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Ibukun is a crypto/finance writer interested in passing relevant information, using non-complex words to reach all kinds of audience. Apart from writing, she likes to see movies, cook, and explore restaurants in the city of Lagos, where she resides.
Didi’s exit from the NYSE came after a new decision by the US Securities and Exchange Commission that may affect certain foreign companies.
Six months after its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi (NYSE: DIDI) has revealed plans to delist from the exchange. Didi made its market debut on the NYSE on June 30th at $14 per share.
The public offering triggered some reaction from Chinese regulators who had requested that Didi put a hold on its US IPO. Didi eventually launched its IPO at $4.4 billion in the United States. This decision to go ahead with the IPO made the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) order Didi’s removal from China app stores. Didi was also ordered to stop registering new users as they now pose a national security risk and break privacy laws.
China’s crackdown on Didi brought its shares down a total of 44% since its US IPO. The stock closed at a selling price of $7.80 and is currently at a premarket price of $8.51.
Didi to Delist from NYSE
Didi’s exit from the NYSE came after a new decision by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that may affect certain foreign companies. Foreign companies listed in the US will have to delist if they disallow auditing by the regulators. As such, Didi, which has not allowed US regulators to audit its accounts, will have to delist from the NYSE.
Didi mentioned its delist plans on Weibo. Writing on the Chinese Twitter-like platform, the cab-hailing company said:
“Following careful research, the company will start delisting on the New York Stock exchange immediately and start preparations for listing in Hong Kong.”
The company said it is making this decision with the backing of its board of directors. The board has granted permission for Didi to list its shares on the Hong Kong stock exchange market (HKEX). Also, It would make sure its New York shares are convertible to “freely tradable shares on another internationally recognized stock exchange.”
The delisting of Didi after Beijing clamped down on them came as an incredible shock through Chinese social media. The clampdown on Didi was China’s way of making an example of them to other big tech companies. Afterward, Chinese authorities proposed that companies with access to information on more than a million users seek approval before pursuing an IPO overseas.
Softbank’s Stock Declines as Didi Plunges
Softbank is Didi’s largest shareholder. The delisting of Didi affected the share of Softbank who has over 30% stake in the company. As of the time of writing, Softbank stock is down at about 0.71%.
Didi has been recording steady declines since its IPO, including more than a 13% loss in the last three months. Also, the company has shed 3.94% over the past month and over 1% in the last five days.
Aaron Costello, regional head of Asia at Cambridge Associates, has this to say:
“I think China has made it clear they no longer want technology companies listing in US markets, because it brings them under the jurisdiction of US regulators.”
He added that most US-listed tech companies will eventually relist “either Hong Kong or the mainland.”
Didi would not be the first on the receiving end of China’s regulator’s ire. E-commerce companies like Alibaba (NYSE: BABA), retail company JD.com (NASDAQ: JD), and tech company Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) were also affected.


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The Google Pixel XL is out in a matter of days. Here’s the release date, price and all of the specs and news.
It’s big, powerful, promises the best camera on a smartphone and is available to pre-order. Here’s everything you need to know about Google’s new flagship.
Google Pixel XL release date and price
- Available to pre-order now
- Arrives in stores on October 20
- Starts at $769/£719/AU$1,269
The Google Pixel XL is available to pre-order now, direct from Google, where it starts at $769 (£719, AU$1,269) unlocked. Read more

domain: news


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That's what the bumper sticker on the back of Rex Rice's Chevy pickup says. If you can't tell, Mr. Rice is a little
ticked over the analysis of GM's recent turn around plans, which include many plant closings and the loss of about
30,000 jobs. He takes particular issue with those people who blame poor management and greedy unions for GM's
predicament. We consumers, according to Rice, are at least partly to blame for the situation in which GM finds itself
because we've been buying new cars in increasing numbers from Honda, Toyota and Nissan instead of Chevy, Pontiac and
While his views are surely contentious, Rice does point out that many foreign markets like Japan, which is home to GM and Ford's largest competitors, levy large tariffs against imports in their own countries. He also points out that while many foreign automobiles can now claim to be "Made in America" due to their assembly at foreign-owned plants on American soil, these vehicles are still comprised of foreign made parts that in no way benefit local economies.
Read on for our own thoughts on Rice's rant…
Rice may have a point somewhere in his ranting and raving, but even GM would admit that it?s built some real stinkers in the past twenty years. Did Rice honestly expect the North American buying public to purchase a Lumina back in the day when the General?s current problems were first forming? There?s a difference between supporting domestic companies and buying their products without question or consideration. The former could be considered patriotic while the latter is just stupid. Whoa, was I just ranting? Sorry.


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3D 2.0 Ltd, the company behind Kickstarter success Retouch3D, the unique hand-held, heated tool designed specifically for finishing 3D prints, announced on Thursday the appointment of Brian Gale as executive director and chief executive officer. Gale will head-up commercial development as well as oversee roll-out of the company’s intellectual property via new products.
“We are pleased to have Brian join our leadership team, and our board is confident he is the right choice to lead 3D 2.0 into the next phase of its development as a global business. There are very few people with his diverse level of proven experience in the consumer sector.”
As CEO, Gale’s first priorities will be to navigate the company through the equity round and global product launch. Andrew Garth, chairman of 3D 2.0, added:
“I am delighted that Brian has come on board as Chief Executive Officer at 3D 2.0. He has the vision, experience, energy and drive needed to capitalise on the excitement that he has already helped generate in the market and to steer us successfully through our upcoming fundraising.”
Gale brings over a decade’s experience in the tech and video game sector with extensive experience of working with both global brands and early-stage tech startups in the UK and United States. His roles have ranged from Global Partner Marketing Manager to Senior Sales Development Manager in some of the world’s largest media companies, including Saatchi & Saatchi and Future US. Most recently Gale worked closely on the global launch of Silicon Valley’s Leap Motion, the developer of a 3D motion controller.
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WWD reports here:
The fashion duo has signed a new fragrance license with Procter & Gamble Prestige Products, ending drawn-out negotiations and nearly two years of speculation.
According to industry sources, P&G beat other top-flight competitors, which reportedly included L’Oréal and Estée Lauder. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, market sources said the price tag was at least 100 million euros up front, or $120 million, and a 10 % royalty agreement.
“We want the Dolce & Gabbana fragrance house to become the [number] -three or -four player in the world. That’s the objective. It’s ambitious, but the platform is clearly there also because
the strength of the fashion house is unprecedented,” said Hartwig Langer, president of P&G prestige products.
The production and distribution of Dolce & Gabbana’s fragrances will pass to P&G on July 1, ending the Italian brand’s historic 15-year license with Euroitalia. Riding the wave of Dolce & Gabbana’s fashion success, Euroitalia built a robust fragrance business for the fashion house with annual wholesale sales in excess of 200 million euros, or $240.8 million at current exchange, according to Dolce & Gabbana’s general affairs director, Cristiana Ruella.
While Langer shied from giving a time frame for sales growth, Markus Strobel, general manager at P&G prestige products, is confident they will double the brand’s wholesale volume in the next five years. Plans include launching three new fragrances in the first two years and eventually developing a makeup line.
On the retail front, the plan is to secure more exposure within strategic doors rather than increase the number of sales points.
For the fiscal year ended March 31, Dolce & Gabbana’s consolidated revenue, which excludes that of licensees, totaled 686.4 million euros, or $826.5 million.


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Last-week, Tata Motors launched the most powerful version of the Indica Vista, the Vista D90. It comes powered by a specially tuned 1.3-litre Quadrajet diesel engine, with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) technology, this new generation hatch comes loaded with best-in-class technologies and features, which will cater to the thrill-seeking Indian car buyers.
The Tata Vista D90 truly fits into their fast-changing lifestyles with its dynamic and sporty looks, its powerful yet refined powertrain, technology-packed features and luxurious & spacious interiors. All these offerings make it the most premium hatch in its class.
The Tata Vista D90 competes with some of the top models like Maruti Swift, Nissan Micra, Renault Pulse, Hyundai i20, Fiat Punto, Toyota Etios Liva and Volkswagen Polo. But Tata Motors choose to challenge Maruti Swift the second best seller in the Indian car market at present. Previously also the company has publishing ads where the company has shown how the Vista is better than its competition.
Now the company has released an animated video of the Tata Vista D90, explaining the features and showing how the Vista is ahead in terms of features and comfort.
Check out the video below the jump.


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The Horsemeat scandal widened today with traces found in a consignment in Northern Ireland.
High levels were also discovered in more contaminated meat south of the border, leading to more products being taken from the shelves of UK supermarkets.
More top news
Simon Cowell admitted he was "so embarrassed" after his shirt burst open during an X Factor audition.
Following the promise of further powers for Scotland, David Cameron is now talking about a new deal for the other home nations.
The Suitsy: Man creates business suit onesie


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Representatives of 10 sectors that accounted for 64% of Turkey’s exports of USD 231bn in January-November 2022 expect an economic contraction in the first half of 2023 (1H) and recovery in the second half of 2023 (2H). The Russia-Ukraine war, inflationist pressure, and the recession are the biggest risks to the global economy, while uncertainty due to the elections, and foreign exchange (FX) rates are the two most important problems in Turkey, according to sector representatives.
>> H1 TO BE ‘FOGGY’ FOR READY-TO-WEAR
A portion of exports during the pandemic have shifted to countries such as India and Pakistan as freight prices fell to pre-pandemic levels and companies started to have a difficulty in price matching, according to Mustafa Gultepe, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM) and Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association (IHKIB). The sector is expected to end the year with an export volume of USD 21bn. “A good portion of our exports are performed to the EU. The EUR/USD parity-driven loss in our sector reached USD 1.4bn in 11 months. If parity had hovered around the 2021 average, we would have ended 2022 with around USD 23bn in exports,” Gultepe said. The sector aims to increase its exports by 10% every year, at least. “Global economies will begin 2023 with concerns over the energy crisis and the recession. That’s why H1 will be difficult for exports. I expect the sector will rapidly recover in H2 when the economic recovery starts,” he added. The sector aims to reach a minimum export volume of USD 23bn in 2023.
11 MONTHS EXPORT LEVEL: USD 19.5BN
2023 EXPORT TARGET: USD 23BN
>> GOAL OF USD 35BN IN EXPORTS FOR 2023
Exports from the chemical industry are expected to exceed USD 33bn at the end of 2022. The hike in commodity prices and export unit value per kilogram positively affected exports, while the EUR/USD parity adversely affected the sector’s exports, according to Adil Pelister, Chairman of the Istanbul Chemical and Chemical Products Exporters Association (IKMIB). “The sector’s export unit value per kilogram rose by 29% from USD 0.91 to USD 1.17 in January-November, compared to the same period of the previous year. But its parity-driven loss reached around USD 2.2bn,” Pelister said. He also emphasized the stability of the FX rates. “The 2023 export target was set at USD 265bn in line with the Medium-Term Economic Program (OVP). We aim to raise our exports to over USD 35bn in this direction,” he noted.
11 MONTHS EXPORT LEVEL: USD 30.7BN
2023 EXPORT TARGET: USD 35BN
>> 2023 TO BE UNCERTAIN FOR AUTOMOTIVE
The automotive industry, which is estimated to end 2022 with 1.04-1.1 million units of exports and 1.38-1.47 million units of production in October, has revised the figures to 1 million units of exports and 1.36 million units of production, roughly in line with expectations, according to Cengiz Eroldu, Chairman of the Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD). “Apart from difficulties in the European market, the decline in the EUR/USD parity adversely affected the sector and the microchip crisis negatively affected the supply chain throughout 2022. 2023 will be full of uncertainties,” Eroldu said. “We’ll announce our expectations for 2023 in January when our estimations on the global market and export markets are more clarified,” he added.
11 MONTHS EXPORT LEVEL: USD 27.8BN
2023 EXPORT TARGET: NOT SET
>> PRODUCTION ALIENATED
The surge in input prices caused by high inflation, FX rate hikes, and speculative stockpiling behaviors adversely affected agricultural production and consumption of food products, according to Ulku Karakus, President of the TOBB (Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey) Agriculture Council. “Producers can’t make a sufficient profit. Moreover, considering the average of many years, production is alienated,” Karakus noted. The agriculture sector raised its exports by 16.4% to USD 30.8bn in January-November 2020, year-over-year. “Factors such as the recession expectation in Europe, which is among the most important export markets for us, the energy crisis, the course of the Russia-Ukraine war, animal diseases, climate change, and drought limit our estimations for 2023,” he said, stressing that planning for the future isn’t easy.
11 MONTHS EXPORT LEVEL: USD 30.8BN
2023 EXPORT TARGET: NOT SET
>> AIR CONDITIONING AIMS TO RAISE ITS GLOBAL SHARE TO 1.5%
The air conditioning sector increased its exports by 8.4% to USD 6.1bn in January-November, compared to the same period last year. The sector’s unit value per kilogram rose from USD 4.6 to USD 5.3, according to Mehmet Sanal, Chairman of the Turkish HVAC&R Exporters Association (ISIB). The sector expects to end 2022 with an export volume of USD 6.8bn. “Taking a 1.5% share of the global market is one of our most important targets for 2023. We also aim to become a sector that posts a foreign trade surplus in 2023,” Sanal added.
11 MONTHS EXPORT LEVEL: USD 6.1BN
2023 EXPORT TARGET: NOT SET
>> INVESTMENT RISK IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY
The textile sector exported goods worth USD 12bn between January and November. Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ITHIB) President Ahmet Oksuz said that the sector has shifted the export target of USD 15bn set for 2022 to 2023, “Since 2021, our industry has decided to invest over USD 3bn. However, increasing import pressure, especially as of late, does not only cause our factories to remain idle. It also directly affects our employment and investment decisions. Our industry has a foreign trade deficit for the first time. If additional protection mechanisms for our sector are not implemented, the increase in our employment will, unfortunately, slow. Investment decisions taken by our industry will be put on hold.”
11 MONTHS EXPORT LEVEL: USD 12BN
2023 EXPORT TARGET: USD 15BN
>> ELECTRONICS: QUALIFIED STAFF DEFICIT EXCEEDS 40%
In the January-November period of 2022, the electronics sector increased its exports by 6.7 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching USD 13.7bn. Chairman of the Board of the Turkish Electronics Manufacturers Association (TESID), Yaman Tunaoglu, said, “A high FX rate does not mean that exports will be high. The increase in TRY expenses due to inflation, difficulties in accessing loans, and high-interest expenses will make it difficult to sell abroad,” he said. Tunaoglu added that his expectations for 2023 are not very optimistic. “The investment environment is gaining strength with its reliability, predictability, and continuity. Arrangements should be made for improvement in procurement incentives and to resolve legal issues. There is a serious shortage of trained personnel all over the world,” he said, “Despite the young population in Turkey, this rate is around 40%. Research predicts that there will be a shortage of 84 million qualified workers around the world in 2030. It is critical that we create a learning environment for our young talent.”
11 MONTHS EXPORT LEVEL: USD 13.7BN
2023 EXPORT TARGET: NOT SET
>> FURNITURE: NEEDS INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION
The furniture industry reduced its export target, which was set at USD 6bn at the beginning of the year, to USD 5bn. Furniture Industry Businessmen Association (MOBSAD) President Nuri Gurcan stated that growth will be around 20% on the export side and that his industry is currently evaluating the Russian market. Contact with the Saudi Arabian market has also increased. Stating that they expect exports to reach USD 6bn in 2023, Gurcan said, “However, what we really need are better-organized industries. On the other hand, issues such as the FX rate, the recession in Europe, the election in our country, and the extent of the pandemic in China will guide our industry. Despite this, our capacity utilization rate is high. That’s why we need to expand in new production areas. However, there is a serious issue of scale in our industry. We need to solve this issue and focus on Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs).”
11 MONTHS EXPORT LEVEL: USD 4.4BN
2023 TARGET: USD 6BN
>> REAL ESTATE: DEMAND FOR MUTUAL FUNDS AND LAND WILL INCREASE
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), the value of housing sales in the January-November period increased by 1.0% compared to the same period last year, amounting to USD 1.28m. In terms of land, the share of the land in the total sales increased from 5% to 10%. Mehmet Kalyoncu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Real Estate Investors (GYODER), pointed out that 2022 was also a year in which the demand for shared offices increased, and listed other developments as follows: We are in a period when the biggest social housing project in history was implemented and accessibility to housing was an important topic of discussion.” Kalyoncu said that it is necessary to continue to be cautious considering increasing geopolitical risks, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and upcoming elections. Adding that he expects the interest in the sector to continue this year, Kalyoncu said, “The imbalance between purchasing power and sale prices, as well as increasing construction costs and sales prices, are the main risks facing the industry. In this context, the demand for real estate investment funds and land will increase.”
>> MACHINERY SETS USD 27BN EXPORT TARGET FOR 2023
According to finalized 2021 TurkStat figures, the machinery industry created added value of TRY 92bn with a turnover of TRY 376bn from 51,062 enterprises and 441,719 direct employees. Stating that USD 20bn of exports were made in the first ten months of 2022, Turkish Machinery Federation (MAKFED) President Adnan Dalgakiran said, “We will approach our export target of USD 27bn for 2023. In Europe, where we make 60% of our exports, employment will be preserved in the sector in 2023 even though there is an expected recession, while a 5% contraction is predicted in turnover and investments. Therefore, our main goal will be to maintain our export growth in 2023, as well. For this reason, the importance we attach to other strategic markets outside of Europe will continue to increase.”
2022 10-MONTH EXPORT LEVEL: USD 20BN
2023 TARGET: USD 27BN


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Canon stages a two-day expo aiming to boost productivity in workplace
Canon Marketing Philippines Inc., (CMPI), through its digital imaging solutions arm, staged a two-day event that aimed at continuing its advocacy of bringing delight to its consumers by taking part in helping the country reach its fullest potential by means of spearheading workplace productivity and efficiency.
It was CMPI's first time to bring together professionals and leaders from various industries in a technology and solutions expo called POP: The Pros of Productivity.
“Numerous industries, ranging from enterprises to small and medium-sized businesses, risk 1% of their company’s annual revenue that solely makes up unwanted printing costs. Coupled with document management problems, these non-essentials sum up to a whopping 1M-peso annual loss. These problems, alongside the recurrent issues we hear from different companies that circle around data security, document retrieval, and management are a few of the menial problems that should easily be lifted off the weight of employees. This stems the Pros of Productivity, one of the initiatives Canon is putting forward in its commitment to becoming an instrument of change to promote a more conducive and productive working environment for the delight of all,” said Kazuhiro Ozawa, the new CMPI President and CEO.
Aside from gathering the elite, the agenda of Canon Pros of Productivity is to shed light on common pitfalls that companies undergo on a day-to-day basis, the first-hand experiences they might be overlooking, and the root cause of minute workflow inefficiencies.
For two days, Canon POP: Pros of Productivity has brought a lineup of esteemed and celebrated leaders who shared valuable knowledge and insights from their designated talks and respective industries, such as:
- Acmad Rizaldy Moti, President & CEO of Pag-IBIG
- Mon Ibrahim, Undersecretary, Department of Information and Communications Technology
- Atty. Francis Acero, Complaints and Investigations Division Chief, National Privacy Commission
- Andres Licaros Jr., President and CEO of Asian Hospital and Medical Center
- Jubert Alberto, Country Head of the International Data Corporation Philippines
- Arnel Sechong, Head of Procurement at DHL Global Business Services
- Rene Banzon, Deputy Manager of SIA Engineering
- Jan Aliling, Managing Director of Acube Law
- Jonathan Yabut, Apprentice Asia winner & Founder and Managing Director - JY Consultancy & Ventures
- Seew Choi Gek, Business Development Manager, Therefore Corporation
- Ann Barrameda, Founder of Abba’s Orchard
- Fr. Generoso “Jun” Rebayla Jr. SVD of the University of San Carlos
“The International Data Corporation has noted a 21% loss in total productivity per year due to document related concerns. We at Canon hope to be one of the reasons why that number will significantly decrease in the next year or so, in line with staying true to our commitment to cultivating a better working environment across all industries through our technology. The new imageRUNNER ADVANCE Gen 3 product line is just a part of the robust customized technology solutions offered by Canon that we can tailor-fit to address your business problem areas,” shared Senior Director for Office Imaging Products, Jojo Bolima.
“Through this expo, I am looking forward to seeing how we will be able to champion the space of productivity in the Philippines where it is most befitting to institute transforming the way we work, and continue to spur delight not just to our loyal customers, but also to whom we believe our products and technology will be able to help,” added Ozawa.
Not only the pool of speakers tackled an array of discussions during the entirety of the event, Canon also unleashed some of its products in a nearby showroom.
The Canon POP: Pros of Productivity took place last October 17-18,017, at the Isla Ballroom of EDSA Shangri-la Hotel in Mandaluyong City.


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Distributor Anixter has launched its Knockout promotion on the ATI media converter product range utilising the services of three-time boxing world champion Jeff Fenech. Launched last week at Anixter's Sydney headquarters, the Knockout promotion offers cablers and resellers cost savings up to 30 per cent. A charity auction on the day, which featured some of Fenech's pugilistic memorabilia, managed to raise in excess of $3000 for the Heart Foundation. Conducting the auction with Fenech was ATI business development manager Justin Jackson (centre) and Anixter's national sales manager, Luke Barlow.
Photograph: Jeff Fenech with Anixter's Andrew McElroy.


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Lily Kuo (Quartz) writes about promoting tourism from China to Cuba, and the many points that would make the island an interesting place to visit for Chinese tourists. Access full article in the link below.
The lure of beaches, luxury resorts, and golf courses may bring Chinese visitors to its longtime socialist ally, Cuba. In September, a Chinese airline will begin offering direct flights between China and Cuba, a precursor to what officials hope will be a “sea of Chinese tourists” descending on the Caribbean island nation.
Cuba has already been working hard to attract some of the 100 million Chinese tourists who take overseas trips each year. Grupo Gaviota, the commercial arm of the Cuban military, started a campaign to ready 55 hotels and expand the country’s largest marina, the Gaviota Varadero Marina, to attract the Chinese. Cuban tourism authorities say they plan to have at least 85,000 hotel rooms available for tourists by 2020.
Grupo Gaviota’s jazzy promotional video, subtitled in Chinese, shows mainlanders lounging in five-star hotels, sailing on yachts, and enjoying Chinese food. [. . .]
And of course, there’s the shared Communist history. “For the Chinese, Cuba is a country of heroes, like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara,” said Elena Wang (link in Spanish), director of China Sea International Travel Service, a travel agency that operates tours to Cuba. “For the Chinese, going to Cuba isn’t just traditional tourism, they are going to learn about the history of Cuba and her revolution.”
For full article, see http://qz.com/435662/a-sea-of-chinese-tourists-is-about-to-descend-on-cuba/


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Activision has responded to the lawsuit filed by former Infinity Ward senior executives Jason West and Vince Zampella saying that the claims are meritless and Infinity Ward should be thankful to Activision for providing financial support for years.
Complete statement below:
Activision is disappointed that Mr. Zampella and Mr. West have chosen to file a lawsuit, and believes their claims are meritless. Over eight years, Activision shareholders provided these executives with the capital they needed to start Infinity Ward, as well as the financial support, resources and creative independence that helped them flourish and achieve enormous professional success and personal wealth.
In return, Activision legitimately expected them to honor their obligations to Activision, just like any other executives who hold positions of trust in the company. While the company showed enormous patience, it firmly believes that its decision was justified based on their course of conduct and actions. Activision remains committed to the Call of Duty franchise, which it owns, and will continue to produce exciting and innovative games for its millions of fans.
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TetaVi, an Israel-based volumetric video capture company, has raised a $4 million series A round led by REDDS Capital. The investment will help the company leverage machine learning and AI in its development holograms and other 3D imaging. Immersive media — productions in virtual, augmented or extended reality — is creeping into advertising, gaming, sports and other sectors. TetaVi creates the 3D assets for this media, with a video production chain that includes a portable four camera studio. In a press release, the Israeli company claimed its holograms improve engagement levels for remote learning, training and communication, alluding to the current coronavirus context in which social distancing is the global order of the day. Eliezer Manor, general partner of REDDS Capital, sees application across a broad spectrum: “The company is in possession of a unique disruptive technology, developing a family of products in line with the present trends of its addressed markets, related to: AI, 3D, image processing and management, big data, smart studios, gaming AR and VR.”
Founded in 2016 by Dr. Miky Talmon and Micha Birnbaum, the startup’s R&D team is headquartered in Tel Aviv. Commercial studios in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo run the client side of the business.


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Samsung Pay is officially online Down Under today (June 15), and according to Elle Kim, Samsung's VP and head of global business development for Samsung Pay, this is just a first step. Samsung is doing payments now, but its vision is much bigger and more value-added.
"We want to replace your wallet. We want to go beyond payments and go into things like gift cards. We also think about who we are as a company, and so, when we talk about providing cool payment services, we are starting already to think about how we can pull together all the different things we do from the consumer electronics point of view," she said.
"In the U.S., we made this announcement where there's a refrigerator where you can order stuff and there are payments built into our refrigerator, so as we look into the future, how we do services and payments will go beyond Samsung Pay. Samsung Pay is our first entry to earn us the right to the trust of our consumers."
Kim said that it's less about the individual products and more about the partnership ecosystem, as Samsung's goal is to be the "most partner-friendly" company in the world.
"As we start launching in different countries, not only do we want to create localization to make sure it's relevant to their customers, we want, on a global basis, to keep adding features. I think if all we do is tap, most people will think, 'Hang on a minute, my card does that,' so we need to figure out how to innovate and bring more value to consumers," she said.
With Australia now officially open for business, Samsung Pay is in five markets worldwide and will soon be in six, with a launch in Singapore officially on schedule for tomorrow. The list is forecasted to grow through the rest of 2016 and should include the U.K., Brazil and Canada by the end of the year.
Samsung Pay has named American Express and Citibank as initial launch partners in Australia.
"Citi's strategy and its global consumer bank strategy is to be a leading digital bank. We think, absolutely, Samsung aligns to that. It's more than just a payments solution. We find 80 percent of the credit cards in Australia are acquired online, with half of those acquired through a mobile phone. So, we're seeing more and more consumers are using their mobiles to really live their lives, and we think Samsung Pay is going to be important in that ecosystem," noted Alan Machet, Citibank Australia cards and consumer lending managing director.
Nick Alexander, American Express JAPA vice president of payment consulting, noted similar thoughts.
"American Express is uniquely placed now that we have digital wallet offerings with the two most popular phones in the market in Australia. As the launch partner of Samsung, we're proud to be leading the industry and solution to the market. This now means we're able to offer a digital wallet option to 90 percent of our customers that engage with us on their smartphones today," he said.
Alexander further noted that a partnership with both Apple and Samsung puts choice in the customers' hands. Consumers want to pick their phones on the basis of all their options, he noted, and do not want to let American Express "dictate which phone they should use."
Kim also noted that Samsung is working closely with other financial institutions, including Australia's four major banks, to integrate Samsung Pay.
Prasad Gokhale, Samsung Australia IT and mobile vice president, however, assured Samsung Pay has been designed as a compliment for banks, not a competitor with them.
"Our philosophy about working with the local banks is very simple: We want to leverage what they have done. If you look at the work we have done with tap-and-pay, we did not go and say drop this or drop that," he said.
"With Samsung Pay in-app experience, we will work harder, and that's why it takes a longer time. The other thing I'll highlight is there is a lot of legacy infrastructure in place in this market that has to be replaced, and it's happening ... So, I think, with our local partners, we don't seem to have any fights with them. It's very complementary, and we're extending the digital transformation by helping the customers to do more mobile payments on the go, and we're going to bring more CRM to a larger portion of customers."


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The USDA has announced two different food recalls, one involving imported beef products and the other involving ready-to-eat ham. A sample of the ham product tested positive for salmonella enteritidis, according to the agency, while the boneless beef products may have been contaminated with E. coli. Though the items were packaged several months ago, the USDA says it is concerned that some of the meat may still remain in freezers.
The first recall, which was announced on April 15, comes from Olymel S.E.C/L.P. in Quebec, Canada. Around 6,800lbs of the ready-to-eat ham has been recalled because of the potential salmonella contamination discovered by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) during routine testing.
Fortunately, there haven’t been any reports of illnesses linked to the ham, which was produced in 12lb packages sealed in plastic film with a label reading ‘Celebrity Extra Lean Important Ham 98% Fat Free.’ Consumers who believe they may have purchased one of these products should check their freezer and compare the packaging to the identifiers listed in the recall notice.
The next day on April 16, the USDA announced that around 4,800lbs of boneless beef products imported from Australia have been recalled over possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. As with the ham recall, this possible issue was discovered by the FSIS during a routine product sample testing — and, likewise, there haven’t been any reports of illnesses related to the beef.
In this case, the beef was imported in 60lb cardboard boxes that were shipped to distributors in the US, eventually making their way to processors in Pennsylvania and New York. Though the beef was packaged several months ago, the USDA expresses concern that some of these products may still exist in freezers at distributors and processors in the US where they may end up used for food products at the consumer level.


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EPFO to offer online PF withdrawal facility by August: report
12 February 2016
Subscribers of Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will be allowed the facility of online withdrawal of funds beginning August, as the retirement fund body moves to reduce paperwork and provide hassle-free service to its subscribers.
With the new facility, settling PF withdrawal claims would just take few hours.
"We are hopeful of launching an online facility for PF withdrawal claims by August this year. We have already digitised our records and processes using Oracle operating system," reports quoting EPFO sources said.
"EPFO will soon buy blade servers for setting up three Central Data Centres at Gurgaon, Dwarka (Delhi) and Secunderabad. All the three centres will be connected to 123 offices of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)," the report quoted him as saying.
EPFO hopes to complete the process of installation of servers by May and put in place the response system after final testing in June.
"After intensive testing and trials in June and July, we are planning to launch the online PF withdrawal facility in August this year," the official said.
Operationalisation of the system would enable subscribers to apply online for PF withdrawal, which will be transferred directly to their bank accounts.
At present, subscribers who wish to settle their accounts with the EPFO are required to apply manually.
For settling online claims, the subscribers would have to activate their Universal (portable PF) Account Numbers, which are seeded with KYC details, including bank accounts, Aadhaar number and permanent account number.
The EPFO has over five crore subscribers and has so far issued around 61.5 million UANs, out of which 23.4 million were activated by the subscribers so far, the report pointed out.


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Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. to Webcast Fiscal 2013 First-Quarter Earnings Conference Call Tuesday, Oct. 30
10/23/2012 9:28:54 AM
ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (CSI) (Nasdaq: CSII) will host a live webcast of its fiscal 2013 first-quarter conference call on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, at 3:45 p.m. CT (4:45 p.m. ET). David L. Martin, president and chief executive officer, and Laurence L. Betterley, chief financial officer, will discuss the company’s results for its fiscal first quarter ended Sept. 30, 2012, and its financial outlook. The company will issue a post-market earnings release on Oct. 30.
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Flash memory storage company SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) has announced that they have invested in Panzura. The investment was made through SanDisk’s venture capital arm SanDisk Ventures. Panzura is known for being a provider of flash-based network attached storage (NAS) solutions for enterprise companies.
Panzura is known for using flash memory to store data in the cloud. SanDisk participated in Panzura’s Series D funding round with Meritech Capital, Matrix Partners, Khosla Ventures, Opus Capital, and Chevron Technology Ventures.
“Panzura?s innovative global NAS cloud infrastructure solution offers numerous benefits compared to traditional on-premise NAS offerings,” stated SanDisk’s EVP and chief strategy officer Sumit Sadana. “Panzura is another excellent example of the important role flash memory is playing in the transformation of the enterprise.”
SanDisk launched SanDisk Ventures in 2012 and has a goal of investing $75 million through 2015. Panzura will gain access to SanDisk’s broad product portfolio and technical expertise.


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Lamborghini’s leadership really wants to build a new SUV, and there are probably scores of Russian oligarchs waiting to buy it. But there’s another group that appears eager for Lambo to return to the 4×4 market.
Eager to create new jobs, the Italian government plans to offer up to 100 million euros (about $111 million) in tax breaks and incentives for a new facility dedicated to SUV production, Bloomberg reports. The new facility would be located near Lamborghini’s headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, and employ about 300 people.
The Italian economy has been in a recession since 2011, and the government views stable manufacturing jobs as key to getting it back on track.
The SUV, which is expected to be based on the Urus concept from the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, would share the MLB platform with other Volkswagen Group products. So while it would be assembled in Italy, most of the components would come from other places.
Bodies would be made at the same plant as related VW Group SUVs, including the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, and Porsche Cayenne. They would be shipped to Italy for final assembly.
First, though, the VW Group brass needs to give final approval. While Lamborghini itself is gung-ho about the project, there is some concern that the Urus would cannibalize sales from other brands.
And while the LM002 “Rambo Lambo” serves as a precedent, some question whether customers will really buy a Lamborghini SUV, or whether the booming SUV market will remain intact by the time it reaches production.
Lamborghini has said it plans to launch the SUV in 2017, and will only share parts with other VW Group models when absolutely necessary to preserve its caché. However, speculation regarding its powertrain includes some very un-Lambo like options, such as smaller turbocharged engines and a hybrid system.
While officials continue to waffle, the case for a Lamborghini SUV is growing stronger. Fellow VW property Bentley and Rolls-Royce are set to launch SUVs that — if they’re successful — could open the door for a new range of ultra-expensive models.
- Ford recalls more than half a million SUVs over fire risk
- Ford gears up to build rugged, capable hybrid trucks and SUVs
- The Italian Job’s Lamborghini Miura is rediscovered after 50 years in hiding
- Lamborghini hybrid supercar rumored to cost $3 million and glow in the dark


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Urfi Javed’s video is going viral on social media. In this video, the oops moment of Urfi Javed was captured in the camera.
Urfi Javed Oops Moment: Urfi Javed always remains in limelight due to strange dressing sense. But this time as soon as Urfi came in front of the camera, something was captured in the camera that she became a victim of Oops Moment. This airport video of Urfi is creating panic on social media.
Urfi Javed reaches Mumbai airport
In the latest video, Urfi Javed was caught on paparazzi’s camera outside Mumbai airport. As soon as Urfi came in front of the camera, she started posing fiercely.
Wear such clothes
In this video going viral, Urfi Javed was wearing a bralette style full sleeve top with blue colored pants. Along with this, she appeared in subtle makeup with open hair.
Done oops moment
In this video, Urfi Javed was wearing such a tight bralette style top, but still something was caught in the camera from the side, due to which Urfi was caught in the oops moment.
Started adjusting as soon as I knew
As soon as Urfi came to know about her oops moment, she started adjusting the bralette from one side. Urfi was spotted several times doing this in the video.
Who said I am rich..
On seeing Urfi Javed, the paparazzi told her that you have become rich. In response, Urfi said- ‘Who said I am rich. Man should be rich at heart.


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Mothers at this shopping mall say other stores are better at catering for young children
Mothercare has confirmed it is closing 50 stores as part of a rescue scheme, a move that will set 800 tasks at risk.
The baby products retailer said it was in a “perilous” financial position.
The store closes will leave it with 78 outlets in the UK by 2020.
The retailer has already virtually halved its store numbers over the past 5 year. It had aimed have 92 outlets by 2023, but have already been accelerated its closure plans and will have just 73 by that year.
What’s gone wrong at Mothercare ?
Five things to do with empty retail store
Six shops eluding the High Street crisis


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Hyderabad, Jul 23 (IANS): Hyderabad-based startup Cellestial E-Mobility has raised $200,000 funding and is geared up to roll out its first electric vehicle (EV) prototype, the company said on Tuesday.
Cellestial E-Mobility, which launched business operations in May this year, is in the advanced stages of developing electric tractors with the longest battery life in the market, it said.
According to the startup, the first round of investment has come from angel investor Meka Sudhakar Reddy, a Singapore-based NRI with over 18 years of expertise in Logistics Spacing.
"We are readying to roll out the first prototype in the next one month," said Cellestial E-Mobility Founder-Promoter Siddhartha Durairajan.
He pointed out the e-mobility invention is a zero-emission ecological tractor apt for horticultural or greenhouse works, moving goods within factories, and to haul luggage at airports.
Cellestial has a capacity to build 100 e-mobility heavy vehicles and has the capability to create more volume if the consumption for its product grows.
The startup is upbeat about the market potential as the EV transition presents unmet opportunity for Indian manufacturers with all the major cities facing severe traffic congestion and increasing pollution levels.


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We're not here to ruin your recent Black Friday purchase, but it wouldn't be right if we didn't tell you this.
That shiny new Smart TV you bought for the holidays? It could be spying on you, the FBI warns.
FBI officials say TVs often have fewer security features than laptops or smartphones, leaving them more vulnerable to hackers looking to access your home network.
According to the FBI, hackers could potentially use that access to show inappropriate videos or even spy on you through the TV's camera. They recommend changing your password, disabling risky features, or even putting a piece of tape over the camera.
"Beyond the risk that your TV manufacturer and app developers may be listening and watching you, that television can also be a gateway for hackers to come into your home,"read a warning from the government bureau released just before the Black Friday holiday shopping weekend.
"At the low end of the risk spectrum, they can change channels, play with the volume, and show your kids inappropriate videos," the FBI said. "In a worst-case scenario, they can turn on your bedroom TV's camera and microphone and silently cyberstalk you."
You may not care, but still. It never hurts to be extra cautious.
For more information, please read here.


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(To view a Reuters live blog about the U.S., UK, and European stock markets, click the LIVE button and / or type the word LIVE in a news window.) (Updates to close the market, change the data line, byline)
NEW YORK, Nov 27 (Reuters) – Wall Street stocks advanced and the Nasdaq closed at a record high on Friday in a festive abbreviated week as retailers launched a year-end shopping season amid record COVID-19 hospital treatment.
The Nasdaq outperformed as investors preferred technology-related, market-leading stocks that did well during the pandemic, while economically sensitive cyclical stocks weighed their weights.
All three indices rose during the week as the S&P 500 reached a new high and the blue-chip Dow ended above 30,000 for the first time.
“It’s an abbreviated meeting and the volume is light, so the only conclusion is that the meeting isn’t stalling for now,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York.
“It promises well for next month,” Cardillo added. “Will we see a Santa meeting? The most likely. Will it be as robust as November? That’s a big question mark.
Retailers have opened their doors to Black Friday shoppers with social isolation practices and other measures to reduce the risk of infection, with steep discounts.
“Black Friday is a bit polluted – traffic is declining due to the pandemic – but the good news is that e-commerce sales have reached a new record,” Cardillo said. – That’s encouraging.
In the latest development on the road to the development of a vaccine against COVID-19, Britain gave the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca a green light after experts raised questions about the test data for the vaccine.
With hospital treatment for coronavirus in the U.S. set more than 89,000 records, competition for a medical solution to the pandemic has led to promising vaccines from Pfizer Inc, Moderna Inc. and others, fueling optimism for light at the end of the tunnel.
Unofficially, the Dow Jones industry average rose 38.56 points, 0.13%, to 29,911.03 points, the S&P 500 rose 9.04 points, 0.25% to 3,638.69 points, and the Nasdaq Composite 111, It increased by 44 points, ie 0.92% to 12,205.85 points.
Chip-making stocks, which were resilient during the global health crisis, once again outperform the broader market.
Shares of Walt Disney Co plummeted after the company announced it would lay off about 32,000 workers, up from 28,000 previously announced. Jobs will be cut mainly at Disney theme parks.
Tesla Inc. was based on the latest demonstration, with its shares moving forward, even as U.S. regulators launched an investigation into the first suspension problems of some 115,000 Tesla vehicles.
U.S. listed shares of iQIYI Inc fell after Reuters reported that Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd were in talks to buy a controlling stake in the video streaming service. (Report by Stephen Culp; edited by Richard Chang)


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“There are likely no GMO products in your produce department, although some squash, corn and Hawaiian papayas have been altered without the traditional crossbreeding or selective breeding methods,” is what I usually say. Now I’ll have to add apples and potatoes.
Judging from comments at the U.S. Apple Association Crop Outlook and Marketing Conference I attended and the Idaho Grower-Shippers Association Conference that a colleague went to, GMO versions of apples and potatoes will be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It’s not a matter of if, but when.
The Arctic apple, which has a non-browning trait, and Innate potato, which cuts down on bruising and acrylamides, are aimed at the processing market.
The Arctic apple’s biggest customer will be fresh-cut, which continues to grow dramatically. At McDonald’s, the fresh-cut sliced apples paved the way for other fresh fruit as a Happy Meal side to replace french fries (Cuties clementines passed market testing in Austin, Texas, and small bananas are now a possibility).
Even as national apple crop production estimates are at their third-highest, industry leaders aren’t too concerned. One reason cited by several is the growth in the sliced-apple category at foodservice and retail.
Although the apple association has come out against the approval of the Arctic apple — with concerns that anti-GMO blowback will affect sales of all apples — there wasn’t a sense of controversy or doom surrounding its eventual FDA approval. As the head of one state’s apple association said, “there’s nothing to do but let the market decide.”
On the face of it, there seems to be a strange double standard at work. Growers, on the average, embrace GMO technology as a tool to bring out desirable traits, like disease-fighting capabilities such as the sunspot virus-free Hawaiian papaya.


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Walgreens taps two from Walmart, third from Kraft for key merchandising roles; promotes Van Howe and Watts to new posts
NEW YORK You can expect to see more changes in the look and feel of the Walgreens drug store.
As three key front-end merchants left Walgreens’ in early May amid a major staff shakeup, three new replacements have since walked in from Walmart and Kraft Foods.
Coming to Walgreens from Walmart are Shannon Petree and Eddie Frail, to the positions of DVP/GMM beauty and personal care, and DVP/GMM seasonal and general merchandise, respectively; additionally, 14-year Kraft Foods veteran Maurice “Moe” Alkemade will join Walgreens, assuming the position of DVP/GMM private brands. Frail’s position became effective on June 15; Alkemade starts June 22; and Petree will start July 13.
All this adds up to long-term changes for both the way product is displayed and signed at the front end, and the actual products customers will see on the shelves, endcaps and freestanding in-aisle displays.
Going forward, it seems certain the product mix at Walgreens will be more trimmed-down and condensed, and geared more to the “affordable essentials” and Walgreens has indicated that it must do a better job of offering the nation’s consumers in a time of economic belt-tightening. In light of this, it is interesting — but perhaps not surprising —that Walgreens tapped two former Walmart executives to join its management team.
Walgreens inevitably is looking to strike differentiation in these three categories that are clearly so deeply connected to the overall shopping drug store experience.
Think about it — Rx and OTC are need-driven purchases; but beauty, seasonal, consumables, that’s where the impulse shopping starts, the market basket fills up and the dollar ring climbs. Those are the truly “experiential” categories in the drug store; that’s where you get your wow factor and strike differentiation.
Walmart recently introduced a new interactive “Virtual Mirror” technology in two of its stores that allows customers to try on cosmetics virtually; the kiosks are located along the beauty wall, lining up against the L’Oreal, Revlon and CoverGirl brands. (For more, see the June 29, 2009 issue of Drug Store News — coming soon.)
Polaroid and Summit Global announce partnership
MINNEAPOLIS PLR IP Holdings LLC announced the completion of an exclusive five-year license agreement with the Summit Global Group to produce and distribute Polaroid-branded digital still cameras, digital video cameras, digital photo frames and Polaroid PoGo mobile products worldwide.
Prior to the partnership, Summit Global had been a trusted partner of the Polaroid brand for over eight years.
“We are pleased to continue our relationship with Summit Global as we move into a new era for the Polaroid brand,” said Scott W. Hardy, president of PLR IP Holdings, the entity that owns the Polaroid Brand. “Summit Global’s leadership in digital imaging is sure to uphold and exceed customer expectations as we re-launch our iconic brand into relevant new product categories.”
The partnership further develops and validates the strength of the Polaroid brand, and supports PLR IP Holdings’ strategic objective to diversify product category growth in established and emerging markets. It is anticipated that the agreement will generate over $1.3 billion in retail sales beginning 2009.
Fresh & Easy announces four new stores set to open this July
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market announced the grand opening of four California stores in Pasadena, Oxnard and Santa Barbara County set to open this July.
Based on customer feedback, Fresh & Easy announced it will be introducing over 1,000 new products to existing stores over the summer. Customers should expect to see more Fresh & Easy brand products, larger pack sizes, more national brands and exclusive new lines of national brand-quality products at low prices.
“As we have always done, we continue to listen and evolve to improve the shopping trip for customers. We’re hearing customers want to stretch their dollars even further, without compromising on quality,” said Tim Mason, Fresh & Easy CEO. “Particularly in this economy, we’re pleased we can open four additional stores in new neighborhoods while creating more than 80 high-quality jobs.”
Fresh & Easy currently operates 120 stores in California, Arizona and Nevada.


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When can players expect to wander the darkity-dark of Diablo IV? Sometime in the first portion of 2023 if some rumors are to be believed. According to rumors from The XboxEra podcast and corroborated by insider reporting from Windows Central, the ARPG could be making its way to players in April 2023.
Both sources reference insider information that says this year’s Game Awards broadcast will feature a new trailer for D4 that will unveil the April launch date as well as open pre-orders for the game when that trailer premieres. These sources first started cropping up in other reports from Reddit last month and all align with the game’s beta testing schedule.
On top of the launch window reveal, reports indicate that there will be a variety of different editions for D4 including a physical collector’s edition, as well as another confirmation of its season-based live service structure and microtransactions plan.


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- News tagged "windows phone 8"
Friday, 16 Aug 2013
Update: Two days after Microsoft relaunched its YouTube app on the Windows Phone Store, Google has blocked it again.
Tuesday, 13 Aug 2013
First introduced to Asia about a year ago, Deezer is now rolling out its new app on Windows Phone 8, featuring a new home screen with a focus on content, as well as enhanced features.
Wednesday, 7 Aug 2013
Microsoft has announced that Bing on Windows Phone 8 is getting a new look and some new features. First up, the number of Bing search result categories will be reduced to three: Web, Images, and Videos.
Friday, 12 Jul 2013
Team vSoft Studio from NTU has emerged as champion of the 11th annual Microsoft Imagine Cup, the world's premier competition for student technologists, developers and aspiring entrepreneurs to create innovative projects and ultimately bring those ideas to market.
Nokia finally took the wraps off its Lumia 1020 handset, the first Windows Phone device to come equipped with the 41-megapixel PureView camera sensor.
Thursday, 20 Jun 2013
Nokia posted a teaser on its blog, which hints that the device it is unveiling on 11 July will come with a 41-megapixel camera sensor.
Monday, 17 Jun 2013
Microsoft is reportedly paying up to US$100,000 to Windows Phone 8 application developers. By offering such lucrative cash incentives, the Redmond software giant hopes to bolster the offerings on its Windows store, so that people would be convinced to purchase a Windows Phone 8 device.
Tuesday, 9 Apr 2013
The Verge reports that Microsoft will be bringing support for 1080p displays and quad-core processors to Windows Phone 8 by end of the year.
Friday, 1 Mar 2013
Samsung today announced the launch of the Samsung ATIV S in Singapore, a smartphone based on the Windows Phone 8 platform. It will be available in Singapore from tomorrow, 2 March, at S$798, without contract.
Tuesday, 26 Feb 2013
Nokia adds two new Windows Phone 8 device to their current Lumia portfolio. Joining the flagship Lumia 920 are the Nokia Lumia 720 and 520.


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Like the coming of winter and the deepening of Justin Bieber's voice, the introduction of Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos at Taco Bell is all but inevitable.
The Nacho Cheese-flavored (read: orange) Doritos Locos Tacos, after all, have already been a smash success for the brand, both in terms of public awareness and sales. Some have even said that they could save Taco Bell. So many have taken it for granted that Taco Bell would bring other flavors of Doritos to bear on its food -- eventually.
As early as this summer -- if rumors swirling around the blogosphere this week can be trusted.
The idea can be traced back to a Tweet from Taco Bell headquarters yesterday. Responding to a query about Cool Ranch Tacos, the Yum brands social media peon on duty wrote:
That seems pretty close to a confirmation to us. Still not convinced? There have also been sightings of Cool Ranch-flavored taco shells at various Taco Bell locations around the country -- assumedly test sites for a potential new product. So the debut of Cool Ranch Doritos Tacos really does seem imminent. It would, in any case, make a pretty great 50th birthday present for Taco Bell.
UPDATE: A Taco Bell spokesperson confirmed that Taco Bell is "releasing Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos later this year on the heels of the successful introduction of Doritos Locos Tacos, the biggest launch in Taco Bell history." He declined to say when exactly they would be released -- but summer counts as "later this year," right?
Want to prepare your taste buds for the adventure by adding Cool Ranch Doritos to some other favorite fast food items? Click through our slideshow of other fast food items with Nacho Cheese Doritos for some inspiration:


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For more than half a year,
has been dominating the PC industry like
in a community center chess league. But investors shouldn't get too complacent, for one of Dell's sharpest weapons could soon lose its edge.
That weapon is sharply declining component prices. The market for things like graphics chips, microprocessors and memory started falling apart last fall along with demand for personal computers. And since then, to the astonishment of most market observers, the slide hasn't so much as paused. The standard 128-megabit
DRAM chips that fetched more than $16 on the Asian spot market last September are now approaching $2. (Spot markets are markets in which goods are sold for immediate delivery.)
This scenario has been a boon for Dell, which keeps far fewer components in inventory than any of its competitors do. When the prices of components fall, Dell, which procures its parts with extremely short lead times, can pass that cost-saving on to its customers with near immediacy. If the contract price of DRAM memory falls, or if
discounts its Pentium chips, customers can pretty much watch the price of a Dell PC fall right before their eyes. Because they have usually paid more money for the same components, competitors that try to match Dell's price cuts do so at great peril to their profit margins.
Point of Diminishing Returns
But protecting the bottom line has its own costs when you're going up against Dell. "Pursuing profitable market share" has become an industry euphemism for flat-out losing share. In the past two quarters, with component prices plummeting across the board, Dell has been picking up share like gangbusters:
figures show that at the end of the third quarter of 2000, Dell held 19.7% of the PC market in the U.S., about 4.5 percentage points above its nearest competitor,
By the end of the first quarter of 2001, Dell's share had risen to 23%, and its lead over Compaq expanded to more than 6 percentage points. Between those two periods, every single one of Dell's competitors lost market share in the U.S.
Source: Fechtor Detwiler
How long Dell can keep this up depends largely on how long component prices keep falling. Dell has a lot of ways of keeping its own costs down: its lean inventory management, its flexible ways of negotiating prices with suppliers. But ever-cheapening components are perhaps the single-biggest driver behind the swift and massive gains in market share Dell has made in the past several months. When that trend shifts, competitors finally will find themselves on a more even footing.
"Dell has had a heyday passing falling costs along to people," says
analyst Brett Miller. "Sometimes in the middle of the day. That's what they do best. That's all they do, really. They have no technology. They have no intellectual property at all. They just pass on Intel and
very efficiently." (A.G. Edwards hasn't done recent underwriting for Dell.) Dell rose 84 cents Tuesday to $26.10.
It's impossible to tell when the slide in components prices will reverse itself. Industry watchers have been waiting for that to happen for months. But prices needn't rise to change the competitive dynamic in the PC market. They need only stabilize, and every day that prices continue to fall puts the market one day closer to the bottom, for the simple reason that things tend not to remain at their extremes. Something as modest as a seasonal uptick in demand -- the sort of minor change that Intel talked about in its midquarter update -- could set it off.
"Price performance is the engine driving growth in the PC industry," says
analyst Walter Winnitzki. "When component prices don't go down, PC pricing becomes more stable. That's what we're likely to see. Dell may price aggressively, but less so. They'll still sacrifice their margins, but less so.
"The net result is that things will ease up a little bit," Winnitzki says. (J.P. Morgan hasn't done recent underwriting for Dell.)
That would be a welcome development for companies wearied by Dell's endgame.


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What directors need to know about their rights
Getting paid promptly yourself is another issue and something that drives entrepreneurs mad at the best of times and could have potentially fatal consequences for a business in the worst.
A recent report found that UK small businesses spend more than one working week a year chasing late payments.
Over 56.4m hours last year were spent following up non and late payments with more than half of these taking place outside of regular business hours so eating into valuable personal and family time.
On average, an SME could be waiting for at least nine outstanding payments with 11% of these being more than 200 days late.
The Federation of Self-Employed and Small Businesses (FSB) estimated that SMEs are owed an average of £6,142 with most debts due from larger companies.
It’s not just an inconvenience. The same FSB research found that 37% of respondents fall into cash flow problems as a result and 30% needed to use their overdraft facility to cover costs.
They say that 50,000 SMEs could be kept in business each year if all payments were made on time – equal to £2.5bn of economic activity.
Additional data analysis has found that suppliers billing less than £10,000 to large companies did not have their invoices processed until 35 days after the paperwork has been received, meaning that the payment, usually due within 30 days, is already late before the invoice has even been approved.
This is effectively a cheap form of credit for larger companies!
There has been some action taken taken by government. Prompt payment legislation came into force in the UK in September 2019 which included the penalty of disqualifying large companies from bidding for government contracts if they didn’t achieve a benchmark of 95% payment rate on invoices within a 60 day spell.
There are also some additional options available for smaller companies to help offset payment delays especially if you suspect or know it’s coming.
Payment terms are usually defined by the payment terms made when the sale is agreed but if a specific timetable is not agreed than legally a payment is late if the customer does not pay it within 30 days of receiving the invoice or within 30 days of the delivery of goods or provided service if this is later.
Time to act
Statutory interest can be charged on late payments to a maximum of the Bank of England base rate plus eight percentage points – today this would be 8.75%.
This rate is an annual one but could be charged daily so a £10,000 debt for example would accrue £875 annual interest or £2.40 daily. This sum is multiplied by the number of days late that the bill stands.
Additionally, a business is entitled to charge a fixed sum to cover costs incurred while chasing the payment – including time. This can vary from £40 for payments worth less than £1,000 up to £100 for bills of £10,00 or more.
To claim, issue a new invoice to the customer detailing what it is owed. If disputed then legal action would enforce payment but sums of less than £100,00 can be pursued through the small claims court.
Alternatively if a business owes more than £750 then you could just cut to the chase and issue a statutory demand.
It gives the recipient 21 days to pay in full with increasingly serious consequences if they don’t, including the threat of a winding-up petition being brought against them.
Not being paid is a serious matter for any business but for a small or medium enterprises it could literally be the difference between survival and insolvency. We find regular instances of businesses facing voluntary liquidation as a result of late payments.
If your company is in deep water through no fault of its own or you’re having trouble balancing payments that you’d like to pay straight away but can’t – get in touch with us.
We can arrange a free and convenient initial consultation with one of our trained expert advisors. We can look at what the underlying issues are that are hampering the business and look at what you can do to make things easier and get things back on an even keel quickly.


text: There are two kinds of people in the world – those who think Queen Bey can do no wrong and well…those who aren’t very into celebrity worship. Beyonce likes to go by the name Mrs. Carter on her pop diva tour, as a nod to hubby Jay-Z. Jay recently announced he’s trying to go vegan for a few weeks, so naturally B will be joining in on his endeavor. The music duo stopped by a hip L.A. vegan eatery this week but there’s just one hitch. Beyonce went wearing leather, fur and even a cow print leather jacket. For those out of the loop, besides being healthy, vegan living is supposed to be an alternative lifestyle that is merciful to animals. Nothing in your life can come from an animal product and that includes animal fur and hide. Oops. Better luck next time.


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Donald Trump asks Apple to manufacture in US to avoid tax
US President Donald Trump on Friday ruled out a tariff waiver for Apple products made in China.
“I want Apple to build their plants in the United States. I do not want them to build them in China,” he told reporters in his Oval Office at the White House.
“When I heard they were going to build in China, I said no, it’s okay. You can build in China, but when you send your product into the United States, we are going to tariff you. But we will work it out,” Trump said.
Stating that he had a lot of respect for Apple chief Tim Cook, the president said, “We will work it out. I think they are going to announce that they are going to build a plant in Texas. And if they do that, I am starting to get very happy.”
Earlier in the day, Trump said Apple will not get any tariff waiver for its products made in China.
“Apple will not be given Tariff waiver, or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China,” he said in a tweet and asked the company to manufacture its products in the US.


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“The inspiration for the graphical design is Courier New meets film noir.” Meet MS-DOS Mobile.
Fairsearch (a group led by Microsoft, Oracle and Expedia) has filed a complaint [PDF] with the EU claiming that Google has a monopoly in the mobile market and is using its mobile position to force its other products on users.
Some early reviews of Windows 8: "The worst computing experience I've ever had." "A technological, ideological and functional failure." "I’ve felt almost totally at sea — confused, paralyzed, angry, and ultimately resigned to the pain of having to alter the way I do most of my work." (previously) [more inside]
In February of 2008, Microsoft acquired the maker of the Sidekick, Danger Inc., for $500 million dollars and rolled the company into its Premium Mobile Experiences division, led by Roz Ho. The Sidekick retained a dedicated following after the merger despite some hiccups along the way. Twenty-six months after the acquisition, Microsoft unveiled the KIN One and KIN Two devices which would launch in May. The devices were backed by a huge and mildly controversial marketing push aimed at the young, hip social-networking addict niche. Reviews were generally negative and often cited needless complexity, software that was lacking basic functions and no support for third party applications. The devices ran a fork of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft's rewrite of their aging mobile operating system that had been rapidly losing ground to RIM, Apple and Google. Just seven weeks after launch, the KIN is dead. Engadget has some insight into the failure and the subsequent shake-up at Microsoft.
The New Microsoft Smartphone. Microsoft has revealed their latest Windows Mobile Smartphone, today, dubbed the Windows Phone 7 Series. Videos from the conference. They've announced the new phone will be available on most of the major carriers. [more inside]
In the light of the Microsoft/Sidekick data disaster, it might be a good time to take a look at just what's happening with Microsoft's half billion dollar investment in Danger. Despite already having a mobile phone operating system (Windows Mobile) and an entire division (Zune) just itching to go head to head with Apple's iPhone. Microsoft decided to turn Danger into a skunkworks for "Project Pink," named, apparently, after the pop star. Now, According to MobileCrunch, the project is two years late, most of the team has left or been fired, Microsoft hasn't managed to create an app store, and the demoralized team is more enamored of their iPhones than their own product. [more inside]


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Online sales were already predicted to overtake store spending for the first time this Christmas – now with all parts of the UK affected by more stringent restrictions than we have seen in recent months due to the rise in Coronavirus cases, it’s becoming more apparent that we are heading for a digital Christmas.
We have already seen a huge uplift in online spending this year, particularly during the period of the first national lockdown where over 30% of all retail sales were carried out online – the highest ever, according to statistics from ONS.
And that’s without any impending festivities.
UK consumers spent over £78bn on Christmas presents and food last year; one third of that was spent online. Whether overall Christmas spend will be matched this year is yet to be seen, but it’s fair to say that online will account for a much larger proportion of the Christmas budget.
With a second national lockdown starting in England and the different arrangements in place for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, traditional Christmas shopping will be very hard this year. It’s a huge opportunity for online retailers of course, but with it comes a big challenge as couriers are already battling to fulfil growing demand for food and retail orders made online. That, coupled with Christmas shopping, will only add to the pressure pot over the coming weeks.
Research shows that only 15% of firms have created roles to cater for the increase in online sales, according to a study conducted by Barclays Corporate Banking.
With only around 50 days to go until Christmas, it’s more important than ever for operators and retailers to have plans in place – including the strategic use of high quality temporary driving and non-driving staff – to deal with the surge in demand.


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This article was originally published on Hoban Law Group, and appears here with permission.
The Federalization of Marijuana will change the landscape of the localized marijuana industry and will be the next evolution in the realm of legal marijuana. Federal legalization will certainly bring more basic business tools to marijuana entrepreneurs such as banking, access to federal loans and grants, interstate commerce, etc. But, what other impacts will Federal legalization bring? How will your current localized industry adapt? Or, is the question, can it adapt?
The marijuana industry has been an instrumental economic driving force in every state that has embraced the creation of a legalized licensed marijuana market. As the industry continues to transform into a legitimate and substantial economic influence, it brings along with it a rise in work for ancillary businesses. When Federal legalization occurs, it’s important to communicate to your Federal lawmakers the importance of creating a legalized scheme that protects the local small marijuana business owners who pioneered the space. Federal legalization means the risk that has kept the big corporations out of the market place disappears. It was that same risk that allowed small business owners to come into the marijuana space and successfully launch their businesses, with capital that they derived from their personal assets (retirement accounts, home equity loans, and savings for the most part). Banks generally don’t loan to marijuana companies, so the companies that exist now, under the state licensing system are primarily self-funded. It’s a pretty scary concept to reckon with as a small state-licensed marijuana business owner. Once Federal legalization occurs, the field of competition all of the sudden gets a whole lot larger, and your competitors’ pockets get a whole lot deeper.
Federal Legalization of Marijuana
I personally believe that it’s clear that Federal legalization is right around the corner, and that we need to start educating lawmakers now about the importance of protecting small to midsize locally owned companies. Locally owned companies are critical to a state or locality’s economic viability. Marijuana has diversified the economy in countless cities, boroughs, and counties – it’s been a positive impact to have locally owned businesses, hiring local employees, and investing revenue generated right back into the community. There is a reason for the movement of “Shop Local” there’s a real tangible economic value to communities when the community has strong locally owned business actors as part of its economic base.
A total Federal scheme that absorbs the existing state licensing programs could wipe out State programs and the State could lose control of the existing State-based industry. In addition, smaller marijuana businesses such as the “mom & pop shops” would suffer. Federal regulations could supersede State regulations and businesses will have to quickly adapt to achieve a heightened level of compliance. This total Federal scheme approach would not be ideal. The state regulatory schemes are working, they are keeping the public safe while fostering business growth and economic activity. A better approach would be for the Federal Government to leave it up to the State’s, keep it a State’s rights issue. Keep the State’s restrictions intact, to the extent they are constitutional. Keeping the power to regulate and issue licenses locally, will aid in proper protection of the State’s local business actors. Because let’s face it, the Feds have enough on their plates, and honestly, they’ve never gotten the laws right on marijuana, I for one don’t trust them to get it right this time around either…
Read the original Article on Hoban Law Group
Benzinga‘s Related Links:
Image and article originally from www.benzinga.com. Read the original article here.


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XRP, the popular cryptocurrency, experienced a jaw-dropping surge on the Gemini crypto exchange. Within hours of its much-awaited relisting on the platform, the XRP price skyrocketed to $50.
According to analysts, this sudden surge was not a result of market forces but rather a suspected price glitch. Crypto users were surprised that the XRP price fluctuating wildly, with reports of prices ranging from $1 to an incredible $50 per token.
Gemini, like many other exchanges, had recently decided to relist XRP following a favorable verdict. Unfortunately, due to a technical glitch on the platform, the price of XRP went haywire, causing confusion and excitement among traders and investors.
According to social media users, the abrupt price increase is thought to be the result of a software error at the top cryptocurrency exchange.
There are many potential causes for XRP’s sudden price increase to $50 on Gemini, from order book imbalances to technical problems like latency and interface faults. Gemini teased the community numerous times before ultimately announcing the listing of XRP on Thursday.
Gemini Launches XRP Deposits and Trading After Ripple Labs Secures Key Legal Win:
Today, the cryptocurrency exchange Gemini introduced support for Ripple (XRP) enabling users to deposit the asset on its platform but not hold it in custody.
According to the New York-based exchange Gemini, introducing support for the blockchain is “an important step on our mission to unlock the next era of financial, creative, and personal freedom.”


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Vodafone bogged-down by mobile termination fee cuts
Western Australia gets controversial iVote software
Holden prepares to launch connected cars in Australia
'Patcher' ransomware locks macOS files for good
MYOB splashes $48m on Paycorp
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Twitter sues US Justice for right to disclose surveillance requests
Cites violation of First Amendment rights.
Oct 8 2014 6:48AM
Google commences ‘right to be forgotten’ Euro tour
Google-appointed panel to debate privacy rights.
Sep 10 2014 6:36AM
Inside NBN Co's 108Mbps apartment block test
The technical details.
Dec 17 2013 6:43AM
Whitepaper: Sourcefire Visibility & Control eBook
The world is split into two groups: those who have been hacked and those who will be
Nov 8 2013 12:18PM
Telstra free to make TPG-style basement fibre play
But little appetite for 'crazy'.
Oct 23 2013 1:57PM
NBN Co to start fibre-to-the-basement field trials
Fresh from the lab to an MDU near you.
Oct 22 2013 10:41PM
Missing data in Turnbull's second-best NBN
NBN-Lite will still need to be heavy on negotiation.
Apr 9 2013 3:42PM
ACCC on guard against net content shaping
Competition notices, penalties available as remedies.
Feb 13 2013 11:20AM
Tech firms make best workplaces
Annual list dominated.
Jun 21 2012 2:54PM
EU to legislate on cloud security
Providers asked to become legally liable for any data offences.
Sep 30 2011 7:15AM
Google faces UK pressure over piracy: report
British Government seeks Google censorship.
Sep 16 2011 7:14AM
Digital Realty to build Sydney data centre
Eyes NSW Government as tenant.
Jul 26 2011 3:48PM
Future EMC chief narrows to two-horse race
Speculation mounts on succession planning.
Jul 15 2011 7:06AM
UK follows Aussie social patent review trial
Crowd-sourcing to solve patent office limitations.
Jun 3 2011 11:06AM
Equinix to build New York data centre
Pumps $240m into new and expanded facilities.
Apr 29 2011 1:32PM
NBN Co to set up community info line
Employs 12 people.
Apr 28 2011 5:31PM
Users sabotage work PCs to force upgrades
Ageing workplace machines force employees to take control
Apr 13 2011 6:56AM
Gartner excludes Windows 7 from tablet forecast
Apple's market share still to slide.
Apr 12 2011 8:13AM
Advertisers could locate IP addresses to within 100m
Computer scientist touts method that drastically improves geolocation without user consent.
Apr 11 2011 8:55AM
Record 64 flaws to be fixed on Patch Tuesday
Long-awaited fix for MHTML flaw.
Apr 11 2011 6:23AM
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The Lumia 900 is yet to be officially announced in Norway and nothing's detailed on the Lumia Momentum Map, but we've just been sent in a photo of a retailer terminal displaying an order for Lumia Windows Phones. As one can see in the photo, the Norwegian retailer Elkjøp is set to stock a handful of all three variants of the Lumia 900, including the glossy white version.
The expected delivery date of the ordered handsets, which we presume are simply demo units, is May 2nd, according to the employee. We could well be on the edge of an upcoming Nokia push in Norway with the flagship Lumia Windows Phone. We'll keep you all updated as this story develops and more information is officially released.
The Lumia 900 launch in the U.S. on AT&T is suffering from major sellouts due to simply not enough handsets being available on shelves. This could be due to not many being in stock to begin with, but with the device being featured as a "hero smartphone", we still like to believe that the sales have been strong.
Thanks tipster for sending in the photo!


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You are on the global GfK website. Visit our local website for more offerings and information in your country.
MRI-Simmons, the leading provider of insights on the American consumer, today announced a partnership with Engagement Labs to reveal links between in-person consumer conversations and specific media audiences, segments, and product owner groups. The insights generated by this new partnership allow marketers to activate their offline brand advocates and influencers and “seed” new conversations based on key messaging.
May suppress EV sales, driving buyers to delay purchases or revert to hybrids, gas-powered enginesRead more
Wright has held key category management, product development roles during 15 years in the industryRead more
Winning team gets $5,000 grand prize, presentation slot at Insights Association’s Annual ConferenceRead more


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Here’s a list of top 5 upcoming cars from top 5 cars makers in India.
Indian automotive market will soon witness a range of new cars in different segments. While the existing car manufacturers are preparing new models to further strengthen their market, some of the new global brands are ready to enter India. Recently, the British carmaker kick started its Indian innings with the MG Hector 5-seater SUV. Kia Motors will commence its Indian operations with the Seltos, which is scheduled to launch on 22nd August, 2019. The French carmaker, PSA Groupe will mark its presence sometime next year. Here we bring you a list of top 5 upcoming cars from top 5 cars makers in India.
1. Kia Seltos
Kia Motors has announced that its product for India – Seltos – will hit roads on 22nd August, 2019. The 5-seater SUV model lineup will comprise of 5 trims and 16 variants with 6 engine-gearbox options. To be available in HT Line and GT Line design patterns, the Seltos will be packed with advanced UVO connected technology that offers 37 smart features in five different categories.
Some of its key features include an 8-speaker Bose sound system, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, a 7-inch colour TFT unit for the instrument console, AC vent for rear seat passengers and more. The Kia Seltos will come with two petrol (1.4L turbo GDI and 1.5L) and one diesel (1.5L) engines, which are compliant to the upcoming BS6 emission norms. Transmissions on offer will include a 6-speed manual, a 7-speed DTC automatic, a 6-speed torque converter automatic and a CVT automatic.
Launch – August 22, 2019
India’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki is ready to foray into mini SUV segment with all-new S-Presso. Designed on the Maruti Suzuki Future S concept, the micro SUV will lock horns against the cars like Mahindra KUV100 and Tata’s upcoming H2X. It will underpin the Suzuki’s new Heartect platform that meets the upcoming crash test and safety norms. While official details of the mini SUV are yet to be revealed by the carmaker, it’s reported to come with a BS6-ready 1.0L K-Series petrol engine. It can be had either with a manual transmission or an AMT gearbox.
The spy pictures reveal that the production-ready Maruti Suzuki S-Presso will feature wraparound headlamps with LED DRLs, WagonR-inspired grille, roof rails, sporty bumper with black plastic cladding and wraparound tail lamps. The mini SUV might come with Suzuki’s SmartPlay Studio touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, a multi functional steering wheel, rear parking camera and several other comfort and connectivity features.
Expected Launch – 2019 Festive Season
3. Tata Altroz
Tata Motors will soon introduce its all-new premium hatchback – Altroz. It’s the brand’s first product to be designed on platform, and the second production model to feature Impact Design 2.0 philosophy. For power, the Altroz will have two petrol and one diesel engines meeting the BS6 emission norms. The higher trims will come with a 1.2L turbocharged petrol motor generating power worth 100PS and 140Nm of torque. It will also share 84bhp, 1.2L naturally aspirated petrol engine with the Tiago hatchback. The diesel variants will be powered by a 1.5L engine pushing out 110PS with 260Nm of torque. The Tata Altroz will be made available with both manual and AMT gearbox options. It might also get a dual-clutch automatic transmission with 1.2L petrol mill. Upon launch, the Tata Altroz will face challenge from Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai Elite i20, Toyota Glanza and Honda Jazz.
Expected Launch – August, 2019
4. Honda HR-V
Aiming to tap the premium 5-seater SUV segment, which is currently dominated by Hyundai Creta, the Japanese carmaker will bring in the Honda HR-V. This new SUV will also rival the Nissan Kicks, Renault Captur, MG Hector and the upcoming Kia Seltos. Its higher trims will take on the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson. While the engine details of the India-spec Honda HR-V are still under the wraps, it’s reported to borrow powertrains from the new Civic sedan. That means, the petrol variant will get a 1.8L i-VTEC motor and the diesel model will come with a 1.6L i-DTEC unit. Some of its key features will include LED headlamps and tail lamps, chromed grille, sloping roofline, a touchscreen infotainment system, rear parking sensors, multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, vehicle stability assist with traction control, tyre pressure monitoring system and more.
Expected Launch – H2, 2019
Hyundai Creta is currently dominating the compact 5-seater SUV segment. First launched in 2015, the Creta is now ready to enter into its new generation with comprehensive design and mechanical changes. The SUV’s next-generation model is reported to come with newly-developed 1.5L petrol and diesel engines that will meet the upcoming BS6 emission norms. The gasoline unit will deliver power worth 115bhp with 144Nm and the oil burner will produce 115bhp with 250Nm. The same powertrains will also be used for the new Verna facelift. Speculations are on rife that the 2020 Hyundai Creta will come with two seating layouts – 5-seater and 7-seater. The new-generation Hyundai Creta might have its India debut at the 2020 Auto Expo, followed by its launch.
Expected Launch – 2020


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According to their press release, Infineon Technologies AG — a German computer memory manufacturer — has agreed to pay a $160 million fine after pleading guilty to the US Department of Justice on a single charge related to antitrust violations.
Under the terms of the agreement, Infineon has agreed to pay a fine of US-Dollar 160 million, an amount fully covered by the company’s recent third quarter accrual. The fine will be paid in equal installments through 2009. The wrongdoing charged by the DoJ was limited to certain OEM customers. Infineon is already been in contact with these customers and has achieved or is in the process of achieving settlements with all of these OEM customers.
This settlement gets Infineon off the hook permanently, but this is only part of a larger case the DOJ is still pursuing. More settlements are likely to come. I did a quick search at the DOJ website and came up with several other cases that have been prosecuted and settled or are still in process.
$160 million; they must’ve gouged a ton of money in order to make a settlement like that.
Infineon strongly condemns any attempt to fix or stabilize prices. Infineon is committed to vigorous and fair competition based solely on superior products and services.
I bet they say that to all the boys.


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Zydus Wellness recently launched a new TVC campaign titled, Sugar Badlo, Health Badlo for its premium sugar brand, Sugarlite. Launched in 2019, Sugarlite is a first of its kind natural sugar which delivers 50% less calories than regular sugar for the same sweetness. Sugarlite caters to health seekers and homemakers who seek a healthier sugar so that they don’t have to cut it down completely.
As per the latest trend, consumers are being more health conscious and making better life choices in terms of lifestyle and diet. The key objective of this TVC campaign Sugar Badlo, Health Badlo is to emphasize on the benefits of Sugarlite Sugar that delivers 50% less calories compared to regular sugar for the same degree of sweetness.
The TVC depicts the relationship between a couple and showcases the wife’s smartness in ensuring her husband’s good health and well-being in a light-hearted and witty style. A simple unnoticeable change in the everyday sugar can make a drastic difference and improve weight-management. Most of the Indian recipes involves sugar as a key ingredient as taste plays a significant role for Indian consumers. Therefore, Sugarlite sugar provides the sweetness of regular sugar with only half the quantity without compromising on taste. The pan-India TVC will launch on 23rd January, 2020.
Speaking about the TVC, Tarun Arora, CEO, Zydus Wellness Ltd said, “With changing consumer demand and trends, Zydus Wellness has always offered solutions that enable consumers to make better choices and embrace a healthier lifestyle, and been a pioneer at doing so. Currently, the sugar space in India needs to be redefined given that the audience is increasingly becoming health-conscious and regular sugar being the root cause of various health problems. With sugar being an inevitable ingredient in Indian households, our priority is to support efforts to reduce the regular sugar consumption and provide a healthier sugar option with fewer calories without compromising on the taste’’
Conceptualized by Wunderman Thompson, the TVC has a light-hearted take on the relationship between an Indian couple and their on-going concerns around health, especially weight. The film showcases Sugarlite as a versatile product that is used by homemakers who are the gatekeepers of good health for families.
Commenting on this Samarth Shrivastava, Sr. VP & Executive Business Director, Wunderman Thompson Mumbai said, “In last couple of years there has been a steady shift towards healthier alternatives in the food category. We tried to capture that shift in consumer belief and their values around food choices through this TVC. Sugarlite is like a magical wand for modern homemakers, it empowers them to take care of health and wellness of their family without compromising on taste.”
The TVC will be aired in 7 languages and will be amplified further on digital and social media.
You can view the TVC.


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Bangalore 13th February, 2014: Recognized as India’s leading beauty and cosmetics trade show, Professional Beauty today announced its official launch in Bangalore. The largest beauty trade show will be taking place on 4th March, 2014 in Bangalore.
After phenomenal response year after year in Mumbai and Delhi, Professional Beauty shall now enter the Bangalore market, bringing together trade buyers from across South India spanning across hair, beauty, nails, skin, make up, cosmetics, spa and equipments.
This first of its kind event will feature leading beauty chains and professionals such as Naturals, YLG, Bodycraft, Bounce, Vaibhav Stores, Kryolan Cosmetics India, Babor, JCKRC, TIGI, Lure Nails, Remy Laure, Sally Hansen, Roots Hair, Friends & Co. SeaSoul Cosmeceuticals, Kiana amongst others.
Additionally, visitors will also witness the launch of India’s first beauty directory by Professional Beauty which aims at acting as a valuable reference and showcase platform for the beauty and cosmetics industry, for years to come.
Leading exhibitors clubbed with look and learn seminars on current topics and trends in the industry, Professional Beauty, Bangalore promises to create a knowledge-sharing platform for the South India market while paving the way for discovery of industry techniques which have emerged in the current times.
Commenting on its entry in Bangalore, Mr. Vikas Vij, Managing Director, Professional Beauty said, “ In the last few years, Professional Beauty has gone on to become an exceptional event and platform for the Indian beauty industry to gather at each year for the latest news, events and launches. With the beauty and cosmetics industry rapidly growing across South India, it was imperative for us to meet the demands of brands from across India by launching an edition in South India, starting off with Bangalore. We hope to be well received.”
Note: Professional Beauty is a B2B trade show and is reserved for trade & beauty professionals over the age of 16 years only.
For Visitor Registration contact: 022 61713232’
For more details contact:
Reena Bajaj| +91 9819010115| reena@