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NEC is reportedly in talks with Lenovo since early 2013 on a potential sale or tie-up involving its mobile unit.
Lenovo has announced that it is in talks to establish a smartphone joint venture with NEC, as it looks to boost global expansion of its fledgling smartphone business.
NEC has reportedly been in talks with Lenovo since early 2013 on a potential sale or tie-up involving its mobile unit.
Lenovo said in a statement: "The board would like to inform the shareholders of the company and potential investors that the company is in preliminary negotiations with a party in connection with a potential joint venture transaction."
Over the past eight years, the Chinese PC maker has been forging deals to expand its PC business, but the company has now changed its strategy toward smartphones, tablets and enterprise computing over declining PC shipments.
NEC spokesman said that the company’s mobile phone business is in a difficult state and it requires deciding on a direction for the business.
"For that, we are considering various opportunities and that stance up until now has not changed," spokesman said.
In addition to NEC’s mobile’s mobile phone business, Lenovo has been reported in the market over 2012 to be in search of other acquisition targets that include IBM’s low-end server business, Nokia Oyj and blackberry maker Research In Motion.
Recently, the second-largest smartphone vendor in China revealed its plans to enter US smartphone market within a year.


text: Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please. Ah, those were the days. Unfortunately for bars around the city, it now takes a lot more to attract the discerning Hong Kong worker after a day at the office. So, in the battle to stand out from the crowded field of watering holes, customers are being lured with a new gimmick: the free fancy bar snack. An increasing number of bars and restaurants have caught on to the fact that better-than-average snacks served throughout the evening can attract and keep new clientele. 'It encourages people to stay longer and perhaps have dinner,' says Michele Senigaglia, corporate chef at Italian wine bar and restaurant Di Vino. 'Sometimes, they'll sample a pasta portion then order it as a meal. I allocate money every month to do this kind of food. It's not cheap, but it's become our signature way. It brings something new that nobody did before.' From Central to Causeway Bay and beyond, the city's bars are serving mouth-watering free snacks, ranging from steak sandwiches and pizza slices to roast meat platters and California sushi rolls. Owners and managers have realised that offering discounted alcoholic drinks for a couple of hours during the evening is no guarantee of patronage. Besides, not everyone visiting a restaurant wants to drink alcohol. In fact, many of those offering the nicer nibbles maintain a regular-hour bar price, which doesn't seem to deter patrons. For the venues that serve free food it's also a way to introduce diners to the a la carte menu, and that means more money in the till. For the after-work diner it's the perception that a restaurant is making that extra effort to attract your custom, rather than just discounting the price of a beer for a couple of hours. 'That's the reason we came here,' says recruitment consultant Mala Neary, indicating the buffet of a dozen or so dishes laid out on the bar in Di Vino. Out for the evening with three female friends, she says tasty bar snacks invariably lead to selecting from the main menu. 'If I want beer nuts I can go anywhere and this definitely makes it more of an experience,' she says. Morton's of Chicago, at the Sheraton Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, uses the same filet mignon on its entree menu for the 550 or so free steak sandwiches it serves every week during happy hour. Bar and restaurant Tivo on Wyndham Street delivers 10 to 15 trays of snacks per evening to diners and drinkers to highlight its contemporary Italian menu, while Lotus on Pottinger Street has a weekly sampler night. 'We've always had a bar-grazing menu, but we did it to help promote the menu and our cocktails,' says bartender Liz Mudd. Most customers are happy to sample the snacks and linger for an extra glass of wine or move to the main menu for something more substantial, but there are those who view this trend as a free meal. Until recently, Shambles in Wan Chai served an extensive happy hour buffet, complete with fresh salmon, Parma ham and chocolate fountain. But after some patrons spent the evening nursing one drink while tucking into the food, the buffet was replaced with slices of roast meat, bread and condiments. 'Not everybody was doing it,' says manager Albert Zuniga. 'But now we get people coming in just for drinks even though the food is complimentary.' A short walk away Finds on Wyndham Street dishes up Scandinavian tapas, or scapas. General manager Michel Hadorn says the Scandinavian bar and restaurant was having something of an identity crisis until six months ago when it started serving small portions of the menu during the early evening. It was a popular late night lounge bar, but many customers didn't know about the food. Serving scapas during happy hour is changing that perception, says Hadorn. Rather than a buffet, staff deliver small sampler dishes to patrons' tables, encouraging them to order off the menu. Hadorn says the concept of happy hour has become dated and bars are going to have to discover more innovative ideas beyond food and drink to attract customers. 'Restaurants are trying to attract people in many different ways, but happy hour is getting boring. I don't even like the word,' he says. 'There has to be a new way of getting people in. Someone will have an idea and people will follow.' However, Giacomo Pani, general manager at Di Vino, says he doesn't regard bar snacks as merely a marketing tool. In his home country of Italy, it's traditional to have free nibbles on the bar. 'It's our way of thanking [customers] for being here,' he says. 'That's a completely different message from happy hour.'

domain: news


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In its centenary year CILT hosted its very first Big Logistics and Transport Diversity Challenge to encourage more diversity and inclusion within the profession.
CILT is pleased to offer its members a VIP invitation to the Innovation & Technology in Transport Hub Innovators’ Day 2019.
Civica has won a new £278k, five-year contract with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service to implement its Tranman software.
Due to the overwhelming success of last year’s first ever Virtual Careers Fair, CILT will host another live event at the end of this year on Facebook.
AEB announces new product structure, new website and new software platform all tailored to companies in the digital age.
RCS Logistics have successfully passed the British Retail Consortium Global Standard in Storage and Distribution; Issue 3.
© The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport


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(Adds company and analyst comment, detail.)
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Shares in U.K. micro-chip designer ARM Holdings PLC (ARM.LN) plunged almost 15% Tuesday after it posted a 18% drop in net profit in the three months ended Dec. 31 and gave a cautious short-term forecast for the semiconductor industry.
The Cambridge-based company, which designs and sells microchip blueprints used in phones, cars and other consumer goods, said revenue also missed targets, falling 5.4% to GBP64.3 million, as the weak dollar and a sluggish sales in its physical intellectual property division took their toll.
Net profit for the three months to Dec. 31 fell to GBP9.86 million from GBP12.063 million the previous year. Although on a constant currency basis, excluding foreign exchange movements, yearly operating profit increased 15%.
"Although we remain cautious about the short term industry outlook, we expect ARM to deliver significant constant currency earnings growth in 2008 and believe the long-term growth opportunities for ARM are substantial," said Chief Executive Officer Warren East in a statement.
At 0838GMT ARM shares traded down 17 pence, or 14.4% lower, at 101 pence, making it by far the biggest faller on the FTSE-250 share index, which at the same time was down 0.6%.
The company, which books most of its sales in dollars but reports in British sterling, saw flat revenue on a dollar basis of $130.3 million, but saw final figures hit by exchange rates.
ARM's intellectual property division, formerly known as Artisan, a company it bought in 2004 for $913 million, also saw a drop in revenue, as it restructured for growth in 2008. The division designs components used in computer chips.
However, Nicolas Gaudois an analyst at UBS investment bank said that the longer-term fundamentals remained solid. Some of the shortfall in ARM's revenue miss comes from the signing of a number of longer-term deals, so sales will come strengthen in further quarters, he said. Guadois maintained a neutral rating on the stock and 140 pence target price.
"Although 2007 was a challenging period for revenue in our Physical IP Division, our reallocation of resources during the year towards the development of leading-edge physical Intellectual Property technology, together with changes to management and organizational focus, positions the business well for growth in 2008," said East.
Speaking to journalists later Tuesday, Chief Financial Officer Tim Score said that despite short-term caution, group order backlog was at a record high of 30%. He said he expects the Physical IP division to return to growth in 2008.
Tempering ARM's cautious statement, Score said that he expects ARM to grow by at least double the rate of the semiconductor industry's 3% to 4% target in 2008, and targets 15% revenue growth over the next three to seven years.
"I don't see an overall slowdown, but the current uncertainty in terms of how 2008 will pan out means we're being sensible with our outlook," said Score. "But on a consumer front the purchasing of consumer electronics is only going to go one way. It's going to increase."
ARM's intellectual property is used in many digital products, including more than 90% of the world's mobile phones, and games consoles and digital set-top boxes. Its customers include Motorola Inc.
ARM Holdings was once ranked as one of the U.K.'s top 50 companies with a market capitalization of GBP9.3 billion. However, following the dotcom boom and subsequent bust at the start of the decade, its value has dropped.
Shares closed Monday at 118 pence giving it a market capitalization of GBP1.51 billion.
Wolfson Microelectronics (WLF.LN), another U.K. semi-conductor maker, said Monday that is expected steady growth in 2008, but watered down company growth forecasts.
Company Web site: http://www.arm.com


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New BIS recognised testing lab in India
After receiving recognition from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), we have now officially opened our new, state-of-the-art testing laboratory in Faridabad, India.
The opening of Nemko India (Test Lab) Pvt Ltd represents an important step for Nemko into one of the world’s fastest growing markets, where there is a steadily increasing focus on providing safe and quality-assured products to consumers.
The lab in India was established to provide Nemko’s customers with testing facilities according to Indian and international standards. Satish Kumar Sankhyan, Managing Director of Nemko India, says it supports the overall direction India is taking toward higher standards of regulation. “India sees a shift in regulatory and product competence, and our new lab is part of this trend,” he says.
Compulsory Registration Scheme
Since 2013, 44 products have been included in the Compulsory Registration Scheme, which requires that manufacturers register their products with the Bureau of Indian Standards by submitting product documentation, including a test report from a BIS recognised lab before they can sell their product in India. The number of product groups included in the scheme is expected to reach up to 135 within the next few years.
“We want to assure that our customers receive timely and high-quality test reports in a complex market,” says Svein Ola Ulven, CEO of Nemko Group.
The Nemko India lab is located two kilometres from the capital Delhi. It is set up to meet current demand and is positioned to grow substantially over the next few years, with competitive pricing, quality services and fast turnaround. The facilities cover an area of 12000 sqft. The management team has extensive international experience and the lab is equipped with the latest technology for performing safety testing of electrical and electronics products as per the Compulsory Registration Scheme. The facility is also accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
The lab performs testing according to the following national/international standards:
• IS 13252 - IT equipment
• IS 616 - Audio/Video equipment
• IEC 62087 - BEE testing for television (energy efficiency testing)
The following scope will be added:
• IS 16102 – Self Ballasted LED Lamps
• IS 15885 – AC/DC supplied Control Gears for Luminaires
• IS 10322-5-2 to 8 – Luminaires ( 3rd phase)
• IEC 61010 – Adapters of electrical equipment used for measurement, control, and laboratory use
• IS 2082 – BEE testing for geyser
• IS 16333 - Language support for mobile phones
Nemko India (Test Lab) Pvt Ltd
Plot no 2, Second Floor, DLF Industrial Estate -I,
Sector -37 (Near NHPC Metro Station),
Faridabad (HR), India – 121003
Tel. +91 129 490 5500
For more information, contact us at:


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"This module is easy to install and will enable Miva Merchant store owners to quickly begin accepting shopper donations for those in need after Hurricane Sandy," says Company President Greg McNeil.
Twinsburg, Ohio (PRWEB) November 02, 2012
The damage from Hurricane Sandy has left many people homeless, powerless, and in need of help. As the busy holiday season gets under way, many online store owners would like to help, but there hasn’t been an easy way to quickly begin accepting online donations for the cause.
e-Business Express, an ecommerce web development company, has developed a module to allow all Miva Merchant Store owners to accept relief donations in the name of the American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
An idea, which originally started from a member of the internet retailer Colman & Company, a Miva Merchant Store owner, was to match any donations their website shoppers may make at checkout to the Red Cross.
From this idea, e-Business Express has developed a module that will easily allow online merchants to accept donations through their online store. "This module is easy to install and will enable Miva Merchant store owners to quickly begin accepting shopper donations for those in need after Hurricane Sandy," says Company President Greg McNeil.
The module is available for free by visiting http://www.mvmonster.com. After a quick install, store owners will be able to place a small line of code anywhere on their site that they want to offer the option of supporting the American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Donations will be accepted from $1 up to any desired amount and allow the user to leave a personalized message as well.
Note: This module does not automatically submit donation payments to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. The merchant is responsible for delivering their customer’s donations to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. You may make a donation payment online by visiting http://www.redcross.org/hurricane-sandy


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Cleveland Clinic’s Health Essentials site gets about 4 million visits per month.
Verywell, About.com’s standalone health site, formed a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic that is expected to boost the health system’s advertising and content marketing strategy on its health content site and allow Verywell to socially share that content.
Verywell said it will provide data, marketing, sales, and search engine optimization for the Cleveland Clinic’s consumer health information portal, Health Essentials. In addition, Verywell will promote Health Essentials content across its email and social-media platforms, particularly for disease awareness initiatives, said Neil Vogel, CEO of About.com.
About.com executives said they are also exploring opportunities to expand the partnership so Cleveland Clinic experts can contribute to the Verywell site in the future.
“Consumers are looking for trusted healthcare information that’s fresh and focused on their needs, a lot of that being centered on their health and wellness,” said Paul Matsen, chief marketing and communications officer at Cleveland Clinic.
The Cleveland Clinic began exploring ways to monetize Health Essentials content through advertising last year by looking for potential partners and testing ads using Google Insights, said Matsen. What they found was that content on the Health Essentials site was “highly attractive” to the target audience of women aged 25 to 54 years-old and had “significant revenue potential,” noted Matsen.
The Mayo Clinic and Everyday Health also formed an advertising-related agreement in 2009 that allowed Everyday Health to sell ads for the health system. Verywell, Everyday Health, and WebMD are three of the largest online consumer health information sites.
Since About.com rebranded its health site as Verywell in April, Verywell has seen a 25% increase in traffic and now generates more than 20 million visitors a month, said Vogel.
The audiences of Verywell and Health Essentials are similar, too, Vogel said.
“We’re both national brands with health information skewed towards women,” added Rob Parisi, general manager of Verywell.
The Cleveland Clinic hopes to build brand awareness as well as draw patients from all 50 states in the U.S., as well as internationally, to the Health Essentials site, Matsen said. The health system, which is based in Cleveland, operates hospitals in Nevada, Ohio, and Florida, and also in Abu Dhabi and Canada.
“They’re great at healthcare and we’re great at the Internet,” said Vogel. “The other thing we’re good at is once people get to it, we’re good at understanding data in the sense that people rarely have one question — we’re good at predicting those questions to a path to wellness and health.”
The Cleveland Clinic also operates a clinical content site for physicians, called Consult QD, which garnered more than one million visits over the past 12 months, with plans to expand, according to Matsen. The website features articles by Cleveland Clinic physicians, scientists, and senior management.
“As healthcare transitions from a paper-driven world, we think it’s a leading-edge platform,” Matsen said.


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SEARCHED FOR: Android 8.1 Oreo
LAVA International has launched Lava Z40. Priced at Rs 3,499, the Lava Z40 comes with 2250 mAH battery, K7 external audio PA speaker and in two colours - Black and Gold.
itel which is a sub-brand of TRANSSION Holdings has launched A45, A22 and A22 Pro smartphones aimed at the budget segment of the market
During the IFA 2018, Moto has launched its Moto One and Moto One Power smartphones. Both the phones run on Android One programme that will ensure the timely updates from Google.
Months after Note 5 global debut in Dubai, Infinix, the online-focused smartphone brand of TRANSSION, has now launched Infinix Note 5 in India.
- Advertisement -
Moto G6 features a 5.9-inch Full HD+ Max Vision display and it comes with a screen aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo and it is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor.
POCO F1 features Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 platform, LiquidCool Technology cooling system, up to 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS 2.1 storage, and a 4000mAh battery.


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Get access to everything we publish when you sign up for Outside+.
Verde Brand Communications
BOULDER, Colo. (November 18, 2015) —The Walton Family Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to PeopleForBikes in support of its Business Network.
The Business Network of PeopleForBikes works to organize the local, state and federal voice of business behind better bicycling in the U.S. It is the voice for every business that backs bicycling, including the U.S. bicycle industry.
“Everyday more business leaders are promoting the benefits of bikes,” says Jenn Dice, Vice President of PeopleForBikes’ Business Network. “They understand that bikes can help them attract and retain a talented workforce, promote employee health and productivity and power downtown development and retail growth. Our role is to organize these leaders to move the needle for better bicycling. We are grateful to the Walton Family Foundation for giving us the means to share and help replicate the economic development success stories that bikes bring to cities and towns.”
This grant will help PeopleForBikes ensure that more community leaders know the rewards of investing in bike infrastructure, better bike policies, and increased access to trails.
The Walton Family Foundation’s backing will also enable PeopleForBikes to pinpoint and showcase the business and economic development benefits of bicycling by congressional district.
PeopleForBikes works to improve bicycling in the U.S. by uniting millions of individuals, thousands of businesses and hundreds of communities. Join us at PeopleForBikes.org.
About the Walton Family Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation focuses on addressing social and environmental issues by giving in three distinct areas: K-12 education, freshwater and marine conservation, and quality of life initiatives in the foundation’s home region. In 2014, the Walton Family Foundation invested more than $375 million in domestic and international projects. To learn more, visit www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org, and join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.


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Several industry organizations will bring their training expertise to this year’s AAPEXedu, offering a mix of classroom, hands-on and underhood sessions to keep automotive repair professionals, auto parts retailers and warehouse distributors (WDs) ahead of the curve. AAPEX represents the more than $1 trillion global automotive aftermarket industry and will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5, through Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.
The AAPEXedu program will feature a forum on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), a Service Professionals Summit, sessions on trends, market outlook, technologies, tariffs and more, as well as Mobility Garage: Products and Training for Tomorrow and Let’s Tech presentations.
AAPEXedu partners include AVI, RLO Training, the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC), the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) and MERA – The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing. The Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) – the co-owners of AAPEX – also will provide training and education.
In addition, The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company, and IHS Markit, a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions, will share the latest aftermarket outlook and consumer and industry trends. Roland Berger, a global consultancy firm, will look ahead to 2025, covering the new retail frontier and the future of the automotive aftermarket.
To centralize the location for education and make it more convenient for attendees, AAPEXedu classroom sessions will move to the Bellini Ballroom at The Venetian. Mobility Garage will be located in the adjacent Titian Ballroom of The Venetian and will feature underhood training and two sections: Shop Equipment and Technology, and Electric Car and Alternative Fuel/Energy. The Let’s Tech stage will be nearby in the Sands Expo, Level 2 Upper Lobby.
All AAPEXedu sessions, Mobility Garage training and Let’s Tech presentations are included in AAPEX 2019 registration. To register, visit aapexshow.com/attendee.
With more than 2,500 exhibiting companies, AAPEX is the showcase for the latest products, services and technologies that keep the world’s 1.3 billion vehicles on the road. More than 48,000 targeted buyers are expected to attend, including automotive service professionals, auto parts retailers, warehouse distributors, service chains, automotive dealers, fleet buyers and engine builders. Approximately 162,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from 126 countries are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX and the SEMA Show.
AAPEX is a trade-only event and is not open to the general public.
AAPEX is co-owned by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information, visit www.aapexshow.com or e-mail: email@example.com. On social media, follow AAPEX at #AAPEX19.
For the latest news and information on the global automotive aftermarket industry, visit https://aftermarketintel.com.


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A US launch has been rumored since the crossover was first unveiled as a China-specific model. An unnamed insider has now told Edmunds the move will happen sometime in the third quarter of 2015.
Slotting between the Encore and the Enclave, the five-passenger Envision is expected to be offered with stop-start technology and an option for all-wheel-drive.
Power will likely be provided by the same 2.0 four-cylinder engine that can be found under the hood of the Chinese edition, where it produces 256 horsepower and 256 lb-ft of torque.
“We can’t confirm anything, but clearly it is a very nicely designed and executed product that is very much a Buick,” Buick-GMC sales VP Duncan Aldred said in a statement.


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HA NOI (VNS)— Viet Nam has had many opportunities in the past to boost food and beverage exports to Russia but businesses have failed to take this advantage.
The failure was partly due to not understanding the Russian market, explained the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade).
Vietrade held a conference yesterday in Ha Noi to provide information and more details on Russia and Ukraine so enterprises can seek out business opportunities.
According to La Van Chau, Viet Nam's former commercial attache to Russia, because the climate of Russia is not suitable for growing many crops, the country with a population of around 145 million, has a huge demand for imported fruit and vegetables as well as beverages including coffee and tea.
Although Russia is a traditional export market for Viet Nam, the volume of food and beverage exports to Russia remains limited and some products have recently even seen a drop in sales, says Chau.
He pointed out that seafood exports to Russia hit a record high of US$205 million in 2005 but fell to about $100 million in 2011, fruit from $34 million in 2009 to $28 million in 2012 and rice from $37 million to only $7 million.
However, Viet Nam's total export turnover to Russia has increased nearly four folds since 2009 but the export of agricultural, forestry and seafood products has only seen a rise of 23 per cent, he said, adding that the export of these products has fallen by more than 50 per cent compared to before 2009 and by 20 per cent from 2012.
Chau said that taking part in trade fairs and exhibitions in Moscow, which has accounted for 57.7 per cent of Russia's import volume, was one way for enterprises to penetrate the market together with accessing retailers and supermarket giants such as the X5 Retail Group, Auchan Group, Rollton Group, Metro Cash & Carry Russia Ltd and the Perecrestok chain.
Once products have reached Russia they can also be freely distributed around Belarus and Kazakhstan, he added.
Chu Xuan Kien, director of the Ha Noi Trade Corporation, says that businesses should pay more attention to packaging their agricultural products to preserve product quality when exporting to those markets, due to long transportation times, which can be up to 75 days in wintertime.
According to Duong Hoang Minh, Deputy Director for the European Market at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the free trade agreement (FTA) between the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia and Viet Nam is still being negotiated but expected to be signed in 2014.
Trade with Russia is forecast to boom during 2015-16 after the FTA comes into effect, providing opportunities for many Vietnamese enterprises. Regarding Ukraine, Minh said that the market had similar import demands as Russia, including seafood, fruit, cashew nuts, pepper, footwear and textile products. He said that negotiations on a FTA with Ukraine were expected to get underway soon.
Viet Nam could promote the import of new technologies and machinery as well as attracting investment from Russia and Ukraine in the manufacturing, transport and food processing industries, said experts at the workshop.
The department's figures show that two-way trade between Viet Nam and Russia and Ukraine reached $2.4 billion and $313 million, respectively, in 2012. — VNS


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The buzz around Facebook’s Libra stablecoin is gone off through the roof, as some might say. The truth is that the cryptocurrency project undertaken by Facebook has shaken regulatory bodies around the world so “violently” that they cannot simply decide if Libra is a huge opportunity or huge threat.
However, there are certain details around Libra that are worth mentioning at this point. As reported by Bloomberg, Libra is currently backed up by multiple national currencies such as the Euro, British pound and the US Dollar. Facebook released its preliminary report to the US Senate regarding the actual basket of fiat currencies that back Libra – one name on this list, however, was nowhere to be seen – that of the Chinese Yuan.
While this may seem surprising, the reason for that is indeed logical. Following the requests from Mark Warner, a Virginia Democratic Senator, for the Libra Association to exclude the Yuan in the potential currency backers for the coin, it became clear that the reason for the decision is that China has recently been asking international banks around the globe to increase their Yuan reserves given the ongoing trade wars with the US.
The interesting part is that due to the massiveness of the project, Facebook will not be the one to decide on the basket of currency backers. This will be delegated to the Libra Association.
This is what part of the report submitted by Facebook read:
We understand that the Libra Association will not offer the Libra digital currency in any jurisdiction until it has fully addressed regulatory concerns and received appropriate approvals in that jurisdiction.
In addition, China is also rumoured to be launching its own digital coin, an action that may have serious repercussions over Facebook’s Libra “power game”.


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Senate Banking Committee Remains Open to Idea of Digital Dollar in Tuesday’s Hearing. If you want a measure of how far things have come in terms of the acceptability of the digital dollar idea in Washington from something that a year or so ago would have been a nutty, fringe idea, read the opening paragraph to Nikhilesh De’s writeup of this hearing: “Not every U.S. lawmaker is on board with the idea of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) or digital dollar, but no one explicitly rejected it during a hearing of the powerful Senate Banking Committee.”
Decenter continued the push for more information on the issue and clarification from Google Ads in an appeal through Reddit’s dedicated Ethereum board, asking users to open queries as to any policy changes that could have led to the sudden banning of the key word. In addition, Decenter posted an update stating that their previous ad campaigns feature “ethereum” have been removed, furthering the implication that there is some form of censorship going on,
Unlike earning Bitcoin online currently, there are only a few legitimate ways available to earn Ethereum since Ethereum is younger than Bitcoin and yet to reach more people though it is the second most dominant cryptocurrency even if Litecoin is called the predecessor of Bitcoin. Some sites have started to pay free Ethereum and we can expect more sites to pay Ethereum for doing online jobs like taking paid surveys, completing tasks, & offers, etc. For now, there are only a few ways to earn Ether online. More ways to earn ETH will be updated once they are tested and found authentic.
For comparison, Decenter reports that similar phrasing in ad campaigns that replace “ethereum” with “eos” such as “eos smart contract audits” are still available for use through Google Ads and being featured in campaigns. While it’s unclear how broadly the ban has been applied to cryptocurrency, or whether it extends to any coins outside of Ethereum, Reddit users and Ethereum enthusiasts have begun an uproar over the selective censorship. The top comment by user u/ThePlague lambasts Google for promoting an agenda, stating that the company has been far from neutral in handling various forms of advertising on its platform, including cryptocurrency,
Briggs Nzotta - 2020-07-11 12:17:12 Sanat Chakraborty - 2020-07-11 11:51:22 Kate Malo - 2020-07-11 09:22:58 Muhamad Hidayatullah - 2020-07-11 00:02:10 soltani Soltani - 2020-07-10 14:39:40 Stephanie Grimaldi - 2020-07-10 13:19:23 Kofe J FONO - 2020-07-10 05:44:34 Ismail Nasr - 2020-07-10 04:33:13 matt lennox - 2020-07-10 03:20:59 Edem Adomey - 2020-07-10 02:44:34
Ethereum Wallets Explained Simply (Smart Contracts, Gas, Transactions)


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“With demand back to 2009 levels the winter charter market is looking stronger than the last three years leading to hopes of increased revenues for those yachts in the Caribbean,” Hein Velema CEO of Fraser Yachts said in an end of the year review of the market.
“Although fewer yacht owners decided to send their yacht to the Caribbean this year, the demand for Christmas charters is at its peak since 2009, particularly in the smaller yacht market although there is still some availability left on the larger yachts.
“With fewer smaller yachts available we expect that the charter revenues for those that did make it to the Caribbean will double or triple this winter in comparison with last year.
“The Charter Market must however prepare itself for the introduction of VAT.
In France there is increasing pressure to lift the VAT tax exemption for yacht charters and this could have major repercussions on the charter business.
“The country is being put under increasing pressure by the European Commission to lift the VAT exemption on yacht charters. Last year Italy introduced VAT on charters and sooner or later France will have to follow.
“At this stage there is no indication this will happen in 2013. However the market is adapting to the changing situation and services will be put in place to serve yacht owners to deal with the formalities in France like they have been in Italy.


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U.S. consumers are often generous with their donations to nonprofit organizations and causes which they deem important. These organizations are increasingly turning to online marketing to increase their visibility with consumers. However, the response from consumers varies by demographic group.
In a major finding from the Dynamics of Cause Engagement study, jointly conducted by Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, both African Americans and Hispanics are attractive targets for nonprofit organizations that use online tools. Consumers who are more likely to support causes online than offline today break out along ethnic lines as follows:
- Hispanics 39%
- African Americans 30%
- Caucasians 24%
For most consumers, traditional media, especially print and television, remains the leading channel that delivers cause and social issue messaging. But social media is gaining ground. Over 30% of African Americans use social media to get more information about causes, while 27% of Hispanics and 21% Caucasians do the same.
Survey respondents indicated that too much cause marketing can lead to fatigue. Email was cited by Caucasians as a problem and Hispanics noted that “Likes” on Facebook are meaningless with respect to cause marketing.
But emerging majority groups says that supporting causes makes them feel like they are part of a larger community and in some cases both parents and children are actively involved. Specific causes are favorites for African Americans and Hispanics. These include diabetes, domestic violence, bullying, childhood obesity and HIV/AIDS.[Source: Social Media Plays Greater Role in Cause Engagement For African Americans and Hispanics. Ogilvypr.com. 31 May 2011. Web. 22 Jun. 2011]


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New Delhi: Consumers will now have the power to take adulterators of food products to task as the first time in the history of food inspection in India, buyers have been empowered to take samples, get those tested and lodge complaints for prosecution of accused. (Agencies)
The move forms part of the transition from the old system where eight sets of regulations governed varied food products to a new regime which provides a unified law to regulate the
entire range of food products in the market.
The Food Safety and Standards Act passed by Parliament in 2006 is in operation across India from August 5. The law took time to roll as standards for implementation were being
In its present form the Act will for the first time cover nutraceuticals, the term used to describe food products with medical and health benefits to people.
All nutrition supplements, health and functional foods, which dieticians and fitness trainers routinely administer to people, will also be regulated and their safety mandated.
The law also fixes, unlike in the past, the time limit for prosecutions after a complaint has been lodged with the Food Inspector. Trial has to begin within a year from the date of commission of offence. The provision assumes importance as one lakh food related cases are pending in courts.
Under the Act, stringent provisions of penalty are entailed and violators can be penalised for penalty of a maximum of Rs 10 lakh and/or life imprisonment. Among various violations considered under the law include food contamination, unsafe and sub-standard food, carrying out business without a licence, providing false information, unhygienic manufacturing or processing, mis-branding, violations of standards, misleading advertising, food containing extraneous matter, possessing of adulterants and failure to comply with food safety officer, besides penalty for contravention for which no specific penalty is provided.
With Health Ministry notifying enabling regulations of the law, it is in force in India and will work through the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India which was established in 2008 to develop standards for implementation of the Act.
The 21-member Food Authority will have representatives from the seven ministries of Health, Agriculture, Food Processing, Commerce, Consumer Affairs, Small-scale industry
and Legislative Affairs, besides representatives from the food industry, consumer organisations, food technologists and scientists, farmer organisations, retailer organisations and states.
In the states, the Act will be implemented through food safety commissioners. As many as 22 states have already appointed these commissioners and the rest are in the process.
The new law integrated all eight old food related regulations, namely Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, Fruit Product Order 1955, Solvent Extracted Oil, De-oiled Meal
and Edible Flour (control) order, 1967, Meat Food Products Order 1973, Edible Oils Packing, 1998, Vegetable Oil Products Order, 1988 and Milk and Milk Product Amendment Regulations 2009.
Its most revolutionary provision is involvement of consumers to fix irresponsible food sellers. "People can take samples and get them tested, and in case they are adulterated,
prosecution can be launched by the Designated Officer, namely food inspectors in districts," said a top FSSAI official.
Designated officer would have to dispose of any complaints within two months from the date of application.
Another important part of the law is that it will emphasise safety of the entire food chain and not that of the final food product alone as the PFA did. Under the FSS Act, those in the business of any kind of food will be called food business operators who will be held responsible for the supply of safe food to consumers.
"Food testing labs in the country will be upgraded to NABL standards and services of private NABL accredited labs for testing food samples will also be taken," said V N Gaur, chief executive officer of FSSAI.
Four food testing laboratories have already been taken over by the FSSAI which was established in 2008 to develop standards under the 2006 law. Two more labs are currently
under acquisition of the Authority.
The Act also envisages to reduce the gap on food testing labs. Work to upgrade 50 of the 72 labs is underway and the Food Authority hopes to upgrade one food lab in each state
within a year.
The FSSAI will also be responsible for laying science based standards for food articles, regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import.
It will also frame regulations to lay down standards and guidelines for food items and specify an appropriate system of enforcing various standards besides specifying mechanisms for accreditation of bodies engaged in certification of food safety management system for food businesses.
A major part of the Authority's responsibility would be will collection and analysis of data regarding food consumption, incidence and prevalence of biological risk, residues of contaminants in foods products, identification of emerging risks and introduction of rapid alert system. The data will help implement the unified law.
"The new law puts in place a unified structure for all food safety related matters in the form of FSSAI at the Centre and Commissioners of Food Safety at the state level," said Gaur.
"Other new functionaries defined by the statute are designated officers, the SDMs, at district level, food safety officer at cutting edge level, adjudicating officer, special courts and appellate tribunal for speedy disposal of cases," Gaur explained further.
New Delhi: Consumers will now have the power to take adulterators of food products to task as the first time in the history of food inspection in India, buyers have been empowered to take samples, get those tested and lodge complaints for prosecution of accused.


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Want to re-brand as subversive? Irreverent… Bring me Iron Man!
You can tell from the video clip that Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC, has given a lot of thought to re-branding. It is not just their big money commitment to movie star Robert Downey Jr. to help them bring greater brand awareness in a very crowded market here in the United States. But really look at the clip. Even in its short form, it is clear HTC is tipping its hand at a long and lengthy re-branding campaign based around the two values, subversive and irreverent. They even start by mocking their own name!
I think this is an interesting approach. Clearly with Blackberry on its seemingly ever long fade into brand history, HTC has Apple, Samsung, Nokia, and Android to try and distinguish themselves from, among others. And to make that distinguish for the smartphone dollar, first thing they would need to do would be to do with this ad is doing, which is rebrand in some way that gives HTC its own unique character and value. Let’s face it, it does not matter how crowded the mobile phone market is, both in the US and worldwide. This is the primary access tool to media now for most of the world, outstripping computers, televisions, etc. by a long shot. So to have a brand in the market that builds a unique character, as well as incurs the loyalty of a customer base, is a mandate that no cellphone manufacturer can overlook.
Look back to Blackberry’s attempts to relaunch itself a year ago to see a study in how not to re-brand. I can’t imagine their re-branding in fact made much of impression on anyone but their core users who somehow wanted to believe Blackberry could be seen in a new light.
As a pitch man for your product, it would be hard to top Robert Downey Jr. He’s got a perfect pedigree at this moment to help take a brand to a next level.
Good strategic move. The interesting part now will be how they build on this good idea, and start to use this new re-branding campaign to build loyalty among their users.


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Would you buy an iPad 3D?
That's the question consumers might have been asking themselves next year, according to a report from Business Insider. But according to the blog's source, Apple decided to nix plans for an iPad 3 with 3D over concerns that the device could become "a gimmick."
Take that rumor, of course, with the usual grain of salt. Apple hasn't confirmed it'll be launching another iPad, nor has the company spoken of an iPad with 3D. And Business Insider's source is a degree or two removed, though the blog says the source has been reliable in the past.
But the concept is an interesting one. According to the source, the 3D iPad would have worked as does the Nintendo 3DS, letting users view content in the third dimension without requiring glasses.. In April, a Hollywood "insider" told RCR Wireless that "the fact that the iPad 3 is 3D is a dead cert."
But could that device succeed? It's tough to say. Right now, 3D isn't catching on nearly as much in the mobile space as some companies had hoped for.
Nintendo, for example, has been trying to make glasses-free 3D a staple in the portable market all year. But during Nintendo's first fiscal quarter ended June 30, the company could only muster 710,000 unit sales of the 3DS worldwide, including 110,000 in the U.S. The paltry sales forced Nintendo tofrom $249.99. But even after that, the Nintendo 3DS has trailed the Xbox 360 in monthly U.S. sales and has failed to attract the kind of attention the Game Boy and original DS did at the same point in their life cycles.
Of course, there are several reasons for that, including the fact that the iPhone and Android-based handsets are. But Nintendo itself has acknowledged that the 3D is a liability for its portable.
"The value of 3D images without the need for special glasses is hard to be understood through the existing media," Nintendo chief Satoru Iwatain a discussion on the issues his company is facing with the 3DS. "However, we have found that people cannot feel it just by trying out a device, rather, some might even misestimate it when experiencing the images in an improper fashion. This makes it more important to give people more opportunities for appropriate experiences of glassless 3D images."
The problem is, 3D viewing is highly personal. And the 3DS makes it more difficult for users, since it requires each person to set their own "depth" with a slider on the side to get the right 3D effect for them. What's more, because the device is glasses-free, users must be holding the 3DS at the right angle in order to get the full 3D effect.
Considering that an iPad 3D would reportedly have come with the same glasses-free experience, it's unlikely that the issues the 3DS suffer from would have been different for Apple. That is, of course, if Apple wasn't trying something totally unique to bring 3D to the device.
Earlier this year, researchers in France told CNET in an e-mail about a technology they had developed. By using a device's front-facing camera, the technology can track a person's head to adjust the glasses-free 3D display, no matter the angle of the head in relation to the screen.
"Our technique uses the front-facing camera of the device to detect and track the face of the user," Jeremie Francone, a Ph.D. student in the Engineering Human-Computer Interaction research group at the Grenoble Informatics Laboratory in France, told CNET in an interview at that time. "This way, it is possible to know 'how' the user looks at the display: does he look from the front, or from the right? Is the display close or far from the user's face? Knowing such information enables us to adapt the display accordingly, giving the user the illusion that he looks at a small window instead of a 2D flat screen."
Francone and his team have already ported their technology to the iPad (see the video below). But the only question is, would Apple want to make it an official part of iPad 3?
At this point, no one is saying. And Apple has not immediately responded to CNET's request for comment. But if Apple does, in fact, bring 3D to the iPad, it will need to find a way to avoid the pitfalls devices like the Nintendo 3DS haven't been able to overcome.
Glasses-free 3D on the iPad:


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Tim Bair doesn’t pass up a good opportunity.
The owner of Bair’s Sports Grill, The Bent Penny Tavern, T-Bairz Sports Bar and Grill and The Rock says it all started in December 2007.
He borrowed $140,000 from his father and father-in-law to open a restaurant – the first Bair’s Sports Grill, in Republic. He says there was no option but to succeed.
“I couldn’t fail. I had three kids; I knew I’d have to do whatever it takes,” Bair says.
Now, Bair and his wife, Jennifer, have four Bair’s Sports Grill locations across the Springfield area that generated $4 million in 2018 revenue. The local chain is most known for its large selection of burgers.
Bair caught the entrepreneurial bug and now operates multiple restaurants, which he says have all come about through an unplanned opportunity and a gut feeling. He and his wife also opened JL Bair’s Home Decor and Gifts in 2017.
Mike Danzer, director of operations for all Bair’s restaurants, says Bair sees inspiration where others don’t. When Bair decided to add The Rock, which opened in June in Galloway Village, Danzer says he was worried about selling something other than burgers. So far, Danzer says The Rock has been a hit.
“Most of the time, Tim doesn’t go out looking for these things,” Danzer says. “They just show up, and we jump in with both feet.”
The only opportunity Bair has turned down so far is franchising the concept. His name is on the door, so he says it doesn’t feel right to hand the reins to someone else.
While Bair’s Sports Grill has dozens of burger options, customers can order custom burgers, bringing the options to 150 variations. Bair says the team recently made changes to the menu, which brought the number of burgers to 35 down from 50.
“It was huge. You could hide from each other or hang glide,” Bair jokes about the oversized printed menu. “This menu is streamlined a bit. … You see what sells, and you see what people like.”
Some of the crowd favorites are the Cheesy Bacon Ranch burger, the Black Mamba and the Chili Cheese Burger. Other burger options come topped with a fried egg, macaroni and cheese, or teriyaki sauce and pineapples.
“If you can imagine it on a burger, we put it on a burger,” Danzer says. “When you go into a restaurant and you have to choose from 50 burgers, that can be overwhelming to some people.”
For all of his restaurants, Bair uses the same suppliers, including SGC Foodservice, Wil Fischer Distributing Co. and local microbreweries.
Through a partnership with 4 by 4 Brewing Co. LLC, Bair’s Sports Grill soon will offer a Bair’s Brew.
Derek Shimeall, co-owner of 4 by 4 Brewing Co., says the new brew is a wheat-style beer. He says he’s been friends with Bair for years, and this partnership made sense for both of their businesses. Bair said he’s sold over 135 kegs of 4 by 4 beer at all of his restaurants so far this year.
“Tim has a very devout following and many different restaurants, so the hope there is that if we’re selling 10 kegs now, maybe that moves to 20,” Shimeall says. “I think we financially gain from just visibility and marketing.”
Shimeall says 4 by 4 Brewing also is making customized brews for Tortilleria Perches and Flat Creek restaurants, as well as for the Members Only band.
For Bair, it’s all about the relationships with customers and the communities in which he operates. There are two Bair’s Sports Grill locations in Springfield and one each in Republic and Nixa.
“You can get a cold beer anywhere,” he says. “I tell my staff that we’re not in the restaurant business. We’re not in the bar business. We’re in the people business.”
To teach his philosophy, he has six “Bair-isms” for employees to follow: have a great attitude, have a smile on your face, don’t lie, don’t steal, show up on time and take pride in their work.
“In this town, there’s so many restaurants and places to eat. Anymore, probably one of the biggest things is that it’s about the experience,” he says.
He’s right. There are over 650 active restaurant licenses in Springfield, according to recent data from the city business license office.
Danzer says upgrades to all of the Bair’s Sports Grill locations is on the horizon. Declining to disclose the planned investment, he says the team plans to keep the sports theme but revive the restaurant spaces.
As part of Bair’s community emphasis, Bair’s Sports Grill offers a fundraising program called Bair Hugs. Through a pancake breakfast, groups can raise funds by selling tickets to an all-you-can-eat breakfast, with $2 from every ticket going back to Bair’s. Bair says there’s a pancake breakfast almost every Saturday.
“Your kids can only sell so much advertising, so much popcorn, so many candles,” he says, “so Bair Hugs is a way for us to open the doors to the community.”
Health care clinic Ozzie Smith IMAC Regeneration Center relocated; Mercy opened a $27 million health clinic; and former insurance adviser Clay Trautman started The Cast Group.
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Cody Ritter, owner of Base Construction & Management LLC, says a high work volume lets you choose your projects and partners. “The guys the we really like to work for, those are our targets. In a …
Janice Goocher, owner and designer of Canvas Connections, turned her side passion into a business. Goocher, who loves artwork and challenging herself with new things, says she began hosting parties …
Jill Reynolds, Private Client Advisor with Commerce Trust Company, says it’s gratifying to see progress in employees she’s mentoring. Reynolds thinks all employees should be mentored because they …
“I think the way we’ve managed our organization is kind of the people first, technology second approach,” says Thomas Douglas, president of JMark Business Solutions. He says it allows them to …
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Angela Frantz with Ultimate Software, says you have to own your mistakes if you want to keep customers’ trust when things go wrong. Frantz says if you let customers know you’re trying to correct …
Greg Burris, with Give 5 and United Way of the Ozarks, says BYU recently did a study on the physical effects of social isolation and found the physical impact is the equivalent of smoking fifteen …


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Craft fair to take place at The Beehive in Honiton
PUBLISHED: 17:30 21 October 2017
A craft fair is set to be held at The Beehive, in Honiton, in November.
Whether you’re looking for that special gift or a little extra food item, organisers say there is something for everyone at the Craft Fair set to take place at The Beehive in Honiton.
More than 40 exhibitors will be on both floors of The Beehive displaying a wide variety of crafts by local exhibitors from across the South West.
These include potters, silversmiths, textile workers, jewellers, woodworkers, artists, photographers, silk flower makers, card makers, glass decorators and a number of stalls with different Christmas decorations.
There will be the opportunity to purchase local handmade chocolates as well as chutneys and jams.
The Creation Station will be at the event, running a number of children’s craft activities at a nominal cost.
Refreshments will also be available.
The fair takes place at The Beehive on Saturday, November 4, from 10am to 3pm and entry is free.


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The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Davao Region has intensified its monitoring of Noche Buena products following the issuance of the new bulletin indicating the suggested retail price (SRP) for specific commodities this year.
Establishments, particularly groceries and supermarkets, must strictly follow the latest set of SRPs to avoid penalties. The Noche Buena products are the ingredients or food items that are frequently served during Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations.
DTI XI Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi said based on the newly released SRP bulletin, the prices of most products have remained the same. She further shared that while other products have posted an increase, this is only minimal.
“If you compare the current SRPs with their 2020 level, it can be observed that most products on the list have remained to be the same. And if there is any increase, it is very minimal. Hence, it shows that we have a stable supply of these products in our local market,” Ambi said.
The 2021 “SRP Bulletin: Mababang Presyo Para sa Inyo Ngayong Pasko” is effective starting on November 23. This means that the concerned business establishments are not allowed to sell the identified Noche Buena products beyond the prescribed SRPs from the said date. Should they go above the prescribed prices, they will be dealt with according to the provisions of the Price Act.
“With the new SRP Bulletin for Noche Buena products, they are mandated to follow since this is already the legal basis of DTI in determining if there is a prima facie evidence, or if there is a probable cause, for us to declare that a violation has really been committed,” Ambi said.
Ambi said DTI offices throughout the region will continue to do regular rounds among the business establishments in their respective areas of jurisdiction. This is to ensure that consumers will get their money’s worth and enjoy the holiday season without overspending.
She said the public should shop for unperishable products in advance to avoid the holiday rush. She reminded everyone to check the price tags based on the SRP list of the consumer products they are buying. They need to read the labels carefully and compare the prices of different brands as well.
“Rest assured that DTI will always stay true with our commitment to protect the consumers. While we do regular monitoring of several products, we would like to request the public to file a formal complaint if they have witnessed or experienced any violation of their rights as consumers,” Ambi said.
The 2021 Noche Buena products’ SRP Bulletin can be accessed from the DTI website. For inquiries, consumers may contact the official social media page of the nearest DTI office.(PR)


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CHELSEA — Amazon will continue its expansion in New York with a new administrative office near the Hudson Yards, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office announced Thursday.
The announcement comes as city officials are separately vying to host the company's massive second headquarters, which would cost about $5 billion and bring up to 50,000 jobs.
Cuomo on Thursday said the online retail giant next year will open a 359,000-square-foot office space at 5 Manhattan West, a development at 10th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets, bringing with it 2,000 finance, sales, marketing and tech jobs, according to the announcement.
Cuomo strongly encouraged the company's expansion by offering potentially hefty tax breaks, including up to $20 million in performance-based tax credits through the State's Excelsior Jobs Program, which allows businesses to claim tax credits over time by maintaining job creation.
"Amazon's further expansion in New York is proof positive that our strong economic climate, diverse workforce and talent, are helping to attract top-notch companies from around the world," said Cuomo in a statement. "We will continue to support the growth of this state's business sector, which in turn supports economic growth and the creation of quality, good-paying jobs across the Empire State."
The company has continued to aggressively expand its presence across the boroughs in recent years. It already has a 350,000-square-foot office in Chelsea, as well as a distribution center in Sunset Park.
On Sept. 6, Amazon announced it will open an 855,000-square-foot warehouse in Bloomfield, Staten Island, employing up to 2,250 full-time workers.


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Next year will be “a year of reckoning” for many companies, according to a new report which argues that while the overall marketplace may be healthy, the future of individual businesses is as uncertain as it has ever been.
Forrester’s 2018 predictions describe the market dynamics that favour those taking aggressive action and create existential risk for those still holding on to what has worked before. 2018 will force decisive action for firms looking to digitally transform, revitalize customer experiences, and take control of their destiny.
“Unmet customer expectations are resulting in churn; the lack of digital transformation gains is translating to loss of market share; industry lines that protected some are crumbling; and longstanding, durable business models are failing,” said Forrester Research in its Predictions 2018 report.
Specifically, it forecast that 30% of companies will see further declines in customer experience (CX) performance “and those declines will translate into a net loss of a point of growth”.
And one fifth of CEOs will fail to act to bring about necessary digital transformation, even if that is only using their balance sheet to acquire digital assets and buy themselves some time.
Forrester also expects that 2018 will see the real economic impact of empowered machines emerging, with 10% of purchase decisions being guided by a platform’s “intelligent agent”.
That development in turn points to the urgent need for brands to better understand how algorithms work.
“It is one thing to be disintermediated by the platform and its associated intelligent agent; it is another to not understand or have any real influence on that relationship,” Forrester noted, adding that a quarter of CMOs will fail to recruit the talent able to deliver such influence, with their brand likely to become “undifferentiated and silent in the market”.
Canny CMOs will be focused on increasing spending in certain areas, it asserted, including delivering a better CX in order to drive affinity and stem churn, and synchronising loyalty programs to customer expectations.
They will also seek to understand how to decode digital platform algorithms and invest in martech to deliver individualized experiences at scale.
Consequently, it will not be only brands that face a potentially make-or-break year. Forrester predicts that adspend will be flat, leading to “a painful correction in the agency and adtech markets”.
The end of the CMO role?
What’s changing? Marketers’ jobs security: CMOs have the shortest tenure in the C-suite and some companies like Coca-Cola are eliminating their CMO functions altogether in favour of chief growth or customers officers.
Forrester predicts in its 2018 B2C marketing predictions that more marketers will embrace an expanded role in 2018 — focused not only on customer communications but also crafting customer experiences that deliver on brand promises everywhere — for two key reasons:
- Consumers demand it.Consumers already exercise their ever-increasing position of power not just when comparing product features and prices, but also when making purchase decisions based on if a brand aligns with their own personal belief systems. In 2018, the enforcement of Europe’s new privacy law will extend consumers’ power to their personal data as well. Brands that fail to earn their customer’s trust because of poorly-executed brand experiences risk losing their precious targeting capabilities when consumers block access to their data.
- Competition demands it.Not all categories felt the same pressure to pivot to customer obsession. But, recent disruptions in the retail space — think Amazon acquiring Whole Foods or IKEA buying Task Rabbit — are raising the bar for other industries like health care and telcos that have been slow to embrace better customer experiences. As consumers translate expectations across categories, we predict more categories will see first-movers emerge who fully embrace customer obsession, setting a new bar for their entire category. Competitive chaos will ensue, as laggards scramble to catch-up mindsets, never mind processes, organization, and technology.
What can be done in 2018 to join the ranks of the progressive marketers who are going all-in on customer obsession to lead their category?
- Break out of the day to day grind.Fifty-four percent of global B2C marketing decision makers say that improving the experience of their customers is a critical business priority over the next year. But, the activities marketers are most accustomed to doing — like managing day-to-day operations, driving incremental transactions, managing campaigns — don’t necessarily contribute to that goal. Instead, marketers will need to expand their definition of customer journeys beyond path to purchase, make decisions about emerging technology based on their CX merits, and invest in human expertise to monitor the output of algorithms and marketing automation.
- Get more from your existing resources. Marketers caught between the new and old marketing models aren’t guaranteed more budget to accomplish their expanded goals. To do more with the same, or less, Forrester predicts that marketers will optimize their talent investments and embrace AI’s potential to enhance existing marketing use cases like personalization and targeting. Organizations will need to revisit their marketing resource management strategy because of this – especially as it relates to collaboration and performance management – and consider emerging talent marketplaces for typically hard-to-fill digital, analytics, or developer positions.
- Re-evaluate vendor relationships. 2017 marked significant convergence, consolidation, and change for martech, adtech, and agencies alike. As vendors continue adapt to marketing’s evolution, marketers must take advantage of new options for marketing technology and service needs. For example, consultancies will increasingly grapple with agencies for digital transformation projects, new classes of niche providers will pop as alternatives to the broad enterprise marketing software suite offerings, and major martech vendors will straddle the line between pure technology and data provider.
Source: Predictions 2018


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Bidfood Scotland, one of the leading foodservice providers, is taking significant steps to increase its healthy living credentials, particularly in the out of home market.
The foodservice provider has announced plans to place an increased emphasis on healthy, out of home convenience food and drink options. Bidfood Scotland is giving suppliers the opportunity to help them achieve their healthy living accreditation and attain a listing with Bidfood Scotland, in return for access to its 5,000 customers around the country.
As one of Scotland’s leading suppliers of wholesale foods, Bidfood Scotland is committed to promoting healthier food and drink choices. With this in mind, the company held a Scotland Food and Drink ‘Meet the Buyer’ session last week, which opened up 10 places for health-focused suppliers at its upcoming Bidfood Scotland Festival on 4th April in Edinburgh. Attendees (including hotel groups, pub chains and business owners) will vote on their favourite supplier based on their product range and service offering. The top three will be awarded a listing with Bidfood Scotland.
Bidfood Scotland’s Supplier Development Manager, Katie Sillars, said: “Scots have become increasingly aware of the importance of seeking healthy food and drink options, and the out of home market is where we see a lot of opportunity to provide healthier choices for people. Food education and personal responsibility also have a part to play in the way the public make choices, but as a foodservice supplier we wanted to take a proactive approach to ensure we have a wider range of products lower in salt, fat and sugar for our customers.”
Bidfood Scotland’s ‘Grabbing Goodness on the Go’ campaign launches at the same time as the Scottish Government’s consultation on improving the out of home food environment.
Katie continued: “We have been steadily building our out of home product range that meets the healthy living award criteria in Scotland, and we’ve created this opportunity to see what other great products are out there.”
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Scottish businesses to showcase their healthy, quality products and potentially win a valuable listing with a leading foodservice provider. We know that customers are increasingly looking for Scottish food and drink, so it’s great to see Bidfood Scotland continuing to support local suppliers and helping with our ambitions to double the value of the food and drink sector by 2030.”
The suppliers shortlisted at the Scotland Food and Drink ‘Meet the Buyer’ event will showcase their products at the festival were chosen based on several criteria:
- A selection of healthy “grab and go” items that are good quality and innovative
- SALSA accredited, or equivalent
- Compliant with foodservice supply chain requirements
- Products that hold a healthy living accreditation
- Suppliers that have the capacity to provide volume and scale to grow
Speaking about the initiative James Withers, Chief Executive Officer at Scotland Food and Drink said: “We know consumers are increasingly conscious of their health and wellness, with Scottish food and drink suppliers embracing innovation to meet this growing demand. At Scotland Food & Drink, we are keen to work ever closer with Bidfood, to support them as they build on an already strong Scottish supplier base and product range.
“Our focus is on growing Scotland’s food and drink sector by opening up market opportunities. To do that, we need to develop ever deeper partnerships across the foodservice sector. So, this latest work with Bidfood is hugely valuable and their commitment to Scotland, twinned with our ambition, is an exciting mix.”
The 2019 Bidfood Scotland Festival will take place on 4th April at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange. More information can be found at https://www.bidfood.co.uk//foodfestival2019


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Huawei recently announced the new Mate 30 series and as rumoured the device doesn’t come with Google services. Due to the Trump ban, Huawei can’t trade with the US companies which include Google as well.
For those unaware, Huawei Mate 30 series uses Android AOSP ROM and comes with Huawei’s EMUI 10 which is based on Android 10. To fix the problem of not having Google Services, Huawei has decided to allow users to unlock bootloader of the device. Unfortunately, unlocking bootloader is not something a rational customer might do but for enthusiasts, it means that they could sideload Google services on the device.
We limited [bootloader unlocking] because we wanted to guarantee more security for consumers. But this time we will leave more freedom for the consumers so they can do more customization by themselves. So we are planning to let consumers do that.
– Richard Yu (via Ausdroid)
Yu also confirmed that the company has faith in the Mate 30 series and they expect to see around 20 million units. However, he also mentioned that most of the sales will happen in China as the Chinese version of smartphone won’t come with Google services anyway. While 20 million seems like a huge number, the Mate 30 is really promising and it’s not the first time any company has sold devices without Google services. Amazon has been pretty successful with their Fire series and for a while, Nokia did sell a decent amount of Nokia X series smartphones which were based on forked version of Android and didn’t have access to Google services.


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13/05/02 . By Tim Large . Reuters . Japan
Japan braces for fourth mad cow case
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan was expected to confirm its fourth case of mad cow disease on Monday, dashing hopes for a recovery in the crisis-hit food sector and setting off alarm bells just weeks before soccer's World Cup finals.
Preliminary tests at the weekend gave a positive result for the brain-wasting disease, the first new case since November, and a panel of experts was due to give its final decision on the latest case in the afternoon.
The Health Ministry said on Saturday tests had confirmed the illness in a six-year-old Holstein cow from a dairy farm on Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido.
The suspected case comes just weeks before thousands of visitors descend on Japan for soccer's World Cup finals, being cohosted with South Korea (news - web sites), itself hit by foot and mouth disease in its pigs.
"It's not surprising a fourth case has been discovered," said Setsuko Yasuda, head of Foods Policy Center Vision 21, a food-safety lobby. "Given the disease's long incubation period of two to eight years, we've been expecting more cases."
"The government should start preparing for a possible outbreak of vCJD."
Formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (news - web sites) (BSE (news - web sites)), mad cow disease has been linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) disease, which has killed about 100 people in Europe but so far no one in Japan.
The outbreak last September has devastated Japan's appetite for beef, battered earnings of food companies and restaurants, and shattered already fragile faith in the country's food-safety standards.
"This is not good for Japan's image with the World Cup coming up, and will certainly slow any recovery in beef consumption," said Susumu Harada, Tokyo director of the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Most of Japan's beef imports come from the United States, although Australia is also a major supplier. Total Japanese imports are expected to hit 506,000 tonnes this year, down 25 percent from 2001.
The Farm Ministry last month estimated the total industry-wide damage of BSE at up to 380 billion yen ($2.98 billion), though signs had emerged last week that confidence was slowly returning.
The weighted price average of domestic beef on the Tokyo Meat Market hit 842 yen per kg -- a significant recovery from lows plumbed in September, but still well levels before the first outbreak on September 10.
The weighted average price stood at 1,197 yen per kg in August. Beef prices tumbled as low as 251 yen per kg in early March but have been rebounding gradually since April.
"I won't be eating beef anymore," said Toshiko Hijikata, a 49-year-old housewife.
"You don't know who you can trust anymore because so many companies, including those affiliated with agricultural and consumer cooperatives, have been involved in mislabelling scams."
Earlier this year, Snow Brand Food Co Ltd, Japan's sixth-largest meat packer, was caught mislabelling imported beef as domestic in a bid to get government money aimed at helping the local industry cope with BSE.
Similar scams at other firms have since come to light, shattering faith in food-safety standards.
Shares in food companies that saw their earnings plummet after September were holding steady ahead of the final verdict by the panel of experts.
McDonald's Co (Japan) Ltd, Japan's top restaurant chain, closed the morning session down 0.34 percent at 2,950 yen, compared with a 1.7 percent decline in the benchmark Nikkei average.
Yoshinoya D&C Co Ltd, Japan's largest beef-bowl restaurant chain, was up 0.93 percent at 216,000 yen.
All four cows that tested positive since September were born in early 1996 and are thought to have been fed a milk substitute as calves that may have contained animal additives infected with BSE.
Since October, Japan has tested all cows slaughtered for beef for the disease.
But experts say a good many cases may remain undiscovered, because
farmers are reluctant to sell old cows
that are past milking age to be processed into beef.


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Is Crowdsourcing Entering The Mainstream Creative Industry?As a sign that crowdsourcing has definitely entered the creative industry’s mainstream agenda, eYeka, the global market leader in crowdsourcing for marketers has announced that it will sponsor the Young Cyber Lions award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2014.
Crowdsourcing Community eYeka Wins Raft Of New Clients Including Panasonic, Mexx And ZesteYeka, the global market leader in creative crowdsourcing for marketers, has recently won several projects for new clients like Panasonic, Mexx and Zest. These brands will be leveraging eYeka's community to source innovative ideas and branded content from the world's most creative minds. With these new projects, eYeka is getting closer to the 650 contest mark and has paid over €4,100,000 to creators across the globe.
eYeka Launches New Mobile Crowdsourcing Service To Create Global Trend BoardseYeka, the market leader in crowdsourcing for marketers, is launching a new mobile crowdsourcing service that allows brands to seek and gather visual inspiration across markets in a matter of hours. Respondents can submit pictures along with 140-character answers to respond to brands' questions. This new approach is a fast, creative and cost-effective way to seek inspiration for new products and campaigns.
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Posted by Stephen Welfare, Partner
Representatives from Royds Solicitors’ intellectual property team will be attending one of the UK’s largest jewellery exhibitions this autumn. The unit, which represents many clients in the jewellery and luxury goods sectors, will be on hand to offer guidance at …
Winners have been announced for the annual British Jewellers’ Association Awards, a prestigious event which was once again co-sponsored by Royds LLP.
Stephen Welfare and Irene Trubbiani (both of Royds IP Unit) were lucky enough to be invited by our client, the British Jewellers Association, to attend the Jewellery & Watch London 2014 event held at the world renowned Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea on Wednesday 18th June.