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Industry VoicesWe go under the radar to get to know the personalities behind the names in publishing. Navigate through our previous interviews here
Grazia and SkinCeuticals Launch Grazia's First Virtual Skincare Festival
Grazia has launched Grazia Skin Session - its first virtual skincare event in partnership with SkinCeuticals.
Cyclist Launches Design Your Own Jersey Competition For Children
Cyclist, Dennis’ monthly magazine for people who are passionate about road cycling, has launched a competition for readers to design their own cycling jersey.
Investment Week Launches into Italy with Select Italia Event
Incisive Media’ flagship financial brand Investment Week has expanded its Select event format into Italy with the launch of Select Italia.
Bauer Launches Junior Advertising Creative Apprenticeship with Ogilvy UK
Bauer Academy has announced the launch of its new training programme ‘Junior Advertising Creative’, a level 3 Apprenticeship which will be delivered to Ogilvy UK’s apprentices in a training programme branded ‘The Pipe’.
InterSend Website Launches
As part of the change from InterMedia Solutions to InterSend Limited, a new website has been launched.
UK Government Reaches Deal with European Union over Future Trading Relationship
*UPDATED: *Following an 11-month transition period, the UK-EU trade deal was agreed on Christmas Eve, containing commitments on Data and Intellectual Property (IP).
Future Buys Mozo
Future plc this week announces the acquisition of Mozo, a leading Australian personal finance comparison site.
Emily Maitland | Account Manager | Mapp Digital
How do you effectively use data to enrich editorial content? What can branded content learn from luxury magazines? These are all questions that Emily Maitland, part of the PPA 30 Under 30 Class of 2020, has the answers to.
Puzzler Media Unveils Unique Magazine Dedicated to Mindfulness
Puzzler Media has launched the third title in the new puzzle series, Puzzler Presents.
Jean McNicol and Alice Spawls Appointed Editors of LRB
Mary-Kay Wilmers has announced that she is stepping down as editor of the London Review of Books. She will continue to be closely involved with the paper as consulting editor.
Markus Huessmann New Publishing COO for Bauer Media Group
Bauer Media have appointed Markus Huessmann as COO of Publishing. A the same time Bauer Media has appointed Spence Piggott as the Group's Chief Technology and Information Office (CTIO).
Grazia Appoints Two New People to Editorial Team
Emma Rowley and Jessica Barrett have been appointed Assistant Editors. In their new positions, Emma will oversee features and Jessica will oversee news and video.


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MID NORTH sheep breeders will have a chance to showcase their stock in the coming weeks, after Spence Dix & Co stock agents banded together to create an inaugural feature ewe sale at Marrabel.
On September 29, the Marrabel Rodeo Ground will morph into a pop-up saleyard and yard about 7500 ewes from the Mid North to give the region a new selling outlet.
The agency may be seen as reinventing the wheel, but after the success of the first sheep sale at Karoonda in more than a decade, the pop-up sale is seen as having huge potential.
The idea to hold the sale at Marrabel came off the back of the buoyant Karoonda sale - also a single agency offering - and Spence Dix & Co agent Daniel Doecke simply said they couldn't afford to not do it.
"Sales are strong and the prices are reflecting that - there was not much of a choice, we had to get these sheep in a yard and show off," he said.
The sale will be interfaced with AuctionsPlus, after the 7500 ewes were initially destined for the online platform only.
Spence Dix & Co's Daniel Griffiths said about six years ago an online sale was formed for Mid North stock.
"That sale was held in mid-September in the past and those sheep will now go into the yards instead," he said.
"We have not been able to locate saleyards in the region to hold a sale previously but now we have this option."
About 3000 sheep were knocked out of the Marrabel sale due to limited pen space.
The agents also contemplated including lambs into the sale but decided it would remain a feature ewe sale, with a hope of obtaining a blue ribbon sale reputation.
Agent Joe Scammell said the sale design would control the presentation of the ewes.
"It will be a controlled process of like-for-like stock the entire way through the sale," he said. "It will be a lot better selling system for stock - instead of selling a few mobs of different types and jumping around the saleyard, it will have an ordered flow."
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18 Dec Yemen Rebels Target Cargo Ship in Red Sea
Yemeni rebels have recently targeted a cargo ship in the Red Sea, marking the latest in a series of attacks in the region. The incident raises concerns about the safety of maritime transportation in the area. To ensure the security of freight shipping customers, it is essential for us to keep you informed about the evolving situation and consider new alternative routes or heightened security measures.
This latest attack, highlights the escalating security risks in the region, and as for us, maintaining open communication with shipping authorities and staying informed about the geopolitical landscape will contribute to making well-informed decisions regarding freight shipments in this volatile region. As of now, carriers such as Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are halting services through the Red Sea via the Suez Canal and are evaluating the situation and may decide to sail via South Africa (Cape of Good Hope) to avoid any risk.
As always, we will keep you posted for any updates regarding the situation.


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Global chip sales squeeze 0.4% annual growth
February 07, 2012 // Peter Clarke
Global sales of semiconductors grew in 2011 by 0.4 percent reaching a record value of $299.52 billion, according to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization. The December results came in much as expected but produced a weak fourth quarter that prevented the global chip company from exceeding $300 billion.
The three month moving average for global sales in December was $23.83 billion and the December actual sales were $25.35 billion. The December actual sales were up 12.0 percent sequentially – which is above trend – but still below the actual sales of $26.56 billion recorded in December 2010. The fourth quarter's sales were $71.50 billion, down 7.7 percent sequentially and down 5.3 percent from the fourth quarter sales of 2010.
The fourth quarter is, on average, down less than one percent from the third quarter and the steep quarterly fall, largely expected after weak figures reported for October and November indicates that the chip market remains slow, although this was largely driven by weakness in DRAM prices and the PC market more generally.
The value of the total discrete, optoelectronic and sensors market grew by 8.3 percent and MOS microprocessors grew by 7.5 percent compared to 2010, according to the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA). Most other semiconductor categories showed annual growth, ESIA said.
On a geographic basis in 2011, the Americas and Asia Pacific regions showed annual growth while the European and Japanese chip markets contracted. Asia Pacific was the largest market at $164.03 billion up 2.5 percent on 2010. The Americas region was $55.20 billion, up 2.8 percent. The Japanese market, at $42.90 billion for 2011, shrank by 7.9 percent, while the European market was $37.39 billion, down on 2010 by 1.7 percent.
German company wins bid to crash cars in China
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Numerous developments in the area of vehicle safety are significantly influenced as a result of current NCAP or NHTSA regulations ...
European semiconductors sales up 14.9% this year
EE Times' annual salary & opinion survey report
Toshiba announces image sensor strategy
DelfMEMS promotes CFO to CEO
Sensata to pay $1-bn for tire pressure sensor leader
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Sensata Technologies Holding NV (Almelo, Netherlands) has announced it has reached an agreement to acquire the Schrader group ...
ADCs for high dynamic range – successive-approximation or sigma-delta?
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- Power Modules: The New Super Power
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InterviewA question of Europe
Sir Peter Bonfield sits on the board and has advisory roles in many international companies and universities. With more than 45 years of experience in electronics, computers and communications, here he ...
Filter WizardCheck out the Filter Wizard Series of articles by Filter Guru Kendall Castor-Perry which provide invaluable practical Analog Design guidelines.
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This month, Trinamic Motion Control is offering you to win one of four TMCM-1043 development kits for its highly integrated, NEMA 17-compatible TMCM-1043 stepDancer stepper motor module.
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It may well seem that no brand wants to be left behind by the non-fungible token (NFT) bandwagon, not even fashion giant Gap. According to a Wednesday announcement by the clothing brand, it is collaborating with InterPop to launch its first NFT collection on the Tezos blockchain.
Gap Launches NFT collection
The San Francisco-based retailer said in the announcement, that it would be offering customers a gamified digital experience. However, customers may not start purchasing its limited-edition hoodies until January 13 when sales will go live.
According to the announcement, the firm has teamed up with renowned Frank Ape artist, Brandon Sines to design the NFT collection which will be built on the Tezos.
Meanwhile, interested customers may purchase the pieces for about 2 XTZ each (around $8.68 at press time), via the Gap NFT website up until January 15. But according to a press release by the firm, there will be more Gap NFT drops all through the month of January.
Taking It Up A Notch
Interestingly, the brand is set to give its customers a more digital experience by simply gamifying it. This would be achieved by allowing participating users to collect the Gap hoodie NFTs which have been scattered randomly at different levels. Meanwhile, users are not only able to collect digital art by Brandon Sines, but they can also collect the physical Gap x Frank Ape by Sines hoodie.
While talking about the new development, Gap’s chief product officer, Chris Goble says:
“Gap has always been at the intersection of music, art and culture, so we are excited about this growth opportunity in the digital space with artists like Brandon Sines”
Fashion Brands And Gamified NFTs Might Soon Be Inseparable
Gap’s foray into the world of NFTs does not exactly come as a surprise though.
Recall that the luxury fashion brand Burberry also launched its NFT collection in collaboration with Mythical Games back in August 2021.
Italian fashion outfit Dolce & Gabbana soon followed in Burberry’s footsteps too, teaming up with Polygon-based luxury marketplace UNXD to launch its own NFT collection. That collection would later earn D & G nearly $5.65 million.
From all indications, Gap appears to be doing the most it can to appeal to the younger generation. Recently, the brand also signed a deal with rapper Kanye West to launch the “Yeezy Gap” clothing line.
The post Fashion Bigwig “Gap” Launches First NFT Collection on Tezos appeared first on cryptotimes24.com.


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Kia India crosses 5 lakh cumulative sales mark within 3 years of operations
The company claimed that it has becoHaving a manufacturing facility in Anantapur, Kia noted its Seltos continues to lead the company’s overall sales. The model adds 59% to its total tally, followed by the Sonet with more than 32%. Carens, launched in February this year, has contributed close to 6.5% to the company’s domestic sales.
New Delhi: South Korean carmaker Kia on Tuesday said it has surpassed the 5,00,000 domestic sales mark in just 3 years of its operations in India. Including exports, the carmaker’s cumulative dispatches soared to 6,34,224 units.
“Backed by the strong performance of Carens, the company secured its last 1 lakh sales in just 4.5 months. With its strong performance in the Indian market, the company now contributes more than 6% to the global sales of Kia Corporation,” Kia India said in a statement.
Having a manufacturing facility in Anantapur, Kia noted its Seltos continues to lead the company’s overall sales. The model adds 59% to its total tally, followed by the Sonet with more than 32%. Carens, launched in February this year, has contributed close to 6.5% to the company’s domestic sales.
Myung-Sik Sohn – Chief Sales Officer, Kia India said, “I would like to extend my deepest gratitude towards our customers who have kept their trust in the brand even in adverse situations like the global supply chain issues. I proudly say today that we have earned a space in the hearts of Indian consumers, and that’s our biggest achievement.”
“India remains a priority market for India, and hence our 3 out of 5 product offerings in the country are not only manufactured locally but exported to different global markets as well,” he said.
Kia said CY 2022 has been its most successful year in India so far as it has already sold almost 70% of last year’s sales. The carmaker intends to grow its touchpoints from 339 to 400 across 225 cities by the end of CY2022. Also Read:
Such is the craze for SUVs at present that waiting periods for some of the most popular models are stretching to over two years, and fresh orders are still flowing in. Car buyers are now willing to spend more on their personal mode of travel and are preferring top-end variants which come loaded with features like sunroof and connected technologies.
According to ETAuto sources, the raid began at the company’s Corporate office in Gurgaon around 3:00 PM and continued till the story is filed. The latest development comes in light of heightened scrutiny by law-enforcement agencies on companies operating in India which have links with neighboring country, China.


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Grain prices pushing pork farmers out of business
There could be fewer hams on Australian tables this Christmas because of a national shortage of farmed pigs. The pork industry says the farmers have been pushed out by high grain prices and competition from subsidised pork producers in North America and Denmark.
PETER CAVE: There could be fewer hams on Australian tables this Christmas because of a national shortage of pigs.
It's estimated that 40 per cent of pig farmers have quit the business in the past year.
The pork industry says the farmers have been pushed out by high grain prices and competition from subsidised pork producers in North America and Denmark.
Brendan Trembath reports.
BRENDAN TREMBATH: People who like to eat pork at Christmas time could be paying more the privilege.
The industry blames a national shortage of farmed pigs.
Andrew Spencer is the Chief Executive of the industry group Australian Pork Limited.
ANDREW SPENCER: Well high grain prices caused the shortage actually because people couldn't make money growing pigs. Grain prices was one reason from the drought.
The other reason was that there was a huge surge of imports coming from North America and Europe, mainly from subsidised countries and that meant there was no market for the Australian product if prices went way down about this time last year.
So a lot of producers got out of the industry. Ultimately, that has to result in a shortage of pigs and that is what we are now seeing.
BRENDAN TREMBATH: Are you sure this isn't an effort to push up the price for the sake of producers?
ANDREW SPENCER: No, producers would love to be able to manipulate prices like that but it is not that easy. There really is a shortage out there. You can check it all round the sale yards and you can see it in the pig prices being paid.
BRENDAN TREMBATH: What can the industry do about it?
ANDREW SPENCER: Well, what we're trying to do is ask consumers to hang in there. Pig producers in Australia have been through an extremely tough time and those that are still in it have got to now start making some profits so that they can remain in it so we are really encouraging people to go out and have their roast port which is guaranteed to be Australia. It will be fresh meat and to have their ham on the bone because when you buy ham on the bone that is also Australian for quarantine reasons.
BRENDAN TREMBATH: Pig farming has been a shrinking profession for decades. In the 1960s Australia had about 40 or 50,000 pig farmers.
Today the industry estimates there are no more than 1,500. This man was a pig farmer for 28 years.
He quit the business because he says there's no money in it.
PIG FARMER: It was not viable. You could not make a good living out of it.
BRENDAN TREMBATH: He's prepared to speak frankly about problems in the industry so long as his name is not used.
PIG FARMER: Costs were higher than your income. When things got good, you'd get on your feet and then something would happen. You know, either you would have a drought or then grain prices go through the roof or you'd have a glut of pigs and pig prices would go through the floor.
BRENDAN TREMBATH: While people familiar with the pig industry say pork prices are rising, it's not clear how much consumers will pay in the end.
Allan Waldon manages Eastern Road Quality Meats at Turramurra in Sydney's north.
ALLAN WALDON: I don't think we'll see it like prawns where they tend to double Christmas week every year. Hopefully we won't see that but I think you might see prices slightly higher than they are at the moment.
PETER CAVE: Butcher Allan Waldon speaking to Brendan Trembath.


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KENTUCKY CAN SELL BOURBON WHISKEY ONLINE FOR THE FIRST TIME December 31, 2020 by BRANDON FRIEDERICH
7 drinks you can get around Bham to get your bourbon buzz June 14, 2021 by Miranda Shaffer
June 14 is National Bourbon Day, and if you need ideas on how to indulge in one of your favorite spirits, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best bourbon drinks in Birmingham to try today...
To Celebrate National Bourbon Day, George Dickel Announces The Launch Of Dickel Bourbon! June 14, 2021 by PRNewswire
Over the years, Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., nestled in the hills of Tullahoma, TN has become a whisky lover's paradise, where the team is constantly striving to provide drinkers with the best whisky imaginable.
Bulleit Bourbon And Diageo Want New Yorkers To Go Out...And The First Drink Is On Them June 11, 2021 by Jeanette Hurt
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and Diageo North America want New Yorkers so much to return to bars and restaurants…that the first drink is on them.
9 whiskies to pack for the course this Father’s Day June 11, 2021 by Coleman Bentley
After a weird, wild, and genuinely pretty lousy 2020 that robbed everyone of precious time with friends and family, Father’s Day, as intended by the Original Dad himself, is back. That means cookouts and quality time, gratitude and golf. It also, of course, means gifts. While that last one can be a bit tricky, just keep it simple: 18 holes and a great bottle of whiskey. That’s all you need.
West Fork Whiskey Co. Releases Bourbon Peach Tea Ready-to-Drink Cocktail June 11, 2021 by BREWBOUND
Summer 2021 is rumored to be the “summer of canned cocktails” and West Fork Whiskey Co. is kicking it off with its latest ready-to-drink bourbon beverage, the Cold Hamer Bourbon Peach Tea canned cocktail. The peachy drink will be the third in the Cold Hamer ready-to-drink lineup, in addition to the High Ball and Snapback options.
WhistlePig launches Farmstock Rye and Bourbon whiskeys June 10, 2021 by Vermont Biz
Since first setting eyes on the abandoned dairy barn in Shoreham, Vermont, that would become WhistlePig distillery, we've been dreaming of 100% farm to bottle whiskey - harvested, distilled and aged here in Vermont using our grain, our water and our wood. Today, that dream comes true.
Heaven Hill Distillery prepares to open $19 million, immersive bourbon experience June 9, 2021 by Katrina Helmer
Heaven Hill just completed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion project to its Heritage Center in Bardstown. The distillery is planning to host a ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony Monday. Gov. Andy Beshear is scheduled to be in attendance and will fill the first ceremonial bottle of bourbon in the new interactive experience, which is called You Do Bourbon.
First distribution targeted for 13 Arrows bourbon from Abilene distillery June 9, 2021 by Greg Jaklewicz
It wasn't 99 bottles of beer on the wall.
It was 300 bottles of bourbon whiskey in boxes.
Belt Buckle Distillery, which only recently got the final OK to launch its operation, was finishing its first order Monday. The bourbon is called "13 Arrows," and there's a story behind that.
Chelsea distillery wins national awards for s'more-flavored bourbon June 9, 2021 by JAISHREE DREPAUL-BRUDER
Chelsea's Ugly Dog Distillery was recently awarded both a Double Gold medal and a Best in Class award for its S'Mores Kentucky Bourbon at the
Booker’s Bourbon releases Tagalong Batch June 8, 2021 by Kate Malczewski
The new Bourbon takes its name from the way the brand’s founder and former master distiller Booker Noe learned to make whiskey by ‘tagging along’ with his grandfather, Jim Beam, and observing production. Booker’s son, seventh-generation master distiller Fred Noe, selected the batch, which was aged for six years and five months and bottled at 127.9 proof.
Creek Water Whiskey Elevates Consumer Experience With Digital Tagging Technology June 8, 2021 by Next Century Spirits
Creek Water Whiskey announced today its partnership with Prosurix, a marketing and authentication platform utilizing NFC (near field communication) chips. The spirits brand implemented a Near-Field Communication (NFC)-enabled tagging solution embedded within the packaging label for consumers to access exclusive content about Creek Water Whiskey.
Amber Lights: Scots doctor’s link to birth of bourbon June 7, 2021 by Brian Townsend
There is no doubt that Scots played a major role in creating America’s whiskey industry and one key name is Dr James Crow. The bourbon he created, Old Crow, is still made today although the original distillery is now a vast – and apparently haunted – ruin.
Uncle Boojie’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey Crafts A New Bourbon Release June 7, 2021 by Allyson Nichols
Louisville-based Uncle Boojie’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey recently announced a new limited release of a 13-year-old bourbon, created by using what’s said to be the family’s 200-year-old secre
National Bourbon Day to offer myriad of events June 7, 2021 by Denis House
Officially, June 14 has been designated National Bourbon Day. But Bardstown, being “The Bourbon Capital of the World,” will once again take things up a notch with a full weekend of events scheduled. “We’re very excited to host National Bourbon Day here in the Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown, Ky.,” said Sam Lacy, executive director of the Bourbon Capital Community Alliance.
Glenmorangie Releases 23 Year Old Whisky Influenced By French Red Wine Casks June 4, 2021 by Allyson Nichols
Glenmorangie recently announced the release of the Grand Vintage Malt 1997.
Great Escapes: Master Distiller Marianne Eaves’s Favorite Things About Whiskey June 4, 2021 by Eric Grossman
As the state of Kentucky’s first female master distiller, Marianne Eaves has already had quite the career, creating dozens of award-winning whiskies with some of the spirit world’s most storied names.


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Veterans could now have a VA appointment at some Walmart locations thanks to a new partnership between the massive retailer and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Last week, VA cut the ribbon on one of its first locations, a Walmart in Asheboro, N.C. Other sites are in Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa.
Veterans can meet with their VA providers in a private room at Walmart through video chat. The services will vary by Walmart location, with some including primary care, nutrition, mental health and social work.
The goal is to reach veterans who live in more rural or remote locations farther from VA hospitals and clinics.
“This type of collaboration is the way of the future,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement. “Veterans need the expansion of choice, and this partnership is vital to affording them convenient access to VA health care services where they live.”
It's still a pilot program, so the telehealth services won't be available at all Walmart locations yet.
“As both a veteran of the Air Force and a father whose son and son-in-law are serving, I know firsthand how important support and access is for our military, especially when it comes to health care,” Chief Growth Officer for Walmart U.S. Health and Wellness, Daryl Risinger, said in a statement. “Walmart is committed to making quality health care affordable and accessible and is working with VA to expand its ability to serve veterans through technology. This is another way we are helping our communities live better.”
Walmart donated the equipment and space at the five sites.
Last fiscal year, more than 490,000 veterans had more than 1.3 million video telehealth appointments.


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George Spaulding writes:
What is behind this dealer-cutting, job-cutting strategy? An Associated Press report said, “While GM doesn’t own the dealers, the company says its network is too big, causing dealers to compete with each other and giving shoppers too much leverage to talk down prices and hurt future sales.”
Pardon me! Dealers are forced to compete? I thought this was the free enterprise society. More importantly, how does this philosophy affect you?
According to that AP dispatch, the key purpose in all of this is so that you, the buyer, will lose your negotiating advantage. By forcing potential buyers to travel more, the opportunity to “shop around” is reduced and purchasers will pay more. It’s clear: thousands of customers are being forced to change their buying habits and, once again, the customer pays.
Have you seen the letter written by the owner of Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu circulating around the intertubes lately? Spaulding has the answer to that as well:
My impression is that a few large GM dealers have convinced the Government Motors Board to get rid of competing small dealers so that the big city guys can be more profitable.
In other words, the Obama regime is making it even harder for the poor to afford the very pieces of trash they already bought several times over with the illegal auto bailouts.


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Here are five stats from a new survey on women’s feet. Check ’em out . . .
- Four out of five women wear uncomfortable shoes at least once a month, and two out of five wear them at least four times a month.
- 30% of women have trouble walking for TWO days after they wear painful shoes for a night.
- 75% of women don’t like their feet. 38% wish they could change them, and 35% are jealous of women with smaller feet.
- Half of women have bought shoes that are too tight for them.
- And 34% have gone out with a spare pair of shoes in their purse for when their heels got too painful. (PR Newswire)


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Fallout 4 is set to release it sixth and last downloadable content expansion, The Nuka World, on August 30th. First reported to fans through their announcement at E3 2016 back in June, Nuka-World is set in a once vast amusement park that’s now a lawless city overrun with Raiders. The add-on features unique Nuka-World amusement park places like Safari Adventure, the World of Refreshment, Dry Rock Gulch, Kiddie Kingdom, Galactic Zone, and Nuka-Town, USA.
Players will battle their way through gangs of raiders and powerful creatures in all new challenging quests – of course there will also be new weapons for you to choose from. Below is Bethesda’s official trailer for the expansion which was released just yesterday.
Fallout 4 has released several DLC’s up to now with Automatron being the first back in March, followed by Workshop in April, Far Harbor in May, Contraptions Workshop in June, and Vault-Tec Workshop in July. If you own the Fallout 4 DLC Season Pass, which can be purchased on Steam for $50, you can receive all five of the DLC’s along with the upcoming Nuka-World pack. For those who don’t own the pass, Nuka World will be $19.99.
According to Gamespot, the PC installment is supposedly going to be more massive in land size than any other Bethesda expansion pack ever made, including Far Harbor. Far Harbor’s expansion pack took up about 2.7 GB of space and Nuka-World increases that by almost an entire GB with its reported 3.66 GB size on the Steam Database. However, size isn’t necessarily indicative of what content the game may game hold.
Fallout 4 has received numerous awards since its release back in 2015 and Nuka-World is yet another DLC that will widen the game format and extend the hours of play to an already content-rich game. Bethesda Softworks is set to release Fallout 4: Nuka-World August 30th for PS4, Windows PC and Xbox One. Although this may be the last DLC for Fallout 4, we should expect Bethesda to continue working on fine tuning gameplay and fixing bugs within the game.


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WASHINGTON – Major wireless service companies have agreed to disable cellphones after they are reported stolen under a strategy intended to deter the theft and resale of wireless devices.
The system announced Tuesday relies on a centralized database that officials hope to have operating within six months. The database will record smartphones’ unique identifying numbers. That way, wireless carriers that receive a report of a stolen smartphone will be able to recognize the device and block it from being used again.
Major U.S. cities have been reporting increases in smartphone thefts as criminals steal devices to resell – sometimes overseas – as part of sophisticated operations. Cellphone carriers covering roughly 90 percent of U.S. subscribers are participating, the FCC said.
The goal is to render stolen cellphones useless, drying up the market and removing the incentive to steal them.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is sponsoring legislation that would make it a federal crime to tamper with smartphones’ unique identifying numbers.
The FCC said smartphone manufacturers will also implement automatic prompts that encourage users to lock their devices with a password.


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OGDENSBURG The citys first-quarter sales tax revenue is up from a year ago, a modest bump in a typically low post-holiday spending period.
With Saturday marking the end of the first fiscal quarter of 2013, the citys 6.437389 percent share of St. Lawrence Countys 3 percent sales tax amounted to $394,433.40.
The first quarters receipts a year ago were $390,356.76, a difference of $4,076.24., according to City Comptroller Philip A. Cosmo.
The increase in this first quarter represented a second consecutive annual rise in sales tax collection in the city.
Nevertheless, the first fiscal quarter remains a low revenue generator compared with the rest of the year.
Everybody is kind of spent out after the holidays, Mr. Cosmo said Friday.
The city is projecting $2,705,000 this fiscalyear. Last year, the actual total collected was $2,700,928.49, which was $88,028.49 more than anticipated in the city budget.


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Company Fluid Commerce ™ Technology combines profit and expense with fraud prevention in e-commerce networks, eliminating the need for a user to have a credit card or bank account.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 16, 2022 / Evvio, a next-generation e-commerce technology company, stressed the need for innovation in e-commerce payment technology today, with US e-commerce sales approaching $ 1 trillion, according to the Commerce Department. The company’s patented Fluid Commerce ™ technology alleviates profits and expenses in e-commerce networks and meets the growing needs of the industry, such as metabersion, sharing economy, online gaming and super applications.
The demand for discontinuation is also evident due to the rapid rise in person-to-person or social trade. According to Statista, social trade is expected to grow more than 5 times from 2020 to $ 2.9 trillion by 2026 worldwide. Evvio’s Fluid Commerce technology integrates profit, expense, and fraud prevention into e-commerce networks, including social commerce networks, and eliminates the need for credit cards. bank accounts and third-party processors for users to participate in e-commerce. This technology addresses the current flaws in payment systems caused by payment processing outside the digital market, as opposed to being fully integrated into them.
“Today’s e-commerce payment systems were developed for a pre-commercial era for retailers. For the rapidly evolving e-commerce space, they are now uncomfortable and include unnecessary transaction fees, delays and exclusions at every step,” said Adrian Jones, Co. -Creator of Evvio. “We launched Fluid Commerce to meet the need for frictionless e-commerce for everyone. Our technology allows our technology to engage in e-commerce anywhere and earn and spend using any currency or stored value. to do without friction “.
In addition, according to the FDIC Survey on Home Use of Banking and Financial Services, 16.1% of households without a bank mentioned “Don’t trust banks” as the main reason for not having a bank account. Because users do not need a bank account to use Fluid Commerce technology, it creates a wider market for non-bank and under-bankers.
Patented technology also raises e-commerce conversion rates by eliminating cumbersome steps. This is especially important as millennials and the younger generation have grown up in the digital age and expect transactions to be immediate. In the coming decades, $ 30 trillion in wealth will be passed on from baby boomers to millennials and the 10th generation. This means that e-commerce systems need to adapt quickly to these generations of digital experts.
“It’s an exciting time for e-commerce, with so many fast-growing areas, from person-to-person commerce to metabersion to super apps,” said Brad Albright, founder of Evvio. “Our technology expands the possibilities of e-commerce and we believe that users will quickly appreciate the removal of the experience and fees they bring.”
Evvio is a start-up e-commerce technology company. The company’s patented Fluid Commerce engine provides e-commerce transactions without friction and eliminates delays and fees and eliminates the need for the user to have a credit card or bank account. It allows anyone to safely earn and spend and includes certified metered services to prevent fraud. Fluid Commerce is inclusive, giving non-banks and non-banks a greater ability to earn and spend. It uses any digitally represented currency and offers wide availability in different types of markets. Technology is also expanding the revenue of e-commerce by increasing the number of buyers and sellers involved. For more information, visit www.evvio.com.
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For those of you using RivaTuner to overclock your Nvidia or ATI videocard, a new version has just been made available. RivaTuner v2.22 includes "a huge number of new stuff to keep you busy," as well as a fully redesigned interface.
The new version squashes a handful of bugs, including a bug in LM63.dll plugin, which caused empty graphs with no data to be displayed in hardware monitoring. Multifunction PCI devices are no longer detected as mutli-GPU devices, and version 2.22 also addresses the pipeline count detection code for Nvidia G98-based GPUs, according to the release notes.
On the feature side, RivaTuner 2.22 brings to the table improved customization features, including the ability for bundling partners to customize the product and system tray icons. Other goodies include simplified beginner oriented profile settings, a better help system, the addition of an on-screen display preview window, improved handling of user profiles, and more.
Read the full list of changes here, and then download RivaTuner 2.22 here.
Given that the economy is down in the dumps, it would be expected that online retailers are treating all of their customers with all the respect that they possibly can… right? Wrong. According to an annual report from Forsee Results more than one-third of the 40 online venues surveyed in a report on retail satisfaction finished with lower scores than they did at this very same time last year.
While many of the retailers’ scores remained the same, a meager one-quarter of them saw an improvement. At the top of the list is Washington’s own Amazon.com, with an 84 percent satisfaction rate, a two percent improvement over last year. All the way at the bottom is Neiman Marcus with a dismal 69 percent. Other notables are Newegg.com’s 78 percent, BestBuy.com’s 73 percent and Dell.com’s 73 percent.
While these percentiles might not give off the impression of poor performance, bear in mind the millions upon millions of people doing business with these companies online during the holiday season. Having a good 30 percent of the people that do business with you walk away unhappy is a very large number indeed.
As we reported earlier this year, Nvidia GeForce 8M series mobile GPUs have seen an abnormally high failure rate . VR-Zone and The Inquirer report that Nvidia has a solution for its OEM laptop partners: buy their new mobile GPUs instead.
The old GPU is known as the NB8E-SE, and is used, according to VR-Zone, in notebooks running the GeForce 8700M GT, 8800M GS, and GeForce 9650M GS. The new GPU, the NB8E-SET (aka the G84-751) uses Hitachi underfill packaging for more reliability.
If you're in the market for a new Nvidia-powered notebook computer, it's worth finding out from the laptop maker if they've switched to the new GPU already. However, what should you do if your new (or not-so-new) notebook has one of the old-design GPUs onboard?
To find out what your options are, join us after the jump.
While in all honesty, you’ll probably never need a quad-core processor in your laptop, it’s nice to think about. And while you’ve got that on your mind, know that Acer has already heard your thoughts, and are answering them with the release of their new Aspire 8930G laptop, featuring an Intel Core 2 QuadMobile Processor Q9000.
According to Acer the notebook will feature “ four processing cores, 12MB of shared L2 cache, 1066 MHz Front Side Bus and clock speed rates upto 2.53 GHz.” To them, this makes the notebook an ideal option for “extreme users.”
And heck, as long as you’re being extreme you can be smart. The 8930G will run you a very reasonable $1,799 with the Q9000, an Nvidia GeForce 9700 GPU and a Blu-ray drive standard.
While many of us turn on our TVs when we want to see our Seattle Seahawks play poorly (or at least I do), many more turn on their computers. Thanks to the easy to use PC-tuner cards, anyone with $50 and a will can upload a stream to a peer-to-peer network with ease – and it’s causing a stir amongst big wigs for just about every major sports league.
Some outlets, such as Major League Baseball aren’t very concerned with the problem. The Chief Executive of MLB.com, Robert A. Bowman says, “it’s embryonic, it’s not widespread, and we have a distinct advantage in that we have a better product,” referring to the package that they offer for streaming a season of games online for $79.95.
Other leagues haven’t been as fortunate, though. The National Football League has been having some issues with the problem, thanks to a long-standing feud between the NFL Network and cable companies. Because of said feud, millions of fans missed out on seeing the Dallas Cowboys’ last game in their current home stadium, while millions more saw it all online for free.
Someone cue up Taps for the little search engine that couldn't. No, Cuil hasn't gone anywhere, and that's exactly the problem. Managed and developed by former Google employees, the $33 million startup had high hopes of dethroning Google as the go-to search engine. Well guess what? Surfers are still going to Google, and it doesn't appear the same can be said for Cuil.
It remains to be seen if Google has simply grown too large for another search engine to challenge its dominance, but whether or not that's true, it's going to take a much better effort than what Cuil managed to muster, which seemed doomed from the start. Poor performance, indexing methods that slowed down websites, and quirky search results all led to heavy criticism following Cuil's debut. And that was before VP of products Louis Monier resigned from the team. Talk about confidence booster!
So where does that leave Cuil today? Not much of anywhere. After an initial flurry of activity following the search engine's hyped up debut, traffic has waned considerably .In the medical world, that kind of flatlining means its time to notify the next of kin. In this case, that would be Google, but something tells us they already know.
MSI has launched it's U1115 Hybrid netbook, which the company bills as the first notebook computer in the world capable of running both SSD and HDD drives at the same time. Combined with its 'ECO on' mode, MSI claims "the battery life of U115 Hybrid is super long." Sounds super duper.
The new netbook operates primarily with the SSD to run Windows, with the HDD being used for storage duties. With ECO on mode, the U115 Hybrid temporarily disconnects the HDD to help extend battery life, presumably offering the best of both worlds. Storage options come in 8GB/120GB (SSD/HDD) and 16GB/160GB configurations.
Outside of the hybrid drive configuation, MSI sticks closely to the standard netbook formula. Underneath the 10-inch hood sits a 1.6GHz Z530 Intel Atom processor, 1GB of DDR2-533 memory, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, a webcam, media card reader, and Windows XP Home.
One of the weaknessess with HP's MediaSmart servers running MIcrosoft's Windows Home Server software was that it was of no use as backup platforms for Macs running the Time Machine backup software. That shortcoming is no longer the case, as HP announced plans to upgrade its MediaSmart server lineup with a pair of Mac-compatible models - HP MediaSmart Server ex485 (750GB of hard disk storage) and ex487 (1.5TB).
"A growing number of digital-savvy households have both Windows and Mac computers, with hundreds and sometimes thousands of media files and documents scattered across these devices,” said Jason Zajac, vice president of strategy, Worldwide Attach Group, HP. “The HP MediaSmart Server protects, stores and organizes this content from anywhere on a network so consumers can access and share it any place they are connected."
Both models come with a 64-bit Intel Celeron processor clocked at 2.0Ghz, 2GB of DDR2-800 RAM (previous models only came with 512MB of RAM), and expandability with up to 9TB of storage. The ex485 and ex487 are expected to be available in February 2009 for $600 and $750 respectively.
Competition for the upcoming refreshed MediaSmart line may come from Apple, 9to5Mac.com speculates. According to the Mac site, Apple has plans to expand the Time Capsule paltform to include much of the same functionality, with the real question being whether or not Apple will decide to put most of its services in the Cloud. If such an update is in the cards for Apple, an announcement would likely be forthcoming at Macworld, which runs from January 5-9, 2009.
While it might not be a major setback for the Recording Industry Association of America, a federal judged has denied the RIAA's appeal for a mistrial against Jammie Thomas, the only person ever to go to trial after being charged with copyright infringement by the RIAA.
Jammie Thomas initially made headlines earlier this year when a jury found her guilty of violating copyright laws and was ordered to pay a staggering $220,000 to six of the top music labels. Thomas was accused of sharing more than 1,700 songs, but despite the moral ambiguity, public opinion tended to view the verdict as obscenely high.
Just weeks after the verdict was handed down, U.S. District Judge Michael Davis overturned the ruling on the basis that he had misguided the jury by indicating that the act of making a copyrighted song available was enough to constitute infringement. While a new trial has been scheduled for March, the RIAA appealed the judge's decision and asked that it be declared a mistrial.
It will be interesting to see what long-term implications this current setback has on the RIAA. Just weeks ago, the RIAA announced it would try a new tactic in thwarting copyright infringement. Rather than continuing to sue individuals like Jammie Thomas, the RIAA said it would start working with ISPs to send out warnings to those suspected of illegally sharing music. After three warnings, the ISPs would cut off internet service.
Meanwhile, a retrial is still scheduled for March, and it would be hard to imagine the losing side not appealing the verdict. That means we're still a long ways off from knowing the true implications of the Jammie Thomas saga.
At what point does Asus push its S100 series Eee PC out of the netbook nest and into the land of laptops? Probably never, but if the company's Eee PCs grow any larger than the newly spied S121, it might be difficult to consider it a true netbook, even if it does sport an Atom processor inside.
Pictures of the yet-to-be announced S121 have emerged on the web, and according to EeePCNews.de, the new model will check in at 12.1 inches. That's almost two inches larger than the 10.2-inch Eee PC S101. Other details on how the new model will differ from it's predecessor are not yet known, nor is any pricing or availability information. But it's not a total wash; there are plenty of pictures to ogle at, and we'd wager our Voodoo 5 6000 graphics card (if we had one) that it will come with an Intel Atom N270 processor.


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According to a report from Pew Internet, search engines remain popular among Internet users, and they’re extremely satisfied with the quality of results returned after a given query. At the same time, most adults disapprove with the collection of personal information in order to offer targeted advertising and personalized search results.
The results of the Pew Internet study were released on Friday. According to the data collected from 2,253 adults, nearly all of the respondents (91-percent) reported a positive experience when using a search engine. This includes the 86-percent that mentioned learning something new, or discovering something important that led to a better understanding of a given topic.
When it comes to search destination of choice, Google is the clear winner – perhaps the only winner – with 83-percent respondents naming the search giant as their favorite hunting ground online. After Google, Yahoo was the second most popular engine, but it was only mentioned by 6-percent of the respondents.
Given the recent changes on Google’s privacy policies, and the media attention the changes gained, it came as no surprise when 65-percent of those who took part in the study said it was a bad thing if a search engine collected information about their searches and then used it to rank your future search results.
“Search engines are increasingly important to people in their navigation of information spaces, but users are generally uncomfortable with the idea of their search histories being used to target information to them,” said Kristen Purcell, the associate director for research for Pew Internet.
“A clear majority of searchers say that they feel that search engines keeping track of search history is an invasion of privacy, and they also worry about their search results being limited to what’s deemed relevant to them.”
In addition, 73-percent said they are not ok with search engines that store records for previous queries in order to personalize and rank future results, and 68-percent said they did not like having their online behavior analyzed and tracked in order to promote targeted advertising.
Unfortunately, 62-percent of those who took part in the Pew Internet study said they were not aware of ways to protect themselves from such information collection and analytics.
“Many people express concerns about targeted search and ads, but most internet users don’t have a sense that they can take steps to limit the amount of personal information that is captured and used by search engines and websites,” said Joanna Brenner, the web coordinator for Pew Internet.
Those that claimed they were aware of how to go about remaining somewhat private online mentioned deleting Web history information, or altering the privacy settings on a given website, as their top actions. Browser settings was the third most popular method of protection.


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Mighty Earth, an environmental campaign organization, has started a...
Recently, the Water Quality Assn. (WQA) released the results of a survey it commissioned on homeowners’ opinions on water quality and treatment. The respondents showed increasing awareness of water quality and willingness to pay for treatment systems — all promising news for dealers and distributors of residential water treatment.
According to the survey, which was conducted by Applied Research-West Inc., one-fourth of respondents were “extremely concerned” about the quality of their water, with 52% indicating their level of concern at four or five out of five. Contaminants and taste topped the list of water quality worries.
Additionally, approximately two-thirds of those surveyed believed that primary responsibility for water quality lies with their municipalities — down from nearly three-fourths in 2008. More respondents said they would be willing to pay for home water treatment systems than in 2011.
These results are good news for the industry; however, as many dealers are aware, there is another consumer trend that continues to grow — the desire for green, sustainable and efficient products.
A look at the new products and systems that were launched at WQA Aquatech USA 2013 in April shows us that technology is keeping up with consumers’ demands for products and systems that not only get the job done, but also do it in more efficient, sustainable ways.
As Mike Mecca and Greg Reyneke discuss in their article, “Efficiency Revolution” (page 8), residential softening is one area that has seen great improvements in efficiency over the years. Since the early days of portable exchange tanks, manufacturers have met consumer and dealer demands for softeners that are easier to use and are salt- and water-efficient. New systems that use electrodeionization or capacitive deionization — some of which were on display at the tradeshow — completely eliminate the use of salt.
WQA also has been working to meet consumer demands for greener treatment — it lauched its new Product Sustainability Certification standards at the tradeshow. These standards, which currently cover activated carbon and filtration systems that use activated carbon, are intended to guide consumers to sustainable choices. WQA will continue to develop sustainability standards for other treatment technologies, such as reverse osmosis, ultraviolet and more. (For more on the new standards, see “The Journey to Sustainability,” page 16).
With technology and standards developing at a rapid pace, it is more important than ever to stay educated on the latest products and trends. Tradeshows and conferences are excellent ways to learn about new technologies and ideas, but there are plenty of education options that you can use from the comfort of home, from industry publications to Web videos to webinars. Whatever method you use, staying up to date will ensure that you are able to offer your customers the best products and services to meet their needs and wants.


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Competition in the smartphone market continues to intensify as Asian manufacturers Xiaomi and Huawei announced their plans to expand globally by offering handsets with premium specs at mid-range prices. The impact of price on smartphone sales is being discussed increasingly in the media, with several analysts speculating that the high price and hefty repair cost of the iPhone X has resulted in sales below expectations. Some media outlets have suggested that Samsung recognized the need for more affordable smartphones as it is releasing the mid-range priced Galaxy A8 and A8+ phones this month.
This analytic was created using Chart Builder in Factiva. To learn more about building your own Factiva analytic, complete the form below.


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Archive for the ‘online marketing’ tag
Online marketing professionals concerned with innovative software may wish to be aware of a new upgrade of Pardot, the popular automated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program.
Previously, Pardot was mainly used as web-based software suite used by professionals looking to create and track online marketing campaigns. Now, for the first time, it has added new search engine optimisation (SEO) marketing tools to assist small businesses, with features for monitoring the performance of keywords and those of your company’s closes competitors.
The data is harvested from various online sources and online marketing professionals can access it all from the Pardot system’s dashboard. Website rankings on Google and Bing can be tracked, in order to keep precise tabs on how well a SEO marketing campaign is going.
Online marketing analysts can also see the ranking status of each keyword, the average cost per click if they are thinking of bidding for the keyword in Google AdWords and the word’s approximate search volume on Google.
Using the competitor monitoring tool, online marketers can see how their SEO ranks against their rivals, tracking key components such as their competitors’ Google PageRank, inbound links and indexed pages.
Leeds plays host to an important gathering of experts from across the online marketing sector later this month, when ionSearch takes place at The Carriageworks in Millennium Square.
The one-day event, on 18 April, will be focusing specifically on search engine optimisation, or SEO marketing, with over 20 speakers from a range of companies leading discussions on the best SEO strategies out there.
The headline speaker is Google’s advertising agency relationships manager for search engine giant Google – Matt Bush. Attendees will be listening with interest to what he has to say, as the Holy Grail of all SEO marketing efforts is a first page – and preferably first entry! – ranking in Google’s search results.
The event has been organised by local firm ionSearch, whose managing director Fergus Clawson told the Yorkshire Post that Leeds was rising above Britain’s overall economic conditions thanks to the effectiveness of its online marketing sector.
“Leeds has become a hot bed for SEO with a thriving digital community despite the gloomy economic outlook,” he declared, noting that since 2008 Yorkshire has enjoyed a 240 per cent increase in the number of online marketing jobs available, “with many traditional full-service agencies expanding their in-house marketing teams due to demand.”
The difference between this region and London is clear, when you consider that over the same period online marketing vacancies in the capital have only risen by 157 per cent, he pointed out, adding that “typically clients will receive the same quality of work, but at a much lower cost, both in terms of business overheads and wages.”
New research by Econsultancy has revealed that the British SEO market is growing rapidly.
SEO is one of the cornerstones of online marketing, with businesses anxious to be ranked as high as possible on Google and the other search engine’s results pages.
Researchers estimated that the SEO industry in the UK was worth some £512,067,800 last year, compared to £434,703,600 in 2010 – an impressive 18 per cent increase over 12 months. The sum includes online marketing agencies’ fees, paid search, publicity on SEO, plus optimisation of SEO for mobile browsing.
Econsultancy senior research analyst Jake Hird noted that SEO experts are working hard to incorporate as many innovations into their methodology than ever before, especially thanks to the rise and rise of smartphones, tables and other mobile devices.
“It’s a complex landscape, but one that marketers are clearly engaging with,” he added.
The research also found that Google remained far and away the most popular search engine in the UK, with more than 90 per cent of searches carried out on it. The report noted that any changes made by Google have “significant impact to existing SEO efforts.”
Online marketing professionals from the UK may wish to take a note of the date and put their names down for a special webinar on the combined potential of Google+ and SEO next month.
The event has been organised by US company Search Mojo, and is being hosted by its CEO Janet Driscoll Miller and its Social Media Specialist Sarah Lokitis. They will be looking at the best practice in online marketing for creating Google+ profiles and managing pages. Many people believe that Google+ is the next big thing, and cite the success that Facebook fan pages have had in boosting online marketing campaigns.
“Google+ is rapidly growing with over 100 million users so it’s a great opportunity to interact with your customers and potential leads, especially since businesses have been slow to incorporate Google+ Pages in their marketing initiatives,” Ms Lokitis said. “This allows for a great opportunity for early adopters to establish a Google+ presence before their competitors.”
The webinar begins at 19:00 GMT on Thursday 5 April.
We’re going all the way back to 2007 this week, and the original Edinburgh seminar that gave the internet the well-received 13 Pillars of Internet Marketing.
As you will see from the film, the seminar leaders have identified 13 key principles for effective SEO and online marketing, which they believe can be applied to most businesses seeking to improve their internet advertising and marketing methods. Follow the topics in the seminar video as they cover:
Pillar 1 – Keyword Research
Pillar 2 – Website Design
Pillar 3 – Blog Technology
Pillar 4 – Auto responders
Pillar 5 – Paid Advertising
Pillar 6 – Press Releases
Pillar 7 – Link Building
Pillar 8 – Article Submission
Pillar 9 – Group Interaction
Pillar 10 – Viral Marketing
Pillar 11 – Visitor Analysis
Pillar 12 – Continuous Content
Pillar 13 – The Evolving Web
Good news for SEO online marketing this week, after a poll of Google users in Britain and the USA showed that they prefer the search engine to all its rivals.
A massive 83 per cent of respondents to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project said that they thought Google was the best of its kind, with just 6 per cent opting for the second place choice, Yahoo, which is actually powered by Microsoft’s search engine Bing. Some 59 per cent of respondents said that they used search engines at least once per day – a doubling of frequency since 2004.
When it comes to online marketing and SEO in particular, these poll results show that boosting your Google rankings should remain the top priority for any business with an online presence.
However, Google needs to ensure that it maintains its overwhelming popularity. Despite its unchallenged position in the poll, respondents also spoke as one when they expressed their dislike of its recent announcement of its intention to gather all data on users’ personal preferences and online searches to tweak the search results and target internet advertising.
This handy video offers some small – but highly useful – tips for making the most of your SEO-based online marketing. As the host explains, small tweaks aimed at improving your SEO efficiency can be almost as useful as paying attention to the bigger strategies, since much of SEO revolves around competing with all the other sites out there desperate to clamber up the Google rankings. With large companies hard at work on the big picture, there is a lot of scope for sneaking through their defences with cunning improvements of your own. Let’s take a look at the five tips:
1. Include images – Try and ensure all images that you use work for your SEO strategy. To this end, when uploading copyright-free shared pics, change the filename, title and alternate text to match your SEO keywords. Doing this makes Google realise that the picture in question is relevant to the search strategy and helps it to show up on Google Images.
2. Decrease the number of the words in your permalink – by condensing the URL for your post and increasing its keyword density you will gain an edge over the competition, since your URL will be more SEO-optimised, and also easier to remember!
3. Consider a Google+ page for your website. Facebook fan pages are increasingly being seen as the excellent opportunity for online marketing that they are, but SEO-orientated marketers should also consider creating a Google+ page. Not only is this the premier search engine’s own social media page – and social media and sharing is becoming ever more important – but it is relatively new, and thus represents an excellent opportunity to get in on the ground floor.
4. Create a YouTube channel for your site. Videos, such as the one above, are good for SEO in their own right, but by creating a YouTube channel you can showcase your favourite videos and add links back to your own commercial site, making it all the more attractive to Google and other social media.
5. Tweak any affiliate links on your site. Ensure that these are ‘no-follow’ links, which tells Google, while crawling through your page, not to count these links when assessing the site for its algorithm. This keeps your SEO “juice” focused and sharp, and should push you a little further up the rankings.


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GST on yarns and cloth textile has led to a drop in business, at a time when power prices stay high
Neerav Makharia has been engaged in the yarns business for over 24 years in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. In July 2017, he was introduced to a new system of taxation called Goods and Services Tax (GST). Within a few days, the entire system had to be computerized and prices of goods went up by 20 percent leading to massive losses.
"We (Bhilwara) produce almost 40-45 percent of the total yarn manufactured in India. But there is a GST of 12 percent on yarn. How will we survive?" he asks.
After GST was introduced, cloth is taxed at 5 percent whereas yarn is taxed at 12 percent. Input credit is also not available to the businesses.
The immediate demand for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 is for GST to have minimal taxes for all raw clothing categories including textile, polyester yarn, wool and other materials. Further, textile traders have also sought tax sops for entities engaged in the business for more than 20 years.
More than 20,000 people are employed in this Rs 700-crore industry in Bhilwara, considered one of the textile hubs of India.
P L Pagaria, general secretary of Ambaji Textile Market Association, said the government should have a uniform 5 percent rate for cloth textiles and yarns.
When one walks around the textile market of Bhilwara, it is a reality that several stores have downed shutters. Traders said many fellow businessmen could not sustain in the textile industry and have now shifted to industries like marbles and granite.
It is an irony that a majority of shops at the erstwhile textile market belong to finance companies and broking houses. Looking at the opportunity presented during the post-GST slowdown, dozens of alternate financing firms have opened up in Bhilwara.
"Businesses were running into losses and banks were not ready to provide loans. Hence players like us have set up an alternate channel to raise funds for the SMEs," said Prakaran Behati, owner of Aashirward Finance.
Though the situation is not very bleak and those seriously in the trade are slowly bouncing back, businesses want assurances from both the centre and the state that their issues will be looked at.
Rajasthan has two phases of polling in the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Regions like Bhilwara, Ajmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur go into polls on April 29 while others like Jaipur, Alwar and Bikaner will vote on May 6.
"Power supply is a major issue and no subsidies are available. The government should pay heed and give us some discounts because our mills rely heavily on electricity," said Darshan Saraogi of DS Clothing Mills.
At a time when Congress is the ruling party in Rajasthan with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the centre, a few traders are also of the view that having the same party in the centre and state would mean their concerns would be resolved quickly.Incumbent Subhash Chandra Baheria is contesting from Bhilwara constituency representing BJP while the Congress has fielded Rampal Sharma.The Great Diwali Discount!
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Jewellery brand Tanishq has announced the launch of the second edition of the Farah Khan collection, designed exclusively by her. The range is an extension to the elaborate diamond jewellery collection line launched last year which is an ... The Statesman, 1 week ago
Tanishq launches the second edition of the Farah Khan Collection in Mumbai - Times of India, 1 week ago
The stabilising of gold prices at lower levels in both the domestic and international markets has advanced both seasonal and festive jewellery demand by over a month. The price is at a four-year low, stabilising around Rs 25,000 per 10g in the home market, after it fell below $1,100 an oz in London trade. Gold jewellery demand here, show daily average sales, has jumped 40-50 per cent in recent days. “When the price fell sharply on July 18, there was a rush of customers for about a ...Rediff.com, 3 weeks ago
Having relaunched its gold installment scheme as per the New Companies Act, Titan expects the scheme to contribute Rs 450 crore to the sales by the end of this financial year. Titan had discontinued the Golden Harvest Scheme in July last year after ...Financial Chronicle, 3 weeks ago
Jewellery stocks such as Rajesh Exports, PC Jeweller and Gitanjali Gems have significantly outperformed the Sensex over the past month. Falling gold prices are a key reason, as the general belief is that lower prices push up consumption demand for ...Smart Investor, 1 month ago
KOLKATA & MUMBAI: Gold prices fell to Rs 25,000 per 10 gm Monday morning triggered by a drop in overseas bullion to a five-year low of $1,080 an ounce (31.10 gms). Gold plummeted to $1,080 from $1,132 an ounce in a matter of minutes at around 11.30 am after 5 ...Economic Times, 1 month ago Here's why consumers aren't buying gold Economic Times, 1 month ago
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Read more on this subject: Transportation
News Story Source: https://www.caseyresearch.com, By Jeff Brown
According to the Paris-based International Energy Agency, 125 million electric vehicles will be on the road by 2030. That's up from an estimated 3.1 million in 2017.
And according to a 2018 survey from the American Automobile Association, roughly 20% of Americans are considering going electric for their next car purchase.
The adoption of this technology has been aggressively pushed for by governments. In the U.S. alone, government subsidies for electric vehicles have been estimated to be as high as $20 billion.
But the push to migrate from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs isn't what most people think.
There's a deeper story there…
The most popular motivation used by both consumers and governments is a simple one: EVs are better for the environment. They produce less – or no – pollution.
Sadly, this is a logical fallacy.
Taken out of context, yes, EVs produce less pollution than ICE vehicles. Or do they?
The answer l
Read More or Make a Comment


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Work From Home Improves Productivity: These Operations Can Become Permanent WFH Jobs!
With about 9 months into the Covid-19 induced pandemic, the ‘Work from Home’ model has become a flavour of the season.
We have constantly brought in reports to you reflecting the mindsets of the working class working from home.
Late last month, we published a survey report, which stated that about 54% Indian professionals are enjoying the idea of working from home, so much so that 34% of them are willing to take a salary cut of 10% to continue working this way indefinitely.
You can find the complete report here.
Newer reports fleeing in now, suggest that the ‘Work from home’ model could permanently replace the initial practice of coming to office for some job profiles, where location constraint is not a problem.
Executives at leading companies believe that work from home has improved productivity during the ongoing pandemic.
WFH Bringing in Flexibility
Laxman Narasimhan, the global chief executive at Reckitt Benckiser stated at the CII-FMCG Summit on Wednesday,
“Remote working is shaping up well and has brought many people into the workforce who were earlier hampered by personal commitments.
People don’t have to travel for hours every day and there is lots of flexibility.”
Additionally, we have already reported that on average, working professionals in India spend upto 2 hours a day commuting. Trading off 10% of one’s earnings to free up 480 hours, or 20 days, every year is a steal.
81% of 740 respondents with more than 90 minutes of one-way commute to the office would love to permanently work from home.
‘9-5’ Working Hours a Thing of Past
Varun Berry, MD Britannia Industries quotes,
“The 9 am-to-5 pm working hours are a thing of the past. At some stage, working from the office may come back, but it still may not be what it used to be.”
Reckitt Benckiser and Britannia, both have logged record sales during the pandemic this year and returned to 100% production capacity a month after the nationwide lockdown was implemented.
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, Coca-Cola India’s largest bottling partner with 6,500 direct employees, had allowed a significant chunk of its workforce to permanently work from home.
The option is available to employees who need not be physically present at factories or sales locations.
IT companies Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro have said they will let the majority of their employees continue to work from home till March.
Source: Times Now


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Colorado’s 'Amazon tax' struck down
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A federal court has struck down Colorado’s so-called “Amazon tax” that tried to apply state use taxes to the online affiliate sales of out-of-state companies.
Colorado legislators created the tax in 2010. A trade group, the Direct Marketing Association, based in New York City, sued in U.S. District Court for Colorado to overturn it.
On Friday, the federal court in Denver declared the 2.9 percent tax on purchases unconstitutional on the ground it was tilted unfairly against out-of-state retailers, and that it put an undue burden on retailers to either collect the tax owed by consumers or report consumer purchases to the state.
Judge Robert Blackburn’s ruling noted the legal language of the tax didn’t distinguish between in-state and out-of-state businesses, but the practical effect of the tax did.
“I conclude that the veil provided by the words ... is too thin to support the conclusion that the Act and the Regulations regulate in-state and out-of-state retailers even-handedly,” Blackburn wrote.
“Enforcing a reporting requirement on out-of-state retailers will, by definition, discriminate against the out-of-state retailers by imposing unique burdens” on them, Blackburn wrote.
An injunction — granted by the federal court at the DMA’s request in January 2011 — has prevented the Colorado Department of Revenue from collecting the tax.
The tax mainly affected online sales of out-of-state companies that have in-state affiliates, usually generating sales through links on their websites.
Even before the DMA filed suit, the largest online affiliate marketer, Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), dropped an estimated 4,200 affiliates it had in Colorado.
Greg Avery covers tech, telecom, aerospace, bioscience and media for the Denver Business Journal and writes for the "TechFlash" blog. Phone: 303-803-9222.
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SOS for condoms, a news service in Dubai
Dubai, February 7, 2013
A unique condoms home delivery service has been launched in Dubai, according to a report.
The SOS Condoms service, launched by condom manufacturer Durex and creative agency Buzzman Middle East, promises complete privacy, said the Gulf News report.
“Since it’s difficult to talk openly about sex in the Middle East, Buzzman Middle East found a new way to reach its audience and decided to turn a product into a service with SOS Condoms,” Buzzman was quoted as saying in the report.
Customers can place an order through a geo-localised application on a smartphone or the SOS Condoms website between 4pm and 4am from anywhere in Dubai. The product will reach them within the hour. The minimum order is for a dozen condoms which cost $15, the report said.
The deliveryman will arrive in disguise, dressed maybe as a pizza delivery man or any other sales/service person, said the company.


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New research from IBM has found that cyber attackers are using real accounts to gain access to IT systems and websites, instead of hacking into the system. This ‘path of least resistance’ means this method has seen an increase by a huge 71%, from the previous year. The report found that 50% of cyber attacks in the UK now involved the use of valid existing accounts.
The data from IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index explained that there are billions of account log in details, that have previously been hacked or stolen via malware, available to buy on the Dark Web, which are then being used by criminals to access accounts. Europe is the most targeted global region of 2023.
In 2023, IBM’s X-Force observed a 266% increase in infostealing malware, which is designed to steal personal and enterprise credentials, personally identifiable information, and banking and crypto wallet information. In addition to this, data theft and leak incidents rose by a third (32%) in 2023.
Interestingly, the report also found that 84% of critical infrastructure incidents could have been avoided with cyber security best practice.
This shows why creating secure passwords, as well as good password management within teams and businesses, is extraordinarily important. Being negligent in this area of cyber security can have a huge knock-on effect in terms of larger cyber breaches.
DI Dan Giannasi, head of cyber and innovation at the NWCRC, said: “This is a very interesting but also highly worrying report from IBM, and it shows just how vital basic cyber security hygiene is for individuals and small businesses.
“Cyber criminals are now preferring to use real people’s accounts, the details of which can be bought and sold online from huge data breaches, in order to compromise businesses online.
“Our advice is always that small businesses need to take password management and online account security very very seriously.
“This means choosing a secure and hard to guess password, updating it regularly and when prompted, as well as updating software when prompted.
“A good way of choosing a unique and secure password is the ‘three random words’ advice from the NCSC, which means selecting three completely different words, which make the password longer and stronger, and therefore much harder to hack.”
The X-Force Threat Intelligence Index is based on insights and observations from monitoring over 150 billion security events per day in more than 130 countries.


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March 24, 2014 Comments Off on The mobile messaging war is on
The mobile messaging war is on
The competition in the mobile messaging space is really heating up. In February, Japanese ecommerce giant Rakuten bought Viber for $900 million, and Facebook paid $19 billion in cash and stock to acquire messaging company WhatsApp.
Last week, Alibaba, China’s dominant ecommerce firm, spent $215 million for a minority stake in Tango, a US-based messaging and free-calling app. Tango currently has 200 million registered users and 70 million active users. The round values Tango at $1 billion to $2 billion. In an interview by Reuters, Tango co-founder Eric Setton said that he believes that his company, which also offers games, multimedia sharing and other content, would eventually outperform Whatsapp, which offers only text and voice communications.
In addition to fuelling competition, the new funding underscores the increased investor interest in mobile communications and gives Alibaba a foothold in the messaging market as the company files for an initial public offering in New York in April.
© 2017 Online Agility Investments, Acquisitions and Venture Capital Database | Internet DealBook. All Rights Reserved.


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Little Caesar's hosts re-opening
HUNTINGTON -- The Little Caesar's pizza shop at 11 7th Ave. in Huntington hosted a grand re-opening Wednesday after a remodeling at the shop.
The newly renovated store opens Thursday, April 25, and will offer giveaways this month, including Little Caesars HOT-N-READY Pizza for a year and Pepsi/Little Caesars Prize Packs.
The local franchise operator, Vicki Dunn-Marshall, opened her first Little Caesars restaurant in 1982. Currently, the franchise has 24 locations -- 18 in West Virginia. The 1st Street and 7th Avenue location originally opened in January 1989.


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Caruso Affiliated’s 85/15 campaign claims to be “Preserving Land the Right Way,” but it should be called a citizen mis-lead initiative. We need to look past this Los Angeles developer’s slick marketing ads, with their sound bites and images of children frolicking in fields of wildflowers. The initiative is not about preserving the open space that our community values. It’s about a massive tourist-serving “premium” mall, one of the densest in the area, built near a highly sensitive coastal lagoon. It is a development that will profoundly impact our air, water, traffic, local businesses and the land around this priceless lagoon in ways we can only begin to imagine.
This billionaire developer-led initiative is subterfuge to bypass the standard city of Carlsbad project approval and environmental review process. This is a process that has served this city and the public well. It includes detailed drawings and three rounds of comprehensive multi-departmental staff reviews and comments. There is an independent third party analysis of all of the potential adverse environmental impacts. Ultimately, the City Council decides to approve, modify or deny a project following months of give-and-take, a process that includes the input of all stakeholders. Under Caruso’s plan, they bypass all of this and just do their own studies (i.e. the classic fox guarding the henhouse).
The Caruso Affiliated 85/15 so-called citizens’ initiative is not just a few pages; it is 397 pages long. It specifically exempts this project from numerous existing city provisions and instead sets up its own zoning, development conditions and approval process. Even the mayor and City Council would have no ability to modify any project element for 15 years. The public doesn’t get meaningful input. Instead they get deceptive mailers, T.V. ads, and a bus trip to an L.A. mall.
This developer’s deceptive campaign ignores the hard-fought efforts of this community to preserve this land. Our community preserved the first 75 acres in 2004 as part of the Habitat Management Plan (HMP). Most of the remaining land was preserved in 2006 when an authentic citizens’ initiative to save the strawberry fields resulted in two measures on the ballot. Propositions D and E both received more than 50 percent approval.
At the May 20 City Council meeting, city staff confirmed most of the land Caruso claims to save is already counted as open space. The only new open space the initiative would add is the 21 acres next to the shopping center. But that 21 acres includes a restaurant, other buildings, a parking lot shared with the shopping center and a 440-foot-wide easement under high-voltage power lines. That’s not the kind of open space this community envisioned and fought for.
For the last year, concerned citizens have been urging the city to honor the commitment for 40 percent open space at build-out, rather than reducing it as is proposed with the new General Plan. Should open space preservation have strings attached to it that include 585,000-square-foot shopping centers?
Caruso officials’ plan makes some pretty amazing conclusions in what they call an environmental analysis. They claim their contribution toward the cost of widening I-5 will fix the increased freeway congestion their project will cause. But there is no guarantee when/if that will happen. They claim there will be no traffic impacts along Cannon Road, although they plan to add a three-lane entrance and a five-lane exit road, right where the freeway ramps already back up. They conclude that adding 585,000 square feet of commercial space won’t have a negative impact on other retail uses in the area. Most outrageous, they claim the combined shopping center, with 117 new toilets, relocated strawberry fields, and all of the associated mall landscaping, will use less water than just the strawberry fields use today.
Many Carlsbad residents oppose this initiative. Wealthy developers should not be allowed to buy their project approvals. Their profits should not come at the price of throwing out the standard city of Carlsbad process applied to every other development. This project, like every project, should be measured against the community’s vision to enhance Carlsbad’s defining attributes – its small town feel and beach community character.
We do not appreciate being misled by a campaign sponsored, controlled and funded by a developer who claims he knows how to preserve land the “right way.” Fifty years from now, will the people of Carlsbad thank our generation for this legacy?


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Over the last 10 years, US Greek yogurt maker Chobani has grown into a dairy powerhouse, accounting for approximately 40% of the country's Greek yogurt market. But rather than slowing down, the company decided it was time for a change to address an expanded vision.
In honor of its 10th anniversary, Chobani set out to show that yogurt isn’t just good for you, it’s a part of an overall health and lifestyle change, illustrated in new packaging, communications and positioning.
With a new vision of “Make universal wellness happen sooner” the company has evolved its focus on better nutrition, better communities, and overall better environmental wellbeing.
“This didn’t come from a packaging question. It came from asking the question, ‘what is a modern food company?’ How do we create a modern food company?” stated Leland Maschmeyer, chief creative officer at Chobani. Maschmeyer went on to say that the move was more than just about food; the challenge was to explore the questions and really be a part of what the company currently sees as a “greater food movement” in the country.


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LAKE WORTH, Fla. - Robert March has legally owned a gun for 30 years. The West Palm Beach resident said a new Senate agreement which would expand criminal background checks for potential gun buyers doesn't bother him.
"I don't see this as being any more inconvenient than what we're already doing right now," said March. "Real people, most of them buy from gun shops or legitimate sources that always have a background check, anyway."
The new proposal, reached Wednesday morning, has gun store employees asking, how is it possible to regulate both online and private gun show sales without a gun owner registry?
Joe Rice runs the Palm Beach Shooting Center. He believes that the answer is not new regulations, but instead, enforcing what's already in place.
"People discuss the gun show loopholes," Rice said. "In the state of Florida, there is no law governing the casual sale of a firearm."
Rice argues that no matter what changes are made, there will always be someone who gets out of a background check.
"When an item becomes a contraband item, and a guy's not supposed to have it, he's going to figure out a way to get it one way or another," said Rice.
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Shares of Tilray Inc. (TLRY) maintains their rally to increase about 50%, Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc (ZYNE) grew 47.10% among other stocks that made the headlines. We have highlighted below some of the reasons for the price movements.
Tilray Inc. (TLRY)
Shares of several cannabis companies traded as high as 50.91%, potentially amid increased sector interest from retail investors on WallStreetBets. Positive catalysts for the cannabis space this week also included earnings from Canopy Growth and Tilray’s UK distribution contract. The stock had close the previous day’s trading at $42.35, opened Wednesday around $65 to close the session at $63.
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc (ZYNE)
Shares of ZYNE also benefitted hugely from the increased sector interest from retail investors on WallStreetBets on cannabis stocks. The stock grew more than 47%, it started trading at $6.58 to close the day at $8.76 reaching its 54-week high.
Medical device company TRXC shares traded within their normal range with a 37.99% increase. The price moved from its opening of $5 to close the day’s session at $6.32
Introducing: Penny Stock
Sundial Growers (SNDL)
Shares of SND soared 79% on Wednesday, as the rally in the highly traded cannabis stock’s price continued. The penny stock has grown over 333% in the last month. The company has raised capital, there is a sense of optimism about federal restrictions on cannabis that could be lifted soon.


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Apple’s recent release of iOS 17.1 brings significant relief to iPhone 15 users who have been grappling with a peculiar screen problem. This update targets and effectively resolves the screen burn-in issue that had cast a shadow over some devices.
The Persistent Screen Burn-In Issue
In October 2023, iPhone 15 users began reporting an unsettling screen burn-in issue. This problem etched a faint, ghostly image of the home screen onto their displays, causing understandable concern among users.
A Fix Arrives with iOS 17.1
Apple swiftly responded to the issue by releasing iOS 17.1, a critical update designed to tackle the screen burn-in problem. While Apple hasn’t divulged the intricate details of how this update resolves the issue, early feedback indicates that it indeed does the job effectively.
One Reddit user, who had been grappling with the screen burn-in issue, shared a compelling before-and-after photo of their iPhone 15 display. The image illustrated that the faint home screen image was entirely eradicated following the iOS 17.1 update.
Another Reddit user reported a similar experience, stating that the update had significantly reduced the severity of the screen burn-in problem. While a faint image still lingered, it was notably less pronounced than before the update.
A Rare Problem Nipped in the Bud
The screen burn-in issue that troubled some iPhone 15 users was a relatively uncommon occurrence. Nevertheless, Apple’s prompt response and the effectiveness of the iOS 17.1 update in addressing this issue have been reassuring.
Here’s what you need to know:
Beyond iPhone 15
Although the screen burn-in issue was predominantly reported for iPhone 15, iOS 17.1 is also available for other iPhone models, including the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12. Fortunately, the issue seems to have been confined to the iPhone 15.
Cause and Effect
The precise cause of the screen burn-in problem on the iPhone 15 remains uncertain. It could have resulted from a software bug or a hardware anomaly. However, what’s crucial is that iOS 17.1 resolves this problem effectively.
A Comprehensive Update
Beyond addressing the screen burn-in issue, the iOS 17.1 update encompasses various bug fixes and performance enhancements. For iPhone users, this update marks an all-around improvement in their device’s performance and stability.
If you find yourself grappling with the screen burn-in issue on your iPhone 15, our recommendation is clear: update to iOS 17.1 without delay. This update brings not only a resolution to the screen burn-in problem but also a range of enhancements to enrich your iPhone experience.
With iOS 17.1, Apple once again demonstrates its commitment to delivering solutions that enhance the user experience and resolve any anomalies promptly. Enjoy your iPhone 15 to the fullest with the peace of mind that comes with this essential update.
Discover the improvements of iOS 17.1 and bid farewell to the screen burn-in problem.


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Grab launches fintech platform Grab Financial
By Digital News Asia March 14, 2018
- Partners Credit Saison to to expand access to credit for Southeast Asia’s unbanked
- Inks partnership with Chubb to provide in-app insurance solutions throughout SEA
GRAB Inc, an on-demand transportation and fintech platform in Southeast Asia, and Credit Saison Co, Ltd, one of Japan’s largest consumer financing companies, on March 13 announced a joint venture to provide loans and lending services to millions of unbanked and underbanked consumers, micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses across Southeast Asia.
The joint venture company, Grab Financial Services Asia, will draw on Grab’s reach to millions of Southeast Asian consumers, micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses, and datasets on consumer behaviour, as well as Credit Saison’s expertise in credit analysis and consumer lending, to offer micro-financing products and services tailored specifically for Southeast Asia’s fastest growing economies.
The consumer lending venture was announced as part of the launch of Grab Financial, the fintech platform within the Grab ecosystem. Encompassing all of Grab’s fintech offerings, Grab Financial offers: payments services, rewards and loyalty services, financial services and agent services.
Building reliable alternatives to traditional credit assessment
At the heart of the new company’s offering is Grab’s ability to gather and analyse alternative data points on consumer behaviour, which can be used to develop sophisticated credit and risk assessments.
Only 27% of adults in Southeast Asia have a bank account, according to World Bank estimates, making it extremely difficult for banks to assess credit and risk ratings by analysing traditional data points such as bank account details, income and spending habits, or existing debt. This in turn restricts consumer access to credit.
Grab Financial Services Asia taps into Grab’s cache of customer data gathered from the Grab app, which processes over a billion transactions annually, to provide a sophisticated, alternative resource for measuring credit ratings.
By analysing behaviour and transaction data from the app, such as transport movements, geo-location, and GrabPay transaction data, the company can offer alternative data points to assess credit worthiness, filling the gap left by traditional credit scoring methods.
Using this data and Credit Saison’s expertise in credit scoring, risk management, and product formulation, the JV will offer a range of lending products and services.
In the early stages, the JV will focus on providing products to meet the needs of Grab drivers, agents and merchants, such as working capital loans, financing for smartphones and durable goods, as well as consumer goods financing.
In addition to providing its own financial products, in the near future the JV will also offer credit scoring services to financial institutes who can use the information to provide other services such as virtual credit cards.
Grab Financial Services Asia will also explore partnering with banks and financial institutions in Southeast Asia and globally to provide other financial products, enabling these traditional institutions to unlock new opportunities in segments that they have been unable to address due to the absence of reliable credit information.
“The new joint venture, Grab Financial Services Asia, puts in place a much-needed infrastructure that will accelerate financial inclusion in Southeast Asia. Many in our region have no access to loans that they can use to purchase a new home or grow their small business. GFSA is building a reliable alternative to traditional credit scoring methods that is customised for the unbanked majority of consumers and small businesses in Southeast Asia, which will create economic opportunity for millions across the region,” said Jason Thompson, managing director, GrabPay Southeast Asia.
Credit Saison CEO Hiroshi Rinno, said, “Grab is one of the most trusted and widely used platforms in Southeast Asia, with millions of people relying on the app every day, which gives it a highly valuable insight on consumer behaviour in real-time. This partnership opens up so many possibilities for Credit Saison, for Grab, and most importantly Southeast Asia’s unbanked and underbanked, and we are excited to get started.”
Credit Saison is the largest credit card issuer in Japan, with 35 million credit cards and 36 million pre-paid cards in circulation that bill US$62 billion annually. Its product portfolio includes unsecured consumer lending, shopping credit loans, mortgage loans, micro/auto insurance and leasing.
It is also an active technology investor, currently investing in wallets, e-commerce, payment gateways, mobile point of sale (mPOS), biometric payments, location-based marketing, Internet of Things (IoT) and robo-advisory.
In-app insurance for driver partners
Grab has announced a partnership with Chubb, the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, to offer insurance solutions for Grab’s driver-partners.
Using the Grab app, drivers will be able to select different insurance options to protect their vehicles, their livelihoods and, ultimately, even their families, with access to loss of income insurance, per-ride schemes, personal accident policies and motor insurance.
The companies will also explore leveraging on data technology from Grab’s platform, including telematics, machine learning and predictive analytics to offer insurance solutions personalised to the specific needs of different private-hire vehicle drivers in Southeast Asia.
Thompson (pic, above) said, “At Grab, driver welfare is at the heart of our vision of improving the lives of people in Southeast Asia. We want to ensure our driver-partners’ hard work pays off and that their income and livelihoods are protected. We are excited to have a partner such as Chubb with whom we share this vision.
“Backed by Chubb’s global insurance expertise, we are now able to bring this app-based insurance product for the first time to drivers across Southeast Asia.”
Chubb Asia Pacific regional president Paul McNamee said, “We are delighted to work with a digital pioneer like Grab to protect their 2.6 million driver-partners. Our insurance partnership is evolving from traditional group personal accident coverage for drivers to more digital options directly offered from the Grab app.
“We will also work with Grab’s customer and partner-centric platform to introduce relevant, convenient and affordable digital insurance options in the eight countries where Grab operates. Overall, this partnership is an exciting step in our digital strategy to meet growing insurance needs in Asia Pacific.”
This new partnership is an extension of Grab’s long-term commitment to improve driver welfare. With Chubb’s help, the company expects to break new ground, making insurance more convenient and affordable for its drivers, with features like pay-per-ride options, one-click enrollment and claim payment via the app.
Chubb is committed to the digitisation of its insurance products and services to meet the needs of customers living, working and running businesses in the Digital Age.
The company is investing in product innovation, analytics and technology to provide a truly “anytime-anywhere” customer experience for its clients and distribution partners.
Chubb's capabilities range from simple easy-to-apply consumer insurance plans offered through social media and mobile platforms to artificial intelligence-enhanced decision support of underwriting and claims.