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Years of the hyperinflation of the Venezuelan bolivar has made the currency nearly unusable. Over the past 12 months, bitcoin has taken over the country as the main currency and residents have been utilizing the cryptocurrency to purchase basic goods, medicine, and other vital products.
Patricia Laya, the Venezuelan Bureau Chief at Bloomberg, recently revealed that the daily limit of local bank ATMs is set at 5,000 bolivars, worth around $0.05. Laya stated that she had waited 20 minutes in line to obtain $0.05 in hyperinflated currency worth little to no value.
Due to the shortage of cash and the rapid decline in the value of the Venezuelan bolivar, local residents have begun to explore other methods of payments and currencies since the beginning of 2017. Because the value of cash has plummeted and local residents, businesses, and professionals have already rejected the currency, the vast majority of the population began to rely on alternative forms of money.
Throughout this year, the popularity of bitcoin within Venezuela has surged, as a rapidly increasing number of people have started to utilize the cryptocurrency as the main currency, medium of exchange, and store of value.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Venezuelan resident John Villar stated that he has bought two plane tickets to Colombia, his wife’s medication, and paid his employees with bitcoin in the past month. Villar emphasized that he intends to continue utilizing bitcoin like the majority of Venezuelans.
“This is not a matter of politics. This is a matter of survival,” said Villar.
At the current state, it is nearly impossible to purchase any good or service in Venezuela with the Venezuelan bolivar, given its low value and adoption rate. In fact, the value of the Venezuelan bolivar has plunged to a point in which protesters have started to burn the national currency because it costs less than paper.
In the mid-term, Venezuela may be the first case in which bitcoin takes over a fiat currency system as the country’s main currency and financial system.
In Venezuela, the majority of the population and general consumers have lost trust in the government, central bank, and commercial banks. Its currency its nearly broken and its value has plunged to a point in which goods and services can no longer be purchased with it.
Bitcoin is a decentralized and peer-to-peer currency system, store of value, and safe haven asset that demonstrates a trustless ecosystem. Anyone within the network can send and receive payments from each other on a peer-to-peer basis, without the involvement of intermediaries.
In the future, bitcoin will likely emerge as the major substitute and alternative to declining fiat currencies. In the long-term, bitcoin could replace reserve currencies and multi-trillion dollar fiat currencies like the US dollar, Japanese yen, and Chinese yuan, if it sustains its current growth rate and an exponential increase in value.
Featured image from Shutterstock.


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Why We Race
At Geneva International Motor Show 2018, Phillip Ross, Senior Vice President at Honda Motor Europe, discussed Honda’s heritage within motorsport and the reasons why we, as a company, continue to race.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
2017 Honda Civic Type R Sets New Front-wheel Drive Lap Record at Nürburgring
The all-new Honda Civic Type R has set a new benchmark lap time for front-wheel drive cars at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

domain: news


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BQ AND CANONICAL have jointly announced the Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition, the second smartphone to arrive powered by the Ubuntu Mobile operating system.
The launch of the Aquaris E5 HD follows the "successful" release of the BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition, which made its debut February and promptly sold out.
BQ's latest model improves on its predecessor with a larger 5in 720x1280 IPS screen and a 13MP rear-facing camera complete with dual flash, high-quality Largan lenses and BSI sensors.
The BQ Aquaris E5 HD uses the same 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek A7 processor, which comes paired with 1GB RAM. The handset will ship with 16GB storage, twice the 8GB found on the original model.
If it's anything like the non-Ubuntu version of the phone, which ships with Google's Android 4.4 Kitkat operating system, the Aquaris E5 HD will also come with 4G connectivity onboard.
Cristian Parrino, vice president of mobile at Canonical, said: "Bringing a new operating system to market requires partners who are willing to challenge the status quo of the mobile industry.
"BQ is a fearless innovator whose risk with Ubuntu has already paid off. The launch of this second device in Europe marks an amazing milestone for both companies."
Alberto Méndez, CEO of BQ, added: "We have devised the BQ-Canonical collaboration as a long-term project. Our next objective, which we are already working on, is convergence. We firmly believe in Ubuntu and the philosophy behind it."
The BQ Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition will be available to buy from mid-June priced at €199.90, or around £145.
The smartphone will be sold unlocked, and Canonical said that it will offer customers dual-SIM functionality.
It is unclear whether, like its predecessor, the handset will be offered with a GiffGaff SIM when it goes on sale at BQ's online shop later this month. µ
Firm likely will move to eliminate the chunky bottom bezel
Finally, a clear view of Novak Djokovic's nasal pubes
Move comes in response to a serious of rumour-fuelled violent incidents in India
Phishing attacks were launched against the candidates' staff


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The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism Art and Culture, Mr Steve Ayorinde says the level of attention accorded to developing tourism and hospitality sector in the State has engendered economic growth.
The Commissioner gave this indication at the 3rd Nigerian Travel Awards organised by Jumia Travel in Lagos.
Presenting a paper on “Lagos as a model for tourism growth in Nigeria’’, the Commissioner said that Tourism has become one of the major players in international commerce and represents one of the main sources of income for many developing countries.
He maintained that having observed this, the State government has accorded the sector huge attention and committed huge resources into developing it in order to make it a model sector that would perform the tripartite role of rebranding the state as a safe and welcoming destination for visitors.
Mr Ayorinde stressed that Lagos State Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture in almost four years has committed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s growth agenda on the creative economy through what he called “Project T.H.E.S.E” which stands for Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sports for Excellence.
He added that the agenda, which informed the deliberate investment in human capital and infrastructure with remarkable impact on the creative industry, has lived up to its promise in the last three and half years.
“It should be noted that this strategic intervention did not happen by accident, it has been a deliberate plan derived from a visionary study of the State, its demography and analysis of the creative sector which has the capacity to absorb the teeming youth population, reduce poverty and crime as well as create jobs with multiplier effects on other sectors.
The last three and half years in the state have been eventful in terms of tourism infrastructure development as well as arts and cultural promotion, which we believe will lay the long term foundation to make Lagos State a sustainable tourism- driven economy and a leading haven for business and leisure in Africa.
In Lagos as you know, we relish in saying ‘Eko For Show’ but at the ministry, we see Travel and Tourism beyond the show part. We equally focus on the business and entrepreneurial component of it. We see, and we do our best to create enormous opportunities for stakeholders to further harness the tremendous economic and socio-cultural benefits of marketing a 21-million city-state and one of Africa’s Top 10 economies to domestic, regional and international visitors.” he said
He however appreciated the organiser of the event for the initiative, stressing that such laudable effort would further celebrate committed professionals and create opportunities for all stakeholders, not only in the travel industry, but across the tourism ecosystem.
“My believe is that the growing conversation around the progress in Nigeria’s tourism landscape is enriched when practitioners gather to appreciate institutional and individual players who stick out their necks through their expertise, resources and passion and invariably stand out to be seen, heard or felt.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), over the decades, tourism worldwide has experienced continuous growth and deepened diversification to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. These dynamics have turned tourism into a key driver for socio-economic progress. Even in Africa.” he said
Tourism Master Plan
According to the Commissioner, the Ambode’s administration would leave a legacy of a tourism-driven economy to the incoming government who would only need to build on the established structures.
He said that the need to prepare Lagos State ahead in terms of ideas, long term investments, top notch infrastructure and human capacity development that are necessary for the expected competition among tourism destinations in Africa requires a long term strategic plan.
He said: “This is why the Administration of Governor Ambode in its resolve to leave a legacy of solid tourism-driven economy conceived the idea of a tourism master plan, the first of its kind by any state in Nigeria, as a blueprint document that will drive development and investment for the next 15 to 20 years in the tourism sector.”
He said that the tourism master plan was undoubtedly the needed blue-print of development that covers six sectors namely: Culture & Heritage, Films, Arts & Entertainment; Business Tourism; Nature & Adventure; Medical & wellness and Beach & Leisure.


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By -NO AUTHOR-
(CNBC) — Luxury automaker Tesla is manufacturing a surprisingly high ratio of flawed parts and vehicles, according to several current and former employees, leading to more rework and repairs than can be contained at its factory in Fremont, California.
Tesla’s future as a mass-market carmaker hinges on efficient, automated production of the Model 3, which more than 400,000 people have already reserved, paying $1,000 refundable fees to do so. Musk said in July 2017 that Tesla would probably be making 20,000 Model 3s per month by December.
Source:: World Net Daily


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Ad Roundup: Acquisitions, new hires and funding
Consumers aren't the only ones taking a fresh look at 2014 - three moves in the online ad space underline the importance of strategy and data analysis in the New Year.
First, Apigee will acquire InsightsOne, a move which expands the analytics provided by Apigee's platform. InsightsOne will be integrated into Apigee's mobile app platform, APIs and data analytics.
"Success in today's mobile-first digital world requires as single vision that spans and connects business and technology," said Chet Kapoor, Apigee CEO. "In this new world, the business intelligence and context gleaned through the massive amount of big data available about customers, products, developers -- every part of a digital business -- must be tightly integrated with technology infrastructure to affect real change. InsightsOne dramatically expands Apigee's big data predictive analytics capabilities, and we welcome the accomplished InsightsOne team to Apigee."
Meanwhile, based on strong performance in 2013, Integral Ad Science has secured $30 million in funding from August Capital. According to company information, Integral doubled their revenue for the year and held on to 98% of its clients through 2013.
"Integral Ad Science has been at the forefront of technological innovation for media-quality issues that the industry is facing," said Scott Knoll, CEO of Integral Ad Science. "Coupled with our commitment to neutrality, Integral has quickly become the partner of choice for stakeholders seeking to eliminate waste and optimize around true advertising quality and ultimately improve effectiveness."
Finally, an executive move underlines the importance of strategy in the online ad space. This week Drawbridge added Richard Johnson, former vice president of sales with MediaMath, to its executive team. Johnson's history includes expanding revenue across verticals as well as management of several domestic regions; this kind of move underlines the importance of online properties in the ever-expanding online marketplace.
- Ad Roundup: Launches to increase mobile, social capabilities
- Zendesk: Brand promoters talk less, detractors talk more
- Spending up but enthusiasm down for Halloween celebrations in the UK
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- Brits have financial concerns in the run up to Christmas
- Top 3 tips to create a solid cross-device strategy
- Ad Roundup: Mobile video and retargeting solutions
- Forecast: 27% of holiday buys could be 'lost' to abandoned carts
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It’s almost like Netflix can’t believe its own good luck.
The streaming giant posted another boom in paid subscriber growth for the second quarter. A little over 10 million net new paid subscribers were added during the period, easily exceeding the 7.5 million projected by the company and Wall Street. That followed a record-setting 15.8 million added in the first quarter as stay at home orders related to the coronavirus pandemic took hold. A few analysts had projected such an outcome, but the result was still notable considering Netflix has now added 25.9 million paid subscribers in the first half of this year, 10% fewer than in all of 2019.
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Government toxicologists have reiterated safety concerns about a chemical used in baby bottles and food containers, just weeks after the Food and Drug Administration declared the substance safe.
A report issued Wednesday said there is “some concern” that bisphenol A can cause developmental problems in the brain and hormonal systems of infants and children.
The conclusion from the National Toxicology Program repeats initial findings issued in April. The group, which includes scientists from the National Institutes of Health and other agencies, said bisphenol’s risks to humans cannot be ruled out, but acknowledged its concerns are based on the findings of studies on animals.
The American Chemistry Council, which represents plastics manufacturers, stressed that studies from animals provide “limited and inconclusive evidence.” The group has spent the last year defending the safety of bisphenol from new concerns about the risks of plastics to children.
Bisphenol is a plastic-hardening chemical used to seal canned food and make baby bottles. After more than a year of complaints from consumer and parent groups, the FDA has agreed to revisit the chemical’s safety. The agency last month said the trace amounts that leach out of food containers are not a threat to children or adults.
But the toxicology group said that may not be true.
“More research is clearly needed to understand exactly how these findings relate to human health and development,” said Michael Shelby, who directed the group’s report. “But at this point we can’t dismiss the possibility that the effects we’re seeing in animals may occur in humans.”
Mr. Shelby’s group did back away from one issue raised in its draft report. While the group said in April there was “some concern” the chemical could speed up puberty in girls, the final report states there is now only “minimal concern” about those risks.
The National Toxicology Program ranks its conclusions about chemical risks on a five-tiered scale ranging from “negligible concern” to “serious concern.”
Mr. Shelby said it is too early to recommend changes in what consumers buy and eat, but he added that parents who are concerned can avoid buying food containers made from bisphenol.
Several major retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys “R” Us Inc., have said they would stop selling baby bottles made with the chemical next year. And smaller companies like Eveflo and BornFree have ramped up production of glass baby bottles as a bisphenol-free alternative.
Canada has said it intends to ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles, and state and federal lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban bisphenol in U.S. children’s products.
More than 6 billion pounds of bisphenol are produced in the U.S. each year by Dow Chemical, Bayer AG and other manufacturers.
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Mallory Gaddy, 16, and Carolyn O’Connell, 15, both sophomores at Union Pines High School, have launched Moore County Her Drive — the local chapter of the national nonprofit. They are donating the goods to Friend to Friend, an organization that helps local victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and assault.
Items accepted include pads, tampons, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, deodorant and more. Shoppers can also select items from the Amazon wishlist that will ship directly to the girls for donation.
- “When you host a drive yourself, you get to really see the impact. It was really special dropping the boxes off to Friend to Friend last year,” says Carolyn.
- “We’re just excited to be involved in something like this. It’s fun for us,” Mallory says.
Find boxes at various locations in Carthage, including Eliza Quinn Creates and New Covenant Church. Donations are being accepted now through March 31. For information or to host a drive, email or send a message on Instagram.


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The official date was leaked at the start of July, and as soon as once more simply yesterday. Right this moment, Samsung has lastly formally introduced that the Summer season Unpacked Occasion is going on on August 11.
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Unpacked occasion is ready to happen nearly on Wednesday, August 11, at 10 AM ET (7 AM PT or 2 PM UTC). As well as, Samsung will open up its Reserve Now for its subsequent flagship. Prospects who reserve early are eligible for perks corresponding to elevated trade-in credit score and 12 months of Samsung Care+ at a reduced price.
The summary shapes are clearly suggesting the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 in the darker colour, whereas the grey/violet very seemingly stands for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, each of that are anticipated to be lastly unveiled on the occasion.
Official Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Occasion Invitation
On the Samsung Unpacked occasion, the corporate is anticipated to announce two new foldable flagship gadgets, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Three and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. Each gadgets have leaked extensively in the previous few weeks and months, there are only some particulars that we’re lacking.
Alongside the brand new foldable flagship gadgets, Samsung can even announce the model new Samsung Galaxy Watch four and Watch four Traditional smartwatches. These would be the first gadgets to launch with the brand new Put on OS platform and is the results of the Samsung + Google collaboration. These smartwatches will run Samsung’s One UI Watch, which relies on the brand new unified platform.
That’s not all, Samsung can also be rumored to announce the true second technology of Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 wi-fi earbuds. These shall be accessible in 5 colour choices and have ANC. The earbuds have additionally leaked in full in the previous few weeks, and even some software program options had been shared yesterday, revealing the ANC performance.
The one gadget that we don’t but know a lot about is the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. The one factor we all know concerning the new smartphone is that it’s anticipated to launch someday later this yr, probably in Q3 or This fall.
We’re lower than a month away from the official Samsung Galaxy Unpacked occasion, so we’ll seemingly hear a couple of extra details about the upcoming gadgets. We’ll cowl the occasion in as a lot element as potential, so don’t neglect to return again for the total protection on August 11.


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PPC – “Popular dishes” have arrived in Google Maps listings
Google Maps has added a “popular dishes” section to eatery listings, giving prospective diners a faster way to check out a restaurant’s most talked about food and drinks. The popular dishes section is located within a listing’s overview tab and is already available on Google Maps for Android devices. The section will be rolling out to iOS devices over the next few months.
Recommendations on a silver platter. The popular dishes section is populated by a machine learning algorithm that matches the names of dishes (supplied by users) to corresponding photos and reviews. As seen above, popular dishes are displayed in a carousel and tapping on a dish will display associated reviews and images.
Why we care. Recommendations and reviews are the bread and butter of the food and beverage (F&B) industry and can have a big impact on the bottom line. Restaurant owners now have one more way to optimize their Maps listings by encouraging their patrons to post photos of their meals and/or leave reviews to build out their popular dishes sections.
This can be especially useful for F&B businesses in areas that get a lot of tourism, as Maps can translate reviews and provides a visual accompaniment so customers have an idea of what they’re ordering.
Since May, Google has launched a number of new features with Maps at its core. It redesigned Explore tab to help users find things to do, added planning features to facilitate groups, created an all-in-one Trips interface for travelers and now its enticing customers with popular dishes. All of these offerings centralize a user’s activities around Google’s services, which can ultimately make business more dependent on Google as well.
January 28, 2023
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January 26, 2023


text: Did anyone consider Blockchain to have a place in gaming? Well, AMD believes so. Last Friday, the chip company did collaborate with the Blockchain Game Alliance, a separate group dedicated to standardizing and promoting the technologies for online gaming. Since they are the first significant hardware to partner with the Blockchain alliance, AMD’s vision is to provide the best GPU and CPU chips needed to game developers efficiently implement Blockchain-based functionality over their platforms. \n \nThis goal has so much potential and a high possibility of transforming the gaming industry for the best! But the question remains, ‘Why Blockchain? and why is it at the time when the cryptocurrency market has been in a continuous dive?’ \n \n \n \nIt’s an obvious fact that Blockchain is the pioneer fo digital currency and acting as a digital ledger to store and record every transaction in the network. So thinking in terms of games, it's also possible for Blockchain to keep track of all the records of all the virtual items bought in a game or maybe the Blockchain acting as a means of PC game distribution. \n \nHere’s what the Head of Blockchain Technology at AMD, Joerg Roskowetz, stated: \n‘Blockchain technology offers a broader choice, flexibility, and security to both publishers and gamers. The Next-generation games with Blockchain support will give gamers access to exclusive online content, and provide new dimensions for them to own it truly. They will also give game publishers the ability to distribute digital game content in new channels.' \n \nAlso, Blockchain Initiative Director at Ubisoft, Nicolas Pouard added: \n‘The Blockchain Game Alliance is compiling some of the world’s top Blockchain content developers and content developers to offer gamers the best the Blockchain technology has to offer. We're excited to work with AMD and other alliance participants to determine the role Blockchain plays in the entertainment experiences of the future.’ \n \nAlso, AMD didn’t stop its partnership with Blockchain. They also teamed up with Robot Cache, which officially launched in June, with Ultra planning to enter public beta testing. However, whichever the case, AMD chips with Ryzen processors combined with Radeon graphics would be optimized for high cryptographic computing performance. \n \nThe partnership AMD has with Ultra will likely include marketing to promote the Blockchain initiative; also, AMD would have to come up with interesting puzzles. For example, they create game codes for their customers to get on the Ultra platform. The games can be a mix of considerable titles to typical indie titles. \n \n‘AMD is optimistic about the use of Blockchain technology for games licensing, publishing and rights management. Ultra and AMD are collaborating to create next-generation, people and community-centric game publishing a dream come true, revolutionizing the way games are shared, purchased and experienced’ said, Joerg Roskowetz, Head of Blockchain Technology at AMD. \n \nFinally, Nicolosa Gilot Co-CEO of Ultra stressed: \n‘We’re truly excited to have AMD as a partner because of their commitment to gaming and Blockchain technology. They realized our value proposition early on and instantly had a conviction that Blockchain is positioned to change the face of gaming.'


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Apple are doing very well indeed: Apple have just published record profits for 2011, even in the face of naysayers who reckon that Android is finally catching up and Amazons Kindle Fire is picking off…
With Megaupload taken down by the law enforcement arms of the US Government how do you think other file sharing type businesses are feeling right now? We take good look at the industry and give our opinion.
What should research in motion do now they have got rid of their two CEO’s and are about to release a new operating system to compete with Google Android and Apple iOS? We give the topic some serious analysis and come up with some thoughts on the issue.
Samsung have said in an interview with CNET that they will be ensuring that all smartphones released in 2012 will last a full day on full charge even after moderate to heavy use, at last we say!
The global SOPA Blackout aims to highlight the chilling effects a bill like this would have on the internet as a whole. We give our support to those who stand defiant against the freedoms of the current internet and ask for alternatives to be discussed other than draconian measures that will help no one at all.
InMobi reported significant growth in ad impressions on devices such as smartphones and tablets in late 2011, we take a look at the growth of these mediums as a means of getting messages and advertising across new channels and eyeballs.
Windows Phone versus Samsung Nexus: We bring you what must be one of the most embarrassing episodes in the whole history of “my phone is better than yours” boll***ks. Please watch as Ben Rudolph from…
Samsung Galaxy Nexus issues related to rebooting problems continue to plague owners of the Ice Cream Sandwich device that is the flagship model for Samsung and Google.
The Android application marketplace is great, but with no quality control it can look a little tatty around the edges and sometimes malware creeps in that causes major concerns, are google about to change all that?
Ofcom want 4G to be available to at least 98% of the UK population in a revised proposal ahead of the expected auction of the various spectrum’s at the end of 2012.
Ebay are expected to keep on growing their mobile revenue as more and more people turn to smartphones and tablets to do online shopping and leave desktops and laptops at home when buying online.
Are you expecting a total new redesign for the iPad 3? Well do not hold your breath or despair at the same time as it looks like the next revision will look pretty much the same as the iPad 2, but will be improved internally.
Weird science. Nano technology comes to smartphones as new proposals aim to heal broken cells at micro level for devices that have stopped working due to the minutest of cell damage.
Fujitsu Quad-Core smartphone released at CES 2012. We examine what this new entrant to the smartphone device world is doing with the new device to make it appealing.


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There’s no doubt that the licensed food category is treacherous terrain right now as the debate about who’s responsible for childhood obesity and health problems rages on. But there’s still room for the right property/product combo, and Florida’s Bravo Foods International is testing out a new recipe featuring Marvel’s many superheroes.
Starting in April, the partners will release a new line of flavored Slammers milk drinks fortified with vitamins and nutrients that are positioned as the keys to unlocking cool superpowers. For example, the Spider-Man Chocolate Web Shake is chock-full of Omega 3, vitamins and Choline to help kids become as smart as Spidey, while Captain America’s Vanilla Super Serum, infused with 20% of the recommended daily dosage of 10 essential vitamins, promises to enhance their athletic prowess.
Bravo’s VP of business development Benjamin Patipa (who’s also a pediatrician) says branding the drinks with Marvel’s superheroes helps to visibly promote healthier beverage consumption habits since kids love to emulate their heroes. Bravo has solidified its hold on the three to 10 demo over the past six years by using character images from Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes on its Slammers packaging. But Marvel’s participation should help the company expand its reach into the eight to 16 youth demo, especially with older-skewing movies like Spider-Man 2 and Daredevil spin-off Elektra scheduled to roll out over the next two years.
To appeal to bigger bellies and compete against Nestle and Hershey single-serve milks, Bravo is upping the Slammers size (from 11.5 to 16 fluid ounces) and introducing two new flavors (caramel and cookies n’ cream).
The Marvel universe tends to run a little high on testosterone, but Bravo will use Daredevil heroine Elektra on its dark strawberry milk to appeal to girls.
The drinks will be available in 7-Eleven stores and more than 10,000 U.S. grocery stores starting in April. With Saudi Arabia actively looking for a Western brand single-serve milk for kids, Bravo’s partner SADAFCO will answer the call and begin distributing the drinks there in May. Bravo also expects to close deals soon with its former Looney Tunes Slammers distributors in Mexico and Canada.


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After several years of almond and soy milk dominating the convenience channe's nondairy beverage segment, several niche formulations have resulted in selection, intrigue and consumer trial.
These days, almond milk is still ascending across dollar and unit sales in multiple retail channels, while soy milk has fallen on harder times. Oat and pea milks are showing robust sales while cashew and coconut milks have seen modest performance.
According to Chicago-based Mintel’s Dairy and Non-Dairy Milk U.S. 2018 report, sales of nondairy milk reached an estimated $2.3 billion in 2018, representing growth of 52% from 2013. Mintel predicts sales of nondairy milk will reach $3.1 billion by 2023, marking a compound annual growth rate of 6.7% from 2018 to 2023.
While almond milk dominates the nondairy milk market—sales for multiunit outlets represent 64% of the entire nondairy milk market—“other” formulations have grown by 515% since 2013.
Sales of soy milk have fallen dramatically and now account for less than 12% of the nondairy milk market, because most soy-milk drinkers have already made the switch to almond or other nondairy milks, according to Mintel. “The negative perceptions surrounding soy makes it unlikely that the soy milk market will attract new consumers,” the report said.
Coconut milk represents “a small yet growing segment of the market, as it’s likely benefiting by the overall trendiness of coconuts in the food and beverage industries (i.e., coconut water and coconut as a flavor/ingredient in foods/drinks)," the report said. "However, coconut milk brands may experience a slight sales slowdown due to the growing popularity of other non-dairy milks.”
While most consumers are buying the same amount of dairy and nondairy milks, some switching behaviors are affecting each respective category, Mintel said.
For example, 60% of consumers who are buying more dairy milk are also buying more nondairy milk, according to the research. Only 7% of those buying more dairy milk are buying less nondairy milk. Among consumers buying less dairy milk, 56% are switching to more nondairy milk and 19% are dropping out of the milk market entirely, according to Mintel.
Overall, 3% of dairy milk consumers are buying less dairy milk and more nondairy milk. While 3% is low, other dairy milk consumers are merely buying less milk in general, and many dairy milk consumers are still buying it but using it less frequently, according to Mintel.
Mike Fogarty, owner of Denver-based Choice Market, expects food company R&D teams to continue to push plant-based ingredients to more fully serve the dairy segment. “We’ve had these products from day one, and we’ve seen the splits that have occurred in migrating people from traditional dairy to plant-based options,” Fogarty said. “The quality of the (nondairy milk) products speak for themselves. We have a 2,500-square-foot store, so there’s not a lot of space to design an elaborate endcap or compelling signage. We highlight products on our social-media feed, and I think many of the CPG brands have done a great job making these products stand apart from the crowd—they are serving as their own billboards.”
Click through for eight nondairy offerings that are helping to ignite the segment.


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Tag: NZ Food Awards
FMCG Business: The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is proud to be sponsoring the NZ Food Awards again this year. The Awards, which will be announced in October, provide local food and beverage producers with the opportunity to highlight the success of their products and businesses.
Peter Thomson, MPIâ€™s Director Plants, Food and Environment says: â€œThis year we are sponsoring two awards â€“ the Food Safety Culture Award and Primary Sector Products Award. These awards provide a great opportunity to recognise excellence in food production and processing…Read Article →


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Pharmaceutical company Unichem Laboratories has acquired a 19.99 per cent stake each in Optimus Drugs Pvt Ltd and Optrix Laboratories Pvt Ltd for a total consideration of about $16.5 million (Rs 120 crore), said an announcement.
Hyderabad-based Optimus and Optrix, owned and controlled by the same management, are engaged in the business of researching, developing, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and intermediates.
As part of the transaction, Unichem has bought shares worth Rs 72.08 crore in Optimus while shares worth Rs 47.92 crore in Optrix.
The key objective of the investment is to gain access to the manufacturing facilities of Optimus and Optrix. The company is facing a shortage of API and intermediates manufacturing capacity. This investment will provide the company with additional capacity to meet its immediate requirements and fulfil its export orders, Unichem said in a BSE filing.
Optimus, founded by D Srinivas Reddy in 2004, had a total income of Rs 198.86 crore while Optimus recorded total income of Rs 173.38 crore in fiscal year 2017-18.
Headquartered in Mumbai, Unichem is known for its speciality pharmaceuticals business, with manufacturing facilities spread across Roha, Goa, Baddi, Pithampur, Ghaziabad, and Sikkim. The company posted total income of Rs 732.22 crore in FY 18 against Rs 1,410.6 crore in FY 17.
The Indian API sector has been abuzz with deal activity since past months.
In October, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its API manufacturing business unit located in Jeedimetla, Hyderabad, to Therapiva Private Ltd, a generics pharmaceutical company.
A month earlier, Italy’s Olon announced the acquisition of a local generics chemical operations API manufacturing facility in Mahad, India, as part of a continuing expansion of its global footprint. In August, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals hived off its API into a wholly owned subsidiary, Glenmark Life Sciences.


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Men’s site AskMen.com will roll out a new, mobile-friendly site design Thursday that reflects the industry trend toward more images and less clutter.
Out go the clunky boxes – of both content and ads –in favor of a site that goes big on images. Instead of multiple below-the-fold ads, AskMen is running only two ads per page (from one advertiser). The hope is that it will create both scarcity for advertisers and a more pleasant reading experience for visitors.
Two key trends pushed AskMen to reimagine the site: mobile and images. The redesign is a concession to the fact that the company now gets about half of its audience through mobile, according to comScore. The site was built using responsive design so that content and ads are consistently represented across multiple devices.
Equally important are images. “Pictures are worth a thousand words,” said Ryan Johnson, AskMen’s director of marketing and business development. “Men are very visual so it made sense to go in that direction.”
AskMen, which had 4.1 million uniques in July according to comScore, is just the most recent publisher to take a “less-is-more” approach. It follows sites like USA Today, Mashable, The New York Times and Inc., all of which have redesigned their sites in the last year with an eye toward a tile layout. According to Johnson, this redesign, eight months in the making, is the company’s biggest step since it first came online in 1999.
“The design is conceptually new versus an evolution in terms of how readers navigate, how they discover content and what they can do with the content they discover,” he said.
Toward that end, every article page comes with a single share button, essentially a big plus sign that enlarges to allow people share to Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, email and a new AskMen feature, My Magazine. With My Magazine readers can customize their AskMen experience by selecting content they’d like to share with friends or read later.
AskMen’s audience is composed primarily of the enviable 18-34-year-old male demographic and is consequently not entirely without its detractors. Its content is heavy on lists and slideshows, like this one about top men’s hairstyles. You’ll also find advice columns like this one on sex tips and articles helping you find out if your boss is a psychopath. Though advertisers and buyers are taking a wait-and-see approach to the effectiveness of the design, they have historically been happy with AskMen.
Last year, Peter Gardiner, the former chief digital officer at Deutsch, told Digiday: “If you’re looking for young, hip guys, they’d be on your list. They have an interesting array of ways to connect with consumers.”
And while AskMen has historically leaned heavily on SEO, the new site wasn’t built with the specific goal of driving traffic. Johnson noted that a high percentage comes in via search, and to keep people on the site, the new design focuses on what it calls “perpetual click” functionality. Perpetual click lets readers to click to the next most-related piece of content.
“The perpetual click and highly related ‘next article’ functionality was built with the understanding that readers coming from search are topic-focused and would benefit from a series of more related content easily available to them,” Johnson said.
Ads are also responsive. This means more efficiencies: create the ad once, and it’ll look the same across multiple devices.
“It’s a uniform experience,” Johnson said. “Now you’re just buying inventory across the whole [site] and don’t have to make the distinctions we used to make.”
With a fresh look, AskMen also sees more opportunities for advertisers. Because the site is image heavy, Johnson said that the big image on the index page is now sponsorable. Additionally, Johnson said, having one advertiser per page means a brand can own the whole page. The focus, Johnson said, was addressing viewability by having the two ads above the fold.
AskMen looked to luxury print magazines as inspiration for design. “We’re trying to get at that from a digital perspective,” Johnson said. “We wanted to give opportunities to advertisers to recreate the value they get from large-scale print ads.”
Media Briefing: The case for and against monthly and annual subscriptions in the battle for retention
There are no one-size-fits-all solutions for improving retention in a subscriptions business. While annual subscribers might stick around longer for some, other publishers will have better luck with monthly plans.
Digiday+ Research: The economy will hit the media and marketing industries this year, but differently
The economy will plague both the media and marketing industries in 2023, but the hit will be uneven between publishers and agencies.
Podcast ad buyers have yet to see a slowdown
Ad buyers have yet to see clients cut their podcast budgets – though the time of podcasts as the shiny new medium may be coming to an end.
SponsoredWhy Best Buy Ads sees retail media as integral to its customer-centric purpose
Sponsored by Best Buy Ads Retail media networks have become critical for marketers, with retailers investing in ways that enable advertisers to engage consumers across online and offline channels. Given the wealth of retailers’ first-party customer data and measurement capabilities, retail media networks have become a natural fit for augmenting performance marketing programs. Alongside the […]
The programmatic open marketplace is faltering, but publishers see a bright spot in private programmatic deals
Publishers are coming to terms with their open programmatic marketplace RPMs being 20-55% lower than they were this time last year, but the hope is that programmatic guaranteed deals will make up the deficit.
Marketers weigh the cons of working with Google Ad Manager amid Justice Department’s new lawsuit
When is it time to back away?


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Dutch grocery company Royal Ahold NV said yesterday that it will delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange and remove its registration from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, significantly paring down its relationship with the American regulatory market.
The company, which owns the area's largest grocery chain, Giant Food, said it decided to delist to reduce costs by eliminating some of the complexities of reporting to different regulatory agencies. The benefits of maintaining a U.S. registration and a NYSE listing have declined over time, the company said.
An Ahold spokeswoman said the company remains committed to its U.S. grocery customers.
"You should not read anything into the delisting in terms of our American businesses," said Ahold spokeswoman Caro Bamforth.
The majority of Ahold shares held by investors in the United States are acquired through Euronext Amsterdam, which is also owned by NYSE. Less than 5 percent of the average daily trading volume is in the United States, the company said.
The company said its depository receipts will continue to be traded on the over-the-counter market in the United States.
Ahold will continue to make financial disclosures to Dutch regulators, and its shares will trade on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange.
It is not uncommon for overseas companies to drop their listings from American exchanges, which have stricter standards than European markets, particularly since the 2002 adoption of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, experts said. The law is designed to hold business executives more accountable in the wake of the Enron scandal.
"They view Sarbanes-Oxley and the listing requirements to be more costly and burdensome and find that it's not worth it," said Albert S. "Pete" Kyle, a professor of finance at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
Ahold said it planned to give written notification to the NYSE of its intention to delist. The company also plans to file SEC documents regarding the delisting about Sept. 10. Ahold said the delisting will be effective 10 days after the filing. It also will file documents to remove its registration and to terminate its financial reporting obligations with the SEC once the shares are delisted. That would become effective 90 days after the filing, Ahold said.
In a separate announcement, Ahold said its second-quarter earnings increased on the sale of assets, including food distributor U.S. Foodservice in Columbia.
Net profit was $3 billion, up from $299 million during the corresponding quarter a year ago. Ahold sold U.S. Foodservice to two private equity firms last month for $7.1 billion.
Sales at the unit that includes Giant Food increased 1.9 percent to $3.94 million, compared with $3.87 million for the corresponding period a year ago.


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Martin Sorrell says Twitter is not an advertising medium
By Gordon MacMillan, mediaweek.co.uk, Tuesday, 26 February 2013 10:32AM
Martin Sorrell, the WPP chief executive, has said in an interview that Twitter is not an advertising medium, but a PR one.
Sorrell has been talking to the Harvard Business Review about everything from the state of the advertising business, to social media and emerging technology.
His interview takes in such topics as programmable T-shirts and Google Glass, and he also had a few things to say about Facebook and Twitter, and why he doesn't think they are advertising media.
His comments come a week after Twitter launched its advertising API, which could significantly boost the number of advertisers using Twitter and their ability to manage campaigns.
Sorrell has spoken before about Facebook, admitting it gets him in trouble, and how he doesn't see it as an advertising medium. He reiterated those comments, adding his thoughts on Twitter too.
His argument is that Twitter is a PR medium and that it lacks depth. He is obviously not the first to make such comments, but what he says carries weight.Follow @gordonmacmillan
This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk
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- Martin Sorrell talks Maurice Lévy, Tesco, and the global outlook
- Land Rover to move global ad account into Spark44
- Viacom to bring Breaking Bad to Freeview with Spike launch
- 'Advertisers are snake oil salesmen', says Peter Oborne


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The French cloud emailing platform Mailjet has just picked up $3.3m in funding, which it intends to use to shore up international growth.
Mailjet is similar to the likes of MailChimp and SendGrid, in that it provides a way for companies to send out newsletters and their apps to send out transactional emails. While some of those rivals target marketing departments, though, Mailjet’s sights are trained on relatively small-scale developers that want to avoid the hassle of maintaining SMTP servers and the like.
“Whenever you have a web app you need to code a couple of emails – welcome, subscription, reset password – so it’s a headache for the developer to set that up,” co-founder Quentin Nickmans told me. “So we created a platform that makes it extremely easy for a developer to set up.”
Apart from these functions, Mailjet also provides tracking and ‘deliverability optimization’ of emails, so customers can see whether messages have been clicked on or opened.
The cash comes mostly from Alven Capital, which has put $2.6m into the round, with the rest coming from Airtek Capital Group chief Laurent Asscher and the eFounders incubator, which had previously provided $300k in seed funding.
Because Mailjet is mostly targeting startups, the company needs feet on the ground in each territory. And, according to Nickmans, such presence will also help with dealing with ISPs – essential when you’re trying to make your customers’ emails as deliverable as possible:
“The company has been having quite a lot of traction and… we need to hire more people in support, we need to be closer to our customers. We need to have a couple of people present in Latin America, we want to grow our support team in Canada, we don’t have someone now in Berlin who could be a developer evangelist –we want to participate in hackathons for people to get to know our API, and we want someone more locally based for ISP relations.”
Right now Mailjet has around 10,000 customers (big names include MIT and Fotolia), which it’s amassed since launching 18 months ago. The company employs a freemium model, with payments kicking in once you send 6,000 or more emails a month.
Paying customers also get a dedicated IP address that benefits from reputation monitoring. Nickmans didn’t want to detail the split between paying and non-paying customers too closely, but he indicated that somewhere between 15-20 percent were paying, which is fairly impressive.


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Big Deal Days and Fun Holiday Events Coming to Belfast
The little town of Belfast is bringing big things for the upcoming holiday season.
On Facebook they announced the holiday events that will be taking place in the coming weeks.
Only a few details have been given out but, here's a rundown of what's to come with the little Maine town with a whole lot of initiative.
Our Town Belfast Holiday Passport
From November 22 to December 19
In the past, the passport program allowed you to shop at participating Belfast businesses to win prizes. You visit 5 businesses and collect a stamp from each business after your purchase to enter a raffle for tons of prizes and gift certificates.
Our Town Belfast Menorah Lighting
On November 28
In the past, Belfast has celebrated the start of Chanukah with a public lighting of a 7-foot-tall menorah at dusk. We'll have to wait for more details on where they will be doing this event for this year's menorah lighting.
Our Town Belfast Early Bird Sale
On December 4
This annual event put on by Belfast is a Downtown-wide sale taking place across many businesses in Belfast. You can expect great discounts and promotions from retail shops and restaurants on this day.
Our Town Belfast Tree Lighting
On December 4, the festivities continue after a day of shopping the early bird specials in Downtown Belfast with a classic tree lighting event to finish off the day. In the past, this event has taken place at Post Office Square.
Look out for these events on the Our Town Belfast Facebook Page and get ready for some great holiday deals and community events in the beautiful Maine town.


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Tokyo: Japan’s Hitachi Ltd. said Monday it has developed technology that makes it possible to find a single word in 2,000 hours of recorded material through a search of just three seconds.
The electronics company said it had put together several existing technologies to create the quickest search engine yet for recorded material.
“With the recent boom in multimedia, a huge quantity of audiovisual data is found in databases, corporate servers and private computers,” a Hitachi statement said.
“To make the best use of such data, it is necessary to have the quickest and most reliable retrieval technology,” it said.
Hitachi said it would present details about the new technology in Australia this week during a convention on digital multimedia.
Hitachi hoped that in the future, the technology could also be put to use by the customer service industry to wade through telephone calls.


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[Movies] Warner Bros. Issues Correction on Hobbit Blu-Ray Extended Editon
Posted by Jeremy Thomas on 10.06.2012
As reported previously, a Warner Home Video press kit for the 90th Anniversary of Warner Bros. as a studio listed in its 2013 schedule a "Extended Edition" Blu-Ray of The Hobbit for the fourth quarter of 2013. However, ComingSoon.net now reports that Warner has contacted them noting that the listing was a mistake. The statement reads:
"In the recently distributed calendar included in the Warner Bros. 90th Anniversary press kit, there was an erroneous mention of an Extended Edition release for The Hobbit film. This product has not been confirmed yet and we apologize for any confusion."
Of course, this doesn't mean the Blu-Ray won't come out, just that they haven't made it official yet. The film hits theaters on December 14th.


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Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 8:28 AM ET|Posted by Will Richmond
A new study released by Jun Group, an opt-in video ad platform, has found that users are twice as likely to interact with a brand upon watching an incentivized video ad as they are after watching a pre-roll. The results are based on 7.7 million incentivized video ad views from Jun Group campaigns between May-August 2012 along with industry data on pre-rolls.
For those not familiar with incentivized video ads, these are typically presented in games, mobile or social media and offer rewards for viewing completion or other activities such as liking a brand on Facebook. Unlike most pre-rolls, they offer clear reasons to stay engaged and typically the advertiser only pays for actual views rather than impressions. For more background on incentivized video ads, see this interview with Jun Group CEO founder and CEO Mitchell Reichgut.
Jun Group also found a 98% completion rate for incentivized ads, vs. 67% for pre-roll, along with 3x higher sharing rate. While I'll note my standard disclaimer to read sponsored research with caution, I think the data does underscore how there are many different types of ad opportunities now available to brands. Depending on circumstances and specific objectives, incentivized video ads can be a good, cost-effective option.
Companies: Jun Group
Video Research Around the Web
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Friday, March 15, 2013
DoCoMo Putting Tablets In Shops To Speed Customer Service
TOKYO (Nikkei)--NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437) has introduced tablet computers at the roughly 200 DoCoMo Shops it operates in the greater Tokyo area to reduce the time customers must wait for service.
Customer wait times at the shops have lengthened considerably since sales of smartphones took off in 2011. Because clerks now need to provide copious information on handset features, services and pricing plans, those seeking assistance in buying a new service or changing handsets have to wait more than one hour on average.
By offering the tablets, NTT DoCoMo seeks to reduce by more than 30% the number of shoppers who need to wait over 30 minutes for help.
Each DoCoMo Shop has been assigned a set of two to three tablets that customers can use to change their pricing plans, apply for optional services and perform at least some of the paperwork involved in purchasing a new handset. The tablets can also be used to see what handsets are stocked in the store.
If the tablets prove helpful in reducing wait times and easing congestion, the firm will introduce them at more of its stores.
KDDI Corp. (9433), which operates the au wireless service, began providing tablets for customers in February of last year and 90% of au Shops now have them.
Softbank Corp. (9984) uses tablets in place of product pamphlets in its stores.
(The Nikkei Business Daily, March 15 edition)


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NYC (AP) вЂ” online giant Google stated it will ban all adverts from payday loan providers, calling the industry “deceptive” and “harmful. wednesday”
Bing’s choice might have the maximum amount of and even more effect on curtailing the industry than just about any move by politicians, as numerous pay day loans focus on a desperate person looking online for methods to i was reading this pay bills or protect an urgent situation.
Effective July 13, Google will not enable adverts for loans due within 60 times and also will ban adverts for loans in which the interest is 36 per cent or more. The industry shall join Google’s other banned types of ads, such as for example fake items, tools, explosives, tobacco items and hate message.
“Our hope is the fact that fewer individuals will likely be exposed to misleading or harmful services and products,” stated David Graff, Google’s manager of international item policy, in an article that announced the insurance policy change.
The ban wouldn’t normally affect organizations providing mortgages, automotive loans, figuratively speaking, loans for companies or bank cards, Bing stated.
Payday loan providers have actually long been a target of critique by politicians and customer advocates, who argue the industry charges exceptionally high rates of interest to clients, who will be usually the bad. Payday advances can be used to protect an urgent expense or even to pay bills ahead of the next paycheck. However for many borrowers, short-term loans ramp up being tough to pay back, ultimately causing a period of financial obligation that will drag on for months.
A 2012 research by Pew showed the average payday debtor is in financial obligation for five months, investing $520 in fees and interest to borrow $375 repeatedly. The percent that is annual on a quick payday loan is 391 per cent, relating to Pew.
“Nothing is reasonable about triple-digit rates of interest being charged on loans to working families,” stated Keith Corbett, executive vice president because of the Center for Responsible Lending, in a declaration. Cash advance stores reap vast amounts of bucks in interest and costs on something built to force borrowers into perform loans. Bing will be praised for doing its part to restrict usage of these abusive loans.”
The payday lending industry has long argued it provides a necessary financial service to people in need of emergency funds in response to critics.
“These policies are discriminatory and a type of censorship,” stated Amy Cantu, a spokeswoman aided by the Community Financial Centers Association of America, the trade team representing lenders that are payday.
State legislatures have traditionally seemed for how to target payday loan providers, however the lending that is payday has frequently found methods around brand brand new laws. Whenever a few states capped the attention prices on payday advances, the industry pivoted into loans linked with automobile games or relocated their operations onto Indian reservations.
The buyer Financial Protection Bureau is considering brand new regulations to further restrict the payday lending industry. The principles are anticipated to be released later on this present year.
In ways, Bing’s statement will probably have significantly more of a direct effect than any brand new legislation. Google fields about two out of each and every three google search demands into the U.S. and in addition controls the entire world’s biggest advertising network that is digital. Nearly all of Bing’s adverts are set off by the search demands, depending on a automatic system to choose an advertising pitch mostly probably be associated with exactly just what one is trying to find.
Under this ban, users trying to find terms like “loans” or “places to have cash” will not pull up adverts from payday lenders into the marketing element of the search engine results.
Payday lending marketing is a little, but profitable, section of Google’s advertising profits, which totaled $67 billion year that is last. Pew calculated in 2014 that adverts associated with pay day loans can make $4.91 to $12.77 per click.
The purchase price that advertisers are able to buy marketing pitches delivered by Bing frequently reflects just how money that is much stand to help make from making a purchase. Search phrases linked with items with low revenue areas might fetch just a few cents while terms that suggest a customer is mulling a purchase that is expensive higher rates.
However the number of effect it’ll have regarding the overall payday financing industry stays to be noticed.
Into the bigger realm of radio and TV marketing, payday loan providers invested $277 million on radio and television ads between June 2012 and May 2013, which will stay unaffected. Two-thirds associated with the income and loans produced on the market is done at brick-and-mortar shops, rather than online pay day loans, said Alex Horowitz, a professional on the payday financing industry at Pew.
“I would personallyn’t say it is a fall into the bucket, but there is a big the main industry which will remain unaffected,” he stated.
Bing, as well as its moms and dad business Alphabet, has had a past reputation for business activism. The business’s previous motto had been “don’t be wicked” which had been changed with “do the best thing” last year.
вЂ“ by AP Reporter Ken Sweet


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Lexus stole the show at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show in January with the stunningly hot LC500 coupe, and it wasn’t hot just because it had a burning red exterior.
It was hot because it literally looks like Lexus took the LF-LC Concept and called it production ready. And that’s almost exactly what they did.
Ok, the LF-LC Concept wasn’t just turned into a production car, but it was changed very little to the point where the resemblance is uncanny and this is for the better. Lexus even went as far as to crack the joke at themselves, “no, they didn’t water it down.”
Nonetheless, what’s arriving in Geneva to shock the European lot across the pond is the full hybrid version of the LC500 coupe. It’s obviously called the Lexus LC500h, if you didn’t pay attention to the title already.
Unfortunately, being a seemingly flagship and expensive coupe, it does not come with the same hybridized V8 setup as the Lexus LS600h L sedan, as you probably hoped like we did. In fact, nobody knows what powers it, except for some word on the street that it’s a 3.5L Toyota-sourced V6 and electric motor combination.
If that was the case, the V6 would produce around 208hp while the electric motor provides an additional 217hp. Let’s also not forget, Toyota and Lexus are the kings of the hybrid game and they’ve proved very much that hybrids can be batshit-insane fast, like the previous and current generation Lexus GS Hybrid. In the LC500h, should the speculation be true, the power output would probably hover around the 470hp mark. And that’s not a small amount.
Lexus did however confirm that whatever hybrid powertrain is in the LC500h, is also the influence for the next-generation Lexus LS hybrid sedan. So maybe that’s why it didn’t get the V8 hybrid from the current model.
Dang it…Either way, we can hope for more details and specs on March 1.
Lexus at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show
- World Premiere of the LC 500h luxury coupe with next-generation Lexus Multi Stage Hybrid System
- European Premiere of the LF-FC conceptFebruary 15, 2016
GENEVA, Feb. 15, 2016 — Lexus will unveil the hybrid version of its all-new LC luxury coupe at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The LC 500h is equipped with Lexus’ next generation hybrid powertrain, the Lexus Multi Stage Hybrid System, providing enhanced driving pleasure, more performance, and greater efficiency.
The LC was first revealed at the 2016 North America International Auto Show. Its styling, performance and craftsmanship position the vehicle as Lexus’ flagship coupe. The LC also utilizes Lexus’ new architecture that promises enhanced dynamic capability.
Inspired by the acclaimed LF-LC concept that debuted in 2012, the LC represents a shift in Lexus’ engineering processes and design ideologies, and marks the beginning of a new phase for the Lexus brand. Its outstanding visual appeal has been unanimously praised following the Detroit reveal, and recognized by professionals who granted LC EyesOn Design awards for Production Car and Best Designed Interior at the 2016 NAIAS.
Lexus will also display the LF-FC concept at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. LF-FC is a visionary new vehicle that offers a peek into the design and technology direction of Lexus’ future flagship sedan. Initially revealed at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, the LF-FC is powered by a high output fuel cell system. It also features an advanced touchless human machine interface as well as automated driving technologies.
The Lexus Press Conference will take place on March 1 at 11:30 CET at the Lexus stand (number 4211) in Hall 4, Palexpo.
– By: Chris Chin


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An investigation conducted by UK gaming publication Computer & Video Games shows that some online retailers are not doing their best to keep under-age children from buying mature-rated video games online. The investigative report (which includes some video) shows a person purchasing three games online without any age verification checks blocking his purchase. The UK-based retailers found to be lacking in this area include Amazon UK, HMV and Zavvi.
The Trading Standards agency has criticized retailers for loopholes found in their online systems and has warned them: "Should a minor make a purchase from these sites, the businesses would not have a due diligence defence to protect them from prosecution." One of the games purchased was Manhunt 2 from Rockstar Games, which the BBFC initially refused to classify in 2007 due to its violent content. That decision was later overruled following an appeal.
C&VG says that its investigation also found:
•In the past five years, the market share of 18-rated games has grown from 5 to 18 percent
•About a third of all retail games are sold online
•The most popular age group of Facebook fans for games such as Assassin's Creed 3, Gears of War 3 and Modern Warfare 3 was in the 13-17 range.
•Both an anonymous EA games director, and a director at Avalanche Studios, believe that more than half of their audience are under age.
Trading Standards officer Paul Miloseski-Reid said that the organization will now engage with retailers to discuss the severity of online loopholes after learning about the C&VG results.
He told the publication that retailers "must employ systems to verify the age of the purchaser if they are to have a due diligence defence against prosecution."
"There have been concerns for a number of years that many internet retailers, which include some of the national high street chains, are not taking enough precautions, if any at all, to prevent children purchasing age-restricted products from their websites. The problem appears to be widespread," he added.


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This blog post is a collaboration between IITA, Harvest Plus and ONE.
Nigeria officially released three Vitamin A cassava varieties on December 7th, 2011. This is huge news. It’s not every day that a new variety of cassava, a staple root crop in much of Africa, (let alone three!) sets the stage for helping more thousands of poor farming families beat malnutrition.
Vitamin A cassava is rich in –- you guessed it –- Vitamin A. You probably eat milk or orange juice fortified with Vitamin D, or salt that is iodized, to make sure you get the right mix of nutrients if they aren’t already in the food you’re eating in high enough quantities. In many parts of the developing world, children and pregnant women don’t get enough Vitamin A. According to the World Health Organization, between 250,000 and 500,000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight. Rather than fortifying the cassava after it is grown, the cassava naturally grows with high levels of vitamin A.
These new varieties of cassava will be shared with as many as 50,000 farming households in Nigeria by 2013 and could reach as many as 1.8 million farmers eventually. This is a huge step in the fight against Vitamin A deficiency.
But it didn’t start here. HarvestPlus spearheads an international effort to breed and disseminate new varieties of staple food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals, a process called biofortification.
First, there were years of research by scientists at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), both based in Nigeria, to breed three new varieties suited for the African environment, using traditional plant breeding methods. The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, an advocate of “Agriculture for Health,” launched these three new varieties on March 16 to the Nigerian public. More than 250 participants from the public and private sectors, as well as traditional rulers and farmers associations joined the launch at the NRCRI headquarters in Umidike. These included senior staff from across the government, research, NGO and private sector -– including the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Agricultural Transformation Agenda, Ministry of Health, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), and many others –- demonstrating wide support and collaboration across the board.
The Minister of Agriculture Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina highlighted the alarming level of vitamin A deficiency in Nigeria. He praised the supplementation and fortification efforts of the Nigerian Government to combat malnutrition, and applauded the joint efforts of the research institutions such as IITA and NRCRI and HarvestPlus responsible for developing these new varieties of Vitamin A cassava to complement these efforts. Importantly, he also acknowledged that biofortification is a cheaper and more sustainable strategy to address vitamin A deficiency. In addition to requesting a standing ovation for the scientists and bestowing each with a “Ministerial Excellence Award,” he promised that Nigeria will support multiplication and dissemination of these varieties to reach 1.8 million farmers in the coming years under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government.
After the address, the Minister and guests unveiled vitamin A cassava roots and cassava products such as gari (cassava flour) which is eaten widely in Nigeria. The gari has the signature yellow color imparted by the vitamin A, signaling better nutrition for the millions of Nigerians who are expected to include vitamin A cassava in their diets in the years to come.
Photo credit: HarvestPlus


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Ouya has announced it has secured an additional $15 million in new funding along with the appointment of former EA CCO Bing Gordon to the board of directors. The release date has also slipped a bit.
Gordon will advise the company as it “scales its development community and executes its retail strategy and product development plans,” said the firm in a press release.
The funding was acquired through investment firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers along with the Mayfield Fund, Nvidia, Shasta Ventures, and Occam Partners. The $15 million is in addition to the $8.6 million earned through Kickstarter.
The funding will be used to further support Ouya’s development community and to help meet consumer demand leading up to launch.
“We want Ouya to be here for a long time to come,” said Julie Uhrman, founder and CEO. “People want Ouya, We first heard this from Kickstarter backers who provided more than $8 million to help us build Ouya, then from over 12,000 developers who have registered to make an Ouya game, next from retailers who are carrying Ouya online and soon on store shelves, and now from top pioneering investors.”
Originally slated for release on June 4, the console will now instead release on June 25, and it will be available for purchase in the Canada, US and the UK through Amazon, Best Buy, GAME, GameStop, and Target, and on OUYA.tv for $99.99. Additional controllers will retail for $49.99.
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Ouya announces $15 million in new funding, Bing Gordon appointment have 317 words, post on www.vg247.com at May 9, 2013. This is cached page on Talk Vietnam. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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By Mark Williams, AP Business Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio Wendy's International (WEN) will scrap its eight-month old advertising campaign — much of it built on young men wearing a red wig with braided pigtails — amid continued weak sales, the nation's third-largest hamburger chain announced Monday.
The campaign, which debuted during the season finale of American Idol in May, has generated attention, but hasn't translated into improved sales, the company said.
"It was a love it or hate it kind of spot," said Bob Holtcamp, Wendy's vice president of brand marketing.
SEPTEMBER AD TRACK: Wendy's wigs out with new ads
The campaign was built on the slogan "That's right." It was meant to rely on humor to emphasize the chain's made-to-order food and unfrozen beef as it sought to build sales among younger consumers. In several ads, customers wear a red wig that looks like the pigtails on Wendy, the chain's mascot based on founder Dave Thomas' daughter of the same name.
The slogan for a new campaign, released Monday at Wendy's national convention in Orlando, is "It's waaaay better than fast food. It's Wendy's."
The red wig remains part of the campaign, designed by kirshenbaum bond + partners, but the focus is on the company's familiar Wendy logo.
The logo opens and closes each ad. An animated Wendy holds a fishing rod in one ad to introduce the new fish sandwich. In other ads, she takes a bite out of a hamburger or holds a piggy bank to promote Wendy's super value menu.
The new campaign better represents Wendy's traditions while still focusing on the key target audience of 18-to-34-year-olds, said Kerrii Anderson, Wendy's president and chief executive.
"It feels like Wendy's again," she said.
Holtcamp said Wendy's emphasis on its quality food was getting distracted by the red wig campaign.
The change comes after the chain reported this month that sales at stores opened at least a year — considered a key indicator of a retailer's strength — fell 0.8% at U.S. company restaurants in the fourth quarter compared with a 3.1% increase in the fourth quarter of 2006. At franchise restaurants, same-store sales were up 0.2% for the quarter, compared with a 2.7% increase the year before.
For the year, same-store sales rose 0.9% for company stores and 1.9% for franchise stores compared with a 0.8% increase in U.S. company stores and a 0.6% increase at U.S. franchise stores in 2006.
After reaching a high of $44.22 last summer, Wendy's stock price has been cut nearly in half, with trading Monday morning at $23.54, just above its 52-week low of $22.48.
The company formed a committee last spring to study options to boost its stock price that could include a possible sale. Billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, who controls 9.8% of Wendy's stock along with his allies, submitted an offer to buy Wendy's in November, but the proposed price is lower than the $37 to $41 a share that he previously said it was worth.
The committee said Monday its review is nearly complete.
Wendy's spends about $300 million a year in advertising. The red wig campaign was developed by Saatchi & Saatchi, the agency responsible for Wendy's "Where's the Beef?" campaign.
The campaigns are among several Wendy's has tried since the 2002 death of Thomas, who appeared in more than 800 ads.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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El Salvador became the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender. Now, the country became the first one to purchase 1 Bitcoin a day. This is according to what Nayib Bukele, the president of the country, said on November 17. In this way, the country will continue to add more BTC to its reserves.
El Salvador Starts Purchasing 1 Bitcoin a Day
El Salvador, the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender, is now purchasing 1 BTC a day according to Nayib Bukele. On Twitter, he wrote that these purchases will start as soon as tomorrow.
This is what he wrote:
“We are buying one Bitcoin every day starting tomorrow”
We are buying one #Bitcoin every day starting tomorrow.
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) November 17, 2022
The decision taken by El Salvador has been a strong catalyst for other market participants to do the same. For example, Justin Sun, the founder of Tron (TRX), has also announced that they are echoing Nayib Bukele’s initiative to buy Bitcoin every single day.
— H.E. Justin Sun 孙宇晨 (@justinsuntron) November 17, 2022
Meanwhile, other users like foobar suggested that this could not be a good decision for the country. It is worth taking into consideration that Bitcoin moved from $69,000 in November 2021 to below $16,000 a few days ago when the FTX exchange imploded.
The decision made by El Salvador to purchase one Bitcoin a day could be in order to reduce risk and conduct a dollar average cost strategy. This would help El Salvador avoid purchasing local tops or failing to buy the dip.
Thanks to the decision made by El Salvador, the country was able to receive large income from tourists that came to the country after the latest promotion linked to Bitcoin. Moreover, it was able to reduce the fees paid by individuals that sent funds from the United States to El Salvador.
Families were paying more than $400 million a year in fees to large companies such as Western Union or MoneyGram, among others. Additionally, in just some weeks, the number of El Salvador users using Bitcoin surpassed the number of bank accounts opened in the country.
El Salvador is currently holding 2,381 BTC, close to 0.011% of the total supply of Bitcoin. Other countries that are already holding Bitcoin (despite not taking an official decision to own or buy it) include the United States, Ukraine, and Georgia.
In the future, we could see other countries getting involved in purchasing Bitcoin. Despite that, there were many projects that have to yet be developed in El Salvador before able to become a country that fully embraced Bitcoin. Nowadays, it is possible to use this virtual currency in the country at local shops and commerces. Indeed, even small street stalls accept Bitcoin for goods and services, showing that there is a clear interest in adopting this virtual currency.
Nevertheless, El Salvador received a lot of criticism from large financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The country had a difficult expansion when it comes to Bitcoin considering that most financial institutions were against the adoption of BTC by this country.


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The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association commissioned an Economic Impact Study on the RV industry, released on June 7, 2016. The study found that the RV industry contributes about $49.7 billion in economic output or 0.28 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. Through its production and distribution linkages, the industry impacts firms in 426 of the 440 sectors of the United States economy.
Nationwide, the industry is responsible for 216,170 jobs, both directly and inderectly, creating an economic impact of $37.5 billion. The full study results, along with each individual state and congressional district's economic impact is available on the website by clicking here .
Tue Nov 21, 2017
ELKHART, Ind.—Thor Industries Inc. announced the hiring of Bruce Byots as senior director of investor relations, effective today.
Byots has more than twenty years of investor relations experience, and most recently served as vice president of investor relations for Brunswick Corporation from 2008 to 2016. Byots will report to Thor senior vice president and chief financial officer Colleen Zuhl.
"We are pleased to welcome Bruce to our team at Thor, and look forward to his contributions to our investor relations initiatives," Zuhl says. "Timely and accurate communications with the investment community are essential functions for our business, and Bruce's experience and expertise in the investment relations community, and specifically the recreation industry space, positions him well to further enhance those critical communications and relationships."


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With the ever-evolving times, craft breweries have gotten the opportunity to get creative with their beer sales, and beer lovers are benefiting. During this time, the state is allowing craft breweries to ship beer directly to customers’ doors, something they were not able to legally do before.
After prohibition ended in 1933, states decided their alcohol laws individually, which created extreme differences across the country. In some states, you can walk the streets with an open beer, while in other states you can’t legally purchase a beer larger than 16 oz. Many of these laws brought on by prohibition haven’t been given much attention until recent years. The boom in the craft beer industry coupled with this pandemic raises more attention on some states’ restrictions.
Will we begin to see some permanent changes in New York and across the country? Possibly. But either way, Rohrbach Brewing Company is excited for this new opportunity to ship its beer around the state. Though the company already distributes its beer through most areas of the state, it’s not always feasible to get more unique, small-batch offerings to areas further outside Monroe County. Its popular Griddle Cakes Blueberry Maple Wheat is just one example. Shipping direct allows Rohrbachs to get more variety in fans’ hands on a smaller scale.
Rohrbachs is excited for fans to safely enjoy its beer without having to leave their homes, and hopefully to try some beers they aren’t always able to find in stores.
The brewery began taking online orders on Monday, May 11th. Each week, ordering will be open Monday thru Wednesday at noon. Orders will ship out on Wednesdays via UPS to arrive in time for the weekend. The important factor? You must be home with a valid ID to receive the package (something that isn’t much of an issue lately). The first week’s offerings with include Rohrbachs’ flagship Scotch Ale, Griddle Cakes, and Pineapple Wheat.
Though these times are very challenging for all, it’s been incredible to see small business adapt positively to this new environment. Do you think state-wide beer shipping will be here to stay? What other changes to you predict to alcohol industries after this pandemic?
Visit rohrbachs.com for more information.


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A class action lawsuit [complaint, PDF] was filed in federal court in Texas on Friday against General Motors (GM) [corporate website] claiming that customers' vehicles have lost value due to ignition problems blamed for a series of fatal crashes. The complaint alleges that GM knew about the problem since 2004 but failed to fix it, creating unreasonably dangerous conditions for drivers of the affected models. Plaintiffs are seeking damages from GM for the loss of use of their vehicle and repairs and diminished resale value. "Everyone who owns of these recalled vehicles needs to part it now," said Bob Hilliard [press release], the lead attorney in the action. "Driving a recalled GM vehicle is like carrying a stick of dynamite with a slow-burning fuse." Plaintiffs are not claiming they were injured in accidents stemming for the ignition problems. GM announced the recall in February, although the company learned of the problems with the ignition switch in 2001. GM has had that when the ignition switch was jostled, a key could turn off the car's engine and disable airbags, even while traveling at high speed. There have been a reported 12 deaths and 34 crashes in the recalled cars.
The defect caused GM to recall 1.6 million cars, which led government criminal and civil investigations, an internal probe by GM and preparations for hearing by Congress. GM, however, is not expected to have to pay as much as Toyota did in 2010 if it seeks to resolve economic loss claims. In 2011 a federal judge tentatively ruled [JURIST report] that Toyota [corporate website] could appeal the ruling in a class action law suit filed over alleged sudden-acceleration defects. In December 2010 Toyota settled [JURIST report] US federal investigations by agreeing to pay a record $32.4 million in extra fines for product defects and poor handling of a recall. The fines stem from two investigations conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [official website]. The first, a fine of $16.375 million, concerned nearly five million vehicles with accelerator pedals entrapped by floor mats, which caused at least one fatal accident in California. The second, a fine of $16.050 million, resulted from Toyota's failure to notify the NHTSA of a safety defect in several Toyota models' steering relay rods. Toyota has been under federal scrutiny since December 2009, and has conducted several recalls. Toyota's product recalls have been analyzed by Forum guest columnist Bruce Aronson of Creighton University School of Law in the op-ed Learning from Toyota's Troubles - Where's the Board? [JURIST op-ed].


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On Tuesday, Cipla said one of its units is setting up a joint venture in China with Jiangsu Acebright Pharmaceutical to make, sell, and distribute drugs. The venture will also involve research and development services and analytical development, the company said in a statement.
As part of the agreement, the unit Cipla EU will hold 80% in the joint venture, while Acebright will hold the remainder. Cipla EU will invest up to $24 million over four years, it said.
Cipla’s announcement underscores the increasing focus of Indian companies on China, the second-largest drug market in the world, where spending on medicines is set to reach $140 billion to $170 billion by 2023, according to research firm IQVIA.
Over the past three years, China has taken several steps to reform its healthcare sector, including expediting the pace of regulatory approvals, offering better reimbursement plans for generics, and rolling out a slew of investments to attract more generic drug makers…


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One of Bharatmatrimonys 15000 15 matrimonial sites has serious competition: the Malayala Manorama group, the most pervasive media group in Kerala has launched M4Marry.com, a matrimonial site targeting Malayalees both from India and abroad, reports Afaqs. The site currently has around 55,000 subscribers, and the company is targeting 1.5 lakh in the next six months - that's an addition of 15833 subscribers per month. We'll do a status check then. Manorama Online also plans to launch other classified portals; real estate is next. Manorama's media reach cannot be underestimated, and it would be interesting to track the impact of M4Marry on other matrimonial portals, particularly Keralamatrimony, since Bharatmatrimony is dominant in South India (according to a competitor), segmented according to regions and religion. Going through Manorama Online, I noticed that they already have a classifieds section: with Matrimonial, Real Estate, Jobs, Auto, Personals and Business classifieds. So I wouldn't be surprised if instead of keeping these segments within the horizonal (Manorama Online), they're planning to move towards verticals, with separate websites. Manorama's appears rather dated, and I wonder if the growth of the classifieds business was being constrained by legacy infrastructure. Even then, a surficial makeover like the one MoneyControl got might make it appear more contemporary. So far, the trend has been of separating the classifieds business from the portal/news site - Times Business Solutions was hived off from Indiatimes by BCCL and Firefly will house the classifieds verticals from HT Media, while Hindustantimes.com and Livemint.com will remain with…
- RBI’s Annual report 2023: Digital rupee project to be expanded to more cities and banks May 31, 2023
- Indian telecom regulator warns principal entities to comply with directives on spam or risk being blocked May 31, 2023
- Six key points from the revised guidelines for education ads by Advertising Standards Council of India May 31, 2023
- How Generative AI can help preserve generational knowledge, UNESCO discusses May 31, 2023
- Should we have sectoral regulation for safe harbor and how will it work? #NAMA May 31, 2023
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PhonePe launched an e-commerce buyer app for ONDC called Pincode. We, however, believe that it should also launch a seller app.
Amazon announced that it will integrate its logistics network and SmartCommerce services with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
India's smartphone operating system BharOS has received much buzz in the media lately, but does it really merit this attention?
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The OnePlus 10 Pro appears in a German store and reveals its price
The OnePlus 10 Pro was launched not too long ago in the Chinese market, and we’ve been waiting for it to come to other regions. Now the device has just appeared on the German online store MediaMarkt. With this list, we have a good overview of the price of the OnePlus 10 Pro in other markets.
Unfortunately, there is no standard OnePlus 10 variant coming. Instead, we’re only getting the pro model, and that’s bad news for people who’ve always liked the regular model. This is the first year that OnePlus has released a single device since 2018’s OnePlus 6.
The OnePlus 10 Pro appears and gives us a glimpse of the price
When a device is made available to multiple regions, it will sometimes experience a slight price change. We didn’t have much to do when the phone first launched three months ago. Many publications have speculated that the price will be around $900 to $1,000 when it arrives in the United States.
Thanks to a list from MediaMarkt, we don’t have the amount in USD, but we have a close equivalent: euros. The OnePlus 10 Pro listing appeared early and gave us the price for the European market. In the listing we see that the 128GB model will cost €899.
This matches what many people have speculated. This roughly converts to around $987, but we know that when the phone launches in the US, it won’t be a direct conversion. When the OnePlus launched last year, it sold for $969 in the US and €919 in Europe.
So retailing for €899 means the OnePlus 10 Pro costs around 2.2% less than the OnePlus 9 Pro in Europe. When this phone launches in the US hopefully we will also see a price drop.
What is this phone pack?
The OnePlus 10 Pro comes with a 6.7-inch LTPO2 1440p+ AMOLED display that can run at up to 120Hz. It’s powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 with Adreno 730 GPU. It has 8GB/12GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB/512GB of internal storage.
Keeping the lights on is a large 5,000mAh battery. There’s also 80W fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and even reverse charging.


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This car isn’t real nor is the background behind it but instead one created by car render expert Theophilus Chin, depicting a possible design for the Proton X30 that features Geely’s latest SUV styling known as “Starburst Vision”.
The design language has been seen used in most prominently in their newest SUV models such as the Boyue Cool and Boyue L, largely suspected to be the basis for the next-generation Proton X70.
It would make sense for Proton to pursue a smaller SUV to sit under their current entry-crossover, the X50, given the success of the Ativa (despite it also being within the B-segment categorisation).
After its warm reception, other automakers like Honda are following suit and are trying to compete in the sub-B crossover market in Malaysia with the WR-V set to launch as well the Creta from Hyundai coming even sooner to slot beneath the Kona in the Korean automaker’s local portfolio.
The trouble is the lack of a suitable existing donor model for an X30 with the closest equivalent being the ageing but recently updated Geely GX3 Pro. It certainly would sell well given the large market demand for such a car, especially if priced very sharply.
While Proton plots to strike at a new segment, Perodua is reported to be developing a new model codenamed D66B or the rumoured “Perodua Nexis”, which is expected to be a more upscale SUV engineered for the Southeast Asian market unlike the globally available Daihatsu Rocky from which the Ativa is derived.
In reality, it’ll probably a good long while before Proton has the right ingredients to mount a real fight against the Ativa and the incoming WR-V given a sub-B contender isn’t really part of their near-term strategy.
With the imminent full launch of the X90, a 7-seat SUV and the largest model yet offered by Proton as well as the speculated introduction of a B-segment ‘S50’ sedan to follow shortly after based on the Geely Emgrand, they’ve already got their hands full.