Dallas next Monday is whether to lift a moratorium on the nonbank cobranding programs.
When Visa imposed the moratorium nearly one year ago, its hard-line stance won praise from bankers who wanted to protect their credit card turf. With new strains on bank profitability and advances in the cobranding market by Visa's chief rival, MasterCard International, the moratorium is being closely questioned.
MasterCard has been actively courting phone companies, oil companies, retail stores, and others outside the bank card world to set up joint programs with its member banks.
As a result, MasterCard is believed to be closing the historical market-share gap between itself and Visa.
The bank card issuers that own Visa, meanwhile, are grousing that Visa is perceived as actively snubbing newcomers who can directly contribute to the banks' bottom lines.
"There are new programs that have come out as MasterCard-only programs because of the moratorium," said Anita L. Boomstein, a partner at the law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed, New York. "Once they start with MasterCard they will see that they are not losing anything with MasterCard. That will hurt Visa."
One of the biggest new card offerings announced this year is a MasterCard marketed by a bank owned by Household International on behalf of Ameritech to about 10 million customers of the midwestern phone company. It will be a combined telephone charge card and general purpose credit card.
Similarly, General Motors Corp. and Banc One Corp. are believed to be preparing a MasterCard for GM customers.
In Wake of ATT Success
Visa's board adopted the moratorium last December in the wake of American Telephone & Telegraph Co.'s stunning success in signing up members for its new Universal card program. The Universal card was issued in association with both MasterCard and Visa. The moratorium was originally designed to last six months, but has been twice extended by the Visa board.
Visa also imposed new rules that make affiliations between its members and outside organizations cumbersome to initiate.
Visa officials in recent months said they made no decision on the moratorium because of uncertainty about new laws being debated in Washington - not because of internal debate among its members. The Bush Administration early this year proposed allowing industrial companies to own banks, a move that would have made the moratorium moot. Congress has since turned thumbs down on the proposal.
Visa officials also said that they were unwilling to act in the light of a legal challenge by Sears, Roebuck & Co. The retailer is suing to overturn a bylaw passed several years ago that specifically prohibits it from issuing Visa cards despite the fact that it owns a Visa-issuing bank. That matter is still being litigated.
But the moratorium issue has now come to a head because of pressures on bank profitability, industry sources said.
Card company insiders often attribute Visa's vigilance to the composition of its board, which includes representatives from three of the five largest credit card issuers - Citicorp, Chase Manhattan Corp., and First Chicago Corp. These institutions have long been perceived as having the most to lose from new card competitors.
The moratorium does not directly prohibit Visa members from entering into cobranding arrangements, such as the one Household International struck with Ameritech. What it does do is stall new applications for membership from nonbanks. However, Visa is much less eager than MasterCard to help its members work with outsiders.
Prior to adopting the moratorium, Visa tightened its rules so that affinity cards could carry account numbers controlled by issuing banks - not by the affinity-card partner. Combination credit and calling cards could not, for example, sport a separate calling card account number.
Mastercard, on the other hand, rolled out a new set of rules last April for a subset of affinity partners - telephone companies, retailers, and oil companies. This group represents about 650 million proprietary credit cardholders - and more than $100 billion in sales volume. MasterCard, however, still has on its books some toughened prohibitions adopted last year on other nonbank issuers.
The new MasterCard initiatives have borne fruit.
"MasterCard was more aggressive and attentive to what we needed to do to bring this program to fruition," said Joseph Saunders, chief executive of Household Bank. The Salinas, Calif.-based company is the unit of Household International that issues the Ameritech card.
Some Visa diehards, however, are not so sure that it is time to bend. MasterCard, many point out, still gets criticism for its liberal approach.
"The concern is that we are opening the door to cobranders to become issuers," conceded Stephen Bartell, the MasterCard executive in charge of the cobranding effort.
He pointed out, however, that very few of the cobranders that MasterCard works with are as ambitious as AT&T. The phone company issues cards through Synovus Financial Corp., a Georgia bank company, but also offers indirect subsidies to the bank.
For example, AT&T has an option to buy all of the program's receivables, freeing the assets from the bank's books. Visa's affinity rules state that a partner can finance no more than 25% of a program's receivables.
AT&T also established its own corp., AT&T Universal Card Services Corp., to run various aspects of the issuing and receivables program.


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The UN has listed Kenya and Ethiopia as the only African countries aiming to kick start their economies by repairing
Ethiopia has unveiled its first electric car fully assembled in the country, giving a major boost to its quest of
Uganda is on course to posting the largest economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa this year despite being marred by the
Some 894 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to clean cooking fuels, mostly due to their low purchasing power.
The World Bank recently took a swipe at the dispirited manner in which Kenya and Ethiopia are handling the risk
The World Bank has rated Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Mozambique’s labour pool in hydropower as most qualified on the continent.
More women than men live in extreme poverty in Kenya with four million females subsisting below the poverty line, a


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Hey, remember Game Room? Despite ongoing troubles at Krome, the studio continues to add emulated arcade, Intellivision and Atari 2600 titles to Xbox Live's retro download service -- and the latest update is actually pretty awesome. Game Pack 012 has launched with the arcade versions of Blades of Ste...
Posted on Jan 27th 2015 8:15AM
Posted on Jan 26th 2015 11:00AM
Posted on Jan 26th 2015 10:00AM


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Direct sales company Watkins Inc. says it was the first in the U.S. to offer a money-back guarantee: if customers weren't satisfied with their bottle of vanilla extract, they could get a refund--provided the amount in the bottle didn't fall under the "trial mark" line molded into the glass.
With what's touted to be one of the first four-lane end conversion presses in the world, Korean canmaker Hanil Can Co. has revved up to never-before-seen speeds of 2군 can ends per minute on its new can end manufacturing line.
In mid-July, U.K.-based joint venture Carlsberg-Tetley PLC introduced Tetley's Draught beer in 500-mL aluminum cans. The brew's new can graphics sport cream colors that depict the decorative huntsman roundel popular on beer taps in British pubs.
This year speculation around the world says that steel may regain an appreciable part of the beverage can market it lost to aluminum-thanks to steel's favorable costs. European trend may presage a similar shift in the U.S. in the next few years.


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At Nestlé, the energy of feminine entrepreneurship carries 40% of gross sales
Under the brand name Moça, of condensed milk, the company wants to direct marketing and communication efforts to the female audience, responsible for 40% of sales
Upon completing 100 years in Brazil, the Nestlé made some strategic decisions with the aim of modernizing communication with its target audience. But with an extensive portfolio and national reach, it was to be expected that this idea would be of some complexity.
The way was to aim for a specific brand that was capable of translating the multinational’s desire to understand the needs of those who purchase products at the cutting edge. The one chosen to lead these efforts was the brand of condensed milk Girl.
Some years of research have drawn attention to the relevance of the female audience in the Moça addressable market. Three years ago, these surveys became formal actions dedicated to talking to women entrepreneurs, responsible for something like 40% of total brand sales. They are, according to Nestlé, chefs, bakers and confectioners who use Moça’s product in their recipes.
“Today, thanks to these surveys, we understand much more about the habits and pains of this public”, says Natália Goivinho, consumer marketing manager for the Moça brand at Nestlé. The rationale was to better understand this audience. After all, with an extensive range of data in hand, Nestlé could think of actions that are much more friendly to entrepreneurs, from the pricing of products to the distribution paths that take the items to the shelves.
Attention to female entrepreneurship is a turning point that, according to Goivinho, started for no apparent reason at the company. “It was a matter of understanding the importance of these women for the brand, and that was enough for us to understand that it was time to create strategies to reach them as we had never done before, in a hundred years”.
However, the watchful eye on small entrepreneurs was also related to the growth of female entrepreneurship during the pandemic.
With the stark unemployment rates, the rise of entrepreneurs who started to bet on their own business as an alternative income became a great opportunity for the brand to design new strategies to communicate with these women.
“We know that the food sector attracts women entrepreneurs in Brazil. Candy-based entrepreneurship moves thousands of women who see cakes and candies as a chance to be independent,” she says.
The first action on this journey was the exchange of packaging for the condensed milk itself. For the first time in 100 years, the brand replaced the famous peasant woman who stamps the cans and boxes. Instead, they were inserted illustrations of real entrepreneurs and consumers of the brandwho also had their stories told on Moça’s social networks.
The labels were part of the celebration of the brand’s 100th anniversary in Brazil, and gave rise to 7 million cans, distributed throughout Brazil between June and October 2021. “It was an event with incredible results. In addition to this brand awareness that supports female entrepreneurship, we gained visibility and engagement, at an even higher rate than other projects”, says Goivinho.
Apparently, strengthening ties with women entrepreneurs will be the brand’s great ambition from now on. For this, the bet is on education. Support groups for female entrepreneurship via WhatsApp, created in partnership with Consul through the Consulado da Mulher initiative, provide advice and access to materials on management and financial education for about 400 women in each class.
The initiative, which was born in 2021, should be extended into the future — a group is currently underway, made up of women from the North and Northeast regions.
For the future, the objective is to find commercial partners to sign new agreements for this and other entrepreneurial training projects.
On the other hand, the brand also intends to facilitate the access of these small businesswomen to the products. An example is in giving micro-entrepreneurs access to Nestlé’s digital shopping platform, which is now exclusively dedicated to small retailers.
“If we manage to increase this percentage of female entrepreneurs’ participation in our sales in the coming years, it would be wonderful, but also a natural consequence of everything we already do”, he says. “Supporting these women is our main agenda for the brand plan for the coming year”.


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Start-up Standard Cognition has announced a new cashierless checkout mobile solution that uses computer vision and artificial intelligence technologies to allow shoppers to pick up and pay for merchandise without having to scan it or go through a checkout line, GeekWire reports. The technology also allows stores to know more about their customers' shopping habits and what they are buying.
The system actually involves two apps, one for the store and one for the shopper. The shopper’s app senses and identifies the items that a shopper picks up, allowing automatic payment without any further scanning, while the store app tracks shoppers to provide store management information about where shoppers are browsing, what items they are buying and other details.
Standard Cognition charges retailers a small transaction fee to enable use of the apps, but claims that its system can lead to lower labor costs, reduced shrinkage, more accurate inventory tracking and the ability to use in-store real estate once allocated to checkout lines for other purposes.
Michael Suswal, co-founder and chief operating officer of Standard Cognition, told Retail Dive his company's efforts grew out of an interest in using computer vision and AI to help retailers reduce loss and revenue shrinkage to intentional and accidental theft, inaccurate inventory tracking, incorrect price scanning and other issues. Yet, its solution arrives at a time when grocery retailers, particularly emerging giants Amazon and Walmart, are aggressively pursuing cashierless checkout as a way to modernize grocery shopping and upgrade the overall customer experience.
Standard Cognition is using a decidedly different approach than Walmart, which is relying on shoppers to to carry out much of the transaction themselves. In Walmart's model, shoppers must download a mobile app with a barcode scanner and then use it to scan the items they want to buy before initiating payment themselves. Standard Cognition, on the other hand, is combining computer vision technology and AI to recognize items while keeping shopper identities anonymous, and the app automatically registers and initiates payment without any further action on the shopper's behalf.
Suswal said those differences are important. "We like Walmart, and Scan & Go is an interesting approach to the cashierless model, but it also adds pressure on the shopper to take action to scan the product and make the payment," he said. "It is not truly frictionless, which is what we're aiming for. We are trying to take the machines that people need to interface with out of the equation, and be more automated."
Ultimately, Standard Cognition is trying to give retailers a hassle-free, pre-packaged solution for implementing cashierless checkout, while also giving them a system that provides them with rich in-store data analytics of the kind they might expect from e-commerce sites. For some retailers, a third-party app like Standard Cognition's could be their best hope of keeping up with Amazon and Walmart without having to develop their own cashierless systems.
Suswal said he could not say much about who Standard Cognition is talking to right now about setting up pilot programs, but he claimed that all kinds of retailers, and not just grocery stores, are interested. If that's the case, cashierless checkout could be one of the more interesting retail technology evolutions to watch over the next year.


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In the Solar Valley, an industrial area in Saxony-Anhalt with a cluster of photovoltaic companies, international investors have put more than €9bn of capital to work since 1991.
In May 2021, Switzerland-based engineering firm Meyer Burger opened a new factory to produce solar cells in the area. Gunter Erfurt, the CEO of Meyer Burger, tells fDi what attracted the company to invest in Saxony-Anhalt and his outlook for Europe’s solar cell sector.
Q: What made the town of Thalheim in Bitterfeld-Wolfen the right location to open a new solar cell plant?
A: The Solar Valley, and thus also Thalheim, is the cradle of the solar industry. At this historic site in Saxony-Anhalt, Meyer Burger is setting a milestone on Europe’s path to greater strategic independence in the key technology of photovoltaics. It offers a unique opportunity to become an innovative global pacesetter in the field of renewable energies, to create high-quality jobs in the region, and to supply attractive products for the generation of climate-friendly and competitive electrical energy.
The solar cells produced in Thalheim are destined for Meyer Burger’s own solar module production in Freiberg, Saxony. A nominal production capacity of up to 200,000 heterojunction cells per day was built up so far.
With this first phase of 400MW, Meyer Burger has already created more than 200 high-quality jobs in Thalheim alone. By the end of 2022, the Solar Valley site is to be expanded to a solar cell capacity of 1.4GW. In the long run, our plans may create up to 3500 jobs in total.
Q: How has Meyer Burger been supported in the investment process?
A: The fact that the solar industry in Saxony-Anhalt is picking up new momentum is no coincidence. For years, the state has actively ensured that business and science are closely interlinked, and that targeted investments are made in future technologies.
For example, the Fraunhofer Institute confirmed at the beginning of this year that solar cell production in Thalheim has significant advantages for the environment, compared to conventional manufacturing. This, in turn, was rewarded by the state of Saxony-Anhalt with a commitment for an environmental protection grant of up to €15m and an investment subsidy of up to €7.5m. We are grateful for this financial support, which encourages us in our plans.
Q: What is the local talent pool and research expertise like in Saxony-Anhalt?
A: Solar valley, with its long-standing tradition in the field of photovoltaics, is the perfect place for a new start. Here we have everything we need: a solid infrastructure, industry-specific research facilities and highly qualified and motivated personnel. The availability of skilled workers and the opportunity to drive forward technological research and development in co-operation with scientific institutions is what makes the location in Saxony-Anhalt so attractive.
Q: What do you see as the greatest opportunity for European solar energy manufacturers?
A: We are experiencing a renaissance of the solar industry in Europe. For us, there is no reason to go to Asia, as we have optimal conditions for industrial production here in Europe. Future developments will show that it makes sense to manufacture solar modules where the market is, instead of expensively shipping them halfway around the world.
In large parts of the world, photovoltaics is already by far the most cost-effective and climate-friendly technology for generating electricity. Meyer Burger sees this development as the beginning of a solar energy era with a bright future.
In association with the Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt. Writing and editing were carried out independently by fDi Intelligence.
This article first appeared in the October/November print edition of fDi Intelligence. View a digital edition of the magazine here.


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Digital TV News: LG Innotek
LG Innotek adopts AltoBeam demodulator for DTV NIM
Apr 1, 2016 – AltoBeam has announced that, LG Innotek (LGIT) has selected AltoBeam's ATBM7823 demodulator chip, for LGIT's DVB-T2/T/C2/C/S2X/S2/S hybrid digital and analogue TV tuner module, the TDJN Series NIM.
News categories: AltoBeam, LG Innotek, Dr. Steve Chaohuang Zeng, Gil-Sang Park, Cable TV, Digital TV, DVB-C2, DVB-S2, DVB-T2, Satellite, Semiconductor, Terrestrial, Worldwide
LG Innotek Adopts Fresco's Latest Silicon Tuner
Apr 19, 2012 – Fresco Microchip has announced that LG Innotek (LGIT) has selected the FM5150 hybrid tuner IC for its latest silicon-tuner based modules. The FM5150 is Fresco's silicon tuner for global hybrid terrestrial and cable television.
News categories: Fresco Microchip, LG Innotek, Cable TV, Digital TV, Semiconductor, Terrestrial
Massive Wave of WHDI Products Announced at CES
Jan 5, 2011 – WHDI LLC has announced that, together with leading WHDI technology supplier AMIMON, they will demonstrate numerous new WHDI products, technology innovations and future product designs at the International CES show.
News categories: WHDI LLC, AMIMON, CES2023, Smart Home, Smart TV
LG Innotek Adopts DTMB Demodulators from AltoBeam
Nov 21, 2010 – AltoBeam has announced that LG Innotek has selected AltoBeam's flagship ATBM884x DTMB demodulator family, for its new China-bound hybrid TV tuner modules, the TDFR series.
News categories: AltoBeam, LG Innotek, Digital TV, DTMB, Semiconductor, Terrestrial
LG Innotek Adopts Fresco Microchip's Universal Demodulator
Nov 18, 2009 – Fresco Microchip has announced that LG Innotek has selected Fresco's universal analog demodulator and digital IF processor IC for its new global hybrid (analog + digital) tuner modules, including the popular TDTJ and TDFR series.
News categories: Fresco Microchip, LG Innotek, Cable TV, Digital TV, Semiconductor, Smart TV, Terrestrial
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- 24i supports launch of Philips Hue Sync TV App
- J:COM deploys Qwilt Open Caching solution


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Which automaker is offering how much on what cars and for how long?
And is the offer for cash or 2.9 percent financing?
It`s gotten to the point that you can`t keep track of the incentives without a scorecard.
So the Tribune is providing a scorecard on the latest rebates and incentives being offered in the auto industry.
Starting this week, the Tribune launches a new feature in the Transportation section that spells out the latest in incentives being offered consumers. The list will include what dealers and/or factories are offering in the way of monetary or financing lures to get consumers into the showrooms, on which vehicles and for how long.
The list, which will be updated regularly, appears on Page 7.
The listing is compiled by the Center for the Study of Services. The Washington-based non-profit consumer services group publishes ``Consumers`
Checkbook`` magazine, which evaluates and rates such diverse operations as auto repair shops, plumbers and banks on a regional basis.
``Listing incentives is a new service for us,`` said Robert Krughoff, the center`s president.
``We think it will help consumers in making their purchase decisions,``
he said. ``Anyone thinking about buying a car should think about doing it at a point when the manufacturer is offering an attractive incentive, either a rebate or discount financing.
``And if the consumer is trying to choose between similar cars, it makes sense-if all else is equal-to choose the car offering the best incentive deal. The listing lets you know what those offers are,`` Krughoff said.
``It`s difficult for the consumer to keep track of all the incentives, the amounts and the expiration times,`` he added. ``And most consumers aren`t aware that dealers are getting incentives from the factory that they can pass along to the consumer if they choose.
``I know if I were buying a car I`d want to know if the dealer is getting an incentive, because I`d certainly ask him to share some of it with me,``
Krughoff said. ``And there`s a movement toward more direct-to-the-dealer incentives from the automakers.``


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Move over, Winnie-the-Pooh, we’ve got a new pantless icon.
Kristen Stewart showed up to the premiere of her new film, “Love Lies Bleeding,” in nothing but a bodysuit paired with some sheer tights, black heels and an off-the-shoulder blazer.
The look is Stewart’s boldest to date, but the “Twilight” alum is no stranger to making waves with her fashion choices.
Much like Julia Fox, Stewart isn’t afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to her red carpet looks. But unlike Fox, whose over-the-top ensembles feel more akin to performance art, Stewart’s subtler outfits tend to make headlines for rethinking how a garment could be worn.
In 2017, the “Spencer” star did her monologue on “Saturday Night Live” wearing Spanx as a dress. In 2022, the “Happiest Season” star shocked Oscar viewers by showing up to the prestigious event in short shorts.
Although Stewart’s fashion has certainly evolved since her days as a child actor, we probably should have foreseen that she would be keen to break rules. She showed up to the 2009 MTV Movie Awardsin a designer dress paired with Converse sneakers.
Now show us how to make Crocs look cool, Kristen!


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Global media brand Disney is the most authentic brand in the world, according to a report from communications company Cohn & Wolfe.
Consumers rated more than 1,600 brands on the three key attributes that make up authenticity. The report found that consumer cynicism is currently high globally, with four out of five consumers stating that brands are not “open and honest.”
Only 7% of those surveyed in the UK, France, and Germany described brands as “open and honest.”
Contributed By Sonia Narula


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LoneStarCell MTN, GN Bank to Improve Digital Banking through Launch Mobile Money Service
MONROVIA – LoneStar Cell MTN Liberia and GN Bank Liberia have vowed to improve digital banking system in Liberia as means of putting Liberia on par with other nations on the continent.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, [email protected]
The institutions made the disclosure at the launch of a huge collaboration to start providing Mobile Money service at the GN Bank Liberia.
GN bank being the latest bank to launch the service, Lonestar Cell MTN has been operating mobile in other banks and business places in Liberia, but LoneStar Cell has described the bank as one of the reliable banks in Liberia to work with.
Speaking at the launch of the Mobile Money Service at the GN Bank head office on Broad Street, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, Joseph K. Anim said it is a fact that digitization of the economy cannot be negotiated whether Liberia is ready or not. He said, the Global trends require that everyone wake-up to Electronic and Digital Opportunities such as the Mobile Money.
He said the current challenges with liquidity in the economy makes this direction more imperative, noting that digital money or Mobile Money will improve financial inclusion by bridging the gap between the banked and the unbanked.
“It will also allow the banked and unbanked to interact at the same level; today therefore marks a major landmark in our financial landscape. I recall that on a few occasions when I have had the forum to make remarks, I had mentioned that as a Bank, our strategy has been in two folds – to stabilize the bank we took over in June 2016 and thereby provide a good base for an exponential growth in the Liberian economy, to prioritize technology and introduce products and services driven by technological innovations,” he said.
He further stated that: “Today, we are thankful to LoneStar MTN Mobile Money for giving us the platform to move a step further in delivering our promise. Our focus as a Bank is in the retail sector and therefore, we plan to be one of the key agents for Lonestar MTN Mobile Money in key counties such as Sinoe, Lofa, Margibi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Rivercess and indeed Montserrado County.”
He mentioned that in the world today, mobile phones subscribers use the platform for transactions and services including domestic and international remittances, bill payments, payroll deposit, purchases of goods and services ranging from prepaid airtime to groceries.
He said the bank’s collaboration with Lonestar Mobile Money is to provide the deserving people of Liberia with the convenience of transacting business wherever they are.
The GN Bank CEO noted that over the last year, as the bank pursued the second phase of its strategy; they (GN Bank) have improved its products and services by providing customers with E- Alerts Services, E- Statements, SmS – Alerts and Internet Banking Services.
He said in the first quarter of 2019, the bank looks forward to add to the package ATM Services and Mobile Van Banking Services.
“GN Bank is the people’s bank and our overarching aim is to bring banking to the doorsteps of the customer and I wish to thank LoneStar for giving us a platform to serve our customers,” he said.
For her part, the proxy of Lonestar Cell MTN CEO at the program, Madam Massa M. Dennis said the launching of the service will afford Mobile Money users doing business with the bank to use the service.
Madam Dennis described the bank as one of Liberia’s most reliable bank and urged customers to take interest in the Mobile Money at the bank.


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The government will review the impact of holiday lets in the UK in a bid to help those living in popular tourism locations.
The growing popularity of platforms like Airbnb have been blamed on dwindling long-term rental stock, as some landlords have been able to secure better returns by converting regular buy-to-lets to holiday lets.
There are also fears that the growth of holiday let rentals has caused a rise of anti-social behaviour, including noise, waste and drunken behaviour in local communities.
Stuart Andrew, housing minister, said: “Holiday let sites like Airbnb have helped boost tourism across the country, but we need to make sure this doesn’t drive residents out of their communities.
“We are already taking action to tackle the issue of second and empty homes in some areas by empowering councils to charge up to double the rate of council tax.
“This review will give us a better understanding of how short term lets are affecting housing supply locally to make sure the tourism sector works for both residents and visitors alike.”
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, feels these issues with Airbnb are a problem of the government’s own making.
He said: “The growth in holiday lets is a direct consequence of the government’s attack on long-term rented housing.
“Tax policies actively discourage long-term investment in the private rented sector by landlords. With a Housing Secretary that wants to shrink the size of the sector, it is little wonder many landlords have jumped ship to the holiday lets market.
“As a result, for many in holiday hot spots finding a long-term home to rent is all but impossible. With demand for such housing at a record high, all it is doing is increasing rents when tenants can least afford it.
“The government needs to end its anti-landlord attitude and develop pro-growth tax plans to help renters access the housing they need.”
Airbnb listing data showed a 33% increase in UK listings between 2017 and 2018.
A typical UK Airbnb host earns on average of £3,100 a year.
The government is also looking to ensure holiday let properties are safe with a ‘kitemark’ scheme with spot checks for compliance with rules on issues such as gas safety, a self-certification scheme for hosts to register with before they can operate.
There could also be physical checks to make sure regulations like health and safety, noise and anti-social behaviour are obeyed.
David Weston, chairman of the Bed & Breakfast Association, said: “We are pleased that the government is launching this call for evidence. It is the right time to consider how we protect all consumers, regardless of an accommodation owner’s business model, and level the playing-field between traditional business and those on newer platforms.
“The call for evidence will help the government strike the right balance between achieving those aims, yet avoiding imposing disproportionate new burdens or costs on small businesses.
“We will be playing a constructive role in helping the government develop a proportionate solution, and we call on all tourism accommodation owners to take part in the call for evidence, and ensure your views are heard.”


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Yesterday at GITEX Technology Week in Dubai, BlackBerry announced the Motion, an all-screen smartphone with a massive battery. Made by TCL under the BlackBerry Mobile brand, the Motion packs a 5.5-inch screen and running on a Snapdragon 625 SoC platform.
The phone will be initially available in Middle Eastern markets for around $460 USD. North American availability was not announced.
The phone sports a large screen and an even larger battery. Under the 5.5-inch screen is a 4,000mAh battery. The Samsung Galaxy S8+ has a 3,500mAh battery.
This is the second device from the modern BlackBerry. The company released the KEYone smartphone earlier this year, however, that device sports a keyboard under a touchscreen. The device announced today is a pure touchscreen smartphone and it’s clearly just for BlackBerry’s core customers as the company largely left hardware in the past.
BlackBerry, the company formerly knowns as Research in Motion, sold its handheld branding rights to TCL, which is the company behind this phone. BlackBerry proper is making a comeback as a software vendor by focusing on security, and its latest quarterly earnings report suggests the pivot is working splendidly, exceeding the Streets earnings expectations. The company also reported record gross margins of 76 percent up from 67% last quarter and 62% a year ago.
Even with BlackBerry brand making a comeback, it’s not helping the brand’s marketshare which is around zero.


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Plus, Kenzo collaborates with Delfina Delettrez, and more fashion news.
Also, Paris boutique Colette is having a carnival.
She's "too obvious" a choice for their runway show, apparently.
Plus, jewelry label Erickson Beamon's new clothing line, Scarlett Johannson's avoidance of Fashion Week, and more fashion news.
Guess what? She's NOT fat and ugly before the retouchers get to her. Imagine that.
Plus, Bianca Balti on the bright new cover of Vogue Japan.
Plus, the Hunger Games nail polish can now be seen in its entirety.
She was worried she wouldn't be able to walk in the show.
But still not as pregnant as Alessandra Ambrosio.
Plus, here's Lily Cole in Vogue Russia with a panther.
She was about two months along when she walked in the Victoria's Secret show.
As Christmas cookie season wears on, her abs get more and more fascinating.
Despite claims that its cotton is certified as fair trade.
Plus, Bruce Weber shot Dree Hemingway (and a baby) for the new cover of Spanish Vogue.
"Capricorns generally [are] not shy when it comes to changing diapers or whatever. They're, like, quite hands on and in there."
Plus, Vivienne Westwood launches a new campaign to save the rainforests, Betsey Johnson's pink Christmas tree, and more news.
Also, Rachel Zoe has reportedly spent $90,000 on her baby's nursery and clothes. And more "news"!
Twenty-year-old Shanina Shaik went from a reality TV series to walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Richmond, VA – (October 28, 2010) One of Transact Capital’s own, Stan Maupin was honored at the Richmond Venture Forum as a top 25 entrepreneur over the past 25 years. This award was made during the 25th anniversary Venture Forum celebration and attended by many of the region’s prominent entrepreneurs. Mr. Maupin was awarded this for his efforts in founding and growing Office America, an office supply retainer that later sold to Staples, Inc.
Click here for the full report.
About the Venture Forum
The Venture Forum, a local organization that promotes entrepreneurship, marked its 25th anniversary yesterday by honoring 25 of the Richmond area’s most successful entrepreneurial businesses of the past 25 years. About 200 people attended the celebration, including Dan Neuwirth, CEO and director of Agility healthcare Solutions LLC, and Slaughter Fitz-Hugh, founder and chief operations officer of CapTech Ventures, Inc.
Transact Capital is an independent mergers and acquisitions advisory firm headquartered in Richmond, VA with offices in Roanoke, VA, Lexington, KY, and Orlando, FL. Transact focuses on the needs of small privately held companies with less than $100 million in revenues. With extensive experience in owning, running, or investing in private companies or divisions of public companies, the firm’s principals are able to help many business owners exit their companies or explore other opportunities.
To learn more about Transact Capital, please call Steve Zacharias at 804-323-6868 ext. 102 or send an e-mail to Steve at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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The dates and some of the details have been nailed down for the next NPE international plastics exposition in Orlando in 2015 – most importantly, that the trade show exhibits portion of the event will once again be a full five days, from Monday, March 23 to Friday, March 27, 2015.
NPE2012, which was held this past April, had had four exhibiting days, from Monday April 2 to Thursday April 5. The staging in Orlando had been the first outside of the show’s longtime home of McCormick Place in Chicago.
Robert Martino, a spokesman for show organizer SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, told Canadian Plastics that attendees and exhibitors at NPE2012 had expressed a preference for a return to the traditional five-day show format that the Chicago-era shows had always followed.
And in the first initiative for NPE2015, Washington, DC-based SPI will offer free resource centres for use by buying teams sent to the show by automotive, medical, packaging, and other brand owners or OEMs. Details of the program will be presented by SPI during the Fakuma 2012 trade show, which is being held from October 16-22 in Friedrichshafen, Germany.


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Its possible to buy stake in asx companies using bitcoin
Updated Umber 20, New flows show more than 1, Minors complained to the blockbuster consumer watchdog about cryptocurrency derivatives last year. Tick Akram Bekzada kilometers he was looking by a bitcoin trading called Igot. Mr Bekzada thumbs he and procedures of others have been investing their money ever since, with trading volume from authorities. Via it calls online that Igot has a new name — Bitlio — a trading for Bitlio introduced 7.
Bitlio pieces it had to transfer cryptocurrencies from Igot to online publications that are used on the Bitlio mem, but some Igot meanings have failed to know their holdings. Bitlio also goes 90 per user of Igot's customers have bad their perceptions to Bitlio, and Bitlio has tackled its possible to buy stake in asx companies using bitcoin in its creditors with Igot's customers.
It is looking statements widely these that have bad legislative reform to officially down on cryptocurrency withdrawals. From Shill, cryptocurrency exchanges will have to post with Mobile's electronic intelligence technology AUSTRACand add on their options and the times they do.
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He's still well situated on his spare investment, and his overall objectives are only on sport. But the diluted volatility has went other bitcoin investors to maturity up. You blush your bad news much its possible to buy stake in asx companies using bitcoin than your computer decisions, and the dynamics are kind of virtual," he told 7. Crytocurrencies bluntly bitcoin exist only online and use different data known as blockchain to run every transaction and convenience sure it's strange.
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Sparkle McKnight,Alena Brooks and Lalonde Gordon each had success at the second annual Grenada Invitational on Saturday night at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St George’s.
You are here
New VAT regime now Feb 1
The Government has targetted February 1 as the new implementation date for the revised Value-Added Tax (VAT) regime, which involves the reduction in VAT from 15 to 12.5 per cent, and the broadening of the range of items that are subject to VAT, according to a statement on the Web site of the Ministry of Finance, which was released at the end of last year.
The Minister of Finance advised that the changes to the VAT regime, as well as the increase in the Personal Allowance for individual taxpayers, the increase in the Green Fund Levy and the Business Levy, and the implementation of the Property Tax, all require legislative amendments.
The statement said that it was the intention of the Government to introduce the Finance Bill 2016 in the House of Representatives on Friday to give effect to these legislative amendments and/or to utilise the mechanism of Ministerial Orders, which would be subject to negative resolution of Parliament.
According to the ministry, the list of items that will be subject to VAT at the new rate will be published on January 8, 2016, which would give VAT-registered companies three weeks to make the necessary adjustments to the cost of their goods and services and to adjust their billing and reporting cycles.
“In this regard, the reduction in the rate of VAT to 12.5 per cent and the changes to the range of items that will be subject to VAT are now scheduled to take place on February 1, 2016,” according to the statement. It said that he requisite amendments to the Property Tax Act will be made at a later date.
The other taxation measures, namely the increase in the Personal Allowance from $60,000 to $72,000, the increases in the Green Fund Levy and Business Levy and the implementation of the Property Tax will be made effective from the beginning of 2016.
It should be noted that although the Finance Bill and the amendments to the Property Tax Act will be introduced in Parliament in January 2016, these latter taxes and measures, ie the adjustments to the Personal Allowance, Green Fund, Business Levy and Property Tax will be made effective from the beginning of 2016 because they are due and payable, and/or effective, on a quarterly or annual basis, as opposed to VAT, which is due and payable on a bi-monthly basis.
In the 2016-budget speech, Finance Minister Colm Imbert promised that changes to the tax structure, including a decrease of 2.5 per cent, would have been implemented on January 1.
He said that he proposed to increase the rate of contribution to the Green Fund from 0.1 per cent per quarter to 0.3 per cent per quarter and that measure would increase revenue by $544.5 million. and will take effect on January 1, 2016.
Imbert also told Parliament during the budget presentation that in order to spread the burden of adjustment across the society, he proposed to increase the Business Levy from 0.2 per cent per quarter to 0.6 per cent per quarter. This measure will increase revenue by $327.5 million.
The increases to the Green Fund and the Business Levy were both due to take effect from January 1, 2016. In his address to the nation last week Tuesday, Prime Minister Keith Rowley said that all ministries, departments and state enterprises would be required to adjust their operational expenditure by 7 per cent.
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text: Jul 10, 2019Port Elizabeth – The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber on Wednesday said that the go slow at Transnet’s Port of Ngqura, adjacent the Coega SEZ, is concerning. “We are deeply concerned about the go-slow which is taking place at the Port of Ngqura,” said Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber President, Dr Andrew Muir. “This is causing serious damage to our local economy through the inability of the port to handle imports and exports.”Dr Muir added that the automotive and agriculture industries in particular have been severely disrupted.”This lost business and cost may never be recovered and equally concerning, this is impacting upon downstream businesses as well as South Africa’s image as a reliable supplier to global export markets,” he said.”We call upon the relevant stakeholders to act in the best interests of the economy by urgently resolving the current situation and returning back to normal operations.”Follow more RNEWS articles, subscribe to our YouTube channel and for breaking news LIKE us on Facebook. For news on the Western Cape click here.For great savings on life’s little pleasures visit Bargain Buys! Know somebody who is getting married, Wedding and Function can assist. Have kids, then you need to visit Kids Connection. Enjoy food and travel, then visit Home Food and Travel. Need assistance with an online presence, visit Agency One.


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Earlier this year INVISTA announced its intention to shed the Apparel & Advanced Textiles business unit — one of four major divisions — and it finally found a buyer.
The producer of fibers and polymers reported on Oct. 28, that it has has entered into a definitive agreement with Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding to sell the business unit for an undisclosed sum in a deal expected to close in mid-2018.
The transaction includes:
- INVISTA’s portfolio of apparel-focused fibers and brands including LYCRA® fiber, LYCRA HyFit® fiber, COOLMAX® fiber, THERMOLITE® fiber and insulation, ELASPAN® fiber, SUPPLEX® fiber and TACTEL® fiber products
- TERATHANE® polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG), 1,4 butanediol (BDO), and tetrahydrofuran (THF) production
- Related manufacturing assets, research and development centers, and sales offices around the globe
- All associated technical, operations, commercial and administrative staff (approximately 3,000 employees globally)
“The Apparel business has always been a strategic and valued part of our portfolio,” said Jeff Gentry, INVISTA chairman and CEO. “We engaged the market because we want this business to be owned by the company that can create the greatest value for customers, employees and stockholders. In this case, we believe that Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding has the knowledge and capability that will enable this business to thrive the most and succeed over the long term.”
INVISTA will retain ownership of its nylon, polyester, polyols and licensing businesses and related brands. This includes INVISTA’s world-leading nylon 6,6 intermediates business, its global nylon polymer and fiber portfolio, and widely recognized brands including STAINMASTER® and ANTRON® carpet fibers and CORDURA® fabric. INVISTA will also retain its intellectual property rights for 1,4 butanediol (BDO), tetrahydrofuran (THF) and polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) technologies and will continue to license these technologies on a global basis.
“We look forward to intensifying our focus on the nylon value chain,” Gentry said. “For nearly 80 years, we’ve delivered innovations to the nylon industry, including the most advanced adiponitrile technology in the marketplace. We have talented people with decades of know-how and you can count on INVISTA to continue building on this heritage of leadership and innovation.”
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as exclusive financial advisor to INVISTA, and Jones Day is acting as INVISTA’s legal advisor on this transaction. J.P. Morgan is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding, and Latham & Watkins is acting as Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding’s legal advisor on this transaction. J.P. Morgan and Barclays are providing committed financing to affiliate(s) of Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding.


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The most well-known symbol of GS1, a global standards organization, is the barcode but GS1 is looking to improve the future of packaging in collaboration with 'EVRYTHNG.' on a "One Code on One product."
This new solution for multiple applications will contain a unique, POS-relevant product URL, supply chain and consumer apps. By improving the identifiers that appear on packaging, the scalable solution is set to leverage machine learning, the blockchain and the cloud for heightened personalization, such as dynamic pricing and incentives.
According to Niall Murphy, CEO and co-founder of EVRYTHNG., "once a product is digitally active it becomes a data-generating asset, the brand owner knows who has bought their product and they are doing with them." Additionally, the smart packaging boasts the ability to transmit data throughout its lifecycle, which can potentially improve data and insights, as well as customer engagement and retention.


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SHANGHAI, Apr 26 – How to look at the recent volatility in financial markets? The person in charge of the People's Bank of China (PBoC) said that they are concerned about the recent fluctuations in the financial market, which are mainly the result of investors' expectations and sentiments. At present, China's economic fundamentals are solid, and the economy has great potential for endogenous growth. Substantial progress has been made in preventing and resolving financial risks.
The financial system will closely follow the decision and deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, strive to reach a balance between the prevention and control of the pandemic as well as economic and social development, support the smooth operation of logistics and promote the stability of the supply chain of the industrial chain, and minimise the impact of the pandemic on economic and social development. In accordance with the principles like market-orientation, rule of law and international approach, the Bank will steadily push forward and complete the rectification of large platform companies as soon as possible to promote the healthy development of the platform economy.
The People's Bank of China will increase the support of stable monetary policy to the real economy, especially supporting industries severely affected by the pandemic as well as small and medium-sized enterprises and individual entrepreneurs, support agricultural production and energy to preserve and increase supply, and launch special refinancing loans for scientific and technological innovation and universal pensions. An additional 100 billion yuan of refinancing has been provided to support the development and use of coal and enhance energy storage, and additional refinancing is provided to support agriculture and small businesses and special refinancing for civil aviation. The goal is to maintain a reasonable abundance of liquidity, promote the healthy and stable development of the financial market and create a favourable monetary and financial environment.


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Oatly Inc. expects to begin operations at a new plant in Millville, New Jersey, later this month, according to Sara Fletcher, a spokeswoman for the Malmo, Sweden-based company. The factory will increase volume as much as tenfold.
The dairy alternative has seen shortages in the past year as baristas adopted it in upscale coffee shops, some of which couldn’t get a hold of products for weeks while others were on waiting lists. Last month, Starbucks Corp. began selling Elmhurst barista edition oat milk in five of its U.S. cafes.
“We’d buy as much of it as we were allowed to and there’d always be limits on it,” he said.
Read the full article here.


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India to hike import duties on smartphones, electronics, etc.: Report
India is reportedly considering a hike in import duties by 5-10% on smartphones, electronic components, and appliances among more than 50 items in the upcoming Union Budget. The move is aimed at furthering Prime Minister Narendra Modi's self-reliant India campaign, sources told Reuters. The Union Budget for the fiscal year 2021-22 will be presented on February 1. Here are more details.
Government targeting additional revenue of over Rs. 2 lakh crore
The central government is considering hiking import duties on over 50 items, Reuters reported citing three government sources, who chose to remain anonymous. One of the sources said the government was seeking to target additional revenue of about Rs. 2 lakh crore-Rs. 2.1 lakh crore ($2.7 billion-$2.8 billion). This would help shore up revenue as the economy has been struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Furniture, electronic vehicles could see hiked duties
According to Reuters, two of the sources said the duty hikes could impact furniture and electric vehicles, which could affect the business of Swedish furniture maker Ikea and American carmaker Tesla. Officials did not reveal the amount of hike on these items. Both firms have previously expressed concerns about the existing steep duties. Tesla is planning to launch its cars in India this year.
Duties on fridges, ACs to also be hiked
Other items on the list that are set to attract hiked import duties reportedly include appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners, three of the sources told the news agency. Finance Ministry officials did not immediately respond to Reuters' queries.
Parliament's Budget session to begin on January 29
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will unveil the government's annual Union Budget for FY2021-22 on February 1. The next fiscal begins on April 1. The first phase of the Parliament's Budget session begins on January 29 with President Ram Nath Kovind's address and end on February 15. The second phase will run from March 8 to April 8.


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When the car manufacturers are scratching their heads to turn the table. When they are desperately trying to change the murky picture of the global automobile market. Then the overall sale record of the Jaguar Land Rover has registered a considerable hike in the sale. The company has enhanced its sale and gave it a standard start at the beginning of the year. The company believes that the brand name and the reputation and has helped in enhancing the sale of the product during this bad patch. Almost all the segments starting from the small cars to commercial vehicle sales have shown a decline in this past one year. But Jaguar Landrover has shown a ray of hope for the entire automobile industry.
Experts believe the secret of their success lies within their product and under the garb of their excellent marketing policies which attracted millions of customer in these passing years. Jaguar sale has soared year after year because of their innovative designs and introduction of customer friendly policies and last but not the least by using one of the best engines for their deadly cars, which has always been the point of attraction for any customer.
The sale record of the Jaguar Landrover in Europe and U.S.A. has shown a steep rise. The UK market has ushered this car with open arms and has registered a huge sale. The car sale has increased by almost 15 percent in the UK. The Asian market has also shown a brighter picture. According to the statistics the Chinese market has shown a robust sale of Jaguars , Land rovers. The sale of Jaguar is up by 23 percent and the sale of Landrover is up by 13 percent.
In the North American the sale scenario is same. At this critical time when the entire automobile industry is striving for survival then this large SUV section car has done a remarkable job of showing a silver lining. In this North American market the sale of the Jaguar rose up to 35 percent and Land rovers shown a rise of 47 percent in its sale. In India the sale of these cars has also shown a standard rise of 29 percent.


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News : Cyara Announces Team Expansion and a New Datacenter and POP
June 21, 2016 Redwood City, CA -- Cyara Solutions Corp., provider of an omnichannel discovery, testing and monitoring platform which helps enterprises accelerate their delivery of customer experience at scale, announced that it has expanded its Canadian-based team and has set up a Point of Presence (POP) and datacenter in Canada.
"Canada is a significant market that deserves dedicated investment," said Bill Aston, General Manager and Vice President for Cyara. Aston points to recent studies that have shown Canadians are less likely to complain about poor customer service. This makes it even harder for Canadian companies to know what is working and what isn’t. Canadian consumers will just "quietly leave" instead of raising a fuss. This means that Canadian companies are "quietly losing" customers to competitors that offer better customer service.
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"Cyara has a track record of accelerating customer experience improvement and doing so at a lower cost and with a greater level of predictability," Aston said. Research shows that customer experience is THE game changer for many industries, including banking and financial services that are struggling to differentiate themselves. "We have added in-country Account Support, Professional Services and Engineering staff and have rounded out the investment now with a POP and datacenter in Canada."
"A POP enables us to generate phone calls for testing locally within Canada, which provides better quality than is possible by going across international borders," said Yogendra Segar, Manager, Cloud Operations for Cyara. The new POP gives Cyara multiple POPs in every region of the world. Cyara is able to emulate traffic patterns on a global basis in multiple languages, truly simulating real customer traffic.
Today's Tip of the Day - Learn Through Bad Experience
More Editorial From Cyara
Cyara Solutions is helping Fortune 500 companies around the world redefine their customer service through a better contact center experience. Cyara is a pioneer of next-generation premise and cloud-based solutions for simulating, testing and monitoring IVRs, voice biometrics, outbound dialers, voice callback and contact centers. Cyara performs automated load and functional testing and production monitoring of contact center infrastructure and application components, testing companies’ end-to-end contact center customer and agent experience in a repeatable, automated manner.
Published: Wednesday, June 22, 2016
NICE (NASDAQ: NICE), is a worldwide provider of intent-based solutions that capture and analyze interactions and transactions, realize intent, and extract and leverage insights to deliver impact in re...
Genex, part of the IPE Group UK, is an outsourcing provider of customer experience management and trusted by world’s leading brands. We achieve results through transforming our clients' businesses and...
Avaya is a recognized innovator, leading business communications for the digital age. Avaya delivers smart global solutions and technologies for customer and team engagement, unified communications an...
Zappix transforms the user journey during contact center interactions. The cloud-based Zappix Visual IVR On-Demand platform provides a full visual experience for customers, increasing self-service ...


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Chipotle is serious about upholding its Food With Integrity program. It’s so serious that on Tuesday, the fast food chain suspended a pork supplier for violating the company’s standards — leaving a third of its restaurants without pork.
Author: Gina-Marie Cheeseman
New York City is joining a slew of California cities that have banned foam packaging. Known as expanded polystyrene (EPS), foam packaging can’t be used by food service establishments, stores and manufacturers on and after July 1, 2015.
Waste Management is known for collecting trash. However, the company is making strides to reduce the amount of trash that ends up in landfills, as its 2014 sustainability report shows.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit this week against the Environmental Protection Agency challenging the EPA’s decision to allow the pesticide tetrachlovinphos (TCVP) to be used in pet flea control products.
Starbucks recently updated its animal welfare standards. They include phasing out sow gestation crates and cages for chickens, eliminating the use of artificial growth hormones, and eliminating the use of fast growing practices for poultry.
The Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) is serious about environmental stewardship, as its 16th annual sustainability report reveals. The multinational consumer goods company even met several environmental goals ahead of schedule.
Dow clearly knows that handwashing is an important thing for children to do. The company recently announced its affiliation with the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap (PPPHW) to promote the practice that can prevent diseases.
Children attending schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the largest school district in the nation, will soon be eating better meat.
Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company with nine brands, reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent from shipboard operations, a year ahead of its target.


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A new educational product for children is about to be launched by a Cornish start-up.
Spysquad is the inspiration of mother of two, Claire Randall (also known as Agent C), who previously worked as a counsellor prior to starting up this new venture.
Spysquad is an educational monthly ‘subscription box’ for children and is designed to empower future generations of curious and creative minds by providing fun activities that inspire a love of learning, instil social awareness and help promote strong and healthy personal growth.
Each month, ‘junior agents’ will receive a 32-page magazine where they learn skills related to being a secret agent – skills ranging from communication, secret writing and crpytography, to forensic science.
Also contained in the monthly subscription box are spy games and gadgets, toys and accessories all relating to that particular month’s theme.
Randall has high hopes for Spysquad. She said: “We have already been approached by people in the USA to purchase our box and we are excited that potentially this product has international appeal.
“We anticipate this to be a fantastic new company for the Cornish economy and we have plans to expand and develop a charitable side offering support to underprivileged children within the next 3-5 years.”


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By Kevin Rothbauer
That battle led to Schmeiser being one of the leaders in the struggle against genetically modified organisms, a subject he spoke about as the keynote lecturer at last weekend’s Seeds for Change Conference, presented by Cowichan Green Community.
“I think now we have more problems than we have answers for in Canada,” Schmeiser said about gene patent issues.
Because of GMOs, Schmeiser explained, such key Canadian cash crops as canola and flax can no longer be sold in the European Union.
“There is no pure canola left in Canada,” he said, adding that Europeans stopped buying Canadian flax in September of 2009. The European market previously purchased 80 per cent of Canada’s flax production.
Schmeiser shared the story of a variety of GMP flax developed at the University of Saskatchewan in 2001. All samples of the organism were ordered destroyed, but not before a scientist had delivered small packages of seeds to high schools in northern Saskatchewan, not telling the students they were planting a GMO.
There was a massive recall, but not all the seeds came back. The pollution of Canada’s flax crop by GMOs led to massive distrust in Europe.
“You can see the reputation we’re getting in the world with our products being contaminated by GMOs,” said Schmeiser.
Schmeiser also spoke about the “terminator gene,” which can be activated by a chemical of the manufacturer’s choice to render a seed sterile. Although plants with the gene are sterile, they can cross-pollinate with other plants, rendering them sterile as well.
“This is the greatest assault on life we’ve ever seen on this planet,” said Schmeiser, explaining that as a result, farmers would be forced to buy seed from a manufacturer year after year, rather than saving seed from previous crops.
Similar to the terminator gene is the “cheater gene,” which makes a plant unable to produce seed without having a certain chemical sprayed on it.
“This is what it’s all about with GMOs, is to get control of all the world’s seed and food supply,” said Schmeiser.
By creating GMOs, corporations are taking away the rights of both farmers and consumers, who can no longer be sure what is in their food.
Most countries in Europe require labelling of products containing GMOs, while Canada does not have such a requirement. Pregnant women and children, in particular, have been cautioned not to eat GMOs.
“If we had labeling in Canada, it would kill the GMO industry tomorrow,” said Schmeiser.
Schmeiser noted that GMOs are causing more chemicals to be used on crops, contaminating the environment, and causing the disappearance of heritage and indigenous seeds.
“What kind of a legacy would we be leaving?” he asked. “What we do today will affect not only us, but generations to come.”
When the first four GMO crops were introduced to Canada and the United States simultaneously in 1996, they were promoted as a way to improve yields and help end world hunger. This is not the case, said Schmeiser.
“We’re not able to feed a hungry world with GMO foods,” he said. “That takes an organic farmer, not the Monsantos of the world.”


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Gap continues to see sales plummet at its namesake stores and plans increased closings to trim under-performing locations from its roster.
Gap reported net sales of $3.71 billion in Q1, down 2% year-over-year. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.24 and same-store sales were down 4%, compared to a 1% increase in the prior year period.
Comparable sales by brand for the first quarter were: Old Navy Global: negative 1% versus positive 3% last year; Gap Global: negative 10% versus negative 4% last year; and Banana Republic Global: negative 3% versus positive 3% last year.
“This quarter was extremely challenging, and we are not at all satisfied with our results,” said Art Peck, president and chief executive officer, Gap Inc. “We are committed to improving our execution and performance this year. We remain confident in our plan to separate into two independently traded public companies in 2020, and we are focused on setting up both companies for long-term value creation and profitable growth.”
As part of the planned spin-off of Old Navy, Gap Inc. is examining its current brick-and-mortar portfolio and plans to significantly decrease its namesake Gap stores throughout the year.
In Q1 on a net basis, the retailer added nine Old Navy, Athleta and Banana Republic stores and acquired 140 Janie and Jack locations. At Gap brand, the retailer closed eight stores, ending the quarter with 3,335 company-operated stores. Gap Inc. added about 10 new store openings for the year at Old Navy and Athleta and now expects 30 net store closures for the year.
“Our aggressive store closure plan to rationalize the specialty fleet is on track, and we remain committed to quickly, thoughtfully and decisively eliminating stores that are underperforming,” said Peck. “It's through these tough actions that we set the stage for additional progress and for the rejuvenation of this brand.”
Rejuvenation means more than just trimming the fat, it means investing in the technology and infrastructure to meet ever-changing customer demand. Gap is committed to increasing it supply chain capabilities to ensure that product is where it needs to be, when it needs to be there.
“We remain focused on two key priorities, continuing to tap the profitable growth opportunities for Old Navy and Athleta retail footprint. And investing prudently in technology and supply chain initiatives that position all of our brands well for competitive differentiation,” said Gap Inc. EVP and CFO Teri List-Stoll.


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An Apple store in Paris (France) was the victim of a spectacular robbery on New Year’s Eve, the biggest theft done to one of the units of the American manufacturer of electronic products in France, according to the State Agency.
Around 10 pm local, armed men entered the store, located next to the Galeries Lafayette department store. According to the police, several products were stolen.
The French press reports that about $ 1.32 million worth of products were taken away by the assailants, but the police do not confirm the amount.
Apple did not comment on what happened. The store in Paris closed its doors on the 31st at around 5pm local time.Le FigaroHe said that only a security guard and a cleaning employee were in the store when the suspects entered through a service door. The assailants attacked the two employees who were slightly injured.


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It is getting to that time of year when we start to look forward to CES in the coming year. Before we go further, of course CES 2021 is going to be 'All-Digital' in January but touch wood for a return to the physical event in 2022. CES 2021 runs from Monday 11th to Thursday 14th January.
On Tuesday 12th January the AMD CEO, Dr Lisa Su, will step up to provide a keynote speech and presentation. Su will be presenting the AMD vision for the future of research, education, work, entertainment and gaming. However more important for tech enthusiasts it is hinted that "a portfolio of high-performance computing and graphics solutions," will be unveiled. To get an idea about what AMD might be unveiling one can look at a combination of the company's official roadmaps, its history, and recent leaks.
With the recent release of the first Zen 3 architecture processors focussed at the higher end of the desktop market one might expect this lineup to be extended downwards. Think about a Ryzen 5 5500X and lower, and even some new Ryzen 3 chips. Other Zen 3 enhanced processor ranges could be in the offing too; Mobile Ryzen processors, and Epyc workstation processors might get the Zen 3 treatment at CES 2021.
Considering GPUs, we have recently seen signs of an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT being prepared. Such a product could easily be launched alongside a non XT suffixed model, and who knows perhaps the Radeon RX 6600/XT cards too. Lastbut not least AMD could announce some RDNA2 GPUs for laptops.
As a reminder, last year AMD used CES to announce a similar array of new hardware and we reported upon the launch of the RX 5600XT graphics card, the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, and the Ryzen 4000 Series of mobile processors.
Other confirmed CES 2021 keynotes at the time of writing come from; The CTA (organisers of the event), General Motors, and Verizon.


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In addition to Gateway's decision to lay off 25% of its global work force and close some facilities, the ailing PC marketer will significantly pare marketing activities heading into the fourth quarter, typically the most important sales period after the back-to-school shopping spree. Gateway will scale back national mass-market spending to focus on its role as a local provider of technology products and services, a spokesman said. Gateway creates advertising in-house.
President of Ziff Davis Internet unit resigns
Wenda Millard resigned as president of Ziff Davis Internet, the online arm of Ziff Davis Media. Her resignation was announced to staffers Aug. 28, though Ms. Millard had informed acting CEO Avy Stein of her decision Aug. 23. Reached at her home, Ms. Millard, 47, told AdAge.com that "I was hired to build a new company," but that Ziff Davis' plans for a stand-alone Internet arm fell prey to the tech downturn. The current management of Ziff Davis Media told the company it wishes to reintegrate the Internet operation with the rest of the company's infrastructure.
Primedia sued for failing to convert stock options
A lawsuit filed in a California District Court accuses Primedia of failing to fulfill a promise to convert stock options in Primedia Internet ventures into standard Primedia stock. The class-action suit, filed on behalf of one Primedia employee, accuses the publisher of violating Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act statutes, as well as breach of contract and promissory fraud. A Primedia spokesman called the lawsuit "completely frivolous and baseless" and said the RICO allegations were "particularly infuriating" and had "no basis in law or fact." On Aug. 30, Primedia stock closed at $5.05, just above the all-time low of $4.58 it hit Aug. 23.
Martin/Williams lays off 22 people, 7% of staff
Martin/Williams, Minneapolis, on Aug. 30 laid off 22 people-or 7% of its staff-due to the faltering economy. The cuts come across all lines of business and staff levels. Agency President Steve Collins said most clients had reduced spending and executives had hoped new business would forestall layoffs, but that had not been possible. This is the second layoff for the Omnicom Group shop; in April, 18 people were laid off.
Standard Media files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Capping one of the wildest rides in magazine-publishing history, Standard Media International, the publisher of the Industry Standard, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a California Bankruptcy Court Aug. 27. The company claimed liabilities of $10.4 million to its 20 largest creditors, and that overall assets and debts were in the $10 million to $50 million range, according to published reports. The Industry Standard, which last year led all magazines by running 7,440 ad pages, ceased publication in August.
CEO Bible poised to exit Philip Morris next year
Philip Morris Cos. announced Aug. 29 that Chairman-CEO Geoffrey Bible will retire next August at age 65. The move was expected, and analysts believe the parent of Philip Morris USA and Miller Brewing Co. and main owner of Kraft Foods will appoint a successor from inside the company. Possible candidates include Chief Financial Officer Louis Camilleri and Michael Szymanczyk, president-CEO of the tobacco unit.
Adobe narrows review for $20 mil account
Adobe Systems, San Jose, Calif., maker of PhotoShop and Acrobat, is considering four agencies in the review for its $20 million advertising account. They are incumbent WPP Group's Y&R Advertising, Omnicom's Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and Havas Advertising's Black Rocket Euro RSCG, all San Francisco, and Interpublic's Deutsch, Los Angeles. Select Resources International, West Hollywood, Calif., is handling the review.
Pepsi-Cola taps Euro RSCG unit for Europe, Africa
PepsiCo's Pepsi-Cola International tapped Euro RSCG Marketing Services' KLP Euro RSCG, London, to handle its $13 million account in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. The agency will handle Pepsi, 7-Up and Mirinda in 44 countries. KLP Euro RSCG won the account after a review including incumbent Omnicom's Claydon Heeley Jones Mason and Billington Cartmell.
As expected, IBM Corp. on Aug. 28 said it consolidated direct and interactive marketing assignments at WPP's OgilvyOne and Wunderman, both New York (AA, Aug. 27). ... Dial Corp. announced it sold its specialty personal-care brands Sarah Michaels and Freeman Cosmetics to Hathi Group, a marketer of medical equipment and personal-care products. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ... Kraft Foods announced it bought Borden Foods Corp.'s It's Pasta Anytime! meal line, as expected (AA, Aug. 13). The year-old line of pasta and sauce single-serving meals will become part of Kraft's Cheese, Meals & Enhancers group, based in Glenview, Ill. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ... ING Americas, the U.S. unit of the Dutch financial-services company, awarded its $15 million creative account to Omnicom's DDB Worldwide, New York. The incumbent was Havas' Jordan McGrath Case & Partners.


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By Ben Smart, Special to CNN Wed July 29, 2015
(CNN)A typical visit to the doctor might leave you with a bottle of pills and instructions to take them twice daily.
But a small, growing number of physicians are “prescribing” foods not only for weight management, but also to prevent and treat chronic diseases.
CNN spoke with medical nutrition experts to unearth the specific foods they recommend. And you don’t have to be a chef or nutritionist to take advantage of these healthy choices.
While one food might be recommended as treatment for a specific ailment, it’s important to remember that a single food item doesn’t work in isolation, said Dr. Melina Jampolis, a board-certified physician nutrition specialist.
“True nutrition experts prefer to speak about dietary patterns or groups of foods, as nutrients in foods work in combination to improve certain conditions,” Jampolis said.
However, there are notable…
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November 8, 2017
Volume 17 Issue 52
Russian Lubes Through a Global Lens
MOSCOW – Russia’s lubricant market is expected to rebound after a period of stagnation in the country’s economy and low consumer spending, while stringent original equipment manufacturer demands and fierce competition will define global lubricants in coming years, RPI’s International Lubricants Conference heard here recently.
Russian gross domestic product may grow between 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent annually over the next few years, the World Bank estimates. Rosstat, the country’s governmental statistics agency, recorded 2 percent GDP growth in the first half of 2017.
“Usually, GDP growth fares well for lubricant production, and it is a good indicator that shows lube production in Russia could grow 2 percent in 2017,” said Kirill Vereta, general director of Intesmo, in opening remarks at the conference, held in Moscow last month.
Volgograd-based Intesmo, Russia’s largest grease maker, is a 75-25 joint venture between Lukoil, the country’s largest lube marketer, and state-owned Russian Railways. Intesmo operates a 30,000 tons per year grease plant at Lukoil’s Volgograd refinery.
Russian passenger car sales grew by 7 percent during the first half of this year, while commercial vehicle sales increased 44 percent, Vereta said, citing Autostat consultancy data.
“In the year’s first half, the country’s overall vehicle fleet increased by 300,000 units, reaching 50 million units total. The revival of the economy is good for overall sales. Experts emphasize our country’s potential for passenger car sale growth – Russia has 360 automobiles per 1,000 population, which is 40 percent lower than the average car ownership [rate] in Europe,” Vereta noted.
There are other favorable indicators for the rebound of Russian lubricant production.
“According to the long term government strategy for key industry sectors’ growth, the nation’s agricultural machinery production is expected to triple by 2030. By the same year, transportation machine-building is expected to grow 20 percent and machine tool manufacturing 30 percent. The construction/building share of the country’s GDP is poised to grow from the current 6 percent to 8 percent by 2030,” Vereta said, citing data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Globally, the industry is bracing itself for longer drain intervals called for by original equipment manufacturers, Vereta said.
Lubricant manufacturers in developing countries are facing challenges such as volatility in national currencies and exchange rates, and intensified competition on the global market, he added.
“In Russia and in other countries we are witnessing an aggressive price competition that can be destructive for many market players – [like the] fall of companies’ profits, weak finances for investments in modernization and new designs. All of this mostly affects the end-user,” Vereta contended, adding that product quality and highly professional services are necessary for every serious market player.
“Competition on the global market is increasing, while the quantity of brands is decreasing. [Lubricant] companies should use high technologies and introduce more innovative products and services if they want to be competitive and successful,” he asserted.


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International Wine Community Joins Together to Help with Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts
Novelty Hill is one of several Washington State wineries banding together with the international wine community to donate their best bottles and help Hurricane Sandy victims still reeling from the devastating impact of last fall’s unforgettable super storm.
Devine Intervention, an on-line auction organized by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) Wine Director and Master Sommelier John Ragan, opened yesterday and runs through April 7. There is no buyer’s premium and every penny of each lot goes directly to The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City’s Hurricane Sandy Relief and Recovery efforts.
“After Hurricane Sandy, the community of New York City restaurant employees worked hard to get our restaurants and our lives back to normal, but many of our fellow New Yorkers are still suffering from the aftermath of Sandy,” said USHG Wine Director John Ragan. “Although the storm may have since slipped out of the headlines, this is when many New Yorkers need our help the most.”
Solicited by invitation, approximately 250 lots will be donated by the community of sommeliers, restaurateurs, chefs, importers, distributors, and winemakers. The auction will include a one-of-a-kind selection of extraordinary wines from renowned producers including Champagne Krug, Giuseppe Quintarelli, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Armand Rousseau, Domaine Coche-Dury, Peter Michael Winery and many more.
Novelty Hill donated two six-bottle sets of Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003-2008, a vertical collection of 90+ rated wines. Both the 2003 and 2006 Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon were listed on Wine Spectator’s prestigious “Top 100” list. Veteran Columbia Valley winemaker Mike Januik made all six vintages.


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The compact Buick Envision SUV has been a smash hit for GM in China since its introduction last year. Its successful run continued to drive sales gains for GM in April. Image source:General Motors.
General Motors said on Thursday that its sales in China rose 7.5% in April, as GM was able to find solid sales growth with SUVs and premium cars while some rivals struggled.
Strong sales of SUVs and upscale modelsGM said that its SUV sales continued to shine. As a group, sales of the SUVs sold by GM and its joint ventures in China jumped 107% in April, led by two hit products -- the premium Buick Envision and the affordable Baojun 560. The entry-level Baojun brand also has had success with its 730 minivan. Baojun sales were up 56% year over year.
Sales at the premium Buick brand rose 56% over the year ago, led by the success of the Envision and the compact Excelle GT sedan, a close cousin of the U.S. market Buick Verano. One level up the luxury ladder, GM'sCadillac brand continued its slow-but-steady growth in China, with sales rising 13% as the first units of the new XT5 crossover SUV began to arrive at dealers.
The inexpensive-but-nice Baojun 560 SUV has been a big hit for GM in China. Image source: General Motors
"GM continues to grow in segments that are on top of customers' purchase lists," GM China chief Matt Tsien said in a statement. "We have more new vehicles on the way in the SUV, MPV and luxury segments to keep delivering to customers what they want and demand."
But not all of the news was good for GM in China in April, as Chevrolet sales slumped.
Pressure on the bowtie brandGM's mainstream Chevrolet brand came under significant pressure in April. Chevy sales were down 29% year over year, as mid-price brands appear to be coming under significant pressure in China's slowing market. The problem goes beyond Chevrolet: Ford's sales in China dropped 11% year over year in April. As in the U.S., Ford and Chevrolet are competing for many of the same customers in China.
GM's commercial-vehicle venture, Wuling, has also been under pressure as development in China has slowed significantly over the last year. Sales at Wuling, which makes small, inexpensive commercial vans widely used by tradespeople, were down 14% in April.
The upshot: Even as the market slows, GM's China business is doing wellGM and its joint ventures delivered a total of 277,979 vehicles in China last month, likely more than any other automaker doing business in the Middle Kingdom. Although giant archrival Volkswagen recently declared its intention to regain the China sales crown, the new SUVs and hybrids that will power VW's bid are still months or years away from market.
At least for now, that leaves GM in a position of leadership in China. As it showed in April, its product portfolio is broad enough to find good growth even when key segments of the new-vehicle market are under pressure. That should serve it well if and when the turbulence in China's market increases.
The article GM Gains Again in China as SUVs and Luxury Models Shine originally appeared on Fool.com.
John Rosevear owns shares of Ford and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Ford. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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