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The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) says it will not cap interest rates charged by digital lenders but expects them to price their loans appropriately.
“If you mean ourselves having sort of caps and things like that obviously the answer is no. We are not going into that part of the world again, we already explained why,” said Dr Patrick Njoroge in response to a question on whether the regulator would regulate the lenders.
“What we do and I have been saying on the banking side is ensuring the pricing is appropriate in many ways and I think you have already seen what we have done with the banks. We have talked about the pricing principles that we have, things related to how they should treat customers,” Dr Njoroge said.
“So I think that’s really a good model to start with. It doesn’t mean that it will be translated word for word but definitely, the direction is clear.”
“Let us wait and see. We haven’t yet got the authority to regulate so whatever we say today, speculation, so let’s wait for the final, the final authority and then we can have the conversation then.”
Through the Central Bank of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the regulator seeks to amend it to supervise and regulate digital financial products and services. This is aimed at protecting customers from unregulated mobile lenders.
The bill has gone through its first reading in the National Assembly on February 25, 2021.
A study ‘Understanding Consumer Protection Risks Faced by Kenyan Digital Finance Users’ by the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) found out that many borrowers do not consider the costs of loan products and take loans from multiple lenders.
“Pricing of digital loans was not an important factor to borrowers in choosing the lender. The two main considerations are speed of disbursement and ease of repayment,” says the study.
“(Only) 27 per cent of digital borrowers were aware of the fees and costs of other digital loan providers in the market.”
The project targeted customers of digital credit providers who have taken at least one loan from a regulated or unregulated lender between January 2019 and March 2020.


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Sony’s PlayStation 4 has become the subsequent top rated reassure ever, outperforming the first PlayStation, which sold 102.5 million units. Sony said that it sold 2.8 million PS4s this quarter (counting the PS4 Pro), over the 100 million imprint it hit last quarter. That is down impressively (1.1 million units) from a year ago, however was sufficient to push it to 102.8 million, simply over the first PS. It’s not prone to get the PS2, nonetheless, which sold 155 million units.
The drop in numbers make it really certain that the PlayStation 4 is landing as far as possible of its life. Not exclusively are unit deals down, however gaming income and benefit dropped in general by 17 percent and 35 percent, individually, more than 2018. Sony expects 2019 PS4 deals to be short of what it initially gauge by 1.5 million units.
Occasion deals may likewise not toll extraordinary contrasted with a year ago, taking into account that Sony has declared that the PlayStation 5 is will land for the 2020 Christmas season. Blessing providers may rather go for more PS4 games, as they’ll be good with the new reassure. Up and coming PS4 titles including Death Stranding, The Last of Us 2 and Shenmue III.
Altogether, Sony saw a slight drop in deals (three percent) over a similar quarter a year ago, however recorded a record 279 billion yen ($2.56 billion) benefit. While gaming hauled down income, the majority of its different divisions fared somewhat better (with the exception of one, think about what it is). Sony Pictures made a benefit of $1.75 billion on the quality of Spider-Man: Far From Home, and music deals were up eight percent. Also, because of sensors, its imaging division saw a major 22 percent support in deals.
Lamentably, cell phone deals hauled down its recently framed Electronic Products and Solutions portion, which combined its versatile, camera, TV and sound product offerings. Sony was trusting that its fruitful camera and A/V divisions could carry some enchantment to portable, yet that appears to be far off this moment.

domain: news


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The line of 3D-printed lamps are independently designed, manufactured on demand and built from sustainable, corn-based bioplastic.
In the market for a new floor lamp or bedside reading light? Gantri, a San Francisco-based manufacturer of direct-to-consumer designer lights, just added a couple of new ones to its lineup. And like the rest of the company's offerings, these fixtures are made out of corn.
Billing itself as "a digital manufacturing platform for modern design," Gantri leverages 3D-printing technology to produce small scale runs of high-end light fixtures from independent studios and designers. The latest additions to the catalog range from a $148 table lamp to a $498 floor lamp and come from an American design firm called Ammunition. Browse Gantri's listings, and you'll find other fancy lamps from designers based in Canada, Colombia, Italy, Ukraine and other countries around the globe.
Read more: The best 3D printers in 2020 for beginners and budget creators
No matter where they come from, all of the fixtures are printed using corn-based polylactic acid, a plastic substitute made from fermented plant starch. Corn PLA has been pretty standard fare in the world of 3D printing for years now, but Gantri uses special blends developed in collaboration with ColorFabb, a 3D-printing materials manufacturer based in the Netherlands. Those proprietary blends have a much higher heat threshold than standard corn PLA, Gantri says, and they're better at diffusing light, too.
"Traditional PLA is semitranslucent, but you can also see the infill inside," explained Ian Yang, Gantri CEO. "Our diffusive PLA achieves a smooth, frosted-glass-like glow with minimal effect on color temperature of the LED inside."
As for the sustainability argument, corn-based PLA is biodegradable and carbon neutral, but its full environmental impact is a topic of some debate in green circles. In 2010, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that while biopolymers were indeed a more eco-friendly material than traditional, petroleum-based plastics, they were also more environmentally taxing to produce due to the chemical processing needed to break down the raw materials.
Gantri points to its manufacturing facility in California as a green-minded venture that's specifically designed to minimize industrial waste. As for the lamps themselves, each features custom-built cords and switches, as well as dimmable, "museum-quality" LEDs that promise to last 25,000 hours, which amounts to more than 20 years of use at an average of three hours per day. Gantri says that the bulbs in all of its lamps can be replaced if needed.
The newest lamps on Gantri, from Ammunition, go on sale today under three collections, Gio, Signal and Carve.
Originally published Feb. 26, 6 a.m. PT.
Update, 9:12 a.m.: Clarifies that the bulbs in Gantri lamps can be replaced.


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As Chevrolet keeps up with the high demand for the Blazer in the United States, another Chevy model is becoming popular among buyers: the Trailblazer. The subcompact crossover is the automaker’s entry to the segment other than the aging Trax, which targets customers who are looking for budget vehicles with premium features.
Here’s the catch: while gaining attention, the Trailblazer, too, has limited supply, particularly its sporty RS trim.
Inventory issues came to a point where, in December, only 1,500 units of the model were parked at dealerships across the entire United States. Much like its challenges in building Blazers, Chevy also had a hard time rolling out enough Trailblazers from its assembly line.
But this concern seems to have been addressed as a recent report from GM Authority revealed that the automaker has increased its Trailblazer inventory to 8,000 units in the past few weeks.
In perspective, the Bow Tie brand sold a total of 34,292 units of the Trailblazer. This meant that having only 1,500 in stock at the beginning of December could spell huge problems for Chevrolet. And while it’s similar to the hot-selling Blazer, which sold 94,599 units in the past year, it is also worth noting that the Trailblazer was not on sale anywhere in the US until last May.
It didn’t help that Chevrolet’s factory in South Korea had to shut down temporarily due to coronavirus restrictions, followed by supplier-related issues that are also pandemic-related.
By the time the Trailblazer hit the peak of its popularity late in the summer of 2020, it recorded the least amount of time that a new vehicle sat on dealer lots—36 days compared to the ideal 60-day period.
At present, demand for the Trailblazer shows no signs of slowing down. To address the problem, Chevrolet will be decreasing its Trax production by around 30% in an effort to meet the demand for the Trailblazer. Both models are built at Chevy’s facility in South Korea.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.


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Celine Archives - Inside Retail Singapore
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands has created a host of activities for shoppers to “rediscover luxury” in celebration of the Fall Winter 2019 fashion season.
The world’s largest luxury retailer LVMH shrugged off broader market pessimism overnight reporting record revenue of €46.8 billion last year.
Kering sales growth significantly outpaced its rivals during the third quarter, up 27.6 per cent as reported.
Asia’s pre-owned luxury fashion market is continuing to grow, with shoes and t-shirts gaining ground, according to retailer Reebonz.
After 20 years leading Christian Dior Couture, Sidney Toledano has been appointed chairman/CEO of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Christopher Bailey is to depart from Burberry after 17 years as its creative head.
Despite a drop in revenue, FJ Benjamin’s net loss for its latest fiscal year has narrowed to S$17.42 million.
Dover Street Market Singapore has launched at the Dempsey Hill retail/dining complex.
LVMH global sales soared 15 per cent in the first half year.
LVMH sales surged 15 per cent in the latest quarter to €9.88 billion.
Turnover for fashion and lifestyle group FJ Benjamin Holdings fell 13 per cent, or S$8.7 million, during its latest quarter.
F J Benjamin, Singapore’s largest fashion and lifestyle retailer, has reported a 15 per cent quarterly sales decline, citing subdued consumer sentiment in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.


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March 12, 2013
/PRNewswire/ -- NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ), a leading global provider of mobile Internet services, today announced the availability of its NQ Mobile security solution which has now been optimized to run on Android devices based on Qualcomm Reference Designs that utilize Qualcomm Snapdragon™ MSM™ 8x25 processors. NQ Mobile is also planning on making this optimized version of the NQ Mobile security available to manufacturers for preload on their devices that use these processors. NQ Mobile optimized their security solution for these devices by integrating their unique anti-virus APIs available on these devices.
With NQ Mobile's proprietary cloud-based security and privacy solutions, consumers and enterprises will have access to even more on-device protection from mobile threats.
- App Installation Blocking: Prevents Android users from inadvertently installing malicious apps by having NQ Mobile certifying applications as being safe for use before allowing them to be loaded on a device without interfering with the user experiences.
- Cloud-Based Mobile Anti-virus: Being used by over 280 million customers world-wide, NQ Mobile's cloud-based anti-virus platform brings real-time defense against malicious software delivered through apps, websites, SMS and more.
- Privacy Protection: Protects the users' private information, ensuring the users' social networking, email and financial accounts are not hacked and personal phone calls are not recorded.
- Anti-Theft/Anti-Loss: Allows users to remotely locate, lock, sound an alarm and erase information from a lost or stolen mobile device.
"Consumers around the world are becoming more and more aware of mobile threats, but there are many smartphone owners who are not actively taking steps to protect their devices," said
, Chief Commercial Officer at NQ Mobile. "We bring innovative security solutions directly onto Qualcomm Reference Design devices that utilize the Snapdragon MSM8x25 processors. These are innovations that our industry needs and our customers are asking for."
The Qualcomm Reference Design program by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. offers industry-leading technical innovation, differentiated hardware and software, easy customization options that save engineering costs and speed time to market, access to an ecosystem of software and hardware providers who support the Qualcomm Reference Design program, and testing and acceptance readiness for regional and leading operator requirements. To date, the Qualcomm Reference Design program has launched more than 170 products in collaboration with more than 40 OEMs with 100 new devices in the pipeline.


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Kourtney Kardashian sent fans into meltdown as her lifestyle website Poosh shared a photograph of her posed n.u.d.e and clutching her blossoming baby bump.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashian’s star, who is mum to three children, gave a sultry look to the camera as she recreated Demi Moore’s infamous Vanity Fair cover shoot from 1991.
Kourtney’s Instagram post immediately sparked a huge response from fans who began guessing if the provocative post was a pregnancy announcement.
“Pregnancy goals,” another one declared.
However, eagle eyed fans clocked that the snap was actually a throwback pic of Kourtney to mark Mother’s Day in the United States.
Kourtney revealed she celebrated the occasion with a delivery of sour dough bread and croissants, “because I was conceived in a French castle,” she explained.


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More than 1,000 senior leaders from automotive, mobile, wireless, digital and web companies have signed up to attend the Telematics Detroit 2013 Conference & Exhibition June 5-6 in Novi, Michigan. To register, visit https://secure.telematicsupdate.com/detroit/register.php
Telematics Update’s Insurance Telematics Europe conference will occur on May 7-8 at the Victoria Park Plaza in London. Information on the conference is available at http://www.telematicsupdate.com/insurance-telematics-eu/index2.php
Telematics Update will bring together companies from across the mobile, digital, consumer electronics and automotive industries, including Ford, General Motors, BMW, Honda, Facebook, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz at Telematics Detroit 2013 Conference & Exhibition (June 5-6, Novi, MI, USA) to debate the future of the connected car.
Telematics Update’s Telematics for Fleet Management Europe conference 2013 is scheduled for March 19th-20 at The Novotel City hotel in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Participants will share insights into the latest EU regulations affecting the Fleet telematics market and innovative fleet telematics solutions to drive efficiency and profitability across all commercial vehicle segments.
Nearly 5,000 people die each year from traffic accidents in Germany alone and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) technology, known collectively as V2X, has the potential to reduce that number. The U.S. Department of Transportation says that 82 percent of incidents could be mitigated by V2V or V2X.
Attendees at Telematics Update’s Consumer Telematics Show 2013, January 7 in Las Vegas, will hear automakers and other infotainment industry executives discuss how the telematics industry can keep pace with the high standards set by consumer electronics technology.
“Viable Automotive Applications and Content” panel at Telematics Munich 2012 October 29-30
To register, visit https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/264496510
South American vehicle sales are forecast to reach 4.5 million units by 2014, with Brazil accounting for 60% of the total. According to ANFAVEA, Brazil’s National Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, new car sales in Argentina and Colombia were up by 50% and 25% respectively over unit sales in 2006, and new car sales tripled in Peru from 2006 to 2010.


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Jumia Technologies (NYSE:JMIA) rocketed yesterday on the news of a partnership with shipping giant United Parcel Services (NYSE:UPS). The African e-commerce company will now use UPS to improve delivery efficiency, especially in the critical “Last Mile.” JMIA stock leapt almost 25% on the news to close at the highest levels of the year.
The question is whether to jump in now or wait for lower prices. The price action says to wait for a cheaper level. Selling puts allows you to get paid now for waiting to be a buyer at lower levels.
JMIA stock did have a big day yesterday, closing up $2.34 to $11.82. Shares, however, closed well off their intra-day high of $12.53. Jumia opened up higher this morning only to immediately succumb to selling pressure. This type of two-day price action is usually a sign of fatigue. The buyers have become exhausted and the sellers have taken control. Lower buy points may be in the offing.
Options trading exploded on the news yesterday as well. This was especially true in the short-term April 8 expiration calls. For example, the April 8 $11 calls saw more than 7,000 contracts trade versus just 524 open interest. The April 8 $13 calls traded 4,500 contracts versus just 19 open interest. It’s unusual volume, to say the least.
This spike in options trading is a telltale sign of speculative excess. It is a reliable contrarian bearish indicator, at least in the short-term. The massive call buying drove implied volatility (IV) up sharply from under 80 to over 100, making option prices much more expensive.
This makes selling puts to buy at lower levels even more appealing. As of this morning, the May 6 $10 puts are priced around 90 cents. You can collect $90 per contract by selling these puts. It also means you are a willing buyer at $9.10. ($10 strike less 90-cent premium received.) For reference, JMIA stock closed at $9.48 before the UPS deal was announced.
Investors looking to add Jumia stock to their portfolio should wait for a further pullback before buying. Using a put selling strategy is a viable way to take advantage of rich option premiums and get paid for your patience.
On the date of publication, Tim Biggam did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.


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Persona 5 has been out for a couple of days in the west, but it is good to see that the series is doing well when it comes to sales! Earlier today, ATLUS announced that Persona 5 has reached 1.5 million units shipped! Back in October, ATLUS announced that 500,000 shipments of Persona 5 had been shipped following its Japanese launch, which shows some considerably gains in units shipped.
Persona 5 is now available everywhere for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
Via Niche Gamer


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Business leaders want Seaside reopened, with a “soft opening” of local beaches to begin Monday and full opening May 18. They delivered a nine-page proposal to the city’s reopening committee in advance of a City Council hearing on Monday.
“The lodging community is ready to reopen,” Terrance J. Bichsel, chairman of the board of Best Western Hotels and Resorts and owner of Best Western Plus Ocean View Resort and Rivertides Suites Hotel, said. “We have protective measures in place for our employees as well as our guests. I hope the council will feel comfort and trust us that our interests are all aligned in this regard.”
According to the plan, hotels, motels and vacation rental dwellings could start taking reservations with a maximum of 50% of available rooms rentable. On May 18, transient lodging and VRDs would be able to book at 100%.
The nine-page draft plan, developed by business leaders and presented Wednesday by Mark Tolan of Seaside Vacation Homes, comes amidst a “dire situation” as a result of the pandemic.
The plan provides guidance for reopening of restaurants, retailers, public parks, the beach and restrooms in a responsible manner.
“The middle class is going to lose their houses,” Tolan said. “They’re going to go bankrupt. We cannot wait days, if hours longer.”
Tolan said businesses are ready to open “at a moment’s notice.”
“We don’t expect for government to be tasked with the idea of evaluating every single one of our niche business models, but rather that we self-govern ourselves and look at overall points of accountability,” Tolan said.
Director of Tourism Marketing Joshua Heineman injected a note of caution at Wednesday’s Reopening Task Force Ad Hoc Committee, which included participation from county public health director Michael McNickle and Providence Seaside Hospital Chief Executive Don Lemmon.
“What I heard from county public health that there are tools being put in place now where we can get a better baseline,” Heineman said. “I think it’s important to get the blessing from public health, because there is a segment of the population here in Seaside who is frightened,” Heineman said. “Data like the fact nobody’s been hospitalized won’t matter that much when they’re scared and they see a lot of daytrippers here.”
Rebecca Read, a Seaside resident and member of the county’s public safety coordinating council, said it may be irresponsible to reopen the city’s hotels, restaurants and beaches too soon.
“I am not sure the people who visit will act responsibly also,” Read said. “There’s little we can do to monitor physical distancing and safe practices. To say you’re ready to go — I’m not sure about that.”


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Back in 4,500 B.C.E., gold was discovered alongside remains in gravesites. For centuries, gold has been a desirable asset. It has always been a symbol of influence and wealth. This fact clearly reflects gold’s appeal and consistency over time. Gold was used to make ornaments, jewelry, and early forms of currency.
Investors consider gold as one of the best investments to make, as it easily recovers its worth during economic downturns. Its price also moves in the opposite direction of stock market or economic fluctuations. Purchasing gold is not the same as purchasing stocks or bonds. You may purchase gold coins or gold bullion to take physical ownership of the precious metal.
Gold bullion is in the form of a bar with a stamp that indicates the gold bar’s purity level and quantity of gold. Some dealers, brokerage companies, banks, and the United States Mint, which has been making gold coins since 1792, sell bullion and coins. Investing in gold is globally recognized, especially in the US.
US investors are like hungry mammals when it comes to gold bars and coins. In 2020, it was reported that demand for gold coins and bars in the United States increased, mirroring the surge in gold ETF holdings, which reached new highs. Retail investment more than tripled to 66t in 2020 after struggling at a relatively low 20t in 2019. In volume terms, it has soared to nearly US$3.8 billion, the highest level since 2011.
As per new data from the United States Mint, this pattern does not appear to be slowing down in 2021. In January 2021, revenues from gold Eagle bullion coins surpassed 220,000 ounces (6t). The trend seemed to continue into February, with sales reaching 118,500 just after the halfway point of the month. To have an idea about what sparked this enthusiasm in the past year, here are four main elements that we may consider:
- The COVID-19 fear-factor
During the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic had a noticeable effect. The US Mint’s dramatic increase in sales of gold bullion coins during March and April is direct proof of US investors’ strong reaction to the virus’s unprecedented spread at the time.
- Savings that have been sitting idle
GDP growth shrank by 31% in the 2nd quarter of the past year. And the unemployment rate rose to 15% – which made the aggregate income change drastically. Meanwhile, consumer spending has decreased. Since they can’t afford to go out and visit malls and restaurants or go on vacations, these extra dollars could be invested in a variety of financial assets, and gold is one of the most probable beneficiaries.
- Cuts in interest rates and inflation fears
With the Federal Reserve cutting rates to 0 in the first quarter of the past year, rate cuts fuelled investment demand.
- The price of gold is increasing
The rise in investment was boosted even further by the fluctuation in gold prices during the year. Throughout 2020, the price of US dollar gold increased by approximately 25%, hitting new highs in the month of August.
Although the performance of 2020 does not indicate the same for the current year, we see, with how things are going, that the gold investment will be highly supported by hungry US investors.


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A robot cat designed to ferry plates of food to restaurant customers has been unveiled at the CES tech expo in Las Vegas.
BellaBot, built by the Chinese firm PuduTech, is one of a number of wacky robotic inventions being shown off at the event this year.
There is also UBTech’s Walker, which can pull yoga poses.
And Charmin’s RollBot. It speeds a roll of toilet paper on demand to bathrooms that have run out of the stuff.
One expert said it was likely that robots exhibited at CES would only continue to get more bizarre in the future.
BellaBot, the table-waiting robot cat, is a service bot with personality.
It updates a previous model that had a more utilitarian design. BellaBot, in contrast, features a screen showing cat-face animations.
It mews when it arrives at tables to encourage customers to pick up their food.
And if the diners stroke BellaBot’s ears, it initially reacts with pleasure.
“The owner’s hand is so warm,” the bot is programmed to say in response.
But if customers continue petting it for too long, its expression changes.
“It gets mad to remind you not to interrupt its job,” explains the firm.
The Chinese company is targeting the machine at restaurant owners in China, who often struggle to employ enough waiting staff, according to PuduTech.
The firm’s existing robots are already in use at 2,000 restaurants worldwide.
It plans to show off the new device at a booth designed to look like a futuristic restaurant when the CES show floor opens on Tuesday.
But BellaBot may find it harder to operate in the real world, commented tech consultant Paolo Pescatore from PP Foresight, because of the challenge of navigating restaurants at busy times.
He added, however, that restaurants are expected to become increasingly dependent on automation in one form or another.
UBTech’s newly-updated Walker bot is also being shown off at CES this year.
The model can perform a series of Tai Chi and yoga poses, demonstrating a “huge improvement in motion control”, according to its maker.
“It’s continuously tracking its overall centre of gravity throughout the yoga positions – the kind of dynamic [artificial intelligence] you would expect of a robot that ‘lives’ in your home alongside your family, going up and down stairs, carrying heavy objects for you,” explains UBTech spokesman Jeff Gordon.
Walker’s other abilities including being able to push a cart, draw pictures and pour liquid into a cup.
And Procter & Gamble’s American loo roll business, Charmin, has attracted a flurry of attention with an unusual droid designed to complement toilets and bathrooms: RollBot.
“Imagine yourself there, you’ve run out of toilet tissue, nobody hears your call,” P&G researcher Gregg Weaver told the BBC.
“The robot will find you in the home and deliver you a fresh roll.”
RollBot is summoned via Bluetooth on a smartphone.
However, P&G currently has no plans to make it commercially available – which may mean waiting a little longer for that desperately needed roll.
Thanks to improvements in hardware and software capabilities, robots will gradually become better and better at expressing themselves and mimicking human capabilities, predicted Mr Pescatore.
He also suggested that in commercially competitive, consumer-facing settings, quirky robots were likely to stand out from the crowd.
“It is one of the fast-growing tech trends,” he added.
“Expect far more wackier robots in years to come.”


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The footwear company Vivobarefoot has announced plans to bring a plant-based shoe range to the market. According to the company, the new Primus Bio range will use a plant-based thermoplastic polyurethane – a product based on industrial field corn – in its sole and upper and will be one of the lightest and most environmentally-sound shoe ranges available to-date. Vivobarefoot said the Primus Bio is its latest step in the quest to use 90 % sustainable materials across its entire product range by 2020.
60 % of the outsole and 30 % of the upper of the Primus Bio will be made from Susterra propanediol-based Bio-TPU, making it one of the least petroleum-reliant performance shoes in the world, the company said. Susterra propanediol from DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Company, LLC is created through a fermentation process using plant-derived glucose from the starch found in field corn and is petroleum-free, non-toxic and 100 % USDA certified. The material gives shoes greater flexibility in the cold and is very resilient to abrasions and general wear. Susterra propanediol is said to use 52 % less energy than the standard petroleum-based materials used by the global footwear industry and 32 % less greenhouse gas emissions. The Primus Bio will be available to purchase in 2019.
“Sustainability is our journey and we believe that the perfect shoe has minimal interference with natural movement and minimal impact on the environment,” said Asher Clark, Design Director at Vivobarefoot. “The Primus Bio champions the future of sustainable materials which I believe will be largely bio-based. This is an exciting step in the right direction away from the single use petroleum-based alternatives commonly used in athletic footwear and every action counts in our journey of redefining the world’s relationship with environmentally-damaging materials,” he added.
Vivobarefoot has already pioneered shoes made of repurposed algae (Ultra 3 Bloom), and an Eco range made of 50 % recycled plastic, with 17 recycled bottles per pair. In 2017, the company diverted over 2 million plastic bottles from landfills into barefoot shoes.


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Single Day is Black Friday before its time! Until November 13, 2022, Chinese merchants are celebrating this symbolic day by making significant discounts – up to 80%! – on hundreds of items, including high-tech.
It’s time to do some good business! AliExpress’s Single Day – China’s equivalent of Black Friday – is starting a little early this year. Since Tuesday 1er November until November 13, at 7:59 a.m., the e-commerce giant is organizing an event to please millions of consumers around the world, including in France. The perfect opportunity to find high-tech devices at bargain prices, including premium brands like Xiaomi, Apple, LG and Lenovo! Smartphones, earphones and headsets, connected watches and bracelets, laptops, televisions, consoles… There really is something for all tastes and all budgets. Some products are even offered with 80% discounts, a real opportunity as the end-of-year holidays approach and in this period of generalized inflation, especially since the market has been experiencing a severe shortage of electronic components for the past a good moment. Be careful, however, not to take advantage of this period to fall into overconsumption…
Attention, it is essential to enter the promo code displayed on the page – on the image of the product – and to activate the reduction coupons to make the most of the reductions!
What is Single Day?
Originally, Single Day was a day dedicated to singles that appeared in the 1990s, an opportunity to be proud of one’s celibacy but also to break it. That’s why the official date is November 11 – 11/11 – because, in China, the number 1 represents the couple, and by extension celibacy. But this holiday has been the subject of significant commercial recoveries in China, in particular concerning online sales. It’s the most lucrative global trade promotion in the world, ahead of Black Friday – and with far more aggressive prices. AliExpress, in particular, offers very interesting promotions in high-tech, since it can rely on its privileged relationships with Asian brands – we immediately think of Xiaomi.
For the first, the duration of the event has been extended to cover a longer period. There will therefore be two particularly strong moments in terms of promotions: Tuesday November 1 and Wednesday November 2, since this is the start of the operation, and November 11 and 12, since it is respectively the official date of the event as well as its last day. Be careful not to hang around too long, because stocks are limited and you have to decide quickly so as not to miss the good deals! But that doesn’t mean you have to jump on it blindly! It is important to note and compare prices because, as with sales and all commercial operations, the reductions displayed are sometimes exaggerated…
Single Day: VAT, delivery date and right of withdrawal
The Single Day concerns many Chinese brands, and not only specialized in high-tech products. This is why it is important to pay attention to delivery times, which can be quite long – except for those with European warehouses – and VAT. Indeed, it applies to all products from countries outside the European Economic Community (EEC), even if they only cost a few euros. Fortunately, several major Chinese merchants, including AliExpress, have warehouses in Europe – including France – which offers several advantages. Thus, delivery times are generally three working days, and merchant sites include VAT in their price while offering the mandatory guarantees. The only exception is when the package comes from China and the total amount exceeds 150 euros. In this case, VAT and customs fees are payable upon receipt of the package, even if it is very small. So be sure to look carefully so as not to have any unpleasant surprises!
Another thing to know: brands like AliExpress obviously respect the legal withdrawal period in France during the Single Day, which is 14 days from the date of delivery. You can thus get a full refund for your purchase, if you are not satisfied or if you simply regret it, and without having to provide the slightest explanation. To find out all about the application of the right of withdrawal, consult our fact sheet.


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Dick Aderman, the president and CEO of HYCOR Biomedical whose career in the business side of diagnostics and healthcare spans almost four decades, has been named to the board of directors of ImmunArray, a private molecular diagnostics company co-headquartered in Rehovot, Israel and Richmond, Virginia, according to a Business Wire press release.
News and Articles
Arianna Huffington To Join Uber Board of Directors
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced that The Huffington Post’s editor-in-chief, Arianna Huffington, would be joining Uber’s board of directors, according to a blog post posted on The Huffington Post.
Uber has been one of the biggest and most controversial businesses over the past year and is fighting legal and regulatory battles. The company is valued at $60 billion.
Huffington told editors at the site that she was recusing herself from news coverage of Uber.
Anaplan, the enterprise planning cloud company, announced it has appointed David F. Conte to its board of directors, according to a Business Wire press release.
Conte brings over 20 years of finance expertise to Anaplan’s board. He is currently Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Senior Vice President at Splunk Inc., provider of the leading software platform for real-time Operational Intelligence. Previously, he served as CFO at IronKey, Inc., an internet security and privacy company.
Qualtrics, the world’s leading customer insight platform, today announced the addition of Kim Scott to its board of directors. As a former executive at Google and Apple, Scott brings a wealth of operational and leadership experience to the board, according to a Business Wire press release.
MC10, Inc. announced that Dr. Paul Bleicher has joined the company's Board of Directors, according to a Business Wire press release.
Dr. Bleicher is the Chief Executive Officer of OptumLabs™, an open, collaborative healthcare research and innovation center founded by a partnership between UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division and Mayo Clinic, and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
CashBet announced that Stephen Race has joined the company’s Board of Directors, according to a Business Wire press release.
Race brings over 30 years domestic and international executive leadership experience across a wide range of industries, including gaming, financial services, and consumer goods. He is currently a Portfolio Manager at Strategic Turnaround Fund, a hedge fund focused on micro-cap US companies.
Optomec, a leading global supplier of production grade additive manufacturing systems for 3D printed metals and 3D printed electronics, aannounced that John E. Major, former chairman of the board and lead independent director at Broadcom, has been elected to serve as the first of two new members on the Optomec Board of Directors, according to a Business Wire press release.
Levi Strauss & Co. announced that it has elected Christopher McCormick to its board of directors, effective April 13, 2016, according to a Business Wire press release.
Truveris, the leading provider of pharmacy benefits solutions, announced the appointment of health care industry executive Matthew J. Simas to its Board of Directors, according to a Business Wire press release.
The independent Directors/Trustees of the Lord Abbett Family of Funds have appointed Mark A. Schmid and Douglas B. Sieg to serve on the Funds’ Board, according to a Business Wire press release.
These appointments (effective April 20, 2016, for Mr. Schmid, and effective February 24, 2016 for Mr. Sieg) expand the number of Directors/Trustees, from nine to 11.


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The Indian mobile market has long been a case study for managing massive traffic volumes largely through the use of outsourcing contracts. As far back as 2004 the country's largest mobile operator Bharti Airtel was engaging major telecom and equipment vendors to outsource its network management and IT operations.
This practice was seen as essential to drive down costs and allow operators to become "minute factories" focusing largely on branding and marketing, and profitability continued to increase despite a falling ARPU. Therefore, it was not a serious concern if India already had one of the lowest effective mobile voice tariffs in the world and conversely one of the highest MOU rates especially given the vast growth opportunities that India offers in a market, which has just crossed the 50% SIM card population penetration threshold.
That theory is set to be put to the test, however, in a revitalized Indian market with unprecedented competition driven by new and newly-partnered mobile operators. India has always had a competitive market with local conglomerate-backed players such as Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, Idea Cellular, Loop Mobile and Ping Mobile competing among and against government operators BSNL and MTNL and the foreign players Vodafone and Maxis-backed Aircel. However, the Indian market is now home to many new operators such as MTS India backed by Russia's Sistema, Telenor's Uninor venture and Batelco-funded S-Tel.
Etisalat's DB operation will launch in early 2010, and white-goods manufacturer Videocon is in talks with Vivendi to acquire a stake in its mobile venture, meaning that the market will grow even more competitive. Furthermore, long-time player Tata Teleservices has rebranded itself as Tata DoCoMo following a 26% investment from the Japanese mobile operator and launching GSM service.
Unsurprisingly, these new operators have aggressively cut mobile voice tariffs even further in an attempt to gain a foothold in the market. Given the already competitive nature of the Indian market, the most recent round of price cuts have pushed Indian mobile tariffs to record-low levels.
For example, when Tata rebranded itself and launched GSM services it offered 1 paisa per second billing plans, which equals about $0.012 per minute, MTS India following suit with its own 50 paisa per minute rates ($0.011) and Uninor offered 29 paisa-per-minute rates (U$0.006) to coincide with its December 2009 service launch. These low rates have consequently caused the rate of subscriber adoption to accelerate, as the Indian mobile market added over 19 million subscribes in December 2009 alone.


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Yahoo's CEO Marissa Mayer is beginning a "no telecommuting" rule in June. Regina Lewis, USA Today contributor and Chuck Wilsker, Telework Coalition president & CEO, share their opinions. "Marissa is not going for balance, she's going for a turnaround," says Lewis.
Rajeev Singh-Molares, EVP & President, Asia Pacific at Alcatel-Lucent says that after a particularly slow first quarter, Asia's mobile markets will rebound over the rest of the year. China will publish its plan for a national broadband network later in the year and this will drive growth in the mobile industry.
CNBC's Kayla Tausche discusses the best performing stocks of the day.
Hedge Fund manager Philip Falcone, Harbinger Capital Partners founder, has invested $2.9B in the startup company, Lightsquared. CNBC's Maria Bartiromo speaks with Falcone regarding his plans to build wireless broadband.
Paul Wuh, Managing Director at Samsung Securities (Asia) says China Mobile would be a good place to park your money, and expects a 3-4% growth return.
Bruce Brda, Senior VP & General Manager, Global Services at Motorola Solutions talks about the company's business strategy down the road.
Kevin Taylor, President, Asia Pacific of BT says the telco's business in China is mainly conducted via partnerships, a sector which he hopes the government will open for direct business.
Chua Sock Koong, Group CEO of Singtel, believes the telecommunications giant will remain successful in a global environment of slower growth.


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Article content continued
“If cases continue to pick up and hospitalizations follow suit, governments could impose even tighter restrictions, resulting in weaker spending activity in the coming weeks and months,” Sri Thanabalasingam, an economist at TD, said in a report. “This next phase of the recovery will be the hardest yet.”
Canada has recovered almost two thirds of the 3 million jobs lost at the height of the pandemic. Recouping the rest won’t be easy, given the capacity restrictions and weak demand currently facing many businesses.
The restaurant sector is also stalling, according to data from OpenTable. The number of seated diners at Canadian restaurants was about 33% lower on average in September compared with a year earlier. That’s only a slight improvement from August.
The industry faces further risks this month, after restaurants and bars in Montreal and Quebec City were ordered to close for a month to help curb the spread of the virus. In Ontario, food and drink establishments have been ordered to shut by midnight. Additionally , as the weather gets colder and patios close, some diners may be reluctant to visit restaurants, given the risk of catching the virus is known to be higher indoors.
©2020 Bloomberg LP


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Brokerage Unit Sales Steady, But Values Trending Down
There were few surprises in the August report of United States sailboat brokerage sales, as reported by broker members of YachtWorld.com. Sailboat brokerage sales in August held steady at 523 boats, which is similar to the prior three months and only 14 percent lower than the 605 boats that were sold in August, 2008. Over the warmer months of May to August, 500-550 sailboats have been reported sold each month, which, collectively, is 20 percent fewer than in the same months in 2008.
Comparative valuations have fluctuated over the same period. Whereas market values were off about 45 percent from January all the way through May, they showed great improvement in June (-8 percent), but have trended down since (-21 percent in July and -33 percent in August).
One bright spot for brokers in August was the sale of mid-size boats, 36-45 feet, with 166 boats selling in that size range compared to 179 the year before (a decline of 7 percent). Valuations weren’t much farther off at $17.1 million versus $20 million in 2008 (a decline of 14 percent).
Year to date, sailboat brokerage sales are down on average by 26 percent. Larger boats, 46-55 feet, have experienced the biggest year-over-year decline in units sold (-33 percent) whereas small boats less than 26 feet are only off 17 percent in units and 12 percent in valuation. Although we reported a bounce in big-boat sales in July, the jury is still out on that market over the longer term. In August, three boats over 55 feet were sold for a collective valuation of less than $700,000, while in 2008, three big boats were sold for close to $5.5 million.
Are fewer sailboat owners marketing their boats because of the slow economy, or is the larger issue that there are fewer buyers? Next month, we’ll compare the average time it is taking to sell sailboats of different sizes in 2009 versus 2008, which will provide at least a partial answer to this question.
—John Burnham, Editorial Director, YachtWorld.com
Sail America has teamed up with YachtWorld.com to provide a report of sailboat brokerage sales. Each month Sail America will distribute a report of the previous month’s activity and annual trends.


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(Adds share prices of TOM Online and TOM Group, analysts' comments.)
HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- TOM Online Inc.
TOM Online said China Mobile, China's biggest mobile operator by number of subscribers, started displaying the reminders in May. The mobile operator also requires users to confirm the downloads before processing the download request, TOM Online said in a statement late Monday.
However, TOM Online's Hong Kong-listed shares ended Tuesday's morning trading session 1% higher at HK$1.34, because investors expect the adverse impact of the reminders to be borne by the firm's parent, TOM Group Ltd. (2383.HK), which plans to buy out its 65.7%-owned unit.
TOM Group's Hong Kong shares fell as much as 1% to HK$0.90, but were unchanged by the midday trading break at HK$0.92, while the benchmark Hang Seng Index was down 0.1% at 21,805.
China Everbright Securities analyst Wong Chi Man said: "The market is focusing on its parent's buyout plan and upside for TOM Online stock is already capped by the buyout price."
TOM Group, an Internet and media company controlled by tycoon Li Ka-shing, has offered to buy out TOM Online for up to HK$1.57 billion, or HK$1.52 a share.
TOM Online's shareholders will vote on the plan no later than Aug. 3, after agreeing at a meeting earlier this month to delay the vote to give them more time to study the buyout proposal and to allow for the greater participation of holders of the firm's American Depositary Shares.
In the first quarter, TOM Online derived 90.6% of its revenue of US$35.14 million from wireless value-added services over the mobile networks of China Mobile and China Unicom Ltd. (CHU), the country's second-largest mobile operator.
TOM Online said China Mobile's new download procedure would have "a significant adverse impact" on its wireless service business in mainland China in the second quarter this year and thereafter.
A European bank analyst who declined to be named said the profit warning could be seen as a tactic to encourage shareholders to vote for the buyout plan.
"By telling shareholders the business is weak and prospects aren't good, shareholders may be more willing to sell their stakes in the company," the analyst said.


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By Jeanine Ramirez Brooklyn | www.ny1.com |
One block north from Barclays Center on Flatbush Avenue, a new shop is getting its final touches. The only signage so far is its name on the glass door: Citiva. But make no mistake, Brooklyn’s first marijuana dispensary is open for business.
“I think the patients and the people of Brooklyn have been waiting quite a long time for access. So we’re just excited to be a part of it and we are also very excited to finally be open in this large borough,” says Amy Holdener, the V.P. of Operations for Citiva.
While this 2,000 square foot store has plenty of Brooklyn merchandise and artwork on display, it doesn’t have any of its cannabis products out for people to touch, adhering to NY state law. Rather, the dispensary operates similar to a pharmacy.
Holdener says, “The public can come in. We could have you come in and learn. Meet with our pharmacist, meet with our medical director, meet with our team, learn about the program, learn about our products and see what’s really right for you.”
There are pictures of the medical marijuana offerings from powders and oils to capsules and vaporizers. Items come in child-proof packaging as required by the state. And there are interactive screens on a table to educate customers.
“They will actually walk you through different parts of the cannabis plant if you want to do a little bit more learning about cannabis in general, how it’s grown,” says Holdener.
This is the seventh medical marijuana dispensary to open in the city and the first of four Citiva that will operate in the state.
The borough will eventually get a second dispensary, operated by Valley Agriceuticals. A spokesman tells NY1 it is not yet prepared to say where that Brooklyn site will be.
Holdener says, “There are regulations as to how close you could be to certain locations such as churches or schools or synagogues. So you work within that framework and then you need a community and a landlord who is also supportive of your use of what you’re trying to do.”
The store is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. To promote its opening, Citiva is offering 25 percent off its products all month.


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Many of the neighborhoods in Los Angeles that are being hardest hit by COVID-19 because of overall disparities in health are also food deserts, places where it’s impossible to buy fresh food. While access to groceries has been difficult for many people at points during the pandemic, the problem is especially acute in these deserts.
To help the people living there get access to food during the crisis, an app called Tangelo now makes it possible to place free orders of fruits and vegetables for home delivery. “When healthy food gets delivered to your door, the word ‘food desert’ becomes meaningless,” says Michel Nischan, founder of Wholesome Wave, a nonprofit that collaborated on the development of the app and launched the program in L.A.
Local organizations, including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, help identify the most vulnerable, low-income community members and then invite them to download the app, which gives them each $40 a month to spend on produce deliveries, for a total of six months. (Wholesome Wave is working to raise more funding to provide longer-term support and expand the number of people that can participate.)
The nonprofit had experimented with other new ways to increase access to fruit and vegetables in the past, including produce “prescriptions” that doctors handed out that were redeemable at local stores, and incentives that doubled the value of food stamps when used on fruit and vegetables. They started working with the Tangelo app—a platform that some other nonprofits are also beginning to use in other cities—to go further, recognizing the value of home delivery, especially in areas without as much access to healthy food. Corporate donors, such as Naked, foot the bill for the food; the nonprofit also hopes to have the platform approved for SNAP benefits.
The app launched in L.A. in January but is even more relevant now. “This gives people who are nutrition-insecure the financial resources to buy the food they need to avoid the diet-related diseases that are killing and hospitalizing people at the highest rates with COVID,” Nischan says. People with diabetes, for example, have a higher risk of dying if they become infected with the virus. The pandemic’s economic destruction has also left many more people struggling to afford groceries.
The app gives users a choice of fresh local produce, and also asks for information that can help better inform nutrition programs; if users choose to take a food quiz, for example, they get incentives for more fruits and vegetables and the nonprofits can gather more anonymous data. Tangelo also plans to let users opt to link the app to their health records.
“We’re heavily focused on outcomes,” says Jeremy Cooley, founder and CEO of Tangelo. “To really drive change, organizations need to be able to measure what happens when, for example, you provide a nutrition-insecure population in a state like California with free fruits and vegetables and nutrition education. Or when you provide subsidized, medically-tailored meals to large populations of patients with diabetes or heart disease. Measuring these outcomes at scale is what Tangelo’s technology platform can make a reality for the first time.”


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The annual Glencoe’s Boy Scouts holiday wreath and candle sale has long been a fixture in Glencoe, evolving and expanding with the times.
Over the years, we have also met generous Glencoe neighbors who have asked if they could donate a wreath to a family in need. Given this year’s unprecedented financial circumstances, we have made this a part of our holiday fundraiser, allowing families to designate wreaths or candles for local families in need. Wreaths and candles designated as gifts will be allocated via Family Services of Glencoe, New Trier Township Food Pantry, and The Ark.
Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 2,100 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad. In 2019, Troop 28 scouts were able to donate our unsold wreaths to a participating cemetery in Gurnee, and participated in the wreath-laying ceremony to offer local veterans who gave their lives in service to America. This year, we have added an option to purchase wreaths and designate them for donation to the Wreaths Across America program.
Last, we are also introducing an opportunity to assist local area social service agencies through our local and national gift card program. When families purchase gift cards through our website, they pay face value and Friends receives a giveback from the gift card vendor. This year, families can designate gift cards of staples like groceries for donation via Family Services, New Trier Township Food Pantry, or Hilda’s Place.


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Mobile gaming is an industry worth billions of dollars, but one new idea from a computing giant could dominate its competitors.
It does a great job of doing it, so much so that some become obsessed to the degree that they extend to wasting time rather than passing it. Tragically, some are so incapable of putting down the controller that in rare instances it can even kill them.
One problem with gaming is that getting the best experience often involves big gaming PCs or consoles designed to live in the house. While gaming laptops are everywhere, they often take up as much space as a console anyway, making them impractical for use on your commute for instance, where you’re most inclined to kill time.
That’s been changing in recent years as smartphones become more powerful and able to provide immersive gaming experiences on the go, and billions has been pouring in to the industry to accommodate them.
But the touch screen input of smartphones lacks the precision sometimes required, and the devices are best suited for arcade style games rather than more complicated triple-A games with deep and layered campaigns.
In an attempt to help solve this problem, brands are now focusing on ways to give gamers more control on their mobile.
Read the full story here
Source by News.com.au | January 10, 2020


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|| Print ||
|Tuesday, June 29, 2010|
Eugene has struggled for years over whether to provide temporary outdoor tables and chairs in the downtown area, and removed them last year to prevent loitering and other crimes.
As new food carts open up at the Broadway Plaza in an attempt to revitalize the struggling district, the issue with outdoor seating has come up again. Opinions are mixed among the small business owners who run the carts.
Read the full story at The Register Guard.
|The Good Hacker|
|Downtime with the director of Barley's Angels|
|It's a Man's Man's Man's World|
|Fighting Fire With Fire|
|Shades of Gray|
|Comcast reaching tipping point in Internet subscribers |
|SurveyMonkey CEO dies|
|Labor groups hope franchisees will join fight against fast-food companies|
|Special fee to ship oil proposed|
|Jeff Bezos launches spaceship|
|General Motors pledges $5.4B in US plants|
|Under Armour innovation chief alive after Everest avalanche|
New conference aims to solve challenges, quell fears amid regulatory changes.
Tourism marketing supports entrepreneurship by attracting visitors to all corners of the state.
Beaverton firm's business intelligence platform rivals that of industry heavyweights.
Earlier this month CEO of Gravity Payments, Dan Price, disrupted the payment inequality discussion worldwide by compassionately raising the minimum salary for each one of his 120 employees to $70k and cutting his $1M salary down to $70k.
Thinking about an MBA? Join us for our upcoming Wine & Cheese Information Session to learn more about Concordia University's MBA program.
Providing attendees with unique taste of the Northwest Reception.


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It’s evident Cadillac is reaching for a much younger audience with its “Dare Greatly” campaign. In the latest interview with eMarketer, Cadillac CMO, Uwe Ellinghaus, discussed why the brand has targeted outlets like The Oscars to launch Cadillac’s transformation.
Baby boomers need not apply to Cadillac’s strategy, which Ellinghaus makes clear when discussing industry trends.
We need to reach out to Generation X and Y more—just like every other brand. By 2020, 80% of all new car sales will be made by Generation X and Y. Baby boomers will no longer dominate this market.
The majority of baby boomers are very much interested in football, in motor sports, in golf in particular and in tennis, but Generation X and Y customers are far more interested in entertainment, music, fashion, design and architecture. That means they are far more likely to sit and watch the Oscars than the Super Bowl.
He goes on to state Cadillac’s natural link to Hollywood and entertainment plays well with what the brand is trying to accomplish.
Most importantly, there’s a reason why Cadillac chose much younger innovators in this latest round of “Don’t You Dare,” some as young as 19 years old.
In contrast to last year, we deliberately decided to go to people that dared greatly at a very young age. For me, this is the boldest form of daring greatly.
The protagonists that we ended up with aren’t anywhere near as well-known as last year’s were. They haven’t achieved as much as Steve Wozniak undoubtedly has, but they were already very bold thinkers early on in their life.
We won’t know the entirety of Cadillac’s marketing efforts until the 2016 CT6 and 2017 XT5 launch in the coming months. Then, we will know Daring Greatly transcends to increased brand image, and ultimately, sales.


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Stay in the know and receive the latest international franchising news, insight and investment opportunities
The fresh food fast casual chain Freshii has announced plans to expand into New York under the umbrella of America’s second-largest pharmacy chain, Walgreens.
Freshii franchise owner Jon Blob said, “Freshii has a unique and widespread offering for anyone focused on health and wellness. The breadth of our menu eliminates the veto vote as everyone can come to Freshii and find something tasty, healthy and energizing.”
Since partnering with Walgreen’s in 2016, Freshi has successfully opened eight new stores. The chain which originated in Hawaii now has a location list which includes Chicago, Boston and Miami.
The international coffee franchise to feature in nine Marine bases across the States03 Jul 2020 | Read Article >
The junk removal and hauling franchise appoints an industry professional to bolster growth efforts03 Jul 2020 | Read Article >
The Asian food franchise will enter the U.K. market in 202130 Jun 2020 | Read Article >
The pizza franchisor is providing further contactless delivery options for socially distancing customers30 Jun 2020 | Read Article >
Two new Ramada by Wyndham locations are set to open soon29 Jun 2020 | Read Article >
For further information on the Tiger Bills franchise please submit your details below.


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In Today’s NewCo Daily
Here’s a round up of the top stories in the NewCo world today, from the NewCo Daily newsletter:
Right now, the urban/rural divide that fractures U.S. politics looks awfully clear and simple. But the deeper you look into it, the more complex it gets. While race, gender, and other factors also play big roles, the country-city split that dates back to the nation’s founding may still be the most powerful axis on which our government, economy, and culture all revolve. Here are three illuminating new angles on this division.
First, the Brookings Institution finds that, while Donald Trump touted his own vitality and mocked his opponents for their “low energy,” the places that supported him just don’t pull their economic weight. They represent “low output” communities; “high output America” overwhelmingly came out for Hillary Clinton. The nearly 500 counties that voted for Clinton generate 64 percent of U.S. economic activity, while the more than 2600 counties that went for Trump are responsible for only 36 percent.
Now turn to urban scholar Richard Florida (Medium), who argues that productive urban centers in the Trump era won’t get their fair share of resources and investment unless they demand a devolution of power from the federal and state capitals to city halls. That, of course, could be great for cities — but since it would strip rural backwaters and “low-output” regions of the subsidies they currently receive, it’s not going to happen without a huge fight.
Finally, as these conflicts play out, take a look at these fascinating visualizations of the U.S.’s continuously reconfiguring urban regions based on an analysis of commute times (PLOS One). These maps suggest how meaningless the state and county borders our ancestors drew up have become — and how much work lies ahead of us to redistribute economic bounty according to contribution and need rather than by antique systems and outmoded boundaries.
History is a Practice. Anyone Can Benefit.
A lot happened over this past weekend! The U.S. president elect spoke on the phone with the leader of Taiwan, breaking four decades of tradition and picking a fight with the Chinese government. In Austria, a far-right candidate almost became president (but didn’t), while in Italy, the prime minister lost a referendum and resigned. In the U.S., Native Americans and environmentalists protesting the Dakota Access pipeline won a reprieve from the federal government.
Maybe your phone buzzed you to notify you of these events. But you’re unlikely to make much sense of the torrent of headlines without a grasp of the longer story that individual events reinforce (or undercut). What you need, writes Marie Myung-Ok Lee (Quartz), is a grounding in history.
To distinguish fake news from fact, or manipulative nostalgia from the ambiguity of evidence, you need more than data. You need the kind of understanding you get from reading and grappling with the work of historians — that collection of fact-based narratives we tell and retell, confirm and debunk, as we try to understand how we got here. Today, enrollment in history is down, as we push students to embrace STEM. Tomorrow, we may regret that.
Airbnb Throws In The Towel in New York
Airbnb gave up its fight against a New York state law that fines people who advertise illegal rentals on its service (The New York Times). The company got the state to say that the fines, of up to $7500, would be levied against individual Airbnb hosts rather than the platform. Airbnb opponents in New York maintain that the company has built a business by enabling landlords to illegally turn affordable housing units into short-term hotels.
Airbnb has now protected itself, but risks alienating the users who make it valuable. Then again, it’s hard to build a successful housing business long-term while thumbing your nose at local government and laws. Next question: What does new Housing and Urban Development Secretary nominee Dr. Ben Carson think about all this? Anything?
Amazon Has Seen the Supermarket Future, and There Are No Lines
Amazon Go is a new retail food market in Seattle where you walk in, sign in with an app, take what you want from the shelf, and walk out (TechCrunch). Sensors, your phone, and Amazon’s giant cloud brain do the rest. Amazon employees in Seattle can enjoy this whizzy shopping experience today; everyday Seattleites can join in beginning early next year.
Go isn’t the only effort out there to create checkout-less shopping, but Amazon’s experience and retail muscle make it a formidable entry in the clerk-free retail market. The user experience sounds dreamy — but there goes yet another entry-level job category!


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Music Gear News
Fender to go global with the Richie Kotzen Telecaster
The Richie Kotzen Telecaster is set to go on sale across the world after only previously being available to purchase in Japan and Europe. The jazz guitarist himself broke the news on his Facebook page.
Kotzen, formerly of Poison, but now more prevalent as a solo artist, wrote on his profile: "Fender Guitars will be selling Richie Kotzen's signature model Telecaster GLOBALLY starting this January... The guitar was previously only available in Japan and Europe... Good news for those interested parties in North and South America!"
The Telecaster is one of the most iconic guitars that Fender produces, with everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner wielding one of these axes on stages across the globe.
Fans of Richie Kotzen will now be able to get hold of his signature guitar by January 2013 as he writes the follow-up to his 2011 record 24 Hours, adding to his stellar line-up of releases since he made the decision to go solo.
Posted by AWPosted on 23 Oct 2012 13:23 to category : Music News
Related Music News
Yesterday's successful mission to land an unmanned lander on a comet 510 million km from Earth has yielded some surprise results.
Details about the Band Aid 30 single have emerged.
Better get saving!
International chain store Urban Outfitters has stated it's the world's biggest record seller.
If you're starting university soon, you might be moving away and leaving your current band. But don't fear freshers, there will be plenty of musicians around for you to make new music with.
The ABRSM Making Music report intended to offer insights into how music is taught and played in the UK.
Recent Music News
There may be just one week to go before Christmas Eve, but there's still time to order that perfect musical gift.
Roland are launching the new TR-707 and TR-727 drum expansion for the AIRA TR-8 rhythm performer.
The v2.1 firmware update available for free, introducing direct USB recording to the whole AMPLIFi product family.
Pro Tools have launched a six-part video series, showing you how a track is made from creation to mix using Pro Tools 11.
Synth fans assemble, Novation are giving you the chance to win a Bass Station II signed by Paul Hartnoll.
We're pleased to now offer Sunday delivery!


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The Data Protection Party writes to Google that it wishes to “check the possible consequences for the protection of the personal data of [EU] citizens”.
While Google is willing to answer any questions that EU data protection authorities might have, it will not delay the implementation of its new privacy rules, writes Google’s Global Privacy Counselor, adding that Google had “extensively pre-briefed data protection authorities across the EU”, and that at no stage did any EU regulator indicate a problem with the privacy overhaul.
The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party is yet to respond to Google’s refusal to comply with its request.
Latest posts by Ursa Primozic (see all)
- Generation Awake: An EU campaign to promote resource efficiency, including electronics - December 17, 2014
- Latest Aphaia white paper: Data protection and privacy in the world of Big Data, an EU perspective - October 5, 2014
- Want to always stay up to date? Become part of Aphaia’s LinkedIn community! - September 9, 2014


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Queen of mail-order catalogs dies at 88
Lillian Vernon, who grew a home business selling monogrammed pocketbooks and belts, into one of America's best-known mail-order businesses, died on Monday. She was 88.
Vernon and her family came to the United States in 1937 as Jewish immigrants from Germany fleeing Hitler. She was newly married and pregnant with her first child when she started her business in 1951.
The Lillian Vernon Corp. was the first company owned by a woman to be listed on the American Stock Exchange, in 1987, according to the New York Times.
Among other innovations, Vernon is credited with being the first to create gift catalogs dedicated to Easter and Halloween. To read more, click here.
Focused on flawless, Toys “R” Us ready for stretch run
With the financial picture improving modestly at Toys “R” Us, CEO Dave Brandon said the company is ready to build on third quarter successes during the final days of the holiday season.
Total sales at Toys “R” Us were not impressive during the third quarter ended Oct. 31, but some of the weakness can be explained by the strong dollar and unfavorable trends in electronics categories. More noteworthy was the improving profitability picture at a company where new CEO Brandon is experiencing his first Christmas at the helm of the toy retailer and looking to execute a strategy launched in 2014 called “Fit for Growth.”
Since the inception of the strategy, the company has realized expense saving of $248 million and that showed up in third quarter operating results where the company reported a $31 million adjusted profit versus a prior year profit of $3 million. On a reported basis the company said its net loss was $167 million compared to a prior year loss of $213 million.
Sales growth proved challenging, with net sales declining by $128 million to $2.3 billion, but were essentially flat excluding the effect of currency exchange. Total same store sales increased 0.6%, due to 2.9% international comp growth offset by a 0.9% comp decline at U.S. stores.
“Our third quarter results demonstrate the continued progress we are making to position the company for growth,” Brandon said. “As we enter the final ten days of the holiday selling period, we are focused on the flawless execution of our plan to ensure customers have an enjoyable shopping experience and find the hottest toys in-stock, no matter how they choose to shop with us.”
Toys “R” Us operates 865 stores under the banners of Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 750 international stores and over 250 licensed stores in 38 foreign countries and jurisdictions.
J.C. Penney brings new meaning to ‘mall Santa’
Mallgoers who need to see what’s happening at the North Pole before they believe in Santa Claus will have their doubts erased, thanks to J.C. Penney. According to Advertising Age, Penney is using Oculus virtual reality headsets in an immersive holiday promotional experience called “Twas the Flight before Christmas” at four select malls. Customers will be able to interact with a virtual “Santa’s Workshop” environment. [Advertising Age]


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IT’S the holiday app which lets you stay in a stranger’s home rather than fork out for a pricey hotel.
But now the hosts who rent out their properties have been given the chance to offer guests the sort of benefits old-school travellers could only dream of.
AirBnB has introduced a new function called Trips which lets holidaymakers book private excursions run by locals.
Brian Chesky, Airbnb CEO, said: “Until now, Airbnb has been about homes, today, Airbnb is launching Trips, bringing together where you stay, what you do, and the people you meet all in one place.
“We want to make travel magical again by putting people back at the heart of every trip.”
The experiences on offer range from samurai swordplay lessons to classic car driving roadtrips in Malibu.
AirBnb users can now organise their breaks fully on the site’s Trips feature which focuses on experiences, places and homes.
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Trips launches with around 500 Experiences in 12 cities worldwide, offering handcrafted activities designed and led by local experts.
The app will also produce “Insider Guidebooks” reflecting the recommendations of hundreds of thousands of Airbnb hosts, neighbourhood insiders and local influencers.
So far, 100 of these guidebooks have been produced covering six cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Havana, Nairobi, Detroit and Seoul.
Hosts can recommend their favourite hidden gems in their neighbourhoods, from cafes and restaurants to parks and other local attractions.
AirBnB has also beefed up its identity authentication and travellers will have provide official government ID such as a passport and a simple selfie.


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Fashion brands and shopping platforms are making it easy to shop with friends, no trip to the mall required.
As social platforms infringe on e-commerce territory, online marketplaces are clapping back with competitive social products meant to draw in friends versus followers. The latest includes 10-month-old The Yes, which on Tuesday added a social component to its AI-driven fashion marketplace. On top of being able to invite friends to view their “Yes lists,” or liked items, they can now collect their feedback on the pieces via five emojis. They include a thumbs-up, a thumbs-down and a face with heart eyes, among others.
“We started to think about, what else can make shopping better online, especially since you can’t go offline?” said Julie Bornstein, founder and CEO of The Yes, of the mid-pandemic launch. The feature was also inspired by the way people view what others are buying on Venmo and by the popularity of emojis on platforms including Instagram, she said.
“We have a few people in our lives who we give advice to and who give advice to us,” she said. “We wanted to make that process really easy.’
After a text-based transaction of inviting and accepting between friends, they’ll be notified of each others’ in-app feedback through notifications. They’ll also be notified when friends like products, prompting the opportunity to provide their input.
To get the feature off the ground, The Yes will promote it organically through Instagram posts, emails and app notifications to its users.
In the six months following The Yes’ launch, users had entered 7 million “Yes” and “No” votes on pieces, which train the platform’s algorithm to serve up styles they’ll love. The Yes now sells more than 200 fashion brands, ranging from designer to contemporary to mass, including Zara. It houses the second-largest fashion assortment online after Farfetch, according to Bornstein.
“Every month, we build a set of new features,” she said. The new social component is one of many social sharing features the company plans to release this year. It has three “big new ideas” set to launch in the next 3-4 months, one of which relates to social shopping.
Bornstein declined to elaborate on future plans, but said, “The idea of seeing products on people who are your size, and how they’re outfitting them, is incredibly helpful when deciding if you’re going to buy something or wear something. We believe that’s a problem worth solving, and we’re working on it.”
Currently, the data that The Yes shares with partner brands includes “Yes” and “No” votes on products, among other points. Bornstein said that if the feedback between friends proves useful to brands — for instance, if the percentage of “frowny faces” and “positive faces” corresponds with that of “Yes” and “No” votes — that data may be shared.
The Yes’ launch is on-trend: In December, e-tailer Verishop launched Shop Party on its app, allowing groups of up to five people to chat and view each other’s carts while shopping. Likewise, five-month-old tween brand Woodley + Lowe is gearing up to release a “reimagined ’90s shopping experience” on its e-commerce site through a functionality that lets shoppers consult with each other on potential buys.
“With Gen Z, peer-to-peer [advice] is so much more important,” compared to recommendations from experts or celebrities, said Rachel Thebault, co-founder of Woodley + Lowe.
In step, tech companies are increasingly sprouting up to come to the aid of both retailers wanting to connect friends and friends wanting a second opinion as they shop. New York Fashion Tech Lab alum BuyWith, launched in 2017, is behind e-commerce software that enables live broadcasting and interactivity of online shopping sessions. In March 2020, co-founder and CEO Adi Ronan said the company was seeing a boost in business from brands and retailers. Timberland and MAC are among its clients.
There’s also NewNew, which launched in September 2020, that offers polling and invite-only chat groups around specific topics. A spokesperson said users have been creating groups with friends and custom poll groups centered on fashion and beauty products they discover, love and hate. To date, the company’s been backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund and Will Smith, among others.
That’s not to mention the many companies and tools that have launched to connect influencers with followers as they shop, and also browsers to video reviews by everyday shoppers. The former includes Amazon’s launch of Amazon Live in July, and Facebook and Instagram’s release of livestream shopping in August. The latter includes the Google Shopping Feature formerly called Shoploop. Back in 2014, Sephora launched Beauty Board, to let its audience upload and shop each other’s beauty looks. The feature evolved to be called Gallery in 2017. Sephora declined to comment on current engagement.
According to Bornstein, Instagram’s experience isn’t catered to the fashion shopper. “It’s great for impulse buying. Plus, it works for a certain need states and certain price points, and it’s great for inspiration. But it’s not the solution for when you want to invest in clothing, when you want to shop and buy,” she said.
Overall, the concept of virtual shopping with friends, though thriving in Asia, is still in its infancy in the U.S., making related investments risky. Case in point: Social shopping app Dote abruptly shut down in January 2020. In April 2019, the company boasted 3.2 million, mostly Gen-Z users and $23 million in venture backing. It had just launched Shopping Party, a Twitch-style offering allowing shoppers to host-15 minute shopping events for friends and followers to watch them shop and weigh in on purchases.


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The smarter appliance firm has stood out as one of the most recognized Internet of Things (IoT) device companies. The safety of your products has also caught the eye, although it may not be for the right reasons.
After Pen Test Partners experts found serious flaws in iKettle and Coffe Maker, two of the company’s most popular products, Smarter responded by releasing updated versions that included a new chipset to fix the issues., although many unsafe versions of these devices are still widely used in all kinds of environments.
In detecting this, Avast researcher Martin Hron reverse engineered one of the unsafe versions of these coffee machines and determining the extent of the vulnerabilities. After a few days, Hron concluded that it is possible to perform all kinds of malicious activities relatively easily; the researcher was able to manipulate various home appliance functions and even post ransomware threats on the screen. The only way to stop malicious activity is by disconnecting the device from the stream.
In his report the researcher states that the attack is 100% feasible and could occur similarly on other IoT devices: “Nothing has to be configured, the faults are ready to be exploited as soon as the device starts to be used,” Hron says.
For example, Hron discovered that any Smarter coffee machine could be used as a WiFi hotspot using an un secured connection to communicate with its own mobile app. In turn, this app is used to set up the device and, if the user chooses, connect it to the WiFi network of their home.
Because this connection was not protected, Hron was able to understand the link between the app and the device, further discovering that it was possible to control the appliance with a malicious app. Multiple security omissions allowed the researcher to reverse engineer the Smarter app for Android, resulting in everything needed to manipulate the operation of these devices at will.
“We thought these actions would be enough to scare any user of vulnerable devices,” Hron said. In addition, the attack can start by simply searching for devices connected to a WiFi network or via the SSID emitted by the appliance. As mentioned above, the attack can only be interrupted by disconnecting the device, although the complexity of its deployment significantly reduces the likelihood of exploitation.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.


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Luminet keeps businesses connected following Holborn fire
Luminet is enabling businesses, affected by the Holborn fire, to stay connected and competitive with its wireless data services.
The London Fire Brigade have confirmed that an electrical fire broke out in cable ducts in a Victorian tunnel beneath London’s Kingsway on Wednesday 1 April. The fire raged for 36 hours and took out power and Internet access across several regions of the Capital. Many businesses across Holborn, the Kingsway and the Strand are still without broadband services, with no confirmation on when services will resume.
Luminet, previously Urban Wimax, was the first business to commercially launch Wimax services in the UK in 2007. It owns and operates Ethernet standard-based Wide Area Networks in the London metropolitan area, which enables wireless high-speed data connections over long distances. Its wireless data is symmetrical and guaranteed, with no data limits.
Luminet is already working with 10+ companies affected by the Holborn fire, providing them with a robust wireless data service. Its services were typically enabled within 24 hours, or over the weekend.
Jack Knight, COO, The Investment Association: “The second our broadband went down we started investigating available options that would get us back online. Luminet’s wireless proposition was perfect – fast in all respects – quick to install and great speeds once up and running. We can’t tell the difference between its wireless data service and the fibre broadband we had previously.”
Tim Sawyer, CEO, Start Up Loans: “After disruption of the fire, Luminet helped get our main office back online. Luminet’s wireless data services were installed in less than 24 hours and helped us quickly move staff back from our Disaster Recovery site. So far the service has been very good.”
Luminet’s wireless services are often used by businesses that have a short term connectivity requirements, such as event and concert companies, and businesses that need connectivity whilst they are waiting for their fibre services to be enabled.
Sasha Williamson, CEO, Luminet: “Our pedigree in wireless data services is unique in London. Our customers frequently call us their ‘broadband saviours’ – whereas fixed line providers can months to install an SDSL or fibre line, we can have a business up and running with a reliable, fast wireless service within 24 hours or over the weekend. This means that when there’s a disaster, such as fire or flood, we are usually the first port of call.
“Downtime costs money, which is why we guarantee a 100% always on service, underpinned by our wholly owned wireless and fibre network, alongside our data centre assets. It’s great to know that we are enabling businesses to stay competitive and productive, no matter what the circumstances.”
Luminet’s wireless data services are used by over 500 businesses in the UK. As well as symmetrical, reliable connectivity, Luminet has also recently announced the launch of its new customer portal, which enables businesses to run real-time diagnostics and reporting. It is one of the first telecoms companies in the world to enable the application of intelligence, so that businesses can really see what is happening across their networks and configure applications and policies appropriately.
Published by Total Telecom


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AKASH DTH, the country’s legal broadcaster of popular channels of STAR, is distributing Star Plus, Star Gold, Star Jalsha, Jalsha Movies, National Geography, Star Bharat, and Star Sports.
AKASH DTH says it has the government’s permission to broadcast Star channels while unscrupulous businessmen are using illegal Indian DTH connections in Bangladesh for redistributing various channels.
AKASH users can purchase a monthly subscription of AKASH Standard with 120+ channels, including 40+ HD, for Tk 399 and AKASH Lite with 70+ channels, including 20 HD channels, for Tk 249 under the regular and basic connections.
All channels are legal and approved by the government, it said in a press release.
AKASH DTH’s Head of Marketing & Business Development Muhammad Abul Khair Chowdhury said, “We’re fully committed to delivering the best experience of TV viewing to the country’s people complying with all relevant rules and regulations.”
He said they pay 15 percent VAT to the government on their service and paid all necessary duties and taxes for each Customer Premise Equipment (CPE)/devices that are imported and sold to customers.
He said the sector could be a big source of VAT for the government.
AKASH DTH started to provide its service using the feed of the Bangabandhu satellite-1 from May last year. It is available in all 64 districts and can be viewed from any corner of Bangladesh with the same quality.
AKASH is unique for uninterrupted and quality TV watching, the company says.
Source: United News of Bangladesh


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Mon October 18, 2010
Is the General Motors IPO losing steam?
Next month’s General Motors’ big stock offering is expected to be much less than at one time predicted.
The GM Initial Public Offering is expected to hit the market around November 18th.
When GM initially started talking about selling stock, the speculation was that November’s sale could be easily one of the largest initial public offerings in history. Perhaps generating more than $16 billion.
Now some analysts are predicting the GM IPO will collect only about $6 billion.
"That’s not entirely GM’s fault," says David Whiston, an equity analyst with Morningstar Financial, "It certainly has some overhang issues like massive government ownership...and it’s also just a function of this not being the greatest macro-economic environment to have an IPO."
Whiston says another problem is investors want a quick return and the growth of GM’s stock will depend on how fast the US auto industry can return to pre-recession sales levels.
The federal government has held a controlling interest in GM since the automaker passed thru the bankruptcy process. The sale will lessen the government’s stake.
'Government Motors' no more?


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With online shopping increasing amid Covid-19 lockdowns, the U.K.’s competition regulator is clamping down on fake and misleading reviews on popular shopping websites.
The Competition and Markets Authority said Friday it’s probing several major websites to see if they are doing enough to protect shoppers. It will examine how these sites detect, investigate and respond to suspicious reviews.
So far, the CMA has not singled any companies out and isn’t alleging that any website has acted illegally. The watchdog said it may resort to legal action if online platforms don’t do what’s required to protect consumers.
With consumers stuck at...


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Singapore’s Vertex Ventures Makes Binance Investment for Fiat to Crypto Exchange
Vertex Ventures of Singapore Decides to Invest in Binance For Fiat-to-Crypto Exchange
Vertex Ventures holds a place as the sovereign wealth fund of Singapore and is run by a government-owned investment company called Temasek Holdings. Presently, the investment company is in charge of managing $223 billion in assets, since it originated in 2015. Singapore has been vocal about their support for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, which may be why the venture capital arm of Temasek Holdings has decided to embark on a new investment. This time, they are investing in Binance, the world largest cryptocurrency exchange.
This investment will be used to setup a new branch within the city-state called Binance Singapore, and it will function as a fiat-to-crypto exchange. However, they plan to offer multiple other fiat-crypto services in the area, based on the press statements they’ve released. The first annoucement came from CEO Changpeng Zhao, who is better known as CZ.
Wei Zhou, which is the Chief Financial Officer of the crypto platform, commented on the collaboration, saying,
“Vertex has an experienced team of investment experts in the region and a strong track record of supporting innovative startups that address real world, practical issues. We look forward to building up the blockchain ecosystem and working with all stakeholders in Singapore to support continued innovation in the local fintech space.”
Two of the funds’ branches, Vertex Ventures China and Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, decided to invest jointly in the project to make the platform a reality. To make it possible to function within the area, this exchange will be required to establish both anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) checks. Though most of these types of investments let the public know the price as a way to increase interest, there’s been no such publication from Binance or Vertex Ventures.
However, Vertex Ventures China released a statement via managing partner Choon Chong Tay, which expressed admiration of CZ, adding that he “is one of the most well-respected entrepreneurs in blockchain with high inspiration to build and promote the blockchain ecosystem.”
Joo Hock Chua, who is a managing partner for Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, also released a statement, which said,
“We look forward to working with Changpeng Zhao and his team to drive innovation in the space while building a sustainable and compliant platform in Singapore.”
Based on the most recent reports, Binance Singapore is planned for launch within the next few months. At the time of this article, CoinMarketCap showed that Binance Coin is trading at $9.81 per BNB with a market cap of $1,283,312,496 and is up by 0.89% in the last 24 hours.


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Microsoft is looking to even the playing field next generation by releasing more first-party exclusives than ever before. In order to achieve this, it needs studios and lots of them. While we already know Xbox has plenty of talented developers on board, there might be one – or even two – that haven't yet been revealed.
During day one of the company's Game Stack Live event, Microsoft's General Manager of Game Development Kevin Gammill said Xbox Game Studios had 16 first-party teams assigned to game creation. What's so surprising about this is the fact there's no public record of this many studios. Here's his exact words:
What's unique about gaming at Microsoft is that we build the tools for game developer and then we use them across our 16 first-party studios to actually create games. We recognize game development is about pushing technology to its absolute limits.
As highlighted by Wccftech, this is unlikely to be a slip-up, as it was a pre-recorded message at the start of the show.
The currently confirmed studios under the Xbox banner include 343 Industries, Compulsion Games, Double Fine, InXile Entertainment, Mojang, Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, Playground Games, Rare, The Coalition, The Initiative, Turn 10, Undead Labs and World's Edge. Xbox Game Studios Publishing is also believed to be included, but if it's not, Microsoft technically only has 14 internal development studios – meaning it could have acquired two more teams.
If it is just a single studio, which one could it be? There have been rumours about Microsoft eyeing off a Polish developer, and there's a theory Asobo Studio (responsible for Microsoft Flight Simulator) could be the next acquisition. Perhaps it's something else completely?
Tell us your own thoughts and theories in the comments below.


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Influencers—social media users who attract a large amount of followers and therefore exert some influence over their industries and its products—have become a key marketing tool for many brands looking to get their products into the presence of their consumers. But in doing so, many have sparked controversy for not disclosing when they’ve been paid in some form to promote a product to their followers.
Instagram seeks to crack down on this issue—for now, at least, in the U.K.—with efforts that come as another attempt to keep consumers aware of how they’re being sold to on the platform.
According to a recent study, reportedly more than three-quarters of influencer promotions on Instagram hide the required #ad or #sponsored disclosure beyond the main caption. In order for users to see it, they would have to expand the caption or scroll through the post’s comments. Regulatory requirements state that sponsored posts be visibly marked as such and should be easily noticed by consumers.
Instagram’s latest effort to combat the art of the subtle sponsored tag (the platform added the option to tag a business partner in your post in 2017) is twofold. First, it’s looking to add a new prompt that would require influencers to confirm whether they’ve received incentives to promote a product or service before publishing their post. Instagram is also developing new algorithms that will detect potential ads as content, in order to rectify any abuse of the set forth guidelines.
No specific timeline has been applied to these reported changes, and there’s no news yet on how this will yet impact influencers in the U.S. Still, now seems like a good time to double-check that you’re following the rules if you’re being paid to showcase a product or service, and the same goes for the influencers you’re partnering with to promote your product. Not only is a violation cause for legal action, but consumers want transparency. No one wants to feel that they’ve been duped or sold to under false pretenses, so being up front about your business partnerships on social media is always a best practice.Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
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