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Procter & Gamble chief brand officer Marc Pritchard said at the beginning of 2017 that the digital ad industry needed to grow up and follow common measurement standards. Halfway through the year, Pritchard said nearly “40 to 50 percent” of P&G’s media, agency and ad tech partners are meeting the brand’s minimum standards.
“The players in the digital industry have stepped up, and there’s progress,” he said. “Hopefully, by the end of the calendar year, we’re near 100 percent.”
Speaking at Cannes Lions during a CMO panel hosted by The Economist, which included Lenovo CMO David Roman and Tommy Hilfiger chief brand officer Avery Baker, Pritchard’s latest stump speech continued his assault against waste and other fraudulent practices in the digital ad ecosystem. Citing studies that suggest only 40 percent of digital ad spend goes to publishers, Pritchard said some tech vendors, which he referred to as “the stop-offs in the middle,” and fraud were to blame.
“Imagine if we take 20, 30 percent of the wasted money and invest it into better advertising and better content,” Pritchard said. “We’d grow more.”
When Pritchard spoke at the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Annual Leadership Meeting in January, he said P&G would stop spending money on companies that didn’t comply with industry standards for measurement and verification. He’s referring to the Media Rating Council’s standard, which defines display ads as viewable when at least 50 percent is on screen for at least one second and viewable video as viewable when at least 50 percent of the player is on screen for at least two seconds.
“When we have that [as the standard], then you have the transparency to make choices based on the quality of the media, as opposed to someone grading their own homework,” he said.
Roman said the pursuit of transparency can come at the expense of experimentation. If companies don’t experiment with new technology until there are industry-accepted standards, then they won’t experiment at all. Avery said the apparel brand sets aside some money to try out new tech and marketing solutions, even if it doesn’t have “bulletproof” measurement.
“That’s a head fake — the mindset that because it’s new tech, it doesn’t have to adhere to standards is a head fake,” Pritchard countered. “Of course we want to try new things, but before we invest $72 billion [as an industry], we need to know what we’re getting. We can innovate and be able to say, ‘Here’s how many people you’re reaching, how many times you’re reaching them and how much they’re engaging.’ These things are not mutually exclusive.”
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Digital News Asia — SINGAPORE’s StarHub has successfully deployed Nokia Networks technologies as part of its 4G HetNet (Fourth Generation Heterogeneous Network) in Marina Bay, a commercial, residential and entertainment hub in the island-republic. The deployment required the integration of Nokia Networks’ TD-LTE, FDD-LTE and outdoor small cells solutions, Nokia Networks said in a statement.
ZDNet — Singapore is dangling a mega carrot in the form of discounted spectrum as part of efforts to entice a fourth player to enter the country’s mobile market. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) said it would slash the reserve package price of spectrum set aside for a new mobile player to S$40 million (US$29.63 million), in a proposed auction targeted to take place in early 2016.
M1, Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) and StarHub will stop all 2G (Second Generation) mobile services in Singapore with effect April 1, 2017. This will apply to 2G voice, messaging and data services, the three said in a joint statement. Mobile networks have evolved since the launch of 2G service in 1994, and Singapore’s extensive modern 3G and 4G mobile networks have led to high smartphone ownership and usage rates, they said. To cater for consumers’ increased demand for mobile data and faster access speeds, the spectrum currently used for 2G will be used to provide faster and more advanced 3G and 4G services.
SINGAPORE’S telecommunications players, which saw total mobile revenue grow by about 2% last year, are braced for a challenging 2015 with their first quarter (Q1) numbers showing signs of weaker growth ahead. For the first quarter ended March 31, 2015, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (Singtel), M1 Ltd and StarHub Ltd collectively recorded mobile revenue of approximately S$990 million (US$743 million), representing a 1% increase versus the S$978 million (US$734 million) in the same quarter a year ago.
StarHub has started transforming its existing core and access networks to open, cloud-based networks using software-defined networking (SDN) technology. This forms part of StarHub’s aim to enhance its network operational capabilities, enabling the company to better respond to its corporate customers’ business needs as well as to support Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives. This came after StarHub recently finalized the design of its SDN environment and identified various strategic partners, including Cisco and Huawei who will be involved in the development of StarHub’s SDN ecosystem.
STARHUB Ltd announced that total revenue for 2014 edged up 1% to S$2.36 billion thanks to higher revenue from the sales of equipment, driven by strong demand for the new iPhones, but the telco giant also saw a 1% dip in service revenue and a 17% plunge in broadband revenue. In announcing its results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and full year ended Dec 31 2014, StarHub said total revenue in Q4 increased 5% year-on-year (YoY) to S$647.4 million.
TELECOMMUNICATION solutions provider Huawei has started a commercial trial of its LampSite indoor coverage solution with Singaporean mobile operator StarHub at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. The solution would enable StarHub to combine the use of its existing frequency spectrum on both 1800 and 2600 MHz bands on a single platform, to achieve peak throughput rates of up to 300Mbps, Huawei said in a statement.
Social ebook reading service Bookmate is now available in Singapore with a library of over 500,000 ebooks from 600 publishers. Available at a flat monthly fee, the service offers books from major publishers such as HarperCollins, Head of Zeus, Profile Books, Serpent’s Tail and others. As part of its international expansion efforts, Bookmate is exclusively partnering with StarHub to introduce its book-streaming service to the local reading community and engage local publishers to offer their books on the platform.
SINGAPORE: StarHub post-paid customers can now utilise two mobile numbers from a single SIM card and phone through a new app launched on Wednesday (Oct 1). The new StarHub 2-in-1 LINE app, available for both iOS and Android devices, allows subscribers to activate and connect a second mobile number onto their existing phone and line. Users can then make calls and SMSes from their primary phone, but with the secondary mobile number displayed on the recipient’s caller ID.
SINGAPORE, Sept 15 — Local telcos StarHub and SingTel have released prices for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, following M1’s release last week. Under Starhub’s new 4G 3 subscription plan which will cost subscribers S$42.90 (RM109.10) per month, prices will range from S$518 for a 16GB iPhone 6 to S$935 for a 128GB iPhone 6 Plus. Starhub’s booking site will open this afternoon for customers who registered their interest last week.
STARHUB customers now have access to 4G data roaming services on 25 mobile networks across 21 countries – the largest number of roaming destinations so far, the telco said on Monday. The 4G data will have the same roaming rates as the existing 3G ones. The rates range from S$15 to S$30 a day on StarHub’s DataRoam Daily Unlimited plans, depending on the country in question.
SINGAPORE: Microsoft’s Xbox One gaming console, which will be launched in Singapore on Sep 23, will allow local users to stream programmes on their Xbox One thanks to a partnership with StarHub. This was announced by the company at a Xbox One showcase on Sep 1. Users of Microsoft’s newest game console in Singapore will be able to access content on the free StarHub TV Anywhere app for Xbox One. With the app, users will get access to StarHub TV Anywhere’s line-up of 89 channels, including SuperSports Arena.
SINGAPORE: There are plenty of assumptions that would need to fall MyRepublic’s way, as well as a helping hand from local regulator Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), before the fiber broadband provider can realise its goal of becoming the fourth telecom operator in Singapore. In an interview with Channel NewsAsia on Thursday (June 26), MyRepublic CEO Malcolm Rodrigues acknowledged that the road to become the new telco in an already-saturated market is fraught with obstacles. These range from regulatory constraints, to initial cost outlay, and likely resistance from the three incumbents – SingTel, StarHub and M1 – “all along the way”.
SINGAPORE: StarHub will combine its fibre and cable networks for its 500Mbps (megabits per second) fibre home broadband plan, which it said would offer customers additional service reliability. In a statement released on Thursday (May 29), the telco said new and re-contracting customers will get access to both networks at no extra charge if they sign up for the 500Mbps fibre plan from this Saturday. A 100Mpbs cable home broadband service will come bundled with it, the company added.

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Analysis of the first six months of the carbon tax and its impact on business costs and prices has found that businesses estimate that the tax has increased their energy expenditure by an average of 14.5 per cent. Ai Group surveyed 485 companies in June, July and November 2012.
There were also in-depth surveys of manufacturers undertaken in July and August.
Manufacturing businesses estimated an average rise of 14.5 per cent, service providers estimated an average rise of 13.6 per cent and construction companies estimated an average increase of 14.8 per cent.
A third of those in manufacturing and construction ?did not yet have enough information? to asses the impact of the tax on their businesses.
“The high profile of the carbon tax appears to have led to some over-estimation by businesses of the specific impact of the carbon tax on their energy cost increases over the past year,? said Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox.
?In the November survey, manufacturing businesses attributed close to 85 per cent of their total electricity cost increases over the past year to the carbon tax, whereas data from other sources suggest that, at least for many smaller businesses, the contribution of the carbon tax to total energy price rises was probably closer to one half.
?More broadly, businesses face strong barriers to passing on costs arising from the carbon tax to their customers. The first survey in our multi-stage research program, which we conducted in June before the carbon tax took effect, suggested that just 42 per cent of businesses intended to pass on their increased costs,? Willox said.
?The barriers they face include pricing power among their customers, local demand conditions, and competition from imports produced in countries that do not impose similar carbon costs.
“The cost imposts on domestic businesses and the resulting squeeze in margins come at a time when many businesses are under considerable pressure from a broad range of factors including the very strong Australian dollar, strongly rising unit labour costs and the direct and indirect impacts of the prolonged contraction in residential and commercial construction.
?As Ai Group has argued over the past 18 months, the fixed carbon prices that apply until July 2015 are well above current and projected international prices and are a major flaw in the current approach. This considerable additional burden on Australian business could be substantially reduced through early linkage to much lower international prices without compromising Australia?s 2020 greenhouse gas targets,” Willox contended.
Sources: Ai Group, Manufacturer?s Monthly


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Plascon has commissioned local-born, London-based artist Warren Lewis to create artworks that can be downloaded, shared and used by anyone, for free, as part of its campaign to celebrate its innovative new online presence.
“Our new digital offering is a natural development in Plascon’s 120 year history,” says Plascon’s PR and social media manager Lauren Shantall. “These platforms aim to extend and improve our customers’ experience with our quality, long lasting products while also reflecting Plascon’s ability to evolve with the times.”
Plascon has launched an integrated digital offering that includes a new trends blog, an upgraded corporate website, a new marketing site, a smartphone application and a widespread online presence across several social media platforms.
“Mirroring the impact that digital has had on media consumption, rather than only reading, listening or viewing media, consumers now reshape, visualise and socialise it,” says Shantall. “In light of this, we are encouraging the public to download Warren’s artwork and use it as they see fit – whether it’s as a screensaver, blown up and wall mounted or printed as wrapping paper.”
“The small collection of works is based on the simple idea of ‘play’,” says Lewis. “As a painter, I am producing new work and constantly experiment with different techniques and materials in order to discover new tricks – new ways to express a thought, a feeling, an idea.”
The new look and feel of the website was designed to ensure a uniformity across the brand platforms as well as not only communicating the brand, but also communicating and interacting with the consumer in a simpler, more streamlined and accessible manner.
“The biggest issue with the previous site was that the user experience was not fantastic,” explains Laura McCullagh, digital designer at PUNK, the digital arm of the Kings James Group responsible for developing the new website.
“Technology is constantly changing – the previous site had some structural issues that, while fine when the site was first built, had become outdated and in need of revision.”
Striving to be more than just a paint company, Plascon intiatives such as the annual Plascon Colour Forecast, Plascon Spaces Showroom (www.plasconspacesshowroom.co.za) and Plascon Spaces magazine (www.plasconspaces.co.za) have firmy placed the brand within the realm of design, décor and trends.
The latest step in this direction is the Plascon Trends blog (www.plascontrends.co.za), which features daily posts on the latest local and international colour, décor and design trends. Edited by stylist Catherine Bowen, contributors include international colour expert and Plascon’s colour manager Anne Roselt, Kim Bougaardt of the Freeworld Design Centre and top South African blogger Galen Schultz.
When Plascon was founded back in 1889, neither mobile phones nor social media existed. The company’s foray into social media is a step in bringing the company in line with current trends and evolutions.
This devlopment has given Plascon the chance to take greater steps in actively showcasing the multitude of platforms that the company has on offer as well as giving back to their loyal consumers.
Through Twitter (@PlasconSA), Facebook (PlasconSA), Pinterest (PlasconTrends), and YouTube (PlasconSA). Plascon is able to continually show their diversity in décor, design and trends, taking them out of the realm as being “only a paint manufacturer” and giving consumers more than they were able to in the past.
Want to continue this conversation on The Media Online platforms? Comment on Twitter @MediaTMO or on our Facebook page. Send us your suggestions, comments, contributions or tip-offs via e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org.


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In less than a week, FourKites will be hosting Visibility 2021, the world’s largest virtual conference for supply chain leaders. More than 1,500 supply chain professionals will be convening live from around the world in two global time zones (9am CDT on Oct 6 and 9am CEST on Oct 7) to continue the work we started more than half a decade ago: pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in today’s supply chain, together. Our theme, “Go Beyond,” couldn’t be more apt.
What a long way we’ve come from the first Visibility conference. In those early days, real-time visibility technology was new — after all, FourKites had just invented it. We had, perhaps, a few dozen customers in attendance. There was a sense of excitement, but I daresay none of us knew exactly what we were in for. There was also a palpable reticence with many about opening up the kimono to share real-time visibility data — not just with internal departments, but with customers, partners and even competitors. Is that information going to be used to levy yet more fines against my company, or to fuel arguments about the root causes of shipping delays? Or can we get some tangible ROI out of this and really shed some light on a seemingly impenetrable supply chain? These concerns were understandable at the time.
Five years later, the answer is clear: Real-time transportation visibility data, predictive analytics and widespread collaboration across the supply chain are redefining what’s possible. And attendees of this year’s Visibility conference are going to hear about these expectation-busting innovations from the “who’s who” of supply chain leaders, including Volvo, Qualcomm Ventures, Zebra, SAP, Ace Hardware, Best Buy, Tyson, Meijer, Bayer, Coca-Cola, Henkel, Dow and so many more. And as always, we will roll up our sleeves with our customers and partners, and we will brainstorm and prioritize the key goals for the coming year’s new innovations and capabilities.
Why? Because if the pandemic has made anything clear, it’s that we must continue to innovate and “go beyond”. Yes, we’ve accomplished a great deal. In the last year, FourKites completed three acquisitions. We expanded our product lines to go beyond in-transit visibility to yard management. We expanded our product lines to include Dynamic Ocean, and new features for booking rate management and documentation collaboration. We added some hundred-plus features in the platform based on the input of this amazing community. We brought visibility to the level of every single order, end-to-end, and we were awarded a patent for our AI-fueled ability to forecast arrival times even in the absence of data.
But we need to do more. The good news is, the pace of innovation is only increasing, as we reap the benefits of a highly connected and collaborative community armed with highly granular, accurate, real-time supply chain data.
At the conference, we’ll also be announcing this year’s extremely deserving recipients of our annual Golden Kite Awards, and celebrate the individuals and companies that leveraged real-time visibility to make things work better during another year of crises and challenges. These are the companies that have really gone beyond, and we’re excited to celebrate their success with our community.
We’ll see you online in a few days! You’ve heard it from me before, but I’ll say it again: Our biggest year is ahead of us. We look forward to creating the future of supply chain visibility, together.


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Wind Tower Global Market Analysis to 2020 Report Available from MarketResearchReports.in
Trade Relations with US May Be Stormy, but China's Wind Tower Industry Remains Unbowed.
(prHWY.com) August 1, 2012 - Bangalore, India -- Recent trade disputes with the US will do little to damage China's domination of the global wind tower market, finds a new report by our publisher
Late last month, the US Commerce Department slapped tariffs on imports of wind towers from China following accusations that the Chinese government subsidized domestic manufacturers in order to flood the US market.
The tariffs range from 13.74% to 26%, depending on the company, and though the decision is preliminary (with the final order in October), if enforced it will damage the Chinese wind tower export industry by increasing prices and reducing demand in its largest market.
However, according to a latest report*, the affect on China's overall wind tower industry will be relatively minor due to the small percentage maintained by the export sector.
The Asian giant exported 2.4 Gigawatts (GW) and 2.6GW of towers in 2010 and 2011 respectively, but these numbers are dwarfed by the 18GW of towers installed at home.
In 2011 alone, China installed 12,766 towers, accounting for 53% of the global market. To put this figure in perspective, the second largest market shareholder was the US, with a comparatively few 3,782 installations. Due to lower production costs, favourable government subsidies and the sheer scale of manufacturing in the country, China is both the world's largest producer and consumer of wind towers.
2011 was a fantastic year for the global wind energy market, following a dip the previous year. From a value of 74,192 Megawatts (MW) in 2006, the installed capacity grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26.3% to reach 238,351 MW in 2011. This is expected to grow further still to 427,338 MW by 2015.
The financial crisis substantially hindered the increase of wind power capacity in 2009 and 2010, but the revival of suspended projects in 2011 witnessed a steep rise which is expected to continue in 2012.
As technological advances increase turbine efficiency, publisher expects wind energy capacity to increase significantly by 2020, while the number of towers erected each year will fall as the amount required achieving energy targets will be less.
* Wind Tower - Global Market Size, Market Segmentation, Competitive landscape and Key Country Analysis to 2020
This report offers comprehensive information and analysis of the wind tower market. The report provides clear understanding and deep insights into the global wind tower market. It explains the key drivers and challenges impacting the market, and also provides data regarding historic and forecast growth of the wind tower market.
This report was built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by publisher's team of industry experts.
For More Details:
Click Wind Tower Global Market Analysis to 2020 if you are interested in buying this report.
MarketResearchReports.in is an e-commerce platform that specializes in distributing market research reports published by leading global market research firms through a secure online medium. It uses the best-in-class online website user interface while working continuously to make the website more and more insightful and easy to navigate with various other functionalities. MarketResearchReports.in covers the latest data on international markets, regional markets, major industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends, both in electronic and print format. These also include reports, newsletters, country and company profiles etc.
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The posts range from 2010 to 2017.
Marvel's Avengers - Latest Contents
Opinion: The sale was understandably a surprising one, but could ultimately be a fresh start for the sold studios.
If she be worthy...
An update is currently in the works.
Hero Event vs Operation.
We got the chance to spend two hours playing with Spider-Man in Marvel's Avengers. Here's what we thought!
With great power comes great fashion.
Check out Avengers' take on Peter Parker, exclusively with IGN.
Marvel's Avengers' campaign is fun and endearing, but the loot-based post-game meant to be the meat of this meal is unrewarding and overly repetitive.
But he's still only swinging onto PlayStation.
Was it really the wrong fit? Or actually the wrong genre?
The controversial decision has been reversed.
The decision comes following the game's recent move to Xbox Game Pass.
The webslinger is set to swing by before the end of 2021.
Peter Parker is still coming in 2021, but who knows when?


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New York, NY (PRWEB) March 11, 2011
RFID Journal (http://www.rfidjournal.com) announced today that it will host an RFID-Enhanced Social Networking preconference seminar at RFID Journal LIVE! 2011, the world's premier conference and exhibition focused on radio frequency identification (RFID) and its many business applications. The seminar, sponsored by ODIN, will be held on Apr. 12, and will focus on one of the hottest RFID applications for manufacturers, retailers and marketers interested in capturing the attention of tech-savvy consumers. This year's LIVE! event will be held at the Orange Country Convention Center, in Orlando, Fla., on Apr. 12-14, 2011.
ODIN, a leading supplier of RFID solutions and a pioneer in the RFID-enhanced social-networking space, will explain how to set up an RFID system to ensure consistent and accurate interaction with customers, as well as gain understanding about how to create a successful social-media experience. Patrick J. Sweeney II, the company's president and CEO, will explain how RFID combined with social media has proven itself to be a valuable asset for improving customer engagement and managing interaction, while also strengthening brand loyalty.
The preconference seminar will also feature end users that have successfully applied RFID technology to enhance their customers' social-networking experience.
Vail Resorts was one of the first businesses to employ RFID to enhance social-media experiences. Robert Urwiler, the company's CIO and the system's architect, will explain how visitors to Vail's five mountain locations are using their RFID-enabled lift tickets to connect with each other via social-media tools, as well as track their ski or snowboard metrics over the Internet, thereby earning virtual pins and competing on vertical feet and days skied.
ASICS, a manufacturer of athletic shoes and technical active sports apparel and accessories, discovered an innovative method for enhancing brand awareness, based around the New York Marathon. Tom Sullivan, a principal at Vitro, which developed the campaign, will explain how his firm successfully encouraged supporters to create personalized messages for those taking part in the race, to be triggered by RFID tags.
Jeff Sommers, the owner of Izzy's Ice Cream Café, will explain how his company utilizes RFID to inform customers about its ever-changing menu of flavors, with updates available in near-real time on the company's Web site, which it promotes through Twitter and Facebook.
"RFID truly brings a new dimension to the social-media experience," Sweeney says. "Companies and marketing firms that pay per click or for 'likes' are not getting users at the time of engagement, and so they miss out on very valuable opportunities to manage the right people at the proper time for their brand. It's a chance to leverage their virtual world and extend their brand, while deepening engagement. RFID is a unique standards-based technology that enables users to engage at the time that an event is happening--it's very sticky."
ODIN is creating a social-networking application that will allow LIVE! 2011 attendees to log in to their Facebook accounts and share their experiences at the event in real time, or to take a photo that will then be posted online so that friends and family members can see what they are doing at the conference.
RFID Journal LIVE! 2011 is the ninth annual conference and exhibition produced by RFID Journal. The event will feature eight industry-specific and level-of-expertise conference tracks, eight in-depth preconference seminars, fast-track CompTIA RFID+ training and certification, the RFID Journal Awards and the RFID in Apparel Workshop, as well as numerous technology exhibits and demonstrations conducted by the leading technology firms.
For additional information regarding LIVE! 2011, please visit http://www.rfidjournalevents.com/live.
About RFID Journal
RFID Journal is the leading source of news and information regarding radio frequency identification (RFID) and its many business applications. Business executives and implementers depend on RFID Journal for up-to-the-minute RFID news, in-depth case studies, best practices, strategic insights and information about vendor solutions. This has made RFID Journal the most relied-upon and respected RFID information resource, serving the largest audience of RFID decision makers worldwide--in print, online and at face-to-face events. For more information, visit http://www.rfidjournal.com.
ODIN is a leader in providing RFID software and solutions for health care, government and social media. Its software is deployed at more than 3,000 sites worldwide, providing 99.9 percent accuracy. ODIN's EasyEdge and EasyTAP software provide an operating system that adds intelligence on devices and a central nervous system for RFID. This combination increases accuracy and scalability, while reducing integration and support costs. Global corporations on five continents leverage the firm's expert engineers and patented RFID software to achieve accuracy, speed and visibility for their RFID deployments. For more information, visit http://www.odinrfid.com.
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LEISURE CORP Wins Today's Traveller Awards for BEST MICE Operator
After National Tourism Award, Leisure Corp bags another prominent award from the Tourism industry
By: Leisure Corp
New Delhi, 16th September 2014 : Leisure Corp has been recognised as the winner of Today’s Traveller Award for the Best MICE operator under the category of travel agent/tour operator. The Traveller award is the only independent business award that acknowledges and celebrates excellence across all sectors in tourism, corporate and entertainment industries.
The 8th Annual Today’s Traveller Awards, 2014, was organised by Gill India Group and took place at The Ashok, New Delhi. National Tourism Award Winner, Leisure Corp, has won the category of Best MICE operator for empowering the business of tourism and servicing quality-based MICE programmes with innovation of experiences at destinations like Castello Orsini Odescalchi in Italy, Townhall in Australia, Eltham Palace in London, Montjuic Castle in Spain, Mount Rigi in Switzerland, Christchurch in New Zealand and many more.
The Chief Guest, Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (independent charge), launched the cover of the Today’s Traveller Winners’ Matrix Coffee Table Book and gave away the 8th Annual Today’s Traveller Awards to the industry’s best that involved awards in 45 categories.
In the special award ceremony, Leisure Corp was felicitated with Today’s Traveller Awards trophy and a certificate, a recognition and honour reserved for the 45 outstanding organisations and their CEOs/ founders for their resourcefulness and leadership in business value. On the occasion of receiving prestigious award,The Leisure Corp CEO, Mr. Naveen Kundu said "We at Leisure Corp aim to build MICE properties with effective strategies that not only route experiential programmes, but also invigorate destinations & creative experiences globally. Being appreciated for our efforts strengthens our mission of promoting tourism and empowering travel based solutions."
While lauding the efforts of the Gill India Group in recognising and acknowledging the leaders of the travel and tourism industry, which is the biggest motivation and inspiration for the industry partners Shri Naik said, "It is my priority to develop India as an important tourism destination. We are focussing on new marketing efforts along with developing the new products as well as creating and nurturing the infrastructure facilities to enhance our existing products. Our government is laying special emphasis on the tourism sector because it the sector is a high value add in the economy."
Amongst the dignitaries present were Parvez Dewan, IAS Secretary; Ministry of Tourism; Sohan Singh Thandal, Tourism Minister of Punjab; J Nayeck – Dy High Commissioner, mauritius commission of Delhi; KB Kachru, Chairman, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group; Bhupinder S Bhalla, Chairman of Chandigrah housing board; SK Sangar, MD, Tourism Finance Corporation of India Ltd; Dipak Haksar, COO, ITC Ltd. Hotel Division; Ashwini Kakkar, Executive Vice-chairman, Mercury Travels Limited and Rajiv Duggal, Senior Vice-president (tourism, hospitality)
Till Date, Leisure Corp has flown 3 million happy customers with vast portfolio of 2,000 top MICE projects, arranged for 200 blue chip corporate, providing complete end-to-end solutions for experiential MICE Programmes.
About Leisure Corp
Leisure Corp is a leading corporation headquartered in India with a global presence, offering management solutions in the sector of hospitality, tourism, leisure, events & entertainment. Founded in 1997, Leisure Corp is an enterprise that advocates and practices 360-degree management solutions for the corporate fraternity, travel agents & holiday customers with 3 divisions under the corporate umbrella - Global Nomads, Hotelsz.com & Happi Holidays. Founded by Mr. Naveen Kundu, the company's core expertise lies in providing 360 travel based management solutions. They operate globally with 5 representative offices globally. They have won three awards representing their excellence in stakeholder engagement programmes.
About Today’s Traveller Awards
Instituted in 2007, Today’s Traveller Awards acknowledge and celebrate excellence across all sectors of tourism, corporate and entertainment industries. Today, the Today's Traveller Awards are recognised as an ultimate hallmark of achievement, with winners setting the benchmark for all others to emulate. The Today's Traveller Awards ceremony is widely regarded as the best platform for networking opportunities in the travel industry, and is attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries and the media.
Please visit www.leisurecorp.in for further details
For more information contact:
Litika Mehta: email@example.com


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Enterprise software company Infor keeps a low profile. It’s mostly known as the place where Charles Phillips landed after he was replaced by Mark Hurd at Oracle.
Apple’s iTunes Match cloud music service is broadening its international reach, with the service reportedly going live in several new European countries. MacRumors reports that several readers in Italy, Austria, and Greece have had to agree to an updated iTunes terms and conditions document — which includes references to the service — while others have been able to sign up for iTunes Match outright. MacStories has posted screenshots from the Italian version of the service, which is shown as being priced at €24.99 a year.
US consumers spent $4.45 billion on home video entertainment in the first quarter of 2012, according to figures just released by Digital Entertainment Group. That’s an upswing of 2.5 percent over the same period last year, with Blu-ray and digital streaming services coming away as the big winners this quarter. Purchases of the high-definition optical media jumped 23 percent to $541 million in Q1, and Blu-ray continued to enter new homes with 2.4 million players sold.
REDMOND, Wash., April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Concur (NASDAQ: CNQR), a leading provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions, today announced that executive vice president, corporate development John Torrey will deliver a presentation on behalf of the company…
See the article here:
Concur to Present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Technology Conference


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e-Strategy Trends’ continually-updated collection of advertising research, statistics and trends for marketing, public relations, advertising and strategic communications professionals.
A slight majority (52%) of people around the world say they’re more concerned about their online privacy than they were a year ago, according to a report from Ipsos, the Internet Society and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).Read More
In a June survey of 82 senior marketing executives worldwide conducted by The CMO Club and Thunder, 78% of respondents said it is inexcusable for consumers to keep receiving ads for products they already bought.Read More
Most online adults across 5 key countries turn to websites in order to find information about brands and services, while about half rely on recommendations from friends and family, according to a report from Kantar Media. The study indicates that social media is also a popular source of information, though more so in some countries than others.Read More


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Freight forwarder DSV Panalpina has chartered a 1,800TEU vessel and containers for a single journey from Asia to Europe in an effort to help its customers beat the congestion bottlenecks on the trade.
Shortages of both capacity and equipment as a result of the ongoing pandemic and the fall out from the six-day blockage of the Suez Canal have seen rates on the trade rise sharply again after spiking earlier this year. The Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) stood at US$7,300/FEU on 12 April, by 6 May that had incresed to US$8,248/FEU.
"The global freight markets are under extraordinary pressure and have been for many months. At DSV, we do everything we can to secure our customers' supply chains, and in a challenged market like we have now, we do what we can to provide much needed capacity," DSV Panalpina's EVP, Investor Relations, Flemming Ole Nielsen, told Container News.
Nielsen added that DSV does not want to enter the vessel operating market and will remain a freight forwarder. Pointing to the "strong and long-standing" relationships the company has with its carrier partners, saying the main objective is to provide door-to-door services, and "Providing access to container capacity is of course a very important part of this. The single charter trip from China to Europe is a rare exception, and will only carry a very small part of our volume.”
Exact dates and port calls for the one-off service have yet to be decided, according to DSV.
Meanwhile, DSV Panalpina has completed the acquisition of South African-based courier service, Globeflight Worldwide Express, after the relevant competition authorities have approved the details in the agreement.
The acquisition, which was initially announced in December 2020, includes all Globeflight’s operations in South Africa and Swaziland and will immediately be able to fortify DSV Panalpina’s presence in the small express parcel courier sector.
The combined business will have approximately 4,000 employees serving approximately 12,000 customers across Southern Africa. After the acquisition, it is expected that more than 11 million courier shipments per year will be moved, which represent an increase of 30% in volumes for DSV Panalpina in South Africa.
This new acquisition comes after the announcement of another DSV Panalpina acquisition of Agility GIL on 27 April.
DSV Panalpina said that all these moves are consistent with its global strategy of growth through acquisitions while at the same time the latest acquisition will help the company to serve customers in the growing express and small parcel market in South Africa.
"The acquisition of Globeflight constitutes a great match for DSV in South Africa while at the same time tapping into our global M&A strategy," commented Keith Pienaar, DSV Africa CEO, and went on to say, "DSV Panalpina’s courier business typically centres on larger clients, while Globeflight’s strength is in the express and small parcel market with a particular emphasis in the critical B2B market."
The transaction reflects DSV Panalpina’s huge confidence in and commitment to South Africa, while it both coincides with the substantial investments in infrastructure and transport management systems which enable increases in productivity and efficiency and the investments the group is making in building large-scale logistics facilities in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
“We enable further growth for the combined entity while we continue to strengthen our services in and commitment to South Africa,” added Keith Pienaar.


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- Language Tips
The Singapore-headquartered Ascott now operates 42 properties in 17 cities in China. Photos provided to China Daily
Hotel profile | Ascott
Long popular with expat managers, top amenities and security now appeal to more Chinese, Han Tianyang reports.
Ascott China, the world's leading owner and operator of serviced residences, plans to maintain rapid growth in China by adding eight to 10 new serviced apartments every year over the next three to five years, according to a senior executive.
"We will buy at least two properties and operate six to eight new properties under management contracts every year," says Tan Tze Shang, Ascott China's regional general manager for the north and central western regions.
The Singapore-headquartered company now operates 42 properties in 17 cities in China, with half owned by Ascott and the rest under management contracts.
Both business modes are important for the company, says Tan.
Managing properties for a third-party owner facilitates rapid expansion and is a more prudent way to explore investment opportunities in a new city, he notes.
And as the Chinese government strengthens regulation of the real estate market to avoid speculative bubbles, it is good for owners to have Ascott's professional teams manage their properties and increase the value of the properties, he says.
But Ascott will also look for "the best opportunities" to invest in new properties, Tan says, because real estate transactions are a major source of profit for Ascott.
It has now brought its entire product line to China - the flagship Ascott brand with luxurious furnishings for senior executives, Citadines with a target market of single business travelers and Somerset properties that have a warmer feel for family guests.
Unlike standard hotels, the company has various types of apartment units - from one to four bedrooms, most of them with kitchens - where clients often live for months or even years. They offer better security and housekeeping services than most apartment complexes.
"What we offer is a home away from home," Tan says, adding Ascott's international brand strength frequently makes it the first choice for foreign management professionals and their families in China.
"In first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou our customers are mostly foreigners who live for one to two years at a time," Tan says.
As more local customers begin to accept the concept of serviced residences, Ascott is now seeing increasing numbers of Chinese guests.
"In second-tier cities like Xi'an and Chengdu, about half of our customers are Chinese who usually stay for one to three months."
Responding to the trend, the company has changed the style in some apartments to cater to local tastes instead of copying the decor of apartments offered to Western residents.
The management team is also localized to help the company better understand customer requirements, says Tan, who has been in China since 2000. The Malaysian, who is a permanent resident of Singapore, speaks fluent Chinese.
"I feel just like a fish in water," he says. "As a representative for a Singaporean company, I can serve as a bridge here because I can better communicate with local staff."
The company's presence in the central western region is its smallest compared to the north, east and south of China, but it has great potential with more foreign investment coming, burgeoning tourism and business travel, Tan says.
When Ascott Raffles City Chengdu and Somerset Gaoxin Xi'an open next year, the company will have seven properties operating in the region with a total 1,437 units, but North China remains the biggest market for Ascott. A new Somerset will open in Beijing next year, bringing its number of serviced apartments in the capital alone to more than 1,200.
Ascott has about 8,000 units in China, close to 30 percent of its global total. The number is expected to reach 12,000 by 2015, Tan said.
North Asia including China, Japan and South Korea is the fastest growing region for the company, he says.
Contact the writer at email@example.com.
(China Daily 11/17/2012 page13)


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Overwatch Update: Mei's Annoying Bug Makes The Players Suffer
It appears that the Overwatch community has been suffering recently. It is due to the newly-found bug on one of the game's character. The reports mention that the adorable Chinese hero Mei has a new bug regarding its ultimate ability. Bugs and glitches in-game are inevitable especially when a new update arrives. Overwatch has been plagued by several bugs previously. Though it is not a game changing bug, however, it still annoys the players.
According to Gamingbolt, those who are frequently using Mei might already encounter this new glitch. One Reddit user discovered the new bug describing it as irritating. As mentioned above, it is connected to Mei's Ultimate ability. It is said that when Mei activates her ultimate, it sometimes disappears entirely from the map even in the spectator mode. The user said that the progress would reset back to 0 percent with no ultimate seen on the map.
Based on the number of upvotes and comment on the Reddit thread, it appears that several players have also encountered a similar issue. It was explained that the bug happened a few times already in-game. Furthermore, there is no D.Va present in the game. That means her Defence matrix did not absorb the ult.
It might be a positive bug to all players who dislikes Mei's ult. However, it is a bit sad for those who mains the character. Ultimately, it will most likely be fixed soon similar to other reported bugs previously. However, no comments coming from Blizzard were heard at the moment. Players are highly recommended to wait for Blizzard's official statement regarding this issue.
On other Overwatch news, the Quick Pace of Assault Maps on PTR are causing some concerns from the community recently. Some players said that it is a bit unfair for those team who were not able to hold 1 percent. Additionally, they also said that the team should have a higher comeback ratio. Overall, players are hoping that the devs would re-consider this flaw when it arrives at the live servers.
Overwatch News And Update: Fans Comment On Orisa's 'Perfect' Release
Overwatch's new hero Orisa is arriving to the game soon and fans are ready to take the new tank to each of their battles. Meanwhile, several fans noticed that the latest character release were better than the previous two heroes. Here's why.
Overwatch Update: Here's Every Ability That Can Be Blocked By Orisa's Fortify
Here is the list of present abilities from other heroes that can be countered by Orisa's Fortify ability.
MORE IN ITECHPOST
Starbucks Unicorn Frappucino Is A Total Instagram Bait, Find Out Why
The Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino, a limited-edition drink was released this week and became a viral trend all over the social media, most especially on Instagram.
'Tokyo Ghoul' Season 3 Delayed By Its Live-Action Movie? Ken Kenaki Returns With Another Identity?
"Tokyo Ghoul" season 3's release is delayed and there are countless speculations as to why it is being pushed back. Reports claim that the show is to give way to "One Punch Man" and "My Hero Acdemia" but new rumors say that it's lack of materials and storyline as well as its live-action movie are causing the delay.
Final Fantasy XV: Patch 1.09 Adds New Features For Regalia
Final Fantasy XV patch 1.09 will add exciting new features for the fans most particularly, the upcoming Regalia update which will bring Tera Battle into the game. Here's everything we know so far.


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Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi Corp aims to outcompete South Korea's Samsung to be the world's largest smartphone vendor by shipments in three years.
The ambition came after Xiaomi earned its new tag as the world's No 2 smartphone maker in the second quarter of 2021, according to data from Canalys, a market research provider. It is the first time that Xiaomi wrested that status.
Lei Jun, CEO and founder of Xiaomi, said thanks to consumers' love and support, the company has been able to become the world's second-largest smartphone brand.
"Xiaomi will step up efforts to safeguard the position and eyes the No1 status over the next three years," Lei said.
At a launch event on Tuesday night, Xiaomi revealed its latest flagship handset, Mi MIX 4, in China, which features a string of cutting-edge technologies, such as an under-display camera.
The company also unveiled a new quadrupedal robot called CyberDog, a machine that also marks the company's official foray into the four-legged robotics space.
According to Xiaomi, the new robot can conduct a range of high-speed movements up to 3.2 meters per second and complicated actions, such as back flips. The robot also can respond to voice commands, including recognizing wake words and instructions, and can be controlled using a connected smartphone app.


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Tesla’s Air Conditioners are going to get a new face soon, and it may not be the one that people have been waiting for.
The air conditioner is the centerpiece of Tesla’s electric car range, which is expected to sell more than 40,000 cars per year in 2020, according to Tesla’s first quarter sales.
But that number has grown to more than 60,000 per year.
Tesla’s air conditioners are designed to run on battery power, so the company has been trying to keep up with demand and reduce costs.
The company has a few big air conditioning technology breakthroughs, but the technology has not been able to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques.
The company is trying to make that transition now.
On Tuesday, Tesla released an updated product roadmap for air condition, the first major update since its last big update in October.
The roadmap includes a new version of its battery-powered air condition technology, called AirCore, which Tesla says can help power its air condition systems more efficiently.
AirCore is being built in-house at Tesla.
It uses a patented technology that is a combination of lithium-ion battery cells and heaters to convert heat energy into electricity.
The battery technology is more efficient than the conventional lithium-air battery technology, and Tesla says that AirCore will be available for the next few years.
The new version, which has been in development for more than a decade, uses a different material, called a thermal conductor, and is less dense than traditional lithium-ions.
The new version uses a smaller battery pack, which should allow the company to deliver more efficient air condition.
The improved AirCore is designed to provide more efficient heating and cooling.
Tesla has been working on its air conditioning technology for years, but there was a big disconnect between how it worked and how the air was delivered to the car.
Tesla claims that it is using air conditioning that is much more efficient and reliable than the air that people drive in their cars, but this was not the case.
Tesla has been developing the technology to work with the air in a closed environment, and the company claims that its new AirCore technology is much better than the existing AirCore system.
Aircore works by using a new material called a thermocoupler.
This material is lighter than conventional thermal conductors, and allows it to be placed inside the batteries of the air condition unit to increase its efficiency.
Tesla says the new material is a 30 percent improvement over the current standard material, and will be able to produce more electricity than the current thermal conductive material.
The Thermocoupled Material (TCM) is a lightweight, flexible material that can be used to build the Thermoconforming Layer, or TCM, which will be used for the air conditioning in Tesla’s air conditioning system.
The TCM is a thin layer of a material that is made up of several layers, each layer of which is a single atom.
When these layers are layered together, they form a very strong thermocouple, which heats and cools the air, and generates heat.
Tesla calls this material “Thermocouple.”
The Thermosheating Layer (TML) is the final layer of the TCM.
This layer is made of a thermal conductivity that is created by the air.
Thermofactors can then be placed in between the layers to generate heat.
Thermofacts are heat-conducting materials that are much lighter than thermoconductors and much more conductive.
When they are placed in a container, the heat can be generated, and this heat can then go through the liquid-liquid interface to form an electric current, which travels through the wires of the device.
The process is called heating.
Tesla describes the technology as “thermofactory.”
Tesla is working on making its AirCore battery technology much better by using new materials, but it has not yet shown that it can deliver the same efficiency as conventional batteries.
The technology is expected be in production in 2020.
Tesla also said that it will be expanding its manufacturing in-store capabilities.
The air condition room is one of the biggest places for Tesla to make its air.
If Tesla can improve its manufacturing capabilities at the store, it will allow Tesla to offer more electric vehicles and other new products.


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More tour operators and cruise lines have extended the suspension of their holidays.
Scenic, Great Rail Journeys and AmaWaterways have all prolonged their pause on operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
It follows the UK Foreign Office’s extention of its advice against all non-essential overseas travel indefinitely on Saturday.
The Scenic Group, which includes Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises, has suspended operations for land tours, river and ocean cruises up to June 30
Colin Downing, UK managing director, said: “Our commitment to the health, well-being, and safety of our guests and our employees remains at the core of everything we do. Due to the ongoing global situation and government restrictions it is impossible for us to operate our scheduled departures up to June 30, 2020.
“Please be assured we are here to support our valued agent partners and guests during this challenging time. When this crisis is over and the travel industry begins to recover, we look forward to exploring our precious world with our guests again.”
AmaWaterways has extended the suspension of its river cruises until June 30.
A statement on its website said: “We want to reassure you that we are in a secure position to welcome guests back on board once we can safely sail again. Until then, the rivers continue to flow and our staff and crew are patiently waiting to treat you to a memorable river cruise experience.”
Great Rail Journeys said it was in the process of cancelling all holidays up to May 7.
It is offering customers refund credit note on all cancelled holidays. Departures from May 8 onwards are entitled to a free amendment to a later date in 2021 or 2021.


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Subway is using a Mic-based content series to drive awareness of a one-day offer that will benefit Feeding America.
On Nov. 3, National Sandwich Day, customers who buy any sub plus any drink will qualify for a free sub of equal or less value, and Subway will donate one meal to Feeding America – with no limit on the meals donated.
Subway’s declared goal for the promotion, dubbed “The Good Deed Feed,” is to donate more than 11 million meals during the day, thereby breaking Feeding America’s one-day donation record. Subway says it will publicly announce the actual number of meals donated.
In addition, each time someone shares content from the series on Mic (and also on YouTube, see one video below), which features stories from Subway franchisees and families served by Feeding America’s food banks, Mic will donate a meal.
Subway will also look to drive traffic and sales by offering a National Sandwich Day Snapchat filter that can be unlocked at most of its 27,000-plus U.S stores during Nov. 3.
Subway stores are working with Food Banks Canada on a similar donation of meals as part of the National Sandwich Day offer and promotion.


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Unlicensed courier services to be shut down by Postal Authorities
80 percent of the city’s courier companies were tagged illegal after the new postal law took effect last October 2009. Courier companies were given one year to file and obtain a legal license from the postal authority and those who failed to get their license was shut down leaving 300,000 employees out of jobs.
270 Shenzhen companies were able to obtained a license given by the Guangdong Postal Bureau and some got their license from the State Postal Bureau. 2,200 courier companies have registered with the city market administration authority. State Postal Bureau will be investigating and close all unlicensed companies. Under the new law will enable EMS the delivery service which is owned by China Post to gain a larger share in the market. The new law will require courier companies to increase their deliveries to at least 500,000 yuan for the deliveries done inside the city.
Private courier companies are struggling under policies that is protected State owned EMS, which is experiencing rapid growth. Yearly growth in the private sector is around 50 to 100 percent of the market. State Postal Bureau said that there was increase in the volume market that amounted to 1.4 billion items delivered from January up to September. The only problem is that the quality of service was criticized. The four leading private courier companies accounted for at least 40 percent of all complaints. The good news is the despite all the problems the delivery industry is a popular investment because of increased demand and sustained growth.


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Utz Quality Foods announced a $1.25 million settlement of a class action labeling lawsuit; Whole Foods is moving its Northeast headquarters; Nestle will move its ice cream and frozen pizza businesses from a DSD network to a warehouse model.
Investment firm Sunrise Strategic Partners announced today an investment in ice cream producer Coolhaus. The company plans to release a plant-based product in the near future.
The artisanal ice cream brand announced today that it had closed a minority investment from Strand Equity. The capital will be used to help the company scale its presence in retail and to open scoop shops on the West Coast.
This month McConnell’s launched a line of dairy-free “ice cream” made from a proprietary blend of micronized pea protein.
ProYo announced today that its high protein, low fat ice cream pint brand will now be known as Swell Ice Cream. The rebranding is an attempt to optimize the brand’s name and packaging to better connect with what CEO and founder Nathan Carey said are the core consumers of pints: women, families and “weekend warriors.”
This week, My/Mo announced the launch of its newest innovation, pints with mochi “bite” inclusions, an ice cream-forward reversal of the brand’s original mochi line. The company will also launch four non-dairy mochi flavors using cashew milk in Q1.
Ice cream and novelty brands highlighting natural ingredients or embracing full-fat indulgence are in full demand. Here’s the scoop on the latest in frozen dessert news from Vice Cream, My/Mo Mochi, Halo Top and Snow Monkey.
The new Baileys Sea Salt Caramel gelato will be available nationwide this month at a suggested retail price of $4.99 for a 16 oz. pint. Ciao Bella and Baileys continue to collaborate and plan to launch new flavors in the future.
Nancy’s Fancy’s new kitchen will be located in a 6,000 square-foot facility in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles that previously housed Mast Brothers Chocolatiers.
A portion of the proceeds from each One Love pint sold will benefit Jamaica’s One Love Youth Camp, a program run by The Bob Marley Foundation and Partners for Youth Empowerment.


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Putting down long-term roots in Angola’s entrepreneurial ecosystem
28 Oct 2021
A national trainer programme is increasing the local ownership and sustainability of an EU-funded UNCTAD project in the southern African nation.
Coastal developing countries bank on a sustainable ocean economy post COVID-19
6 Oct 2021
Barbados, Belize and Costa Rica are looking beyond the pandemic and climate shocks by developing and implementing national trade strategies strongly linked to resilience, conservation and the sustainable use of their marine resources.
Zambia’s e-commerce firms stay the course amid pandemic
23 Mar 2021
Despite COVID-19 hurdles, online businesses in Zambia are clinging to their big dreams while the government strengthens the nation’s e-commerce ecosystem.


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Shop Local campaign rolls into Harold Wood
- Credit: Archant
Harold Wood, like other shopping areas, has its fair share of problems, but car parking doesn’t seem to be one of them.
Lisa Mehmet, the owner of The Chippy in Station Road said: “Parking is not a problem, to be honest.
“People can come in and use the shop for just 20p in the machine.”
This advantage of Harold Wood was revealed during the Recorder’s Shop Local campaign, which aims to support local businesses and to encourage people to use shops in Havering.
The council introduced parking charges in Station Road in January 2008.
You may also want to watch:
Shopkeepers were against the move at the time, arguing that it would drive people away from the area and to places such as Lakeside.
The parking charges are currently 20p for a one-hour stay, £1.40 for up to one-and-a-half hours and £2 for a maximum of two hours.
- 1 Road and rail: Disruptions to watch out for in Havering next week
- 2 Plane crash in Upminster sees man taken to hospital as a priority
- 3 Man 'wraps metal chain around woman's neck' in Hornchurch park attack
- 4 West Ham free to build new training facility as council approves plans
- 5 Romford celebrity scandals: Stars who hit headlines for the wrong reasons
- 6 ‘It is our moral obligation’: Upminster school launches mental health team
- 7 Kem Cetinay’s Array restaurant to host Halloween 'ball'
- 8 Revealed: The most popular baby names in your area in 2020
- 9 Development coming to Havering: What plans were submitted, approved or rejected in recent months?
- 10 Man charged with attempted bank robbery in Romford to appear in court
But as part of the council’s reduction in the cost of on-street parking, drivers will soon be charged 20p for a two-hour stay and 50p for three hours.
Cllr Barry Tebbutt, cabinet member for street care, said: “We’re changing the way we manage parking across shopping areas outside Romford to help traders and shoppers.”
Indeed, it seems that Harold Wood’s shops could do with a boost. Lisa said: “Business is quiet, but that has nothing to do with the parking. It’s never really been the same since Harold Wood Hospital closed.
“We were against the parking meters when the council were introducing them, but it’s really helped the area.”
Jan Grimstead, the owner of JJ’s Beauty Salon, added: “I have been here for 13 years. It is a friendly area, people are lovely.
“Parking is brilliant. It never used to be good, but since the council introduced the parking charges, it has made a massive difference.”
Sophie Morris, manager of Images Hair and Beauty Salon, also praised the meters but complained that more spaces were needed.
She said: “The parking meters are good, but we still get a lot of people parking up for two to three hours, so there needs to be more of it.
“My customers also say that there is no place for them to stop if they are being dropped off.”
That could be about to change, according to Cllr Tebbutt, who said: “We’re also looking at introducing a new drop-off bay near the station at Harold Wood to help those who are being dropped to the station or to shop in the area.”
If you are the gentleman circled in red above you’re £50 richer! To claim your prize you must attend the Recorder’s offices at 539 High Road, Ilford.


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|3rd April 2018, 14:52||#1|
Join Date: May 2010
Linux driver reveals Vega 20
That is the Vega 7nm
Many of our colleagues were excited to see the confirmation of the existence of the chip called Vega 20. This is what AMD introduced back in January as the Vega 7nm, and it is a compute chip.
There are very few details about the new chip, only that there might be more SKUs. What Fudzilla can confirm, based on multiple conversations we conducted between January and now and January, this is what AMD calls the Vega 7nm.
AMD has insisted many times that this is a compute chip, the one that that's targeted to compete with Nvidia in the AI market. Back in January at the press event, AMD announced that the Vega 7 (Vega 20) can be expected before the end of 2018. AMD calls this market and products Radeon Instinct, and it has had limited success so far. It remains to be seen if there will be a 7nm Vega for Radeon - gaming market but a Linux driver is an indication of its market aspirations.
The 7nm for the big chip won’t be easy to build and we wouldn't expect great yields, but this would not be the first time that AMD goes after top notch manufacturing process, in order to get closer to its big competitor, Nvidia.
|Thread||Thread Starter||Forum||Replies||Last Post|
|Microsoft will be the next key driver of Linux||Stefan Mileschin||WebNews||0||22nd September 2017 05:25|
|Acer Reveals Predator Orion 9000 Gaming Desktop: Up To 18 Cores, 4 Vega GPUs||Stefan Mileschin||WebNews||0||3rd September 2017 10:21|
|Possible Vega GPU details revealed in Linux driver||Stefan Mileschin||WebNews||0||9th May 2017 05:10|
|AMD’s Linux GPU patches seven Vega 10s||Stefan Mileschin||WebNews||0||23rd March 2017 12:29|
|13-Way AMD GPU Linux Driver Comparison||Stefan Mileschin||WebNews||0||13th November 2013 10:31|
|AMD Catalyst 7.12 Linux Driver||Sidney||WebNews||1||22nd December 2007 22:28|
|Introducing The RadeonHD Linux Driver||Sidney||WebNews||0||18th September 2007 04:30|
|ATI releases new Linux 64 bit Driver||Sidney||WebNews||0||6th February 2005 04:46|
|ATI Proprietary Linux Driver 3.14.6||jmke||WebNews||0||9th November 2004 22:46|
|ATI has new Linux driver for download||jmke||WebNews||0||1st October 2004 12:45|


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If being global superstars, singing sensations and the face of a fragrance weren’t enough, One Direction have now launched a new line of make-up in collaboration with cosmetics brand MUA.
This isn't the first time the boys have set the beauty world by storm, after they launched a line of nail polishes for charity in the US earlier this year. But following the launch of their fragrance – Our Moment – it looks like the boys have turned into cosmetics gurus, as they've now created a full collection of lipsticks, lip gloss, cheek tints and nail polishes.
Each of the make-up ranges is named after one of their songs, including the aptly titled Kiss You lipstick line and Little Things nail polish collection, which comes complete with a 1D signature and a plectrum featuring a picture of your fave band member.
And if you were wondering what colours the boys prefer, it looks like Harry Styles likes a hot pink nail polish, while Liam Payne opted for a more quirky green shade. Each member of the band also chose their own lip polish flavour, including Zayn Malik loves Watermelon and Niall Horan loves Cherry.
What do you think of One Direction’s new venture? Tell us on Twitter!
Watch: One Direction's best moments


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A singing “chicken” visited the McDonald’s headquarters in Chicago this week, delivering the message that the fast food giant needs to stop the gruesome cruelty to the animals in its supply chain.
The singing telegram was delivered by a vocalist in chicken costume from animal advocacy organization Compassion Over Killing (COK), who have been targeting the company this year alongside a coalition of organizations including Animal Equality, The Humane League, and Mercy for Animals.
“While McDonald’s focuses on its fast-food profits, it’s allowing unnaturally fast growth to cripple hundreds of millions of birds in its supply chain,” said Laura Cascada, director of corporate outreach for COK.
In March, the coalition published an open letter to McDonald’s in the New York Times, highlighting the horrific factory farm practices of overcrowding and abnormal growth rates and urging the worldwide conglomerate to address these issues in their policies.
“If a human baby grew in the same way, they’d be 660 pounds at just two months old,” stated the letter.
More recently, a giant digital billboard was launched in Times Square, exposing the torture inflicted on birds by Mcdonald’s suppliers. The ad will continue to play 60 times a day until October 31st.
With McDonald’s sourcing hundreds of millions of chickens every year for their products, they have enormous power to make massive change in the industry.
The coalition is asking for natural growth rates, more space for the chickens, better housing conditions and the chance for the birds to exhibit natural behaviors.
“There’s a lot of sadness behind each Happy Meal,” said Cascada. “Right now, McDonald’s has the chance not only to address the suffering of animals raised for its menu but also to get in on a sizzling meatless market by serving up a vegan option.”
More than 90 companies, including Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Subway, and Starbucks have already committed to addressing these issues. COK plan to continue their protests until McDonald’s take action to stop the cruelty.


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Kylie Jenner outdid herself for Travis Scott's gas station-themed birthday party
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Queen Letizia makes this tailored two-piece look oh-so-good
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Ultra Electronics Holdings plc (LON:ULE) insider Ami Sharma purchased 9 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 3rd. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 1,589 ($20.50) per share, with a total value of £143.01 ($184.48).
Shares of LON ULE opened at GBX 1,566 ($20.20) on Thursday. Ultra Electronics Holdings plc has a twelve month low of GBX 1,138 ($14.68) and a twelve month high of GBX 2,231 ($28.78).
Ultra Electronics (LON:ULE) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 6th. The company reported GBX 45.10 ($0.58) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of GBX 57.70 ($0.74) by GBX (12.60) (($0.16)). Ultra Electronics had a return on equity of 14.47% and a net margin of 7.23%.
The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 30th will be paid a GBX 14.60 ($0.19) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.91%.
A number of equities analysts have issued reports on ULE shares. Kepler Capital Markets lifted their price target on Ultra Electronics from GBX 1,600 ($20.64) to GBX 1,650 ($21.28) and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 15th. Liberum Capital reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Ultra Electronics in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Ultra Electronics from GBX 1,900 ($24.51) to GBX 1,950 ($25.15) and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 7th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on Ultra Electronics from GBX 1,440 ($18.58) to GBX 1,660 ($21.41) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 1,664 ($21.47).
Ultra Electronics Company Profile
Ultra Electronics Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides various solutions and products in the defense and aerospace, security and cyber, transport, and energy markets. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Infrastructure, Communications & Security, and Maritime & Land.
Featured Story: Leveraged Buyout (LBO) Explained
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20four7VA Named a Top Small Business by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced that 20four7VA has been recognized as one of America’s top 70 small businesses. This accolade comes during an exceptional year marked by a remarkable 15,000+ applications for the annual “America’s Top Small Business” Awards.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce selected the top 70 small businesses in the United States from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. These businesses were evaluated on their business growth, ability to overcome challenges, smart strategies for success, and community engagement. From the 70 small businesses honored, seven will be named finalists.
Each of the top small businesses will be granted a one-year complimentary membership to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and will enjoy prominent exposure on the CO— website. This platform delivers valuable insights and advice to 20,000 business owners daily and over 6 million individuals annually across the United States and worldwide. The recipient of the prestigious “America’s Top Small Business” title will be awarded a $25,000 cash prize.
“20four7VA was established with the vision that outsourced remote staffing could transform the way small businesses expand their teams, offering an innovative, cost-effective, and flexible approach to workforce management,” Catherine vanVonno, president and CEO of 20four7VA said. “We take immense pride in championing small businesses and view our recognition by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as proof of our dedication to fostering the growth of small businesses everywhere.”
America’s Top Small Business Summit
The top 70 small businesses and seven finalists will be celebrated at the America’s Top Small Business Summit: Ready, Set, Scale on October 19 at the Chamber’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Summit participants will have the opportunity to glean expert business insights from the ATSB 2023 finalists and get exclusive access to executives from Google, Walmart, Meta, and other corporate giants that champion small businesses.
See the rest of this year’s top 70 small businesses.
About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization and lobbying group, representing the interests of companies of all sizes and sectors. It serves as a powerful advocate for businesses, advocating for policies that promote economic growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce provides resources, tools, and opportunities for businesses to thrive and succeed in today’s dynamic marketplace.


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Foxconn Group's Foxconn Electronics has enhanced investment in the second-hand smartphone market.
Foxconn Group's subsidiary NC-IH recently acquired a 20% stake in British mobile phone dealer Bamboo Distribution, which focuses on the recycling, refurbishment and distribution of used mobile phones. This investment will allow Foxconn to enter the European mobile phone recycling and reuse market to create a new operating revenue source.
Foxconn started tapping the used mobile phone market in September 2014, when the group's subsidiary FIH Mobile acquired 30% of CExchange, an electronics products recycling and reuse company in the U.S. In mainland China, the group also established a subsidiary to operate smartphone trade-in services. This subsidiary provides smartphone recycling, testing, reuse, and resale services via an Internet platform.
In addition, Foxconn reportedly reached an agreement with Softbank's subsidiary Brightstar for joint development of mobile phone recycling and trade businesses.


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The Zotye Auto debut at Shanghai auto show
H/O: Zotye Auto
When Guangzhou-based GAC Group rolled out a concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show last January it was just the latest among a procession of Chinese automakers laying out plans to enter the American car market.
To date, however, the only Chinese-made vehicles to reach U.S. shores have been imported by General Motors and Volvo. But Zotye Auto, a small, privately held carmaker from Yongkang, Zhejiang, China, is determined to be the first domestic Chinese car company to reach American shores — and in as little as 18 months from now.
With a name that few Americans will likely know how to pronounce — it’s Zoh-tee, not Zot-yee — a small budget and even less brand equity than bigger Chinese brands like BYD, Geely or Great Wall, there are plenty of skeptics. Americans “have a bad perception of Chinese vehicles, overall” cautioned Augusto Amorim, a senior analyst with LMC Automotive. And Zotye is particularly unknown, he said.
But the team of industry veterans who are leading the Zotye launch effort are confident they can pull it off, including seasoned salesman Duke Hale, 69, who sold his first car as a teenager and has spent decades working with automakers as diverse as Isuzu, Lotus and Land Rover. Hale said he’s confident his “seven Ps” strategy will clinch the deal.
The list includes such things as “processes,” as well as “product.” The first model expected to enter Zotye’s U.S. line-up debuted barely a month ago at Auto Shanghai. The T600 is a compact crossover that will be aimed at the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. It will be followed in 2022 by the midsize T700 crossover and, about a year later, by a three-row model.
The Zotye Auto debut at Shanghai auto show
H/O: Zotye Auto
But while the T600 has generated some positive press, Hale believes the brand’s biggest selling point will be “price.”
“Think in terms of 20% less than the targeted competition,” notably including the likes of Hyundai, Kia and Toyota, Hale said over dinner with journalists at the Detroit Renaissance Center on Thursday night.
That’s an even bigger discount than Hyundai offered buyers when it came to the U.S. market 30 years ago — and with a name that was equally baffling to American consumers. And it would come at a decidedly opportune time, industry officials like Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of automotive operations, have openly worried about the rising cost of today’s new vehicles. The average sticker price of a new car hit a record $34,000 at the beginning of the year, according to data compiled by industry research company LMC Automotive.
Industry observers note that translates into a typical monthly payment of around $550, enough to price millions of potential buyers out of the market, especially millennial and Gen-Z motorists, many already straining to pay off student loans.
Jan Thompson, a former marketing executive with Mazda and Toyota who’s now handling that role for Zotye, believes the Chinese brand’s primary buyers will be young shoppers who don’t want to buy a used car. But with an estimated 42 million used vehicles sold in 2019, nearly three times more than new, customers could come from every market demographic, she said.
2019 Honda CRV with camper tent accessories.
Adam Jeffery | CNBC
“I tell my neighbors in Tennessee I’m going to sell a Chinese car and they all say they’re not interested,” she said. “Then I tell them the price and they all ask where they can sign up.”
Unlike Hyundai, Kia and the many new automotive start-ups coming on the scene, Zotye won’t actually run the show, if and when its cars come to the U.S. The marketing operation actually lifts a page from the strategy several Japanese automakers used in decades past when they tried to pry open the door to the U.S. market. Subaru, Mazda and even Toyota initially relied on independent American distributors — the Japanese giant still represented by one in a number of Southern states.
Hale’s HAAH Automotive Holdings negotiated a deal to import and distribute Zotye’s products in the U.S., a plan the Chinese carmaker was more than glad to accept, he said, considering it currently has capacity to build 1.2 million vehicles annually but only sold about 400,000 last year.
The arrangement gives HAAH plenty of flexibility and, in fact, “There are probably more brands to be announced in the future,” he said Thursday, suggesting his privately held company is negotiating with several other Chinese wannabe exporters.
Of course, the real question is whether HAAH will get past the bright idea stage. There have been plenty of attempts to set up new brands in the U.S. over the past 20 years but only Tesla has so far succeeded. Notable failures include India’s Mahindra & Mahindra which even had lined up a network of dealers, early in the decade, before throwing in the towel.
The good news for HAAH and Zotye is that they claim to be generating strong interest from dealers, with several dozen now signed on representing 60 “points” in 15 states, and negotiations are well underway with about 20 others, according to sales chief Bob Pradzinski, who has spent decades working for Asian automakers including Hyundai, Mazda and Toyota.
What might surprise buyers is that despite record new vehicle prices, the typical automotive retailer loses about $331 for every car, truck or crossover they sell, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. They have to try to make that up by pushing finance, insurance and service.
Hale and his team is trying to make it easier — more profitable — for dealers. Zotye plans to use a “no haggle/no hassle” approach to pricing, like Saturn. And dealers will be offered large geographic franchises in which they could set up multiple outlets. That could include showrooms in malls, something Tesla has done.
Hale and his team acknowledged there are plenty of potential obstacles, like meeting U.S. emissions, mileage and safety standards, for one. The trade war between the U.S. and China is also an issue, although Hale said he’s confident it will be resolved well before the first Zotye is ordered in the U.S.
“They seem serious about getting into the market and are clearly trying to understand what buyers want,” said analyst Amorim. While it will likely be a challenge for any Chinese makers, especially in a market already crowded with so many brands, he believes Zotye and HAAH could “have a higher chance of being successful” if they can execute the plan Hale and his team have put together.


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NEW YORK: Smartphones are increasingly used for product research both in and out of home, but two thirds of US consumers supplement this with store visits as well, according to a new report.
The 2016 Mobile Path to Purchase report from xAd, the location-based mobile adtech firm, was based on surveys of almost 1,000 consumers in the US, more than 1,500 in China and more than 800 in Germany, Japan and the UK.
The study found that store visits remained an especially important part of the path to purchase for US consumers, with 67% making a research trip, 20% up on a year ago; that compared to just 47% of UK consumers.
Online mobile research provides an initial idea of what's available, but being able to see and experience a product in a store can help finalise a purchase decision, the report noted, and marketers need to understand where consumers are on that journey and respond accordingly.
"With multiple location touch-points throughout the day, different messages and calls-to-action should be considered based on where a consumer is in their purchase journey, and where they physically are in the moment," said Sarah Ohle, senior director of insights and innovations at xAd.
"Shoppers may have different needs and wants based on where they are, so understanding the differences in intent depend on where they are in the moment and can help inform messaging tactics," she told Mobile Marketer.
So, for example, when people are at home, messaging could reinforce branding; when they are out and about they could be shown the closest retail store; and when in-store, a specific call-to-action could be deployed.
"By tapping into a consumer's location, retailers not only can provide the same level of in-store offers as online can, but they can also create an incredibly personalized and tailored experience to tap into their immediate needs based on where they are in the moment," said Ohle.
And they may have only a limited opportunity to do so, as more than three quarters of US consumers researching products on their phones were looking to purchase with the next 24 hours.
Data sourced from xAd, Mobile Marketer; additional content by Warc staff


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India’s economy grew at 5 per cent in the first quarter of 2019-20, the slowest pace in over six years. Various rating agencies and financial institutions have pegged the 2nd quarter growth between 4.2 to 4.9 per cent.
Here's a close look at the data points:
Output of core industries fell sharply by 5.2 per cent in September 2019 (year-on-year) as all sectors, with the exception of fertilisers, posted a decline in output. In August, it was almost flat at 0.1 per cent. The index was dragged down by decline in output of coal, crude oil, natural gas, cement, and electricity.
Factory output contracted by 4.3 per cent in September, hitting a seven-year low. Negative growth in three key sectors — manufacturing, mining and electricity — pulled down the IIP, which had recorded 4.6 per cent growth in the same month last year.
In August, factory output contracted by 1.4 per cent after a gap of 26 months, reinforcing fears of a slowing economy and deteriorating consumer sentiment.
India’s core CPI has been shrinking for a year even as the headline CPI has started inching up on account of higher food prices. Falling core inflation is indicative of the wider slowdown faced by the industry. The RBI will have a tough task ahead as it meets in the first week of December to assess conditions for a sixth successive rate cut.
Factory production is now almost stagnant, with the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for manufacturing having slipped to a two-year low of 50.6 in October as against 51.4 in September.
Manufacturing activity slumped to a 15-month low (51.4) in August as sales slowed, forcing factories to cut back on production. First quarter GVA in manufacturing had slumped to 0.6 per cent and forecasts for the second quarter aren’t encouraging either.
Pushed upwards by festive sales, GST collection improved a tad in October to Rs 95,380 crore, but remained lower than Rs 1 lakh crore mark set by the government.
Plunging to a 19-month low, GST collection fell 2.67% to Rs 91,916 crore in September on a year on year basis. It stood at Rs 98,202 crore, up 4.51% compared to Rs 93,960 crore in the same month last year.
Collections of over Rs 1 lakh crore a month are seen as healthy. The dip below Rs 1 lakh crore, therefore, is reflective of the larger slowdown in the Indian economy.
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