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Digital TV News: Red Bee Media
Videa to use Red Bee Media metadata in automated TV ad offering
Apr 24, 2019 – Red Bee Media has entered into an agreement with Videa. Videa's platform includes machine learning based TV ad forecasting algorithms. To optimize its algorithmic data services offering, Videa will include textual metadata from Red Bee Media.
News categories: Red Bee Media, Videa, Chris Stark SR, Brett Adamczyk, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, USA
Red Bee Media achieves 3.5 second latency for live OTT
Apr 11, 2019 – Red Bee Media has reached record low latency on their live OTT feed during NAB 2019 – reaching as low as 3.5 seconds, glass to glass which is faster than traditional broadcasting feeds. This accomplishment was achieved using commoditized cloud-based, open source standard technology, utilizing open internet connectivity only.
News categories: Red Bee Media, Steve Russell, Content Distribution, Digital TV, NABShow, Streaming, Worldwide
Zixi partners with Red Bee Media for video delivery over IP
Apr 3, 2019 – Zixi has announced a partnership with Red Bee Media to enable distribution of video content over IP to Red Bee Media's customers worldwide. Every year, Red Bee Media delivers more than 4-million hours of programming in more than 60-languages for over 500 TV channels.
News categories: Zixi, Red Bee Media, John Wastcoat, Kristian Langbridge, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Worldwide
Thirty-nine more companies join the SRT Alliance
Mar 21, 2019 – The SRT Alliance has announced that 39 more companies have recently endorsed the SRT protocol for low latency video streaming, including broadcast industry giants Imagine Communications, Net Insight, Red Bee Media and Telestream.
News categories: SRT Alliance, David Heppe, Steve Russell, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Media Player, NABShow, Streaming, Worldwide
Ericsson sells 51% of Media Solutions to One Equity Partners
Jan 31, 2018 – Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has concluded the review of strategic opportunities for its media business. Media Solutions has been sold to One Equity Partners, with Ericsson retaining 49% of the shares. Ericsson will continue to develop Red Bee Media themselves.
News categories: Ericsson, One Equity Partners, Börje Ekholm, Content Distribution, Digital TV, MandA, Middleware, Worldwide
SES and Red Bee Introduce Remote Recording Service via Satellite and Portable Devices
Sep 7, 2012 – SES (Paris;LuxX: SESG) and Red Bee Media have unveiled SatRecord, a satellite-based TV remote recording service which provides consumers with the flexibility of recording their favourite TV programme via connected devices from wherever they may be.
News categories: SES S.A, Red Bee Media, Apps, Digital TV, DVR, IBC2022, Middleware, Satellite, Set Top Box
Everything Everywhere enhances its mobile TV platform
Sep 7, 2011 – Everything Everywhere has announced changes to its mobile TV service to be introduced over the next 12 months. The changes are designed to enhance the mobile TV experience it provides its Orange and T-Mobile customers in the UK.
News categories: Red Bee Media, Everything Everywhere, Mobile, Smartphone, Streaming, Tablet, UK
TV Genius Brings Content Discovery to the Second Screen and Connected Home at IBC
Sep 7, 2011 – TV Genius has announced that it has developed partnerships with Netgem (Paris: NTG FP 7537; ETGM) and Marmalade. These new partnerships will enhance consumers' content discovery experience across different devices and into the connected home.
News categories: Netgem, TV Genius, Marmalade, Apps, IBC2022, IPTV, Middleware, Set Top Box, Smartphone, Streaming
Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem Unveils UltraViolet™ Brand
Jul 20, 2010 – The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) has announced its consumer brand - UltraViolet™ - and logo. In addition, the consortium announced three additional new members bringing the total to nearly 60 member companies.
News categories: Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, UltraViolet, Cable TV, Content Protection, Digital TV, DRM, Gaming, IPTV, Media Player, Middleware, Mobile, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming
- J:COM deploys Qwilt Open Caching solution
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- Sale of Millicom to Apollo Global Management and Claure Group in discussion
- Comcast cable video subscribers down 2.034 million in 2022
- Disney strikes streaming measurement deal with EDO
- ITV increases investment in InfoSum
- German study shows high losses from TV piracy
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- Prime Video and DAZN sign global distribution partnership
- CIMM, 4A's and TVB looking at action plan for U.S. local TV measurement
- U.S. TV viewing remained high in December


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How to Unlock iOS 6.0.2 on iPhone 5 BaseBand 01.01.00 ? It is great that Apple payed attention on bugs in iOS 6.0.1 and decided to release iOS 6.0.2...Read more
Březen How to play Facebook Messenger's secret basketball game ( Jak hrát na facebooku basketball chaleng)
On Thursday, Facebook released an update to its iOS Messenger app...
Srpen Jak ochránit váš windows 10 - How to protect your windows 10
CZ – Mnoho lidí jist ví jak je postavený windows 10...
Červenec Jak získat nové Windows 10? (návod) - How to get new Windows 10? (instructions)
Červen We can now Jailbreak iOS 8.3 with Taig Team!
We have new news for all users who want to jailbreak their iPhone or iPad with iOS version 8.3...
Duben iOS 8.4 jailbreak was done!
iOS 8.4 jailbreak was done!
UPDATE: i0n1c has published a proof that has access to the iOS 8...

domain: news


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Recent research from Ernst & Young has revealed that British smokers are switching to vaping in huge numbers. Results show that since 2013, one Briton has made the switch from smoking to vaping every four minutes, meaning 4.2% of the British public are now vapers. This means that British smokers are switching to vaping faster than anyone else in Europe, followed by France where 3% of the population use e-cigarettes.
With 2 million Britons now using e-cigarettes, it’s remarkable to think how many lives have been changed thanks to the birth and growth of vaping and we look forward to seeing e-cigarettes continue to both improve and save lives. These stats seem even more amazing due to the bad press that e-cigarettes receive in the media.
Kingsley Wheaton, managing director for Next Generation Products, at British American Tobacco has stated that:
“The UK has one of the most progressive regulatory environments for e-cigarettes and that’s reflected in consumer uptake and category growth.
The UK government has created an environment which enables consumers to be informed about the products, have access to them and allows manufacturers to innovate and provide quality vaping products.”
This statement seems overly generous considering the TRPR that is present in the UK, however the strong support from leading vaping advocates and health professionals has certainly had a huge contribution to the growth of vaping in Britain. We hope to see other countries in Europe help to convert many more smokers to vapers by encouraging a public health orientated initiative.
What do you think the reasons for Britain’s impressive conversion rate of smokers to vapers are? Let us know in the comments below.


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Malls and restaurants in Noida and Ghaziabad will open with limited capacity starting Monday, as part of un-lockdown measures. With Covid cases dipping in Uttar Pradesh, the state government last week had decided to announce more relaxations. However, weekend lockdown will continue in the state.
Noida reported 10 Covid cases on Sunday, with the tally of active cases coming down to 137. Ghaziabad, in the last 24 hours, reported 4 cases, with 83 active cases across the district.
According to the guidelines, restaurants will be allowed to function with 50% capacity between Monday and Friday. Eating joints are supposed to put ‘do not sit’ markings on seats that are supposed to be left vacant, the order states.
Shopping malls have been instructed to have pulse oximeters and thermal screening at the entrance, while a Covid helpdesk needs to be set up on the premises. Mall authorities have been tasked to ensure less crowding in shops and common areas. All establishments will be allowed to function between 7 am and 9 pm on weekdays.
As per the latest orders, zoos and archaeological sites will also be allowed to open as per their usual timings.
The administration and police will carry out surprise inspections to check crowding and violation of Covid protocols. In case a district reports more than 500 active cases, all relaxations will be taken back and a lockdown will be placed again, said the orders.
The opening up of restaurants has come as a massive relief since these businesses have been relying on delivery and takeaways as their primary source of revenue. With establishments having already opened in other parts of NCR, the associations believe that relaxations will only increase in the times to come if protocols are followed.
“We welcome the move because the restaurant industry has been really struggling, and UP is no exception. It can be said that limited timing does hamper operations because most people prefer to reach restaurants a little later in the evening. But it will only get better from here because some revenue will trickle. The restaurants will try their best to maintain distancing and regulations so that full capacity seating will be allowed,” said Anurag Katriar, president of National Restaurant Association of India.
While markets had already been allowed in the previous orders, malls will be opening doors for the first time in three months. Mall authorities are not expecting a higher footfall in the days ahead, but they say that with increased vaccination crowds are set to increase by next month.
“Footfall will increase eventually. Delhi malls have been operating between 30-40% of the crowd, and it will take some time to increase that figure. As holidays and festivals approach, more people will venture out to malls. Many malls in Noida and Ghaziabad are using Aarogya Setu app and other measures to ensure checking and social distancing. The un-lockdown is an important step for shopping complexes,” said Amit Lokatia, CEO of Park +, which provides social distancing solutions to GIP and Pacific Mall in Ghaziabad.


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NEW YORK (KGO) -- Wallets containing money are far more likely to be returned, according to a new global study.
Researchers with the University of Michigan and the University of Zurich planted more than 17,000 "lost wallets" throughout 355 cities in 40 countries, sending a team of research assistants dressed as locals to return the wallets at nearby establishments, including banks, theaters, museums, post offices, hotels and police stations.
Each wallet, a clear business card case, was filled with three business cards containing the name, email and address of the supposed owner. The owner was made to look like a local who worked or lived in the area. Researchers then tracked whether employees in each business given a wallet would actually return it to the rightful owner.
Surprisingly, the presence of money in the wallet had a drastic effect on return rates. Wallets containing money were more likely to be returned, and the more cash the better.
On average, 40 percent of people returned a wallet with no money. That number jumped to 51 percent when the wallet contained the equivalent of $13 in local currency. When researchers added $94 to the wallets, 72 percent of people made a return.
Social scientists argue that people don't like to see themselves as thieves, and when a wallet contains money, especially a significant amount, a person is forced to question their own character and sense of morality.
The trend showed up in every nation, although the actual numbers varied.
Switzerland led the study with a 79 percent return rate for wallets with cash. The United States fell in the middle with a 57 percent return rate, while China had the lowest return rate of all the countries studied, at just 22 percent.
Some critics say a real-world scenario involving wallets on a sidewalk may yield different results, as employees at their place of work are more likely to make the ethical choice.
Overall, professors at Duke University and the University of Massachusetts say the results fit with previous studies on dishonesty and supports the idea that people care about each other, and about being honest.


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Anyone who’s ever had a blood pressure test will know that it normally involves an inflatable cuff that squeezes your arm until it cuts off circulation, then gradually deflates it, measuring the point at which circulation first resumes and then returns to normal.
The best 4K & 5K displays for Mac
A new report from Bloomberg goes into detail about how relations between Apple and Qualcomm soured so quickly, after years of collaboration, featuring quotes from Qualcomm executives and excerpts from a new interview with Apple SVP Bruce Sewell.
Sewell points out that the Qualcomm modem inside an iPhone costs Apple about $18. In addition, Apple has to pay 5 percent of the phone’s sale price. It is that royalty that Apple deems exorbitant and unfair.
HomePod uses spatial awareness to sense its location in a room and automatically adjust the audio. [This] automatic room-sensing technology allows HomePod to quickly learn its position in a room, whether it’s in a corner, on a table or in a bookshelf, and within seconds, is perfectly optimized to deliver an immersive music listening experience wherever it is placed.
This is a more efficient version of a semi-manual audio adjustment process used by other high-end speaker systems like Sonos and Naim. But a new Apple patent application published today suggests that future versions may go further …
Apple patents easy way to get a lost iPhone back to its owner
Find My iPhone is a great feature to have if you’ve ever realised you’ve misplaced your iPhone. You can not only track the device, but also post a message on the Lock screen asking a finder to contact you …
Apple patent describes using backlight to strobe to music, and to act as safety light for runners
An Apple patent filed back in May and published today describes how an iDevice backlight could serve as a strobe light. Apple gives a couple of examples of how this might be used …
Yet another patent shows Apple Pencil being used with an iPhone, smaller Pencil too?
Almost a year ago, a comment by Tim Cook suggested that he had experienced using an Apple Pencil on an iPhone.
If you’ve ever seen what can be created with that pencil on an iPad or an iPhone, it’s really unbelievable.
Patently Apple later spotted a series of patents describing just this, and two more have been published today …
The electronic device uses one or more of the camera and the proximity sensor to emit light into a body part of a user touching a surface of the electronic device and one or more of the camera, the ambient light sensor, and the proximity sensor to receive at least part of the emitted light reflected by the body part of the user. The electronic device computes health data of the user based upon sensor data regarding the received light.
It also considers using additional sensors mounted in the same area for further health measurements …
Nokia has disclosed that Apple made a $2 billion cash payment last quarter as part of the deal to settle patent disputes between the companies. Specific details of the settlement were previously not reported. Nokia has also revealed more information about how Apple and Nokia will work together going forward.
A Florida-based digital video company is suing Apple over a Siri feature of the fourth-generation Apple TV. The company, CustomPlay, says that it originally created the Apple TV and Siri feature that allows users to ask “what did he say?” to rewind and rewatch a short section of the video.
Rumors that Apple is working on augmented reality glasses have been growing for some time, and a patent application published today shows how the same approach might be adapted to both a smartphone screen and smart glasses. It also describes how the two devices might be used in tandem.
This embodiment is particularly useful when using a head-mounted display comprising the camera and the screen. For example, the head-mounted display is a video-see-through head-mounted display (HMD). It is typically not possible for the user to touch the head-mounted screen in a manner like a touchscreen. However, the camera that captures an image of the real environment may also be used to detect image positions of the user’s finger in the image. The image positions of the user’s finger could be equivalent to touching points touched by the user’s finger on the touchscreen …
Apple today has been ordered by a U.S. judge to pay $507 million in damages to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s patent licensing arm for patent infringement. The ruling comes after the case’s jury ruled Apple owed $234 million, making the judge’s decision nearly double that of the jury (via Reuters).
Apple today has been granted a handful of new patents, some of which are more notable than others. Such patents include one for an iPhone “smart dock” with Siri built-in, a new 911 calling method, and more.
We’ve been hearing a lot about the 3D camera system in the iPhone 8 being capable of facial recognition to allow automatic login without Touch ID or passcode. A new patent application published today suggests that Apple also wants to bring this capability to future Macs.
But Apple has more in mind that just a simple unlock function …
Apple has today been granted a patent for augmented reality apps for interior design and animated movie posters. The patent award comes the day after we learned more about plans for an AR app in partnership with Swedish furniture company Ikea.
A series of apparent iPhone 8 leaks still haven’t answered one of the biggest questions about this year’s flagship iPhone: will the fingerprint sensor be embedded into the display?
We know that Apple has numerous patents for this type of embedded fingerprint technology, and it also appears clear that the display will occupy almost the entire front face of the device, but some claimed leaks do show a fingerprint sensor on the back of the case. I’ve discussed a third option, where a Touch Bar element appears to be part of the display, and a patent published today raises a fourth possibility …
Apple is no stranger to lawsuits from patent trolls, having been a target numerous times in the past. Now, the company has been hit with a trio of patent infringement lawsuits from Uniloc, a non-practicing entity who has filed the suits in the patent troll-friendly Eastern Texas District Court. Uniloc alleges that Apple infringes upon its patents with AirPlay, autodial, and battery charging…


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Reported by: banking|Updated: August 3, 2016
The union cabinet has in July 2016 approved most of the recommendations of report of the 7th Central Pay Commission. It has ratified a 16% hike in pay and 24% increase in pensions, to be effective from January 2016. Increase in pay outs is expected to provide an immediate boost to discretionary consumption as well as savings.
R.C. Lodha, Executive Director at Central Bank of India, says that the implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations will benefit around 4.7 million central government employees (including defence and railways) and 5.2 million pensioners. It will provide payout of Rs1 trillion approximately, which will increase the disposable income in the hands of employees, leading to spending on automobiles, consumer products, housing, etc. He expects the increase in the bank’s retail credit by Rs 35-40 billion. As regards inflation, it may go up by 1% and GDP growth will touch to 8%.
Customers having high disposable income tend to spend more on things to upgrade the status. Thus, there will be increase in the demand of premium products. The major industries likely to benefit from this is automobile (Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda, Bajaj etc), and in respect of consumer goods it will be Godrej, Whirlpool, LG and other prominent brands. Similarly, the demand for housing is likely to go up. The ancillary industries of automobiles, consumer goods, housing sector are also likely to see good growth on account of this demand, says Lodha.
The average Indian household’s tendency is to funnel its savings into physical assets – gold and real estate. Physical assets accounted for more than two thirds of household savings in 2012-13, up from 48% 5 years prior to that. The trend is changing as households return to financial savings. As long as financial assets continue to hold the promise of higher yields, savers would move away from physical assets. The financial assets of the household sector during 2014-15 in bank deposits are Rs5792 bn out of total financial assets of Rs12,356 bn. The total amount of financial savings made by households was Rs8194 billion in 2014, this is an increase of 18% compared to financial savings of 2013. Household savings is expected to be around 5-7% up. Lodha expect that around Rs300 billion will be parked in banks, of which, the he expects Central Bank to mobilize around Rs 20 billion during this year out of implementation of 7th Pay Commission.


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2019 VOLVO S60
The new 2019 Volvo S60 in Canada
November 19 2018, John Scotti Volvo
Following the launch in February 2018 of the new 2019 Volvo V60, the Swedish manufacturer will unveil its second new model of the year soon: the 2019 Volvo S60.
The 2019 Volvo S60 will be presented in the summer of 2018
This new 2019 Volvo S60 will be in front of the cameras at the end of the summer, and there is no doubt that the eyes of the automotive world will once again be on this Swedish latest generation sports sedan.
Pictures of the new 2019 Volvo S60
Shortly after the unveiling of the 2019 V60, Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson posted a photo of the new 2019 Volvo S60 on his Twitter account. Taken during a test, it is hidden behind a camouflage covering the car.
"Winter testing of new Volvo S60 in Lofoten Norway.
Passionate product owner Magnus Olsson very satisfied with results. Car will be built
in new factory in South Carolina later this year"
The front of the 2019 Volvo V60
Even with this color which does not allow to distinguish precisely the shapes of this 2019 S60, we notice that the front is the same as that of its siebeling the V60. Thör's hammer-shaped LED front lights also stop before the grille, unlike the 2018 Volvo XC60.
For the rest, there should be many similarities with the 2018 Volvo S90.
The 2019 Volvo S60 Plug-in Hybrid
It's no surprise to anyone, this 2019 Volvo S60 should be offered with a plug-in hybrid or 100% electric engine. According to the V60's engine options, it should offer the powerful T8 engine and Volvo's new T6 Twin Engine.
The price of the 2019 Volvo S60
To know the price in Canada of this 2019 Volvo S60, it will surely be necessary to wait until the end of the year 2018 or during its official presentation.
Release date in Canada
The arrival date at your John Scotti Volvo dealership in Montreal should be early in 2019, according to the latest information. All this remains to be confirmed.


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Coca-Cola Enterprises—which produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola products in Western Europe—has announced two new initiatives aimed at improving recycling behavior and infrastructure, as part of its journey to becoming a low-carbon, zero-waste business. CCE's sustainability plan commits it to setting the standard for sustainable packaging, achieving zero waste in its own operations and recycling more packaging than it uses.
CCE is establishing a new joint venture in France with PET recycler APPE to boost the capacity of its plastics reprocessing facility by 70 percent. This will recycle 20,000 additional tons of plastic into food-grade packaging per year. CCE is also funding a unique research partnership to explore how consumer behavior change strategies can improve at-home recycling rates in Great Britain and France, ensuring more bottles enter the recycling stream.
Recycling rates in Great Britain and France remain below most other European countries, despite growing awareness of environmental concerns among consumers. Only approximately half of plastic bottles are collected for recycling in these countries; as a result, manufacturers face restrictions in the supply of locally available recycled PET.
"Our goal to lead our industry in sustainable packaging and recycling means we must support and promote improvements throughout our value chain," says John Brock, chairman/CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises. "These initiatives aim to address two of our biggest challenges in this area—improving recycling rates by influencing consumer behavior at home and meeting the increasing demand for recycled PET through investments in strategic infrastructure projects."
While consumers express strong beliefs related to recycling, at-home recycling rates do not reflect their intent. 79 percent of consumers polled at the 2012 Olympics Games claimed to always recycle plastic bottles at home, yet national data shows that recycling rates are much lower.
The research program will seek to define interventions which can overcome this gap between belief and behavior. It will be delivered in partnership with the University of Exeter and will be based upon in-depth, ethnographic research with households in Great Britain and France over a 10-month period.
Dr Stewart Barr, associate professor of geography at the University of Exeter, says: "Our approach will be to work intensively with households to understand how recycling and waste behaviors have developed and how the dynamics within family units influence such everyday practices. In this way, we will work alongside households to co-create strategies to embed sustainable recycling patterns in the future. This project will provide valuable knowledge for a wide range of businesses seeking to influence environmental behaviors, as well as government and NGOs."
The scope of the research project will be developed in partnership with CCE's stakeholders, through a Collaboration Forum being held today in central London for the sustainability community, industry partners, customers and suppliers. A webcast of the Collaboration Forum can be viewed at www.cokecce.com.
CCE's investments in strategic infrastructure partnerships seek to ensure a holistic approach to the recycling challenge. CCE will invest €6.5m to establish a new joint venture in France with leading PET recycler APPE. The JV will invest in a new line at APPE's existing recycling facility in Beaune, France, and fund the trial and introduction of state-of-the-art technology, enabling more efficient recycling.
This follows the opening of Continuum Recycling earlier this year in Great Britain, a joint venture between CCE and ECOPlastics which created the largest plastics reprocessing facility in Europe. Continuum Recycling will double the amount of recycled PET available in the British market. It enabled Coca-Cola to recycle all plastic bottles collected at 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues and have them back on shelves as new bottles within six weeks.
 GB Recoup, FR Eco-Emballage
 Nielsen, 2012
Source: Coca-Cola Enterprises


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Hit Starbucks (SBUX) Q3 2021 Revenue
Kevin Johnson, CEO, Starbucks
Scott Mlyn | CNBC
Starbucks reported rising cold beverage sales in the United States on Tuesday, which fueled a blow to profits and sales for the company.
But the company also warned of a slower recovery in China, its second largest market. It lowered its full-year forecast for the country’s top-line growth in the same business, despite raising its overall outlook for fiscal 2021 earnings per share.
The stock fell 3.4% in extended trading after hitting a 52-week high before the market closed.
Here’s what the company said, relative to Wall Street expectations, based on an analyst survey by Refinitiv:
- Earnings per share: USD 1.01 adjusted vs. 78 cents expected
- Revenue: Expected $ 7.5 billion versus $ 7.29 billion
The coffee giant reported net income of $ 1.15 billion, or 97 cents per share, for the third quarter, compared to a net loss of $ 678.4 million, or 58 cents per share, last year.
Excluding restructuring charges and other items, Starbucks earned $ 1.01 per share, beating the 78 cents per share expected by analysts surveyed by Refinitiv.
Net sales rose 78% to $ 7.5 billion, beating expectations of $ 7.29 billion. Worldwide sales in the same store increased by 73%. A year ago, the company’s global sales in the same store plummeted 40% in the quarter as the global pandemic led to lockdowns in some regions.
In the United States, Starbucks’ largest market, sales in the same store increased 83%. On a 2 year basis, sales in the same store in the market increased 10%. Almost three quarters of the company’s beverage sales came from cold beverages such as Nitro Cold Brew. More than half of all sales were from members of the loyalty program.
Outside the US, Starbucks sales in the same store increased 41%, driven by customer traffic growth of 55%. Executives said the virus resurgence in Japan that led to the declaration of a state of emergency affected traffic there during the quarter. China saw sales growth in the same business of 19%. A year ago, the country’s sales in the same store were down 19%.
“The health of our business in China is strong and we have never been more confident about long-term growth opportunities,” CEO Kevin Johnson told analysts.
For fiscal 2021, the company has raised its earnings per share to a range of $ 2.97 to $ 3.02 from its previous range of $ 2.65 to $ 2.75. On an adjusted basis, the company expects earnings per share of $ 3.20 to $ 3.25, up from the previous range of $ 2.90 to $ 3. The fiscal year this year includes a 53rd week that is expected to add 10 cents to the company’s earnings per share.
Starbucks has also narrowed its outlook for global revenue growth in the same business for the full year. It is now expected that this metric will increase by 20-21% compared to a previous range of 18-23%.
The company also forecast a slowdown in sales in the same store in China, where it had previously forecast 27% to 32% growth. Now, however, it is forecasting sales growth in the same store of 18% to 20%. For the next quarter, flat sales in the same business are expected for the country.
In the US, Starbucks now expects sales growth of 21-22% for cafes that are open for at least 13 months, at the high end of its previous range of 17-22%.
Read the full results report here.


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The new Christmas Tsum Tsum collection and Tsum Tsum wreath were released earlier today in Japan. The Christmas Wreath Tsum Tsum set includes: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Chip and Dale, while the new Christmas Tsum Tsum collection includes Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Pluto, Goofy, Chip and Dale all dressed up in their Christmas outfits. The Christmas collection and the Wreath Tsum Tsums are different. Disney also released a series of Christmas Tsum Tsum Keychains at Disney Stores in Japan earlier today. Below are a few photos of the new Chrismtas Tsum Tsums courtesy of DisneyTsumTsum.com friend Jenn Brunning and we’ve also included the official previews of the new Tsum Tsums.
Christmas Tsum Tsum Collection Official Previews


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On Tuesday night, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) ended the midnight-4am curfew in Kanchanaburi; Ratchaburi; Phetchaburi’s Muang, Khao Yoi, Nong Ya Plong, Tha Yang, Ban Lat, Ban Laem and Kang Krachan districts; Rayong; Chanthaburi; Trat’s Muang, Khao Saming, Bo Rai, Laem Ngop, Khlong Yai and Koh Kut districts; Nakhon Phanom; Sakon Nakhon; Roi Et; Loei; Surin; Tak; Sukhothai; Mae Hong Son; Uttaradit; Phrae; Nan; Songkhla’s Muang and Sadao districts; Trang; and Satun.
Earlier, the junta lifted the curfew in the resort areas of Pattaya, Koh Samui, Phuket, Cha-am, Hua Hin, Krabi and Phangnga.
Tanongsak Somwong, president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, said the island’s tourism environment had improved since the curfew ended. The trend bodes well for the months of July and August, a high season for Samui.
Advance bookings for July and August are about 60%, and hotels on the island say bookings should gradually increase, as many tourists prefer to book 14-21 days in advance. Mr Tanongsak said his group was confident the average occupancy rate in Koh Samui’s high season would be close to 90% like in 2013.
“We’ll miss the double-digit tourism growth projection this year due to the impact from political problems,” he said. “But we’re still confident we can see growth of at least 8%, and tourist visits to Samui will reach 1,836,000 this year.”
While the NCPO has lifted the curfew in most tourism areas, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are still subject to it.
“I think hoteliers understand the current situation and the curfew. Safety is their main concern,” said Surapong Techaruvichit, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), which expects tourist confidence in Thailand to be restored shortly.
Online bookings have shown a positive trend since the curfew’s removal, but bookings through travel agents remain unhealthy. Bookings this month should come in at 35-45% nationwide, according to the THA, down from 50-60% during normal times.
La-iad Bungsrithong, president of the THA’s northern chapter, said the curfew had cut occupancy in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to 35-40%, down from 65% usually.


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Only in New York.
A new residential building in Soho is selling its 10 underground parking spots for $1 million a pop, The New York Times reports.
Even for Manhattan, the price is astronomical. According to the Times, residential parking spots run an average of $136,052, or about an eighth the cost of the spots at 42 Crosby Street.
But with the condos selling for $8.7 million to $25 million, maybe a million for parking isn't out of the question.
"We’re looking at setting the benchmark," Shaun Osher, the founder and chief executive of the brokerage firm which is handling the sales and marketing at 42 Crosby, told the Times. "In real estate, location defines value and parking is no exception to that rule."
According to the Times, residents would be shelling out between $5,000 and $6,666 per square foot for the parking spots, in comparison to about $3,150 per square foot for their actual apartment.
Owners will essentially have the parking spot for life (or 99 years), but would have to sell if they ever moved out of the Annabelle Selldorf-designed building.


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The United States Trade and Development Agency is apparently a big believer in intermodal transportation – so much so that it is granting a Latin American logistics firm $750,000 to plan the construction of a $52.1-million intermodal terminal in Toluca, Mexico.
The grant is going to Grupo Transportacion Maritima Mexicana (TMM), a Latin American transportation and logistics company that controls an interest in TFM, one of Mexico’s largest railways. TMM wants to build a large intermodal rail erminal to integrate an automotive ramp for loading and unloading unfinished automobiles, an intermodal ramp for container and trailer movements, a cross dock and coil steel facilities.
Operations of the first phase of the terminal are scheduled to begin in August 2002, TMM said. TMM added that this terminal at Toluca will generate an estimated $100 million in potential services and equipment exports from the U.S. to Mexico, of which approximately $85 million corresponds to additional rail freight movement.
"Considering the potential demand for intermodal transportation of auto parts, we estimate that in its first year of operations, the terminal will handle over 16,250 imported containers from the U.S. into Mexico with an estimated value of $1 billion," said Jose Serrano, chairman & CEO of TMM and TFM.


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Nissan’s domination of the crossover market will move up a gear at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show when the New Juke will be revealed for the first time.
Today Nissan reveals the first teaser image of the latest version of its premium B-segment crossover, a car which has triggered one of the most talked-about trends for a generation.
Promising even more striking design, improved efficiency and enhanced refinement, New Juke will be one of the stars of the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show when it is revealed for the first time on 4th March 2014.
Building up to the unveil moment, Nissan fans will be able to interact with Nissan on social media to ‘earn’ an ever clearer glimpse of the exciting new crossover. Starting today, an obscured image of the New Juke will be shown on a variety of social channels where over the coming days and weeks the image will become clearer to define some of the Nissan’s new design cues.


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Jessika Power gives fans glimpse at huge monthly spending after OnlyFans success
Married At First Sight star Jessika Power has given fans a sneak peek of her impressive monthly spending over the last year.
The pretty blonde reality star joined in the latest TikTok trend where users of the app reveal their outgoing cashflow from the past 12 months.
She took to the app to create a video where she shared screenshots of her bank account and revealed her love of splashing her hard-earned cash.
Jessika wowed her followers as she proved she had spent a huge $106,907.52 in November.
Having splashed out a yearly total of $388,994.32 she also dropped $22,418.83 in March, spent $57,341.71 in September and forked out $74,529.61 in October.
Her lowest spend of the year was $6,795.46 in August – when she was locked away on Big Brother VIP.
After a backlash from some viewers of the clip she reposted it to her Instagram page and wrote: “Funny money, living my best life. Not bragging, it’s a TikTok trend, calm down.
“I’ve also worked hard to get where I am. I appreciate everyone doesn’t get that.
“I also am very humble with my money and give a lot of it away. Especially to my followers, including my 10,000 Christmas giveaway.”
Earlier this month Jessika confessed she had signed up to Only Fans and begun selling adult-themed content to her subscribers in August.
She claims to have made a whopping $280,000 in just four months.
Speaking to KIIS 106.5 she said: “The amount of money I’ve earned is just ridiculous. I’ve only been on it since August.
“It’s well past $200,000. You’ve got to pay tax on it. The more money you get the more boring it gets, because then it’s like, you have to get a financial advisor, a really good tax agent.
"I’ve said since day one, whatever I do is what I feel comfortable in, it’s literally what I feel good doing."
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In the wake of a major food crisis in the United Kingdom and Europe, suppliers say the demand for horse meat has risen sharply. The scandal involved products labeled as beef which actually contained horse, and it seems consumers are curious to try correctly-labeled horse meat, according to a report by The Horse.
In France, where consuming the meat is not considered taboo, butchers say they saw a spike in interest as the scandal broke but business has leveled off, likely indicating that adventurous diners have returned to their old habits.
In the United Kingdom however, people have been requesting horse meat at their butcher and in their restaurants.
Paul Webb, spokesperson for ExoticMeats.co.uk said that the website is operating at a 100 percent increase in demand compared to before the scandal. Pubs and restaurants, including many outside London, are selling out each time horse meat is offered on their menus.
Read more at The Horse
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Copyright © 2018 Paulick Report.


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Why it’s bad news that Google Chrome starts blocking ads
As of this Thursday, today, Chrome starts blocking advertising . The Google browser writes one more page of its history surrounded by controversy and a clear accusation: wanting to be judge and party . The debate is served.
We met their plans in April, through information leaked to The Wall Street Journal . A company that gets much of its income from advertising, which has a huge global ad network that gets millions and millions of dollars, paradoxically seems to throw stones on their own roof. But he does not. Their intentions go in other directions, as much with respect to the history that counts as to the one that underlies.
In July, Canary version of the browser through, we could know roughly how the integrated blocker would work . The company was going to focus on preventing the display of ads that it considers annoying , advertising that does not meet the standards of the Coalition for Better Ads , an external organization -presumably- that establishes good practices for the industry.
Ads that reproduce video with sound automatically, those that occupy a large part of the screen, the famous pop-ups or those that force your viewing by jumping with a countdown, among others, will be blocked .
However, those responsible for the popular blocker Adblock Plus ensured that the system designed for Chrome will only eliminate 17% of the banners . Axios , citing internal sources from Mountain View, pointed out that Google’s browser will barely block 1% of advertising . Because the goal, they explain in his blog , is “to improve the experience for all the users of the web” .
Judge and part twice: The Coalition for Better Ads under suspicion
The problem of being a judge and a party, however, is even worse if we take into account a detail known in the last few hours: according to The Wall Street Journal , Google seems to have much more weight than previously thought in the committees of the Coalition for Better Ads . Members of this organization have indicated to the newspaper that the creator was Google and that a large part of its rules are of its authorship.
Given that only Google and Facebook dominate 20% of the global advertising market, as indicated from The Guardian , and that 3 out of every 10 dollars spent on Internet ads goes to the Mountain View according to US business newspaper, go as a referee in the game does not seem like a good idea . At a minimum, it does not seem fair to the rest.
Even less if you follow the rules of a body advertised as external, according to The Wall Street Journal , which is not so much in reality.
Although other browsers also block certain types of ads, such as Opera or Brave, their responsible companies do not participate in the advertising business. And although Google evaluates the pages using a method that alerts the owners if irregularities are detected that could end up in blocks, giving them the possibility to solve them, and clearly the ads that veto with annoying, their position should prevent them from taking this role .
The least critical reading of this movement, and positive in the long term for the whole Internet, is that this initiative could prevent users from resorting to much more aggressive blockers and their massive use ends up putting the danger of the advertising-based business model of so many and many services and publications that we visit every day. Taking the reins of the situation thanks to the dominance that they have of an important part of the traffic that is generated and channeling waters that each time lower more revolts.
Because according to GlobalWebIndex , 45% of Chrome users already use ad blockers that are, by default, significantly more aggressive than the browser now incorporates. An upward trend that will not be solved until addressing the concerns generated by advertising in users, from the annoyances of the most invasive formats to issues related to security or overload caused by websites with many banners , especially when browsing is done with data connection.


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Huazhu, BTG Homeinns and Wyndham
Huazhu Group (formerly China Lodging Group), a Chinese hospitality giant that has cross-ownership with French hotel group AccorHotels, announced on June 26 that it has surpassed InterContinental Hotels Group as the world’s fourth highest valued hospitality group with a market capitalization of USD 12.8 billion as of May 31 this year. Chinese state-owned hotel group BTG Homeinns Hotels Group, valued at USD 4.25 billion, was ranked 12th.
Both Huazhu and BTG Homeinns shared their ideas at the 2018 China Hotel Marketing Conference held by TravelDaily in Hangzhou on June 27-28. "We have been re-designing in order to revitalize our brands," said Jenny Zhang, CEO of Huazhu Group. David Sun, General Manager of BTG, revealed that the group was looking at opening up around 400 properties annually in the next 3-4 years. More than half of the properties would be in the mid-scale segment.
Another speaker at the conference, Leo Liu, President of Greater China, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, mentioned that maintaining standards doesn't mean sticking to fixed ideas. "Flexibility and standardization aren't necessarily contradictory... Standards refer to the implementation of certain processes to ensure quality, but being local and being a part of a certain culture is a way to make a stay enjoyable."
Meituan, Ctrip and other OTAs
Meituan Dianping, backed by Booking Holdings and Tencent, filed for a Hong Kong listing on June 22. As of December 31, 2017, the group-buying, restaurant-review and lifestyle service company had secured room supply from approximately 339,200 hotels in China. Revenues from the company’s in-store, hotel & travel segment increased by 54.6% to RMB 10.9 billion, accounting for 32% of the company's total revenues in 2017. Kevin Guo, VP of Meituan, acknowledged that over 80% of new hotel bookers were converted from the food delivery and in-store dining businesses last year.
To compete with Meituan Dianping and Michelin, Ctrip Gourmet has issued its own restaurant evaluation list on June 22 in Bangkok, Thailand. This is the first Chinese eatery list published in a foreign country.
For its overseas travel-related services, Ctrip has also opened its first batch of foreign currency withdrawal service outlets in Shanghai with close to 30 different currencies on offer. Customers can make an appointment online or head directly to the outlets to pick up their currencies. The company will gradually expand the network to 30 locations nationwide covering 10 key cities by the end of the year.
Tongcheng Elong, a Chinese online travel company backed by Tencent and Ctrip, applied on June 21 for listing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. The average monthly active users of Tongcheng and eLong combined increased from 88.7 million in 2015 to 121.2 million in 2017, representing a compound annual growth rate of 16.9%.
Shanghai-based online travel operator Lvmama.com has been announced as the official Chinese travel partner of Inter Milan. The two sides will design and develop soccer itineraries for Chinese tourists and sports fans, including trips to San Siro to watch games of the club and visits to the stadium and training base of Inter Milan.
To differentiate itself from OTAs, Alibaba’s travel unit Fliggy is redefining its role as an Online Travel Marketplace (OTM). "Our platform isn't just about sales for travel brands, but also has a role to play in marketing and service," said Wells Zheng, Vice President, Strategic Development for Transportation Business of Fliggy. "For this, brands can leverage brand account management and marketing services. These are integral parts of the Online Travel Marketplace, which marks the latest phase in the evolution of the tourism business model."
WeChat now allows for real-time tax rebates at 77 airports in Europe and Asia. The service, dubbed We Tax Refund, enables travelers to quickly apply for tax refunds in the app while abroad or once they have returned home. WeChat also claims that it will not impose any fees on the transactions.
On Chinese tourists
In the first four months of this year, Chinese arrivals to Europe were up 9.3% on the same period last year and forward bookings for May to August are currently 7.9% ahead.
The top destinations for Chinese tourists were Germany (up 7.9%) and France (up 11.4%). The fastest growing destinations were Turkey (up 74.1%), Ukraine (up 27.6%) and Hungary (up 15.2%).
Chinese tourists are expected to make 5.7 million cruise trips this year, up 15% from last year. The annual passenger throughput of China's ocean liners will reach about 30 million by 2030, according to projections issued by the country's authorities in 2015.
China’s railway network is expected to transport 647 million passengers during this year’s summer travel rush, an increase of 7.6% year on year, according to the China Railway Corporation. During the period, passengers in the country will make a total of more than 10 million train journeys every day.
Startup funding updates
Travel tech service provider Travel-X has completed its A-round financing. By applying a high-performing airfare query engine built with search technology, it is able to process thousands of pieces of regular data and inventory data per second, so as to update prices and other key indicators concerning travel products in real time.
B2B insurtech platform P6air has received USD 1.56 million in an angel round funding. The company claims that it is able to achieve a 95% accuracy rate in predicting flight delays within 30 minutes, 5 percentage points higher than the industry average.
Kuaibangxing, a platform for turnkey travel services across North America, has reaped millions of dollars in an angel round of financing. With the latest funding, it will speed up to expand its own distribution channels and explore segmented or niche channels like overseas travel communities and parent-child education institutions.
MICE venue and service brand L-SPACE has closed a seed funding round backed by individual investors. The funds will be used to launch its first store slated for this September. The store will serve small meetings for 100-300 people, and the costs of such events will be lower than four- and five-star hotels.
Travel platform My Daydream has reaped USD 7.7 million in the A+ financing round. It was established in 2014 for independent travel designers to present tourists with immersive and personal getaways.
Yacht service operator HiTime has secured multi-million yuan in an angel round of financing. The company is planning to claim 70%-100% of the yachting market in Hainan, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta regions.
Hotel cloud-computing service provider Titan has pocketed USD 15 million in its C round funding. The company will use the proceeds to double down on technological innovation and business expansion to further develop its services to the hotel supply chain.
Homestay chain brand Youjia received an investment backed by investors including Ctrip and Tujia. The company operates as a Virtual Store & Service Center – each group of 100 guestrooms within a radius of three kilometers is clustered into a virtual store, supported by a service center that provides concierge, housekeeping, laundry and luggage valet services.
Residential hotel operator InnJoy has closed a USD 1.5-million angel round of financing. InnJoy is testing new retailing in its properties similar to that of the Yanxuan Hotel jointly launched by Chinese Internet portal NetEase and lifestyle hotel brand Atour. Users can try the products during their stay and place orders by scanning the QR codes in the hotel rooms.


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Samsung is exploring different methods to convey the foldable cellphone to customers. The corporate has filed for a brand new design patent that would point out the place it desires to go subsequent with the foldable cellphone — a tool that may fold twice.
The machine, which was first noticed by Dutch web site Let’s Go Digital, would primarily have three shows — and would be capable to fold twice right into a smaller kind issue like a smartphone. Then, while you wish to fold it out, it might have a a lot bigger show than a tool with a single fold. Let’s Go Digital has topped one of these fold the “Z-Fold.”
Picture credit score: Let’s Go Digital
This isn’t the primary cellphone patent we’ve seen within the final week with a Z-Fold kind design. Simply yesterday, images surfaced of a tool from LG that had a big essential show that folded as soon as, with a second show that was smaller and might be folded out. It’s not one single show — there’s a small hole between shows — however it’s a idea for a cellphone that would successfully have a show the scale of three telephones.
Samsung’s patent, was permitted on the finish of Might, however was ultimately revealed within the Korean Mental Property Workplace on August 7.
In fact, it might be a while earlier than we see a tool like this. Whereas Samsung is actively engaged on foldable units, they’re nonetheless slightly thick when folded up. If the machine folds twice, it will be even thicker, that means it will be bulkier and more durable to hold in a pocket. That stated, there can be a trade-off — the large show when unfolded, which couldn’t solely exchange a pill, however might even exchange a small laptop computer show.
Let’s Go Digital
One other advantage of the Z-Fold-type show is the truth that the machine would solely want one show. The present Galaxy Fold truly has two shows, because it folds inwards — so the principle show is on the within of the fold, whereas the cellphone show is on the skin for one-handed use.
We’ll have to attend and see if Samsung finally ends up releasing one thing like this, but when it does it’s going to seemingly be a while earlier than it’s launched to the general public. Firms routinely file patents for tech that they’re exploring, and don’t find yourself utilizing it.


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South rises again as Dixie fever grows globally
Published 4:00 am, Saturday, April 23, 2011
When members of the Confederate Army declared "the South will rise again," they weren't talking about New York Fashion Week.
In February, a gaggle of celebrities and fashion icons filled Lincoln Center to view Chris Benz's new Savannah, Ga.-inspired collection. The show, which Benz referred to as "Spooky Savannah," featured models in floppy hats and tiered ruffles walking the runway as if they were in a reenactment of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," directed by John Waters.
Fashion boutique owner Salama Alabbar already has high hopes for "Spooky Savannah" at her store, Symphony. Benz's "conservative cuts consistently perform very well," she says. "Beading and embellishment will also be very alluring in this part of the world" - by which she means Dubai.
While Brooklyn hipsters have long dressed like sharecroppers, lower- and middle-brow Southern culture is now rising across the globe. Music duo the Bellamy Brothers, marginally famous for their country hit "Let Your Love Flow," are currently playing to sold-out crowds in South Africa and Sri Lanka, where, according to their booking agent, Judy Seale, they're "treated like Elvis."
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In the United Kingdom, sales of Kentucky bourbon have risen by 25 percent since 2005, according to London-based market research firm International Wine and Spirits Research. IWSR also predicts sales will increase an additional 22 percent by 2014.
The independent movie "Winter's Bone," which chronicles a teenage girl's travails chopping wood and killing squirrels, is on pace to eclipse its U.S. domestic gross with overseas revenue. Chris Benz isn't the only fashion guru going full Southern. According to agrarian-chic designer Billy Reid, the global customer is now attracted to products that have "Southern roots."
The rise of the Southern brand, though, seems linked to the fall of many other things.
"Consumers have been increasingly interested in the South as a result of several trends," explains Savannah Haspel of Santa Monica market research firm IBISWorld. Among them, she says, is that "post-Katrina funding and aid turned consumers' attention toward the region." Harvey Jackson, a professor of history at Alabama's Jacksonville State University and an editor of the New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, believes that in uncertain times, "the South is a calmer, quieter place, and a lot of folks are craving that right now."
Kim Holloway, creator of the popular blog Stuff Southern People Like, agrees.
"If you're out of work, depressed, and stressed out, caviar and sushi aren't exactly going to stanch the flow of tears," Holloway says. "But fried chicken might!"
The export of Southern culture, Holloway emphasizes, is directly linked to its affordability and accessibility. Whether a region is grappling with austerity measures or decreased disposable income, less-pricey Southern diversions redevelop the sheen they've had, says Holloway.
This Southern diaspora has created a new generation of unlikely profiteers. Atop the list is Paula Deen, the agoraphobe-turned-small-town-cook-turned-celebrity-chef-turned-lifestyle-eminence. Through the popularity of her show "Paula's Home Cooking" and spin-offs "Paula's Party" and "Paula's Best Dishes" - as well as branded lines of cookware and appliances - Deen has become a household name in South Africa, Turkey, and other places where pineapple casserole has yet to catch on.
Deen is the beneficiary of Southern comfort food's own manifest destiny. At New York's chic Blue Smoke restaurant, an order of shrimp and grits costs $26.95. Throughout Lebanon, the Roadster chain of diners has introduced cheese fries and burgers doused in barbecue sauce to people bored by a more healthful Mediterranean diet. By the end of last year, 3,200 KFC restaurants were operating across China.
"We expect the Yum! China Division to become our first $1 billion profit business in the near future," says Virginia Ferguson, public-relations manager for Yum! Brands, based in Louisville, Ky.
"You realize (now) how pervasive the South has become," says Deen's son, Bobby, himself the star of numerous Deen spin-offs.


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Amazon Game Studios has released information on upcoming MMO New World, focusing on the Arenas of Aeternum. The details were released via the Studios’ blog.
The latest blog post details the Arenas of Aeternum where players will battle one of the most powerful creatures – the Spriggan. Defeating it will reward players with high tier loot and other goodies.
The blog post goes into more details and even has some interviews with some of the Art and Design team.
New World was due to be released this month, but the launch has been pushed back until August. Set in the mid-1600s, players will colonise a fictional land in the Atlantic Ocean. Players will be expected to scavenge resources, craft items and fight other players.


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Ramaphosa's son slammed for cancelling conference without notice
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s son Tumelo's company StudEx Wildlife Fund is taking flak after failing to host a technology conference that people had paid to attend.
The company, which prides itself in globalising farming auctions through the digitisation of livestock, wild animals and endangered species by turning them into digital tokens, had advertised an event, billed as an AI and blockchain in retail conference, for December 3 and 4.
Jade-Lee Herman who purchased two tickets for R3,000 said her boss and another person had shown up on December 3 only to be told by Summer Place in Sandton that there wasn't an event taking place there.
Tickets for the event ranged in price from R3,000 for general access for one day and included access to thought leader sessions. The VIP access package cost R7,500 and included after-hours influencer sessions and access to keynote speakers.
There was also a StudEx VIP experience costing R50,000 which included access to all three days of the conference, a two-day Safari stay and conservation game drives.
The speaker’s list has since changed and some of those who were removed claim to have never been confirmed to speak at the event.
Ramaphosa said he had to postpone the event due to unforeseen circumstances and mentioned, among other things, that they had not sold enough tickets.
“My business associates and I took the decision to postpone the event when we experienced difficulties with the company that was hired to plan, market and co-ordinate the event,” he said.
Ramaphosa said they were taking legal action against the organiser, whom he refused to name, and said they were trying to recoup money spent to organise the event.
He said the company hired to organise the event was unable to deliver on the agreed terms of engagement. “They only told me this a few days before the conference and that is why we had to postpone the event,” he said.
But Herman said, “What makes us angry about this issue is that they never posted anything about the event being postponed on their website or on their Facebook page.”
“They kept on advertising the event as if it’s still going on as planned even on the day that it was supposed to take place, even though they knew it was not taking place.”
The conference aimed to provide value to those in the retail space, by showing the applicability of blockchain and artificial intelligence in that sector. Ramaphosa said the speakers were handpicked as leading experts in their respective fields.
“The decision to postpone was not an easy one, however for purposes of hosting a quality conference we decided it was appropriate to fully investigate what went wrong with our former organisers,” he said.
Ramaphosa said they had since refunded Herman and the conference was postponed to May 2020. Herman confirmed being refunded.
The tickets already purchased are still valid for the postponed conference, according to the conference website and Facebook social media page.


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Global demand for air travel rose 4.8 percent in February, thanks to lower fares and improving economies, with no major impact from an attempted US travel ban, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday.
Tourism bodies have warned that travel to the United States could slow this year due to a perception that it is less welcoming to travelers than before.
“Although we remain concerned over the impact of any travel restrictions or closing of borders, we have not seen the attempted US ban on travel from six countries translate into an identifiable traffic trend,” IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said in a statement on Thursday.
Middle Eastern carriers, among the most affected by the attempted travel restrictions, saw demand rise 9.5 percent in February, said IATA, which represents nearly 265 airlines accounting for 83 percent of global air traffic.
De Juniac also repeated criticism of the way in which authorities brought in new restrictions on electronic devices larger than a smartphone from passenger cabins on flights from certain countries without first consulting the airline industry.
“The introduction of restrictions on the carry-on of large electronic devices was a missed opportunity and the result was a measure that cannot stand-up to the scrutiny of public confidence in the long term,” he said.
Europe’s aviation regulator on Wednesday voiced concern over the risk of battery fires in the cargo holds of passenger planes as a result of the ban.
Overall, capacity in February increased 2.7 percent, leading to the load factor - a measure of how full planes are - rising 1.6 percentage points to 79.5 percent. IATA said that was the highest-ever level recorded for a February.
Falling fares have put pressure on airline earnings in recent months and IATA said it estimates fares have dropped by more than 10 percent in real terms over the last year.


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- Industry can head off IoT privacy rules, former US official says
- Microsoft discloses zero-day flaw, publishes quick fix
- This key drive actually unlocks something: Authentication via USB comes to Chrome
- How the FIDO Alliance's U2F could simplify two-factor authentication
- Google extends two-factor authentication with physical USB keys
backhaul - News, Features, and Slideshows
Optus shares concerns about the high cost of backhaul for mobile services but is not ready to take a position on opening the NBN to mobile operators for that purpose, according to Optus chief country officer Kevin Russell.
The Coalition government will consider opening the NBN network to mobile telcos for cheaper backhaul, said MP Paul Fletcher, the parliamentary secretary to the minister for communications.
Nexten Group has upgraded 12,300km of its longhaul fibre network to support 100Gbps transmission speeds, the backhaul provider said today.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will review whether current backhaul regulations are adequate.
Nextgen Group hopes to double revenue to $600 million in five years by taking advantage of the NBN rollout and accelerating movement among businesses and government to the cloud and infrastructure-as-a-service, said Nextgen CEO Peter McGrath.


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The Los Angeles Times published an article recently about the New West Summit, one of the newer conferences in the Bay Area where cannabis entrepreneurs gathered to pitch themselves to potential investors. Poseidon was quoted in the article.
"Here at the New West Summit, everyone seemed busy," she writes. "Hedge fund managers and venture capitalists mingled with medical cannabis dispensary owners, app developers and all manner of cannabis entrepreneur... [and] the amounts of money are staggering."
The writer then quotes one festival attendee who said that he witnessed $57 million to date being invested in cannabis businesses, mainly in Colorado, California, and Washington. The industry insider also predicted that revenue would leap from $2.7 billion in 2014 to perhaps $11 billion by 2019. Poseidon was tapped for comment in this area.
"'It’s an underground industry that is finally becoming investable,' said Morgan Paxhia, who, with his sister, Emily, runs Poseidon Asset Management, a firm that invests in cannabis-related businesses."
The article then goes on to detail the wide variety of companies pitching at the conference, some of which Poseidon has helped to get a leg up in the industry. The overarching theme - appropriation. Perhaps it's simply that the conference was held an hour north of Silicon Valley, but there were quite a few companies describing themselves as "the Uber of cannabis," the "Starbucks of Cannabis," the "Yelp of Cannabis" and so forth. It's not necessarily a bad thing, just a sign of the times.
As this industry continues to mature, we are sure to see a reversal of such appropriations. We look forward to when companies in younger industries soon begin using cannabis titans as the true measuring sticks of success.
Read the original column here.


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Global meltdown continues to hit tourism industry
January 16, 2009 14:43 IST
Goa's international tourism inflow is likely to dwindle further with global meltdown continuing to impact the industry even in 2009.
Experts feel that the international tourism will be 10 to 15 per cent less compared to last year. The year 2008 saw average 20 per cent less foreign tourists visiting this coastal state famed for its pristine beaches.
"The year 2009 will be very difficult for the tourism industry because of the economic situation prevailing worldover," Platon Loizou, managing director, Jewel in the Crown holidays UK, told PTI.
Loizou's firm is the largest independent tour operators from UK planning holidays to Britons.
"Every happening indicates that UK's economy is in very bad shape. Economy will be bad almost everywhere in the world affecting the number of travellers," he said.
Loizou said that the year 2008 saw partial impact as people had booked packages six to nine months in advance.
"This year, it will be bad because people will not prioritise the holiday on their spending list," he said.
The impact has already started showing up as Monark, one of the largest chartered flight carrier, cancelled its once a week Goa operations from January 9 onwards.
The operations will remain cancelled till April, this year, Loizou said.
Monark had a capacity to carry 370 passengers a week which amounts to cancellation of around 5,000 seats, he said.
"There are lots of Goans who live in England. They also are reluctant to plan their homeland visit as they think its not worth to leave their job and come here on a vacation," Loizou said.
The UK contributes for the highest foreign tourist arrivals contributing for almost 50 per cent of the total chunk.
"The situation will remain volatile even for this year. It will be dependent on whether world economy resurrects or remained poised at same position," Ralf de Souza, president, travel and tourism association of Goa, said.
The TTAG is an umbrella organisation of the tour operators in the state.
"When the other industries recover from the recession then only tourism will be in place. Holiday is not the priority," de Souza added.
The state tourism industry, which has received severe setback last year, are working out modalities to augment its sagging prospects.
"The tour operators will have to check what markets can be pulled in and also what we can do to salvage the industry," the TTGG president said.
The industry also expects to increase its foray in the domestic market encashing on the slashed airfares in the country.
"Although world economy is in crisis, the Indian economy is still surviving its growth rate. We find that the domestic market has huge potential," de Souza stated.
The state tourism ministry officials said that the attempts are on to woo more tourists here.
"The season is bouncing back and we expect to pick up further," Lyndon Monteiro, officer on special duty to tourism ministry, said.
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MeetingPack 2024 will once again attract the entire agrifood packaging value chain to Valencia. The sixth edition of the meeting will have eight blocks to present the latest trends and innovations in materials, formats and processes for more sustainable barrier packaging.
The sixth edition of MeetingPack, the event organized every two years by AIMPLAS and AINIA, will attract members of the entire food packaging value chain on 10-11 April 2024 at the Valencia Conference Centre.
Through the prism of the circular economy, MeetingPack 2024 will address the challenges and opportunities the sector is expected to face in coming years, as well as the latest innovations and trends in materials and barrier packaging.
The program is divided into eight blocks to discuss innovative materials for the production of sustainable packaging, sustainability in flexible and rigid barrier packaging, recycling processes and new solutions for reusable packaging. New in this edition are two round-table sessions, where food groups, distribution companies and consumer associations will provide an overview of their strategies to comply with the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
More than 350 people attended the previous edition
The 2022 edition was attended by more than 350 participants from 15 countries, including manufacturers of packaging, packaging materials and equipment, distribution companies, food multinationals, public managers, food law specialists and researchers. Two full days with more than 30 presentations and nearly 60 companies discussing their solutions and success stories currently on the market.
MeetingPack 2024 has the support of sponsoring companies such as Raorsa, Enplater Group, Faerch, Grupalia 4.0, Lubrizol, Quimovil, Sealed Air, Ube And Totalenergies Corbion, as well as the collaboration of relevant entities and organizations in the packaging and food industries.
The media impact, sponsor stands and networking and exhibition area, not to mention the visibility that such a prestigious venue as the Valencia Conference Centre offers this sixth edition of MeetingPack, are just some of the main advantages enjoyed by the companies supporting the event.
Companies and entities interested in taking part in the MeetingPack 2024 program can submit their proposals until 22 September 2023.


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The redesigned Relay2 delivers twice the cargo capacity of earlier models while maintaining Relay’s sleek design.
Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum full conference agenda
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Labrador Systems announces first customers for its assistive robots
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Pudu Robotics mobile robots help quarantined Hong Kong residents
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PAL Robotics deploys ABB Yumi robot manipulator on TIAGo AMR
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OhmniClean is a lightweight autonomous disinfection solution
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Badger Technologies Launches New UV Disinfection Robot
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Podcast Episode 13 – Marcio Macedo From Ava Robotics
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Best Of CES Robotics 2021
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VIDEO: UBTECH New ADIBOT UV-C Disinfection Robotic Solution
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ZetaBank Launches New UV Disinfection Robot
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Podcast Episode 11 – John Rhee From UBTECH
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Ava Robotics Launches New UVC Disinfection Robot
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Five Predictions for Mobile Robots in 2021
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The Body Shop has lifted profits by a third to £45.6m in the year to January 1, according to documents filed at Companies House.
Sales were up 3.6% to £332m.
The ethical cosmetics retailer told the Mail on Sunday: “During the year, the company proved resilient in a severely affected retail market and there was solid growth across Asia and the Middle East.
“We continue to be confronted by challenges in some markets as a direct result of the global economic downturn.”
But Body Shop said that growth would continue this year, aided by new product launches.


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BREAKING: Futures Market After Broad Market Retreat
Want to see just how badly stocks like Tesla (TSLA) have fallen to pieces? Just look at the new top 10 most valuable companies in the S&P 500 — it’s almost an entirely different list this year.
Gone are Tesla, Nvidia (NVDA), Meta Platforms (META) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM). And in are Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Visa (V) and Walmart (WMT). In fact, half the top 10 most valuable companies in the S&P 500 are new this year.
Ramifications for such upheaval are giant as trillions of dollars are benchmarked or invested in the S&P 500. And the most valuable stocks hold the largest sway in the index.
Tesla is one of the most dramatic examples of the shake-up at the top of the S&P 500. Falling 68% this year, the company that was the fifth most valuable U.S. company in January isn’t even in the top 10 anymore. It ranks just thirteenth now, with a market value of $357 billion. Tesla’s value is down $707 billion this year.
But the plunge of Meta Platforms is fascinating, too. Shares of the social media giant stumbling to pivot into virtual reality are down 66% this year, erasing $609 billion. That means the company, which in January was the sixth most valuable in the S&P 500, now ranks just 19th at $307 billion.
“Like many people, we have been watching Tesla’s recent slide with a bit of amazement, if not morbid fascination,” said Nicholas Colas of DataTrek Research. “The stock is now down (more than 60%) on the year, vying with Meta/Facebook as the worst Big Tech stock blowup of 2022.”
Just as the market has tossed out some top 10 members, others rose to take their places.
Exxon Mobil has enjoyed the most meteoric rise in the S&P 500. The energy giant jumped this year almost like tech stocks did in the boom. Shares of the energy giant soared 80% this year, adding $195 billion in market value. That surge in market value — more than with any stock in the S&P 500 — makes Exxon Mobil the eighth most valuable stock in the S&P 500. It’s remarkable to think that it only ranked 27th most valuable in the S&P 500 a year ago.
It’s stunning to see Exxon Mobil coming back so quickly. It wasn’t even in the S&P 500’s top 10 since 2018 (when it was ninth). But this is a company that was once dominant. It was the very most valuable S&P 500 company as recently as 2011, until Apple surpassed it in 2012.
Another interesting trend among the new top 10 in the S&P 500 is the rise of health care. Two of the most valuable stocks in the S&P 500 are now from the health care sector: UnitedHealth and Johnson & Johnson.
Shares of UnitedHealth are up 6.2% this year, an impressive feat in a year the S&P 500 is off nearly 20%. The health care giant now ranks No. 6 in the S&P 500, up from No. 9 at the start of the year. And Johnson & Johnson is new to the top 10. Shares are up 3.9% this year, making the company the S&P 500’s seventh most valuable company, up from No. 12 a year ago.
That’s not to say the S&P 500’s top 10 is completely turned upside down. Apple (AAPL) is still the S&P 500’s most valuable stock despite losing 27% of its value this year. It’s still valued at more than $2 trillion. And rounding out the top four are Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL) and Amazon.com (AMZN).
But guess who’s coming on strongest? Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA). Shares are up 2.6% this year. That might not sound like much, adding $8 billion in market value this year. But it’s enough to make Berkshire Hathaway the No. 5 most valuable company, ahead of Tesla and Meta. Berkshire Hathaway was No. 8 in January.
And like Exxon Mobil, Walmart is rejoining the S&P 500’s top 10 as No. 10. Walmart is back, after dropping out of the top 10 in 2020.
Looks like the new world order isn’t entirely new, after all.
Follow Matt Krantz on Twitter @mattkrantz
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Appy Pie Unveils Mobile Ad Network
Cloud-based app building platform, Appy Pie, is launching a mobile ad network to enable advertisers to reach a network of more than 100,000 mobile apps and games created through the company’s DIY platform.
The ads will be displayed on all free and paid apps whose publishers have chosen to monetize their app via Appy Pie’s ad network. The ad network supports a variety of formats, including image, video and interactive ads. To get started with Appy Pie’s mobile ad network, users need to create an account, set up a campaign and input their credit card details for their campaigns to go live.
"We help advertisers to promote their products and services through exclusive access to a network of 100,000+ mobile apps and games, created using Appy Pie’s publishing platform," said Abhinav Girdhar, CEO at Appy Pie.


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THE managing director of an air-freight-handling company has launched a petition calling on the government to keep the Island’s daily mail plane running.
Christopher Bee, of OceanAir Handling, said he feared that if the service was lost, his business could be forced to close while Jersey’s ‘already fragile economy could be jeopardised’ because of the impact on logistics.
Mr Bee said his company had been responsible for managing the Island’s air cargo for nearly 35 years, handling all items transported by commercial or charter aircraft.
The mail plane brings between five and seven tonnes of post to the Island each day. However, as part of a strategy to ‘simplify and update’ its operation, Royal Mail has proposed replacing the daily flights with a ferry service. The organisation argues that this would offer a more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly option.
The proposed change would probably result in an extra working day being added to delivery times, with the service being further affected by adverse weather conditions.
While Royal Mail is bound by Ofcom regulations to offer a next-day delivery service, the company has proposed a change to Jersey’s ‘due date’ definition to allow an extra working day for packages to arrive in the Channel Islands.
Mr Bee warned that should the mail plane be terminated, OceanAir’s operations would be left ‘economically unviable’, leaving the Island without any air-freight handling.
This, he said, would mean ‘there will be no way of anything getting off this Island in less than two days’.
The knock-on effects of this, he stated, ‘will be far greater than the cost of the mail plane’.
He said: ‘Our infrastructure is incredibly delicate. Many aren’t aware of the silent services we deliver, from managing mail and courier flights to transporting medical equipment and blood transfusions. We relocate your pets globally and even handle the repatriation of human remains.’
He added: ‘Our business landscape, heavily reliant on punctual, efficient logistics, stands on the brink of disaster. Slow and inconsistent deliveries will undoubtedly undermine businesses, hinder growth and jeopardise our already fragile economy.
‘Our air-freight infrastructure is not simply about transport – it underpins the heartbeat of Jersey’s commerce.’
Last week, Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel announced that, as part of the consultation process, he would write to Royal Mail to convey the concerns of local businesses.
He said: ‘I am satisfied that Jersey Post understands the likely impacts of these decisions on the local economy and that the company is now actively working with the sector to minimise any disruption to its customers.’
The Royal Mail consultation runs until Friday. Any changes will take effect on 3 August.


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Meals on Wheels will once again be sponsoring the Hometown Super Saver Cards.
This is the third year that Meals on Wheels has teamed up with America Cares to sponsor the sale of the Savers Cards.
The cards offer savings of over $2,000 at local merchants. Sales calls will start this week.
Meals on Wheels receives a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the cards to help with costs of their program to deliver meals to shut-ins.


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If you want to see what it looks like when a country really gets behind 3D printing, then you will want to pay attention to the South Korean government’s newly unveiled initiative. The government has created a 3D Printing Industry Development Council, made up of officials form more than a dozen ministries, and on June 18th they approved the master plan designed to make South Korea a leader in the 3D printing world. Included in the plan are things such as a goal to train 10 million creative makers by 2020 and to expand the 3D printing infrastructure on a national scale. This comes on the heels of an April announcement that the government would be investing $2.3 million dollars in 3D printing equipment and facilities so that companies could run education programs for their employees. All of this continued effort is designed to make South Korea’s 3D printing industry a competitive player in the world market.
So, how do you train 10 million creative makers?
In order to address this tall order, the South Korean government has to put its resources where it’s master plan’s mouth is. In order for this to be more than just wishful thinking, the Council is working to develop detailed curricula to introduce people at all levels to the appropriate 3D technology. As they are interested in integrating the technology across the country, they are creating a variety of levels of education appropriate for elementary school students to adults. Included also is a provision for curriculum development and infrastructure access for digitally underprivileged population.
This ambitious plan also includes creating a society in which access to 3D printing technology is as easy as going to a coffee shop. In this way, the government hopes to move 3D printing from being something that people do in response to a government program to something that is simply another part of their lives. As such, they will be placing 3D printers in approximately 50% of the country’s schools by the year 2017.
In addition to focusing on education, the plan also addresses the potential that the technology holds for entrepreneurs and business people in the present. As such, the government is coordinating cooperation between software providers, local agencies, and private business to create workshops and introduce 1.5 million business people to the technology.
The scope of the plan requires an agency such as the national government to coordinate the initiative. Part of the burden that the government is assuming is for the creation of a “National 3D Printing Composite Portal” that it will staff and maintain in order to link the various services and support the movement of information. It will also create a Universal Content Identifier (UCI) system for 3D print data that acts somewhat like the library of congress numbers that identify and distinguish publications. The hope is that in this way information can move freely among users while still maintaining appropriate safeguards for intellectual property.
This recognition by a national government of the potential that 3D technology has for societal advancement is unprecedented and possibly visionary. Yoon Jong-lok from the ICT ministry spoke in support of the initiative and gave a glimpse into the logic:
“We need to strengthen our ability to prepare for the future knowledge society by forming a creative culture where all the people can demonstrate their creativeness and imaginativeness freely.”
It will be interesting to see if and how the South Korean government manages to fulfill the goals outlined in this master plan. Many questions remain to be answered about control of data, infrastructure management, and logistics but it is inspiring to see such an effort undertaken. It makes you wonder what initiatives like this in other countries around the world could do to advance the field of 3D making. This technology is only going to increase in importance and where there are savings made by not striving to be on the cutting edge they will likely be spent in order to play catch up once they have fallen behind.
Will other countries follow suit? What will this mean for 3D printing in general in Asia? Let us know your opinion in the 3D printing Korean initiative forum at 3DPB.com.
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The company has been continuing to secure deals with retailers for its Ocado Smart Platform, having recently won contracts with Kroger Co (NYSE:KR) in the US, ICA in Sweden, Group Casino in France and Sobeys in Canada.
Many stockbrokers are bullish on the stock, expecting the group to continue to win international deals.
Microsoft’s Windows, which is available to all PC manufacturers, has an 80% share of the market.
Similarly, Android has had success in offering a generic operating system that is used in most smartphones.
In comparison, Apple’s operating systems are exclusively designed for iPhones and Mac PCs.
While Apple's business model has worked in the past, tough competition has forced the company to become less reliant on product sales and turn its focus to its services including Apple Music, iCloud and App Store.
Online grocer-turned- tech provider
Goldman called the deal “transformational” in a note to investors, raising its rating on Ocado to ‘buy’ from ‘neutral’
UBS, which upgraded Ocado to ‘neutral’ from ‘sell’, said the company has “scaled its 'Solutions' business beyond our expectations” and believes the firm has transformed into a software and tech licensing company from an online grocer.
Shares in Ocado jumped 4.2% to 989p in afternoon trading.


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Samsung posts first profit slump in two years stoking fears of smartphone saturation
Friday 24 January 2014
Samsung has posted its first fall in quarterly profits for more than two years, fuelling fears that the booming smartphone market may be reaching saturation.
The world’s biggest smartphone and TV maker reported a net profit of 7.30trn (£4bn) won, down from 8.24trn (£4.6bn) won a year earlier.
The company’s was weighed down by falling margins at its IT & Mobile division, where operating profit fell 18 per cent. Mobile sales, the company’s main earnings driver, fell 9 per cent in the quarter.
The South Korean electronics giant warned that it expects sales in key divisions to continue to fall in the first quarter of 2014 with TVs entering an “off-season” and competition intensifying in in the smartphone and tablet markets.
Samsung is under pressure to present a strategy for continued growth. While the firm has a dominant position in the Western smartphone market, the company faces intense competition in the crucial Chinese market from lower-cost homegrown rivals such as Xiaomi.
Despite the decline in profits in the last quarter Samsung posted record annual earnings, with profits jumping 28 per cent to 30.5 trn won (£17bn).
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