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The latest financial results of the Meta Group, better than expected, reveal a new loss of 3.99 billion dollars for the division in charge of the metaverse and virtual reality. Not enough to worry Mark Zuckerberg, who remains convinced that he is right.
In 10 years, will Mark Zuckerberg be able to say he was right?
By announcing to bet everything on the metaverse and by renaming his company Meta at the end of 2021, the creator of Facebook has succeeded in a huge communication operation. For more than six months, the entire industry talked about the metaverse, often to say nothing. The scandals in which Facebook had become entangled then seemed behind him, so much so that many wondered about the real motivations of Mark Zuckerberg. Did he really believe in the metaverse, or did he play with the naivety of the observers, to divert attention?
The more time passes, the more Mark Zuckerberg suggests that his motives were sincere. No one is interested in the metaverse anymore, his Quest Pro helmet had a huge flop, which forced him to cut prices, but the boss of Meta remains convinced that he is just ahead of his time. He may be right, but Meta can’t lose money forever.
The financial pit of the metaverse, saved by the good results elsewhere
In the first quarter of 2023, Meta had a revenue of $28.6 billion. This is more than in the same quarter of last year, which reassured investors about its good financial health. Meta was also pleased to have passed the milestone of 2 billion daily users of the Facebook application, which is proof that its historical social network is not so much in decline. The only black note concerns the group’s profits, of 5.7 billion dollars, or 24% less than a year ago.
Without the metaverse, Meta’s profit would have been significantly greater. The Reality Labs division, in charge of everything related to virtual, mixed, and augmented reality, alone lost $3.99 billion. This is because headset sales are too small to make money today, while Reality Labs invests heavily in research and development. It’s a money pit for Meta, even though his boss hopes that all these years of research will eventually pay off. It’s obvious that Meta has a great lead in VR today, but now it needs to convince the public of its usefulness.
The Meta Quest Pro headset is great for work and play, but Meta prefers to communicate on its Metaverse.
Even though Meta is in what Mark Zuckerberg calls “the year of efficiency” (you have to understand the year of cost-cutting, with lots of layoffs and fewer wacky projects ), the billionaire refuses to admit that the concept of the metaverse does not take. Meta plans to continue funding its Reality Labs division, even though it costs it billions every quarter. Mark Zuckerberg notably indicated that the rumors according to which Meta would like to invest less in the metaverse were “not accurate”.
Next quarter, Meta could be helped by Apple, which is expected to announce its mixed-reality headset on June 5. If the creator of the iPhone finds the right marketing formula, maybe it will help Meta boost its sales. Otherwise, Meta risks continuing to lose money.
Facebook’s ChatGPT, soon available to “billions of people”?
Even if the metaverse is its future, Meta does not intend to miss the revolution of artificial intelligence generators, ChatGPT style. During his call with investors, Mark Zuckerberg explained that he sees “an opportunity to bring conversational AI to billions of people in a way that will be useful and meaningful” in the coming months.
“We are exploring chat experiences in WhatsApp and Messenger, visual creation tools for Facebook and Instagram posts and ads, and over time video experiences,” says Mark Zuckerberg, who also imagines the metaverse as a good where a Jarvis-style AI could prove revolutionary. Meta admits he fell behind at first, but Mark Zuckerberg swears he’s caught up now. AI with Facebook sauce is coming!
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Meta’s financial results for the first quarter of 2023 showed a revenue of $28.6 billion and a profit of $5.7 billion, a 24% drop from the previous year due to the cost of research and development for the Reality Labs division, in charge of the metaverse and virtual reality. Without the metaverse, Meta’s profits would have been significantly higher. Despite this, Mark Zuckerberg remains committed to the metaverse and intends to continue investing in it. The future of Meta may depend on the success of the metaverse and the potential for conversational AI generators like ChatGPT to be made available to “billions of people in a way that will be useful and meaningful” in the coming months. Apple’s mixed-reality headset could also impact Meta’s future.


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Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Tuesday.
1. Uber is shutting down its self-driving truck division and will instead focus on self-driving cars. Uber Freight, a unit which connects truck drivers connect with shipping companies, will be unaffected.
2. The CEO of Moviepass announced in an all-hands meeting that tickets to big upcoming movies will not be available on the app. The implication was that the practice of not offering tickets to major releases would continue for the foreseeable future.
3. ‘Fortnite’ is reportedly heading to Android as an exclusive to a brand-new Samsung phone. Rumours point to the game being exclusive to Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 9 smartphone when the phone arrives in late August, with wide availability a month later.
4.It looks like photos of Google’s next phone have leaked. New leaked photos supposedly show the white version of Google’s upcoming Pixel 3 XL smartphone, which has a surprisingly large “chin.”
5. Spotify executive Troy Carter is leaving the company.Spotify’s global head of creator services Troy Carter will leave his post in early September and assume an advisory role at the streaming service.
6. Tesla is experimenting with a new way to deliver the Model 3.Tesla CEO Elon Musk delivered a Model 3 sedan directly from its Fremont, California factory to a customer’s home and indicated the company will continue to deliver vehicles in this way.
7. Democrats have reportedly drawn up plans to slap big tech firms with privacy laws similar to GDPR in the EU. In a document obtained by Axios, Democratic senator Mark Warner outlined ways of improving regulation of big tech in the US.
8. YouTuber Logan Paul called out KSI for his ‘disgusting’ remarks about women, and it’s a sign their pre-fight trash talk is going too far. Paul took issue with KSI’s insults against his girlfriend, actress Chloe Bennett, and said his behaviour had been immature.
9. Tesla made 200 limited-edition surfboards that cost $US1,500 each, and they sold out in just one day. Some of the boards could be found on eBay, selling for between $US2,000 and $US5,000.
10. Amazon made a $US1.5 million investment in bus infrastructure in Seattle. Public transit has been a big sticking point for cities as they fight for the chance to host Amazon’s second headquarters, dubbed HQ2.
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The Gionee M2017 as expected has been officially launched in China. This is a premium smartphone packed with 7000 mAh battery and powered by Snapdragon 653 chipset. Pricing starts from RMB 6999 (approx Rs. 68K).
Gionee today launched a 4G VoLTE enabled smartphone in the Pioneer series – the Gionee Pioneer P7 in India for a price tag of Rs. 9,999. This handset is packed with 2GB RAM and houses a 2300 mAh battery.
Gionee will launch a new handset called the Gionee M2017 in China on 26th December 2016. Key highlight about the M2017 is it comes with quad HD screen, SD 653 powered and houses a massive battery of 7000 mAh capacity.
As expected Gionee launched the S9 device in China with a price tag of RMB 2499 (approx Rs. 25,000). The Gionee S9 is a Helio P10 powered handset that houses dual cameras on the back – a 13MP and a 5MP.
Gionee is all set to launch their new handset in China, the Gionee S9. It will be unveiled at an event in China on 15th November 2016. This handset already passed the TENAA certification. S9 comes with a 13MP + 5MP primary camera.
Two new models from Gionee brand – the Gionee S9 and the Gionee S9T went through and got the TENAA certification. The specifications have also been revealed. These handsets are powered by octa core processor and supports 4G with VoLTE.
Gionee today launched a new handset in the Gionee ‘P’ Series, the Gionee P7 Max with a price tag of Rs. 13,999. The P7 Max is packed with 3GB RAM, sports a 5.5 inch IPS screen and supports 4G LTE with VoLTE.
Gionee had launched the S6 Pro in China in the month of June 2016. This is the first phone ever made for VR lovers, it comes loaded with Gionee VR app for next level VR experience. Gionee S6 Pro price in India is Rs. 23,999 (MOP) and VR set will be priced at Rs. 2,499.
Gionee today launched the Gionee S6s that comes powered by MediaTek octa core processor and is running Marshmallow with 3GB RAM. The S6s houses a 3150 mAh battery and it’s price in India is Rs. 17,999.
Gionee today at an event in China launched the Gionee Marathon M6 and the Gionee Marathon M6 Plus smartphones in the Marathon M series. Marathon M6 with 64GB ROM is priced at RMB 2699 (Rs. 27K) and 128GB at RMB 2899 (Rs. 28K); Marathon M6 Plus with 64GB ROM is priced at RMB 2999 (Rs. […]


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A fifth of people would donate the cash they received through a bottle and can deposit return scheme to charity, the Campaign to Protect Rural England has found.
A survey carried out by ICM Unlimited and published this week by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) suggests that this could result in annual donations of more than £1 billion to good causes.
A further 19% of respondents said they would donate their deposits most of the time, and more than a third (34%) would donate at least some of the time. This could lead to a further £1.3 billion in donations to local charitable causes from the deposits on glass and plastic drinks bottles and aluminium cans, the analysis by CPRE found.
The donations could be even higher if drinks cartons and pouches are also included in England’s deposit system.
Samantha Harding, litter programme director at CPRE, said:
‘Not only would the introduction of a UK-wide deposit return system put a stop to most of the environmental damage caused by drinks containers and boost recycling rates in excess of 90%, it could also provide much needed funding for good causes across the country. It is fantastic and really heartening that so many people would be happy to donate their deposits in this way.
‘An effective “all-in” deposit return system will bring an end to the growing disenchantment and scepticism around current recycling methods by doubling current recycling rates. But it’s also evident that the deposit, as well as encouraging the right behaviour in terms of recycling, would allow for people’s generous natures to be realised when it comes to supporting others.
‘It’s important to ensure that England’s scheme includes every bottle, can, carton and pouch, whatever the shape, size or material. Not only will this halt the devastation caused to our countryside and environment by drinks container pollution, but if every type of drinks packaging is included in the scheme, it could result in more donated deposits, benefiting nature and local communities.’
In the UK, it is estimated that 28 billion single-use glass, plastic and aluminium drinks bottles and cans are sold every year in the UK, according to recent government figures with current waste collection and recycling systems meaning that recycling rates in the UK are around just 45%.
An effective UK-wide deposit return system with a monetary incentive has the potential to boost recycling rates for drinks containers to more than 90%, CPRE says, which would significantly reduce the environmental damage they cause, as well as making the producers of drinks packaging financially responsible for the full costs of the waste they create.
The Scottish government has already announced its plans to introduce a deposit return system for glass, plastic and aluminium drinks containers of all sizes.
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2There’s Full Support for Different Screen Designs
One of the key differentiators for Android Wear is that it works with different screen designs. So, if a company wants to build a standard rectangular screen, that’s fine. If another firm, like Motorola, wants to offer a round display, Android Wear can accommodate that as well. That’s a major departure from Apple’s iOS, which as of this writing, will only work on the rectangular screen built into Apple Watch.
3Always-On Apps Are Now Available
Google had previously offered an always-on feature for users who wanted to be able to look at core functions, like the time, whenever they wanted. However, the company announced that with this latest update, third-party apps will also have the option to be always on. So, if a user wants to keep Facebook open, for instance, the always-on feature will ensure the social network’s newsfeed will always be shown on the display.
4An Interesting Way to Save Color and Thus Battery Life
Since there’s a possibility that Android Wear owners will be keeping their apps on at all times, Google was forced to rethink how it would handle battery life. So, the company announced that its latest update comes with a feature that turns the screen black and white to save battery life when it’s not being held up to be viewed. As soon as users raise their wrists to view their wearable screen, the color returns.
5Music, GPS Still Work Even if You Leave the Phone at Home
Google offers offline support in Android Wear, eschewing the need to carry around a smartphone wherever a person goes. Let’s say a user wants to go for a walk and listen to music. In that scenario, the Android Wear device wouldn’t require that an Android-based smartphone be within distance. In fact, it can be left at home, offline, and Android Wear will still deliver full GPS and offline music support. It’s a feature that’s been around awhile but hasn’t received much attention.
6WiFi Connectivity Is the Biggest Addition
Arguably the biggest addition to the Android Wear update is the option for full WiFi support. This means as long as a person is connected to WiFi from his or her Android Wear device, all of its features will be available no matter where the user’s smartphone is. There is, however, one caveat: The smartphone must have a wireless connection, either WiFi or LTE, for the devices to communicate. Previously, connections needed to be established via Bluetooth for Android Wear to deliver its full range of features.
7A Flick of the Wrist Turns on News, Notifications
A simple wrist flick changes everything in the new and improved Android Wear. Previously, users would need to tap the screen to view news and notifications. Now, a flick of the wrist will turn on the news and notifications. It’s a simple feature, but when folks have their hands full, it’s a useful one.
8A Single Screen Touch Turns on Apps, Messages
Another key update to Android Wear provides an improved way of accessing apps and other information. As soon as users look at their watch face, they’ll be able to touch the screen once and Android Wear will automatically give them access to apps and messages. It’s another small update that could have a profound impact on usability and productivity.
9The First Step in Handwriting Recognition?
Recently, Google announced an app for Android, called Handwriting Input, that accepts handwriting and automatically converts it to standard on-screen text. In the new Android Wear, Google said that users will be able to draw emojis on the screen, and it will turn them into emoji icons users add to messages. The feature has drawn many questions, including whether it’s the first step toward simple handwriting recognition in Android Wear.
10All the Google Apps One Would Expect
11You’ll Need an Android Device
Like Apple, which requires that users have an iPhone to use an Apple Watch, Android Wear requires an Android device in order to work. There’s some hope that at some point in the future, Android Wear devices will be platform-agnostic and work with iPhones and Windows Phone devices, but for now you need to have an Android device to get the most out of Android Wear.


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Call comes as department store announces store closures after worst loss in 240-year history.
The boss of Debenhams has called on the government to end the “preferential” tax regime for online retailers as the department store said it could close almost a third of its stores, putting about 4,000 jobs at risk.
The chain said it had dived nearly £500m into the red, the worst annual loss in its 240-year history, as it struggles to adapt to changing habits which have resulted in a quarter of all fashion purchases being made online.
Like many other retailers, Debenhams is suffering as rising rents, business rates and wages have driven up costs just as shoppers rein in their shopping in favour of leisure activities and telecommunications.
Sergio Bucher, the firm’s chief executive, told City analysts business rates had risen 20% to £5m at Debenhams’ Oxford Street store alone. The company now pays £80m a year in rates, after an average 5.8% rise in bills across its stores this year. Business rates are levied on the value of commercial properties including shops, but online retailers such as Amazon and Asos pay much less because they own low-value property such as warehouses.
Bucher said: “It has been a tough year for retail in 2018 and our performance reflects that. We are taking decisive steps to strengthen Debenhams in a market that remains volatile and challenging.”
He said Debenhams’ profits had taken a hit in September as it was forced to cut prices in order to keep up with competitors who had launched early sales.
Revenues slid 1.8% to £2.9bn in the year to 1 September, but it was one off charges of £525m relating to the value of the brand, unwanted store leases and defunct IT systems that pushed the company to a pretax loss of £492m from a £59m profit a year before.
Bucher said the company was “taking tough decisions on stores where financial performance is likely to deteriorate over time” and bringing in “rigorous cost discipline” so that Debenhams had a sustainable and profitable future.
“Debenhams remains a strong and trusted brand with 19 million customers shopping with us over the past year,” he said.
The company said store closures would take place over three to five years, as it confirmed that a far greater number of its outlets than previously admitted were likely to become unprofitable and need to be shut down. It said last year that it would close up to 10 stores and has already shut two.
Analysts said Debenhams’ smaller stores in regional towns were likely to be the first to close, bringing more pain to high streets already suffering from a wave of retail closures by the likes of New Look, Carpetright, Mothercare and Marks & Spencer.
As it struggles for survival, Debenhams, which employs 27,000 people, suggested more jobs could go at its head office and warehouses at it cuts costs by £40m and halves investment to £70m. It will focus attention on improving 100 top outlets and downsizes and cost cutting at 20 others.
The company has also axed a dividend payout to shareholders, as it prioritises reducing its debts. It is already trying to sell assets, including its Danish chain Magasin du Nord, in a bid to shore up its finances.
The company’s share price dipped 2% to just 8.3p, adding to a slide of more than 75% in the past year. The business is now valued at less than £100m after three profit warnings this year have fuelled fears that it could follow House of Fraser into administration.
Sports Direct, which recently bought the collapsed House of Fraser and is a major shareholder in Debenhams, is tipped to launch a takeover of the department store if its financial situation worsens.


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With the rollout of Emergency SOS via satellite for iPhone 14 users in the United States and Canada today, consumers in other locations may feel left out, but this is merely a temporary situation. The function will be accessible in two nations at first, according to the business, but it will soon be available in more.
A earlier story said that Apple will soon make Emergency SOS available through satellite in additional nations, but no exact date was specified. Fortunately, the business has made those specifics available to you, along with the areas where the satellite capability will be extended.
Emergency SOS via satellite and Find My via satellite are available today in the US and Canada, and will be available in France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. The service will be included for free for two years starting at the time of activation of a new iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.”
Owners of iPhone 14s must update to iOS 16.1 in order to begin utilising Emergency SOS via satellite. Additionally, Apple was generous enough to provide us with a comprehensive understanding of the requirements for the functionality to function at its best. It will take some time for the signals to travel through both media because to the great distance between you and the satellite.
It may take up to 15 seconds for messages to arrive in ideal circumstances, defined by Apple as an unobstructed sky with few to no barriers. If there are emergency services close by, they will react appropriately and help you in any way they can.
When it unveiled the iPhone 14 series in September, Apple also revealed the emergency function. Apple said last week that it will invest $450 million with American businesses to make the service possible, with the bulk of the funds going to Globalstar, a satellite operator with headquarters in Louisiana.
Emergency SOS via satellite is not flawless; users will inevitably experience frustration while trying to connect to a satellite that is in range. We are convinced that advancements will be made soon, and it won’t surprise us if rivals Samsung and Xiaomi introduce the same functionality to their premium smartphone families in the years to come.


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Android Apps: Charge Anywhere Payment Upgraded
For Android smartphone users who enjoy being able to pay for goods whilst on the go you might like to know that an upgraded version of the Charge Anywhere payment app for Android has been released to the Android Market.
According to an article over on Mobiletor, the Charge Anywhere mobile payment app for Android aside from credit card payment also empowers the user to make cash and cheque transactions along with ACH payments.
The president and CEO of Charge Anywhere, Paul Sabella, said…“Charge Anywhere is excited to participate in the explosive growth of the Android Market and business interest in Mobile Payments. Businessowners can download our mobile payment app for Android smartphones and for Android tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy and start to grow their business anywhere, anytime.”
Users can combine mobile payment transactions with other Charge Anywhere solutions to gain a higher level of integration with several accounting applications like QuickBooks. The Charge Anywhere mobile payment app for Android can now be downloaded from the Android Market as a free download.
We have a short demo video for the Charge Anywhere mobile payment app for your viewing pleasure below courtesy of CHARGEAnywhereMKTG …enjoy.


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Note: Consumer Reports has no relationship with the advertisers on this site.
Although the 8th anniversary of Sept. 11 occured Friday, more Americans are concerned about a major swine flu outbreak than another terrorist attack, according to a new poll from the Consumer Reports National Research Center. The national survey of 1,007 adults found that 67% of Americans were "concerned" or "very concerned" about the potential for a swine flu outbreak, while 62% were concerned about a terrorist attack on the U.S.
Interestingly, concern about the flu was lowest among adults most likely to be affected, those under 30 years old, with 56% saying they were concerned. Those least likely to catch the flu, age 55 and up, were most concerned at 72%. So far, about 75% of hospitalizations from swine flu, and 60% of deaths have been among those under age 49, with the youngest adults and children the most likely to catch the flu. Seasonal flu is a different story: 90% of deaths and about 60% of hospitalizations from seasonal flu are among those older than 65.
Americans were also more concerned about a swine flu outbreak than other types of disasters common in their region, such as tornadoes and floods in the South Central U.S., hurricanes in the South Atlantic region, earthquakes in the West, and blizzards in the North Atlantic and Central regions.
Few Americans say they're completely prepared to survive a disaster situation, although an amazing 82% said they think they could survive just fine or with little difficulty for two weeks without running water, electricity, and access to supplies. When asked about the 16 items recommended for home emergency kits, just 22% of respondents had at least 13 of the items.
Those who were least prepared for emergency included individuals who rented their homes, followed by adults under 30. Most respondents had a flashlight, a manual can-opener, over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers, personal hygiene supplies, a first aid kit, and a two-week supply of prescription drugs. But they lacked other survival supplies, including surgical masks, electrolyte drinks, chemical cold packs, a two week supply of food and water, over-the-counter diarrhea medications and a portable radio.


text: This may be the old news, but we just spotted the W910i Walkman phone on the Sony Ericsson’s homepage in the “Coming soon” box. The ultimate Sony Ericsson non-smart Walkman phone brings tons of goodies in the world of feature phones. Besides the “classics” like stereo Bluetooth, USB connection, memory expansion slot and 3G radio – the W910i adds that Shake element we previously saw in the W580i model. In addition, just like some other high-end smartphones – this baby supports both landscape and portrait views, and also packs the latest Java Platform 8, which promises to bring even better graphics and web services support. Sony Ericsson seems to have a winner with the W910i… and you can sign-up to be informed when it hits the streets from here.


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SABMiller plans to invest around $260m to expand the capacity of its subsidiaries in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia next year.
SABMiller CEO Graham Mackay told Dow Jones Newswires that the company also plans to commission a doubling of its Sudanese capacity this year.
“Profit margins in Africa as a whole are higher than those in China, although they don’t match those in Latin America. Overall, emerging markets including Africa account for about 80% of the company’s earnings.
“Africa as a whole is by and large a beer continent…growth in Africa is partly to do with so many people coming into the cash economy,” Mackay said.
SABMiller Africa managing director Mark Bowman said the investment is in addition to the $1.5bn that the company has already invested in Africa in the past five years, reported the drinks business.


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Did you order one of those sweet 27-inch iMacs from the Apple online store recently? Well, if you did, expect to see a delay in getting it.
AppleInsider is reporting that the 27-inch models currently have a three-week shipping time. Earlier this week, Apple's web store showed estimated shipping times of less than a week.
The delay could be due to several factors. First, initial users of the 27-inch model had been experiencing screen flicker issues, which caused orders made in December to be delayed about two weeks. Apple released a software patch for the big-screen iMac on December 21st that was meant to resolve the screen flicker issues, but many purchasers are still experiencing the problems. It could be that Apple is slowing the pace of manufacturing until the situation is resolved.
Another possibility not addressed in the AppleInsider post could be that the demand for the 27-inch iMac is reaching a new peak. The iMac line made up the best-selling desktop computers in the U.S. in the last quarter of 2009, with the 21.5-inch model topping the charts. It's not entirely out of the question that demand at Apple resellers, including the Apple Stores, is finally being met by the supply of the 27-inch model and that fewer of the machines are available for purchase online.
If you're looking for a 27-inch iMac, we'd recommend visiting a local Apple reseller rather than attempting to purchase it directly through the online Apple Store.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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There was a time when providing big screens were in trend. Though the impact of that is still in the mobile market. From the past few days, the newses of the fast charging technologies over 100W are coming out from multiple mobile manufacturers and now, reports are coming about 7000mAh biggest battery for upcoming Samsung M-series smartphones.
As per the report, Samsung M41, that was rumored to have been canceled, recently certified in China. There is another rumor about the Galaxy M41 and that is the massive battery capacity inside it. The mentioned recent activity in China suggests that can be of 6800mAh.
The most interesting information is, though the battery capacity is 6800mAh, the company can round of the figure and can make that of 7000mAh. That means, there is a possibility to get more battery life than the M31 having 6000mAh and currently, it is the Samsung smartphone with the highest capacity battery.
We also have to keep in mind bigger battery capacity will cause longer charging time as well as bigger volume. So, it will not be a surprise if the Samsung Galaxy M41 comes with a large screen size and a bigger volume of the body. We still have to wait for the official announcement.
Do Check Out 👇🏼


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KATHMANDU, Feb 27: The Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) will start selling cow milk starting Thursday. The state-owned dairy producer is selling cow milk in 500 ml poly pack. DDC´s cow milk contains 3.5 percent fat and 7.8 percent SNF.
“We have introduced cow milk for those who need high-fat nutrient. We are also planning to introduce low-fat milk soon,” Siyaram Prasad Singh, general manager of DDC, said, launching the product amid a program on Wednesday.
The cow milk has a shelf life of 72 hours if kept in refrigeration under 4 degrees Celsius. Initially, the product will be available in the Kathmandu Valley only. DDC plans to sell cow milk in other parts of the countries in the near future.
DDC will collect cow milk from chilling centres in Chitwan. The milk will then be processed and packaged in its plant in Kathmandu. DDC will produce 3,000-3,500 liters of cow milk every day.
The cow milk is priced at Rs 30 for 500 ml.
DDC unveils its future plans
DDC is planning to start production of ´Butter Milk´ from mid March. Singh said the corporation is planning to produce butter milk as its demand is high in Tarai belt.
“We are planning to distribute butter milk in Nepalgunj, Dhangadi, Hetauda, Biratnaga and Janakpur from mid-March,” said Singh.
Meanwhile, DDC is planning to increase production of powdered milk. For this, it is upgrading production capacity of its Biratnagar plant. "The construction works to double the capacity of the plant will complete within 3 to 4 months,” said Singh.


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LOS ANGELES, United States — Behemoth beauty advent calendars, branded pool floats, personalised stand up mixers and lipstick-shaped piñatas delivered by shirtless men. You know you’ve made it as a fashion editor or beauty influencer when the gifts start piling up.
Free stuff is an essential part of the fashion and beauty public relations playbook and has been for decades. Publicists send products by the truckload to anyone who might theoretically write about them. The distribution list goes far beyond the top rungs of Vogue’s masthead, encompassing online editors, fashion, beauty, lifestyle and wellness influencers (macro and micro), freelance writers and magazine staffers. The practice is particularly frenzied around the holidays, when an eye-catching gift can solidify a relationship with an editor (and if you’re lucky, secure inclusion in their publication’s annual gift guide).
But even the most tasteful pool float may not be well-received these days. Editors and influencers are becoming more vocal about the piles of freebies showing up unsolicited in their offices and at their homes. Environmental concerns are a big driver — whole forests have been cut down to supply crinkle paper and cardboard boxes to the public relations industry, and packaging is an easy target for influencers looking to show off their sustainability bona fides.
Some brands are taking a harder look at how gifts affect their bottom line (sending out 1,000 boxes of luxury beauty products per month can cost about $700,000). PR agencies are rethinking how, where and whether to send products.
“There was a brand last holiday who sent an item every week,” said Tyler McCall, editor in chief of Fashionista about the extended splash some brands try to make especially during the holidays. “But so far, I’ve noticed a lot less of it this season.”
In early November, several editors, including McCall, posted an open letter on Instagram addressed to fashion and beauty brands, urging them to take a more mindful approach to gifting.
You can see how this cycle lends itself to getting out of hand.
“While we are grateful for the opportunity to experience new products and brands, we are making an effort to prioritise sustainability both professionally and in our personal closets,” the letter read. “We hope this makes for purposeful promotion of items and new launches moving forward.”
Gifting was always a method to curry favour with top magazine editors who were gatekeepers of fashion media. But in the social media era, a far larger universe of digital editors and influencers can spread the word about new products. Brands unsure about which influencers to court applied the brute force method instead, sending out hundreds of mailings to ensure they reached the right people.
Gifting reached a fever pitch a couple of years ago at the height of the “unboxing” craze. Brands designed elaborate packaging in the hopes that influencers would open their products live on Instagram.
“Instagram stories perpetuated this cycle for longer than it should have gone on,” said Emily Parr, founder of Poke PR, an agency specialising in clean, indie and founder-led beauty brands. “You can see how this cycle lends itself to getting out of hand.”
McCall said she also refrains from posting unboxing videos or any Instagram stories about product she’s received, unless there is a charitable component. Danielle Prescod, style director of BET.com, who also signed the open letter, takes a similar stand.
“I don’t want to be perpetuating the problem,” she said. “I send a thank you for the item, but don’t post.”
Some agencies steer brands toward events where they can engage with editors directly as an alternative to gifts, which can feel impersonal.
Sonia Langlotz, founder of Round Twelve, a digital marketing consultancy, said that a quality over quantity approach has been effective in streamlining mailings. Before a client’s fragrance launch, the firm asked 90 influencers if they wanted to receive a sample. About 40 said they would, and of those, more than half posted about their gift on Instagram Stories, or gave feedback to the company.
“We see a lot of drop off in the outreach portion of the chain, but a much higher response and success rate between what is actually gifted and responses moving forward,” Langlotz said.
Charitable and sustainable components can also resonate more strongly than a traditional mass gifting campaign.
This holiday season, Gap asked editors whether they would like to receive a recycled down coat, or donate it to charity. J.Crew partnered this season with One Warm Coat, and invited editors to bring a donation to stores, where they could also pick a coat for themselves.
I’m really happy people are starting to hold PR accountable.
“We saw high engagement rate with editors picking up a coat they wanted from one of our stores versus sending the coat which may or may not fit,” said Billy May, J.Crew’s chief customer officer. “It was a thoughtful and less wasteful way for media to receive product and provide a more meaningful way to give back.”
Beauty brands, which have faced criticism over wasteful packaging, are also finding new ways to create a more modern mailer. To minimise the environmental impact of gifting, several publicists told BoF they encourage clients to use simple corrugated cardboard sleeves to ship beauty products.
In early 2020, in lieu of gifting, hair care brand TIGI will send out a compostable cushioned bubble mailer with return postage, that press, influencers and stylists can fill with unwanted or unused beauty products. The returns will be donated to the Trans Wellness Center.
“I’ve seen some really thoughtful packaging from brands with a card stating that they didn’t include excessive packaging and acknowledging that they were mindful,” said influencer, brand strategist and creative consultant, Nicolette Mason, “That makes a statement and cuts through the noise.”
For PR executives, feedback on a gift can be as valuable as featuring in an Instagram post.
“I’d rather have them be honest,” said Lisette Sand-Freedman, co-founder of Shadow, an integrated marketing agency. “That’s what marketers should be asking for. If the feedback is ‘Do not send me anything without asking me,’ Great! That to me is the most important message — taking the feedback and using it for your client’s needs. No response is the worst response.”
Sand-Freedman and several other PR and marketing executives say they are consistent about social listening, sending personalised product to media and influencers after seeing a demand from them on social media. “It’s social listening in real-time,” she said.
I don’t want to be perpetuating the problem.
Brands are also getting creative with how they approach gifts. When an influencer posted about her food being bland, Sand-Freedman sent over a bottle of her client’s truffle-infused hot sauce. When an editor posted about her broken shoe, a PR agency sent over a pair of shoes to get her through the rest of the day.
“People need to stop posting unboxing videos for us to be challenged and find new creative ways,” said Jen Dalton, partner at IHPR, a creative communications and marketing agency specializing in lifestyle, beauty, fashion and jewellery. “I’m really happy people are starting to hold PR accountable.”
Gifting isn’t going away anytime soon. The key is for brands to tell their stories in the right way, to the right people, said Sand-Freedman.
“Know your audience, if you don’t know, then you haven’t done your homework,” she said. “That doesn’t mean you don’t try for Beyoncé. Always try for Beyoncé.”


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Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt is continuing to expand–this time outside Europe. The company has acquired U.S. lithium-metal battery start-up Cuberg and plans to open an R&D center in Silicon Valley. With the acquisition, Northvolt can integrate the start-up's electrolyte technology into its battery systems for considerably improved energy density. Until now, Northvolt has operated in Sweden, Germany, and Poland.
Cuberg – which currently looks to supply the electric aviation sector – claims its batteries deliver 70% more range and capacity than other lithium-ion devices developed for electric aviation. The startup aims to work with Northvolt to mature its technology sufficiently to offer cells with an energy density exceeding 1 kWh/l by 2025. In June, the start-up had its technology tested by Idaho National Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. The laboratory tested the 5-ampere-hour cells of Cuberg and found they had specific energy of 369 Wh/kg and specific power of 2,000 W/kg.
Lithium-metal batteries substitute heavy graphite in the anode with a lighter metal to cut down on weight, and thus improve gravimetric energy density. Swapping graphite from the anode renders conventional electrolytes unusable, however. A problem that Cuberg claims to have solved with its electrolyte technology that provides stability comparable to that offered by solid-state batteries in its devices.
The start-up was spun out of Stanford University in 2015 and has already attracted high-level customers and investors. The client list includes aviation companies Boeing, BETA Technologies, Ampaire, and VoltAero and Cuberg's backers include Boeing venture capital arm HorizonX Ventures, Activiate.org, the California Energy Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy at Stanford.
“The Cuberg team has shown exceptional ability to develop world-class technology, proven results and an outstanding customer base in a lean and efficient organization,” said Northvolt CEO and co-founder Peter Carlsson. “Combining these strengths with the capabilities and technology of Northvolt allows us to make significant improvements in both performance and safety while driving down cost even further for next-generation battery cells. This is critical for accelerating the shift to fully electric vehicles and responding to the needs of the leading automotive companies within a relevant time frame.”
Northvolt says it can scale the Cuberg technology using its lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines and the partners plan to ship their first batteries to the electric aviation industry within three years. The Silicon Valley research center aims to develop lithium-metal cells further and bring together research from Europe and North America.
“We are very excited to join forces with Northvolt to build the future of clean energy together,” said Cuberg CEO and co-founder Richard Wang. “Northvolt brings incredible technology and manufacturing capabilities that will accelerate the commercialization and adoption of our lithium metal technology. Their deep engineering experience and bold spirit perfectly complement Cuberg's own culture of rapid innovation.”
Northvolt recently announced a $200 million expansion of its production site in Gdansk, Poland, to raise annual production capacity from 5 to 12 GWh. With that step, the factory is on track to become Europe's largest.
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Who knew hometown newspapers could be so hip? The San Diego Union-Tribune’s SignOn San Diego site is set to officially launch its all-San Diego-music all-the-time streaming radio station Monday. And it’s not alone; a smattering of local media outlets are getting into their regional music scenes in the hopes of serving local communities, and yes, attracting the ever-evasive younger crowd that has shown little interest in city council meetings or the police blotter.
Amplify SD Radio started streaming tunes from San Diego bands like Twenty First Century Lepers and Get Back Loretta on April 7. SignOn San Diego’s entertainment editorial staff has already begun appearing on the station, providing music picks and spinning a block of songs from bands playing in this weekend’s Coachella Valley Music Festival in Indio, CA. The station also anticipates presenting interviews and music from bands from outside the city playing gigs in San Diego.
“What we found was that reporting and covering local music brings in a lot of eyeballs,” observed Chris Jennewein, VP Internet operations for Union-Tribune Publishing Co. “We felt the local newspaper’s Web site could do a real service and attract a significant audience by focusing on that local music.”
As for the advertisers, they’re already there. IKEA and Mission Federal Credit Union have been running display ads within the streaming audio player. Amplify SD is now appealing to nightclubs, restaurants and other local music venues to sign on, offering ad packages featuring in-stream ads and banners in SignOn San Diego’s entertainment section.
In fact, the Union-Tribune can provide production services using its recently completed audio and video studio complete with high-definition cameras and a green screen. Indeed, Union-Tribune has its sights set on producing video news and features for a video site coming in Q3. A second streaming radio station is planned for public affairs content, too.
SignOn San Diego Multimedia Editor Marc Balanky commented, “[Amplify SD] is going to give us a way to connect to our users in a way that we have never been able to connect before.”
At this point Amplify SD has over 2500 tracks in its library, and has counted about 150 streams per day as a result of word-of-mouth promotion and a link on SignOn San Diego. In true local band fashion, stickers and flyers also will help spread the word. San Diego musician John Reis, known well beyond his hometown for his guitar work in The Sultans and the now defunct Rocket from the Crypt, also has contributed by recording station IDs as the voice of Amplify SD.
The station isn’t the first local media outlet to give the online nod to the San Diego scene. XETV Fox6.com of San Diego features a video archive on its site with footage from “Fox Rox,” its local music television show. Fans of local metal band Nihlist are shown an in-stream ad for 1-800-Dentist before watching their performance of “Hessian Mercenary” during a recent show appearance. The Fox Rox site section also offers entertainment news clips, a blog, event listings, and free listings posted by users selling equipment or seeking out new band mates.
Up north in Spokane, Wash., the 106-year-old Spokesman-Review is making a concerted effort to remain relevant to a young audience through its two-year-old arts and culture site Spokane7.com. Visitors can stream 400 songs from 150 local bands, stream audio of live local shows, or catch an interview and live concert audio on its weekly ad-supported “P.A. System” podcast. The site attracts about 20,000 pageviews each day, according to Ken Sands, online publisher at the family-owned Spokesman-Review.
“If we don’t get out there and do it somebody else will,” concluded Sands, who believes the well-established company has “a head start and the ability to build an audience.” However, the Spokesman-Review carries with it the baggage of being an old-school newspaper. “The perception of us is we’re a grumpy old man .We have to overcome that kind of image.”
A banner ad for Spirit Skate Shop currently running in its music section and a Spokane7 MySpace page may signal that such a perception doesn’t necessarily apply to the site. The company also recently remodeled its newsroom, adding a video studio, and recruited 20 new employees to help with video production.
Visitors to Lawrence.com, the pioneering site affiliated with Kansas’s Lawrence Journal-World currently are greeted with the faces of local band The Volunteers. The site offers a local music streaming station, audio and video of local band performances and interviews, and allows users to create and post their own playlists.
There’s even a streaming library of local music available on Kuam.com, the online component of Guam-based NBC affiliate, Kuam TV-8.
Still, all in all, sites like these are a rare breed. “We’re just trying to figure out what the market needs,” explained Spokesman-Review’s Sands. “With a handful of exceptions this industry is far behind.”
A class action lawsuit against an internet-connected pleasure device highlights the potential pitfalls a growing number of companies will face as they embrace ... read more
Google sparked a small firestorm last week as reports surfaced that its intelligent assistant device Google Home delivered an unsolicited advertisement to unsuspecting owners.
According to Internet Retailer's newly released The Best Digital Marketers in E-Commerce report, Target is the most effective marketer in online retail. So why is it struggling overall?
The rise of YouTube and digital video generally has a lot to do with the rise of the internet and the abundance of digital video content. But YouTube's ascendency is also the result of Google's savvy use of algorithms.


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Created with the motive to provide farmers with an online platform to sell their produce & thus help them get better prices, electronic National Agriculture Markets or e-NAMs, have turned out to be a great success. The concept was launched in April on a pilot basis when 22 mandis were linked to this platform. Currently, 250 mandis in 10 states have been linked to it.
According to officials from the agriculture ministry, till December 16 farm produce worth Rs. 6.14 lakh crore has been traded through e-NAMs. About 8,55,000 farmers have sold their produce with the total traded quantity being 31.13 lakh tonnes, with 59,155 traders having made the purchases. The number of commission agents that have been registered on e-NAM are 30,790.
The government aims at integrating 585 markets by March 2018 out of which 400 will become e-mandis by next year. Also, the government will enable interstate trading on e-NAM by March 2018. This will give an even bigger boost to farmers as they will be able to sell their produce outside their states at desirable prices, & it also expands their potential customer base.
Amidst all this, the government hasn’t forgotten the quality aspect. As of now quality parameters for 69 commodities including cereals, pulses, oil seeds, spices, fruits & vegetables have been notified for trading. Technology is being used to determine aspects such as moisture levels & crop sizes which is eliminating the dependence on traders in such matters. Even laboratories are being set up in these wholesale markets to check the quality of the produce.
As per recommendations of a national commission on farmers there should be a mandi in every 80 square kilometres whereas currently there exists only one mandi within 580 square kilometres.
Prime Minister Modi has said that he aims to double the incomes of farmers by 2022. This is a most ambitious task he’s set for himself as for 70 years’ farmers needs have been neglected, & as a result farmer suicides have been extensive. But through such ground-breaking measures, & others like providing soil-health cards, establishing a network of drip irrigation, giving farmers better insurance cover, etc. he is making every effort not only to help farmers deal with traditional problems but even raise their standard of living.


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Fintech company MoneyLion, which is scheduled to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on 23 September, increased revenue and user-growth guidance projections, the company announced Wednesday.
A better outlook
The New York-based online financial services provider now expects full-year 2021 revenue totalling $155m, up from the previous $144m and its total customer base to grow to 3.03m, versus previous estimates of 2.57m.
MoneyLion, which will trade under the ticker $ML following the expected completion of its merger with SPAC Fusion Acquisition Corp, expects to lose money, however, expanding its anticipated yearly loss to $37m from the previous $28m.
“We are experiencing strong user growth due to demand for our products and the effectiveness of our marketing spend and, following the expected closing of our business combination with Fusion later this month,” said MoneyLine CEO Dee Choubey in a prepared release.
New products to fuel growth
Specifically, MoneyLion believes the pending launch of a new Crypto and so-called Buy Now Pay Later platforms later this year will fuel user growth, and in turn, revenue.
“The revised guidance reflects higher projected user growth, along with the expected revenue contribution of planned product launches this year, including MoneyLion’s new Crypto and Buy Now Pay Later offerings, that are expected to ramp through 2022 and reach full scale in 2023.” the company added.
No specific timing was disclosed for the product launches.
Second quarter financial results
MoneyLion saw a second quarter 2021 net loss totalling $12m on $37.7m in revenue, the company reported. The loss did not include a $27.2m non-cash charge.
The company’s revenue grew revenues grow 122% year-over-year.
Customers grew 113% to 2.2m, versus 1m in the comparable 2020 quarter, with total payment volume totalling $280.0m, up 148% from Q2 2020.


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When it comes to scrutiny around sustainability and climate change, the digital advertising sector has—until recently—flown under the radar. It’s even been hailed by some as a low-carbon alternative to traditional print media. But is it really that simple?
The online world continues to burgeon, with people around the world glued to their electronic screens, creating endless opportunities for energy-consuming ads. This is exacerbated by the automated buying and selling of inventory enabled by programmatic trading, which sees trillions of auctions take place every day without an ad being served. In other words, carbon emissions are high without anything being delivered.
It’s estimated that the internet produces about 4% of the total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide—double that of the global aviation industry (calculated to be 2%). Digital advertising is a major factor within that, with GoodLoop research indicating that at 5.4 tonnes, a typical online ad campaign emits almost half the carbon dioxide produced by the average UK consumer in a year.
By COP26, held in Glasgow in 2021, it was hard to ignore these facts and the clamor of voices accompanying them. It was widely recognized that the digital ad industry had to take action to mitigate its significant contribution to global warming.
Environmental sustainability has only become more pressing in that time and the advertising industry has responded with the rapid development of some clever and innovative solutions. But for all the headlines and good intentions, it can be hard to gauge where the ad tech industry is now in terms of concrete actions.
To find out, we undertook some research.
By the numbers
The good news is that in our survey of the BidSwitch customer base of top global ad tech platforms across supply and demand, 82% of respondents have launched at least some kind of environmental sustainability initiative.
Not only that, but 68% report that the primary driver for their activities is to reduce environmental damage and support the transition to a low-carbon economy, thereby creating a more sustainable future for the planet and its inhabitants.
More than that, the importance of being able to work from a baseline provided by actionable data is understood, with the majority (70%) of ad tech companies already measuring their carbon emissions annually or planning to do so (22% and 48% respectively).
Going green is good for business
With the growing volume of public discourse about tackling climate change, it's increasingly recognized that policies to reduce carbon emissions are not just desirable, but necessary to be competitive, as people require their suppliers to be ‘green’.
So, while the biggest primary driver for sustainability initiatives is to reduce environmental impact, respondents are also pragmatic. More than half (54%) say green schemes are motivated by engaging clients and consumers to drive business growth, 43% list meeting the green and sustainability requirements of their clients and stakeholders, and 52% want to enhance their reputation, mitigate risk and drive sustainability innovation.
Greening the supply chain
The powerful impact that the supply chain has on carbon emissions is taken into account when looking at ways to make a difference—probably unsurprisingly, given the interconnected nature of the industry.
84% of people responding to the survey say learning more about CO2 emissions related to their partner’s trading activities would be valuable in supporting their own sustainability initiatives.
And 29% list moving to a more direct supply-sourcing strategy when asked about adopting green media trading initiatives. Similarly, when identifying the sustainability practices in which their company engaged, 28% of respondents cite reducing the number of ad tech partners they work with and 15% are re-assessing partner relationships based on their sustainability practices.
Carbon cutting across the organization
Ad tech companies are also using a variety of tools to support their sustainability objectives.
The most popular action of 77% of the respondents is the optimization of infrastructure to reduce the emissions related to processing. The sheer size and scale of the bidstream was also recognized as a contributory factor, with 67% of respondents reducing the volume of bid requests distributed or received and 28% minimizing the volume of data passed into the bidstream; data’s contribution to carbon emissions was also noted, with 19% of respondents minimizes the data they use to execute campaigns.
Other sustainable media trading initiatives included 29% buying or selling via green private marketplaces (PMPs) and 12% blocking websites deemed to be carbon offenders.
But some activities transcend digital advertising—corporate office and travel policies are being evaluated by 46% for example, clearly in recognition of the major impact these activities have on the environment. 26% report that they are offsetting carbon emissions through various carbon capture initiatives, and 25% are setting carbon reduction targets over a given timeline.
Cause for concern?
Although significant progress has been made over the past two years, not least in the belief that action needs to be taken and there is no time to lose, our research revealed areas that are potentially worrying.
Nearly a fifth (18%) of respondents are not pursuing any environment sustainability initiatives for example, and 7% do not plan to adopt green media trading initiatives. Questions also arise around the 30% that are not currently measuring their carbon emissions annually, which will make it very difficult to determine what, if any, progress is made.
The big picture is complicated
Our study also resulted in some contradictions.
For example, despite most respondents wanting to know more about their partners’ carbon emissions to assist with their own green initiatives, only 15% report re-assessing these relationships based on sustainability practices.
Buy and sell side also differ in their activities. 23% of SSPs are currently undertaking environmental sustainability or green initiatives, compared to 9% of DSPs, and 11% that are both DSPs and SSPs.
The explanation for such discrepancies probably lies in it being hard to know where to start—perhaps indicated by the 30% of people saying that although they are looking into green media trading initiatives, they haven’t yet adopted this practice.
The concept of net-zero digital advertising and how to get there is new, highly complex, and fast-paced, and the recognition that there is no time to lose has resulted in a broad range of solutions being brought to the sustainability table. However, this and the fact that the thinking behind many schemes evolves rapidly, can make it tempting to wait until the next ‘better’ option comes along - something ‘right’ today may end up being viewed as counterproductive in a few months’ time.
Decarbonizing the digital advertising industry is down to all of the many and varied participants that make up the ecosystem. Although the picture is still unclear in places, and there are areas where far more needs to happen, the BidSwitch state-of-the-industry report would indicate that we are moving collectively in the right direction.
For the complete picture of sustainability and green media trading across the digital advertising ecosystem, download the full report Going Green: How Ad Tech is Approaching Environmental Sustainability.


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Several AT&T subscribers who are using Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge smartphones have reported receiving the May security patches.
AT&T is yet to publish a changelog and an official statement to confirm the details of the latest security patch. However, a quick peek at the smartphone's software menu reveals that the update is about 40 MB in size for both devices.
Users can manually check the incoming update by visiting the phone's Settings, selecting About Device and tapping the Software Update option.
Samsung released the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in March and both devices have been positively received by Android fans and other smartphone users everywhere. In fact, the latest Samsung devices are two of the top-selling handsets in the United States, grabbing over 5.8 percent of the total market share in the first quarter of 2016 alone.
According to a report published by British consumer research company Kantar Worldpanel, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are expected to surpass the sales of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus this present quarter.
However, like any other tech device, the latest Samsung handsets are not completely flawless. Tech Times reported some common user complaints on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, including an oversensitive touch screen display that accidentally opens and closes apps, the Bluetooth's intermittent connectivity, the devices' lack of adoptable storage, slow Wi-Fi connectivity, volume control issues, a camera that fails to launch and unresponsive buttons, among others.
Though an all-out fix is not feasible, Samsung is making strides to address the issues by working with major network carriers to deploy patches as quickly as possible.
Just a couple of weeks ago, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge smartphones on T-Mobile received an update, which also activates the devices' dormant FM radio feature. The said update addresses the volume control issues that users have pointed out.
As everyone awaits the official statement from AT&T about the complete details of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge May security patch, Android fans are buzzing that the carrier is getting ready to launch yet another high-end Samsung handset on its network very soon.
The latest smartphone is said to be the Galaxy S7 Active, which according to leaked information online, is closely similar to the S7 edge in terms of specs, just more rugged. According to reports, the Galaxy S7 Active has "tougher polycarbonate construction, rubberized edges and physical buttons instead of the capacitive soft-keys." It is also waterproof and dustproof. Tech Times has published a similar story, providing the specs of the new handset ahead of the AT&T launch.


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According to a statement, Ajinomoto and Toyo Suisan Kaisha agreed terms last week. Ajinomoto is Japan’s leading food additive and seasoning maker, while Toyo Suisan is the maker of the Maruchan noodle brand.
“By combining the sales infrastructure and marketing capability of Ajinomoto Co. with the strengths of Toyo Suisan in instant noodle development and production technology, the companies will achieve speedy business expansion into emerging markets with notable growth as equal partners,” the statement said.
500 million servings
The two companies plan to start marketing instant noodles under a new brand in India in fiscal 2016. In the Indian joint-venture, Toyo Suisan Group will own 51% while the Ajinomoto Group will own 49%.
The company will be located in the southern city of Chennai, and the food makers will invest around ¥1bn (US$9.6m) in to set up factories and other facilities under the joint venture.
The companies said that they are hoping to rapidly expand in India, where the market is backed by rising middle-class purchasing power and increasing population—India is the fifth largest in the world for instant noodles, with its current 4.4bn servings each year growing at a rate of 22%, according to the World Instant Noodles Association.
Toyo Suisan will develop and produce the noodles, which will be sold using Ajinomoto’s marketing channels. The two companies said they are aiming to sell 500m servings a year in India.
Not an easy play
Kartik Dwivedi, partner at Mumbai-based Dassler Business Intelligence, told FoodNavigator-Asia that the instant noodle market in India is growing thanks to rapid urbanisation, rise in the 18-35 population segment and time poverty in urban India.
“The average office-going Indian has no time to come home and cook meals. That is a primary factor behind the growth in the ready-to-eat and quick-heating food segment,” said Dwivedi. “It’s a market that will grow as the Indian economy grows.”
“Having said that, this new brand will have its challenges. For one, it is a market with entrenched players like Maggi [a Nestle brand that dominates the Indian market], Top Ramen [an Indi-Nissin brand] and a couple of multinationals.
“Secondly, the urban Indian is getting more and more health conscious, so he is going after healthier foods. Noodles are not high up in the healthy rankings and that is why we are seeing multinationals and even Maggi offering healthy variants,” he added.


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Daewon Song needs no introduction. A full-length documentary delving into his distinguished life and career, however, is more than welcome. Adidas has teamed up with Transworld – in particular, their Aussie video guru, Joe Pease – to deliver exactly that, and it's looking like the real deal. Watch the trailer above and start getting hyped for the film's worldwide online release come May 17th.
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With efforts to ease forth cannabis legalization in full swing across several parts of the US, demand for marijuana is expected to spike in the days to come. Such makes indoor cannabis cultivation a proper innovation, and a former NASA scientist is endeavoring on improving that.
Having worked on developments for plant-based life support systems, scientist Neil Yorio now spends most of his time at BIOS - a company that provides lighting solutions for both humans and plants. Chief among Yorio's considerations for growing marijuana indoors is the high security it provides.
Yorio's work with NASA on LED-based life support provides the core basis for BIOS' grow lights. With lesser power consumption and free of mercury usage, BIOS lights are highly efficient. Such is in contrast to the inefficiency of high-sodium lights, which produces light wavelengths that provide no benefits to plants.
NASA invested...to explore bioregenerative life support systems...Now we...have the opportunity to build upon that base of knowledge that is directly applicable to indoor commercial crop production, and cannabis is one of those many crops," said Yorio as reported by Digital Trends.
Yorio added that the cannabis industry has yet to fully tap on LED lighting technology for growing crops, citing inadequate education and the absence of a definite set of standards. The scientist explained that the LED light's cooler running may lead to changes on certain plant maintenance aspects.
One current downside to BIOS lights, however, is its price. This is understandable, considering that it involves fairly-new technology that treads on a legally-contentious matter - cannabis cultivation. Lighting a 1,000-square foot canopy would require 62 BIOS lights, which is priced at $1,500 apiece.
On the positive side, BIOS lights are made to last for up to a decade, when used within its prescribed usage of 12 hours on-12 hours off needed for optimal marijuana growth. Such outlasts high-pressure sodium lights by up to eight times.
Specific legal constraints per state prove to be the single largest hindrance to the development of cannabis cultivation systems. Apart from costliness, much has yet to be discovered with regard to efficient marijuana growth - an endeavor that is restrained by present legal impediments in place.


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Hundreds of pounds have been raised by strangers for a kind-hearted boy who handed in £400 spat out of a cash machine.
Schoolboy Jack Greenhalgh, 11, had been fiddling with buttons on the ATM inside an Asda store in Salford, Greater Manchester.
He was waiting for his friend when all of a sudden the machine starting churning out rolls of banknotes.
Quick-thinking Jack alerted a nearby cleaner and a security guard – who had been keeping an eye out after a customer said her money hadn't come out of the machine – came and took the cash.
Readers were quick to praise Jack's honesty and wanted to add to the £10 gift card that Asda gave the 11-year-old as a reward.
Lindsey Dawson, a Salford local, set up a GoFundMe page titled 'Let's treat Jack for being an honest lad!' and in less than 24 hours it's raised £460 – more than the amount he handed in.
Lindsey told Manchester Evening News : "It was just to reward him really, I felt really proud. I don’t know him or his family but he’s done the right thing and is a credit to his family. Lots of people probably would have just taken the money sadly."
Jack had told us how he'd already spent his £10 gift card on a new book, some football cones, a drink, some sweets and a bar of a chocolate for his grandad Jack, who helped him during lockdown.
Now he can finally splash out on the Oculus Quest 2 gaming headset that was at the top of his shopping list if he did have money to spare.
"It's crazy," said Jack, a Year 7 pupil at secondary school.
He says: "I feel famous at the moment. I didn't think handing in £400 would make the news and all this fundraising.
"I'm surprised so many people have donated. I've wanted an Oculus since last year so now I'll be able to get one. Everyone's always saying how you get back what you give and this proves it's true."
Jack's mum Donna, a full-time carer for grandad Jack, couldn't be prouder.
She said: "We honestly cannot believe it. We are so, so overwhelmed. He has had so much praise off so many kind people, he feels so famous at the minute."
To donate to Jack's GoFundMe page, visit the website here.
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DELRAY BEACH — Art-lovers who flock to their favorite vendors at the Delray Affair each year can visit with them virtually starting June 12.
The organizers of the Affair, attended by about 100,000 people in downtown Delray Beach each year, have gathered about 100 vendors of art, jewelry, spices, soaps and crafts to sell their wares to customers who want to support them during the pandemic, said Nancy Stewart-Franczak, chief executive officer of Festival Management Group, which puts on the Affair each year.
[ RELATED: Delray Affair to be replaced by October art festival ]
“They need a little boost right now,” she said. “This is their peak season. They missed our event in April and now they would have been at events in the Northeast, which also are canceled.”
The 58th annual Delray Affair had been scheduled for April 3 to 5 on Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach. It’s been rescheduled for Oct. 17-18, but Stewart-Franczak said the festival has not yet been approved by the city.
The Virtual Delray Affair will be from June 12 to 20. Customers can set up accounts at https://bit.ly/2MHcV8Y to start shopping.


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Posted by Buzzfeed on November 11, 2018 08:29:00Google Assistant is one of the hottest trends in 2017.
With the popularity of its many Google Assistant-enabled applications, the search giant is expanding its capabilities to include more users.
Today, Google is launching a new Google Assistant powered by WordPress.
With the new WordPress Assistant, users can now easily and seamlessly access their Google Assistant enabled WordPress blogs through their website’s theme.
The new WordPress WordPress Assistant theme, dubbed the “WordPress Integration Theme,” enables users to easily interact with their Google Assistants through the WordPress theme.
Users can access the Assistant on any WordPress theme through the Assistant interface, which features a single click to open the Assistant and perform any actions.
The theme also features a custom theme widget and a custom Assistant icon.
WordPress integration theme is available now for WordPress.com and the WordPress WordPress theme developers.
Users can check it out at the Google Developers site.
WordPress is also launching a WordPress plugin called “WordPresence” that allows users to access their WordPress admin settings and settings for the WordPress Assistant.
WordPresences integration theme for WordPress has been available for some time now, but now users can take advantage of it.
Wordpresence integration theme allows users the ability to easily access their admin settings, and to enable and disable Google Assistant.
For those of you that haven’t heard of Google Assistant, it’s a voice-based search engine that can perform tasks and perform other things with your voice.
It also includes a “Google Assistant” that acts as an interface for your web browser.
The Google Assistant can be activated on WordPress.org, which can be accessed by going to https://support.google.com/en-us/answer/63460?hl=en and selecting “Help Center.”
WordPresenses integration theme comes with a free trial version.
The WordPress plugin also includes support for other WordPress themes, which include WordPress.co.
The free version also includes the ability for users to customize their WordPress theme and widgets.
WordPress integration themes can be purchased on Google’s website and from Amazon.
WordPaste is a powerful WordPress theme editor that lets users customize, import and publish their WordPress themes.
WordPad, which is owned by Microsoft, has been around for a few years now, and it was a popular theme editor in 2017 with millions of users.
Wordpad is now available on WordPress as an integration theme.
WordWordPad includes a custom WordPress theme widget, a theme widget widget, and a theme icon.
Word Pad comes with support for more than 80 WordPress themes including WordPress.
Wordpaste comes with some very useful plugins that let you create and manage themes, themes for WordPress, and other WordPress plugins.
Wordpaste is also available on Amazon.com.
Wordpastes integration theme includes a theme and a widget.
WordPastes integration themes is available for purchase on Amazon, Google Play, and the Google Developer website.
Word Pastes integration is available on Google, Amazon, and WordPress.wordpress.com for $4.99/month for users with a WordPress account.


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Today Microsoft’s Chinese division made a sizable slip-up by posting to Chinese social network Weibo, “Microsoft’s latest OS Windows 9 is coming soon, do you think the start menu at the left bottom will make a come back?”
The problem? Windows 9 hasn’t been officially announced yet. Rumor has it that Microsoft plans to unveil the upcoming operating system at a media event on September 30, but the company hasn’t made any announcements to that effect yet. Which means whoever posted that message should probably have waited a few more weeks before letting the goods slip.
The errant post was quickly removed, but not before it caught the attention of the Chinese site Cnbeta (and the rest of the world’s tech press).
[Via The Verge]


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HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- Parents in California are so upset over marijuana-themed clothing being sold in a local store, they took action to have the items removed.
A group of parents complained to the popular clothing shop Tilly's about selling apparel displaying images of marijuana.
Members of Youth Matters, a 4-year-old committee within the Parent Teacher Student Association at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, sent letters to the store requesting the removal of some of the items because they desensitized youth to drugs and alcohol.
It was reported that Tilly’s responded within a few days and agreed to remove the items.
Youth Matters Chair Kim Greene said partnership may be possible with Youth Matters and Tilly’s in the future, as Tilly’s is involved in a community outreach program aimed at 12 to 18 year olds.
It is unclear whether Tilly’s will pull the marijuana-themed clothing from stores nationwide.


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After a prolonged phase of strong supplies, the increased demand around Christmas, coupled with the bad weather, resulted in a decline in salmon supplies. Therefore, prices picked up between mid-December and mid-January. However, towards the end of January, supplies of Norwegian salmon started to increase once again against a diminishing demand, thus leading prices to fall by 10 percent. At the time of the preparation of this report (mid-February 2008), prices were still declining.
On the institutional side, on 15 January 2008 the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) adopted the report of the panel that had examined Norway's complaint against the EU titled “European Communities — Anti-dumping measure on farmed salmon from Norway” (DS337). The panel raised a number of questions about the procedures and criteria used by the EU to justify the imposition of the Minimum Import Price (MIP) on Norwegian salmon, but at the same time it rejected the Norwegian call for an end to the MIP. Norway welcomed the report, requesting the EU to lift the MIP anyway. In response, the EU accepted the recommendations of the panel, adding that it would examine them when implementing the ruling, but at the same time it confirmed its intention to keep the MIP in place.
For more information on the EU-Norway farmed salmon dispute, please read: WTO News.
The news that the EU was not appealing the WTO finding would have normally led to an increase in the value of Norwegian salmon companies on the stock exchange. However, the value of salmon companies’ shares fell heavily, due to:
- the general negative trend of the international stock market;
- the bleak situation of global salmon markets, with falling prices and diseases affecting producers in Chile some of which are owned by Norwegian companies.
In January-December 2007, the EU imported 509 300 tonnes of salmon (live weight equivalent) from Norway, a 16.1 percent increase from 2006. In January 2008, the EU imported 38 600 tonnes of salmon from Norway, a 13.7 percent increase compared with January 2007. Despite the high volumes of salmon imported, prices remained low throughout the year due to the aforementioned excess of supply. In fact, unit values of Norwegian exports to the EU dropped from NOK29.624 (EUR3.60) in 2006 to NOK24.945 (EUR3.13) in 2007.
French imports of salmon increased from 106 400 tonnes, EUR512 million, in January-November 2006, to 107 500 tonnes, EUR469.8 million in January-November 2007. Due to the generalised decline of farmed salmon prices, imports of salmon became less expensive in terms of unit values, e.g. from EUR4.81/kg in January-November 2006 to EUR4.37/kg in January-November 2007. French salmon imports are dominated by fresh product from Norway, representing 51 percent of total French salmon imports in terms of quantity and 43 percent in terms of value. Besides the traditional suppliers such as Norway, the United Kingdom and Chile, China is emerging as an exporter of frozen salmon fillets (3 200 tonnes) and frozen Atlantic salmon (1 100 tonnes).
According to French industry sources, the distinction between products bearing quality labels such as Label Rouge and those for the mass market will become increasingly marked. Therefore, processors wanting to buy high quality salmon will have to get used to paying higher prices.
Italian import volumes of salmon increased from 21 700 tonnes in January-October 2006, EUR138 million, to 22 900 tonnes, but with falling prices, import volumes declined to EUR129.7 million, for January-October 2007. Imports of fresh salmon from Norway through Denmark and Sweden represented 47 percent of total Italian salmon imports in quantity and 31 percent of imports in value terms. Among the other suppliers, Chile is emerging as an exporter of frozen fillets of salmon (1 100 tonnes in January-October 2007), whilst France supplied Italy with 1 700 tonnes of smoked salmon in the same period.
Imports of smoked salmon are also quite significant, totalling 5 100 tonnes, equivalent to EUR54.9 million. The main suppliers are France and Denmark although the raw material is mostly Norwegian.
According to statistics from the Norwegian Seafood Federation (FHL), between 2006 and 2008, Norwegian salmon prices have swung between NOK 19 (EUR2.35) and NOK 44 (EUR5.46). Unfortunately, industry consolidation in Norway did not result in price stabilization as expected. In fact, the salmon industry entails a biological production process which takes considerable time between the decision to produce salmon and the marketing of the final product. Therefore, salmon prices (and, as a consequence, salmon company shares) remain influenced by the market situation of the moment. In order to stabilize the salmon market, the Norwegian salmon industry is trying to achieve increased price predictability.
According to Professor Frank Asche from Stavanger University, quoted by www.intrafish.com, the only effective means to stop the cyclical trends of the salmon market is the futures’ market. “Futures” are standardized, transferable, exchange-traded contracts requiring the delivery of a commodity at a specified price, on a specified future date, with an obligation to buy. Prof. Asche added that if a contract can tell what the price would be in two years’ time, then production might be adapted to the market, leaving room for production increases in times of high demand.
Alaska firm rolls out new salmon wrap (19 February 2008). Alaska-based Taco Loco on Monday rolled out its new Alaska salmon wrap, a product the company said it took three years to develop. According to the owners of Taco Loco, the wrap meets growing demand for healthy entree alternatives at restaurants, retail outlets and institutional catering facilities. The product features wild salmon flavoured with a mild red chilli sauce. Taco-Loco received assistance from the Alaska Fish Marketing Board in 2006 to develop the product line (source: INTRAFISH).
Report: global salmon stocks at risk (12 February 2008). A new report is blaming salmon farms for destroying wild fish stocks. The paper, in the peer-reviewed journal, the Public Library of Science Biology, says sea lice, interbreeding escaped fish and parasites from farmed salmon are decimating wild salmon. In the report, the late Ransom Myers (a world-renowned fisheries biologist) and Jennifer Ford, marine issues co-ordinator with Halifax's Ecology Action Centre, compared the survival of salmon and trout that swam past salmon farms early in their life cycles with those that weren't exposed to aquaculture operations. Myers and Ford concluded that wild salmon exposed to farming operations experienced a decline of more than 50 per cent. However, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) replied that there is little evidence to support the suggestion that the presence of salmon farms increases the risk of disease in wild stocks (sources: INTRAFISH).
Drug resistant lice can be a disaster (22 January 2008). There are reasons to believe that salmon lice in some parts of Norway are becoming resistant to the main oral anti-lice drug, Slice® (emamectin benzoate), reports the Norwegian net site http://www.kyst.no. The drug has been used on a couple of occasions lately without giving the expected results. A representative from Schering Plough, the company that developed Slice replied that at least once, underestimation of biomass during the de-licing had been the reason. This resulted in a very small amount of Slice being used. In another salmon farm the drug worked well in one pen, but not in others, which should not be interpreted as a sign of resistance. The same source added that a low effect could also be due to low appetite in salmon infected with IPN (infected pancreatic necrosis) virus. But it is known that salmon lice in Chile have developed resistance. Therefore, lice from the suspected sites in Norway are now being grown in a laboratory, and they will be tested for resistance when they reach what the scientists call a pre-adult stage (source: FIS).


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How does a company adapt when it faces a reduction of its consumption base and radical changes in the way people buy its product? This is the conundrum facing Didier Debrosse, chief of Western Europe for Dutch brewer Heineken NV.
“Sales of beer in bars and restaurants have declined in the past years and will continue to decline, due to stricter regulations on advertising, the smoking ban in bars and restaurants in many European countries,” says Mr. Debrosse. “This has shied people more away from beer than the economic crisis.”
“In addition, tastes have changed; people would now rather drink a prosecco or ros? wine, whereas they would previously order a beer,” he says.
For a company that has traditionally focused on selling beer for consumption outside the home, this change necessitates a serious rethinking of marketing strategy.
On top of the slow decline of bar and restaurant sales come Europe’s demographics; the population is aging and as it does so, it is drinking less. In 2010, Heineken’s Western European sales declined 4.6% to €7.89 billion ($11.3 billion).
“Older people go out less. The average 55-year-old European drinks 35 liters of beer a year, whereas the average 25-year-old consumes 150 liters,” Mr. Debrosse says.
And this matters more to Heineken, the world’s third-largest brewer by sales after Anheuser-Busch InBev NV and SABMiller PLC, because it is more exposed to the low-growth European market than any of its peers. In 2010, Heineken generated nearly half of its sales and around 40% of its operational profit in Western Europe. Nomura estimates it will generate 51% of its operational profit from Western Europe between 2010 and 2015, compared with only 7% for AB InBev, in the 2010-to-2015 period.
The acquisition in 2009 of the brewing operations of Mexico’s Fomento Economico Mexicano, or Femsa, the second-largest brewer in Latin America, will reduce Heineken’s reliance on the mature Western European market, but this market will, nevertheless, remain an important contributor to the group’s profitability, Mr. Debrosse says.
If Heineken want to raise its game it needs to find new ways to sell beer to aging, bar-shy Europeans. One key move has been toward transforming itself into an enterprise that operates along the lines of fast-moving consumer-goods companies such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Nestl? SA—companies that really understand high-volume supermarket retailing.
In 2009, it appointed former Procter & Gamble manager Alexis Nasard as global commerce director. Other brewers have also appointed senior executives from FMCG companies, such as AB InBev’s chief marketing officer, who joined from Coca-Cola, and Carlsberg’s chief executive, who previously worked at Gillette.
Heineken will also step up its advertising and promotion spending, some 12% of revenue in 2010, to move closer to the 15%-20% that companies such as Nestl?, Unilever or Groupe Danone SA customarily spend.
“At present, the beer shelves in many major retailers look terrible, making the consumer want to leave them as soon as possible,” Mr. Debrosse says.
Mr. Debrosse sees making these shelves more attractive as key to Heineken’s strategy, and this involves entering into cooperation agreements with retailers on presentation and promotion. Its first agreement was signed with Carrefour, the world’s second-largest retailer, at the end of 2009.
The cooperation with Carrefour will initially focus on France, Spain, Italy and Belgium, but Mr. Debrosse doesn’t rule out an expansion to other countries or even continents. “Together with Carrefour, we are trying to grow the beer category, which is beneficial to both the retailer and the supplier,” Mr. Debrosse says.
“Since we started cooperating with Carrefour last year, sales at Carrefour have been up 3% more than at other retailers in 2010,” Mr. Debrosse says. But it will take at least two or three years to fully implement the initiatives in all Carrefour outlets, he adds.
As well as making shelving displays more attractive, Heineken will introduce its own branded refrigerators, and create special shelves to give prominence to its five-liter kegs.
It also plans to make the most of its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, a European football competition, by holding tournament-themed events at Carrefour and bringing entertainment into the shops with screens showing highlights of the matches.
Mr. Debrosse stresses that “the cooperation is not so much focused on [price] promotions” but on creating a different kind of shopping experience. Price-cutting can be quickly matched by competitors. “It is difficult to compete on price as retailers follow each other’s promotions quickly. We therefore need to attract the shopper with something else,” he says.
Walking down the beer aisle in a Carrefour hypermarket in a suburb in Paris, shoppers can’t escape the Heineken brand. They are confronted with a choice of 12 different packages of the Dutch brewer’s flagship brand in neatly stacked cans and bottles of various sizes, next to a similar amount of choice in Heineken’s Desperados, a beer flavored with tequila. The two brands take up about 75% of the store’s beer shelves.
Mr. Debrosse says he expects to be able to boost Carrefour’s beer sales by a high-single-digit percentage in the next three years, with Heineken, as the initiator, taking the largest percentage of the growth.
And while other brewers are also in talks with retailers to make their displays more tempting, they are doing it on a country-by-country basis, Mr. Debrosse says, whereas Heineken can use its European scale and market position to agree on European-wide agreements with the retailers, as it has done with Carrefour.
Heineken says it has the No. 1 position in the U.K., Spain, Ireland, Portugal and its home market, the Netherlands, in terms of sales volume.
Meanwhile, it has recently started talks with U.K. supermarket giant Tesco PLC as well as Germany’s Metro AG and Lidl on cooperation agreements similar to the one it has with Carrefour.
The brewer is also planning to roll out its Desperados brand across Europe this year, following the solid growth of the tequila-flavored beer in France.


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Moonlighting now the norm among Gen Zs
MANILA — A majority of surveyed Filipino Gen Zs are taking on part-time jobs to keep their wallets fat as they seek financial independence at a time when prices of consumer goods and other expenses are becoming more expensive, according to a study by market research firm Agile Data Solutions Inc.
The report released on Tuesday revealed that 83 percent of Gen Z respondents (aged 18 to 25) were aspiring for financial stability, driving them to secure part-time work.
“We see an increasing number of Filipinos, particularly the younger generation, seeking part-time employment as a means to bolster their income and attain financial stability,” Agile Data Solutions chair and CEO Jason Gaguan said. He explained that inflation was the main motivation for Filipinos to work harder.
Inflation rose to 6.1 percent in September, quicker than the 5.3 percent registered the month earlier, because of higher food prices and transport costs.
For the older age group (41 to 60), nearly half of the respondents said they wanted more flexibility in work, rather than prioritizing generation of additional income. Only 25 percent of Gen Z respondents agreed with this sentiment.
“This illustrates a willingness among Filipinos to exchange time for financial stability in their younger years. As individuals age, their focus tends to shift towards the importance of time and achieving a better work-life balance,” the study noted.
The most in-demand job is in the call center industry, followed by virtual assistant roles, service crew positions, information technology roles, and sales positions.
The respondents also prefer working from home amid the growing trend for remote work setups.
“Filipinos today aren’t just adapting to the digital age — they’re truly making the most of it. With all the new technology and online platforms out there, many are finding jobs that fit their preferences and skills,” Gaguan said.
The study, conducted from July to September among 1,000 participants, showed that 60 percent of Filipinos are engaged in some form of part-time work.
The respondents are reportedly earning as much as P10,000 monthly. The part-time workers reside mostly in Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and Central Luzon.