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The big news about the Chevrolet Bolt EV last week is that it’s getting more range for the 2020 model year. The improvements allow Chevy’s small EV, which also happens to be GM’s only EV in North America, to better compete against newfound rivals – the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Kia Niro EV. But that’s not all the good news for the Bolt, since new information tells us that Chevrolet is planning to update the interior of its electric sub-compact.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV has been around since 2016 relatively unchanged, if not for the increased range and a few new exterior colors. Even so, the Bolt EV is still competitive both in terms of price, technology, and various other elements (like cargo space) when pitted against its primary competitors. Meanwhile, the 259-mile range allows it to remain one of the best electric cars currently on sale from a value standpoint.
But one area where the Bolt EV could improve is the interior. While stylish, with a clean and modern interior design and infotainment interface dominating the dashboard, the Bolt EV’s cabin has often been cited for having low-quality materials, sub-par build quality and hard, uncomfortable seats. Luckily, that will soon change.
According to GM Authority sources, the Bolt EV will finally get better seats, along with a few other updates. The changes will likely be made for the 2021 model year – the same time that the Bolt EV is up for a midcycle enhancement, otherwise known as a refresh or facelift. What’s more, 2021 is also the same time that the Chevrolet Bolt EUV will launch in North America. Since both vehicles share the same architecture, battery pack and drivetrain, it makes sense for the Bolt EV to inherit a significant amount of updates from its larger crossover variant.
So if you’re in the market for a Chevrolet Bolt EV but are not a fan of the cabin or their seats, you might be better off waiting to buy yours. The 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV hits dealers this fall with a starting MSRP of $37,495 including destination and freight charges, while the 2021 model – the one with the incoming interior upgrades – should arrive around the fall of the 2020 calendar year.


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Tesco Exits U.S. After First Profit Drop in About 20 YrsGabi Thesing
Tesco Plc, the U.K.’s largest retailer, said it will exit the U.S. and scale back domestic expansion at a cost of about 2 billion pounds ($3 billion) as it reported the first annual profit drop in almost 20 years.
Dumping the U.S. Fresh & Easy chain after about six years cut profit by 1.2 billion pounds, the Cheshunt, England-based supermarket company said today. Tesco also took an 804 million-pound charge to write down the value of property held for development as it opens fewer new stores at home, and announced charges in both its European and financial-services units.
Chief Executive Officer Philip Clarke is retreating from international markets and downsizing domestic store expansion as the grocer struggles to maintain its dominant share at home. The retailer, whose U.K. market share has slipped below 30 percent as customers have polarized toward discounters such as Aldi and upscale chains like Waitrose Ltd., plans to focus on growing its online and convenience-stores to meet changing shopping habits.
“All the writedowns were pretty messy, let’s hope it’s to just get all the bad news out at once and clear the decks,” said Paul Mumford, a fund manager and Tesco shareholder who helps manage 850 million pounds of investments for Cavendish Asset Management in London. “It’s going to be a long slog.”
Tesco fell as much as 4.8 percent in London trading. The drop was the steepest since Jan. 12, 2012, the day that the company cut profit guidance for the first time in years. The shares were down 3.3 percent at 372.35 pence as of 11:23 a.m.
“The market is a bit spooked but that’s not really warranted,” said Richard Marwood, who helps manage 554 billion euros ($730 billion) at Axa Investment Managers in London and holds Tesco stock. “Tesco is doing a bit of a clearout and with the aim of freeing up cash and that could be good news.”
The form of the U.S. exit has still to be determined, Tesco said, adding that Fresh & Easy will become a discontinued unit. Buyers have shown a “lot of interest” in the chain and Tesco is most attracted to those who want to take over Fresh & Easy as a going concern, Chief Financial Officer Laurie McIlwee told reporters on a conference call. He said it will take “at least another three months” before the withdrawal is complete.
Fresh & Easy is most likely to be split between competing buyers rather than sold in its entirety, according to David Gray, an analyst at Planet Retail in London.
Tesco has invested about 1 billion pounds in the U.S. since creating the business in 2007, targeting the West Coast with a series of neighborhood urban stores in a market dominated by big-box supermarkets. Fresh & Easy distinguishes itself with a focus on budget-priced, healthy food and a predominance of own-brand items. Tesco said Dec. 5 it would likely exit the U.S. after appointing investment bank Greenhill to undertake a strategic review of the El Segundo, California-based business.
After departing the U.S. “we’re in the right international markets for long-term growth,” Clarke said on the call.
Tesco said so-called trading profit fell 13 percent to 3.45 billion pounds in the year to Feb. 23, topping the 3.4 billion-pound median estimate of 12 analysts compiled by Bloomberg.
After including one-time charges and losses related to the U.S. withdrawal of 2.6 billion pounds, full-year net income plunged 96 percent to 120 million pounds, the statement shows.
Tesco booked a charge of 495 million pounds against full-year profit to reflect “differing growth prospects in today’s environment” for businesses it acquired in Poland, the Czech Republic and Turkey in the last two decades.
The retailer also charged 115 million pounds against annual profit for compensating customers of its banking unit who were improperly sold payment protection insurance prior to 2007. Banks including Lloyds Banking Group Plc, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and Barclays Plc have set aside more than 13 billion pounds to compensate customers who were mis-sold the insurance.
U.K. same-store revenue rose 0.5 percent in the final quarter, excluding gasoline and value-added tax, which Tesco said was the strongest growth in three years.
The growth still trailed competitors. J Sainsbury Plc last month reported a 3.6 percent gain in fourth-quarter sales on the same basis, while Marks & Spencer Group Plc said last week that U.K. food sales rose 4 percent at stores open at least a year.
Clarke is investing 1 billion pounds to smarten up the supermarkets and hire more staff in an effort to bolster the domestic business.
“The market is not entirely convinced by the work in progress,” said Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers in London. “It will be a slow process before the company can hope to recapture its former glory.”
International trading profit fell 22 percent to 990 million pounds. Same-store sales in the retailer’s European businesses declined 4.5 percent in the fourth quarter, the weakest performance in at least three years, hurt in particular by weak demand for non-food items, the company said.
Tesco’s Asian business has been hurt by new restrictions on opening hours in South Korea, pushing down trading profit in the region by 10 percent to 661 million pounds.
Tesco said it aims to deliver “mid-single digit” growth in trading profit in the years ahead and to increase dividends “broadly in line” with underlying earnings.
The retailer plans to pay an unchanged dividend for last year of 14.76 pence a share, which it said reflects confidence that measures being taken to revive the business “will set the group on track to resume growth in 2013/14 and beyond.”

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UK – British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer, Tesco has announced plans to use plastic waste collected from coastal areas in its fresh fish packaging.
The retailer claims that the move will prevent as much as 500 tonnes of discarded plastic from entering the oceans.
The supermarket’s salmon, haddock, cod, and sea bass lines are set to be sold in trays containing at least 30% recycled coastal plastic collected from beaches, coastlines, and coastal communities within 10km of the Mediterranean Sea.
This is hoped to facilitate the reduction of virgin plastics in both the packaging itself and at-risk environments near the ocean.
Sarah Bradbury, quality director at Tesco noted: “Where we can, we are reducing the amount of new plastic we use in our business.
“Re-using coastal plastic in our fish packaging is one way we can do that and at the same time keep it out of the oceans.”
The supermarket is working with the sustainability organization Keep Sea Blue to collect and recycle plastic waste, which will include litter such as drinks bottles which are at risk of getting into the sea.
Lefteris Bastakis, the founder of Keep Sea Blue, added: “Mismanaged plastic waste can only be solved by many partners working together.
“We are glad that Tesco is making a meaningful and active contribution to this program towards protecting the Mediterranean Sea from plastic pollution and building a more sustainable future.”
A network of collectors across the region – including local authorities, non-profits, volunteer groups, and the private sector – will apparently collect the plastic, at which point the PET packaging will be sorted, grinded, washed, and recycled to be utilized in food-grade packaging materials.
Keep Sea Blue plans to ensure full traceability by monitoring and certifying the circularity of the plastics via its Blockchain Platform, powered by Oracle Blockchain technology.
This is the latest sustainability push from Tesco, which recently launched plant-based tea bags to allow shoppers to compost these items through kerbside food waste collections.
To overcome any recycling confusion, the retailer said it will clearly label information on the correct way to compost tea bags in a food waste caddy across its newly designed packets of tea.
The new labeling will state: “We now make our tea bags out of plant-based material. Once used put your tea bag into your food waste bin. Our tea bags biodegrade into compost.”
This comes as a YouGov survey commissioned by Tesco found that shoppers are split on what to do with their used tea bags, with millions disposed of incorrectly.
For all the latest packaging and printing industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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New Open Charge network swaps RFID chips for smartphone apps in bid to make charging quicker and easier
POD Point, a supplier of electric vehicle charging stations, has this week launched a new network of charging stations that aim to make it easier for electric vehicle (EV) owners to charge up their vehicles....
Scheduled end of COP24 sails past as countries tussle over details of Paris Agreement Rulebook
Negotiators expect talks to run into the weekend, but hopes for finished rule book remain high
BusinessGreen brings you this week's green business news from around the world
Plans to link smart home energy appliances with its time-of-use tariff aimed at further boosting flexibility, cutting energy use and slashing emissions


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While Amazon's Prime Day wasn't a bust financially, it certainly was a failure in the popular imagination. The company's made-up holiday was designed to goose sales during a typically flagging time of year and try to get people signed up for Amazon Prime accounts.
It seems to have been a success in a business sense, with merchants reporting a boost in sales (the company isn't releasing exact numbers), but it received a pretty harsh drubbing on social media, as the complaints and issues around the event coalesced around the hashtag #PrimeDayFail.
The problems were multiple. There were technical issues, as some weren't even aware of the sale, or had trouble accessing the Prime Day deals:
But much more prevalent were two complaints: First, that the deals provided were so minimal as to be useless
Or, second, that the deals were on items that no one would actually want.
Indeed, the random assortment of items that were discounted suggested something less like a major sale from a huge retailer and more like your grandparents trying to get rid of the junk in their basement.
Which might have been exactly what it was. After all, there's gotta be a lot of useless junk in those Amazon warehouses that nobody wants, right?
Nicole Leinbach-Reyhle of Forbes observed that the campaign was a relative success on social media from a branding perspective, with the #PrimeDay hashtag being mentioned over 100,000 times, with high levels of engagement. But this is probably one of those cases where levels of engagement belie the fact Prime Day was being roundly mocked and complained about in those many, many mentions.
This is Amazon's first attempt at, well, creating a shopping holiday out of absolutely nothing, so it wasn't realistic to expect everything to go perfectly. However, it seems some planning and common sense about what should be put on sale, especially to its most loyal customers with Prime accounts, would have helped prevent such a amusingly memorable #PrimeDayFail.


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The Supreme Court has begun hearing oral arguments in what will undoubtedly be one of the most important cases to impact the entertainment industry in years. The four broadcast networks - ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox - are all trying to get tech start-up Aereo shut down. On the first day, the justices expressed their concerns about Aereo.
Aereo is a system that uses tiny antennae to broadcast free over-the-air transmissions online. The service can cost as little as $8, since Aereo is not paying the networks the same huge licensing fees the cable and satellite providers are. The networks believe that this is copyright infringement, especially since Aereo includes a DVR service. Aereo has said that it is just another tool consumers can use to access the free airwaves.
According to the Wall Street Journal, it appears that Aereo may have reasons to be nervous early. Chief Justice John Roberts said that the system appears to be designed specifically to get around copyrights. But then he noted that Aereo could be seen as a RadioShack store, just selling consumers a tool to see television.
The justices showed their full grasp of the technology in question, as they wondered if their decision may have an overall impact on cloud storage technology, notes TheWrap. They believe that an overreaching decision may impact how consumers can use remote storage cloud systems (like Apple’s iCloud).
“I have to understand the effect it will have on other technologies,” Roberts said during the arguments. Justice Stephen Breyer added, “I don't know how to get out of it.”
It’s difficult to say which way the Court will decide at such an early point in the arguments. A decision will not be announced until the end of June.


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Japan and Canada wrapped up their first round of negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement aimed at eliminating import tariffs on most products and strengthening overall economic relations, the Japanese government announced on Friday.
The Japanese delegation to the first round, held in Tokyo this week, was led by Jun Yokota, ambassador in charge of economic diplomacy, while the Canadian team was headed by Ian Burney, the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Department’s assistant deputy minister for trade policy and negotiations.
During their five-day talks, the Japanese and Canadian officials discussed how to proceed with future negotiations and issues in a wide range of areas, the Japanese government said in a statement. The second round of negotiations is scheduled to be held in Ottawa around next April, the Japanese government said.
This week’s meeting came eight months after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper agreed at a meeting in Tokyo to launch bilateral FTA negotiations.
According to Japanese government figures, Japan exported 709 billion yen ($8.5 billion) worth of products to Canada and imported 1.031 trillion yen ($12.4 billion) worth of goods from the North American country in 2011.
Japan’s main export items to Canada are autos and auto parts, general machinery and electronics goods, while its main import items from Canada are mineral fuels, agricultural products and forestry products.
In the FTA negotiations, Tokyo is expected to call for the abolition of Canadian import tariffs on Japanese autos, among other products, while Ottawa is expected to demand the elimination of Japanese import tariffs on Canadian farm products.
Through the trade pact with resource-rich Canada, Japan also wants to ensure stable supplies of resources, especially natural gas. Resource-poor Japan imports almost all of its natural gas as well as crude oil.
Japan imports natural gas in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is by far the world’s largest LNG importer. Demand for LNG has been rising sharply in Japan as an alternative fuel to atomic power in the wake of last year’s nuclear crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The U.S., Canada and Mexico are the partners of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). An FTA with Canada would be Japan’s first with one of the Group of Eight (G8) major countries — the U.S., Canada, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Russia.
Japan has so far seen its FTAs with 12 countries — Singapore, Mexico, Malaysia, Chile, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Switzerland, Vietnam, India and Peru — and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a whole going into effect.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.


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Noonsong has recently heard the news that global temperatures are rising. After getting to know that the unusual climate conditions are intensifying due to global warming, she started thinking about protecting the environment and became interested in eco-friendly consumption. She found out that various industries, including the food, fashion, and automobile industries, are inducing eco-friendly purchases, and questioned whether these products actually help to protect the environment.
The reason we're looking towards a corporate green trick
As climate disasters have become a hot topic around the world, people are concerned about environmental problems. This interest in the environment is also reflected in consumption. Consumers are starting to consider social values such as eco-friendly, coupled with the trend of "value consumption," where consumers actively express their individual beliefs in their consumption behavior. According to a survey released by the Korea Consumer Agency in June, 90.7 percent of 1,000 adults between the ages of 20 and 60 said they were willing to buy eco-friendly products, and 95.3 percent of them said they would buy eco-friendly products even if they were more expensive than ordinary products. This shows that even if the price is high, they are aiming for "value consumption," followed by making purchases if the company's products meet their beliefs, such as eco-friendliness and fairness. This consumption pattern is also spreading on SNS. The de-plastic movement, called the "Yong-gi-nae Challenge in Korea," is a campaign to pack food or ingredients in multi-use containers to reduce plastic use. Many people have demonstrated their participation in the challenge on their SNS, sharing the perception of environmental protection. Through this influence, eco-friendly consumption is becoming a trend.
As more consumers pursue value consumption, eco-friendly management has become an important strategy for companies to match their values. This is known as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) management, which refers to a company's actions in protecting the environment and complying with applicable laws and ethics. Recently, as ESG management has become influential, companies are scrambling to put out eco-friendly products and campaigns. In the cosmetic industry, campaigns such as plastic bottle collections, which recycle waste plastic into cosmetic containers can be found. On the other hand, unlike just the promotion of being environmentally friendly, there are increasing cases where effects are exaggerated or only corporate images are changed to eco-friendly. Greenwashing, the so-called "green lie," refers to an act in which a company exaggerates its claims of environmental awareness and protection in advertisements for its products or services, thereby gaining economic benefits from having an eco-friendly image. They use expressions such as "eco-friendly" even though there is no basis for this in the product, it is factually incorrect, or partially misleading. Greenwashing companies focus only on appearances to secure customers rather than efforts to protect the environment.
Eco-friendly business movements
ESG management is being implemented in various fields to meet the needs of consumers who value environmental protection. In the case of the food industry, it has a great impact on the environment due to problems with plastic use, such as packaging materials. In the aftermath of COVID-19, the demand for delivery services and home convenience food has increased along with plastic waste. In this situation, as consumers' demands for waste reduction increase, the food industry is actively introducing eco-friendly packaging methods. They have provided products such as label-free water bottles, bio-PET packaging materials, and have made consumers choose the presence and absence of disposable spoons and chopsticks when ordering delivery to decrease unnecessary plastic use. In addition, the food industry recommends the use of tumblers and is attempting to reduce disposable cups. To maximize consumer participation, a discount strategy has been utilized, which provides discounts when tumblers are used. In this regard, Starbucks has been offering a 400-won discount on beverage prices when using one's own tumbler since January 2022 as well as increasing the accumulation benefits for such uses. One office worker who received this benefit said, "I took a tumbler because I used to have a disposable cup every time I came back from eating with my colleagues during lunch time. Since I received a discount of a few hundred won each time, I started carrying one around."1) It indicates that the company has encouraged constant eco-friendly consumption through discounts while meeting the needs of consumers. As such, new strategies for eco-friendly management continue to emerge in the food industry.
In the fashion industry, fast fashion has acted as a universal distribution structure. Fast fashion means to quickly produce and distribute by reflecting consumers' preferences immediately according to trends. Due to this, it has been recognized as one of the largest waste emissions industries because of inventory and water waste. Therefore, the fashion industry is speeding up ESG management by promoting "sustainability." As part of this sustainability movement, recycling projects, which are clothing collection projects, have been proposed. Companies collect clothing and fabric products that consumers don't use. H&M has carried out its "Garment Collection Project," in which clothes that can be worn as second-hand clothes are sold, and clothes that are not suitable for re-wearing are used in their remake collection. All other clothes and fabrics are processed and reborn as fabric fibers or used to make insulation. Also, secondhand transactions have emerged as another way to solve environmental problems. An office worker said, "I often buy clothes through a used trading app because I think it is economically beneficial, and it helps the environment. I know fashion produces trash, but I can't help but buy the clothes I need, so I think buying secondhand is a good alternative in that situation."2) It shows that the secondhand transaction system presents a virtuous cycle structure that not only encourages eco-friendly behavior but also helps economically. As the number of people who trade secondhand fashion products increases, the fashion industry is applying a secondhand transaction system to recycle clothing. In this regard, the fashion industry is proposing ways to increase the utilization of inventory products so that already-produced clothes can be used in various ways without being thrown away.
The automobile industry is known as a carbon emission industry that generates greenhouse gasses during manufacturing and use. In line with the trend of responding to global climate change, companies have sought to become eco-friendly by promoting ESG management. As a result, they have introduced electric vehicles as eco-friendly car models. They have introduced electric vehicles, which are an eco-friendly alternative to existing internal combustion engine vehicles, due to running on electricity and converting surplus energy into electric energy with a regenerative braking system. In April 2020, Transportation and Environment (T&E), a European transportation NGO, announced that electric vehicles in the European Union (EU) generate about three times less carbon dioxide than internal combustion locomotives, no matter what power they use. Electric cars emit 90 grams of carbon dioxide on average, but diesel cars emit 2.6 times, and gasoline cars emit 2.8 times. This proves that when using a car, people can approach it a little more environmentally by choosing an electric car. The Ministry of Environment provides subsidies to people who buy electric cars and reduces taxes on cars to boost their purchases. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, only 7.6 percent of the total number of new cars registered in the first quarter of 2023 was electric, but in March, the proportion of electric vehicles increased to 12.5 percent out of a total of 170,000 new cars registered.3) Along with the benefits, the purchase of electric vehicles by value consumers is increasing. In recent years, most of the automobile industry has been conducting eco-friendly management by following the trend of switching from existing internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles.
Lies washing into green
In the food industry, Starbucks is showing eco-friendly management by encouraging the use of tumblers. Starbucks Korea recommends eco-friendly consumption to consumers by designating the 10th of each month as a disposable cup-free day and continuously implementing a campaign to encourage multi-use cups. In September 2021, it held a "Reusable Cup Day" event at stores nationwide to commemorate its 50th anniversary. On this day, more people than usual flocked to buy a limited-edition multi-use cup that was only available for a day. They said it was a global customer event designed to convey an eco-friendly message, but the event was criticized by people because of the multi-use cups, saying that they were practically new plastic waste. Starbucks reusable cups are made of polypropylene, which is stronger than conventional disposable cups and can be used several times, but greenhouse gasses are emitted during the manufacturing, cleaning, and disposal process. Their production and disposal process emits about 3.5 times more than that of disposable cups, so people can get eco-friendly effects when they use them more than four times. According to a consumer who participated in the campaign, she said "Starbucks regularly holds various events, and the products are mostly made of plastic. I think they are trying to sell a lot of drinks by attracting consumers with goods rather than being eco-friendly."4) This suggests that the Starbucks eco-friendly event is marketing for corporate profit, and only profitable aspects are considered. As such, Starbucks has been promoting itself in an eco-friendly way through events, but in fact, it is engaging in greenwashing in that it is still affecting the environment.
This aspect of greenwashing is also seen in the fashion industry. Fast fashion's flagship brand H&M introduced the eco-friendly line "Conscious Collection" and marketed it as being made from organic cotton and using 20 percent less water than regular clothing. However, in July 2021, according to the Changing Markets Foundation (CMF)'s 'Fashion Brands' Addiction to Fossil Fuels,' the products had a synthetic fiber ratio of almost 70 percent and used 20 percent more water than regular clothing. Although it was promoted as using eco-friendly materials, it was made from mostly synthetic fibers, and the amount of water used during the production process was manipulated. This relates to greenwashing in that it did not provide sufficient evidence, such as third-party authentication or reliable information, and advertised false attributes. As such, in the fashion industry, consumers often misunderstand a product as being made of 100% recycled fiber when it is only a part of the item because the exact information is not displayed properly. According to the product information provision notice of 8 Seconds' "Sustainability Label" product line, the proportion of synthetic fibers is listed only as "Exterior: 51% nylon, lining: 100% polyester." It does not specify which of these synthetic fibers are recycled materials and how much of each is used. Baek Na-yoon, an activist at the Korea Federation of Environmental Movement, said, "The recycled fiber ratio is important information to evaluate how eco-friendly the product is. Standards should be established for information disclosure."5) It is difficult to recognize a product as an eco-friendly product because the recycled fiber used in the clothing cannot be known from the product description alone. It seems necessary to transparently disclose the eco-friendly process to consumers in the fashion industry.
The automobile industry has introduced eco-friendly innovative technology called electric vehicles, but it is still contributing. Hyundai Motor Company has announced plans to change 100 percent of its major market to electric vehicles by 2040, declaring its carbon neutrality vision and goal for 2045. As part of this, in 2022, Hyundai joined the "RE 100" initiative, which will join in converting electricity needed for operations around the world into renewable energy. RE 100-affiliated companies should meet the goal of using 100 percent of the electricity they need from eco-friendly renewable energy sources by 2050. In these circumstances, the NEXO advertisement on Hyundai's website has become a problem. It introduced NEXO as "so beautifully clean, it purifies the air as it goes." The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) designated Hyundai's NEXO as a misleading advertisement in relation to the environment. In response, the ASA questioned whether hydrogen cars could purify the air, although they could mean cleaner air. According to Hyundai, the NEXO's three-stage air purification system cleans 26.9 kilograms of air when it runs for one hour. However, the ASA regulated the advertisement, arguing that cars are still polluting due to small particles from brakes and tires and that it could mislead consumers into thinking that cars don't leave impurities in the air. This is greenwashing in that it was labeled as environmentally friendly based on some of its eco-friendly elements. As such, the automobile industry emphasizes some eco-friendly functions to cover the environmental impact that occurs in other parts and to deceive eco-friendly eyes.
For truly valuable consumption
With the recent emergence of value consumption among consumers, eco-friendly value consumption in consideration of the environment is increasing. As a result, the company is introducing ESG management to advance eco-friendly management strategies. The food, fashion, and automobile industries are committed to delivering eco-friendly products in line with ESG management trends. However, there are some companies that abuse eco-friendly marketing, called greenwashing. As the market for eco-friendly products grows, clear regulation and monitoring seem to be needed.
1) Ju So-hyun, "I Get 700 Won Discount Every Time I Go to Starbucks! Tips to know", The Herald Business, August 31, 2023
2) Kwak Eun-young, "Fashion Industry Jumps Into Used Market…"Practice ESG With Circulation"", womentimes, April 5, 2023
3) Jeon Hue-sung, "In the First Quarter, Consumer Electric Vehicle Purchases increased..the Strongest Electric Car Is EV6", CONSUMERWIDE, April 12, 2023
4) Yang Joon-gyu, "Only Words Are Eco-Friendly, the Inside Is Detailed…Show-Through ESG 'Green Washing' Warnings", SkyeDaily, Oct 29, 2021
5) Kim Hyun-jong, "The Clothes Called 'Recycling Clothes'...Ask About the Actual Recycled Fiber Percentage", The Hankook Ilbo, Nov 16, 2022


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Pubs, restaurants, hotels and coffee chains ban e-cigarettes even as experts insist they are acting on bad advice from the WHO
- Bans come after UN health body advised curbs on indoor use and ads
- Addiction experts say the WHO findings are riddled with errors
- British Medical Association supports bans in line with no-smoking policy
Cool again? A fashion model poses with an e-cigarette, which have now been banned from a string of pubs, restaurants, coffee chains and hotels
E-cigarette users face widespread bans on the devices in pubs, restaurants and coffee chains.
Starbucks, Caffe Nero, All Bar One, Nicholson's pubs and KFC have joined public transport companies and airlines in banning the use of e-cigarettes in their branches.
It comes after a widely criticised World Health Organisation report this summer which bans on indoor use, advertising and sales to minors.
Uptake of e-cigarettes, which use battery-powered cartridges to produce a nicotine-laced vapour, has rocketed in the past two years, but there is fierce debate about their potential risks and benefits.
Because they are new, there's little scientific evidence on their safety. Some experts fear they could be a gateway to tobacco smoking, while others say they have potential to help millions of smokers kick the habit.
But there's little patience for solid scientific findings. the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Gallery, the Royal Opera House and the Natural History Museum have all banned e-cigarettes, The Sunday Times reports.
'The bans are shortsighted,' said Michael Clapper, chairman of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association and co-founder of e-cigarette company Vapestick.
'The vapour release from electronic cigarettes is not harmful to bystanders... This will alienate customers who use electronic cigarettes.'
While regular cigarettes release deadly carcinogens and toxins along with their nicotine payload, and kill more than 6million people a year, e-cigarettes are said to be significantly less harmful.
But in August the WHO, the United Nations health body, commissioned a review of e-cigarettes calling for stiff regulation on their use similar to that applied to normal tobacco products.
A group of tobacco addiction experts who critiqued the report said the WHO's findings were riddled with errors, misinterpretations and misrepresentations, meaning policymakers may miss their potential health benefits.
Risks: Because e-cigs are new, there's little scientific evidence on their safety. Some experts fear they could be a gateway to tobacco smoking, while others say they have potential to help millions kick the habit
Ann McNeill, a researcher at the national addiction centre at King's College London, said: 'I was shocked and surprised when I read it. I felt it was an inaccurate portrayal of the evidence on e-cigarettes.'
McNeill said that while e-cigarettes are relatively new and 'we certainly don't yet have all the answers as to their long-term health impact', it is clear they are far safer than cigarettes.
E-CIGARETTES: BY NUMBERS
- £1.8billion - the value of the e-cigarette market globally
- £91 million - the value of e-cigarette market in UK
- 29million people now using e-cigarettes in Europe
- 700,000 Britons used e cigarettes in 2012
- 2.1million Britons use e cigarettes today
- 13 per cent of doctors polled in UK want e-cigarettes available only on prescription
- 1,000 times less - the toxicity of vapour in e-cigarettes compared with cigarette smoke
- 2003 - the year e-cigarettes were invented in China
Her co-author Peter Hajek of the tobacco dependence research unit at Queen Mary, University of London, said it was vital that e-cigarettes should be assessed in relation to the known harms of tobacco cigarettes.
'There are currently two products competing for smokers' custom,' he said. 'One - the conventional cigarette - endangers users and bystanders and recruits new customers from among non-smoking children who try it.
'The other - the e-cigarette - is orders of magnitude safer, poses no risk to bystanders, and generates negligible rates of regular use among non-smoking children who try it.'
But the British Medical Association said it supported bans, in line with its no-smoking policy.
Sheila Hollins, chairman of the BMA's board of science, told The Sunday Times: 'Stronger controls are needed on where e-cigarettes can be used to protect others from exposure, to ensure their use does not undermine existing restrictions on smoke-free public places ... and to guarantee the use of e-cigarettes does not reinforce the normalcy of smoking behaviour.'
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- Jamal Khashoggi calls Mohammed Bin Salman 'a tribal leader'
- British man and Nazi pilot seems to share similar facial features
- Hilarious moment adorable boy mispronounces 'centipede'
- Prince Harry and Meghan take part in 'Fluro Friday' at Bondi Beach


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Tesla Motors Inc. has ended its resale guarantee program in North America. The program, which began in 2013, guaranteed that Tesla vehicles would have a higher resale value after three years than premium sedans from manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes. Tesla Motors Inc. on Wednesday cut the starting price of its Model X to 74,000 for a more limited-range version of its sport utility vehicle as the electric carmaker tries to boost sales. The new Model X 60D has a range of 200 miles, compared with 237 miles for its prior entry-level version, the... Tesla Motors Inc. on Wednesday cut the starting price of its Model X to 74,000 for a more limited-range version of its sport utility vehicle as the electric carmaker tries to boost sales. The new Model X 60D has a range of 200 miles, compared with 237 miles for its prior entry-level version, the... Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk personally backed the program, saying he wanted to give buyers peace of mind.
Tesla has heavily discounted two of its high-end vehicles. The electric car maker now sells long-range versions of the Model S sedan for $83,000, down from $96,000, and the Model X crossover SUV for $88,000, also down from $96,000. It comes after Tesla on Thursday released the long-awaited base version of the Model 3, which starts at $35,000. Tesla has discounted two of its high-end vehicles. Tesla has finally launched the $35,000 Model 3. In addition to slashing the long-range versions, the Model S Performance version now costs $99,000, compared to $112,000.
Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Thursday that Model 3s ordered in the United States by the end of this month will be delivered by Dec. 31, as the electric carmaker tries to take advantage of tax breaks. 'Tesla just acquired trucking capacity to ensure Model 3 can be delivered in U.S. by Dec 31 if ordered by Nov 30,' Musk tweeted. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for more details about the acquisition. Tesla introduced a new $45,000 version of its Model 3 sedan on its website last month, launching the car as U.S. tax breaks for Tesla cars are about to decrease Tesla had earlier said that orders placed by Oct.15 will be delivered by the end of the year. The electric carmaker has until the end of the year to hand out tax credits of $7,500 to customers.
BEIJING - Tesla Inc has slashed up to $14,000 off its Model X in China after Beijing announced major tariff cuts for imported automobiles, a potential sales boost for the U.S. firm as the world's largest auto market pivots towards electric cars. The carmaker will lower prices of its Model S and Model X cars by just over 6 percent, a Beijing-based sales representative told Reuters on Wednesday. China said on Tuesday it will cut import tariffs for automobiles to 15 percent from 25 percent, a fillip for premium car brands like Tesla and BMW which import a significant number of vehicles. Tesla said on Tuesday that any of its cars sold in China would be subject to adjusted prices, even before the tariff change comes into effect on July 1. The price of a top-of-the range Model X will be cut to 1.3 million yuan ($203,830) but that remains well above the $140,000 cash price-tag before savings for the priciest version in the United States - Tesla's Model X P100D.
Tesla has finally added a $35,000 sedan to its Model 3 line-up. CEO Elon Musk has been promising the mass market price tag since the firm first unveiled the Model 3 back in 2016, but has struggled to hit that goal in the time since. But, just last month Musk said he hoped the lowest price version would be here before the end of the year. After the CEO teased an announcement in a series of cryptic tweets earlier this week, the electric car-maker quietly added a Standard Range Model to its online shop, starting at $35,000 before savings. CEO Elon Musk has been promising the mass market price tag since the firm first unveiled the Model 3 back in 2016, but has struggled to hit that goal in the time since.


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According to the last data from National Bureau of Statistics released on Saturday, it costs Nigerians an average of N355.80 to purchase a litre of kerosene. This is N158.17 more when compared to the N197.63 the product was sold for in July of 2015.
Also, a gallon of kerosene in the last six years has increased by N573, from N640.47 in January 2015 to N1214.24 in February 2021.
The use of kerosine remains one of the popular choices for many households when preparing their meals.
Month-on-month, the average price per litre paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene increased by 1.50 percent and by 8.83 percent year-on-year to N355.80 in February 2021 from N350.55 in January 2021.
States with the highest average price per litre of kerosene were Taraba (N448.33), Benue (N447.50) and Ebonyi (N435.00).
States with the lowest average price per litre of kerosene were Bayelsa (N206.94), Yobe (N297.28) and Zamfara (N305.13).
Similarly, a 5kg of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (cooking gas), which the federal government has been urging Nigerians to adopt, has seen its average price increase from 1,841.29 in January 2016 to N2,018.21 in February 2021 representing a difference of N627.74 in the last five years.
The February 2021 price is the highest amount paid for a 5kg cooking gas in the last 13 months.
The increase is even higher for Nigerians trying to fill a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas.
As at January 2016, Nigerians paid N3676.46 the latest average price is now N4363.51 a difference of N687.05.
Month on month, price for refilling a 5kg increased by 1.18% year-on-year to N2,018.91 in February 2021 from N1,949.02 in January 2021.
States with the lowest average price for the refilling of a 5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) were Ebonyi (N1,756.25), Kogi (N1,775.00) and Jigawa (N1,795.00).


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Samsung Galaxy M31 launched: Xiaomi, realme should watch this $200 phone
Samsung’s online-exclusive mid-tier M series has a brand new member on board. The company has launched the Samsung Galaxy M31 in India as a successor to last year’s Galaxy M30 series.
The new Galaxy M31 goes head-on against the likes of the POCO X2, realme X2 and the Redmi Note 8 Pro in terms of pricing. Samsung has done well for itself by launching smartphones that can give its Chinese rivals some real competition, although the X2 phones have a refresh rate and horsepower advantage.
Nevertheless, Samsung’s Galaxy A and M series offer consumers good incentives in terms of price and specs, making them stand out in the clutter of Chinese smartphones, especially in markets like India.
So what’s so special about the Samsung Galaxy M31? Let’s take a look.
Samsung Galaxy M31 specs
Samsung touts three special selling points for the new Galaxy M31. These include: a 64MP quad camera setup, an AMOLED display, and a massive 6,000mAh battery. Let’s further break down these specs for you.
The phone features a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U display. The U-shaped notch rests in the middle of the screen. It is powered by the distinctly mid-range Exynos 9611 octa-core chipset coupled with 6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB storage, which can be further expanded to 512GB.
In the camera department, the Galaxy M31 combines a 64MP main sensor, a 5MP macro sensor, a 5MP depth camera, and an 8MP ultra-wide shooter. At the front is a 32MP selfie snapper. Samsung has added a dedicated Night Mode to camera. It’s also capable of 4K video recording from both the front and back cameras, as well as super slo-mo and hyper lapse videos.
Samsung claims the phone’s 6,000mAh battery can easily last you for two days of usage. The company further breaks this up into different types of usage: Up to 21 hours for internet (Wi-Fi, standard), up to 48 hours for calls, up to 26 hours for video playback, and up to 119 hours for music play back.
Of course, no one really uses their phone for only one of these things at a time and we’d have to test these claims to verify their authenticity. However, 6,000mAh is enough juice to give you at least a day’s worth of usage, if not two whole days.
There’s also a 15W charger in the pack to enable fast charging.
The Galaxy M31 comes in at Rs 14,999 (~$208) for the 64GB memory variant and Rs 15,999 (~$222) for the 128GB storage configuration. At that price point, it’s a pretty attractive buy for the features it offers. As we said before, it competes with some very popular phones from Xiaomi and realme in the same price bracket.
The phone will be available from Amazon India starting March 5 in Ocean Blue and Space Black colorways.
It’s good to see Samsung stepping up its game in the under Rs 20,000 (~$278) segment in India. That category is usually ruled by Chinese smartphone makers who will likely be feeling the heat right about now.


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Subscribe to our industry digest newsletter: the latest authoritative marketing news, trends, and stats on social media stars
This week our original blog content focused on the fate of today’s biggest YouTube MCNs, 5 brands that are simply crushing Snapchat marketing, and how retail giant Zara got to 10 million Instagram followers almost overnight. We also examined Hawaii’s outrageously successful #LetHaiwaiiHappen campaign and looked at how brands can reach customers through creative YouTube product placements.
For our Friday The 13th influencer marketing roundup and recap, we look into Instagram’s big rebrand, explore social media stars’ increasing ability to influence purchasing decisions, delve into why big brands like Victoria Secret and Starbucks are experimenting with advertising on the new social media polling platform Wishbone, and more.
A survey of over 11,000 women by Adweek and Influenster, a product review site, found that 75% of U.S. female social media users interact with brands digitally multiple times per week, either through the company’s website, the brand’s social media account, or through branded content. Of the women surveyed, only 1% said they never interact with brands online (eMarketer). Companies that traditionally market to women, therefore, must have a strong social media marketing presence in order to capture the attention of the majority of female consumers.
According to a recent Think With Google survey, 60% of YouTube subscribers would follow the advice of their favorite YouTuber over a traditional celebrity when it comes to making a purchase. The report also cites that 40% of consumers visited an online or brick-and-mortar store after seeing a branded YouTube video on their smartphone, and 28% of those same consumers ended up purchasing a product or service.
Related Post: Why Millennials Trust Reviews From Top YouTubers
In the company’s first major rebrand in years, Instagram has updated its iconic “Polaroid-style” camera logo, replacing the beloved icon with a sleek, modern camera and multi-colored design. In addition to updating the logo, Instagram has simplified its user interface, opting for a minimalist design that allows photos and videos to capture users’ attention. “We believe the color should come directly from the community’s photos and videos,” said Ian Spalter, Instagram’s Head of Design (Marketing Dive).
Related Post: Why Every Brand Needs An Instagram Marketing Strategy
A recent joint study by Twitter and Annalect, an analytics firm, discovered that 40% of survey respondents have purchased an item online after seeing it promoted by a social media influencer on Twitter or seeing it used by an Instagrammer, YouTuber, or Viner. The study also found that product sales increased 2.7 times when users are exposed to tweets from brands and increased 5.2 times when users are exposed to tweets from both brands and brand-sponsored influencers (Adweek).
According to Digiday, Wishbone, a tap-to-vote survey/polling app, has attracted 4 million monthly active users since the platform launched a year ago. Victoria’s Secret, Sephora, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Starbucks have all started experimenting with advertising on Wishbone to market to the app’s primarily teenage, female user-base.


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Digital maps company HERE, controlled by German carmakers BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen, aims to find a new investor by the end of the year, HERE chief Edzard Overbeek told a German newspaper.
“The carmakers want to open the circle of shareholders. We are talking to dozens of parties interested in taking a stake,” daily Handelsblatt quoted Overbeek as saying in an interview published on Tuesday.
Germany’s luxury automotive groups including Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen’s Audi division, and BMW bought HERE for 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) from Nokia (NOK) last year to create an alternative digital mapping business to Google (GOOGL).
Daimler confirmed in April it was in talks with Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) about taking a minority stake in HERE. Auto supplier Bosch has also said it was in talks with HERE.
“It is important to find the right mixture of owners … Partners from the IT sector, from logistics or retail are possible,” Overbeek said, according to the newspaper, without naming any possible investors.
Intelligent mapping systems supply information to control self-driving cars, which are equipped with street-scanning sensors to measure traffic and road conditions. This location data can in turn be shared with other map users.


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The Reaver skin bundle was the first collection in Valorant that introduced evolving features like custom reticles and significantly changed the weapon shapes. While the bundle received an insane amount of popularity in the closed beta phase of the tactical shooter, it was removed from the game since the official launch on June 4.
However, after all these months, it seems like Riot is planning to bring back an improved version of the fan-favourite bundle to Valorant.
The revamped Reaver bundle comes as a surprise for fans on Halloween, but the release date will be delayed by a few days due to the unfortunate technical difficulties that arose following the release of patch 1.11, a patch that was later rolled back till the issues got resolved.
Valorant ‘Reaver Skin Collection’ Release Date
Riot has confirmed in a recent tweet that the Reaver bundle will be available in the game from November 3rd, a day after the patch drops on November 2nd.
Players who are planning to get themselves the Singularity collection are advised to purchase it before the Reaver release, since the Reaver collection is set to replace Singularity in the store.


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from the inbox:
Today Gov. Rendell signed into law a measure championed by state Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, which strengthens Pennsylvania’s trademark counterfeiting law.
Act 74 will reinstate trademark protections that were overturned by a technicality last October by the state Supreme Court and will clarify the offense of trademark counterfeiting. Since the ruling last year, law enforcement agents have been limited to misdemeanor charges in trademark counterfeiting cases.
"Over the past year I’ve been leading the effort to close this gaping hole in our law," explained Shapiro. "This bill will punish trademark counterfeiters and ensure that products sold to Pennsylvanians are legitimate. This is an important tool needed to protect businesses and consumers in our state."
The bill signed into law today clarifies what constitutes trademark infringement and creates criminal penalties that include the forfeiture of the counterfeited goods and any profits derived from selling the counterfeited goods. The bill also requires the counterfeiter to pay restitution to cover the cost of discovering the counterfeiting, and finally, commands the destruction of the counterfeited goods.


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BANGKOK (NNT) – The Department of Foreign Trade has been promoting innovative agricultural products development through the Institute for Agricultural Product Innovation.
Now, with some 700 new products developed, the institute is ready to join hands with major retailers to sell these products to customers.
Some 60 innovative agricultural products, including foods and non-food health and beauty products, have been selected by the Agricultural Product Innovation (APi) from 16 manufacturers and are now featured at APi Festival at Big C event at Big C Ratchadamri shopping center in Bangkok to expand marketing opportunities for these products at modern shopping centers, and raising the awareness of these products among Thai people and tourists.
A similar event is also being held at Big C Ratchada shopping center from now until 13 June.
The Department of Foreign Trade Director General Adul Chotinisakorn revealed the department is planned to hold similar events in June and July at Central Festival shopping centers in tourism provinces, namely Chonburi, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, to introduce innovative agricultural products to international customers, showing the quality and standard of Thai innovative farm products on par with those imported from foreign countries, and can meet the needs of modern lifestyle well.
Thailand’s H1 Investment Applications rise 158% in combined value, BOI says
Japanese firms ranked first with 87 projects worth 42.8 billion baht, followed by investments from the U.S. with 18 projects worth 24.1 billion baht, and China with 63 projects worth 18.6 billion baht.
In the first six months of 2021, Thailand’s investment applications increased 14% from the year earlier period in terms of the number of projects, and 158% in combined value, led by increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) applications, sustained growth in target industries including the electronics and medical sectors, as well as in power generation, the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) said.(more…)
Large Shopping Malls in Bangkok Will Be Closed until July 25th
Shopping malls under the Mall Group, including all branches of The Mall, the Emporium, Emquartier and Paragon Department Store, are also closed for 14 days, from today, except for supermarkets, food courts, pharmacy shops, eateries (take-out and delivery only), banks, mobile phone shops and vaccination sites.
Thailand Raises Public Debt Ceiling from 60% to 70% of GDP
Thailand’s State Monetary and Fiscal Policy Committee has decided to raise the ceiling of the public debt-to-GDP ratio from 60%...
Thailand Approves Package to Attract Wealthy Foreigners and Professionals
Thailand’s Cabinet has approved an economic stimulus and investment promotion package aimed at attracting wealthy foreigners and highly skilled professionals...
The Role of Telemedicine Today: During and Beyond the COVID-19
Lockdowns, quarantine periods, and hospitals fast filling to the brink needed the medical community to come up with solutions fast....
Malaysia, Thailand banks to join the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework
Banking institutions from Thailand and Malaysia are invited to join the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework and indicate their interest to...
Climate Change Could Force 49 Million People to Migrate in East Asia and the Pacific
Out-migration hotspots in agricultural areas of central Thailand and Myanmar coincide with areas expected to see declines in both water...


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We’re extremely pleased with the launch of MySpace Music—clearly our users around the world are engaged and excited about the new music experience on MySpace. We’ve hit some incredible milestones in only a few days—some of the numbers you’re reading about are already out of date. We can confirm that we hit a milestone of one billion music streams in only a few days after launching the new product however because this number may be inflated by the high profile launch and accompanying promotional push, we will be looking to our metrics on engagement and unique users which will tell a much richer story on how positively the community is responding to the new music experience. We will continue to keep you posted on the response to MySpace Music.OK, now it's time to get back to streaming Abba on our MySpace page.
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Ubisoft confirmed last month that it would add New Game Plus and a Permadeath mode to Assassin’s Creed Mirage with a free update in December, but it seems those plans have been slightly altered. While New Game Plus will arrive on schedule, Permadeath mode will be added a little later.
In a tweet late last week, Ubisoft confirmed that New Game Plus will be added to Assassin’s Creed Mirage sometime this week, and that it will also add new rewards that players can aim for. That said, the Permadeath mode has been delayed and is now expected to release sometime in early 2024. An exact release date for the update has not yet been confirmed.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One and PC.


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The New Piedmont Highlanders
Every school has a special, cherished story from their past that sparks innovation in the future.
Gridiron Labs worked with Steve Humphries, media director and longtime brand ambassador, to donate a new brand strategy to Piedmont High School, a championship school with a very gender-diverse athletic program. We aimed to mold a forward-thinking system of elegance, bravery, and Scottish tradition that appeals equally to male & female athletes.
A series of polls and votes by the leadership, staff, student body, and alumni molded this brand into a widely accepted movement that had an 85% popularity rating. The outcome has resulted in a steady increase in student merchandise, apparel and fan gear sales with the new brand language.


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McLaren will begin deliveries of the limited-speed Speedtail hypercar in 2020September 22, 2019
Last fall, McLaren unveiled the impressive Speedtail, which will be released in a limited quantity of 106 units.
Deliveries will begin in 2020. All models are already sold out, despite the fact that the official debut of the novelty has not yet taken place. Full technical details will be announced in the near future, but the company has already revealed the characteristics of its latest model.
Speedtail can accelerate to 403 km / h) in just 12.8 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds faster than the Bugatti Chiron !. This was made possible thanks to a plug-in hybrid transmission, which is equipped with a 4.0-liter Twin-Turbo V8 engine with an electric motor with a total capacity of 1,035 liters. from. with 1,150 Nm of torque.
The interior has an identical arrangement of elements, as in the F-1 models. The difference is that the driver’s seat is located in the center, and two additional seats, one on each side, are located slightly behind. The price of such a hypercar reaches $ 5.5 million.
- The new polymer electrolyte will increase the power reserve of electric vehicles by up to 50%
- Musk announced the launch of Tesla’s own insurance company
- Musk: “Tesla’s autopilot is already taking me to work almost independently”
- Ducati unveils a new electric bike for every occasion
- Musk wants mining companies to mine more nickel


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The UK-based sports car manufacturer Noble has officially released their brand new 2011 Noble M600 to the public here in Monaco. The production ready M600, shown on the pictures below, is expected to start deliveries this April.
The 4.4 liter V8 engine is coupled to a pair of turbochargers. Noble is offering three different versions, starting at 450bhp up to 550bhp and ending with the top-model having 650 horses under the hood. Sprinttime from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) will be done in just 3.0 flat and the sprint will continue up to topspeed of 360km/h (225mph).
Stay tuned for more regarding the M600.


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Heineken says it’s leaving Russia, following rival Carlsberg.
The Dutch brewer Heineken announced Monday that it was getting out of Russia, a move that highlights the pressure multinational firms are facing to go beyond merely pausing operations in the country and follows in the footsteps of Heineken’s rival Carlsberg.
Heineken’s strategy in Russia has evolved as the war has stretched into a second month. The Dutch company first said it would stop new investments and exports to Russia, and then, about three weeks ago, it said it would stop making, advertising and selling Heineken products there.
On Monday, it signaled a more definitive break from Russia. “We have concluded that Heineken’s ownership of the business in Russia is no longer sustainable nor viable in the current environment,” the company said. Heineken will continue reduced operations in Russia — for the safety of its employees and to “minimize the risk of nationalization,” or being brought under state ownership, the beer maker said — until it can find a buyer for the business.
Facing sanctions and a corporate exodus, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has threatened to take control of Western businesses’ assets in the country.
Heineken’s departure also illustrates how companies are trying to balance fealty to shareholders, employees and society. Heineken’s decision followed a similar path to that of the Danish brewer Carlsberg, which has a much bigger exposure to Russia than the Dutch company. Carlsberg said last week that it was also seeking to sell its Russian business.
Heineken said it would guarantee pay for its 1,800 employees in Russia through the end of the year. Pulling out of Russia will cost Heineken, which has about 82,000 workers across the world, about 400 million euros, according to the company.
The public’s shifting expectations of companies have informed the corporate response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. For instance, although Heineken was criticized for continuing to brew beer in Rwanda during the genocide there, it didn’t face as much of a backlash. And Coca-Cola sold drinks in Nazi Germany.
For all the latest business News Click Here


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The Telegraph titles will start charging readers for online access from today, the group announced.
The Daily and Sunday versions are following in the footsteps of the Times and Sunday Times by introducing a paywall for its website.
It is being introduced to the UK site after a similar "metered" system was trialled on the international version of the website.
Readers will have a choice of two different packages after using up their quota of 20 free stories per month.
They will be offered a free month's trial before being asked to commit to a subscription.
Telegraph Media Group said today the international version has seen nine out of 10 people going on to subscribe after taking up the free trial.
The "Telegraph Web Pack" package will give unlimited access to the website and to smartphone apps for £1.99 per month, or £20 per year.
The full "Digital Pack" costing £9.99 a month - £99 for the year - will also give access to the daily and Sunday papers on tablet devices, and a loyalty club.
Readers who already subscribe to the print title will be given access to tablet editions, the website and apps for no extra cost.
The Telegraph titles will become the first UK national papers to adopt the meter system. The Times and Sunday Times allow no access without charges.
The editor of the Daily Telegraph Tony Gallagher said: "The Telegraph publishes the finest writers in Britain.
"We want to develop a closer rapport with our digital audience in the UK, and we intend to unveil a number of compelling digital products for our loyal subscribers in the months ahead."
- More about:
- Information Technology
- Newspapers And Magazines
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- The Sunday Times
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SoundOut Retail and WGSN have developed a customer insight tool designed to anticipate successful items before they hit stores.
The new service will allow retailers to test consumer reaction to key variants such as new products, collections, sizes and prices, and receive feedback as quickly as overnight.
SoundOut’s technology was originally developed for the music industry and is used by major UK and US record labels and radio stations to predict hits before they are released.
It works by linking to hundreds of thousands of trusted reviewers who provide fast, honest feedback on new products. The results are then analysed and presented in a detailed, actionable format.
The predictive analysis company has teamed up with trend forecaster and Drapers stablemate WGSN to introduce the service to the fashion industry. It will launch early next year in the UK and US.
SoundOut founder and chief executive David Courtier-Dutton said: “Together we can jointly offer clients a truly unique product to help them respond to the ever-faster business of fashion with clarity and certainty.”
Like Drapers, WGSN is part of Top Right Group.


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Marcus "Notch" Persson, the lead game designer for the popular virtual sandbox game Minecraft, has recently announced on his blog that he will be stepping down from his current position for the video game. Jens Bergensten, who was previously another main developer of the company Mojang, will instead handle future updates to the now officially released game. Notch has mentioned on his recent blog post that Bergensten will now have the final say in overall design decisions, and he specifically had this to say on his blog page:
"We’ve been working together on Minecraft for a year now, and I’m amazed at how much in synch we two are when it comes to how to design the game. And when we don’t agree, we discuss it and something much better comes out at a result. He’s truly a great person to work with, and I feel very confident handing over the leadership of Minecraft to him."
Minecraft is an incredibly popular independent game, which was mostly worked on by the company Mojang, which was initially known as Mojang Specifications. The company, which was founded by Notch on May 2009, is a Swedish video game developer, which currently consists of about thirteen employees. Their biggest game of course is Minecraft, which has so far officially been released as a computer download on their website and more recently for both iOS and Android handheld platforms. As of last month, the game has sold over 4 million total copies (also counting the sales made from releases in the game's alpha and beta states).
Their next project is a game called Scrolls. This upcoming title, which is in development, will feature card and board game elements. An official release date is not currently known. The game had previously been noticed by the press in its involvement with a course case with Bethesda over the name, a case that Team Mojang has officially won. You can read more about the case results here.
» Source: http://www.1up.com/news/minecraft-creator-moving-new-projects
» Comments: 10


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Washington, April 27 (IANS) The White House is considering announcing US’s unilateral withdrawal from the NAFTA signed with Mexico and Canada, media reports said on Wednesday citing a draft of the executive order, which is under discussion.
Via this prospective executive order, the government of President Donald Trump would resort to the clause included in the trade pact, inaugurated in 1994, allowing a member to withdraw from the agreement six months after providing formal notification to the other members, Efe news reported.
The draft had been created by Peter Navarro, the director both of Trade and Industrial Policy and of the White House National Trade Council, and by key Trump strategist Steve Bannon, Politico reported.
However, it said that the text is in its initial stages of discussion and could be revised and become part of other proposals on the North American Free Trade Agreement that the President is considering.
In this case, the aim would not be so much to withdraw from NAFTA, which Trump has called a “disaster” for the US, but rather to force Mexico and Canada to more fully engage in renegotiating the trade pact.
Trump said last week that NAFTA had been extremely bad for US companies and workers and he was intending to make big changes in it or take the US out of it once and for all.
Although initially, Trump had directed his anti-NAFTA attacks primarily at Mexico, this week the administration announced the implementation of tariffs on Canadian lumber imports.


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Some grocery stores will stay open tomorrow while government office buildings will be closed and recycling and garbage pickup will be moved to the next day.
WOODSTOCK - Tomorrow is the Civic Holiday and there will be some businesses that will remain open and other establishments that will be closed.
Some grocery stores will stay open, including the Wal-Mart Woodstock Supercentre and Shoppers Drug Mart will remain open.
Government office buildings will be closed and recycling and garbage pickup will be moved to Tuesday, August 4th. Also, Woodstock Transit will be operating.
No mail will be delivered tomorrow as post offices will be closed. The Woodstock Public Library will also be closed.


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Subaru has announced it will name its upcoming rear-wheel drive sports car the BRZ
Subaru will exhibit a concept of the BRZ at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
The BRZ will likely be Subaru's version of the FT-86, developed in tandem with Toyota.
Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru vehicles, has derived the BRZ name from the letter B in Boxer engine, R in rear-wheel drive, and Z in the word Zenith.
FHI says "the name embodies ultimate passion for the new sports car and confidence in its distinctive constellation trademark and core technology – the horizontally opposed Boxer engine".
BRZ production is due to start in mid 2012.


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As many crops are made to withstand the
While WHO (World Health Organization) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is not a regulatory agency, their release of a full report (Glyphosate - IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans - Volume 112 - 2015) on glyphosate's ability to cause cancer is making waves throughout the world.
Glyphosate is the key component in Monsanto's Roundup.
There are more than 750 products for sale in the USA alone which contain glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide that has been selling since the 1970s.
The agency is comprised of an international review board which determined that glyphosate is indeed carcinogenic. Considering that more than '80% of the biotech-created GM crops' throughout the world were manufactured to be used with this herbicide - it would logically follow that the majority of our food supply is now contaminated by a cancer-causing agent(s).
Following the release of the report, the country of Sri Lanka decided to ban glyphosate completely, and other countries are considering a similar move.
Is this information just too much to swallow for more immediate action to follow, or have governments been infiltrated so completely by biotech that the announcement that most of our food is covered in poison will simply be ignored?
The National Pesticide Information Center has done nothing to update its website to inform citizens that the IARC has declared that this herbicide is carcinogenic.
In fact, they instead post the following, word for word:
This is an outrageous lie that should be removed immediately - but it won't be because we are dealing with an industry which regulates itself.
Unless people around the world take massive, grass-roots action, instead of waiting on their governments to respond, Monsanto and the biotech industry will continue to sell known cancer-causing agents.


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In short, savvy marketers are thinking ahead to what cryptocurrency might mean for the global economy and how to leverage globalization to tap into new markets.
Payment Processing And The Omnichannel Experience
When marketers think about the omnichannel experience, we often consider communication and engagement, with the payment experience as an afterthought. Still, it comes as no surprise that providing customers with a seamless transaction across channels can increase retention and satisfaction.
Many payment solutions today have built-in loyalty programs, and collect important data. By making payments a central component of the omnichannel strategy, retailers are rewarded with rich customer insights.
“Payment solutions are the next frontier of loyalty programs because they’re so data rich,” says Jon Wolfe, the founder and CEO of House Advantage, which recently launched an omichannel solution that leverages customer data on behaviors and transactions to provide real-time rewards across digital and brick-and-mortar sites.
“You get to understand the customer beyond their habits in one place – you get data that tells the stories of their lifestyles, how they live, and from that are able to up the value of currencies like points into rewards they actually want to use,” says Wolfe.
Incorporating payment solutions into an omnichannel strategy has been particularly difficult for brick-and-mortar retailers, who often don’t know who their customers are in-store.
“If you really look at the situation, most [physical] retailers have separate systems for ecommerce and POS,” says Steidl. “By combining that for the first time, they have a common pool of data to illuminate who customers are, regardless of where a purchase takes place.”


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tech2 News StaffDec 26, 2019 17:21:10 IST
Samsung has been teasing Neon for quite a while on social media. It appears to be an artificial intelligence (AI) project by its research arm and the company will be announcing more details about it during CES 2020 in January.
Neon hasn’t really revealed any details. It’s being developed under Samsung Technology & Advanced Research Labs (STAR Labs). STAR Labs could be a reference to the Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories (STAR Labs) from DC Comics, but we can’t confirm that. Samsung’s research division is led by Pranav Mistry who earlier worked on the Samsung Galaxy Gear and is now the President and CEO of STAR Labs.
— NEON (@neondotlife) December 16, 2019
The company has set up a website with a landing page that doesn’t really mention any details. It only has a message saying, “Have you ever met an ‘Artificial’?” It has been continuously posting images on Twitter and Instagram, including a couple of videos. These images contain the same message in different languages as well, indicating that the AI has multilingual functionality. Mistry has also been teasing Neon on his own Twitter account.
— NEON (@neondotlife) December 24, 2019
This won’t be Samsung’s first venture into AI since it already has the Bixby digital assistant. However, it never really took off. CES 2020 begins on 7 January and we’ll get to know more about Neon during the expo.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.


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According to a new cybercrime report, news has recently emerged of the first machine learning generated fingerprints. According to Wired.com, a group of computer scientists from New York University’s engineering department has managed to generate a series of “master prints” that not only pass smartphone fingerprint sensors, but can actually masquerade as prints from multiple users.
When evolving global regulations are mandating the use of a “foolproof” biometric suite of strong authentication, hackers are already cracking the codes that make them penetrable. This calls into question the very meaning of strong authentication; is anything really impenetrable?
How far should businesses rely on point solutions to protect customer accounts and authenticate online payments? It appears that the only reliable approach to smart authentication is a layered solution that combines real-time elements of a user’s unique behavioural pattern, with customer focused, strong authentication that is inextricably linked to their online customer journey.
Only then can businesses genuinely detect unusual or high-risk scenarios before they pose a risk to security defences and customer accounts. The swirling storm of privacy and security continues to loom heavy on the horizon for every digital business, with the first test cases from GDPR starting to make headlines and the California Privacy Act likely not far behind.
Consumers should expect the businesses they transact with to protect their online accounts and personal information, but the line between security and data privacy continues to be tested in the process.
If 2018 began with businesses looking for new ways to better authenticate online users – particularly in Europe with the evolution of PSD2 mandating stronger authentication on login and payments transactions – what lengths will the fraudsters of 2019 go to circumvent this security framework? Networks, automation and the use of bots and machines seem central to virtually all the predictions for how cybercrime will evolve this year.
Consider, for example:
- AI driven malicious chat bots / robots that can be used to dupe customers into divulging personal information
- Machine learning algorithms used to generate pitch-perfect, social engineering attacks based on real customer data
- IoT devices being taken over by external bots and used to spy on human interactions
- Networked global bot armies targeting multiple industries worldwide
- Networked fraud rings operating across industries – mules using financial services / telco / gaming and gambling companies to siphon money
It is clear that consumers do not expect to have to curtail their online transacting behaviour in the quest to thwart cybercrime. Yes, awareness campaigns around social engineering and ransomware threats, for example, are pivotal and non-negotiable. But consumers do not expect fraud and identity controls to interfere with the slick and low-friction online experience they have come to expect from their bank, social media sites and trusted e-commerce brands. The pressure is on businesses to ensure they do not jeopardize customer trust in the process of catching the criminals.
The ThreatMetrix Cybercrime Report: H2 2018 is based on actual cybercrime attacks from July – December 2018 that were detected by the ThreatMetrix Digital Identity Network (The Network) during real-time analysis and interdiction of fraudulent online payments, logins and new account applications.


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Phoenix Labs, a studio made up of veterans from BioWare, Riot Games, Capcom and Blizzard showed off their debut release tonight at The Game Awards 2016, an online co-op action RPG called Dauntless.
For more news from The Game Awards 2016, hit up the PCgamesN homepage.
“Phoenix Labs is made up of the most talented and passionate game developers in the world,” said Jesse Houston, co-founder and President at Phoenix Labs. “We make games because we love to play them, and we want to share these experiences with gamers everywhere. We’ve taken inspiration from games like Dark Souls, Monster Hunter, and World of Warcraft to create a new, gripping gaming experience.”
Dauntless takes players to a sci-fi fantasy land called the Shattered Isles, where massive creatures called Behemoths are a constant threat in a world where humanity is forced to live on floating islands after an apocalyptic event tore the land apart.
You play as a Slayer, sworn to protect mankind from these massive monsters, and you can either take them down on your own or team up for some four-player beast slaying.
The developers say you’ll need to forge and upgrade your weapons, and kit yourself out with the right kit for the job, if you want to succeed, as every fight will be different. It does all sound very Monster Hunter.
Dauntless will be free-to-play and will be updated regularly with new quests to tackle in a “vast, ever-changing frontier”. It’s releasing in 2017.


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Virgin Mobile intros a blank-slate smartphone plan you can customize any way you like
Virgin Mobile’s new prepaid plan can be anything you want it to be from a bare-bones emergency...Kevin Fitchard
Wait on Wink: Fixable flaws in this smart home hub, but a solid user interface on which to build
The Wink smart home hub launched this month, but it's not ready for the mainstream just yet....Stacey Higginbotham
Anything with an RFID chip in it will have to carry this logo in Europe, because privacy
The logo is designed to make it clear to consumers when the goods they're carrying contain an...David Meyer


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European Union wants G20 to prioritize digital tax in 2020
The European Union has sent a confidential letter to G20 asking the International Organisation to work hard in 2020 so as to reach a common tariff rule to tax the tech companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon et Twitter. In the letter, European Union stresses the need to give the highest priority to finding global solutions to address the taxation of the digital economy. European Union also stresses its desire and ambition to go for a fair, effective, non-discriminatory and workable global solution towards a consensus-based solution to deliver digital tax in 2020.
Central bank governors as well as finance ministers of the 20 biggest economies of the world will meet in Riyadh on 22 to 23 February to talk about work on digital tax rules by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).


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To celebrate the 120th anniversary of Italian giants AC Milan, Puma Football have released a new commemorative edition of their current home Jersey.
The classic AC Milan style is reflected in the slim black and red stripes which we seen a return to this season, while the official club crest, Puma and sponsor logos appear in a one-colour gold tone. The club crest also features a special ‘120’ just below it, while on the back a unique quote is printed with words from club founder Herbert Kilpin: “We will be a team of devils. Our colours will be red like fire and black like the fear we will invoke in our opponents.”
The commemorative jersey will be launched by Milan to promote the clubs anniversary through a new “A History of Pass120n” campaign, using the hashtag #Passion120. There are only 1,899 of the jerseys made with each containing its own serial number and special packaging. The kit is scheduled to make its debut in Serie A on December 15 at home to Sassuolo. See more at ACMilan.com or Puma.com


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Owners show off classic cars at Haddam Neck Fairgrounds
EAST HAMPTON -- To hear Bozrah resident Richard Elliott talk about his 1954 Chevy Del Ray, you would think it was a member of his family.
"If this car could talk, it could tell some stories. I've had it for more than 20 years," said Elliott at the 36th annual Belltown Antique Car show at the Haddam Neck Fairgrounds on Sunday. "It takes a lot of work to take care of a car like this, but its all worth it."
As Elliot lovingly ran a shamy cloth over his car's elegant, aqua-green frame, he explained that he and his wife drove off in the car after they were married, and he has spent many hours replacing rust spots and fine-tuning the car's 235-6 engine.
Elliot's car didn't win any prizes in Sunday's show, but it didn't seem to bother him. He said he takes his beloved Del Ray to car shows all over New England, and enjoys talking with other antique car owners and swapping stories. He said he owns only one antique car, but is considering buying and restoring another in the near future.
In total, more than 500 cars were on display on Sunday, with makes and models ranging from Ford Model Ts, to high-powered Chevy Camaros capable of speeds of up to 150 miles an hour. Cars were judged in 39 different categories, and three trophies were awarded to the top three finishers in each class.
Although most car owners said they had a genuine interest in winning a trophy, they also conceded that buying and restoring antique cars was more of a "labor of love" than anything else.
Middlefield resident Louis Swiridowski explained that in the 12 years he has owned his 1953 Mercury Monterey, the car has only been outside when it rained "three, maybe" four times. Like an overprotective parent, Swiridowsi keeps the car in the garage almost all the time to shield it from the elements, and said he never goes over 70 miles per hour, even though the flat-head V-8 engine is capable of much greater speeds.
"You put a lot of time into these cars, so you just want to be very protective," he said.
Everything on the Mercury is original, right down to the custom-made, hand-painted rims and the pendant on the center of the glove box signifying that the car is a 50th anniversary edition. Swiridowski proudly shows off the vehicle's leather interior, push button radio tuner, and air-cooled transmission. In later models, he explained, the transmissions were liquid-cooled, and the V-8 engines were replaced by V-6 engines.
"There's a lot of nostalgia surrounding this car. It was one of the last of its kind," Swiridowski said.
Nostalgia was the key word for the entire show, but the cars also offered a glimpse into the history of the auto industry and America's unparalleled love for cars. Harold and Annette Miner, both members of an antique car club based in the Mystic area, proudly displayed their 1929 Stearns Knight, one of only three existing models in the United States. According to Mrs. Miner, the other two models are in California and Ohio.
The couple's regal looking car took second place in the classic division, but they didn't seem interested in grabbing the spotlight. Mrs. Miner was quick to point out that four of the five entries from the Mystic antique car club won prizes on Sunday, including a first place finish for a 1931 Ford pick-up in the commercial division.
Pete and Susan Steelman, members of the Mystic club who took second place in the Class T division (1947-1954) with their 1954 Chevy, said they show their car at antique car shows as much as possible. They said their club usually travels and shows their cars together, and enjoys the company of fellow car buffs as much as the competitive nature of the shows.
"It's really about having fun," said Mrs. Steelman. "It's wonderful to be around all these amazing cars."
To contact Jim Hickey, call (860) 347-3331 ext., or e-mail email@example.com.


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Bonadio in the News: Media Coverage – August 2020
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
We’ve launched a new online payment portal! Click here to learn more.
Our Bonadio experts are often featured in the news to provide their insights on industry updates, best practices, and new legislation. Take a look at some of our recent media coverage below-featuring commentary from our thought leaders, as well as updates regarding our firm.


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Atlantic News | Local Breaking | CTV News Atlantic
N.B. business community starting to grapple with carbon pricing
The New Year has made the federal government's carbon tax a new reality, but New Brunswick is the only Atlantic province without a plan of its own and is now subject to what's called “the federal backstop.”
The province decided to opt out and New Brunswick is entering new territory under Ottawa's carbon pricing plan.
The business community in the industry heavy city of Saint John is on edge.
“The supply chain is affected all the way through,” said David Duplisea, the Saint John Region Chamber Of Commerce CEO. “Large businesses, small businesses all are going to be very, very, very affected by it in the province and there's a lot of concern there because it's just yet another cost burden.”
University of New Brunswick economist Herb Emery says New Brunswickers will feel the pinch at the pumps -- directly and indirectly.
“One way to think of it is starting with gasoline,” Emery said. “If you increase the cost of getting things into stores, it's going to get passed on to consumers, so we will see carbon pricing start to have a general effect on the cost of living.”
New Brunswick is one of four provinces to have a carbon tax plan imposed by the federal government, alongside Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Ottawa has pledged rebates to residents in those provinces.
The federal government says the average household in New Brunswick will receive $248, but some say that's just not enough.
“Everything we touch will be affected in some way, particularly in a province where we're very trade exposed,” Duplisea said. “A huge percentage of our GDP is exported.”
The province's new premier says the government will intervene in legal challenges launched by Saskatchewan and Ontario, and Blaine Higgs says New Brunswick intends to launch its own as well.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Lyall.


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Latest News on User Data
Showing of 0 - 10 from 56 results
User Data - Total results - 56
Feb 02, 2019
SBI secures unprotected server that might have exposed data of millions of usersSBI’s investigation also showed that its servers remained secure and that there had been no breach.
Jan 10, 2019
NITI Aayog vice chairman thinks user data access is crucial for faster growthKumar believed that India must adopt a midway, that will make for digital cooperation as opposed to data protection.
Jan 04, 2019
New York City judge blocks law requiring Airbnb to hand over user data each monthAirbnb and HomeAway argued that the law ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution’s protection against unreasonable search and seizure of private property
Dec 19, 2018
Facebook gave Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix and others unfettered access to user dataFacebook claims that its users had already agreed to share data with third parties.
Dec 10, 2018
Australia to set up a new regulatory body to monitor Facebook and Google's dominationThe ACCC has suggested that a new regulator be given investigative powers to examine how the companies rank advertisements and news articles.
Dec 06, 2018
Facebook's confidential emails released by UK Parliament: Here's all you need to knowA quick explainer on all the major revelations from the leak including Facebook's data policies, treatment of rivals, spy app and more
Jun 29, 2018
Facebook quiz app Nametests exposed data of over 120 million usersTurns out, that "Which Disney princess are you?" quiz wasn’t worth giving up your info.
May 26, 2018
Paytm says its never shared user data with a third party entity after a video claims to show it leaks dataPaytm reiterated that their policy allows only legally compliant data requests from the "law of the land" to get access to data for necessary investigation.
May 14, 2018
Facebook suspends 200 apps as it starts clamping down on data abuse by developersThe apps were suspended pending a thorough investigation into whether they did in fact misuse any data, said Ime Archibong, Facebook’s vice president
Apr 16, 2018
WhatsApp clarifies that parent Facebook does not use customer payment data for commercial purposesWhatsApp posted on its platform that Facebook simply helps pass the necessary payment information to the bank partner and NPCI.


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Tablets have become mainstream consumer devices in the UK with more than half of 16-44 year olds having access to one, according to new data from Kantar Media’s FutureProof study.
This means that tablets are now the go-to portable device for films, TV catch-up, YouTube and gaming. For example, more people now access video from the BBC iPlayer on a tablet than any other category of device – such as a web-connected Blu-ray player or a games console.
The study shows that 45 percent of UK adults have a tablet, up from 32 percent a year earlier and 36 percent at the end of 2013. The highest penetration is for 35-44 year olds where 58 percent of adults now have at least one tablet in their home.
Having children is the strongest driver of this, with 69 percent of parents of school age children having a tablet at home. More than a third (37%) of tablet users own an Android device, up 10 percentage points from 2013, with 15 percent owning Kindle Fire/Fire HD tablets.
Apple remains the market leader with 56 percent of tablet users having an iPad, down from 63 percent six months earlier. More than four out of 10 users now live in a home with more than one tablet, up six points from 2013.
The study also shows that tablets are gaining a clearly defined role in households with multiple devices. Tablets are more likely than smartphones to be used for watching or catching up on TV programmes or film, YouTube, or gaming – anything where a larger, better screen will enhance the experience.
“Tablets have rapidly become part of our digital lives, with Christmas sales and cheaper, Android powered devices all contributing to make tablets a ‘need to have’ rather than just a ‘nice to have’,” said Kantar Media Custom director Trevor Vagg.
“The arrival of cheaper Android based tablets such as Tesco’s Hudl and the Kindle Fire has turned what was a premium device into something that’s much more ubiquitous but also increasingly as personal as the smartphone we use when we are on the go.”


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International markets firm and Chicago-based derivatives change CME Group plans to launch 11 new reference charges tied to particular crypto property. The reference charges and real-time indices bolstered by CF Benchmarks are usually leveraged by exchange-traded merchandise and different funding autos.
11 Crypto Property Get Reference Charge Remedy From CME Group and CF Benchmarks
CME Group is adding 11 extra cryptocurrencies to the agency’s present bitcoin and ethereum reference charges. Crypto reference charges just like the CME CF Reference Charges are sometimes used as a benchmark for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and different monetary merchandise.
The brand new charges cowl polygon, solana, stellar, algorand, bitcoin money, cardano, chainlink, uniswap, cosmos, litecoin, and polkadot values. Pricing information for the benchmarks can be supplied by Bitstamp, Coinbase, Gemini, Itbit, Kraken, and LMAX. Every coin will leverage two exchanges, CME Group’s announcement discloses.
“Because the digital asset market continues to increase, there may be an growing demand for dependable, standardized cryptocurrency pricing info based mostly on strong, regulated reference charges,” Tim McCourt, CME Group’s international head of fairness and FX merchandise mentioned in a press release. McCourt added:
These new benchmarks, which seize over 90% of the overall investible cryptocurrency market cap at the moment, are designed to permit merchants, establishments and different customers to confidently and extra precisely handle cryptocurrency worth danger, worth portfolios or create structured merchandise like ETFs.
The brand new reference charges for the 11 crypto property can be utilized as benchmarks for bundled and diversified funds, ETPs, and derivatives markets. Elliot Johnson the chief funding officer at Evolve ETFs defined on April 7, that the corporate already makes use of CME CF Reference Charges for its crypto exchange-traded funds.
“Evolve’s physical-crypto ETFs depend on CME CF Reference Charges to offer liquidity, tight monitoring, and dependable NAV for buyers,” Johnson defined. “We’re very excited to see the CME CF index household increasing to put the inspiration for brand new, revolutionary ETFs on this extremely coveted asset class,” the Evolve government added.
CME Group’s new reference charges comply with the launch of Micro Bitcoin (MBT) and Micro Ether futures (MET). MBT and MET contracts are “sized at one-tenth of their respective underlying tokens in measurement.” CME Group and CF Benchmarks plan to launch the 11 new crypto reference charges on April 25.
What do you consider CME Group including 11 new cryptocurrency reference charges? Tell us what you consider this topic within the feedback part beneath.
Picture Credit: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons