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The latest from entrepreneurs, investors, and cutting-edge digital taste makers at South by Southwes
Investor groups backed by Apple and Google make offers in the $150 million and $250 million range, far below the expected $2.6 billion, sources tell The Wall Street Journal.
A photo of Cortana, Microsoft's Siri rival, has leaked online, and it looks to have some of Siri's sass.
The images show a display featuring thin bezels on either side and thicker borders to the top and bottom.
The latest issue of Brian K. Vaughan's "Saga" was temporarily removed from Comixology's iOS app due to a misunderstanding over Apple's guidelines, according to Comixology's CEO.
The e-commerce company's fall lineup of games, which also packs in audio books and comics, shows Amazon is thinking big when it comes to gaming.
The 123-year-old Dutch company has ruthlessly cut ties with TV, audio, and the categories that have made it most famous. Can an ageing population put this venerable firm back on top?
HEVC, a new standard for compressing 4K video, will be cheaper for many companies to use than its industry-dominating predecessor. Maybe Google's competition helped.
As smartphones replace point-and-shoots, companies from Nikon to Fujifilm are scrambling to build premium product lines. That's great news for photo enthusiasts.
The Audiophiliac spends quality time with Paradigm's Soundscape, it's clearly the best sound bar he's heard in ages.
Sony has gotten knocked around in the smartphone business. CNET looks at why the company needs to stick it out.


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UKTV Play sees almost 40 per cent increase in views during 2018
Service generated over 140 million views and attracted 1.8 million registered users
UKTV hires The Mill for streaming service advertising campaign
60, 40 and 20 second adverts are to promote UKTV Play
UKTV announces record revenue, more investment in programming
Over the course of three years, revenues have grown by 24.1 per cent
UKTV hits highest ever operating profits at £72.2 million
UKTV is officially the fastest growing broadcaster in Britain, it claimed this morning, and is now vying for the title of top non-PSB broadcaster.

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Customization in smart watches and other mobile devices is usually more of a software issue than a hardware one, but as hinted at by Google’s Project Ara earlier this year, the future may be in modular devices with component parts that do one individual thing and that can be swapped out and combined with one another at will. That’s also the premise behind BLOCKS, a modular smartwatch now on Kickstarter.
BLOCKS gets its name from the modular, uh, blocks that can be added and subtracted from the watch’s band. If you’re planning on taking a lot of photos outdoors over a long period, for instance, the Camera module would be a good idea, as would the Extra Battery one. And with plenty of modules already being developed there will potentially be a perfect combination for almost any scenario.
You can get more info on BLOCKS at the watch’s Kickstarter listing right here, where pre-orders start at $285 for delivery in the summer of 2016.


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Regular readers will know that Japanese smartphone owners are great for spending money on apps. Now we have new data from AppAnnie, released this evening, that shows how the app monetization situation is developing in Japan and around the world. The report paints an interesting picture of amazing smartphone growth in Japan and Asia, along with some huge successes for Japanese social apps and games. Some world-beating achievements, in fact.
Cashing in on social
First up, AppAnnie notes that the social app category is third in terms of revenues around the world; social apps accounted for 30 percent more downloads in January 2013 compared to the previous year. Japanese app buyers are now spending nearly as much as those in the US on their iPhones and iPads:
Line app and the messaging explosion
The hit messaging app Line, made by NHN Japan, was the top social app for iOS revenue in Jansuary 2013, pipping Whatsapp to the post. With over 100 million registered users (just under half being in Japan), Line is the most downloaded social app in Japan – plus it’s the top grossing app Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Line is also crowned the top non-game app in terms of monthly revenue on both iTunes and Google Play in January. It is the only Asian creation on the iOS apps list that’s dominated by American apps. Apple’s Pages app is second; Pandora Radio is third.
KakaoTalk comes out fighting against Line in the chat app battle, proving itself to be the third-best app for revenue on Android.
GungHo for gaming
As for gaming developers, Japan was once again on top. GungHo Online, with its 14 games, was the outright top publisher by revenue on iOS anywhere in the world. Its Puzzles and Dragons title was a particular hit, helping to push GungHo’s market cap to US$3.3 billion – higher than that of Zynga, or compatriot gaming rival GREE. As GungHo’s own financials point out, it made $92 million in gaming sales in January 2013 alone – a figure that’s already 30 percent of its 2012 revenue total. GungHo also sells PC games and console games, but the company recently pointed out that it’s now making more from iOS and Android.
Indeed, the report points out that Puzzles and Dragons was the top monetizing game on both iOS and Android across the globe.
Seventh on the top iOS publisher’s list is NHN (which is spread over Korea and Japan), boosted by the huge success from Line app and its social gaming platform. That’s shown with games like Line Birzzle, which rocketed to the top of iOS and Android store rankings across Asia. Let’s look at the scene on the iTunes App Store:
Asian Android domination
Even more Asian developers rocked the Android platform. GungHo was top publisher in Google Play too, with NHN popping up in second place. In fact, all but one of the leading ten publishers by revenue on Android are from Asia – it’s pretty amazing. It also shows why gaming is the best way to bring in the cash:
Other famliar names on the list include the rival social gaming platforms DeNA and GREE. Plus there’s a remarkable performance from Korea’s SundayToz team to make it into the top ten with only one game – that’s Anipang, which has been a huge hit especially on KakaoTalk’s own social gaming platform.
Anipang pops up as fourth in terms of gaming revenue on Android, just below the similar Line Pop title.
Game on for Asian developers
Ultimately, it’s a remarkable performance for Japanese and South Korean developers on both iOS and Android – breaking into social whilst also building up huge expertise in casual mobile gaming.
Japan recently passed the US to become the top country for Google Play revenue, so developers in the region can prosper among their regional audience – and break out across the globe. Well, in terms of monetizing power, if not necessarily worldwide market reach.


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- TJX Companies – the parent company of both TJ Maxx in the US and TK Maxx in the UK – reported positive sales increases across the brand portfolio in May, pointing to the strength of discounted goods.
- Though both TJ Maxx and TK Maxx are similar stores in their respective home countries, the shopping experience differs, particularly at its city locations.
- We shopped at stores in the financial districts of New York City and London and saw why TK Maxx has an edge over TJ Maxx.
As several major department stores flounder, TJX Companies – the parent company of TJ Maxx, TK Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Homesense, and Sierra Trading Post – continues to find a sweet spot in discounted goods, both in the US and abroad.
In a call with investors in May, TJX reported that comparable store sales across the portfolio rose 5% and total revenue rose by 7% to $9.3 billion in the first quarter. The growth was led primarily by the company’s core brands – TJ Maxx, TK Maxx, and Marshalls – and point to continued consumer demand for lower-priced options.
Though TK Maxx – which has 575 stores across Europe and Australia – has a similar reputation to TJ Maxx’s 1,257 stores across the US, many consumers fail to recognize the connection between the sister companies due to their different names.
When TJ Maxx opened in the UK in 1994, it changed its name to avoid confusion with the popular department store group TJ Hughes.
Despite a lack of shared moniker, both stores continue to boast legions of loyal shoppers and attract foot traffic that is outpacing its full-price department store peers.
“We believe this is a great indicator of the enduring appeal of our great values on an eclectic and exciting mix of merchandise and our treasure-hunt shopping experience, as well as the resiliency of our off-price retail model,” TJX Companies CEO Ernie Herrman said during the earnings call in May.
While TJ Maxx and TK Maxx are, in essence, the same store, there are some pointed differences in the shopping experiences. We visited two comparable stores in the financial districts of New York City and London that both target a demographic of busy urban professionals.
Ultimately, TK Maxx’s organized store layout and displays, paired with its stronger product assortment, came out on top:


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WowWee®, a leading manufacturer of innovative consumer robotic and entertainment products, today unleashes the newest phenomenon in interactive robotic toys. Introducing UNTAMED™ by Fingerlings® – putting Ferocious at your Fingertips™ with a line of interactive predators that you can control from friend…to foe! The first of the UNTAMED creatures – the UNTAMED Raptors – roar online and in-stores in the UK, Canada and Australia this week for their debut launch, with a scheduled release in the US for May.
With Fingerlings capturing the excitement of millions of fans worldwide, Jazwares and WowWee are proud to announce the UK as an official early launch market for the UNTAMED brand and anticipate similar success to follow suite of the Fingerlings craze.
The newest spinoff from WowWee’s wildly successful Fingerlings family, the UNTAMED Raptors are lifelike creatures that are fierce and unpredictable – unlike their silly and cute distant Fingerlings cousins! Friend or foe – that’s up to YOU. Unleash their ferocious side with a shake or poke, and they’ll roar, hiss, and chomp. Or, tame your beasts by petting their noses, and they’ll hum, coo, and purr. But be warned – these raptors are still no stranger to passing gas!
“WowWee is all about delivering on-trend toys that take fun experiences to the next level with unmatched innovation and creativity,” said Andrew Yanofsky, Brand Manager at WowWee. “The UNTAMED line truly embodies that – packing amazing personality, features, and entertainment into a collectible interactive toy that’s both fierce and fun!”
“We have great retail support for UNTAMED with a healthy marketing campaign to compliment,” said Jonny Taylor, Managing Director at Jazwares. “We believe kids are going to love these UNTAMED Raptors and I have no doubt that they will be a hit!”
UNTAMED Raptors are four different characters each with its own unique name and personality: Stealth, Blaze, Fury, and Razor. Complete with snapping jaws and gripping claws, these interactive creatures react to touch, motion, and sound with over 40 different sounds and Animations. Collect them all to unleash full ferocity at your fingertips – these pets are yours to tame, and the control is your hands!
Available for £16.99 as the first to market, UNTAMED Raptors can be pre-ordered from leading toy retailers beginning March 19th and will be available in-store at major retailers across the UK over the following weeks.


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A rare celestial solar eclipse will happen on August 21 and has travelers across American and the world book accommodation in hotels, lodges or campsites just to see the unusual event. Dubbed as the "Great American Eclipse," people will be pitted in accommodations just to see the moon entirely blocking the sun.
Hotels and campgrounds might be crowded and overbooked by now, but travelers might be happy to know that the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has announced the reopening of 1,000 more campsites for those who wanted to see the celestial phenomenon. The park official says that most of its campsites were already booked since 2016, and opening up more places will help accommodate more people.
OPRD spokesman Chris Havel stated in a press release that, "We want to make this once-in-a-lifetime event available to as many campers as we can safely accommodate. That's why we decided to add additional campsites, all at an affordable cost." A reservation fee of $8 will be charged, and the camping price will be around $10 to $31 per night, reported by The Lonely Planet.
People can start reserving on April 19 at 8 AM for a minimum stay of three days at the site. There are two locations available for visitors: traditional campsites and temporary eclipse sites. The former offers the regular operations of the park with a non-reservable, "first-come, first-served" procedure. Meanwhile, the temporary eclipse spots are opened for the event only.
The eclipse will start by 9 AM on August 21 and will end two hours and a half later. However, Oregon will enjoy the view starting at 10:15 AM PDT between Lincoln City and Newport and will exit the state at 10:27 AM. According to the Great American Eclipse website, Oregon will be one of the most popular states to see the phenomenon because of its weather conditions during the eclipse's path.
The next total eclipse to happen will be on April 8, 2024, and will be seen in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.


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"The documents show that Google has imposed strict restrictions on device makers that want access to its search engine, YouTube or the more than one million apps in its Play Store. In return, the device makers must feature other Google apps and set Google search as the default for users, according to the agreements.Android's 'Open' System Has Limits - WSJ.com
European antitrust authorities are examining those conditions, among others, as they consider whether Google has abused Android's position as the leading smartphone operating system. In Europe, companies with dominant market share are required to promote competition, said Ioannis Lianos, a professor at University College London who studies competition law.
There is no such requirement in the U.S., and experts said it would be difficult to show that Google's Android stance has violated antitrust rules. But it conflicts with Google's rhetoric."
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Android's 'Open' System Has Limits - WSJ.com
The irony in this, of course, is that a significant majority of the Android device users would have likely defaulted to Google search + Gmail + YouTube etc. anyway


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Twenty-three magnificent Lamborghini Miuras from all over the world recently got together to mark the vehicle’s 50th anniversary, and traveled to the legendary ranch in Andalusia where the Miura bulls, the inspiration for these beasts of the road, are reared. Baroque Ground reports back
The Lamborghini Miura was the most coveted and iconic sports car in the 1960s and ‘70s, owned and fawned upon by oil sheikhs, business tycoons, and a smattering of celebrities. Initially launched by Lamborghini in 1966, just three years after the company had opened its doors, this magnificent masterpiece was named after a formidable breed of fighting bull that was reared by the Miura family in Andalucia in southern Spain.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this legendary Lamborghini, it was decided to hold a rally that would bring together the greatest selection of these super cars ever assembled in one spot, and return them to their spiritual home. This was an opportunity for owners of the iconic Lamborghini model to drive their cars on some excellent roads. The event was captured in exquisite photographs that will provide a completely new chapter in the Miura’s history.
A highlight of this Miura rally was when the 23 multi-colored Lamborghinis visited the Miura ranch in Zahariche where the thoroughbred Miura cattle has been bred since 1842. In fact, Ferruccio Lamborghini once visited the ranch to meet the head of the Miura family, Don Eduardo. During the visit to their rance, Don Eduardo’s sons, Don Antonio and Don Eduardo Junior, got to enjoy their first ride in a magnificent Miura with famous test driver, Valentino Balboni. This marked another anniversary of 50 years since their father got to marvel at one of these iconic Lamborghinis that was named after his legendary bulls.
The Lamborghini Miura Tour, which took place between 8 and 12 June this year, was the biggest Miura rally ever organized. It enabled 23 of the most iconic vehicles in automotive history to take to the road and travel together for 500km to celebrate 50 years since the vehicle was initially made. Organized by the Automobili Lamborghini SpA, the vehicles visited Bologna, Parma, Portovenere and Viareggio en route to the factory in Sant’Agata where the first of their kind was originally created.
The tour ended in Florence on 12 June, where the beautiful ‘beasts’ were displayed in Piazza Ognissanti.
Of the 275 first generation Lamborghini Miuras ever built, three were owned by American superstars – Miles Davis, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra all owned one of these legendary sports cars. In fact, Sinatra had the interior of his Miura custom-built in wild boar leather. Original owner of Lamborghini, Ferrucio Lamborghini, who retired and now lives on a farm in Umbria, still owns a Miura. The Miura was in production all the way to 1973.
Of the 23 cars that attended the rally, one was a 1972 P400 SVJ that was built for Haitan hotel owner Alberto Silvero (he actually had four). Another was a 1970 Lamborghini that was owned by Ferrucio Lamborghini’s brother, Edmondo. The oldest Miura and the youngest in existence also drove in the rally.
The story isn’t over yet, which is why we’re telling you about it. There is now an online source about the Miura, and in early 2017, a definitive luxury book will be released that will feature the history of the vehicles, interviews with key players and stunning photographs as well as rare archive pictures.
If you would like to find out how to get hold of one of these exquisite books that celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Miura, let Baroque Ground assist. Contact us right away, firstname.lastname@example.org, and we will arrange this for you.


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Vegan stars and influencers Evanna Lynch, Mya, Daniella Monet, Harley Quinn Smith, Cammie Scott, Yovana Mendoza, Jenné Claiborne, and Renee Olstead have teamed up with PETA and Meg and Komie Vora of Los Angeles womenswear brand Delikate Rayne for a new vegan fashion campaign that urges both consumers and businesses to consider the animals who are exploited and killed for fashion — and change the game.
The campaign features a new video in which the women share the reasons why they choose vegan leather, faux fur, wool-free knits, and other animal-friendly fabrics — and why they encourage their combined 8 million followers to do the same. The campaign also includes a limited-edition PETA x Delikate Rayne faux-suede cap, 20 percent of the proceeds of which will go toward PETA’s lifesaving work for animals.
R&B singer Mýa says, “The true test of any nation is how it treats its innocent beings, and animals obviously fall into the category.” Harry Potter actor Lynch agrees: “I remember as a teenager, going shopping for purses and… someone trying to sell [one] to me as genuinely leather as if that was a good thing. I was, like, but isn’t leather somebody’s skin?”
The PETA x Delikate Rayne collaboration launches on the heels of the passage of a ban on fur sales in Los Angeles; announcements by major designers such as Coach, Burberry, Gucci, and Diane von Furstenburg that they’re going fur-free; and pledges by hundreds of retailers — including Topshop, H&M, and Gap — to stop using mohair and angora wool.
Delikate Rayne is part of a growing group of designers using animal-free fabrics, and for good reason. PETA — whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” — notes that the billions of cows killed for leather, the crocodiles killed for their skin, and the animals killed for their fur are often mutilated and even skinned alive. And nine separate investigations have documented that wool-industry workers throw, beat, and stomp on sheep.


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After a recent report suggested that Canon was “considering” the idea of entering into the smartphone arena, should it actually become reality, the obvious question is: who should Canon partner with?
According to global sales data, the following brands have the biggest market share:
- Others (to include brands such as Sony, Motorola, Google and more).
Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo have already partnered with camera and lens manufacturers (Leica, Hasselblad and Zeiss) to great effect – so it’s not exactly a huge surprise to hear that Canon, the global leader in what you might call “proper” cameras is wondering if they can get in on the action.
Canon smartphone collaboration: What about Samsung?
Perhaps, as the top camera manufacturer, they ought to set their sets on the top smartphone maker – Samsung. Imagine a lovely Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, but with the red-ringed lenses of a Canon pro system smushed into smartphone size. Perhaps we’d also see some tweaks to colour rendering, or other nifty camera-technology such as eye-controllable AF. Well, we can but dream anyway.
It’s interesting to note that although Samsung is the top seller globally, that’s due largely in part to its mid-range and low-cost smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy A13 and the Samsung Galaxy A03, with premium flagship models such as the S23 Ultra not making it anywhere near the top-10 best-selling smartphones. Perhaps there’s therefore some logic to the suggestion that Samsung might seek to boost the profile of its more expensive models by attaching some respectable photographic branding to it.
On the surface, this might seem to make a lot of sense. But, really, this deal would probably be a far better coup for Canon than it would be for Samsung – they’re already number one in sales, perhaps they don’t really care where in its line-up the sales come from. Other well-known smartphone partnerships (Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo) are with brands that are far lower down the list – and perhaps importantly – are much less well known in some key markets outside of Asia, including the United States and Europe (how many people have you ever seen wandering around with a Xiaomi phone?)
On top of that, with a historic rivalry between South Korea (Samsung) and Japan (Canon) to think about, it seems somewhat unlikely that the two would be willing to strike up a big deal anyway.
Canon smartphone collaboration: Next up, Apple.
We already know that Apple uses Sony sensors in its smartphones, so it’s clearly not averse to using other manufacturer’s tech when it suits them. However, there’s a huge difference between using another company as a components supplier and teaming up for a proper, in-depth collaboration where you’re both co-branded on a piece of kit.
Add in the time differences between the US (Apple) and Japan (Canon), this is another practical problem between the two companies, and again, any partnership here would likely be a much bigger deal for Canon than it would be for Apple. It’s safe to say that Apple isn’t exactly struggling to sell units of products such as the iPhone 14 Pro. Its latest fiscal reports show $24.1billion profit for the second quarter of 2023 alone and record sales for the iPhone.
Apple also doesn’t have the same issue as Samsung in selling huge quantities of super-cheap phones (because it doesn’t really have any). Apple in fact occupies eight of the top ten spots of best-selling smartphones, with very highly priced models like the iPhone 14 Pro Max sitting at number three. It simply doesn’t need to boost the profile of its flagships.
The other three of the big five smartphone sellers already have partnerships. Of course these are potentially up for renewal at some point, but you’d imagine that Canon would prefer to go in fresh with a company where possible.
Canon smartphone collaboration: Could be Google?
Perhaps that leaves Google ripe for the picking, then. Although the company as a whole is obviously a household name, and its smartphones – such as the Pixel 7 Pro – have gained widespread critical acclaim, they don’t seem to be picking up a huge amount of sales traction. Combine Google’s machine learning prowess with Canon’s photography nous and perhaps we’ve got a fantastic winner on our hands. They have the same US – Japan time-difference problem, but, if the tie-up is more lucrative for all involved then both companies are more likely to be interested in finding solutions rather than problems.
Then we’ve got other seemingly small-fry manufacturers (some of whom were much bigger players) such as Motorola, Nokia and Asus all desperately vying for attention – for them, a Canon tie-up could reverse some fortunes.
The final option is for Canon to go it alone and make their own smartphone from scratch. It has been done before – by Panasonic – and although that admittedly didn’t set the world alight, and they didn’t bother to make any more models, perhaps the world might be more interested in the number one camera manufacturer entering this market with a brand-new product. It would have to use Android as its operating system if it was to stand any chance of succeeding though, of course.
In the end, this is all mere speculation – Canon is after all only “considering” this move. It might decide it’s best not to get involved after all. Or maybe we’ll get a surprise announcement in the coming months.
Watch this space!
The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email:.
- Best cameraphones for photography
- iPhone 14 Pro vs Samsung S23 Ultra: Which is best for photographers?
- iPhone 14 Pro vs Google Pixel 7 Pro: cameras compared


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SHANGHAI (AP) — The lawyer for a company suing Apple Inc. in China over its use of the iPad trademark has indicated his client would be willing to discuss a settlement.
Xie Xianghui, lawyer for Shenzhen Proview Technology, said Tuesday that since no final decisions have been reached in various legal disputes over the issue, both sides are "still able to sit together and reach an out-of-court settlement."
Proview claims ownership over the iPad name. Apple says it bought the rights to the name in China and other countries in 2009, but that Proview failed to transfer the rights in mainland China as agreed.
Proview is seeking to prevent sales of the popular tablet computers in China and a hearing is set for Wednesday in a Shanghai court.


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Beds, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/19/2013 -- UK Online fishing retailer Manor Farm Fishing has announced the commencement of it's end of line sale on top brands such as Abu Garcia, Berkley, JRC, Mitchell, Penn and more.As the spring season nears its end, the retailer are clearing the shelves at both the brick and mortar store in Biggleswade, UK and on http://www.manorfarmfishing.co.uk/
The specialist fishing equipment store and tackle barn are offering up some incredible bargains on some of the biggest brands in fishing, including Abu Garcia, Berkley, JRC, Mitchell, Penn and more.
Prices have been dropped to over 50% in some cases, with all products in the sale well below RRP.
Top deals include:
JRC Contact Bedchair Bag - RRP: £29.99 down to £10 - 67% saving
JRC Fishing Contact Brolly - RRP: £119.99 down to £69.99 - 42% saving
Abu Garcia Vendetta 9ft 15-40g Spin Fishing Rod - RRP: £44.99 down to £35.24 - 22% saving
These are just some of the massive savings afforded to fishing enthusiasts in the sale, with hundreds more to be found across the site.
About Manor Farm Fishing
Manor Farm Fishing is one of the South of England's most established online fishing retailers and tackle barns. Home to an on-site fishing megastore, gun shop, fishing school and seven carp fishing lakes, Manor Farm Fishing offers one of the most comprehensive fishing experiences in the UK.


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Some Galaxy fans managed to get a free gift via a Vodafone glitch
Samsung's new Galaxy S8 is now available to pre-order with many websites offering free gifts if you happen to buy one before its official release date on April 28th.
However, it seems an error from mobile operator Vodafone has seen customers getting one of Samsung’s latest products without spending a penny.
Members of HotUKDeals, noticed that Vodafone was selling the Samsung Gear VR headset for a price of £0.
That's quite a deal considering these virtual reality glasses usually retail for over £65.
One member contacted Vodafone who advised that it was a technical glitch and that the Gear VR was only supposed to only be free when buying the Galaxy S7 or S8 handset.
So far, Vodafone appears to have honoured the free orders with many people who grabbed the deal already receiving them.
Some users were nervous as the site asked for payment details and others were unsure if it was a scam from an unverified site but other members advised that they had to sign in to their Vodafone account via a secure code to place the order and today they have been posting pictures of their orders, which they have collected in-store.
Those who ordered for delivery have received an email from Vodafone stating: “We’re sorry but we’re still waiting for stock from the manufacturer for your order.
"We know having to wait is frustrating, but don’t worry – you’ve got a spot on the waiting list and we’ll send your item(s) out as soon as possible.”
Powered by Oculus Rift, Samsung's Gear VR allows any Galaxy S7 and S8 to be transformed into a virtual reality headset.
The Korean tech giant recently announced a new version of the Gear VR which now includes a remote control and more comfortable design.
Some users have already received their free Gear VR
The news comes as Samsung fans who pre-ordered the S8 will begin receiving their devices today.
Anyone who placed an order before midnight last night has the chance to get it in their pocket eight days before everyone else.
Samsung is offering numerous ways to pay for the £689 Galaxy S8 and £779 S8+ with a single one-off payment and 0% finance both available via the official website.
Fans can also join Samsung’s Upgrade programme which offers the chance to switch to the new flagship each year.


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The Latest report by Insight Partner on Label Printer Market Forecast to 2027 – COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis – by Type (Industrial, Desktop, and Mobile), Technology (Thermal Transfer, Direct Thermal, and Non-Thermal), End-User Industry (Manufacturing, Retail, Transportation & Logistics, Healthcare, FMCG, Entertainment, and Others)
The rise in digitalization is one of the significant factors supporting the innovative customer-centric business framework. Nowadays, creativity plays an essential role to gather customers’ attention; thus, digital label printing infrastructure offers market players considerably broad opportunities. The factors such as increasing application of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) technology for enhanced productivity, growing concerns related to product safety and anti-counterfeiting, and rising use of thermal printing technology for printing applications are positively impacting the label printer market.
Get Sample PDF @ https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00013769/
The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry is growing at an exponential rate pertaining to the continuous emergence of new players in the market and increasing customer base of long-established players. Developed and developing countries are experiencing a significant surge in the demand for FMCG products; thus, the number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is increasing in the FMCG market. The rising number of FMCG product manufacturers across the world generates substantial demand for labeling technologies, which, in turn, bolsters the growth of the label printer market.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Label Printer Market
According to the report by the World Health Organization (WHO), the US, India, Turkey, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, the UK, Russia, Iran, and China are among the worst affected countries due to the COVID-19 outbreak. On September 2, 2020, there were ~25,602,665 confirmed COVID-19 cases with ~ 852,758 total deaths globally and the number is growing at varying rates in various countries. The COVID-19 crisis is affecting the industries across the world and the global economy has witnessed the worst hit in 2020 and is likely to continue in 2021. The pandemic is creating significant disruptions in various industries, such as retail and transportation & logistics.
The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.
If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us:
Contact Person: Sameer Joshi
E-mail: [email protected]


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This plant-based power couple needs no introduction for our vegconomist readers. Former economic advisor to the Australian government, food writer & restaurant critic Veronica Fil, along with her husband Shaun Quade, the Australian fine dining chef renowned for his “mad scientist” methodology, created a line of cheese which the industry has been waiting for with bated breath. This week, the upcycled cauliflower and hemp cheeses finally hit the market.
Inline with Grounded’s no-nonsense, no messing approach – let’s get right to it.
The long-awaited Grounded cheeses finally dropped this week. How long has the journey been to get to this point?
It feels like it’s taken us longer than any startup in world history to get these products on the market. But that’s probably because the journey has been so intense and has consumed our entire lives for the past 18 months. In reality, we started this company in August 2019; in less than two months had raised VC money, left our former careers/friends/families in Australia, and moved to the US to commercialise the concept. Considering all the work involved in bringing a new product to market (R&D, building out a manufacturing facility, designing packaging, getting certifications, setting up distribution, securing patents and all of those less exciting factors), it’s been pretty rapid.
What exciting and unique products can consumers expect to see?
Well in terms of uniqueness, we’re the first commercial plant-based cheese brand that’s using cauliflower and hemp as the basis of our products! We’ve chosen three to launch with (Hemp Seed GOAT Cheese, Hemp Seed Cream Cheese and our CHEESE FREE CHEESE sauce), but we’ll be rolling out additional products all year.
And where will they be able to find them?
They’re available throughout the U.S. right now and can be ordered online at www.groundedfoods.com. We’ll be stocked in retailers by May.
What has been your experience so far in terms of sustainable packaging?
It’s a huge pain point for us. The last thing we need is more single-use plastics. Unfortunately, most startups in the plant-based community are restricted when it comes to packaging options – and have to use more traditional formats if they want to even make it to the market.
Typically, small startups don’t have the scale yet to access more innovative – and costly – packaging solutions. We’re also limited by the machinery and co-packers we use; manufacturing facilities are only set up to handle certain packaging formats and sizes. So, if a company wants to do something outside of the norm, they have to invest in more equipment – which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The other consideration is food safety and shelf life. While there’s some incredible new eco-friendly packaging options available now, they’re not appropriate for all types of food. So that makes packaging for chilled dairy alternatives a little trickier. I’d love to be able to use hemp-based materials when it becomes viable!
How difficult is it to find the balance between a great tasting product and a totally clean label like yours?
Taste is our #1 focus. There is absolutely, 100% no compromise on flavor for us. If we felt we hadn’t cracked the flavor on a product – or that it was in any way a compromise compared to real cheese – it simply wouldn’t see the light of day.
We’ve tried products that have way less ingredients than ours – and they definitely have their niche. But for me, those products don’t satisfy my cheese cravings. They don’t make me want to keep shovelling it into my mouth. So, we’ve aimed for a balance between what tastes incredible, what has the shelf life to be sold in a supermarket, and where our ingredients actually come from. We use whole hemp seeds – not ultra processed milks. Real cauliflower – not powders or concentrates. And because our core ingredients are natural things that come from the ground, we don’t need to fortify our products with vitamins and supplements. They’re already rich in nutrients.
We’ll never stop working to make our products better and better. In fact, since we ordered our packaging 6 months ago, we’ve already removed modified starch, citric acid and xanthan gum from our formulation. As we scale, I can see that improving even further.
What factors do you think hinder the ability of plant-based food concepts to get up and running?
There’s a serious bottleneck when it comes to production capacity. While there’s no shortage of innovative plant-based companies trying to get off the ground, they’re struggling to find co-packers willing to take them on. Even once they do find a facility to produce their products, they have to compete with each other for ‘production days’. I’d like to see more investment go into supply-side infrastructure.
How disruptive do you think Grounded can be in the dairy alternative sector?
There’s soooo many companies in this space right now, and they’re all doing the same thing, with the same old coconut-oil or cashew-based formulation. Sometimes they come up with a new twist on that – like bean starch or potato starch – but it’s still following that same old-school line of thinking.
To seriously disrupt the category, those formulations needed to be burnt to the ground and started again from scratch. New ingredients. Completely different process. A focus on flavor – not something that is just an ‘okay’ alternative.
So that’s what we set out to do. Create something new that people enjoy, a lot. And if it’s tasty enough for people to buy some of the time (instead of real dairy), we’re winning.
Looking forward, what predictions do you have for the plant-based scene and where does Grounded fit into that?
I think investors put too much focus on seeking that ‘one breakthrough company’ that will create the solution to all plant-based dairy. I don’t think that’s the right focus. I think what we’ll see is many, many wonderful companies leading the way – all using different core ingredients and processes to create distinctly different flavor profiles. We’re one of them. We’re the people who make tasty AF cheese out of cauliflower and hemp. And the market potential for that is pretty massive.


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Chase's online banking website has been offline for most of Tuesday, a prolonged outage the company blamed on unspecified "technical issues."
The service went down sometime Monday night, Chase spokesman Tom Kelly said. "We're working on it, it's a top priority," he added.
Chase has more than 16.6 million active online customers.
In the meantime, Chase is encouraging those customers to conduct their business at local bank branches and ATMs, or to use the company's phone service, which remains unaffected by the crash.
Jamie Dimon, the company's chief executive, apologized for the disruption at a banking conference in New York. Ironically, part of his presentation touted Chase's fast growth in its online banking business, which has expanded its customer base by more than 40% annually for the past four years.
Some of those customers swarmed Twitter to vent their frustrations with Chase's outage.
"Chase, get your f'n website back online. us' 2nd largest bank should be able 2 afford competent tech support," one user said on the micro blogging Web site.
Another disgruntled customer said simply: "I hate you #Chase bank."
Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) bank, the commercial division of JPMorgan Chase, has assets of $2 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. The New York-based bank operates more than 5,100 commercial branches across the United States.
Fan files federal lawsuit seeking class action status, charging that typical fantasy sports fans hurt by DraftKings and FanDuel employees playing with insider information. More
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Karim Abouelnaga turned down a job on Wall Street to address a problem that set him back as a low-income student: the summer slide. More
Danny Miller is a self-taught investor from Mobile, Alabama. He's better at figuring out stock prices and company earnings than most Walll Street pros. More


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Under the new rules businesses will be referred towards challenger banks and alternative funders such as crowdfunders, P2P lenders and invoice financiers.
Osborne said: Its only by harnessing innovations in finance, alongside our existing world class knowledge and skills in financial services, that well ensure Britains financial sector continues to meet the diverse needs of businesses and consumers here and around the globe, and create the jobs and growth we all want to see in the future.
The news follows a consultation, launched in April, which sought to establish how such a referral process would work.
Vince Cable, the business secretary, said: Forcing banks to refer businesses to alternative lenders is something Ive been determined to make happen.
Its good that more SMEs are making use of alternative finance but the big banks still dominate and small businesses often give up if theyre turned down for finance by their bank.
Competing groups of finance providers, including the Alternative Business Funding (ABF) portal have vied to be a part of the process.
The Treasury is now expected to form a working group to establish exactly how the process will work and which platforms will be included.
Adam Tavener, chairman of Pensionledfunding.com and catalyst for the ABF portal, said: What we are seeing is the first steps of a journey which will, ultimately and permanently change the way small business owners access finance for growth going forward.
This is a very positive move for the economy and ABF are proud to have played such a significant part in this and look forward to continuing our close work with The Treasury to ensure that what is finally delivered is simple, fair, transparent, but most of all gets real results.
Banks were thought to have opposed the move, but today Irene Graham, executive director at the British Bankers Association, said: “The banking industry fully supports efforts to help match businesses rejected for finance with other lenders. In fact many of the banks already run programmes that refer businesses unsuited to bank finance to a range of alternative providers.
“We are also keen that any new process should give customers as many options as possible so that they can get the right finance for their business. It is equally important that the customers consent and choice is kept at the centre of any future scheme.”
The news follows the announcement last month of a privately agreed referral agreement between high street bank Santander and P2P lending platform Funding Circle (which is also part of ABF).
Funding Circle CEO and co-founder Samir Desai, said: “We applaud the Government for again showing its commitment to supporting greater diversity and competition in the small business lending market. The success of this scheme will depend on simplicity and ease of use for business owners.
The alternative funding industry is estimated to have almost doubled in size to 1bn in 2013, and projected to grow to 1.6bn this year.


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Hypur Inc. recently announced that its electronic payment technology will now be accepted statewide in California for marijuana-related businesses and consumers of cannabis products, allowing them to accept electronic payments, as well as request payments from suppliers.
Hypur is designed to provide transparency and ease-of-use for both buyers and suppliers for any business that lacks access to traditional payment options or that wants a streamlined payment platform that can send and receive funds electronically.
Without access to credit and debit card processing, the cannabis industry is forced to rely on cash or work-around payment products that potentially put consumer information at risk. Hypur’s electronic payment technology helps marijuana-related businesses reduce their reliance on cash while providing a more traditional shopping experience for consumers and improving the safety of stores and their communities.
With features like auto check-in and facial and touch ID, Hypur improves the in-store payment process for consumers of cannabis products and merchants, so consumers can simply enter in their personal access code to verify acceptance of payment to the marijuana-related business.


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Android Follows Apple With 64-Bit Intel Chip
Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) Android-based smartphone competitors may soon have an answer for the iPhone maker’s groundbreaking 64-bit A7 processor. According to Brooke Crothers at CNET, chipmaker Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is preparing to launch a 64-bit Bay Trail Atom platform for Android.
Intel general manager Hermann Eul announced the news at the company’s recent investor event where the chipmaker demonstrated Android running on a 64-bit platform for the first time. “It’s not only about Windows 64-bit, we’ve been talking about Android as well,” noted Eul via CNET. “We have 64-bit Windows shipping next quarter and, needless to say, we’ll run fast to make this happen on Android as well.”
Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) widely-used Android mobile operating system currently only runs in a 32-bit mode. Although Intel’s 64-bit Bay Trail chip is found in various tablets and hybrid mobile devices made by Apple’s competitors, it still runs a 32-bit version of Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 8.1 operating system. At the iPhone premiere event earlier this year, Apple noted that the iPhone 5S is the world’s first and only 64-bit smartphone. Apple also pointed out that the new iOS 7 software was specifically designed to take advantage of the 64-bit architecture of the A7 chip.
Intel is not the only chipmaker working on a 64-bit mobile processor. Soon after, Apple unveiled the 64-bit A7 processor for the iPhone 5S in September, Samsung (SSNLF.PK) promised that it would soon reveal its own 64-bit mobile processor. “Not in the shortest time. But yes, our next smartphones will have 64-bit processing functionality,” said Samsung mobile business chief Shin Jong-Kyun via the Korea Times.
Samsung reiterated its plans for a 64-bit mobile processor at its “Analyst Day” event earlier this month. “Let me just tell you, we are — we have planned for it, we are marching on schedule,” stated president of Samsung’s System LSI, Dr. Namsung Stephen Woo via Apple Insider. “We will offer the first 64-bit AP based on ARM’s (NASDAQ:ARMH) own core [reference design].” According to an unconfirmed “industry source” cited by the Taipei-based DigiTimes, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) is also expected to soon roll out a 64-bit processor in 2014.
Data from market research firm Gartner recently showed that Samsung held a 32.1 percent share of the worldwide smartphone market in the third-quarter compared to Apple’s 12.1 percent share. However, despite its majority share of the smartphone market, the Korea-based company is widely perceived as an imitator of Apple’s innovations. For example, Apple was recently awarded $290 million in damages over Samsung’s infringement of five of the iPhone maker’s patents.
Follow Nathanael on Twitter (@ArnoldEtan_WSCS)
Don’t Miss: Apple v. Samsung Jurors Praise Expert Witness.


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October 21, 2016
">International Pizza Pie
For Cottage Inn Gourmet Pizza, 2016 has been a year of exciting opportunities and remarkable advances. Not only did the company take its quality product into new territories nationwide, but it can now officially say that its development team has crafted and served up their first international pizza. Cottage Inn China is just weeks away […]
October 20, 2016
">Cottage Inn Pizza Orlando – Now Open!
Cottage Inn Gourmet Pizza has successfully made its grand entrance into the Florida market, and the development team could not be happier with the outcome. On August 19,2016 the franchise opened its doors to Cottage Inn Orlando, bringing piping hot gourmet pizzas to the Sunshine State. Conquering territory in Florida has always been high on […]


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POCO is all set to introduce its latest smartphone called the POCO X2 at an event in India on February 4th. Ahead of the launch, the company has already teased a few features of the smartphone. While announcing the launch date of the POCO X2, the brand revealed that the POCO X2 will come with a liquid cooling system, which will keep the heat at an optimal level while providing extreme gaming performance. In addition, the company announced that the POCO X2 will feature an “extreme refresh rate” to provide an immersive gaming experience, but the phone maker didn’t reveal the exact screen refresh rate. However, POCO’s online sales partner Flipkart has revealed some information regarding the POCO X2’s screen tech.
Flipkart has put up a teaser page for the upcoming POCO X2 smartphone on its website. The teaser page has revealed that the next-gen POCO offering will flaunt a massive screen refresh rate of 120Hz. Just like POCO, Flipkart has also mentioned that the high display refresh rate of the POCO X2 will provide “extreme gaming” experience and seamless touch response. This tech should be able to offer a smooth scrolling experience and immersive visuals during gaming. Lastly, Flipkart’s listing suggests that the high screen refresh rate of the POCO X2 will be promoted as “RealityFlow”.
POCO X2 specifications and features
Flipkart hasn’t revealed any other details regarding the upcoming POCO X2. However, the company has already teased that the handset will boast the Sony IMX686 sensor as the primary camera at the rear, which is capable of capturing images in up to 64MP resolution. These are the only official details available about the next-gen POCO offering.
If the reports are to be believed, the POCO X2 will be a rebranded version of the Redmi K30 that’s available in China. The phone was launched in December as a mid-range offering with a quad primary camera setup at the rear and two selfie cameras. In China, the device is available in both 4G and 5G network supported variants, but given the lack of 5G networks availability in India, we expect only the 4G model will make it to the Indian shores.
The POCO X2 is expected to be priced competitively in India, and we can expect it to be offered in the sub-Rs 20,000 price segment. We should have official details in a matter of a week, so stay tuned for regular updates.


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Award-winning veteran print and broadcast journalist, Shelly Whitehead, has spent most of the last 30 years reporting for TV and newspapers, including the former Kentucky and Cincinnati Post and a number of network news affiliates nationally. She brings her cumulative experience as a multimedia storyteller and video producer to the web-based pages of Pizzamarketplace.com and QSRweb.com after a lifelong “love affair” with reporting the stories behind the businesses that make our world go ‘round. Ms. Whitehead is driven to find and share news of the many professional passions people take to work with them every day in the pizza and quick-service restaurant industry. She is particularly interested in the growing role of sustainable agriculture and nutrition in food service worldwide and is always ready to move on great story ideas and news tips.
Food commodity prices last week dropped in trading, but increasing prices on all types of fuel, including natural gas more than made up for any potential gains their for pizza restaurateurs.
Hepatitis A is raising a harrowing spectre over the restaurant industry thanks to its rapid spread and high number of cases, particularly in the eastern half of the nation and Midwest. Restaurant food safety expert Betsy Craig answers questions about the scope of the problem and what restaurant leadership can do.
Commodities down, stock prices up make a good week for all the brands monitored here, except Papa John's, which took a serious hit in value last week after its earnings report.
Two Louisville employees — one who recently worked at a Domino's and a second at an Old Chicago Pizza location — have been diagnosed with acute Hepatitis A, according to the Louisville Metro Department of Health and Wellness.
The moms are coming and bringing pizza restaurateurs lots of business, according to a recent survey.
Most pizza stocks monitored by this site took hits last week during trading, though one brand did get some love from Wall Street.
It was a storybook ending last week on the stock market for Domino's and Papa Murphy's.
The time may never be better for Pizza Patrón with its mission to promote what it sees as the true "spice of life" -- an edgy multi-cultural take on pizza.
The breaks that pizza restaurateurs are getting on commodities like cheese and wheat are likely being "eaten up" by surging vehicle fuel and natural gas prices.
It's round, like the pies it is designed to hold, costs more than cardboard boxes and is made of something that's usually thrown away. But PizzaRound may just be the answer to a whole list of problems created by traditional cardboard pizza boxes.
Last week's commodities and brand trading results formed a hilly path of ups and downs across the board.
Pain at the pump for most Americans these days is accompanied by pain at the commodities market for pizza restaurateurs in the U.S., with the price of most of the essentials needed to run a great pizza operation pushing higher last week.
Pizza franchisors, heads up! Seems there is a new player in the pizza game —one that's eyeing pizza operators willing to venture into a little "out-of-the-[pizza]-box thinking," so to speak.
Aside from the mounting price of vehicle fuel, it was a very happy Easter week for pizza operators.
The "luck of the Irish" was very selective on the brands it blessed during St. Patrick's Day week.
Pi Day is here and that means not only deals, fun and even a little something serious.
Just as we reset all our clocks to "spring forward" over the weekend, pizza stocks also spent the last trading week moving up in value.
The annual changing of the seasons is beginning; for proof, look no further than the price of commodities.
All players were heading in their own directions in commodity and brand trading last week.
Noise and an inability to hear comprise the No. 1 complaint from diners about their in-restaurant experiences. One audiologist has created a tool to help businesses that want to be more "ear friendly" to the customers they serve.


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No NFL player had a better year than Emmitt Smith did 30 years ago. He may have had the most memorable year of any pro athlete—period.
Now, eBay and Notable Live are commemorating the anniversary of the season in which the Dallas Cowboys running back won the NFL MVP award, a Super Bowl championship and the Super Bowl MVP.
An auction of items from Smith’s football career—some dating to his days as a dominant high school and college star—will open Friday.
Among the items being offered:
- A football helmet he wore at Escambia High School in Pensacola, FL
- The last jersey he wore in college at the University of Florida
- A touchdown football carried by Smith in Super Bowl XXVIII when he was awarded MVP honors
- A touchdown football from Super Bowl XXX
- The game used football from when he became the only player to surpass 18,000 rushing yards
- The cleats he wore when he broke Walter Payton’s all-time record for most 100-yard rushing games
- A game ball from his 237-yard game against the Eagles on Oct. 31, 1993, setting the Cowboys’ single game record.
- The uniform from his eighth and final Pro Bowl
- Various awards earned by Smith throughout his career
Smith has been selling items from his career over the past couple of years, including game-used jerseys and footballs but the current auction is timed to coincide with Super Bowl LVIII.
“We are excited to celebrate Emmitt’s career milestones by offering one-of-a-kind items to fans, exclusively on eBay,” says Mike Antonucci, co-founder and CEO of Notable Live. “We are thrilled to mark these moments in football history with these incredibly unique items available directly from Emmitt so fans can have a piece of authentic history to call their own.”
Bidding will be available inside the Notable Live eBay store.
“I am proud of my accomplishments both as a football player and in my career as a businessman,” Smith remarked. “I am excited to share my personal collection with my fans through this exclusive event with eBay.”


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What is causing the bitcoin surge
capitalization in order to be diversified, marking the first time in 20 years he's put money into his own recommendations. 11.9k, online, a community dedicated to Bitcoin, the currency of the Internet. The report also pointed to increased attention from Google users. Higher prices add value to the digital currency system.
He wasn't too concerned about the rapid rise in bitcoin's price. "More traditional places are starting to see. At that time, there was a lot of exuberance around what was possible Roberts said.
Ganar bitcoins rapidamente
Como funciona el programa bitcoin
Less than a week later, Switzerland's financial market regulator authorized the first Swiss bank to manage bitcoin for clients, while the.S. "I feel like right now the price is going up so much more, and more people are getting exposed to it CoinDesk research analyst Alex Sunnarborg said at a Token Summit panel. Selling out of those currencies also then results in more bitcoin purchases. "But a lot of the utility, those possibilities, hadn't been realized yet. To be sure, new technology almost always takes longer than expected to gain traction, and if bitcoin sees some rockiness after the latest surge it could take some time to recover. Bitcoin itself plunged in 2013, before recovering and skyrocketing to records above 2,700 this year. Bitcoin ( source: CoinDesk. Ethereum is a younger digital currency than bitcoin that many expect can create a network to transform the internet, as the price of ethereum has exploded more than 2,000 times higher this year, far outpacing bitcoin.
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Kuhn Rikon has added a new PushPan to its current lineup, which is currently comprised of three round sizes. The new PushPan Square also brings a new dimension to the line.
It is the first 9-inch square baking pan that combines a 100% leak-proof design with easy release and bake-and-serve convenience, the company said.
“Many consumers want a removable base on their 9-inch square baking pan to make it easy to remove the baked dish perfectly intact, but in the past this meant sacrificing a tight seal. With the new PushPan Square, they can have it all,” said Chelsea Schlunt, managing director of Kuhn Rikon USA.
Freezer-safe and oven-safe up to 450°F, the PushPan Square features a Swiss ILAG PFOA-free non-stick surface and a removable base with a patented silicone gasket that creates a super tight seal, the company said. The “no-spring” version of the springform pan is heavy gauge, designed for even heat distribution. It performs in either conventional or convection ovens.
The 9-inch PushPan Square has a suggested retail price of $35. It will be available for shipment in May 2013.


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Jumio Inc. has introduced BAM Checkout, putting together its identification and credit card scanning technology to streamline mobile payment acceptance.
The embeddable checkout allows consumers to circumvent almost all manual key entry of credit card and identification credentials when purchasing through a mobile device.
Shopping cart abandonment accounts for billions of dollars of lost revenue every year, and a major portion of those losses are entirely avoidable, said Daniel Mattes, founder and CEO of Jumio, in an Oct. 21 press release.
According to Jumio's 2014 mobile holiday shopping report, the company projects nearly $8.6 billion will be lost on mobile commerce because of outdated checkout processes.
With BAM Checkout, consumers tap scan info and hold their credit card and front and back of their ID in front of their smartphone's camera. The extracted data then auto-populates the checkout fields. The company said the product reduces the average two minute, 75 manual keystroke checkout entries to a scanning solution that takes only seconds.
BAM Checkout is available for both iOS and Android.


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Agribusiness is in a mad rush to take over the earth, and seems willing to stop at nothing. Coming soon is cabbage with scorpion poison engineered in every cell. Of course, they claim it’s safe and will result in less pesticide use, but history and logic say otherwise. Who will wake from the insane mating between Agribiz and GMOs? Continue reading
- Genetically engineered (GE) fish could reach your dinner plate within the next year or two, unless a sufficiently strong opposition is mounted. The first GE food animal—a salmon designed to grow abnormally fast and to an unnaturally large size—may soon receive FDA approval
- In recent years, mounting evidence shows that initial suspicions that Continue reading
Not much information comes out of Japan about Fukushima anymore, and the American MSM seems to have forgotten what watered down reporting they had done earlier. But the human suffering has begun in Japan, and even the Japanese government is trying to pretend it’s not happening.
The curtain is pulled over Continue reading
The miserable failure of both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stand up for the interests of the people and require proper labeling of AquaBounty’s genetically-modified (GM) salmon, which is set to be approved soon, has led California legislators to take matters into their own hands. According to Red, Green & Blue, the California Assembly Health Committee recently approved a measure requiring the “Frankenfish” to be clearly labeled so consumers are aware of what they are purchasing.
AB 88, which was introduced by Continue reading


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In the retail sector, experts believe Amazon is going to acquire Target sooner or later. What will happen when the actual acquisition takes place?
There is an ongoing rumor that Amazon is eyeing Target this year. In June 2017, the e-commerce giant bought Whole Foods for $13.7 billion. The deal came as a surprise but it made sense. Whole Food gives Amazon a bigger retail footprint with the latter’s 465 physical stores.
More stores mean more platforms for Amazon Prime and Amazon Prime Now to deliver their products which will result in even faster delivery time and increased customer satisfaction. The merger also offers a wider selection of grocery items to customers. AmazonFresh and Whole Foods stand a better chance at going against Peapod, FreshDirect and Google express delivery service. With such benefits and advantages, what will happen if the Jeff Bezos owned company reaches out and buys Target?
Amazon-Target deal: will it happen?
Loup Venture co-founder Gene Munster believes the deal will happen this year. “Target is the ideal offline partner for Amazon for two reasons, shared demographic and manageable but comprehensive store count,” he added. Target has 1,834 stores and it offers almost everything on its platform.
The regulators would likely approve of such deal based on market-share numbers. Walmart will still be the undisputed king despite pending the Amazon-Target deal. With news going around, the shares of Target increased by 3.7 percent while Amazon’s also surged by 1.6 percent. Walmart currently has 12,000 store footprint.
Another benefit Amazon gets to have when it buys Target is their “moms” demographics would increase. They hope it will translate to an increase in Amazon Prime subscribers. 2017 was a breakthrough year for Amazon Prime after shipping a record 5 billion products to customers, resulting in a 20 percent increase or 60 million subscribers. Amazon Prime offers a lot of services such as free shipping, music and TV streaming, discounts and other perks. Luring in more “moms” would definitely hike the subscription numbers this year.
On the other hand, this is why the deal might not push through at all. CNBC reports that when Amazon buys a company, it had done its share of studying the company and the areas where it will be improved once an acquisition gets done. When Bezos bought Whole Foods, it gave them a boost in the fresh food sector, an area that Amazon has had troubles before. With Whole Foods, they can now manage to distribute fresh food faster to consumers.
Not an easy Target
In the case of Target, it means Amazon has to splurge on what could be its largest acquisition yet. The company is not known to spend a lot when it comes to company deals so this remains an asterisk if they are willing to go all out for Target. There has to be a compelling reason for Amazon if it goes on to buy Target, something that the latter will give an advantage to an area where the former lacks.
Target has a market capitalization of $36 billion. This means any buyer must be willing to spend a lot of buying it. Target’s estimated $70 billion in sales came from a lot of areas such as food, apparel, household essentials, electronics, and appliances. In the mentioned areas, Amazon already has gained a traction for most of them. One area where Target struggles is the food business. Amazon already has Whole Foods to address their own problems.
Amazon’s vision for the retail industry is a mix of online and physical stores as evident with its Whole Foods deal in 2017. No official announcements have been released yet as both Target and Amazon declined to comment on the issue. But as the saying goes, when there is smoke, there is fire.
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Vertice Named #1 in Early-Stage UK SaaS Startups to Watch
This article profiles 50 UK-based SaaS companies to watch this year, from established firms to emerging startups innovating in this space.
Dec 15, 2022
undefined min read
Runaway cloud spending frustrates finance execs: Vertice
Finance leaders are almost three times as likely to be concerned about cloud costs than their tech peers, and more than twice as likely to be worried about cloud visibility, a Vertice study found.
Software Spend Is Surging: What Can A Business Do?
Unlike anywhere else across our economy, the cost of software has soared. How can businesses ensure they are leveraging the right tools for the job while avoiding hidden, unexpected and rising costs?
How to cut your SaaS spending by 30% in 2023
The current state of affairs paints a concerning picture for SaaS buyers. These would be worrying figures in any economy, but for CFOs attempting to drive growth during an economic downturn, soaring software costs should be ringing alarm bells.
Which SaaS products are getting cut?
Joel Windels, VP of marketing at SaaS management tool Vertice, tells Sifted that while sales and marketing platforms are growing fast, many companies are now also renegotiating contracts with software providers as they try to cut costs.


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As we sit here comfortably in “the land of the free and all that jazz,” our fellow porn-lovers living in that haven of surfers, slackers, and undervalued 70s, 80s, and 90s rock ‘n’ roll bands known as The Land Down Under are struggling for even the most basic modern age access to pornography. David Thodey, CEO of Telstra, Australia’s leading telecommunications company, announced on April 11 that the company’s BigPond online entertainment and news service will cease offering its remarkably mild and seriously softcore ‘glamour content’ due to customer complaints (“It objectifies women!”) and pressure from anti-porn activist group Collective Shout. Calling Telstra “Australia’s largest family company,” Thodey announced that although more explicit content is readily available at video rental and retail stores across the country and that none of the BigPond-hosted ‘glamour’ content was classified R 18+ (restricted to adults only), he has personally decide to withdraw the “offending” articles, which he calls “sexist” and “inconsistent with [Telstra’s] core values.”
So, listen up, Australian Mr. Pink’s readers and anyone anywhere in the world who gives a shit about the rights of adults to consume whatever legal entertainment media they wish, before you go supporting a telecommunications company, remember the argument that David Thodey, like so many other corporate pontificators all over the world, has resorted to in order to justify his actions: “It’s just not the Telstra thing to do.”
Oh well, at least Aussies can still beat-off by the roadside to racy billboards like this totally-not-sexist one for a low-carb protein bar.


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We know there are plenty of Nippon Ichi fans out there. We know there are some of you who don't want to admit how many hours you've dumped into the Disgaea franchise over the years.
So this piece is definitely for you. NIS America has announced three new games – all of which will be coming to the US – and although Disgaea producer Souhei Niikawa did say they're limiting the number of titles they release in a year, it's so they can "improve the game quality and increase customer satisfaction." Leading the charge is Z.H.P. ( Zettai Hero Keikaku ), which should be a lot like Disgaea . They call it the "latest dungeon RPG" created by the Disgaea 3 team and it was made specifically to "surpass" the aforementioned long-running franchise. This one is headed to the PSP this fall and the team says they're just "as excited as the time when we first developed Disgaea ." Cladun: This Is An RPG is also for the PSP; it boasts custom characters and randomly generated dungeons with standard hack 'n slash gameplay and this too will be in stores in the fall. The last game is Ar Tonelico: Knell of Ar Ciel , which is the final entry in the series saga and will release exclusively for the PlayStation 3 in spring 2011.
But they're not done. You didn't really think they'd abandon the name "Disgaea," did you? No, the latest entry will be released in Japan for the PS3, and they'll be ready to release more information at this year's Tokyo Game Show. NIS didn't say if this one would be coming to North America but as all Disgaea games have in the past, we'll just assume. So there you go. That enough JRPG love for you?


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It's been three weeks since non-essential stores were finally allowed to open their doors again after being given the green light to so by the Government.
With bars, restaurants and pubs now allowed to open again too, the city centre seems much busier than before.
Some businesses are still banned from reopening including gyms and nail bars.
For some retailers, despite being allowed to reopen they still remain closed to the public, with reopenings in the city set to continue until August.
Enter your postcode to find bars, pubs and restaurants reopening in your area:
Below, we've included the stores still not open in Liverpool city centre yet and the dates when you'll be able to visit them again.
- Everton Two (reopening July 15)
- Beauty Bazaar Harvey Nichols (reopening date not yet confirmed)
- Virgin Holidays (reopening July 30)
- Guess (reopening date not yet confirmed)
- Kuoni (reopening August 1)


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A couple of months ago, we launched a new Power BI integration for visualizing SharePoint lists for all Targeted release users. We’re now excited to announce that the experience has rolled out to Standard release users and is now accessible to everyone!
Welcome to the July update! This month we are making small multiples generally available, as well as the new model view and sensitivity labels in Desktop. Also, we have a new preview for streaming dataflows. There is much more, so read on!


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Nintendo has “intentionally delayed” 3DS titles to stagger its software releases.
The most common complaint since the launch of the 3DS has been that the system does not have a strong software library. The good news is that Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, is well aware of this and has taken steps to address it. The bad news is that his solution has been to deliberately delay games. While this tactic may strike some as unconventional, Iwata believes that such a plan is beneficial to both consumers and investors. Iwata believes that putting out too many good games at once would result in consumer fatigue, and that’s why he delayed some titles a short “interval.”
During a Q&A with Nintendo investors, Iwata fielded a number of financial questions, which ranged from social media marketing strategy to the promotional budget for the 3DS. One concerned shareholder questioned the Nintendo executive about the relative weakness of the 3DS lineup, and how this might be addressed in the future.
“Offering software one after another is a never-ending challenge we have try (sic) to overcome,” Iwata replied. “We failed to offer strong software titles without long intervals in the first half of this year, but it was not because we did not place importance on offering them one after another. Videogames need to stay fresh, so it is not practical for us to put them on hold for too long, but we think that some of them may be held for a certain time.”
While the 3DS has had its share of quality titles, the system is in dire need of some more if it wants to remain competitive with the burgeoning smartphone market and the upcoming Sony Vita. Delaying titles is an unconventional tactic, but if it allows consumers to gather their funds between big releases, it could pay off – provided, of course, that the titles are worth their money.


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Etsy announced that it has launched an Android app, finally. This comes less than a week after the company launched its iPad app (the iPhone app has been out for quite some time).
“Beyond iPhone and iPad users, nearly a quarter of Etsy’s mobile web visitors come from Android devices all over the world,” Etsy’s Adam Brown tells WebProNews.
“With the holidays in full swing, the first Etsy for Android app features are geared toward shoppers,” he says. “Users can shop the entire Etsy marketplace (over 17 million items), browse other members’ favorite items and shops, and make purchases directly from a phone or tablet.”
Here’s what the Android app looks like:
Brown also tells us that from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, about 1 in 3 visits to Etsy came from mobile devices. That’s compared to 1 in 4 on a typical day.
The app is launching in English, French, Dutch, and German. The iPhone app has been downloaded over 3.5 million times.
The app can be found in the Google Play Store.


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The Channel Incentives Management (CIM) Leader Expands Global Reach and Capabilities with CR Worldwide Purchase.
TORONTO (Oct. 1, 2020) – 360insights the creator of the Channel Success Platform announced the acquisition of CR Worldwide today, another powerhouse sales incentive solutions provider. The move makes 360insights one of the largest global Channel Incentives Management (CIM) providers in the world – offering brands the most advanced platforms, tools and data insights to grow sales and ROI.
“CR Worldwide has built a reputation of excellence, a team of experienced and savvy professionals and a suite of products and services that have helped some of the world’s largest brands achieve sales success,” said Jason Atkins, Founder & CEO of 360insights. “Their mission and vision aligns well with 360insights’, which is why we’re thrilled to welcome their people and capabilities to our growing team.”
The acquisition of the UK-based CR Worldwide will enable 360insights to expand their global workforce, reach and customer base, while increasing key capabilities, including point-based loyalty solutions and multi-language solutions. These best-in-class tools will be seamlessly integrated into 360insights’ award-winning Channel Success Platform – the first truly integrated SaaS solution that automates CIM, and includes Channel Data Management (CDM), Closed-Loop Reporting (CLR), Through-Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA), and Partner Relationship Marketing (PRM).
David Gould, former CEO of CR Worldwide, who will remain with the business to lead 360insights in the growing European market, commented:
“Our people and technology have established CR Worldwide as a successful incentive and engagement solution provider. I look forward to being able to offer our clients more services as we join forces with 360insights.”
The purchase of CR Worldwide comes as 360insights is experiencing explosive growth, even in the midst of the global pandemic. In just 36 months, the company has made five strategic acquisitions – it will now cross $100 million in annual revenue and is positioned as one of the largest pure-play CIM providers globally.
Learn more about 360insights, channel incentives, SPIFFs, rebates, Co-Op/MDF, volume incentives, and sell-through allowances by clicking here.


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“When I spoke with Sonos Chief Executive John MacFarlane last April, he had a simple observation about Apple,” Brian Caulfield blogs for Forbes. “The bigger Apple gets, the bigger it needs to get.”
“And right now, Apple’s as big as it gets, surpassing oil giant Exxon Mobil Tuesday to become the world’s most valuable company,” Caulfield writes.
MacDailyNews Note: Exxon Mobil retook the lead before the markets closed today. Apple’s market cap stands at $346.74 billion, Exxon’s is $352.90 billion.
Caulfield writes, “Like Apple, MacFarlane’s company builds boxes — in his case networked home stereo systems — so he knows the terrain. His theory: Apple will have to attack the $100 billion television business next.”
Read more in the full article here.
Apple overtakes Exxon Mobil as world’s most valuable company – August 9, 2011
Analyst: Apple expected to launch 3 HDTV models by March 2012 – August 1, 2011


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October 30, 2008
Boingo Adds Tata Communications Hotspots to Roaming Network
US-based Boingo Wireless has added Tata Communications hotspots to its roaming network, giving its members access to over 500 new hotspots under the Tata Indicom brand.
According to Boingo, with the new locations from Tata Communications, its aggregated network in India now includes destinations as Barista Coffee, Pizza Corner and Coffee World, Nokia Priority Centers and Nirula's, as well as numerous hotels in India. Boingo users can also get access at airports around India, including Chennai International Airport, Cochin International Airport, Goa International Airport, Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Pune International Airport, and Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport.Allen Pan, director of Asia Pacific for Boingo Wireless, said: "With the continued growth and importance of India for business and pleasure, the addition of Tata Indicom Wi-Fi hotspots to the Boingo roaming network allows us to bring new hotspots to our members in the countries they travel. No matter where you are in India and the world, Boingo is the best choice to stay connected to a high-speed network."


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Four-dollar-a-gallon gas is good for business — if you run a bike shop.
Commuters around the country are dusting off their old two-wheelers — or buying new ones — to cope with rising fuel prices, bicycle dealers say.
"Everyone that comes in the shop is talking about the gas prices," said Barry Dahl, who opened Barry's Bikes in Bismarck in April. He sold more than 50 bicycles in the first month, double the projections in his business plan.
Teacher Joyce McCusker of Herndon, Va., owns a bicycle for the first time in years. She bought it last month and uses it to make the eight-mile trip home from work. A friend drives her pickup to take McCusker's daughter home from school.
"I'm still using fossil fuel," she said. "In two years, my goal is to ride both ways, every day through the year."
About 18 million bicycles have been sold annually in the U.S. over the past few years, accounting for about $6 billion in annual sales, said Fred Clements, executive director the National Bicycle Dealers Association in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Bicycle shops across the country are reporting strong sales so far this year, and more people are bringing in bikes that have been idled for years, he said.
"People are riding bicycles a lot more often, and it's due to a mixture of things but escalating gas prices is one of them," said Bill Nesper, spokesman for the Washington. D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists.
"We're seeing a spike in the number of calls we're getting from people wanting tips on bicycle commuting," he said.
The League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to-Work Week this week and Bike-to-Work Day on May 16. Nesper said he expects a record number of people will be pedaling this year.
There's almost nowhere for the numbers to go but up: The group says less than one-half of 1 percent of Americans ride a bike to work.
Mark Krenz, 48, is giving it a try. The Bismarck auto-parts store manager recently spent $750 on the 24-speed bike and is building up his mileage to prepare for his hilly commute.
"In this business, everybody is constantly talking about how to save gas," Krenz said. "I bought a bike because I figure it's a good way to save money, get in shape and save wear and tear on my pickup."
Rocky Schell, owner of Val's Cycle in Minot, said this may be one of the best years in the history of the shop, started by his father in 1960.
It's seeing a spike in the number of tuneups and repairs, which had been declining for the past 15 years. Schell said he's also selling lots of bike trailers designed to haul children — customers are using them for groceries instead.
A big percentage of Schell's customers haven't been on a bike in decades.
"I'm seeing more people my age or older coming in," said Schell, 51. "The college-age kids to 30-year-olds aren't the ones coming in. They still want to drive."
Dahl, the Bismarck bike shop owner, said he's worked several on "dusty and rusty" bicycles that hadn't been ridden in at least 25 years. He said many families have told him that that they intend to go on a bicycle tour this summer instead of driving somewhere for vacation.
"Millions of people have bicycles hanging in the garage and they're getting them down and riding them," said Rebecca Anderson, advocacy director for Trek Bicycle Corp. "People are looking at the bicycle as more than just a toy."
The Waterloo, Wis.-based company last year started a program called One World, Two Wheels to promote bicycles for transportation and recreation. Anderson said that about 40 percent of trips by car are 2 miles or less — "a habit for some people to get in a car and drive just a few blocks."
Clive Greenberg, a salesman at Metro Bicycles in New York City, said spin cycling classes at health clubs, where people use stationary bikes for a workout, also are spurring bicycle sales.
"It's pretty interesting, a good majority of middle-age people involved in that spinning craze at the gym used to come in and buy cycling shoes," he said. "Now they are getting on real bikes."
Engineer Dale Heinert said he's been seeing more fellow bicycle commuters on his daily trek to work in downtown Bismarck.
Heinert, 56, started cycling to work when the price of gas began skyrocketing — in 1973. But that isn't the only reason for choosing pedal power: "It's a stress-reliever," he said.
Steve Stelton, 47, of Bismarck, was inspired by Greg LeMond's 1986 Tour de France victory and has been commuting year-round ever since. He said he's physically fit because of it and has saved "a ton of money on gas."
Stelton, a printer, doesn't let North Dakota's cold, windy weather slow him down. He said he's ridden to work on snow-covered roads when the wind chill temperature was 40-below zero.
"If you waited for a bluebird day to ride to work in North Dakota," he said, "you'd never do it."


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Far Cry is one of Ubisoft's biggest series. The French games maker hasn't announced a new installment in the series yet, but the expectation is it will continue in the near future with Far Cry 7. That said, according to a new report, "near future" may be a little hopeful. The report is brief and comes the way of "Script" over on Twitter. For those unfamiliar with this source: they are a well-known leaker. Most recently, they leaked our first look at the gameplay of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. In other words, there's reason to believe they have access into Ubisoft of some sort.
According to the leaker, Far Cry 7 has not entered development, which means it's still quite a ways off. If this is accurate, the wait between Far Cry 6 and Far Cry 7 is going to be much longer than the wait between Far Cry 5 and Far Cry 6. This wait was only three years, but if Far Cry 7 hasn't started development, there's no chance it will be able to release next year, which it would need to do repeat the same time gap.
Again, if this report is true, then the game is likely not going to be here until 2026 at the earliest. This would be a five-year wait, which is a long wait for Far Cry fans, who are used to getting new games at quite a quick rate. That said, it's possible a spin-off will release between now and Far Cry 7. If not, it's unclear why there's going to be such a long gap unless the series is being dramatically and technically overhauled, which is possible. Since Far Cry 3, the series' critical acclaim has slowly been dropping. Far Cry 5 was able to alleviate this by posting the biggest sales the series has ever seen, but these sales were not replicated by Far Cry 5. The series is very important to Ubisoft, so it's possible it's going back to the drawing board in order to reverse this decline.
All of that said, take everything here with a grain of salt. All we have is this report and the speculation it has created. So far, it has not drawn any comment from Ubisoft. If this changes, we will be sure to update the story accordingly.0comments


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6/21/2010 12:07:00 PM
O2 to open 243 stores early for iPhone 4 launch
O2 is planning to open more than half of its 400 stores early to deal with demand for the new iPhone when it goes on sale on 24 June.
243 stores across the country will open at 8:02am this Thursday (24 June).
O2 has 400 stores nationwide. Traditionally mobile retailers, such as Carphone, have opened early for customers eager to buy the newest version of the iPhone.
O2 has limited the new Apple handset to existing customers only until the end of July.
Meanwhile, current iPhone users are expecting an upgrade to the operating system today (21 June). The OS 4 has over 100 new features including multitasking, spell checking for emails and 5x digital zoom.


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The pandemic has compelled every household to take hygiene seriously. Even then, the wide range of products filling the market during the COVID-19 pandemic has left consumers in a bit of a dilemma in understanding the differences between cleaning agents and disinfectants.
It is this confusion that RB Hygiene seeks to address through its latest campaign for Lizol, by creating awareness about hygiene in the home and public sanitation. Sukhleen Aneja, CMO & Marketing Director, RB Hygiene, South Asia takes us through the brand’s latest campaign, the company’s various initiatives, newest innovations and the marketing strategy adopted in these challenging times
Q] Tell us about your recent ‘Safe To Touch’ campaign from Lizol…
There is greater awareness on hygiene and sanitation levels which has led to category adoption for home and personal hygiene products as well. Cleaning floors is a daily ritual in Indian households but surfaces like kitchen tops and doorknobs are only wiped down, but not disinfected.
Disinfection is the first line of defence in protection against germs and COVID-19 virus. It is therefore imperative to disinfect multiple surfaces, toilets and bathrooms in the house, instead of cleaning them superficially. Lizol disinfectant surface cleaner effectively fights these germs and is effective against the COVID-19 virus, thereby protecting homes and making surfaces ‘safe to touch’.
Q] You recently also rolled out a campaign for your brand, Harpic. What was the insight and objectives behind the campaign?
Being a leader in the toilet care category in India, Harpic has been pioneering the cause of hygiene and sanitation in Indian homes. Harpic’s two new campaigns- ‘Saaf Nahi Swachh’ and ‘All-Rounder’ establish the fact that bathroom cleaning and disinfection cannot be ignored. Akshay Kumar is the brand ambassador for both campaigns.
The focus of the campaign is primarily three-fold. It involves driving behavioural change by educating consumers on the need for cleanliness and disinfection. Harpic Toilet and Bathroom cleaner have been tested by accredited external laboratories and have been proven to effectively kill the COVID-19 Virus and >99.9% germs when used undiluted.
It also saves water by using lesser when compared to generic products.
Q] The company recently donated 1 million litres of Lizol and Harpic to support public sanitation initiatives. Tell us about that.
To address this collective fight against the spread of COVID-19, we have extended our support to frontline workers who are working diligently to keep our fellow Indians safe. We have committed to donate one million litres of Lizol and Harpic to municipal corporations and state governments across the country to disinfect public utilities and healthcare institutions.
ABOUT THE BRAND
RB houses a stable of brands found in households in more than 190 countries. These include Enfamil, Nutramigen, Nurofen, Strepsils, Gaviscon, Mucinex, Durex, Scholl, Clearasil, Lysol, Dettol, Veet, Harpic, Cillit Bang, Mortein, Finish, Vanish, Calgon, Woolite, Air Wick and more. 20 million RB products a day are said to be bought by consumers globally, with a total of 40,000+ diverse colleagues worldwide.
McCann, Havas Creative
Q] Lizol’s ‘e-commerce first’ innovation, Lizol Double Concentrate Disinfectant Surface Cleaner is being sold exclusively across e-commerce platforms. What was the rationale behind launching this only on e-commerce?
Lizol’s innovation is a 2X concentrated formula and our first-ever disinfectant concentrate to be sold exclusively across e-commerce platforms in India, keeping in mind the significant growth the retail e-commerce has seen in the country.
Q] Tell us about the media mix you’re employing during this time. How has your media strategy for your various brands changed?
The COVID-19 outbreak has changed content consumption patterns in a big way. The nationwide lockdown followed by restricted living has consumers spending extra time at home. This has led to an uptake of TV viewership as well as content consumption on digital platforms. For us, both Television and Digital are key at this point in time.
Q] What is your approach towards marketing and communications for your product portfolio during this time?
Today, consumers are more mindful and conscious about their purchasing decisions. They are seeking purpose and value in everything thing they do, perhaps, more than ever before. Consumers and communities are experiencing a never-seen-before inflection point.
RB’s purpose to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world, has never been more relevant. Our campaigns are focused on spreading awareness and educating consumers on the need and importance of disinfection.
Sukhleen Aneja, in her current role, is responsible for handling marketing operations for the RB Hygiene Home portfolio across India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Prior to her current role, Aneja has led diverse, multi-cultural teams in both marketing ops and global innovations in Hindustan Lever and L’Oreal Paris on marquee brands like Dettol, Durex, Garnier and Lakme.


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The Chinese company behind the $1.5 billion takeover of organic infant formula maker Bellamy’s has agreed to buy another of Australia’s biggest dairy operations.
- Japanese-owned Lion plans to sell its dairy business (including brands Dairy Farmers and Pura) for $600m
- The buyer is China Mengniu Dairy, which recently bought Bellamy’s for $1.5b
- Earlier this year, Lion sold its its cheese business to Saputo for $280m
China Mengniu Dairy will pay Japanese beverage giant Kirin $600 million to take over its Lion Dairy & Drinks portfolio, the company said on Monday.
The Lion brands include several iconic brands including Dairy Farmers, Masters and Pura milk.
Its portfolio also includes Dare and Farmers Union iced coffee; Big M, Dairy Farmers and Pura Classic flavoured milk; Vitasoy soy milk and coconut milk; juice brands Daily Juice, The Juice Brothers and Berri; and Yoplait yogurt, under licence.
Lion has been trying to sell its dairy portfolio since October 2018, when it decided to concentrate on expanding its beer business including James Squire, Little Creatures, Tooheys and XXXX.
The company said it decided to approach Mengniu Dairy after reaching an agreement in April to sell the specialty cheese division of Lion Dairy & Drinks to Saputo Dairy for $280 million.


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Trump Bans TikTok And WeChat In The US—45 Days Deadline
US President Donald Trump has banned the operators of the social network TikTok and the Internet group Tencent, both of which come from China, from operating and marketing their services on the territory of the USA.
Basically, the US government is putting the pistol on the chest of Chinese companies: If their services are to continue to run in the large US market, the respective divisions must be sold to non-Chinese companies. The ordinance now signed by Trump sets a deadline of 45 days after which the ban on TikTok and the Tencent-operated messenger WeChat in the United States would take effect.
TikTok is operated by the Chinese company ByteDance. It is one of the fastest-growing social networks currently. It basically works on the basis of short video clips that users use to network with one another. The platform is extremely popular, especially with the youngest target groups. Most recently, Microsoft had positioned itself to take over at least parts of the service.
Protecting Help for Microsoft
With the presidential decree that has now been passed, things are developing positively, at least for the Redmond residents. Because the set deadline should strengthen Microsoft’s negotiating position and lower the price properly. Because if ByteDance doesn’t sell now, the US business would be completely void in mid-December. The current action of the US government is part of the trade conflict with China that has been going on for years. Huawei in particular has been the focus of the dispute so far, but there have also been effects on many other points. In many cases, however, it has been shown that the economic blockades that were often used in the past are no longer possible due to the enormous networking of the global economy. In particular, if you cut off the US economy from its relationships with Chinese companies, you also do massive damage to it.
However, there is another aspect with the companies now affected: As with all social media services, some very sensitive data about the interests and habits of users that are currently being collected and processed in repressive China are brought together here.
Digital marketing enthusiast and industry professional in Digital technologies, Technology News, Mobile phones, software, gadgets with vast experience in the tech industry, I have a keen interest in technology, News breaking.