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“U.S. Economy Sees Record Downturn”
The headline on the record drop in U.S. GDP for Q2 2020 at an annual rate of 32.9% and 9.5% from the previous quarter, The Wall Street Journal, print published July 31, 2020 .
Key Pharma Business Issues Being Affected by Economic Dynamics
The pharma industry is going through what could be considered its most challenging of times, as a perfect storm of issues face individual companies in need of new thinking and practical, actionable solutions. The public policy responses to the coronavirus pandemic with respect to business closure mandates, shelter-in-place, and social distancing restrictions have created an unprecedented macroeconomic environment, as indicated by the opening quote. U.S. jobless claims topped 1 million again for the 20th straight week ending August 1, 2020 as of the writing of this blog . Weekly jobless claims since this report have continued to hover around the 1 million mark. The August 1, 2020 jobless claims number, and weekly numbers since, are significantly lower than what they were at the height of the restrictions and their accompanying effects. July 2020 ended with a national unemployment rate at 10.2%, down from the peak of 14.7%, but far higher than the 3.5% in February 2020 before the pandemic-induced shutdown policies took effect, and still higher than any time during the Great Recession of 2007-2009.
What the latest weekly jobless claims number also shows is an economy not experiencing a V-shaped recovery as earlier predicted by economists. Instead, more evidence is supporting a view of an economy recovering from the recession like an “accordion” or sustained W-shape . Moreover, the consistently high level of jobless claims comes at a time when the $600 weekly enhancement in unemployment benefits provided by the federal government has expired, and a resurgence in COVID-19 that could cause a reimposition of restrictions. There seems to be no resolution with Congress and the Trump administration as to “when,” “if,” and “by how much” such enhancements in weekly benefits will be restored. Thus, pharma companies need to have economic-based models on how such dynamics affect patient affordability and access to insurance, thereby impacting future drug utilization and patient health outcomes .
Also, there are significant sub-national variations in the state of the economy when looking at local metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). This sub-national variation of effects across MSAs is placing greater emphasis on developing new approaches and applying additional databases in more local-oriented forecasting models that deviate from national designs. In addition, these sub-national dynamics are requiring pharma companies to develop and estimate econometrically more locally-oriented sales and marketing promotion-response models that account for these regional-based economic effects. This means the continued severity, future uncertainty, and sub-national variation in economic conditions will have impacts on the consumer that require different models from those applied in traditional pharmaceutical commercial analytics.
Therefore, in summary, the following is a non-exhaustive list of key issues currently facing pharma companies where the development of economic dynamics and the application of economic analysis will be critical to address each set of problems.
- The COVID-19 induced recession and the highest unemployment rates since the Great Depression have created significant market access (loss of health insurance) and affordability effects impacting drug utilization and potentially patient health outcomes. Economic analysis is needed to understand how this event will produce both short-term and long-term effects, as was needed with the Great Recession event of 2007-2009.
- COVID-19 has accelerated forces already at work in motivating companies to change their commercial model design. These changes are especially being driven by pandemic-induced dramatic reductions in direct sales rep-HCP engagements, the movement to digital interactions, and a significant increase in the use of telehealth by HCPs in serving patients, to name just a few trend shifts. These shifts and others will continue for the long-term, well beyond the time if/when society finds a vaccine and/or effective treatments. These trend shifts will fundamentally alter traditional pharma commercial processes and analytics, such as promotion-response modeling, marketing-mix, forecasting/prediction/scenario planning, sales force optimization and sales operations, marketing strategy and operations, payer strategy and operations, pricing analytics, launch planning, patient-level analytics, etc. Economic analysis is needed to understand these effects and how best companies should position their resources.
- Generics and biosimilars now comprise at least 90% of all dispensed prescriptions. This places greater pressure on drug company R&D to generate new novel therapies for increasingly more challenging diseases. Growth will not only come from internal R&D pipelines but also will require mergers and acquisitions to generate necessary economies of scope and scale to improve productivity. An economic analysis will be needed to understand the best opportunities for companies to achieve R&D success. Further, economic analysis is needed to demonstrate value/outcomes-based metrics of new patented medicines to counter the lower cost and value of older drug technology represented by generics and biosimilars.
- The high cost of prescription drugs is a major public policy and political issue. The industry risks the direct involvement of the federal government in negotiating drug prices, an expansion of price controls as imposed in Medicare Part B, and other threats to weakening intellectual property. Further, threats from onerous pricing policy proposals in Congress and by the President require economic analysis on their potential business impacts. The Trump administration recently announced via four executive orders the ability to control directly prices, a precursor, or more damaging policies to come if the Democrats gain control of the White House and both houses of Congress.
- There has been an ongoing shift in society wanting to see the socialization in the delivery and reimbursement of healthcare. This means pharma companies having to measure value in the context of improving patient health outcomes and lowering treatment costs. But also, companies need to demonstrate empirically how investments in developing and rewarding the diffusion of new drugs generate societal value relative to other public resource uses. Economic analysis is best positioned on how to make these value comparisons, and what trade-offs occur for society when public policies affect the development and diffusion of new medicines.
- The pharma industry has seen an explosion of new datasets as the healthcare ecosystem expands and becomes more complex. Pharma companies now have access to patient claims data, electronic health records, newer digital channels, mobility data, and the inclusion of economic metrics as recessionary effects need to be evaluated. All of these data elements are in addition to metrics that capture traditional pharma commercial sales, marketing, and payer trends. Economic models are best used to determine the value of these new datasets and their effects on strategic and tactical decision-making when changes occur.
- The increasing complexity of the pharma ecosystem requires the use of tested model designs and the application of advanced empirical methods to discern between mere correlation versus real causation of relationships. Traditional training in PhD economics is ideal in developing and testing such models for practical business decision-making.
How Axtria Can Help Clients with Applying Economic Analysis to Key Pharma Business Issues
Tech companies have already realized the benefits the applications of advanced economic analysis can play in addressing commercial problems in their industry. Amazon has hired more than 150 PhD economists, with Google, Facebook, and Microsoft also engaged in aggressively hiring . Authors of a 2019 Harvard Business Review article noted five questions economists can help tech companies answer, which very much mirror questions facing pharma companies .
Axtria’s think tanks in Decision Science, Commercial Excellence, and Business Information Management have developed innovative solutions and useful insights to help pharma clients with the preceding key business issues involving economic dynamics. Axtria also has trained advanced-degree economists with pharma industry experience to assist clients in finding actionable solutions from adapted commercial analytics incorporating these important economic dynamics.
Furthermore, the existence of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated existing forces and economic dynamics that were already in place, causing changes in pharma commercial models and analytics. Genentech, for example, publicized in July 2020 a new customer engagement model, with its purpose and means of execution expressed in the following quoted paragraph :
We are transitioning from a traditional pharma organizational and territory model to one focused around local health care ecosystems with new specialty roles. For example, each ecosystem is led by both a commercial and a medical executive director, both of whom have deep local health system knowledge and expertise. The new model aims to help health care systems improve patient experience and outcomes, support population health, and reduce costs through streamlined touchpoints and local expertise that better align with the way care is delivered in communities across the United States today.
Axtria has leveraged its expertise to assist clients in navigating through COVID-19 induced business challenges. For example, Axtria’s COVID-19 Task Force has developed innovative solutions to help clients navigate the “accordion effect” , as illustrated below in Figure 1.
Source: Axtria Inc.
If you are interested in how economic dynamics are affecting the development and application of commercial analytics, please contact us (directly below). Axtria would be delighted to help and ensure that your commercial analytics team is prepared for the challenges brought about by changing economic dynamics, while allowing us to ensure that potentially life-saving medications continue to get to the appropriate patients.
- Torry H. U.S. economy see record downturn. The Wall Street Journal 2020; 31 July: A1, A4.
- Morath E. Jobless claims are lowest since March. The Wall Street Journal 2020; 7 August: A2.
- Naphade K. How will the accordion effect impact your brand performance in Q4-2020 and Q1-2021. Axtria Blogs, published online 1 July 2020, available at https://insights.axtria.com/blog/how-will-the-accordion-effect-impact-your-brand-performance-in-q4-2020-and-q1-2021.
- Chressanthis G. COVID-19 recession effects on pharmaceutical related patient health outcomes. Axtria Research Hub, published online June 2020, available at https://insights.axtria.com/whitepaper-covid-19-recession-effects-on-pharmaceutical-related-patient-health-outcomes.
- Athey S and Luca M. Why tech companies hire so many economists. Harvard Business Review, published online 12 February 2019, available at https://hbr.org/2019/02/why-tech-companies-hire-so-many-economists.
- Oaks N and Freedman J. Pioneering a new customer engagement model during COVID-19. Genentech, published online 17 July 2020, available at https://www.gene.com/stories/pioneering-a-new-customer-engagement-model-during-covid-19.
Before joining Axtria, Kedar was a Principal with marketRx, and prior to that an analytics consultant with Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies.


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Touchscreens are great for many things, but gaming is not one of them. A better way to play games on smartphones is with the help of controllers and gamepads, and with the dawn of cloud gaming, they've sort of become essential for a console-like gaming experience on the go. Unfortunately, for some users, Android 11 is acting funny with controllers, and in certain cases refuses to recognize them or let them be remapped.
As seen in the support thread on the Android Issue Tracker, the bug was acknowledged by Google even before stable Android 11 arrived in September. However even now, almost five months down the line, it remains unfixed.
Most reports in the thread come from Pixel users who cannot connect controllers like the Razer Kishi, the Sony DualShock 4, or even Google's Stadia controller. The issue has also been spotted on a few OnePlus and Samsung devices, including the OnePlus 8T and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Some users point to a potential workaround that involves disabling the magnification accessibility setting, but that doesn't seem to work for all users. Others suggest that disabling the accessibility option for various apps on their phones seems to do the trick.
If you're facing a similar issue, your best bet is to tinker around with accessibility settings — until, of course, Google finally addresses this bug in a future update.
- Android Issue Tracker
- XDA Developers

domain: news


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The challenge: Fickle consumers are making it difficult for retailers to find the right inventory mix for the fall and winter as the latter attempt to avoid getting stuck with even more excess inventory.
How we got here: The abrupt shift in spending toward travel and services earlier this year left retailers such as Macy’s, Kohl’s, Target, and Walmart with a glut of excess merchandise that they then had to discount or slough off to off-price retailers.
The big takeaway: It is always a challenge for retailers to have the right mix of products on hand in the critical final months of the year. But it is all the more difficult this year due to the ever-evolving shifts in consumer behavior, and inflation’s lingering impact on consumers’ discretionary spending. After getting caught flat-footed earlier this year when spending patterns abruptly changed, many are rightly taking a conservative approach this fall and winter.
This article originally appeared in Insider Intelligence's Retail & Ecommerce Briefing—a daily recap of top stories reshaping the retail industry. Subscribe to have more hard-hitting takeaways delivered to your inbox daily.
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John Mackey wanted to fight off the activist investors attacking Whole Foods. He found a savior in Amazon, a company blamed for laying waste to retailers.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
OCTOBER 06, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
2014 - 80 JOHN ST RETAIL B"H, LLC
Around the Web
- Rooted in Counterculture, Whole Foods’ Founder Finds an Unlikely Refuge
By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED and ALEXANDRA STEVENSON - Friday Jun 16, 2017
- Women of Sex Tech, Unite
By ANNA NORTH - Friday Aug 18, 2017
New York is becoming a cultural center for young women trying to disrupt the male-dominated industries of design engineering and sex toys.
- Gender War, Aisle 3: Unisex Kids’ Clothes Stir British Backlash
By DAN BILEFSKY - Monday Sep 4, 2017
John Lewis, the British retailer, has sparked a spirited discussion by eliminating boys and girls signs and using gender-neutral clothing tags at its stores.
- Shareholders Demand More Drastic Shifts at Nestlé
By STEPHANIE STROM - Tuesday Jun 27, 2017
The changes requested by the Third Point hedge fund underscore the idea that legacy food brands must radically shake up their portfolios to remain profitable.
- Give your neck a break with this pair of anti-strain Kickstarter projects
By Leah Stodart - Tuesday Nov 7, 2017
Whether it's from staring down at our phones, poor posture from sitting all day, or uncomfortable sleeping positions, most of us can probably relate to the occasional neck kink.
There are currently two live Kickstarter campaigns right now that want to help out with neck strain — without any electricity, medication, or expensive trips to the spa. Meet the necksaviour Mini and the Neck Hammock. Read more...
Kickstarter, Stretching, Physical Therapy, Neck, and Kickstarter Campaign
- Dermatologist says 'cell callous' is joining 'tech neck' as a 21st century health issue
By Leah Garchik - Tuesday May 30, 2017
Callous and corn creams designed for feet may help, or a superficial cortisone shot. But sufferers should adjust their phone grips. "Palm it," says the doc, "or better yet, put it down."


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A Toledo man yesterday filed a lawsuit against a major drug manufacturer selling heparin, accusing Baxter Healthcare Corp. of failing to issue a warning of adverse reactions to its product until a month after his wife's death.
Leroy Hubley filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Toledo against the Illinois-based company.
In the lawsuit, Mr. Hubley said his wife, Bonnie, had been receiving hemodialysis and, in doing so, was administered heparin, a prescription drug known as a blood thinner.
Mrs. Hubley died Dec. 19.
The company voluntarily recalled the drug Jan. 17 and began issuing warnings that there were several cases of severe and life-threatening reactions to the drugs.
Earlier this week, Baxter announced it has temporarily suspended the manufacture of multidose heparin vials.
"I just think it's outrageous that this drug company, one of the largest drug companies in the country, wasn't ensuring that the product it puts in its medicines isn't safe," said Toledo-based attorney David Zoll, who filed the lawsuit on Mr. Hubley's behalf.
"This product is given to some of the most susceptible patients, those with kidney problems and who are on dialysis."
According to the lawsuit, the Food and Drug Administration estimates that more than 1 million multiple-dose vials are sold each month in the United States. About 50 percent of that product is made by Baxter, the lawsuit said.
Heparin is most often administered intravenously to decrease the clotting ability of blood. Patients undergoing medical procedures, such as cardiac surgery and kidney dialysis, often are given the drug to help with the procedure.
On Jan. 25, Baxter issued a news release informing the public of the voluntary recall, saying that it was a "precautionary measure due to an increase in the number of reports of adverse patient reactions that may be associated with the product."
It added that the company was conducting a "thorough investigation" to "identify the cause of the increase in allergic-type reactions."
Reactions to the drug ranged from stomach pain and vomiting to fainting and unresponsiveness. According to the lawsuit, reports of the reactions began as early as Nov. 19 "from more than 19 dialysis facilities in more than 12 states."
"An estimated 40 percent of the adverse reports have been categorized as serious by the FDA, and there have been at least four reported deaths," the lawsuit said.
When reached by phone, Mr. Hubley declined to comment on the lawsuit, only saying that he believes the company must be held responsible.
The lawsuit asks for damages in excess of $75,000.
A spokesman for Baxter pointed out that several companies manufacture the drug and that it would need to be investigated where the heparin given to the patients in Toledo was made.
"It's a generic drug," Erin Gardiner said, adding that it has had widespread clinical use since the 1930s. "Several manufacturers make it. Baxter is one of them."
She declined to comment on the lawsuit, noting that the company had not yet been served.
Ms. Gardiner said the company issued a release Monday to provide an update on the reactions. The release said that since the recall, Baxter received additional reports of adverse reactions.
"Nearly all reported adverse reactions have occurred in three specific areas of product use - hemodialysis, invasive cardiovascular procedures, and apheresis procedures," the release said.
Apheresis is when blood donors give select components, most commonly platelets and plasma.
Although the company voluntarily suspended the manufacture of the multidose heparin vials, it said it will continue to distribute the product to "assure adequate supply in the market."
The decision, the company wrote, was made in agreement with the FDA.
"Given the widespread use of the critical anticoagulant - frequently called a blood thinner - and the impact a product shortage would have on operating rooms, dialysis centers, and other critical care areas, the removal of Baxter's heparin from the market would create more risk to the population of patients requiring heparin therapy than the increased potential for experiencing an adverse reaction," the release stated.
According to the lawsuit, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in heparin is an enzyme that is extracted from pig intestines. One of the plants used to produce the enzyme for the Baxter product is in China, the lawsuit said.
The complaint further alleges that the plant had not met the "requisite requirements for importation and/or sale within the United States."
"This plant was never inspected by the FDA," Mr. Zoll said.
He added that additional lawsuits may follow as a result of other deaths in Toledo.
The case has not yet been assigned to a judge.
- Erica Blake


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U.K. Still on Hook for Ring-Fenced Bank Bailouts, Moody’s SaysJohn Glover
U.K. taxpayers and bank bondholders may still end up footing the bill the next time a lender is bailed out, even as the government prepares to toughen laws to make banks safer, according to Moody’s Investors Service.
While the U.K. banking system will benefit from plans to “ring-fence” lenders’ retail businesses, the proposals are negative for bondholders, Moody’s said. Debt holders of those units may be made subordinate to depositors, while those of non-ring-fenced businesses will lose the stability the retail activities bring, and both risk being impaired in a crisis, according to analysts Andrea Usai and Ross Abercromby.
The proposals to separate lenders’ retail and investment banking divisions, and to increase competition by opening up the payments system, are key elements of the Financial Services Bill due to come into effect next year. The U.K. is implementing the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Banking, which was set up after the 2008 financial crisis to outline the government’s options in limiting taxpayer losses in future banking collapses.
“We continue to believe that risk will remain owing to the interconnectedness of the banking system,” the London-based analysts wrote. “Even a bank without a large retail deposit base or significant role in the payments system can cause systemic effects.”
While measures to increase competition and ring-fence retail banking will benefit consumers, the Financial Services Bill may not prevent taxpayer losses, the Moody’s analysts said. Any loss of earnings resulting from the banks’ reduced market shares would also be “credit negative” for these lenders, they said.


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Recalled HyperJuice 130W USB-C Battery Pack in gray and silver
Name of Product:
HyperJuice 130W USB-C Battery Packs
The battery pack can overheat while charging, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
September 29, 2022
About 13,700 (In addition, about 151 were sold in Canada and about 7 were sold in Mexico)
This recall involves Hyper Products HyperJuice 130W USB-C Battery Pack and Kits. The battery packs were sold in gray and silver and have the same model number – HJ307. The battery packs measure about 3 inches wide and 7 inches long. The model number is printed on a label located at bottom of the battery pack.
HyperJuice 130W USB-C Battery Pack (gray)
HyperJuice 130W USB-C Battery Pack (silver)
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled HyperJuice 130W USB-C Battery Packs and contact Hyper Products for a refund in the form of a www.Hypershop.com store credit for the purchase price of the product.
Hyper Products has received two reports of the battery pack overheating, resulting in smoke, melting and property damage. No injuries have been reported.
B&H Photo Video stores in New York and at www.bhphotovideo.com and online at www.hypershop.com, www.indiegogo.com and www.kickstarter.com from October 2018 through April 2022 for between $122 and $158.
Hyper Products Inc., of Fremont, California
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.


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Last week, we got to see a long teaser campaign of Meizu 17 and 17 Pro which revealed a lot about these upcoming devices. Now, we came to know an interesting thing that Meizu is working on an update that will enable 120Hz refresh rate.
Meizu 17 & 17 Pro to Get a 120Hz
The company is currently testing the update and if the update runs successfully then the company will roll it out to everyone. It is important to note that the 90Hz screen refresh mode is accompanied with 180Hz touch sampling but it is not clear that will it go up to 240Hz once the update is delivered.
Meizu is starting the sales of these two upcoming devices today in China but company didn’t share a word that when it will make the availability of these devices globally. However, presently, the company is facilitating the users to find the phones on the company’s official store.
According to the previous rumours, both devices will have a motherboard: Kona that shows that the phone will be running on Snapdragon 865 chipset. That is giving the indication that the new Meizu phones will come with the 5G support.
The Meizu 17 Pro comes with a 27W wireless charging support with 40W wired charging. This phone has a UFS 3.1 storage and LPDDR5 RAM. The 17 Pro is coming with a quad-camera setup along with a ring flash which is located in the centre of a 64MP main camera.
Recommended Reading: Meizu 17 Series is Now Official


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Extract from Hansard: Trading (Allowable Hours) Amendment Bill 22 Aug 2017
Mr ELMES (Noosa—LNP) (9.59 pm): I rise to speak against the Trading (Allowable Hours) Amendment Bill 2017. As a dutiful parliamentarian I wrote this speech and when I look at the top page it has ‘May 2017’. I have been waiting for so long to deliver this speech that the pages of my speech are starting to go yellow with age. I thought the bill was lost in the mists of time. The only reason it was lost in the mists of time—or certainly headed that way—was that we have had a bill presented to this parliament that was ill conceived, was flawed from start to finish and there were all sorts of problems with it. The government decided some months ago that there was no way in the wide world it was going to get it through, so what did it do?
Ms Jones: We are now. Woo hoo!
Mr ELMES: I am getting to that, Minister. It was reversed out and we have had all this other legislation come in. The reason it was reversed out was that the government could not get it past the crossbenchers. It will be interesting to see, when it comes time for the vote, what sort of deal has been done with some of the crossbenchers in order to save this tragic piece of legislation and for it to go through the House. As I said, the bill is ill conceived. It does not address the significant objections raised by submissions to the parliamentary committee. It has a litany of basic errors that even the government recognised needed to be corrected during the course of this debate. As an example of how inept the drafting of the legislation was, they could not even get the address right for two of the major shopping centres in South-East Queensland, Chermside and Garden City. They have admitted to that. An amendment will have to be moved tonight to correct that simple error. To demonstrate how little this government knows about Queensland outside the south-east corner, the bill as originally presented forgot about the city of Cairns. It forgot that the city of Cairns gets the odd tourist that goes through it, so it is going to need to fix that up too. That is another piece of arrogance from this government that it has admitted needs to be corrected. There was one issue that the government did listen to. From the time that the bill first went before the committee the motor dealers and the caravan dealers of this state, particularly the motor dealers—
Mr ELMES: Thank you very much, member for Whitsunday—arced up like I have not seen them arc up before to make sure that their views were heard and thankfully, from the point of view of the motor dealers and caravan dealers of this state, they have been removed from the legislation.
I would like to quote to the House from two letters that I have received on the issue recently—maybe not so recently because the ink is a bit faded—which present vastly contradictory positions. The minister wrote to me in March claiming that the decision to standardise trading hours will play a huge part in contributing to creating jobs and stimulating the Queensland economy. The primary justification, in my reading of the minister’s letter, is that the government believes that the new hours provide flexibility for customers to shop over a wider span of hours. As if we do not already have enough opportunity to get to the shops and buy what we need seven days a week. Let me present the other side of the coin from a person involved day-to-day in dealing with the potential disaster for hundreds of Queensland small businesses and their owners and families being threatened by the government through this bill. The proprietor of several small supermarkets, one of which is in my electorate, which service some of the smaller communities in the Sunshine Coast wrote to me pleading for this offensive bill to be rejected.
The person in question pointed out to me that the liberalisation of trading hours leads to less employment due to a drop in independent retail sales and that hundreds of millions of dollars are generated into the Queensland economy through interaction which occurs via small independent players. We would be deceiving ourselves tonight if we come into this place and go through this particular debate and not stick up for the small independent players, the small business owners that are the backbone of Queensland’s economy.
I know which letter I believe is better informed and more likely to be an accurate depiction of the consequences of this anti small business bill. The IGA state board, in its submission to the committee, highlighted that following the deregulation of trading hours in South-East Queensland in December last year IGA supermarkets lost $1 million in trading each week in turnover. That means fewer jobs. Fewer hours means fewer jobs not more as the government is trying to claim. The undeniable fact is that this bill does not promote increased employment, all it will do is move existing jobs from hundreds of small businesses into the major outlets which have an increasing stranglehold on retail in this state. With those jobs will go the livelihoods and hope for a better future for the hundreds of families who operate those small businesses. I doubt that the number of jobs lost will match the few extra that might be created by the big retail players. All members of this House—at least those who do some shopping—will be aware that big supermarkets are employing increased technology to reduce the number of staff that they need. Anyone who has walked into a Woolworths or a Coles supermarket or a Bunnings or a Big W will know there is some poor staff member standing there trying to direct you into a self-service checkout which is going to deny the people behind those cash registers their jobs. All this is doing is giving the Coles, the Woolworths, the Big Ws, the Bunnings and that lot the opportunity to reduce their staff turnover and put you, me and everyone else in this parliament through those self-service checkouts. I wonder whether some of the ministers over there have actually been to a shopping centre or to Coles and Woolworths recently and understand that there is a bit of movement in the way they are trying to direct people to do their shopping. They do not employ any more staff than they need.
The result of this legislation will be increased workloads for existing staff in the big retailers as they cope with increased demands caused by the closure of smaller supermarkets. Perhaps our AWU aligned Premier is more interested in furthering the needs of her AWU factional ally, the federal opposition leader Bill Shorten. It is the AWU that covers most employees in the supermarket sector.
Honourable members interjected.
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Could we please allow the member for Noosa to be heard.
Mr ELMES: Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. I have always said that you are a wonderful Deputy Speaker. History has shown that supermarket staff cannot count on the AWU to protect their best interests. Members might be aware that when Mr Shorten led the AWU federally, enterprise bargaining agreements were struck with Coles and Woolworths that actually disadvantaged workers.
Not only is this proposed legislation ill considered; it was hardly considered at all before the government announced what it planned to do following the Mickel review. The government took just two days to deliver its response to the Mickel review findings in February this year. There can only be two possible scenarios in this situation. Either the government told Mr Mickel what to say in his report—and anyone who knows John Mickel would know that no-one tells John Mickel what to say in a report—or it had no intention of taking any notice of what was in the report because it knew what was going to happen anyway. Either scenario is an insult to good government. It is an even bigger insult to hundreds of small business owners who are entitled to objective and fair consideration of their interests by this government. They did not get that with this narrow-minded bill. Make no mistake, this is a cruel, uncaring piece of legislation which is focused on improving the profits and market share of Sydney and Melbourne based big corporations at the expense of Queensland families and the small businesses they run.
The government asserts that the current system of regulated trading hours has become unwieldy. If that is the case, this botched attempt at correcting the situation is a long way from a satisfactory solution. It will not be long before we witness the demise of many small suburban supermarkets and other small businesses that will not be able to compete with the might of the few big players, bolstered by longer trading hours and supported by this government. On behalf of the small businesses in Noosa and those who work in them, I cannot and will not support this bill.


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The next edition will take place on September 12-16, 2022 in Paris and online.


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Xiaomi ships nearly 15 million smartphones in 1Q15
Xiaomi Technology shipped 14.98 million smartphones in the first quarter of 2015 compared to 11 million units shipped a year earlier, the China-based 163.com quoted company CEO Lei Jun as reporting.
Xiaomi’s smartphone shipments reached 61.12 million units in 2014.
In related news, a recently released IDC report indicated that Xiaomi shipped 13.5 million smartphones in China in the first quarter of 2015, accounting for a 13.7% share, trailing after only Apple which shipped 14.5 million units for a 14.7% share during the same period.
Apple and Xiaomi saw their China shipments increase 62.1% and 42.3% on year, respectively, in the first quarter, while Samsung Electronics saw its shipments shed 39.7% to 11.2 million units, IDC said.


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Several crypto firms are facing a probe from the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over possible deceptive or misleading advertisements relating to cryptocurrencies.
According to a Dec. 6from Bloomberg, FTC spokeswoman Juliana Gruenwald said the watchdog is investigating “several firms for possible misconduct concerning digital assets.”
Gruenwald did not provide further details about which firms were the subject of the investigation or what had triggered the probe.
However, deceptive advertising and promotion have been a trending topic in the U.S. this year.
In October, reality TV star Kim Kardashian was fined by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for “touting on social media” about the EthereumMax (EMAX) crypto token without disclosing she was paid $250,000 to promote it.
In November, NFL quarterback Tom Brady and NBA point guard Stephen Curry were reportedly among a group of celebrities facing a probe from the Texas financial regulator over their promotion of the now-bankrupt crypto exchange, FTX.
The FTC is an independent agency of the United States which was created to protect the public from deceptive or unfair business practices through law enforcement, research, and education.
Earlier this year, they sent out an alert about a crypto scam with three key components, an impersonator, a QR code and a crypto ATM where the victims will be directed to send money.
They also revealed in a Jun.6 report nearly half of all crypto-related scams originated from social media platforms in 2021, and as much as $1 billion in crypto has been lost to scammers throughout the year.
Cointelegraph reached out to the FTC for comment but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.
Globally, several financial watchdogs and enforcement agencies have also been actively trying to curb deceptive crypto advertisements.
In March, the U.K.-based Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)an enforcement notice to over 50 companies advertising crypto, instructing them to review their ads to ensure they comply with the rules.
In August, the U.S.-based consumer watchdog group Truth in Advertising called out 19 celebrities for allegedly promoting nonfungible tokens (NFTs) without disclosing their connection to the projects.
Australia’s financial regulator has also fired warning shots across the crypto industry about deceptive advertising tactics.
In October, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) launched civil proceedings against Australian firm BPS Financial Pty Ltd (BPS) over alleged “misleading” representations concerning its Qoin token.


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NETGEAR today announced an online backup option for its ReadyNAS storage line and new stackable SMB and "green" switches at CeBIT in Hannover, Germany.
NETGEAR today announced a new line of Threat Management appliances with enterprise-class features but priced for SMB buyers.
NETGEAR introduced two new draft 11n dual-band routers, a 3G router, two networked media players and a diskless version of its popular ReadyNAS Pro six-bay NAS. The company also announced new service-provider-only products and a new HomePlug AV powerline to Ethernet bridge.
Entropic Communications and NETGEAR today announced what they say is the "industrys first" home networking MoCA-certified, Ethernet-to-coax bridge kit.
It's harder than you think for that expensive router of yours to deliver all the throughput the big number on its box promises. We show you why.Read More
Trying to decide between a router and a Wi-Fi System? This experiment should help you choose wisely.Read More
Updated: Here's a quick primer on Wi-Fi 6E.Read More
Wi-Fi ping spikes aren't always caused by a poor connection. Your router settings could be to blame.Read More
Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes when Wi-Fi devices roam, or more likely don't? We'll show you why the "seamless" roaming Wi-Fi gear makers promise is still as elusive as a Yeti.Read More
We reveal the secrets of why your devices don't always connect where you want them to and what you can do to fix it.Read More


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Tag - Phil Schiller
At the 2012 launch of the iMac, Phil Schiller said on stage that "you'll be able to go home and tell people today you heard about plasma deposition." You didn't. Nobody did. Yet at this year's WWDC when Apple mentioned their next new term, suddenly everyone's talking about it. Differential Privacy sounds just about as much a jargon term but it's concerned with something that affects every single iPhone user. It's a term for what's both technically intricate and politically on fire.
Six months after taking over the management of the App Store, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller is planning a number of very bold changes to the iOS App Store -- some of which are very likely to spread to the Mac App Store and other online Apple media stores -- that directly address concerns from both developers and customers regarding app reviews (the progress on which has already been seen), app discovery, and new business models -- including subscription consolidation, and a limited form of advertising.
Apple has made some changes to its senior management today, with some new additions to the team alongside some other role alterations. Jeff Williams has been named as chief operating officer, Johny Srouji is becoming the senior vice president for Hardware Technologies, Tor Myhren will be joining the company next year as vice president of Marketing Communications, and senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller is being given the extra role of leading the App Store teams.
As reported previously, a few Apple executives and designer were in Milan this weekend to show off the Apple Watch, including Sir Jonathan Ive and designer Marc Newson, as well as SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller. Photos from the event, and a post from a friend of Ive's, confirm that a number of unannounced Sport Band colors were on display at the Salone del Mobile design event. A number of notable VIPs also received Apple Watches as gifts.
[Update: Tim Cook answers challenge] Apple's worldwide marketing head, Phil Schiller, has joined in on the "ice bucket challenge" currently making the rounds on social media to raise awareness and money for combatting ALS. In a Twitter post, Schiller includes photos of himself standing on a beach and tipping a bucket of water over his head. Keeping to the rules, he challenges other people, including his wife Kim, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and fellow Boston College graduate Chris O'Donnell, currently best known for starring in NCIS: Los Angeles. Later on Thursday, Cook answered the challenge in front of a crowd of Apple employees.
A judge for the Santa Clara County Superior Court, Carol Overton, has given the go-ahead for a lawsuit targeting Apple over job promises. The plaintiff, Wayne Goodrich, says that he reported directly to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs for over 20 years, including not just time at Apple -- where he spent 17 years -- but also at Pixar and NeXT. His role involved preparing Jobs' public presentations, which have often been a huge draw for the media and helped to sell products like the iMac, iPod, and iPhone.
In a series of early 2013 emails, Apple's marketing lead Phil Schiller delivered angry words to long-time Apple advertising partner TBWAChiatDay, and specifically its Apple-dedicated Media Arts Lab, according to documents exposed through the ongoing Apple v. Samsung trial. As was mentioned in court, Schiller was upset with a Wall Street Journal piece arguing that Apple had "lost its cool" to Samsung. He forwarded the story to TBWA, simply commenting that "we have a lot of work to do to turn this around."
Although Apple has outwardly projected an image of total confidence in the iPhone, and criticized competing devices, some people in the company have been worried about advances made by rivals, according to an internal document presented during the ongoing Apple v. Samsung trial. "Competitors have drastically improved their hardware and in some cases their ecosystems," an Apple sales team member wrote in a document for a FY2014 offsite meeting. The person also noted that all of the growth in the smartphone industry is coming from big-screen models over $300, or from devices under the $300 mark. The iPhone is neither cheap nor equipped with a large display.
During Monday's opening statements in the second Apple v. Samsung trial, attorney John Quinn -- representing Samsung -- revealed that Apple marketing head Phil Schiller was deeply concerned about Samsung's "Next Big Thing" ad campaign. One email from Schiller to his team specifically addressed a January 2013 Wall Street Journal story with the headline "Has Apple Lost Its Cool to Samsung?" Schiller commented that "We have a lot of work to do to turn this around."
Newly-published SEC filings reveal that on Wednesday, Apple awarded six top executives 35,780 restricted stock units each. Recipients include senior VP of Operations Jeffrey Williams; general counsel Bruce Sewell; senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller; senior VP of Hardware Engineering Dan Riccio; senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi; and finally, senior VP of Internet Software and services Eddy Cue.


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updated 03:45 pm EDT, Wed March 17, 2010
Sprint claims Overdrive could speed up iPhone
Sprint in an unusual marketing tactic is marketing its Sierra Wireless Overdrive router as a companion to the iPhone. A new commercial (viewable below) suggests the iPhone is "limited by AT&T's 3G speeds" and that the 4G-to-Wi-Fi hotspot could be used to speed up the smartphone. In this case, the router could give enough added speed to quickly finish streaming a video.
The speed boost is potentially accurate, as WiMAX on Sprint usually floats between 3Mbps and 6Mbps depending on quality; the figure is usually at least twice as fast as AT&T's typical HSPA-based 3G network, where peak speeds are about 1.7Mbps. However, the service would cost users a $60 monthly premium in addition to the cost of the Overdrive to get the added speeds.
Sprint's move is known not to be the only instance of rival carriers trying to ride on Apple devices despite a lack of support. An internal memo from Verizon has the company trying to sell MiFi routers to iPad buyers as a way of getting 3G for the iPad without needing the more expensive model.


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AFBF urges USDA to address supply chain issues
By Jennifer Whitlock, Texas Farm Bureau
October 6th, 2021
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) recently sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack offering possible solutions to several supply chain issues American farmers and ranchers have repeatedly encountered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letter was sent to Vilsack ahead of his anticipated report to President Joe Biden regarding agricultural commodity and food product supply chains.
Biden issued an executive order in February requiring a 100-day review and report of various American supply chains by federal agency executives including Vilsack, who is the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
AFBF asked USDA to consider action on a variety of topics, including livestock processing capacity, farm inputs, commodity and food transportation, labor and trade.
“We are now in our 18th month of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, our nation has witnessed vulnerabilities throughout the supply chain that haven’t been seen before. Consumers faced empty grocery store shelves and mile-long food bank lines, while farmers and ranchers were being asked to cull animals, dump milk and plow under fresh produce,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall wrote...


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An 87-year-old car enthusiast’s dream car
Eden waited a long time for his Chevy Corvette
He had to wait a long time before he could get behind the wheel. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global parts shortages, and labor issues, the car wasn't ready until a year and a half after ordering.
Now, Eden has his Chevy Corvette, and it sounds like it's living up to the dream. "It's fabulous," Eden said. "It responds to the throttle and has quick steering."
It's never too late to find your dream car
Eden finally got his dream car after a long wait. Trucks have been a big part of his life for over 44 years and he has a clear passion for cars, as reported by The Drive. This story is uplifting for car enthusiasts who hope to own their dream car someday, even if they have to wait a little longer.
Keep an eye out for announcements and developments from your favorite auto company. If your dream car exists but is out of reach for now, don't give up hope. You could set aside savings for that special purchase, or keep an eye on used car listings and auctions.
Save money on car insurance
When you find the perfect car, the free app will help you save money on coverage by comparing rates from name-brand companies.


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Analysis by Dutch bank argues barriers to EV success such as range anxiety, charging infrastructure, and costs will all come down in coming years, posing a threat to traditional carmakers
Growth projections for the electric vehicle market continue their rapid upwards curve, with the latest from ING Bank signalling an upcoming "breakthrough" that could see EVs make up 100 per cent of new...
Environmental groups warn draft plan approved by International Maritime Organisation (IMO) could see shipping emissions rise over next decade
Plus all the top green business news from around the world, including PGE ditching coal, Peru and Switzerland CO2 offset deal, and Australia green power project
Veggie burgers are safe, but campaigners warn debate has distracted from broader Common Agricultural Policy proposals set to be voted on this afternoon that they say will seriously hurt European small farmers and natural habitats
The US clothing firm reveals how digital technologies could finally make circular fashion a reality


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Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 970 system-on-chip outscored the Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 845 in some synthetic benchmarks by approximately seven percent, according to the screenshots seen below which recently started circulating on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The difference between the two isn’t massive and is possibly even smaller than the newly uncovered results suggest seeing how they only show a couple of individual tests and not the average of a larger number of results. Likewise, synthetic benchmark scores are hardly indicative of real-world performance, especially in the context of such small margins.
With hardware only being part of the equation, it’s up to original equipment manufacturers to optimize their smartphones and the software running on them in a manner that takes maximum advantage of their silicon of choice. Still, the spotted benchmark results indicate that Huawei’s semiconductor subsidiary is now at the very least on par with Qualcomm in regards to the pure computational power of their flagship chips. The Kirin 970 is described by the Chinese tech giant as the world’s first artificial intelligence SoC, being equipped with a Neural Processing Unit solely dedicated to machine learning and general AI applications. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 also places a large focus on AI and will undoubtedly enjoy a much wider adoption than the Kirin 970 that’s only expected to power mobile devices from Huawei and its subsidiary Honor. Several such offerings like the Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Honor V10 have already been announced and more should be introduced come 2018, starting with the P11 lineup. On the other hand, the Snapdragon 845 should power the vast majority of Android flagships released over the course of the next year, including premium products from Samsung, Sony, LG, and Xiaomi. In overall, the Snapdragon 845 should be at least as popular as its direct predecessor which already powers well over 100 devices.
The semiconductor industry still won’t be moving away from the 10nm process node in 2018 but a jump to the 7nm technology is expected in early 2019, being pioneered by TSMC that’s also said to be the manufacturer of the Snapdragon 855 and replace Samsung as Qualcomm’s chip partner. Samsung’s foundry business is skipping the commercialization of the regular 7nm standard and is instead focusing on delivering one that takes advantage of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, industry sources said earlier this month, suggesting that Qualcomm will return to Samsung for the Snapdragon 865 that’s expected to be commercialized in 2020.


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While many musicians have used non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to connect with their fanbases, MODA DAO is using them as a governance tool for artists and their managers to control royalty contracts.
The decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) is pairing its NFT music streaming platform with its governance token, $MODA, which is set for release on multiple blockchains, the company announced Tuesday.
The DAO said it will release a portion of its token supply on Ethereum, Polygon, Fantom, and Near blockchains on Nov. 10.
While artists have released their music and concert tickets as NFTs before, governance through NFTs in the industry remains uncharted territory. The concept has caught the attention of electronic music producer and performer Deadmau5, who is backing the project as an early token holder.
“I see the Web3 ecosystem growing alongside streaming services, and eventually becoming more significant to the artists,” Deadmau5 told CoinDesk in a statement. “This new [MODA DAO] world is creating new ways for artists to take ownership of their music, but it will take a while to scare the Spotify and Apple Musics of the world.”
Owners of the $MODA token are given access to on-chain music registration in the DAO’s decentralized music economy. MODA DAO is targeting musicians and their managers as token holders, giving them a say in the royalties they receive for music released on the platform.
Revenue earned from songs published on the DAO’s platform is split three ways between the artists, the rewards pool and a token buy-back program. MODA DAO told CoinDesk that it’s also working toward creating a DeFi-esque lending program where artists can stake their NFTs to earn additional rewards.
MODA DAO also gives tokenholders access to in-house blockchain products such as its new “audio fingerprinting” technology, which allows artists to mint and sell raw audio files of songs as NFTs before they’ve been approved to be published on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Deadmau5 has been involved in numerous NFT related projects dating to 2020, including a recent collaboration with Gregory Siff that merged physical and digital artwork at a music festival in November.
MODA DAO raised $5 million in a private token sale in October and says it currently manages over 10 billion music streams per month.


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Written by Bobby Nairn, One Step Retail Business Development Manager | 2 MIN. READ
For a while now, retail’s most talked about subject has been the retail apocalypse. Too often sharing stories of bankruptcies, store closures, and the end of brick and mortar retail as we know it.
Today was a little bit different though...
I was lucky enough to come across an article shared by the National Retail Federation highlighting a newly-released report by the IHL Group titled, Retail Renaissance - A Growth Story, “True Story of Store Openings and Closings.”
- For every retailer closing a store, five retailers are opening stores.
- Just 16 retailers are responsible for 73% of store closings so far in 2019.
- 10 years from now, stores will still play a vital role in the shopping experience.
According to the recent discoveries in Retail Renaissance - A Growth Story (Full Report Available Here), for every retailer closing stores, there are 5.2 retailers that are opening stores. A vastly different story than what we are used to being told about the state of the retail industry. Interestingly enough, every single segment of retail is seeing growth in regards to store openings—even the department store category, which has braved much of the spotlight for negative attention in recent years.
Let’s pause for a moment... Is that a ray of sunshine finally gleaming through the dark clouds that have made a home above the heads of retailers? Is the retail industry… thriving?
Probably the biggest misconception is that store closures are sweeping across the industry, when in fact, only 16 retailers are responsible for 73% of the store closings that have taken place so far in 2019. That’s not to say the rest of retail can stand still—the retail landscape is fast-changing, extremely competitive, and requires constant innovation to keep up with the expectations of today’s shoppers. The National Retail Federation confirms, “retailers must invest heavily to improve the in-store experience.” But, an increase of 3100 stores between the Holiday Season of 2018 and just a year prior is a hopeful sign.
In NRF’s 2019 Consumer View Report, two-thirds of consumers cited technologies for improving and delivering a more satisfying customer experience. Some of the more promising options for enhancing the in-store experience include upgrading your point-of-sale system to offer a truer omnichannel experience, refined fulfillment methods, smoother checkout, and mobility, as well as in-store navigation apps, smart dressing rooms, and AR/VR. While the costs of taking on a project of this magnitude can seem high, retailers adopting technology to modernize the in-store experience are seeing remarkable results.
Despite what much of the media surrounding retail may suggest, this is a very exciting time to be a part of the retail industry. As shoppers expectations continue to evolve and technology takes on an even more vital role in the shopping experience—change is imminent, but stores will remain an essential and expanding part of the retail landscape.
While technology continues to reimagine the way consumers shop and retailers interact with customers, One Step provides next-level technologies to help retailers meet the growing expectations of today’s shoppers while delivering a meaningful shopping experience across all channels.


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British technology company Intelligent Environments has launched the first digital pass-code that uses emojis instead of a PIN or password to authenticate online banking transactions.
The new concept is based around the theory that people find it easier to remember images than numbers.
The technology, which is claimed to be mathematically more secure than four-digit PIN, will offer users more than 44 symbols to choose from.
Intelligent Environments’ Emoji Passcode will have 480 times more unique permutations of non-repeating emojis, as compared to 7,290 unique permutations of four non-repeating numbers and will prevent hackers from figuring out easily obtainable numerical passwords based on date of birth or wedding anniversary.
Emoji Passcode will be integrated into Intelligent Environments’ digital banking app available on Android platform.
Memory expert and Mind Map technique inventor Tony Buzan said: "The Emoji Passcode plays to humans’ extraordinary ability to remember pictures, which is anchored in our evolutionary history. We remember more information when it’s in pictorial form, that’s why the Emoji Passcode is better than traditional PINs."
Intelligent Environments manager director David Webber said: "Our research shows 64% of millennials regularly communicate only using emojis. So we decided to reinvent the passcode for a new generation by developing the world’s first emoji security technology."


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Hooters is declaring March 17th and 18th National Play Hooky Days, encouraging customers to watch the first round games of the basketball tournament at Hooters. Fans are encouraged to visit www.HootersHookyDay.com to cure their "basketball fever" and download a doctor's note and redeem a free appetizer coupon this Thursday and Friday during the games.
"If you've got basketball fever, then Hooters is where you have to be on March 17th and 18th," said Mike McNeil , VP of Marketing for Hooters of America, LLC. "WE are hoping for an epidemic this year as we build on the success from 2010."
During this promotion, Hooters has again partnered with long time Hooters spokesperson and college basketball analyst, Dick Vitale . He is featured in the Hooters national TV commercial, alongside "Nurse Ashleigh", as well as on in store point of sale and Hooters season menu. Hooters will also donate $1 per new Facebook Like to the V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Grant, up to $10,000.


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HOUSTON, Tx. — The airlines are at it again.
Despite a decrease in the cost of jet fuel, Southwest, United, Delta U.S. Air and JetBlue are all raising ticket prices. “It’s ridiculous” says traveler Brenda Hort.
The only upside is, the increase isn’t extreme- $2 one way and $4 round trip but travelers we spoke with still weren’t pleased. “I don’t like spending more money” remarks Freddy Williams. Heidi Henneman agrees, “It’s never going down, it’s always going up. I don’t think there’s an end in sight for this.” “It’s just a fact of life, everything goes up eventually” says another traveler named Joel.
It’s also going to cost more to travel for the holidays this year. Expedia.com says prices to fly Thanksgiving weekend are up 17% and Christmas 2%.
“I understand prices go up in everything but we’re always feeling it in airfare” says frequent flyer Heidi Henneman.
Another passenger pointed out, “They always seem to be in crisis and yet they’re making billions.”
That said, everyone we spoke with admits it won’t keep them from traveling and agrees, “At the end of the day we have to fly, we have to travel and it’s kind of part of the package now, unfortunately.”
Since this is the fifth fare hike this year, you might say the score is: Airlines 5, Consumers 0.


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Retailer Target announced yesterday that the number of customers affected by hackers went from 40 million to 110 million. The stolen data includes credit card numbers, PINs, names, phone numbers and, in some cases, email addresses. Target is providing credit card monitoring for those potentially affected by the breach, but what can you do to protect yourself? Having your identity stolen or your credit score ruined can negatively affect you for years and in numerous ways.
What should you do next?


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Katie Purcell has joined Mercedes-Benz Trucks as head of Special Trucks – Unimog.
In her new role, she will report to Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK managing director Mike Belk, and will be responsible for driving sales within the special vehicles sector.
Purcell started out in communications, spending 10 years in marketing and product management roles with two manufacturers.
Most recently she was head of electric vehicles for a premium car brand.
“I am excited by the opportunity to set the strategy and grow the Unimog business in the UK. One of my first priorities will be to raise this halo product’s profile in the market, ensuring people understand what it stands for and appreciate what it offers,” said Purcell.
Belk added: “Katie will further strengthen our Truck management team here in the UK at a time when our Unimog business is growing strongly. She brings a blend of experience as a manager of high performing teams, complemented by a deep understanding of the automotive sector, and specific technical skills in product management and marketing. This will enable us to capitalise on the significant potential for the Unimog in the UK market.”


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According to the latest JLL report on Cairo’s real estate sector, despite a slowdown in Q2, the residential market performed comparatively well on an annual basis.
“The real estate market in Egypt continues to benefit from the various initiatives that have been put in place by the government across all sectors. We anticipate this to continue driving demand and attract international investments in the mid-to-long term,” said Ayman Sami, Country Head, JLL, Egypt.
Around 35,000 units are currently under construction and are expected to be completed in the second half of the year. In order to attract new developers and investors in the long term, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has reduced interest rates by 3%, the lowest rate since 2016, with the aim to support and finance projects through bank loans rather than relying on off-plan sales.
Primary and secondary rents in the retail market have increased by 5% to 10% annually. These are expected to remain stable with mall operations gradually getting back to normal. Landlords continue to offer incentives to support tenants that include waived service charges and rent-free periods. Some landlords have also adopted a revenue-share model to support retailers to account for the loss of sales. E-commerce is still on the rise as consumer preferences lean towards online shopping, allowing for a prominent number of home-grown businesses to emerge.
The office market in Cairo will continue to be a two-tiered market and while the demand is high for smaller fitted-out primary office space, the requirement for flexible office space is expected to witness a slowdown in the short-to-medium term. This is due to small-to-medium enterprises (SME’s) and start-ups now realizing they can work from home.
The government continues to support the sectors most impacted by the pandemic with initiatives such as allowing corporates to pay income tax in three installments rather than one.
In light of travel restrictions, the hotel market witnessed a significant decline as occupancy levels registered 42% in the YT May 2020, the lowest rate registered since 2013.
In a move to soften the impact on the hospitality sector and boost domestic tourism, the government allowed hotels to reopen to local tourists in May and operate at 25% capacity - provided the properties comply with strict precautionary guidelines. The government has also committed part of the USD 2.7 billion emergency support loan granted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to the hospitality sector, to support the sector further.


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Manor Steps beach near Boscombe is preparing to welcome more overnight visitors with the installation of an extra nine fully equipped Beach Lodges, providing an alternative to traditional overnight accommodation.
The Beach Lodges, which sleep up to four adults and two children, offer the opportunity to wake up with the beach on your doorstep. There are currently 15 Lodges nestled in the cliffs half a mile east of Boscombe Pier, but with demand high, Bournemouth Council has invested in the additional nine Lodges which will be available to book from Easter. An additional lodge is being installed as a Lodges office.
Each bright, airy Lodge has its own hot shower; toilet; kitchenette with electric hob, fridge and microwave; private decking; and WiFi, providing all the comforts of home in a beautiful, tranquil location on our award-winning beaches, with spectacular, uninterrupted sea views.
Councillor John Beesley, Leader, Bournemouth Borough Council commented: “Investing in additional Beach Lodges is an opportunity for Bournemouth Council to generate revenue, whilst providing more of what has proved to be an immensely popular getaway destination. Residents and visitors to Bournemouth are enjoying this innovative offer on the seafront and waking up in this truly superb location.”
The Beach Lodges were installed in dramatic fashion by crane and will be ready for use at Easter. See more at bournemouthbeachlodges.co.uk
If you're interested in local news like this and you enjoy keeping an eye on local incidents and events, we could be looking for you. Read all about being a Bournemouth One Community Correspondent here.


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Speaking at an annual structured retail products conference last week, retail policy director Dan Waters told delegates consumers may not be fully aware that capital guarantees in strucutured products are only as strong as the guarantee provider and said that the FSA is working to ensure the prominent indication of relevant risk in financial promotions.
He said: “In the UK, in addition to collecting data on products affected by Lehmans’ failure, we have been considering the quality of marketing material and risk disclosures in communications issued for the products affected.
“Our analysis has thrown up a number of issues but, in particular, we would highlight that we are keen to work through some of the purported regulatory blockages that stop investors or their advisers knowing which institution or institutions have issued the debt that makes up the capital protected element of a particular product.”
Structured product providers such as NDFA say they are unable to openly disclose the counterparty name due to EU prospectus directive constraints until after a plan’s strike date but can tell advisers who contact them individually.
Waters told delegates any material containing risk warnings should not
simply duplicate warnings used in earlier promotions, such as earlier
‘tranches’ of a product, without reassessing current risks and market conditions.
He said the regulator was concerned about the range of structures and
forms available in the UK market and highlighted that the CESR taskforce is
in the process of considering how structured products should be distributed
and sold to retail investors across Europe.
In its report, the taskforce recommends that there be a further elaboration
of the application of criteria which determine whether products are
non-complex and can be sold on a truly non-advised basis as well as analysis of certain key elements of the prospectus directive.
He said: “For certain types of wrapper, we think that it is not altogether
clear that firms’ interpretations of how Mifid, the prospectus directive and
the relevant applicable disclosure requirements interact, serve in a manner
that is conducive to the optimal protection of the interests of retail
Waters said some in the industry wanted structured deposits to have a comparable advised sales regime to other structured investments due to their “tendency to opacity, their frequent use of off-shore subsidiaries or sister companies, and diminished information disclosure requirements in comparison to investment products”.
He said any change to the rules would be a question for the Treasury and highlighted the work of CESR and the European Commission would be an important driver of any change.


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With an eye to the rapidly increasing demand for the popular Magna Tyres brand and the expected growth in 2019, another expansion of the NL Hardenberg plant will be finalized in 2018.
The performance of the Magna M-Terminal is second to none. It offers high traction and durability in tough, demanding applications. Available in the sizes 280/75R22.5 and 310/80R22.5, the Magna M-Terminal fits onto the most commonly and standardly used equipment in the industry.
Magna MA04+ is designed and constructed based on the latest Magna Radial Tyre Technology. The high-tech casing reduces heat building inside the tyre which leads to a prolonged service life, lower fuel consumption, higher efficiency, and optimized operator comfort.
The start of the production of Magna Tyres at the OBO Tyres factory in Hardenberg, the Netherlands, was announced during the “Grand Reopening” event hosted the 11th of January by OBO Tyres.
Magna Tyres Group is delighted to announce the opening of a new regional office in Singapore to better serve the local customers. Following the recent appointment of Miss Nora Zhou, it is the next step in the worldwide expansion of the company.
Magna MA11 is designed and constructed based on the latest Magna Radial Tyre Technology.
The Tyre has proven to be very well protected against cuts and abrasion, durable and delivered a low cost per hour.
The latest novelties were introduced including, the new Magna AG01 Agricultural Tyres, the cost effective retreading solutions of OBO Tyres and the innovative retreading of rubber tracks!
Magna Tyres Group and Reifen Kiefer are very proud to announce the formation of their strategic partnership from the 16th of February 2017. This agreement is an important step for the further introduction and the expansion of "Magna" as a well-known OTR tyre brand in Germany.
Due to the growth and increase of staff the company has now moved into a new office in Rudawa, near Cracow.
Magna Tyres Group is delighted to announce the opening of the Middle East & Africa office, based in Ras Al Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates. Following the recent (September 2016) appointment of Mr. Nambiar as General Manager of this new office, it is the next step in the worldwide expansion of the company.
Vijay Nambiar will be part of the Magna Tyres Group with the Middle East & Africa office, offering sales support to all dealers and end users of Magna Tyres in the region, while also focussing on expanding the business.
Magna Tyres Group is proud to announce the official presentation of the new MAGNA MA03+ tyre for highway and off-road use at Bauma 2016 from 11-17 April at Messe Münchenin Germany.
Magna Tyres Group is proud to announce the further expansion of the global Sales Team. Christophe Cantou has been appointed as Sales Manager for the region South France.
Stefan has over 15 years of Sales experience in the German Tyre industry and has worked for various renowned Tyre companies.
Magna Tyres Group has named Stephan van Leeuwen to be the new Sales Manager for the UK, Ireland and Italy regions. Stephan has over 25 years of experience as a Sales Manager in the Tyre industry and has worked for various renowned Tyre companies.
Magna Tyres Group and Marathon Tyres in Australia are very proud to announce the establishment of their strategic relationship. From 2015, Marathon Tyres will be premium partner of Magna OTR tyres in Australia. This agreement is an important step towards further introduction and continuation of “Magna” as OTR tyre brand in this region.
This strategic agreement is an important step to get MAGNA further introduced on the OTR-tyre market in Finland.
The Magna Tyres technical databook is an essential tool to choose the right tyre for your application. In addition, it is highlighted how customers can optimize the tyre lifetime. This makes the databook a must-have for tyre specialists, mechanics, fleet managers and procurement managers.
Both companies agreed on the exclusive dealership to increase the sales of Magna mobile crane tyres, earthmover tyres and port handling tyres in the Baltic region.
Magna Tyres Group and tyre wholesaler Profil Plus in France are very proud to announce the establishment of their strategic relationship, from November 2013. This agreement is an important step towards further introduction and continuation of “Magna” as well-known OTR tyre brand in France.


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Part of the answer was complementary interests and skills, says co-founder and client services director Jane Shandley. She says she is more of a words person while her business partner Kate Hamilton is more analytical and figures-oriented.
“We are very different people, but when you boil it down, our values are very aligned,” she told FoodNavigator.
They were both in their late 50s and working at the University of Hertfordshire when they noticed their peers starting to retire, and Shandley said she was not ready to stop working.
“I got to the age and stage where I had the feeling I was running out of road for doing something that I could be really proud of. I started looking into trends in terms of health foods, and there were things that kept coming up – superfoods and nutrients.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton had developed a strong interest in single-origin chocolate.
“Kate was fascinated by the whole thing about the provenance of the beans and the beauty of the chocolate-making process,” said Shandley. “We felt we could bring the two together, chocolate and superfoods.”
Differentiation in a very crowded market
Vital elements for their early-stage survival included excellent market research, product differentiation, and support from the Scottish government, she said.
“We realised that if we were going to enter a very crowded market then we would have to differentiate ourselves so we decided to go down the verified health benefit route,” she said.
This was back in 2011, and Hamilton rigged up a chocolate-making contraption in her back yard, with a couple of tin buckets and a hairdryer. The company is still working toward an EFSA-protected health claim, but the chocolate instead carries general claims linked to specific nutrients that have been checked by a government-funded consultant, including for the health of hair, bones, skin, overall strength and energy.
Scottish support for healthy foods
Shandley explained that the Scottish government was particularly supportive of companies looking to develop healthy foods that could help improve the country’s reputation for quality food – like its seafood, for example – while moving public perception away from deep-fried Mars bars and Scotland’s high heart disease rate. IQ Chocolate gained funding from three different academic institutions.
“We decided to go down the route of making sure we had a very superior health profile…Nobody else in Scotland was doing it and we became Scotland’s first bean to bar chocolate maker,” said Shandley – but there were hurdles ahead.
The pair found a bean from Peru with very high antioxidant content, which they selected it for its flavour as well as its nutritional value. But the verdict from professional tasters was poor.
“Originally we were told we couldn’t possibly charge a premium,” she said. However, that was a very early version of the product – it was recently awarded two gold stars in the UK’s Great Taste Awards and currently retails at £2.49 for a 35 g bar.
‘This had to work because we had literally put everything into it’
The laborious process of verifying health claims was also more difficult than they had anticipated.
“I had no idea about the amount of science that was involved,” said Shandley. “…It took much longer, was much more expensive and was much harder than I thought. In a way I’m glad I didn’t know that. I’m 61 now and we are regularly working 70-hour weeks.”
Still, the company has come a long way from its earliest days, when Hamilton took a prototype bar to each of the health stores and delicatessens in Scotland in turn. London is now the company’s largest market, the brand is listed in all its target retailers in the UK and in January, Shandley spoke to potential distributors in Qatar.
Apart from marketing the original dark chocolate varieties in new regions, the next step is expanding into the much wider market for milk chocolate. “The challenge for us is we don’t want to undermine our positioning as a health chocolate and the minute you go into milk or white chocolate you could do that,” she said.
“This had to work because we had literally put everything into it,” she added. “I put my pension into it.”
“There’s times we are battling with utter exhaustion – but we have such fun.”


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Samsung doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to updating its Android phones. The manufacturer’s slow reaction to newer versions of Android has been a sore subject for many consumers who have found themselves stuck in Android OS limbo while rumors about financial disputes and internal issues have kept them from the latest and greatest features Android has to offer. Fortunately, there is progress to report, and Samsung announced this morning that it will be pushing the Gingerbread update to the Galaxy S.
Before you get too excited, this will be a staggered update. According to the press release, beginning in mid-May the update will roll out to the UK, Nordic countries, and other European market before making its way stateside. Gingerbread will hit Asian and African markets shortly after. The Galaxy Tab will also be getting the upgrade.
Less than a month ago, the Gingerbread update for Galaxy S phones was suspended for UK devices. Vodafone announced that it had “no known performance issues” with the Gingerbread and was “working with Samsung to reinstate the roll out as soon as possible.” We’re inclined to think Samsung may be behind its upgrade problems, seeing as it had a similar situation on its hands with Froyo and its first go at a Windows Phone 7 update fell just short of disaster.
But hopefully this is a sign Samsung is getting its OS update ducks in a row. Android is becoming increasingly aware of its fragmentation issues and is trying to curtailing them with its new handset unity initiative – which Samsung has signed on to be a part of. At the moment, most Android phones are still stuck on Froyo, and considering Ice Cream Sandwich is right around the corner, there’s got to be some anxiety concerning the timeliness of its upgrades. But if you’re a Galaxy S user, we wouldn’t blame you for withholding your excitement until you officially see the Gingerbread OS on your phone.
- When is your phone getting Android 8.0 Oreo? We asked every major manufacturer
- From Android 1.0 to Android 9.0, here’s how Google’s OS evolved over a decade
- When is your phone getting Android 9.0 Pie? We asked every major manufacturer
- Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus: Here’s everything you need to know
- What is Android fragmentation, and can Google ever fix it?


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Orr will report to British Gas Services managing director Susan Hooper, who was appointed to replace Chris Jansen after he left to become chief executive of the AA, and will be in charge of a 2,000 strong team.
The role will see Orr responsible for creating demand and overseeing all the operations of the British Gas central heating installation operation, which sits alongside the British Gas service and repair unit and the Dyno and electrical unit.
Orr has been promoted from his role as commercial director, where he was responsible for British Gas’ marketing and sales teams.
Bhatia is taking over Orr’s commercial director role, having risen to managing director of the company’s connected homes business after joining four years ago from McKinsey.
Orr left his role as chief executive of WCRS to join British Gas in June 2010 as the company’s director of communication and brand marketing .
He was promoted to director of marketing and insight in September 2011 before being promoted once again to commercial director in September 2012.
Orr’s time at British Gas saw him sign up and launch Nectar as a loyalty partner and oversee the launch of sub-brands Hive and Mobile Energy (ME).
Last year British Gas was awarded an IPA Effectiveness gold award for its Planet Home campaign.


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News by Lindsay M., News Editor
Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s regular catch-up news feature. With each issue we will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
Metro Redux is coming to the Switch
The Metro Redux saga is set to come to the Nintendo Switch next month, bringing its two titles to the console for the first time. It will contain the games as well as all DLC. Here’s an announcement trailer:
In the series’ universe, the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event in 2013. Several survivors found refuge underneath Moscow. By 2033, and entire generation has been raised underground. You play as Artyom, born just before the event but raised with the others your age underground. You find yourself on a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system to warn residents of an impending threat. What you find, however, could result in a civil war that will destroy the remnants of humanity.
Metro Redux includes Metro 2033 Redux and Metro Last Light Redux, originally launched in summer 2014. It will be released for Nintendo Switch on February 28. Physical pre-orders will include the Ranger Cache pack, which includes a pin badge set, game sleeve case, double-sided artwork inlay, four art cards, and a double-sided poster.
Neko Ghost, Jump! launching this year
We know “Neko” means cat, so you bet there’s a cat in Neko Ghost, Jump! The cat, Nekoman, will traverse the land in this puzzle platformer title that will switch between 2D and 3D planes. The game was originally created during a game jam, but a handful of contributing devs along with creator Burgos Games have made it much bigger than that. Here’s the first look, from November:
Nekoman’s friends and family have been kidnapped by Space Pirate Dog Boss. He will have to travel through several biomes, from grassy plains to snowy tundras, in his quest to rescue them. You’ll switch between 2D and 3D planes. Nekoman also has a spirit form to help take out the bad guys.
Neko Ghost, Jump! will be released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One sometime this year. I’ve noted the lack of Nintendo Switch on that list, and wonder if that may change.
Trails of Cold Steel III confirmed for a PC launch
Announced at PX South, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III will be released for PC via Steam and GOG on March 23. This is in addition to the Switch version, coming in Japan this March and a bit later in North America and Europe. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III was first released in 2017 in Japan and 2019 in NA and EU. Here’s the PC announcement trailer:
18 months have passed since the Erebonian civil war. Rean Schwarzer has graduated from the military academy and become an instructor, now leading a brand new generation of heroes. All is calm in the world, at least for now… the Ouroboros organization is, after all, continuing to weaves its evil plot to launch the continent into war.
Despite being the third in the trilogy, new players will be able to jump in thanks to an interactive introduction to the ongoing story. The combat system has been refine, and new features offer new possibilities in battle.
There’s a new Touhou Project title on the way
It’s not a mainstream title, rather it’s a rhythm puzzle game called Touhou Spell Bubble. The game will combine rhythm elements with bubble-shooting puzzles, and do it all to a background of Touhou music arrangements.
Many characters from the Touhou series are set to appear, such as Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame. In fact, many of those who work on the series are return, including IOSYS and Yuuhei Satellite for the soundtrack, Taito’s sound team, and illustrators including key visual artist Fuzichoco.
Touhou Spell Bubble will be released in Japan, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch via the eShop, this February.


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Tuesday May 15, 2012 2:10 pm
New Rdio redesign is now available to all
Just a quick PSA for all you music lovers out there--that new Rdio design we recently talked about? Well, it's now live for everyone. Our favorite streaming music service has rolled out the new clean look for all, and it's pretty fantastic. Check out a video walkthrough below.
Read More | Rdio
- Related Tags:
- app, desktop app, hands-on, music, music streaming, rdio, redesign, streaming, streaming music, streaming service, website


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Ubisoft’s CEO was recently quoted, saying he firmly believes the upcoming Nintendo NX should be able to attract more casual gamers when it launches. Nintendo’s gaming rig is slated for a release next year.
Google Areo is a new app for ordering food or home services in India
Mobile News, India India, World News, Tech News, Android, Real Estate, Amazons
Google Play now offers a free Android app every week
The worst of April Fools’ is behind us, and the best part of April lays ahead, but before you erase March from your mind, take a few minutes to check out the best of last month’s new and updated Android apps.


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Valve has announced Portal: Companion Collection, which includes two parts of the series. The set will go on sale in 2022 on the Nintendo Switch.
As with the rest of the platforms, Portal and Portal 2 will feature full single-player campaigns, with the latter also offering a co-op mode. It will be possible to pass it through online and local multiplayer, or using a split screen on one console.
Below is the announcement trailer for Portal: The Companion Collection with gameplay.


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The tech field has long been abuzz not too long ago with headlines of 3D technologies coming to your smartphone. In February, Google declared its 3D mapping initiative with Venture Tango. The brand new HTC A single has a dual world-digicam enabling some 3D imaging. We’re also hearing rumors about a new 3D smartphone being launched by Amazon. Little doubt, 3D smartphones will open up the doorway for the new wave of technological know-how at present untapped by companies and people. But initial, 3D technologies is expected to reach the hands of consumers by way of the laptop computer as a result of the efforts currently being led by Intel and main computer brands.
The subsequent era of laptops will hit the marketplace by this calendar year’s getaway period. As Intel announced earlier this yr at CES and recently at Computex, perceptual computing is a core initiative for the company, a major part of which entails bringing 3D imaging into the Laptop. What does that signify? Similar to the way accelerometers, gyroscopes and GPS inside a smartphone help the cellular phone to be familiar with the phone’s posture and orientation, 3D cameras will enable the PC to understand more details on the consumer, the user’s orientation and the bordering surroundings. Additional, it will allow for immersive video conferencing (a la Personify), strong facial recognition, gesture Manage and navigation, emotion recognition and 3D scanning for 3D printing, and for importing into movie online games and virtual environments.
The perceptual abilities that will be supplied by means of 3D cameras will make numerous new and fascinating options. One of several much more intriguing illustrations is 3D cameras will permit the Personal computer to scan numerous points on faces and palms and fingers in authentic time, so they become a organic Component of how we interact with our PCs. We’ve noticed anything equivalent presently on the Xbox console with Kinect. The Laptop computer of the longer term will acquire this to another amount with fine-grained finger controls for speedily navigating Home windows, tabs and written content, and also managing the UI inside applications. Aquifi is definitely an example of a firm doing some extremely innovating factors while in the House.In addition, 3D cameras will permit stronger facial recognition so that your Personal ZORD computer unlocks when it recognizes that it’s you. Face recognition in alone isn’t a completely new technological know-how, but due to the fact a 3D digicam is capturing a 3-dimensional picture of your respective encounter, it would make the recognition procedure far more secure and trustworthy than with a conventional webcam.
Emotion recognition is yet another fascinating characteristic that may develop into doable with 3D imaging. Consider a perceptualized Variation of YouTube that suggests new videos by inspecting how you reacted to prior movies!As though that’s not sufficient, the 3D digicam is just one aspect in the perceptual Computer system. We are anticipating to check out extra Innovative beam-forming array microphones (the audio analog of the 3D digital camera) crafted to the laptop computer, that can permit improved background sounds suppression and outstanding echo cancelation, which empower considerably far better voice recognition. Because of this, we can easily count on encounters with digital assistants like Siri, Cortana and Google Now to be better yet, and also to insert additional worth for the user.
The effects this technology will have on equally enterprises and customers is large. For firms, immersive video conferencing and gesture/voice navigation may help renovate communication and also perform productivity. For shoppers, we’ll see lots of entertainment and articles navigation worth. And this is only the start. A few of the companies presently foremost the charge in 3D item progress contain Emotient for emotion recognition, 3D Systems for 3D scanning, Acquifi for gesture navigation, Nuance for voice recognition and naturally, Personify for immersive collaboration and conferencing. As 3D engineering helps make its way to the arms of millions, you’ll want to expect to check out quite a bit more from these companies Along with a new wave of technology that could develop immersive experiences unheard of right now.


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In the wake of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) stringent ban on Paytm Payments Bank, Paytm is reportedly exploring the sale of its wallet business.
What Happened: Talks are underway with potential investors, with HDFC Bank and Jio Financial Services emerging as the front-runners for acquisition, the Hindu Businessline reported, citing sources.
The ban, imposed on January 31, has reportedly prompted Paytm to consider strategic alternatives, including discussions with interested parties to offload its wallet business.
Since November 2023, Paytm has engaged in talks with Jio Financial Services, but discussions may be delayed due to KYC-related challenges that have affected Paytm’s aggressive pursuit of its wallet business since 2022.
Why It Matters: The urgency to sell the business now stems from the looming threat of a complete halt, and sources suggested to the business daily that this could be viewed as a distress sale to ensure continuity for existing Paytm wallet users.
Simultaneously, Paytm has reportedly reached out to HDFC Bank for a potential deal, leveraging HDFC Bank’s status as one of its crucial banking partners. A deal with HDFC Bank could fortify the bank’s proprietary wallet business, addressing the overlap between HDFC Bank customers and existing Paytm wallet users.
Jio Financial Services, looking to make inroads into the payments bank sector, sees the acquisition of Paytm’s wallet business as a strategic move. As part of a larger bailout plan, there are indications that Jio might extend an offer to acquire Paytm Payments Bank. This potential acquisition would align with Jio’s broader vision for the payments ecosystem.
Despite regulatory challenges, Paytm Wallet has performed strongly, with 330 million wallet accounts. CEO Vijay Shekar Sharma, holding over 51% stake in the payments bank, oversees Paytm’s strategic decisions, while One97 Communications owns the remainder.
Price Action: While Paytm hit the lower circuit for the third consecutive session following the ban, Jio Financial’s share price soared 6.5% to ₹270.25, though HDFC was trading in the red, down 0.21% at ₹1,443.05.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Essex-Suffolk partnership aims to tackle battery car drivers’ ‘range anxiety’
PUBLISHED: 16:24 20 May 2019 | UPDATED: 16:24 20 May 2019
Spark EV Technology
A Suffolk firm has joined forces with the University of Essex to try to overcome people’s fears about driving electric vehicles (EVs).
Range anxiety - where drivers worry about running of charge mid-journey - is one factor dogging attempts to drive up EV numbers. But Newmarket-based Spark EV Technology is working with academics at the university to try to overcome concerns, including lack confidence that in-car systems are accurate which prevent them from adopting the technology through a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP).
Spark uses Artificial Intelligence-based (AI) technology to make personalised journey predictions and its AI algorithms learn with every journey, continually improving the accuracy of personalised predictions.
The partnership, which is funded by Innovate UK, aims to further develop the technology with the help of leading experts from the university, increasing driver trust that they will be able to get to their destination without needing to recharge. A KTP associate will be based at Spark EV full-time and will work closely with Essex's academic team to manage the project.
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Robert Walker, head of business engagement at the university, said the project had "huge potential" to have a positive impact on the environment by encouraging mass adoption of EVs.
Dr Michael Fairbank, from the university's School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, who is academic supervisor on the KTP project, said they were "excited" by the opportunity to advance the product and help the UK increase its uptake of electric vehicles.
To use the technology, drivers enter their proposed journey into their Spark-equipped SatNav or smartphone app, and receive personalised advice on whether they can complete the trip, based on live data, driving style, types of routes, previous trips and charge point locations.
Justin Ott, chief executive at Spark EV, said the 18 month KTP project was "a perfect opportunity" for Spark to further develop its technology. "To develop this expertise Spark requires a collaborative venture with suitably qualified experts to add to its engineering team," he said. The partnership would help them to improve the product in an affordable way, he added.
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