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‘The time for DOOH has truly arrived’
By Rajiv Raghunath - June 24, 2019
Barry Frey, President & CEO of Digital Place-based Advertising Association (DPAA) shares his perspectives on the growth and development of DOOH media and the factors that will determine this industry’s growth journey
Do you think the time for DOOH has arrived, and where is it going to go from here?
Yes, absolutely the time for DOOH has arrived and it is going to continue to grow even further and faster in the future. OOH is becoming a wholesome medium with automated features, enhanced processes, increase of data usage, amplified targeting and addressability. Even the classic media is becoming more digital. Moreover, digital screens are responsible for most of the growth around the world. For instance, in the UK, 50% of OOH advertising is on digital OOH; in the US, probably 35% of the media are digital screens.
There are two components of the DOOH growth. First, OOH media is becoming digital. Second, both advertisers and consumers love screens and videos. All of this makes for a very exciting time. In fact, I think the global business was up by 15% YoY last year because of digital OOH.
With DOOH gaining so much traction, do you see a new class of advertisers coming into the OOH fold?
Certainly, digital screens have been able to attract big OTT category players and other cable TV category brands. In fact, Netflix has recently bought an OOH company in LA. Now the ability for cable networks and TV channels to advertise has increased as they can show full motion video and the glorious nature of their content, which were not possible in the OOH in a non-digital environment. In addition, we have had great traction around the world with social media where we can start conversations through screens on social media.
DOOH faces lot of barriers on the regulatory front, so as the head of DPAA, what kind of advocacy are you doing for having the right kind of regulatory norms for digital media?
I am not aware of the regulations and their nuisances around the world but I think generally the world is becoming more business-friendly. I don’t think a lot of countries aren’t in favour of OOH business. Of course, we don’t want to do anything dangerous to anybody. But it is tough to stop technology and consumerism.
What is your take on some of the archaic norms that may hinder the growth of DOOH media?
I think today where you can have more effective advertising, you can also have more effective information, emergency services and communication for citizens. I think this has to be considered because this is a powerful medium which can now inform, entertain or deliver emergency services. These aspects need to be considered by the government when they look into regulations governing this media, not just advertising alone.
OOH was for long highly localised, but with digital OOH coming into the picture, this medium is becoming globalised. Are you seeing more cross-border collaboration between organisations either content creators or technology providers?
Yes, absolutely. In the current time, advertisers cross borders, agencies cross borders, digital crosses borders and we cross borders effectively for that reason. We talk to agencies and advertisers of the highest level and in fact we tell our members to get that smart to enable them to understand the markets. Today, one can create ads that are tweaked according to local market requirements or you can keep them consistent globally. Hence technology enables more globalisation.
Do you see DOOH enhancing the creativity in OOH advertising?
Every time a medium emerges, people use it as per their knowledge gained from the earlier media to design creatives. For instance, the earliest TV commercials had radio announcers making similar announcements in front of the camera. In due course that changed and TV commercials became what they are today. Likewise, we are seeing that digital OOH formats offer the creative folks a whole canvas to experiment creatively.
Do you expect to see consolidation of digital OOH business around the globe? What about the startups that are arriving on the scene?
I think you are going to continue to see both technology start-ups and mergers and acquisition, like the way Ayuda Media Systems being taken over by Broadsign. Both are strong companies. I think there will be more such transactions happening in the future.
What would be the net impact of companies like Google and Intel getting associated with OOH?
Intel is on my board and it is a great company which has smart people and it will help to grow this industry. Now the need for such companies has increased as the OOH medium is more digital and engineering driven so we can call those smart people to drive the industry.
With the globalisation of DOOH business, are we beginning to see global standards in this space?
It is evolving. We have developed at DPAA our global standards for programmatic, but indeed more work needs to be done.
Are you expecting see DOOH growth in a market like India?
India has a tremendous opportunity. There are so many companies and a huge set of screens mushrooming now which makes the country a vibrant advertising community. So, I think India offers tremendous opportunity and we are excited about this market.


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There are a ton of pool / snooker games available in the Play Store, which is not surprising considering
Sony is now rolling out the stable version of Android 9 Pie to the Sony Xperia XZ2 and the XZ2 Compact.
The OUKITEL W1 is one of OUKITEL’s newest smartphones, and the company has decided to put the device
In short: 5G will bring with it massive opportunity for the media industry in particular, and a ‘tipping
In short: SoftBank and Toyota announced today that the two firms will be working together on self-driving
In short: Google has now announced new features for its enterprise implementation of Google+ while
With Pixel’s launch just two days back, it’s pretty evident that the war for phone cameras is clearly
In short: Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg is taking the company through a major top-level restructuring
In short: Razer has just announced the Raiju Mobile, which is a new gaming controller that will work
When it comes to action anime, few come close to matching the sheer intensity of Fist Of The North Star.

domain: news


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A TikToker pokes fun at his Olive Garden experience after accidentally playing games on the restaurant’s tablet device, not realizing he’s being charged for it.
In a video recently posted on TikTok and viewed more than 470,000 times, user Latrell (@goodbuss) shares his first experience with Olive Garden’s digital kiosk.
“Accidentally bought table games in the garden because I’ve never seen this device,” Latrell wrote in the text overlay, jokingly pointing to the restaurant’s name.
“I didn’t get a single correct answer playing two trivia games,” reads the caption.
@goodbuss didn’t get a single correct answer playing 2 trivia games #fyp ♬ Original sound – HRH COLLECTION
In the video, Latrell shows himself in the restaurant scrolling through the different games and clicking on his bill, where he was charged $2.99 for “table games.”
This isn’t the first time a customer has been taken by surprise when purchasing tablet games. According to NBC5 Chicago, some parents who have eaten at chain restaurants like Olive Garden have found their children buying games without their knowledge.
Around 2015, Olive Garden began rolling out tablets in its restaurants that “act as server assistants.” Los Angeles Times reported. The touchscreen tablets allow customers to browse the restaurant’s menu, order food, pay for their meal and play games. Olive Garden did not respond to The Daily Dot’s request for comment.
Commenters on Latrell’s video also appeared to have felt betrayed after being accused of playing tablet games.
“I did this once because I thought it was free and my parents were so confused when it said on the bill,” said one commenter.
“I accidentally did that once on a date,” said another commenter. “We ended up just playing games all night so it wouldn’t be a waste.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Latrell via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.
We crawl the web so you don’t have to.
Sign up for the Daily Dot newsletter to get the best and worst of the web delivered to your inbox every day.
*Initial publication: December 13, 2022 at 10:35 am CST
Allyson Waller is a freelance writer for the Daily Dot. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and has written for other publications such as the New York Times and the Miami Herald. Outside of the journalistic world, her joys include delving into book recommendations from TikTok, listening to pop culture podcasts, and playing with her dog, Theo.
https://www.dailydot.com/irl/olive-garden-table-games/ Customer accidentally buys “table games” from Olive Garden


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Mudrex, the cryptocurrency asset management firm, has announced the launch of its new Coin Sets investment vehicle.
It has been reported that the new offering allows investors to diversify their asset portfolio across a range of high-performing decentralized finance (DeFi) assets, as well as nonfungible tokens (NFTs).
However, the niche financial model fosters the distribution of risk exposure in what is often considered a volatile marketplace, allowing investors to bet on the value proposition of an entire sector, rather than the individual potential of a single asset. The basket of assets is also rebalanced on a monthly basis to recalculate the risk and opportunity for investors.
The report said that this is the first time a product of this kind has been launched to the retail marketplace, as opposed to mutual funds with similar design and functionalities that exclusively target high-net-worth clientele and institutional-grade investors. Launched in January 2018, the San Francisco-based organization is experiencing a moment of expansion in registering over 40,000 users and has in excess of $15 million in assets under management.
Likewise, in April 2020, the firm launched a digital asset trading platform titled Mudrex Invest, designed to provide automated expert trading services to regular individuals. On August 10, it was announced that the firm had received a seed funding raise of $2.5 million orchestrated by Nexus Venture Partners, with additional participation from the likes of Village Global and Kunal Shah, among others.
The recent acquisition of funds will contribute to expanding the firm's operational workforce, in addition to the deployment of further products and services.
Edul Patel, the co-founder of Mudrex, said:
"The demand for a simple to invest product like Coinsets is so universal that we have a lot of interest from across demographics. The product is especially attractive to new entrants into crypto who are quickly overwhelmed with the information overload in the asset class."
Patel revealed an innovative aspect of the Coin Set product that encourages a self-assembling approach to portfolio creation, as well as reporting that one of India's largest portfolio management systems, MintingM, has utilized the model for their flagship product xMINT.
Thus, he concluded:
"One very interesting feature that we have enabled is letting pro traders/creators and influencers build their own Coin Sets and distribute it to their own communities to unlock wealth creation for theme."


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Hong Kong police’s special anti-fraud squad blocked nearly US$90 million in payments to phone and internet scammers in first quarter of 2019
- Frozen payments involved email fraud, online romance scams and investment fraud.
- Phone frauds include fake officials, bogus kidnappings and the “guess who I am” scam.
The special anti-fraud unit of the Hong Kong police halted HK$700 million (US$89,188,4646) worth of payments to local and international fraudsters using internet and phone scams in the first three months of this year.
The anti-fraud squad received 388 requests to block payments – totalling more than HK$1.42 billion – that had been transferred into scammers’ bank accounts in Hong Kong, mainland China and other countries from January to March. He said the number of the requests was a 40 per cent increase compared to 277 in the same period last year.
“The centre has successfully helped victims to thwart the payments of HK$700 million in 161 out of the 388 cases,” Chan said.
The payments that were frozen involved deceptions such as commercial email fraud, online romance scams, investment fraud and phone scams.
Although some of the cases came from outside Hong Kong, local police were involved because the bilked money was transferred into bank accounts in the city.
The Anti-Deception Coordination Centre was set up in July 2017 to pool police resources to thwart scam cases and run a 24-hour scam helpline – 18222.
From January to March, the team prevented 45 callers from being duped, including 26 involved in phone scams.
This most costly phone scam the police prevented this year would have cost the victim HK$980,000.
Police said the amount of money defrauded by phone scammers rose to HK$34.4 million in the first quarter, from HK$4.5 million over the same time last year. There are three types of telephone scams: fake officials, bogus kidnappings and the “guess who I am” scam.
The “guess who I am” scams accounted for nearly two-thirds of the phone scams. In this deception, swindlers pretend to be a victim’s relative or friend urgently in need of money. Police handled 81 cases of this tactic with a loss of HK$3.84 million.
The fake-official phone scam duped 43 victims, and there was one case of a fake kidnapping scam that resulted in a loss of HK$60,000.
The Post reported last week that 43 people were bilked out of HK$30.5 million in the fake-official scam in the first three months of this year. Last year, over the same period, the 20 victims were cheated out of HK$1.89 million.


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Apple’s 2016 iPhones are the World’s Most Popular Smartphones — Strategy Analytics
They may be last year’s models, but Apple’s iPhone 7 series devices are still the world’s most popular smartphones according to Strategy Analytics – the analysts estimate both models together sold almost 14 million more units than their closest competing devices in Q2 2017.
Dominance by any name
You see, while the iPhone 7 led the market with 16.9 million sales and the iPhone 7 Plus saw 15.1 million additional sales, the world’s biggest-selling Android smartphone series – the Galaxy S8 and S8+ (plus, how original) shifted just 19.2 million products – 12.8 million less, overall. (Still, not so shabby, I guess).
Apple today accounts for two of the world’s top five smartphone models. Apple’s two current smartphones gave the company 8.9 percent of the overall smartphone market, in contrast to Samsung’s 5.3 percent. No one else has such a big slice of the industry – even fifth place Xiaomi took just 1.5 percent.
The rest of the industry is characterised by various Android vendors who are in a war to extinction as they fight over the crumbs – while between them they account for 84 percent of the market, not one of them has anything more than a maximum 1.5 percent market share.
This means most manufacturers are selling (at best) around one million units, and squeezing profit from doing so — there can’t be that much to be made in this. That’s why I doubt those third tier makers are spending a great deal of money on investing in things like, for example, eradicating conflict minerals from their manufacturing supply lines.
“The iPhone 7 remains the world’s most popular smartphone model overall, due to a compelling blend of user-friendly design, extensive supporting apps, and widespread retail presence for the device,” said Juha Winter, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics.
Down at the low end
Apple faces competition in China. Linda Sui, Director at Strategy Analytics, points out, “We estimate Xiaomi Redmi 4A shipped 5.5 million units for fifth place and 2 percent marketshare worldwide in Q2 2017.
“Xiaomi is becoming wildly popular across Asia. Xiaomi is now the fourth largest smartphone vendor in China and the second biggest across India. Xiaomi is selling a large volume of smartphones through online channels, with key distribution partners such as Flipkart and JD.”
It will be interesting to see how Apple chooses to counter the impact of these small, local Android vendors come 2018 and the next-generation locally-made Apple product, the iPhone SE2 (or whatever it happens to be called).Dear reader, this is just to let you know that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


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The FSA has launched a three-month consultation into establishing a consumer redress scheme to compensate Arch cru investors.
If the scheme is set up all firms which sold Arch cru funds would have to contact clients to let them know if their case falls within the remit of the scheme within four weeks.
Where redress is due, firms would use an FSA online calculator to calculate each payment, which also takes into account how much money investors can claim from the separate £54m compensation scheme which has already been set up.
Investors should receive notification of how much redress is due within six months and receive payment within 28 days of accepting.
The scheme will be the first time the regulator has set up a customer redress scheme using powers which were updated in 2010.
The FSA says the move could pay £110m in redress to between 15,000 and 20,000 consumers. It comes on top of the £54m payment scheme announced last year involving Capita Financial Managers, BNY Mellon and HSBC Bank, with investors put into the position they would have been in if they had not invested in the funds.
The regulator has developed a template that firms would have to follow to determine if sales were unsuitable. The FSA says firms will have to report on the progress of their review. It estimates the cost of the scheme will total £6m to £11m.
FSA director of conduct supervision Clive Adamson says: “We have found significant evidence that investors looking for lower risk investments have thousands in these funds. It is right that these consumers are put back in the position they expected to be in when they took the advice.
“This is the first time that we have used this consumer redress power and it is going to form an important part of our consumer protection tool kit. We will be working hard to reduce the number of large scale failures. But where they do occur it is imperative that we can get redress to consumers who have lost money through misselling as fast as possible


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Global Marketing News – 20th October 2015
Harnessing ecommerce boosts small business success
Small businesses in Europe that engage in ecommerce are much more successful than similar businesses that don’t sell online, according to research by eBay.
Around 130,000 small European businesses have joined eBay in the last 4 years, and together have sold almost 20 billion Euros’ worth of goods.
Just a quarter of offline small businesses sell their products internationally, but this rises to an astonishing 93% when looking at small businesses that sell their products on eBay.
Over three-quarters sell to at least 5 countries, with 39% selling to at least 4 continents. The average number of countries that small European businesses export to on eBay is 18.
Small businesses from the countries hardest hit by the economic crisis are doing especially well online.
Small businesses from Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy typically saw levels of growth 20% higher than their countries’ GDP.
Programmatic ads should be more creative
Various big name companies, including Nestle, Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline, have called for more creative and dynamic ads to be used in programmatic advertising.
Programmatic ads are those that are automatically bought and placed by software rather than by humans.
The companies believe that uncreative, untargeted and unoptimised ads are letting down the otherwise promising method.
Demonstrating the kind of creativity it thinks the industry should be aiming for, Unilever recently launched a programmatic advertising campaign in Brazil which used 100,000 different variations of an advert, so that users are targeted with the most appropriate and personalised ad possible.
A spokesperson from GlaxoSmithKline also commented on the issue, saying: “Programmatic is about dynamic content and delivery of that dynamic content based upon data signals that are coming from your data management platform.”
Ecommerce growing in popularity in Mexico
Ecommerce is growing in popularity in Mexico.
Research by Emarketer predicts that online sales in Mexico will rise to 5.7 billion US dollars this year, up 30% on last year.
There are around 140 ecommerce companies in Mexico, with Amazon having launched in the country earlier this year in July.
An Amazon spokesperson commented on the ecommerce market in the country, saying: “I’ve never seen so much interest as now, not just from Amazon and consumers, but from other traditional retailers as well, to invest and come up with online offers.”
The convenience of online shopping is being touted as the main reason for its increasing popularity in the country, with lack of trust in online payment options being the main reason holding some people back.
With smartphone penetration increasing at a rapid pace, now accounting for 60% of all mobiles in the country, the popularity of ecommerce seems set to continue on its upward trajectory.
Video advertising booming in Indonesia
Video advertising is booming in Indonesia, according to research by TubeMogul.
The research revealed that 90 million pre-roll video ads were played on desktops every day in the second quarter of this year, up a staggering 1,600% on the same period last year.
Video advertising also increased on mobiles, up 21% on the last quarter.
Indonesia is one of the rising stars in the Asian online economy.
Earlier this year, the Chinese search giant Baidu announced it intended to break into the lucrative market.
With internet penetration at around just 20% in the country, Indonesia has huge potential for future growth.
Japan and Turkey team up to develop 5G
And finally, Japan and Turkey have said they will work together to help develop 5G technology.
5G telecoms systems will much faster than today’s 4G mobile networks, with the two countries saying they will work together to develop 5G technology and standardise 5G infrastructure around the world.
The need for 5G mobile internet is becoming ever more urgent, with 30 times more mobile internet traffic expected in 2020 compared to 2010.
Webcertain’s global marketing news bulletins are daily 5-minute videos, providing marketers with the latest international digital marketing news in an easy-to-digest format.
Latest posts by Elin Box (see all)
- 3 tips for digital marketing in the Netherlands - December 2, 2022
- Upcoming webinar: 2022 trends – A digital retrospective - November 29, 2022
- Quiz: 10 fun international digital marketing facts for 2022 - May 19, 2022


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(JTA) — French anti-racism groups dropped lawsuits against Apple Inc. after it removed an iPhone app called "Jew or Not Jew?" from online stores around the world.
The made-in-France app had been removed from Apple’s online store in France in September following an outcry in the country. At the time, French Jewish and human rights groups argued that the application, which came out in early August and allows users to guess whether public personalities are Jewish or not, violates French law forbidding the collection of personal data such as a person’s religion or ethnicity without permission from the individual.
The app was removed last month from all European online Apple stores, but it was still available through the U.S. store.
Groups including the French Jewish Students Union, SOS Racisme and the Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Between People filed suit against Apple in Paris demanding it withdraw the app worldwide.
The app was created by Frenchman Johann Levy, who said his intentions were to show “pride” in being Jewish.
“I did it out of healthy intentions. I am Jewish myself," Levy said in September on French radio Europe 1. "The goal was just to bring a feeling of pride to Jews when they see that such-and-such a businessman or celebrity is also Jewish.”


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Study finds Wi-Fi location affects online privacy behavior
Does sitting in a coffee shop versus at home influence a person's willingness to disclose private information online? Does the on-screen appearance of a public location's online "terms and conditions" have an effect? According to researchers at Penn State, the answer to both questions is "yes," especially if the user has a tendency to instinctively distrust public wireless networks.
"In our study, we asked if location—where a person is physically located offline—makes a difference to how that person conducts himself or herself online," said S. Shyam Sundar, James P. Jimirro Professor of Media Effects. "We also wanted to see if other things that are privacy-related, like the provision of terms and conditions by the wireless provider and the presence of a VPN (the virtual private network) logo, make a difference in how people navigate their privacy online."
According to Sundar, co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, some people maintain a mental shortcut, called "publicness heuristic," which is a mindset that inhibits a person from revealing private things in public.
"We wanted to know if people who hold onto that publicness heuristic more strongly are less likely to disclose personal information via public Wi-Fi," said Sundar, who worked with Maria Molina and Andrew Gambino, both doctoral candidates in mass communication.
The researchers recruited participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk, a globally distributed online workforce, to test online behaviors under various privacy-related scenarios. Specifically, they examined participant online behavior in four types of physical location—a coffee shop, a university, an Airbnb and home. They also compared online behavior through a simulation comparing participants who connected to Wi-Fi through a VPN—indicated by the presence of a VPN icon in their connection window—and those who did not receive such a cue, as well as between participants whose connection window included a "terms and conditions" cue and those who did not receive such a cue. The results will be presented today (May 8) at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Glasgow, Scotland.
The team examined four types of online behavior—unethical behavior, ethical behavior, disclosure of financial information and disclosure of personal information—among participants. They did this by asking the participants questions such as, "Have you ever looked at pornographic material?" and asking them to rate, for example, their level of comfort in sharing their debt-to-loan ratio or their income.
The researchers assessed the participants' publicness heuristic levels by asking questions about the extent to which they generally feel it is safe to manage personal business in public.
The team found that participants who had a higher publicness heuristic perceived a public network—the coffee shop—as less secure than their home or a university network, and as a result, disclosed less information and said they participated in fewer unethical behaviors. Participants rated the Airbnb network as being more secure than a coffee shop network and were willing to disclose information when the terms and conditions cue was present, even without a secure VPN connection. Participants were least likely in most settings to disclose information or behave unethically when no VPN logo and no terms and conditions were presented.
The authors conclude their paper with a few recommendations for designers to increase users' awareness of the security of their network connection in different locations.
"For example, we suggested that designers could incorporate cues such as, 'Warning: this is a public network,' or 'VPN: anonymous browsing,'" said Molina.
According to Sundar, it is important for designers to make people aware that they are in a public space, so they can make good decisions about their online behavior.
"These results indicate a need to leverage the positive heuristics triggered by location, VPN logo and a terms and conditions statement for ethical design practices," he said.
Provided by Pennsylvania State University


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|IBM CEO Sam Palmisano will step down next year.|
HP ( HPQ) will keep its PC division, the company's CEO Meg Whitman announced on Thursday, after spending the last few months considering a spinoff of its computer business. > > Bull or Bear? Vote in Our Poll The possible PC spinoff, one of a host of strategic changes announced by the company's former CEO Leo Apotheker earlier this year, proved massively unpopular with investors. Ultimately, the strategy contributed to Apotheker's ouster last month. "HP objectively evaluated the strategic, financial and operational impact of spinning off PSG. It's clear after our analysis that keeping PSG within HP is right for customers and partners, right for shareholders, and right for employees," explained HP CEO Meg Whitman, in a statement released after market close. Whitman's move won plaudits on Wall Street, although analysts have warned that she still has lots of work to do before HP gets back on track. HP's shares ended the week up 95 cents, or 3.52%, at $27.95.


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The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD’s) forecast of an above-normal monsoon raises the hope that we could soon see the end of rural distress on the one hand and continue to see low food inflation on the other. Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation for March came in at a six-month low of 4.83% compared with a year ago.
The yield on the 10-year government bond is now at a 32-month low, on these expectations.
True, agriculture is no longer very important for the overall economy, but nonetheless, a good monsoon will give a boost to rural demand as well as ease the problem of water availability that has not only led to rural distress but also affected supply to industries.
As far as inflation is concerned, RBS economist Gaurav Kapur points out that some of the fall is due to the base effect, and while a good monsoon will certainly help contain food prices, it is also a fact that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is worried about the effect of the Seventh Pay Commission.
Nevertheless, the good news is that the El Niño weather pattern is fading and a La Niña—which usually results in abundant rainfall—is taking its place. True, any interest rate cut by the central bank is likely to take some time, as it weighs the temporal and spatial monsoon impact, the pay commission announcement, and the impact of monetary transmission.
“The government has been proactive in managing food price pressures over the last year despite a weak monsoon. The inflation trajectory was stable as it moved to ~5.0% in March 2016 from 4.9% in April 2015 despite 1.5% lower food grain production with 6.0% lower pulses production. The RBI through FY2016 reduced policy rate by 75 bps (basis points). Hence, attaching too much importance to monsoon for a rate cut cycle is not prudent. However, the normal monsoons will remove a risk factor from the RBI’s dashboard," said a 12 April note from Kotak Economic Research. A basis point is 0.01%.
Higher-than-normal rainfall may help ease pulse price inflation, according to Ritika Mankar Mukherjee, an economist at Ambit Capital Pvt. Ltd.
Second, core CPI, excluding fuel and food, slowed to 4.8% in March, lower than in February. Core inflation may continue to remain weak because of slower gross domestic product growth, added Mukherjee.
Ten-year government securities’ yields have dropped to a 32-month low of 7.42% as of Tuesday’s close, anticipating lower inflation and the prospect of a 25 basis point rate cut by the central bank.
Further softening of yields is contingent on the liquidity situation, which RBI has promised to ease.


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John Deere has announced that it will stop making telescopic handlers.
The units, built at the firm’s Zweibrcken factory in Germany, are to be discontinued as of 31 October this year.
The firm says the decision to withdraw from telehandlers follows a detailed assessment of the worldwide market.
The possibility of another manufacturer building telescopic machines for Deere has been ruled out, according to the company.
It is not clear whether Deere will sell the design rights to the telehandlers to another manufacturer, but it is thought unlikely.
John Deere says it will continue to provide customers with parts and product support for current and previous telescopic handlers, including both 3000- and 4000-series models.
Deere further states that the Zweibrcken factory will now focus on the design and manufacture of harvesting equipment – its combine harvester and self-propelled forage harvester ranges.
Serious Fraud Office investigates Powerscreen


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Samsung has released a report that tells us about the reasons for the Galaxy Note 7 explosions. Notably, the company says that there were several things that caused the batteries to burst into flames.
It is Sunday today, which means it’s time to discuss the most popular posts of the last couple of days. Let’s start right now.
Most of the articles this week deal with the iPhone 8 and its alleged specs. There are several posts about Samsung, new iPads, and AirPods.
Apple will replace the Touch ID scanner in the Home button with a new sensor. A well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple will use an optical fingerprint reader in the iPhone 8 as it is more accurate, reliable, and can be placed under the display. The switch to thinner and more advanced OLED displays is the main reason for the tech giant to adopt the new technology.
According to the latest report from usually reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next-generation iPhone will feature a new 3D Touch sensor compatible with new wraparound OLED display panel that is supposed to be used in the handset. This new panel will be more sensitive and offer users more levels of pressure levels. To make the new sensor stronger and reinforce the entire structure of the OLED panel, Apple will use an additional layer of metal, Kuo says.
According to the latest report from The Verifier, iOS 11 will bring a number of new social features to the operating system. One of such features is the ability to add up to 5 participants to FaceTime video calls. Apple may announce the feature later this year at its annual WWDC conference along with other improvements and enhancements for iOS.
Apple found a supplier that will produce components for wireless charging. This means that the iPhone 8 will support the technology that will allow to charge the phone using a special dock station or surface for charging. The rumor comes from Asian supply chain sources, so it’s rather reliable.
GizChina has shared an image that shows what appears to be the Galaxy S8. The leaked image of the iPhone 8 rival was reportedly obtained from the company that produces accessories.
According to the rumors shared by Chinese insiders, Apple is currently working on the second-generation Apple Pencil that can magnetically attach to the iPad. The device may also get a special clip to carry it in the pocket of a shirt. The patent describing the new device was granted last year, so it’s high time the company unveiled a new Apple Pencil. Other features remain unknown.
Apple will release new iPads only in the second quarter of 2017, DigiTimes reporters write. The 9.7-inch model will enter mass production in the first quarter, while the other two, namely, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the 10.5-inch iPad will start leaving assembly lines only in the second quarter. This means that it is quite unlikely that Apple will announce the tablets in spring, as it was reported earlier.
According to the latest report from Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri, the iPhone 8 will get a 5.8-inch OLED wraparound screen with a thin bezel at the top featuring two sensors used for facial and gesture recognition. Furthermore, the Home button with Touch ID scanner will be integrated in the display, Arcuri claims. Apple may also add wireless charging capabilities to the next-generation iPhone.
Last week, Slice Intelligence reported that Apple’s new wireless AirPods captured about 26% of market just month after official release. Looks like these estimates are not accurate. According to Ben Arnold, an executive director and industry analyst at NPD Group, the earbuds took 2% of market in unit sales and 3% of dollar sales, leaving Beats, Bose and other brands far ahead. The reason for a big difference between the figures of Slice Intelligence and NPD Group is that the latter one uses a much larger panel of shoppers that includes those who shop online and offline.
Apple has released a supplemental security update for OS X El Capitan. The update addresses a kernel issue that may make the computer running this version of the operating system unresponsive or slow. If you still haven’t upgraded to macOS Sierra 10.12, it is recommended that you update your computer now.
According to the latest report from a Japanese site Mac Otakara, Apple may be planning to launch an iPhone 6 battery replacement program. As of now, however, it is unknown, what range of serial numbers is affected and whether Apple’s intentions are serious. The issue behind possible battery replacement program is also unknown, reporters add.
According to the latest report from usually-reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will update the 12-inch MacBook and both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro with new Kaby Lake processors and more RAM in 2017.
Samsung has reportedly discovered that faulty batteries were the cause of fires and explosions of the Galaxy Note 7. According to the latest report shared by Reuters, Samsung has finished the investigation and will announce its results on January 23, before the event dedicated to the earnings in the fourth quarter.


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The Second Edition of the International Consumer Products Expo opened on 25 July in Haikou, Hainan. The theme of this year’s Consumer Expo was “Sharing Open Opportunities to Create a Better Life”, demonstrating China’s open attitude to strengthening economic and trade cooperation and sharing development opportunities with all parties under complex domestic and international situations.
This exhibition takes the public dock of Haikou National Sailing Base as the main exhibition area, with a total area of 180,000 square metres. This year’s exhibition also provides a series of on-site activities tailored for exhibitors and audiences, including the sailing ceremony of the yacht show and an international yacht forum to exchange market insights.
Simpson Marine presented our yachting lifestyle lounge at the expo. With the presence of our team we showcased our main services and major brands that we represent. The show demonstrated the government’s support of yachting business and their goal to drive the global tourism industry towards Hainan as part of China’s growth master plan for the region.
If you would like to benefit from the new yacht-friendly and tax-attractive import regulations in China, please contact our team on the ground at firstname.lastname@example.org and we will be happy to explain the process and help you find your perfect yacht.
26th August 2022
26th July 2022
23rd February 2022


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1. Tourism is super important, accounting for 10 per cent of Australia’s export earnings.
2. Tourism’s moment has come.
3. International tourism is understood to have public good aspects (e.g. brand Australia) that warrant some public spending on attracting visitors. Tourism is also a public policy issue because regulations around immigration and customs, aviation and airports can determine the cost effectiveness of a trip to Australia.
But at this crucial moment for the industry, government funding for Tourism Australia has gone from $132 million in 2012 to $129 million in 2014. That’s a fall from $21.29 per visitor to $19.64.
4. The Government does not have a minister holding the title of Minister for Tourism (they do have a Minister for Sport). The Trade minister has tourism in his portfolio. But he has been accused of “neglect” for the sector.
5. There have been no data released on overseas arrivals since September 2014. The Department of Border Protection changed the arrival cards and completely screwed up the system that had delivered excellent monthly data for the previous 14 years. The timing of this mistake, at a likely inflection point in inbound tourism, is truly remarkable.
6. To make matters worse, right now the Productivity Commission is trying to put together a major report on tourism, in the absence of that data.
I have written before about the best way to invest to take advantage of the coming tourism boom, with AirBnB seeming like the safest bet. But as well as dispersed individual actions, we need a big coordinated push, and that doesn’t look like happening yet. Services industries remain a side-show to the “real” economy of tangible things in too many people’s minds.
Can the PC report shock the government into doing more? Or will the government remain focused on issues like foreign purchase of agricultural land?
2 thoughts on “How do you get a country excited about tourism?”
Hong Kong is an interesting case – residents want to *restrict* Mainland Chinese tourists from entering their territory because they say they are driving up prices and pushing locals out of popular neighbourhoods:
The Federal Government seems so fixated on cutting spending in order to reduce the deficit that they’re forgotten the other half of the equation – finding means to increase revenue. However, I’m not sure what Tourism Australia can do to attract more overseas visitors. More advertising blitzes? Funding for tailored holiday packages for the increasing number of Chinese tourists? I don’t know the effectiveness of these campaigns, or at least how beneficial they are compared to a drop in the $A


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Atlanta – August 17, 2017 – InfoMart, a global background and identity screening provider with nearly 30 years of experience in the industry, was again chosen by Business News Daily as a “best pick” for background check services. The criteria to earn this designation spans several categories, from their cost to their service offerings and the quality of their customer service to the simplicity of their user experience. InfoMart excels in each of these categories; the company has over a dozen products slated to launch next year, while consistently maintaining industry-leading customer service and developing technology that streamlines and enhances the applicant experience.
“InfoMart’s key differentiator is the attention we put into the development of technology and processes that make global compliance and applicant convenience their focal point,” commented the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of InfoMart, Tammy Cohen. “It’s thrilling to be recognized for both our expertise and the advancements we’ve made in this industry; though we experienced incredible growth recently, including further expansion into the global market and several innovative identity services, our commitment to redefining the industry has prompted extensive plans for the near future that will rival even this past year. We’re looking forward to announcing those soon.”
InfoMart adds this second consecutive win as a top pick from Business News Daily to several other recent awards, including twelve consecutive years on Workforce’s Hot List of Professional Background Checking Providers, HR Tech Outlook’s Top 10 Recruitment Software Solution Providers of 2017, and eight consecutive years on Security Magazine’s Security 500 list. Each of these awards commends InfoMart for the advancements they have been instrumental in pioneering in the background screening industry over the last 27 years, during which time they became accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screening Providers (NAPBS), a designation earned by less than 10% of the industry.
InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for over 27 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners, and they have achieved NAPBS accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 40 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.infomart-usa.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.


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FON's Muni Wi-Fi Moves
Just as EarthLink is backing out of municipal Wi-Fi business, another company, FON, seems to be going in full speed ahead. As you’ll recall, FON is the company, backed by the likes of Skype and Google, that sells routers and allows router owners to surf other FON owners’ networks fee-free. The outfit also gives out tons of routers for free, just to increase its network density. Well, lately, it’s started giving out free routers to municipalities.
I just talked to Joanna Reese, who heads FON’s operations in the U.S. She says that FON has started to seed certain cities’ key municipal buildings, such as libraries, with hundreds of free Wi-Fi routers. In return, cities help promote FON to their residents, who buy FON routers and grow the cities’ Wi-Fi networks.
This sounds like a costly undertaking to me, and one where pay-off is uncertain. But FON is, apparently, talking about such give-aways with a number of cities, including San Francisco (where EarthLink cancelled its project) and Los Angeles. Reese says to expect some announcements early next year.
Indeed, it sounds like 2008 could be a big year for FON in the U.S. Partners Comcast and Time Warner Cable are expected to start reselling its routers in the first quarter. The company is also, apparently, talking to content partners about putting their news stories and Web services up on FON's landing page. I imagine that ads will be coming along as well, bringing with them a new revenue source.
All of these moves sound extremely interesting. But I can't help and think about the tremendous cost of these roll-outs for FON. Assuming a router costs $30, and FON gives out 10,000 of them, that's $300,000 right there. This company is venture-funded and, I imagine, no where near turning a profit. At the same time, lots of national, high-speed networks are rising up, and snapping up users. What will be even more interesting to see if whether FON can make these huge investments pay off.


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Xiaomi has released a new product in its line — colorful batteries Mi Rainbow together with the company ZMI. Typically, users do not care what is the design of the batteries that are hidden inside the device, but Xiaomi went a non-standard way — painted them in different colors. With help of color gradation, you can discern what batteries are old, and what are new.
Colorful batteries — Colorful Life!
Pick your favorite color for your device.
Unique and compact design that reduces energy losses and significantly extends battery life.


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The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) has simply authorised an app that might revolutionize the way in which diabetics ship insulin to themselves. The app conveniently lets customers schedule and cancel doses of insulin, all from their Android or iOS smartphone.
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Tandem Diabetics Care introduced earlier this week that the FDA had authorised its app. The t:join app is now the primary smartphone app to achieve the FDA’s approval for delivering insulin to deal with diabetes.
Those that use Tandem Diabetics’ t:slim X2 insulin pump will be capable of schedule or cancel bolus doses of insulin via the smartphone app. A bolus dose is taken throughout meals to assist preserve somebody’s blood glucose ranges in a standard vary.
The app will make the method a bit less complicated. With the brand new replace, the individual will now not need to take out the pump and ship the insulin manually. As a substitute, they will do it proper there from their Android or iPhone.
Tandem Diabetic’s t:join app has been round for customers in america for some time now. And the app already has a number of makes use of.
It will possibly present the previous 24 hours of glucose traits, insulin supply knowledge, and rather more. And shortly, the app will be capable of schedule and cancel insulin deliveries, rising its capabilities even additional.
The corporate says that it’s going to start rolling out the brand new bolus insulin supply characteristic to pick out customers within the spring. It hopes to launch the insulin supply characteristic on the t:join app to everybody someday this summer season.


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Data from the Federal Reserve indicates consumers have a lot of cash on their hands as a result of the pandemic. Most have used cash while paying in person during the pandemic.
Nov. 3, 2020
Has COVID-19 helped to nail the coffin on cash? Various reports have cited the need for businesses that accept payments to focus more on cashless options because of the pandemic.
No one today questions that e-commerce has made strides as stores have closed and consumers are anxious to avoid interacting with store personnel.
However, data from the Federal Reserve indicates consumers have a lot of cash on their hands as a result of the pandemic. And what they plan to do with it is more than a million-dollar question.
David Lott, payment risk expert for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, reviewed cash usage data during a webinar
David Lott, payment risk expert
last week sponsored by the National ATM Council Inc. The Federal Reserve surveys consumers regularly on cash use.
“In the early days of COVID there was so much uncertainty around COVID in terms of what its impact on the economy was going to be,” he said.
Pandemic reduced cash payments
Lott acknowledged that cash spending has been on the decline since 2009 and took a dive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Cash, particularly over the past two years, has made a major decrease,” he said. Cash as a percentage of the average consumer’s total payments declined from 40% in 2009 to 30% in 2019.
“We know there has been a very strong shift to online and even phone e-commerce transactions,” he said in comparing consumer spending habits pre- and post-pandemic. “Where we saw the real switching…would be in those cash heavy retailers,” he said, referring largely to the increase in cashless spending at restaurants and supermarkets.
Consumer cash holdings have grown
The pandemic, however, has put a lot of cash in people’s pockets, which could stimulate purchases of low-ticket items often found in vending machines.
“The amount of U.S. currency in circulation just skyrocketed with the COVID shutdown in March,” Lott said, and in October, U.S. currency totaled $2 trillion.
According to pre- and post-pandemic consumer surveys by the Fed, consumers were holding more cash post-pandemic. In October 2019, 43% had less than $25 in cash compared to 34% who had this amount in the spring of 2020; the number holding more than $100 in cash rose from about one third to nearly on half in April/May 2020.
The reason for the increase was that the first round of COVID stimulus payments hit in April. “Some people spent that money on necessities; other people were putting it away to be used for later events,” he said.
Another reason for the increase in cash holding was there were fewer places consumers could spend it following COVID.
Consumers still using cash
Consumers are not reluctant to spend the cash they have accumulated, Lott said. From October 2019 to April/May 2020, 60% of survey respondents used cash once when paying in person.
“They’re not avoiding cash in paying in person,” he said. “They haven’t been scared off by some of the sensational headlines (about how unsanitary cash is) that have come up from time to time.”
While about 40% of consumers indicated a retailer tried to steer them to using a card-based payment, only 7% said a merchant has refused to accept cash.
While contactless payments have increased during the pandemic, the survey found only 3% of respondents have used tap-to-pay cards when paying in person and only 2-3% have used mobile payment when paying in person.
Isn’t cash ‘dirty’?
And while many view cash as a “dirty” medium, Lott said the virus does not stay active on cash as long as it does on many other surfaces.
Neither the Federal Reserve nor the Treasury Department has made a formal statement about the safety of cash, he said.
“From a Federal Reserve standpoint, we are handling (cash) in each of our cash servicing operations,” he said. “The Federal Reserve has not taken any additional procedures with regard to the handling of cash than it had for any other operations that were in the building.”
And while there are new hygiene protocols for sanitizing and social distancing in the work environment, he said, “we’re not quarantining the money for any period of time.”
Coin shortage corrects itself
As for the coin shortage, which made headlines this past summer, the issue has simmered, Lott said. While coin shortages still exist in some regions, he said it is because of a circulation issue and not a production one.
Consumer coin deposits are down “substantially,” he said. “We’re not having that injection of coinage into that circulation process.”
Coin production became an issue in the early days of COVID due to some employee infections at the U.S. Mint, he said, but production has since recovered to normal levels.
“They’ve worked overtime to actually produce more coinage,” he said.
To address the coin shortage, the Federal Reserve in June implemented an allocation so banks would not run out of certain coin denominations. “That allocation method has been eased up substantially five times since that time frame,” he said.
There have been some geographical “hot spots” where banks have not been able to meet customer needs, he said. “Hopefully that’s going to be corrected in the next month or two,” he said.
What will be the long-term impact of COVID on consumer habits? Will habits revert back to what they were once COVID subsides?
For transactions under $10, cash is used more than 60% of the time; will this continue?
Lott did not have answers to these questions.
“We are going to continue to monitor consumer payment activity,” he said, noting the Federal Reserve hopes to have some new findings before the end of the year.


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Reason.org has just posted my commentary on the five reasons why Federal Trade Commission’s proposals to regulate the collection and use of consumer information on the Web will do more harm than good.
As I note, the digital economy runs on information. Any regulations that impede the collection and processing of any information will affect its efficiency. Given the overall success of the Web and the popularity of search and social media, there’s every reason to believe that consumers have been able to balance their demand for content, entertainment and information services with the privacy policies these services have.
But there’s more to it than that. Technology simply doesn’t lend itself to the top-down mandates. Notions of privacy are highly subjective. Online, there is an adaptive dynamic constantly at work. Certainly web sites have pushed the boundaries of privacy sometimes. But only when the boundaries are tested do we find out where the consensus lies.
Legislative and regulatory directives pre-empt experimentation. Consumer needs are best addressed when best practices are allowed to bubble up through trial-and-error. When the economic and functional development of European Web media, which labors under the sweeping top-down European Union Privacy Directive, is contrasted with the dynamism of the U.S. Web media sector which has been relatively free of privacy regulation – the difference is profound.
An analysis of the web advertising market undertaken by researchers at the University of Toronto found that after the Privacy Directive was passed, online advertising effectiveness decreased on average by around 65 percent in Europe relative to the rest of the world. Even when the researchers controlled for possible differences in ad responsiveness and between Europeans and Americans, this disparity manifested itself. The authors go on to conclude that these findings will have a “striking impact” on the $8 billion spent each year on digital advertising: namely that European sites will see far less ad revenue than counterparts outside Europe.
Other points I explore in the commentary are:
- How free services go away and paywalls go up
- How consumers push back when they perceive that their privacy is being violated
- How Web advertising lives or dies by the willingness of consumers to participate
- How greater information availability is a social good
The full commentary can be found here.


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HYUNDAI Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), distributor of the brand in the Philippines, announced that the Hyundai Accent 1.4L M/T now has a new engine and transmission that promise smoother acceleration and enhanced fuel economy.
HARI said that the Accent’s 1.4-liter Gamma engine is now fitted with dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) instead of the previous version’s single CVVT. The new setup bumps the engine up to 99 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 133 Newton-meter of torque at 4,000rpm, improving the car’s overtaking performance, HARI said.
It explained that dual CVVT controls the engine’s intake valves to give the right amount of air and fuel mixture for optimum combustion, as well as manages the exhaust valves to efficiently expel the combusted gas. This leads to efficient performance and greater fuel economy.
The new engine can now also be mated to a new six-speed manual transmission, which replaces the previous Accent’s five-speed gearbox. HARI said the extra gear offers better fuel-saving flexibility.


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New letter led by the International Franchise Association stresses the importance of the Franchise Rule to continue creating opportunities in franchising for entrepreneurs and workers alike
WASHINGTON, June 8 – The International Franchise Association (IFA) today led 16 business groups in urging Congress and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to work together to preserve the FTC’s Franchise Rule, which is under its 10-year review. In letters to the U.S. House and Senate commerce committees, the industry groups detail how the Franchise Rule helps promote business ownership and support economic growth.
“During the economic recovery, there has never been a better time for entrepreneurs and workers to be in franchising,” said Michael Layman, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs for the International Franchise Association. “The franchise sector is growing faster than the rest of the economy, franchisee satisfaction has never been higher, and franchise workers enjoy greater advancement opportunities and higher wages than non-franchise small business workers. Thus, we urge Congress and the Federal Trade Commission to work together to preserve the Franchise Rule that has helped to expand opportunities for entrepreneurs and workers of all backgrounds.”
The letter states, “The Rule affords current and prospective franchise owners information they need to weigh the risks and benefits of a business investment…This has led to successfully creating pathways to entrepreneurship for business owners of all backgrounds and enabled these owners to create wealth in communities across the nation. The Franchise Rule was last updated more than a decade ago following a consensus-based process that delivered clear guidelines for franchisors to follow and transparent information for prospective franchise owners before making an investment.”
The FTC Franchise Rule has been the primary federal regulation governing the franchise sector since 1978, requiring franchisors to provide essential information to prospective franchisees. The Rule is reviewed every ten years.
According to recent research by Oxford Economics, franchised businesses provide better wages, up to 3.4% higher, and more generous benefits than their non-franchised counterparts. Nearly one-third of all franchise owners say they would not own a business without franchising, offering entrepreneurial opportunities that would not otherwise be available, especially to women, people of color, and veterans.
The letters were signed by 16 groups representing business and industries involved in franchising, including:
American Hotel & Lodging Association
American Staffing Association
Home Care Association of America
International Franchise Association
International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association
International Sign Association
National Association of Convenience Stores
National Association of Realtors
National Association of Women Business Owners
National Council of Chain Restaurants
National Restaurant Association
National Retail Federation
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Workplace Policy Institute
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THE WHAT? Ulta Beauty has been ordered to pay US$750,000 to settle a civil suit alleging that the retailer failed to dispose of flammable and toxic materials properly across the greater Bay Area, according to a report published by KSRO.
THE DETAILS As part of the settlement, the US beauty retailer must implement a compliance program to ensure proper disposal of hazardous waste.
THE WHY? Contra Costa, County District Attorney Diana Becton told Patch, “Companies must be held responsible for business practices that pose harm to the environment. Ulta was cooperative throughout the investigation and in correcting the issues.”


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Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate added three new games today, and three great games at that, but not everyone can experience these three games. The first and most notable of these games is FIFA 21, the latest installment in the soccer-sim series and one of the most popular games of 2020. It’s been added to both the console and PC versions of the subscription service, but because it’s an EA Play addition, it’s only available via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the premium version of Xbox Game Pass that costs an extra $5 a month.
The third and final new game is Ubisoft’s STEEP, a winter sports game that hit back in 2016. Unfortunately, if you’re on PC, you’re out of luck, as the game has only been added to the console version of the subscription service.
The second most notable game is Outlast 2, a survival-horror game, developed by Red Barrels, that released in 2017. Unlike the other games added today, there are no barriers to entry with his one. It’s available to all subscribers, no matter the version or platform.
- Some great games have been added to Xbox Game Pass, but they aren’t for everyone
- Check all news and articles from the latest Gaming News and updates.


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Australian maker of slot machines Aristocrat Leisure Ltd says it has set up a limited liability company to handle its business in Macau.
Aristocrat Leisure issued a written statement earlier this month that said the new setup aimed to comply with a government proposal requiring makers of gaming equipment to operate through a limited liability company registered in the Special Administrative Region of mainland China, rather than through a branch of a foreign-owned company.
“The draft legislation included an effective date of 1 January, 2019; however the revised regulations have not yet been published,” the firm stated.
It added: “To ensure compliance with these requirements and to allow sufficient time to manage all the aspects associated with transferring our business to a local limited liability company, Aristocrat has established a locally registered company, Aristocrat Technologies Macau Ltd.”
The statement said the new firm already had been licensed by the gaming regulator in the city, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau or DICJ.
The Aristocrat group of companies owns 100 percent of Aristocrat Technologies Macau.
Aristocrat Technologies Macau will do the work done until now by another arm of the Aristocrat group, Aristocrat (Macau) Pty Ltd. The latter’s DICJ licence is due to expire on Sunday.
“Please be assured that we are working to ensure the transfer to the new entity occurs without inconvenience and with no disruption to our usual business processes,” the statement quoted Chris Rowe, Aristocrat Leisure Asia-Pacific managing director, as saying.
The managers, directors and officers of Aristocrat Technologies Macau are the same as the managers, directors and officers of Aristocrat (Macau) Pty.
Oct 23, 2019The Monetary Authority of Macao issued a warning on Wednesday against anyone seeking to promote what it said was “unauthorised” encashment services in the city. Soliciting consumers to...
Oct 23, 2019
”I haven’t seen the exact proposal, but in general, yes. I think that’s a good idea [to impose an additional tax on POGOs]”
Philippine Finance Secretary


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PUBG Mobile, the popular battle royale game, is receiving yet another update on both Android and iOS platforms. The new PUBG Mobile 1.0 update brings changes to the Cheer Park and Training Ground, introduces a new Erangle map, improvements to the Livik map and much more.
PUBG Mobile has been banned in India alongside PUBG Mobile and 116 other Chinese applications. The Indian government has banned these apps due to privacy and security concerns amid tensions between India and China. However, the game could make a comeback in the country as PUBG Corporation is working on cutting ties with the Chinese company, Tencent Games.
If PUBG Mobile makes a comeback, here’s what you will get to see in the latest version of the game:
With the 1.0.0 update, PUBG Mobile aims to mark the beginning of a new era. The company has finally refreshed the popular Erangle map as a part of the new beginning. The new Erangel map brings updated visuals for the sky, land, water as well as the grass. The map even gets improvements to the structures and buildings in order to make it look closer to the real world. The company has also remodelled drop points like Mylta Power, Quarry, Prison and others to offer “unexpected developments in battle”.
Apart from that, Livik map also gets some improvements in terms of both visuals as well as the gameplay. PUBG Mobile has also added a new semi-automatic shotgun named M1014. It can be loaded with up to seven rounds and the ammo can be manually reloaded. The new weapon is exclusive to Livik and Arena mode.
Besides that, the company has also announced the Payload 2.0 game mode coming soon under the EvoGrounds mode. With this, the players will get a new armed helicopter, Advanced Communication Towers, new weapons and much more.
One of the major updates is that the game now supports 90Hz refresh rate on phones that come with 90Hz or higher refresh rate displays. The company has also introduced other updates in the game.


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Monthly Archives: April 2012
Nokia India today announced the regional availability of Nokia Asha 202 ‘Touc-And-Type’ plus Dual SIM phone for Indian market. For Asha 202, Nokia has also tied up with five leading Indian operators to offer free Internet usage.
Intel today launched their newest 3rd generation processors in India. The latest processors feature worlds first quad core processors based on 22nm fabrication process. The highlights of the new processors are,
Introduction: When Nokia announced its agreement to sidetrack Symbian and use Windows Phone instead to make their smartphones nobody could have thought that it’ll deliver its first Windows Phone before 2012.
Today Nokia announced the NFC version of the recently launched Lumia 610. Lumia 610 is the first device to run on lowered requirements for Windows Phone like just 256MB RAM instead of usual 512MB RAM.


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Conjectures about the Coronavirus(COVID19) are various and widely differed. Whereas the genuine misfortunes due to the pandemic are yet to be discovered, its influence on our vocation and livelihood is unavoidable.
The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) put forth the unemployment rate at the end of the week on 26th April 2020 to be 21.1% which was 7.16% at the end of the first month of this year and yet the worst is unseen.
Markets have tremored since economic slowdown has reached a peak amid the shutdown all over the country. The 21 days lockdown declared on 24th May have not only increased in duration but also have given all industries a ghastly pain about their economy post this period.
According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Snap Poll, 2020 there could be a sharp decrease of 10 per cent in revenue and more than 5% decrease in profits in the majority of firms. The coronavirus outbreak and unavailability of its cure forced the shutdown of many major industries, resulting in huge job losses across the country.
Out of 200 CEOs who took part in the Snap Poll, 52% anticipate job losses in their respective sectors post lockdown. 47% of the firms expect up to 15% job losses, and another 32% expected 15 to 30% job losses
During the nationwide shutdown, the companies were forced to cut salaries, lay off or send their employees on leave without pay for an uncertain period of time. Where the incumbents are still trying to protect their employee’s cashflow and mitigate any overwhelming financial burden, the startup sector has taken the biggest hit. The so-called unicorn startups like Udaan and Oyo have laid off thousands of employees leaving their future in the dark.
R. Chandrashekhar, former president of NASSCOM and former Secretary to the Indian Department of Information Technology, said: “The industry has been scrambling to set up its own business continuity plan”.
The CMIE even expects the jobless rates inflate more than 23% following quarantine.
As the recruitment process has also been halted, a majority of applicants are still optimistic about getting their dream jobs. However, after the pandemic situation companies are expected to be quite reluctant to welcome new labour force. They have to end up taking strict decisions to either withdraw the offers or hire the newcomers with lower compensation.
Another perspective of this scenario is also drawn by the companies that they expect a huge competition over jobs. The ex-workers would add to the number of job-seekers which could result in havoc in the industry and economy. In 2019 the unemployment number was a 45 year high at 6.1% and if predictions were to be believed this year could see the worse rate of job scarcity ever. Furthermore, the job scarcity would even force the seekers to negotiate with lesser pay and formidable conditions.
The shutdown hasn’t only affected the production, manufacturing or IT industries. The travel and tourism sector also has been in a deplorable state where 70 per cent of the working force may become unemployed.
The pandemic is expected to impact more than 29 lakh jobs in the Indian aviation and dependent industries, according to IATA, the trade association of the world’s airlines.
The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested for a year of EMI holiday of standard and premium instalments on credits and working capital from financial institutions (both banking and non-banking). Even Hotel Association of India’s (HAI) Vice President K.B. Kachru showed deep concern that lack of expeditious steps could result in more than 3.5 crore job losses. And as work from home strategy doesn’t fit with the hospitality sector, an incurable loss of around 5 lakh crores may occur in the current financial year.
Till a miracle is not materialized, this storyline doesn’t permit the tourism and hospitality sector to open up for new business anytime soon.
Furthermore, the job crisis could see the worst succeeding as the export from countries like China may see a sharp fall. Chinese products have always dominated the electronic market in India; their unavailability would not only influence the consumer but the seller, the exporter and even employees who work in the delivery and post-sales services.
Though we are nearing the end of the shutdown, reports suggest that it might get extended further. If the reports were to be believed, the government might have to reconsider the shutdown and even ease of the condition to save the economy from falling down into turmoil. But having said this the rising cases of infected people would be the matter to be more concern about.
The Indian economy was considered by the expert to be less affected by the pandemic due to its less dependency on exports. However, as the most famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes said: “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.” The absolute truth this time implies to be that though accepted or not, COVID-19 could not only cause a global recession but also affect the Indian market drastically.


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Barbados has revealed the first campaign from its 2015 plan for continued growth in the UK market, with the launch of its Brilliant Barbados booking offer.
The promotion offers the first two nights of a seven-night stay free, when customers book their Barbados holiday at one of 30 participating hotels, with a range of selected tour operators.
The offer is available to book until April 18, for travel between May 9 and December 19, and also includes a discount card, given to customers on arrival at their chosen property, providing discounts of up to 25% on entrance tickets to a range of popular island attractions.
The recently reformed tourist board structure, comprising the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. and the Barbados Tourism Product Authority, is seeking to continue visitor growth across the rest of this year.
CEO, Billy Griffith, and UK director, Cheryl Carter, will be focusing their attention on reducing seasonality by adjusting marketing strategy across booking periods, a strategy reflected in the Brilliant Barbados campaign; on deepening strategic partnerships with key travel industry players, to simplify the booking process; and on pursuing an integrated marketing approach to ensure the implementation of successful initiatives across multiple source markets.


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Social & environmental: Latest news and analysis articles
The recent move by the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) to establish a voluntary Code of Conduct for its members is seen as...
International fashion brands and retailers are being urged to help build a more resilient cotton supply chain in China if they want to secur...
Changes taking place in China’s cotton sector offer both implications and opportunities for brands and retailers, according to a new report...
Businesses with supply chains and operations in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Cambodia are benefiting from the world’s lowest labour costs – but m...
From providing the first low-cost loans for factory remediation efforts, to setting up worker helplines and training 1.1m people on fire safety, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety is making “good progress” on its goals. But this is just the beginning, according to Ian Spaulding, senior advisor to the Alliance, who talks to just-style about what still remains to be done.
The global apparel industry is expected to grow 3.5% to over $500bn this year, matching a similar gain in 2014 and consolidating a three-year recovery, according to the International Apparel Federation's (IAF) new president Rahul Mehta.
German fashion house Hugo Boss has come under attack from union activists over its treatment of factory workers in Turkey.
Almost 17m children are involved in child labour across South Asia – one in five of them aged 11 or under – according to a new report.
Swedish fashion label Filippa K has become the first apparel brand to incorporate fabrics produced using a water repellent technology that is free from fluorocarbons, non-toxic and readily biodegradable.
The US has raised “serious” concerns over worker rights in Honduras and the enforcement of labour laws under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), following a probe into working conditions at facilities, including apparel factories.
Sustainability representatives and major brands will gather in London this month to discuss the key issues surrounding the cotton supply chain and ethical sourcing.
Swedish fashion chain Lindex has banned the use of PFCs in all its garments, teamed up with a chemical company to ensure it delivers on its promise – and hopes to persuade all its suppliers to phase out PFCs to avoid contamination from other brands.
International fashion brands and retailers are being urged to help build a more resilient cotton supply chain in China if they want to secure supplies of the raw material for the future. But can they really make a difference, and why should they care?
A tentative agreement on a new five-year contract has been agreed for some 20,000 dockworkers at 29 US West Coast ports, ending nine months of discussions. The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) have been engaged in talks since 12 May to replace the existing six-year contact, which expired on 30 June.
- Why should brands care about China cotton?
- New Gap CEO set to tackle “aesthetic issue”
- Falling euro adds to Bangladesh production woes
- Low labour cost countries linked to highest risks
- China cotton: implications and opportunities
- M&S Asia head quits as China stores to close
- Gap names new design head amid mixed Q4
- Abercrombie & Fitch reports “dismal” FY
- Pay rise mulled for Sri Lanka garment workers
- US labour concerns at Honduras apparel makers
- Myanmar's Garment Sector - Opportunities & Challenges in 2015
- Apparel Retail: Top 5 Emerging Markets Industry Guide
- Outdoor performance apparel: peaks, valleys, and green fields
- Management briefing: Outlook 2015: Apparel industry issues in the year ahead
- Global market review of swimwear - forecasts to 2019


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In the last ten years, jobs created in the healthcare sector have exceeded those created in the rest of the economy by a factor of ten, equaling 2.6 million new jobs.
Healthcare spending as everyone knows is eating up an ever-increasing proportion of the economy. Healthcare spending in the U.S. is currently at 17.6% of GDP compared to an average of 9.5% for the rest of the 34 OECD nations, what many people refer to as “first world” countries.
The amazing job growth is sort of a good news/bad news scenario. Clearly, we would still be in the depths of the recession without those jobs. Part of the job growth is caused by out of control spending and price increases (largely not by medical devices, which are a paltry 6% of the sector) – the bad news. Part is lots of hiring to go along with all of the spending, which I guess is the good news.
As the article points out, the jobs that are projected to grow the fastest in the next ten years are personal care aides and home health aides, courtesy of aging baby boomers and their parents.
And yes, these jobs are as recession-proof as you can imagine. They cannot be outsourced and there seems to be a virtually limitless demand from the market.
My question is, how far to the right and up can the blue line extend?
It must be incredible fun to be a biomedical engineer these days. I would be like a kid in a candy store with all of the incredible tools and components that one can use to make just about anything.
“Scanadu is making fast progress in building one of the most mythical pieces of tech known to geekery. As an entrant in the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, the health-tracking device is designed to read your temperature, blood pressure, respiration, and other vital signs, just by holding it to your temple. Last week, the Scanadu Scout finally launched on Indiegogo, and already has raised nearly $700,000–seven times its stated goal, with two weeks left to go. [update – now at $1.3 million! TES]
The XPRIZE originally used the omni-informative tool as inspiration for a $10 million prize founded to make health analysis available to consumers at home. “Somebody will have to build the Tricorder one day,” says Walter De Brouwer, Scanadu’s co-founder.”
“We are in the biggest tsunami of personalization in the world but for medicine we are still waiting in line in an emergency room.” De Brouwer
Scanadu seems to have adopted the iRobot strategy that produced the Roomba and a number of line extensions including products for military and aerospace use: Use science fiction for ideas and adapt current technology to make something useful. Not a bad plan.


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India’s Largest Retail Chain to Accept Payments in CBDC
India's largest retailer Reliance Retail has announced plans to accept payments in the digital rupee in a move that could boost the nation's adoption of CBDCs.
The retail chain has partnered with ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and fintech Innoviti Technologies to add support for the digital rupee in its Freshpik line of stores across the country, TechCrunch reported Thursday, detailing that customers will be provided with a dynamic digital rupee acceptance QR code that they can scan and make the payment.
As per the report, Reliance Retail has rolled out the support for CBDC at its gourmet store line Freshpik and plans to extend the feature across other stores in the future. V Subramaniam, Director, Reliance Retail, reportedly said:
“This historic initiative of pioneering the digital currency acceptance at our stores is in line with the company’s strategic vision of offering the power of choice to Indian consumers. With more Indians willing to transact digitally, this initiative will help us provide yet another efficient and secure alternative payment method to customers at our stores.”
India's central bank has long been a supporter of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), calling them "the future of money." The country started a pilot program of its digital currency in cooperation with nine banks in November last year.
The Reserve Bank of India hopes to lower the economy’s reliance on cash, enable cheaper and smoother international settlements and protect people from the volatility of private cryptocurrencies with the digital rupee. The central bank next plans to experiment CBDCs for wholesale transactions, and cross-border payments.
“e₹ is a game-changer in the digital revolution unleashed in the country,” Deepak Sharma, President and Chief Digital Officer at Kotak Mahindra Bank, reportedly said. “All customers having e₹-R wallets will now be able to enjoy an effortless, safe and instant way of digital transactions at Reliance Retail stores.”
On the other hand, the RBI has long maintained a harsh stance toward digital assets, arguing that the nascent asset class has no underlying value. The central bank has constantly warned investors and the government against crypto, citing volatility as well as risks of fraud and scams.
Last month, India’s central bank governor Shaktikanta Das said cryptocurrencies don't have any intrinsic value and their perceived “value is nothing but make-believe." He said cryptos are not even worth a tulip, alluding to the well-known Dutch tulip mania blow-up in the early part of the past century.
The country, which currently holds the G20 presidency, also plans to use this opportunity to coordinate global crypto regulation and study the implications of cryptocurrencies for the economy, monetary policy, and the banking sector in order to inform a policy consensus.


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The Dawn of Virtuix’s Omni-Directional Treadmill: A Game-Changer for Virtual Reality
In the ever-evolving realm of virtual reality (VR), Virtuix is pushing the boundaries of immersive experiences with its innovative Omni One treadmill. As the digital age propels forward, this groundbreaking device promises to redefine how users interact with the virtual world.
Revolutionizing the VR Experience
Virtuix is set to roll out the Omni One to the eagerly awaiting masses, with more than 1,000 units expected to ship by the end of 2023. But the excitement doesn’t end there; an ambitious plan to distribute approximately 8,000 products to investors by the first quarter of 2024 is already in motion. Such a robust release strategy underscores the company’s confidence in the product and its transformative potential.
Crowdfunding Success: A Testament to Demand
The Omni One’s journey began with a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign. With a staggering $4.5 million raised, reaching 90% of its goal, Virtuix has proven that there’s a palpable demand for next-level VR experiences. Such validation from the community has further fueled the company’s drive to innovate.
Omni One: Stepping into the Future
What sets the Omni One apart? This state-of-the-art treadmill offers users the freedom to move naturally within a VR environment. Whether it’s walking, running, or even crouching, the device seamlessly translates physical movements into the virtual space. The result? A level of immersion previously thought impossible.
Moreover, safety remains paramount, with built-in features ensuring users remain secure, preventing any potential mishaps during intense VR sessions.
From Enterprise to Every Home
While Virtuix has seen success in the commercial arena, the Omni One marks its foray into the consumer market. The shift is a strategic one, capitalizing on the growing demand for advanced VR solutions for home use. The company’s vision goes beyond just entertainment; they envision the Omni One as a tool that can revolutionize industries, from gaming to professional training.
Pico VR Integration: A Perfect Synergy
The Omni One isn’t just about movement; it’s a complete VR package. Partnering with Pico, the package includes the acclaimed Pico Neo 3 Pro headset. Chosen for its flexibility and compatibility, this collaboration ensures users get a top-tier VR experience straight out of the box.
Conclusion: Virtuix’s Visionary Leap
With the Omni One, Virtuix is not merely introducing a product; they are pioneering a new era for virtual reality. By merging physical movement with the digital realm, they are offering users an unprecedented level of immersion. As the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds continue to blur, the Omni One stands as a beacon, guiding us into the future of VR.


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23 May 2104:
SEATCA Tobacco Industry De-normalization campaign, ‘TIME’S UP, DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY’ launched at the WHO-WPRO Offices. The tobacco industry is not like any other industry, and they are the problem and cannot be part of the solution. Hence SEATCA has launched a campaign to de-normalize and expose their tactics. For more on this, contact: Ms. Worrawan Jirathanapiwat, SEATCA SIS Program Manager, firstname.lastname@example.org.
TIME’S UP, DONT cialis 20mg online BE FOOLED BY THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY! Flashmob at the WHO-WPRO Conference Hall – ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ ending with the Time’s Up, Tobacco action! (thanks to HealthJustice, Philippines).


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Toshiba Seeks At Least $8.8 Billion in Chip Stake SaleBy and
Deal could value chips business at as much as 2 trillion yen
Company aims to finalize sale during next fiscal year
Toshiba Corp. is looking to raise at least 1 trillion yen ($8.8 billion) from the sale of its memory chip business and will aim to complete the transaction by March 2018, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The deal will likely result in Toshiba relinquishing majority control over the unit, which could be valued as high as 2 trillion yen, the person said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private. The company wants to take time negotiating the best price possible without setting a concrete deadline, although it aims to reach an agreement before the end of the next fiscal year, according to the person. A Toshiba spokesman declined to comment.
Toshiba is grappling with a $6.3 billion writedown at its nuclear division, which is suffering massive cost overruns in the construction of nuclear power plants in the U.S. and China. Last week, President Satoshi Tsunakawa said selling a majority stake in the company’s highly-prized flash memory chips business may be inevitable to shore up its balance sheet. Local media including the Sankei newspaper reported the fundraising target earlier on Tuesday.
The icon of Japanese business is likely to be demoted from the first tier of the Tokyo Stock Exchange to the second section as a result of its deteriorating finances. A person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg last week the company sees no way of avoiding demotion since liabilities already exceed assets. Rather than trying to meet exchange requirements by the end of the current fiscal year in March, Toshiba will instead take its time in negotiating the best deal possible for its shareholders and employees, according to the person.
South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc. has publicly expressed interest in the Toshiba chip business. Other potential bidders include Micron Technology Inc. and Western Digital Corp., which already partners with Toshiba on manufacturing. Samsung Electronics Co. is the market leader in flash-memory chips with about a third of the $30 billion market, followed by Toshiba with about 20 percent and then Western Digital, Micron and Hynix.
In the Toshiba chip sale, foreign buyers are under consideration, but will have to abide by requirements to maintain employment and keep production in Japan, said the person. So far the Japanese government has not taken any concrete steps involving the deal, according to the person. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga last week said that flash memory chips -- used in smartphones and solid-state disk drives -- are an “extremely important” technology for the nation’s growth strategy.
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It seems like every few years, we add another “G” to our cellular networks. Well, 2020 is the year we were all ready to jump on new 5G technology, with cell businesses being extra excited. While companies like Amazon planning to use 5G for their “internet of things” to control technology simultaneously around the world, cell phone providers are probably the most obvious ones to benefit from the update. The coronavirus pandemic has caused a bit of uncertainty all throughout the tech world, but it seems as though our jump to 5G is still somewhat on schedule. With make manufacturers already shipping 5G-capable phones, your time to jump on the train could be now. So, how do we best capitalize on 5G technology?
Now or Later?
Well, this may depend on your phone preference. Samsung, as well as a few other Android manufacturers, have already shipped 5G phones. If you are a fan of the android platform, or want to give it a shot, then your time could be now. Heck, if you just really want the fastest speeds as soon as you can get them, you may want to consider making the jump from Apple. That being said, Apple is slated to offer 5G phones in 2020. Barring any new coronavirus developments, Apple phones with 5G capability are scheduled to land in September. As some corona-related supply or distribution issues come up, it is unlikely that this deadline can be kept. After all, you typically want to give a few weeks of leeway on either end, even in ideal circumstances. So, the timing is largely based on your preference of operating software.
COVID Affects on 5G Tech
When it comes to the economic lockdowns imposed worldwide due to COVID-19, 5G tech may be slowed– but not stopped. The coronavirus has laid waste to many sectors of the economy, but supply chains in tech fields have done alright. With some initial disruption, it seems that the heaviest delays have been 2-4 weeks for most major firms. This means that, for the most part, the future of 5G hasn’t been shattered by the pandemic. 5G rollouts will still be coming, and it will probably only be a month or so later than expected. So, while 2020 may not be the 5G explosion that we expected, you will still see major moves made. For the bleeding-edge tech-lover, 2020 still looks bright for you.
We hope this clears up some of the worries you may have had about 5G during these uncertain times. It is pretty simple: If you want to capitalize on 5G technology, just keep updated on your chosen cell manufacturer’s updates. Once they release their 5G devices, or if they already have, buy one. While full implementation may not be 100% complete right away, you will still see a noticeable jump in performance. Not only that, but you will have a lot of software and network optimization to look forward to later on in the year.
Trey LaRocca is a freelance writer, financial sales worker, and tech guy. When he isn’t out and about or at work, he’s usually at home enjoying some video games and a beer. Currently residing in Newport Beach, this California Kid can be found at the beach on any given weekend. Trey has years of experience in day/swing trading, financial analytics, and sales.


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Bourbon, Tequila Lead Beam Suntory To Mid-Single Digit Sales Gain In U.S.February 16, 2018
Led by strong growth from its Bourbon and Tequila portfolios, Beam Suntory’s sales in the U.S. market rose by mid-single digits for its fiscal year ended in December. Parent company Suntory Holdings saw its overall beverage alcohol sales, which also include beer and wine, climb 4.8% to ¥722.5 billion ($6.8b) in 2017. Operating income slipped 0.5% to ¥126.9 billion ($1.2b).
In the U.S. market, Beam Suntory flagship brand Jim Beam had a stellar year in 2017. Including flavor extensions, the franchise grew by 6.5% to 4.9 million cases, according to Impact Databank. Excluding flavors, Jim Beam was up 4% to 3.6 million cases.
Among Beam Suntory’s other key whiskey brands, Maker’s Mark (including Maker’s 46) advanced by 4.7% to 1.6 million cases, while Knob Creek topped 400,000 cases on 8% growth and Basil Hayden’s surged 29% to 181,000 cases. Beam Suntory’s Tequila portfolio also enjoyed solid progress in the U.S. last year, with its Hornitos range up 12% to 800,000 cases and Sauza Silver rising 20% to over 400,000 cases.
The company added that gin labels Sipsmith and Larios also contributed to a broadly positive revenue performance across its global business last year, as European sales rose by high single digits, Southeast Asia and China leapt by double-digits and the Japan spirits unit saw revenue increase by 6%. In November, Beam Suntory named company veteran Albert Baladi chief operating officer and president of its Americas region, replacing the departing Tim Hassett.—Daniel MarstellerSubscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.


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Apple iPhone 8 concept look: No home button and a red colour variant
A new concept video showcasing how the new 10th anniverasry iPhone 8 would look has been released.
The video shows the iPhone 8 using a Samsung Galaxy S8-like technology on the display with nearly no-bezels at all. Samsung has placed the home button of the S8 under the display and Apple is also expected to do the same.
Rumours have been rife that Apple is using new OLED bendable displays for the iPhone 8.
The YouTube user explains two scenarios under which the virtual home button could be used. First, the home button will disappear once the device is unlocked and hand gesture could be used to activate it again. Users could press firmly on the left side of the screen to bring the feature back.
Second, a digital home button would sit towards the bottom of the display with a row of apps placed above it.


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IPC APEX Expo 2017, the largest technical exhibition show in North America, was a successful five-day event for the electronic industry. This year, the conference and exhibition portion of the show took place at the San Diego Convention Center in February 2017. The theme was technology’s turning point and for those who had the opportunity to attend this event, they were able to experience this memorable moment in the industry. According to John Mitchel, IPC President and CEO, “This is a place where industry professional come together in order to turn inspiration into innovation”.
Every year, professionals from the printed circuit board and electronics manufacturing industry come together from all around the world. 4,169 attendees from 39 countries came to the show while 449 exhibitors occupied 149,600 square feet of show space. Some of the exhibitors that took part of this year’s show included:
- ASM Assembly Systems
- ASSCON Vapor Phase Technology
- ASYS Group Americas Inc.
- CheckSum, LLC
- CyberOptics Corporation
- Fuji American Corporation
- Henkel Electronic Materials, LLC
- Indium Corporation
- ITW Electronic Assembly Equipment
- Kic Thermal
- Koh Young Technology Inc.
- Nordson ASYMTEK
- MicroCare Corporation
- SAKI America
- Viscom, Inc.
- Yamaha Motor Europe
This event not only educated attendees with 9 buzz sessions, 36 technical conferences, and 34 professional development courses, but it also created networking opportunities with vendors and potential clients. The industry’s experts covered various topics, including Industry 4.0, adapting to flexibility, supply chain traceability, and much more. The professional development courses addressed all different subjects, including assembly processes, cleaning and coating, design, quality and test, and PCB fabrication. Keynote speakers were also a highlight this year, as Mayzim Bialik (actress and author) and Mary (Missy) Cumming (military pilot and Duke University professor) gave inspirational presentations about the future of science and technology. This year also marked IPC’s 60th anniversary. Joseph O’Neil, first-time Board Chairman of IPC, was excited to be part of this event and said, “Attendees this year will be inspired to take ideas they encounter onsite and turn them into real-world solutions and business opportunities.”
The next IPC APEX Expo will once again take place at the San Diego Convention Center on February 27 to March 1, 2018.
SMT Hybrid Packaging, Booth 4-400