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The acceleration of 5G deployments around the world has allowed Ericsson to produce another set of encouraging results during the first quarter of 2021.
The Swedish telecoms equipment manufacturer has benefited significantly from the rollout of next-generation networks, the pace of which has increased thanks to the elevated role of connectivity in society during the pandemic.
Governments in particular believe 5G will be a key enabler of the post-Covid economic recovery.
- What is 5G? Everything you need to know
- These are the best business SIM-only deals around today
- And the best business broadband deals
Ericsson 5G sales
Along with Huawei and Nokia, Ericsson is one of the ‘big three’ telecoms equipment manufacturers, offering radio, core and other networking technologies to mobile operators. It has invested significant resources into the development of its 5G portfolio and is reaping the rewards.
Ericsson has also benefited from the exclusion of Huawei in the rollout of 5G in several countries, including the UK.
Although reported revenues remained static at 49.8 billion SEK (£4.23bn), the figure increases to 10% when it is adjusted for comparable units and currency fluctuations. Notably, network sales were up 15%, while the increased margins on the sales of 5G gear have improved the overall profitability of the business. Pre-tax earnings rose from 4.6 billion SEK to 5.3 billion SEK (£450m) – an increase of 16%.
Ericson CEO Börje Ekholm said the figures were validation of its strategy and product portfolio and noted that the company had been able to overcome a global chip shortage currently impacting the mobile industry.
One blot on the copybook, however, was a fall in licensing income. Ericsson says this was due to expired contracts and lower volumes with one licensee in particular, reported to be Samsung. Ekholm said that both “legal and negotiation processes” were ongoing.
“We are well positioned to take advantage of the continued market momentum with a competitive 5G product portfolio and cost structure,” he declared.
“The ongoing global pandemic has fast-forwarded the digitalization of societies, placing a significant economic and social premium on high-quality network connectivity. A resilient global digital infrastructure is critical. We see positive signs of governments and enterprises increasingly recognizing 5G as a preferred choice for connectivity with accelerating deployment.”
“There is strong momentum in the global 5G demand with lead markets moving forward at high pace, creating opportunities for us to grow our core business. To that end we continue to invest in further strengthening our portfolio and growing our global footprint.”
- These are the best 5G phones available today
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Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media.


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Bumble Bee Foods, LLC announced today that it is voluntarily recalling 3 specific UPC codes of Chunk Light tuna due to process deviations that occurred in a co-pack facility not owned or operated by Bumble Bee.
The deviations were part of the commercial sterilization process and could result in contamination by spoilage organisms or pathogens, which could lead to life-threatening illness if consumed.
There have been no reports of illness associated with these products to date, and no other production codes or products are affected by this recall.
A total of over 31 thousand cases are included in the recall which were produced in February 2016 and distributed nationally.
The products included in the recall are marked with a can code that starts with the letter "T" and have the "best buy" dates:
Consumers are advised to throw away the recalled product. For more information, visit:

domain: news


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Dozens of NoCo stores get the jump on Black Friday
By the time the turkey's been picked over and dirty dishes have migrated to the dishwasher, thousands of shoppers will have pored over ads, created a wish list and mapped out an attack plan with military precision.
Some may have already hit a store or two that will be open before noon on Thursday.
It is Black Friday weekend, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season some people loathe and others anticipate for 364 days.
It may no longer be the one-day frenzy it was before stores began opening on Thanksgiving and online shopping took hold. But it still holds significance for retailers who hope to see robust sales during the five-day weekend.
Today, it's morphed from a one-day event to a four- or five-day shopping extravaganza with Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Shop Local Saturday and Cyber Monday changing the retail landscape. But that doesn't mean there won't be long lines at Toys R Us, Best Buy or Walmart waiting for doorbuster sales.
Big Lots kicks off the shopping spree opening at 7 a.m. on Thanksgiving. Most big box stores won't fling the doors open until mid-afternoon. JC Penney opens at 3 p.m.
Toys "R" Us, one of the most popular destinations on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, will open at 5 p.m. Thursday and remain open for about 30 hours, finally closing at 11 p.m. Friday.
Black Friday was created by retailers looking for an edge, opening earlier and earlier on the holiday weekend. As the Great Recession took hold, midnight openings gave way to late Thanksgiving evening, then early afternoon and now, a couple dozen are open during the day or evening.
Many retailers offer the same deals online as in their stores, giving shoppers more incentive to stay in their pajamas on Black Friday and shop from the comfort of their couch.
While many believe shopping on Thanksgiving is sacrilege, others say heading out on the holiday is a tradition built around camaraderie with family and friends more than a search for deals.
A recent survey of shoppers conducted by BestBlackFriday.com shows 35 percent of Americans hate Black Friday. Only 14.7 percent — or about 37 million people — said they love Black Friday, while just more than 50 percent tolerate it or don't give a hoot.
In the same survey, nearly 38 percent of respondents disliked stores being open on Thanksgiving. Only 5 percent loved it.
In better economic times, there’s less pressure to wait for doorbuster sales, according to a story in Stores Magazine. The internet has lured more consumers with the convenience of shopping from home. And some just don’t want to wait — 40 percent of consumers begin holiday shopping by Halloween, the magazine said.
Jeffrey Martin confessed to facing the crowds in pursuit of something he really wants: "I'm guilty of bracing myself and going out and bracing the hordes of people on a tryptophan high. I admit it."
But after working retail for years, Shannon Hein vowed "to never shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday again." Instead, her family spends the day cutting down its Christmas tree. That doesn't mean she won't do some shopping that weekend.
"I have quite the Amazon Prime addiction," she said.
Like Hein, Becky Jensen said she used to work retail and makes it a point to never shop on either day.
"I think it's gross when Americans spend Thanksgiving Day expressing gratitude for what they have and then get up from the table before the gravy is even cold to go buy more stuff," she said.
Jensen said she is more likely to patronize retailers that close on Thanksgiving to give their employees the day off.
"When a business asks employees to work on Thanksgiving, it tells me they prioritize profits over their employees," she said. "Giving their employees the day off tells me they value people."
According to a National Retail Federation survey, more than 151 million said they shopped in stores and/or online last year from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. Nearly 102 million said they shopped in stores and more than 103 million said they hit the computer for some online shopping as well.
The National Retail Federal expects holiday sales to increase 3.6 percent to $655.8 billion this year, and it all starts with Black Friday.
At the head of those long lines at stores next weekend will be those younger than 35, according to NRF.


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The US Federal Reserve is signaling that it may have reached the end of its steep series of price increases. It left the key interest rate unchanged for the second decision in a row. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated that further increases were possible in order to tame the continued high inflation. But at the same time he said that the risk of tightening monetary policy too much is gradually becoming as high as doing too little. In the past year and a half, people have only been concerned that interest rates are not being raised quickly enough.
The key interest rate therefore remains in the range of 5.25 to 5.5 percent - the highest level in more than 20 years. At the same time, Powell emphasized that the question of interest rate cuts does not currently arise. The Federal Reserve is wondering whether it should increase further. However, nothing has been decided yet on future interest rate steps. Powell pointed out that there would be new data on the labor market and inflation by then.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) raised the key interest rate eleven times in 16 months in the fight against high inflation - most recently by 0.25 percentage points in July. It is one of the fastest and sharpest interest rate hikes in its history.
The central bankers then took a break in September - just as they had done in June. Wednesday's decision marks the first time since the beginning of last year that the Fed has left the key interest rate unchanged at two meetings in a row.
Balancing the risk of inflation and a slowdown in the economy
When making decisions, the Federal Reserve weighs up the risk of inflation and the risk of the economy slowing too much. Higher interest rates slow price increases - but also consumer spending, which is the mainstay of the US economy. Because this makes it more expensive, among other things, to buy houses or cars on credit.
Since March 2022, the Fed has raised the key interest rate by more than five percentage points. The rapid inflation was triggered, among other things, by the rise in energy prices after the Russian attack on Ukraine. Powell reiterated that it remains a central goal of the Fed to bring inflation to the two percent mark in the long term. High inflation erodes purchasing power and hurts consumers, he said.
The latest economic data showed that inflation remains higher than the Fed's target, but is weakening - and economic growth is at the same time high. From the point of view of some experts, this is a rather unusual situation. Powell called the U.S. economy “surprisingly robust.” The fact that progress has been made in the fight against inflation without the increase in unemployment that is typical of interest rate hikes is a "historically unusual result."
GDP rose by 4.9 percent in the summer
The economy's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic has brought new factors into play, making this economic cycle unique, Powell said. People continue to spend money, he emphasized. Many new jobs have been created, disposable income has increased, which also increases spending, which finances additional jobs.
Despite the high interest rates, gross domestic product rose by 4.9 percent in the summer compared to the previous quarter. That was the strongest growth in the world's largest economy in seven quarters. Economists had on average only expected growth of 4.5 percent.
The boom in the US economy carries the risk that inflation could pick up speed again. The question for the future is whether the Fed considers further interest rate hikes to be necessary later. In September she had targeted a further increase for this year, but Powell has now left that open.
Recently, defaults in servicing loans have increased again and in surveys more consumers spoke of tightening finances. This could indicate that consumer spending may be cooling even without further interest rate hikes.


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At LinuxCon Europe in Barcelona, Spain, the Linux Foundation, the non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating Linux's growth, announced that HP "is making a strategic, long-term investment in Linux by upgrading to Platinum membership. Other Platinum members include Fujitsu, IBM, Intel, NEC, Oracle, Qualcomm Innovation Center, and Samsung."
HP has long been a Linux and open source software contributor communities. Currently, HP offers Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) on its servers and desktops and Ubuntu is certified for use on many HP desktops and HP's cloud offering.
According to the Linux Foundation, "By becoming a Platinum member of The Linux Foundation, HP will have a seat on the Board of Directors and will be directly involved in advancing Linux-based initiatives, workgroups, Labs, events, and more that support its business goals."
"With one of the richest and most recognized stories in technology, HP has a history of innovation and market success," said Jim Zemlin, the Foundation's executive director in a statement. "Because of this history and innate knowledge of software development, HP understands that Linux and collaborative development can benefit its business across its product portfolio. We're looking forward to the work we can accomplish with HP."


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Following the official acceptance of Elon Musk’s offer to buy Twitter this week, the European Union threatened to penalise or even ban the site if it did not comply with a recently established tech moderation law, the Digital Services Act.
This particular law which requires huge digital companies to more aggressively control the content on their platforms has been temporarily approved by the EU.
Thierry Breton, the European Union’s economics commissioner, said on April 26 that Twitter must comply with the new DSA or it will face sanctions or penalties.
‘Free speech absolutist’
Musk is one of Twitter’s most popular users, and he’s used it for everything from making Tesla and other company announcements to posting memes and criticising his detractors. He has previously described himself as a “free speech absolutist,” and has stated that he wants Twitter to be reformed into a “digital town square” with fewer limits on what users can say.
This idea of “free speech” could have major implications for how content is controlled on Twitter, which is a major worry for regulators attempting to rein in digital behemoths over the spread of hate speech and misinformation on the internet.
Digital Services Act
The European Union this month agreed on new digital legislation that would force tech firms to more aggressively monitor unlawful content on their platforms, or face multibillion-dollar fines.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called the decision “historic” in a statement. She said: “The DSA will upgrade the ground rules for all online services in the EU. It will ensure that the online environment remains a safe space, safeguarding freedom of expression and opportunities for digital businesses.”
A key provision of the law would restrict how tech giants target users with online ads. The DSA would effectively prohibit platforms from utilising data based on a user’s gender, race, or religion to target them with algorithms. It will also be illegal to target youngsters with advertisements.
Additionally, dark patterns or misleading practices used to persuade consumers to buy certain products or services will also be prohibited.
Under the DSA, new procedures will be needed for IT companies to remove illegal content such as hate speech, incitement to terrorism, and child sexual abuse.
The legislation contains provisions requiring internet companies to be more open about the algorithms they employ to recommend content to customers. In the event of a crisis, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, another provision would oblige major online platforms and search engines to take certain actions.
As per the law, failure to follow the requirements might result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global revenue.
However, the legislation is now awaiting formal approval from EU institutions. It is expected to take effect as soon as 2024.
A Twitter spokesperson earlier said that the company was looking forward to thoroughly analysing the regulation.
As reported earlier by CNBC, the spokesperson said: “We support smart, forward-thinking regulation that balances the need to tackle online harm with protecting the Open Internet — while also understanding that a one-size-fits-all approach fails to consider the diversity of our online environment.”
“It’s Twitter’s top priority to keep people safe online and protect the health of the public conversation, and within the DSA, we welcome the increased focus on healthier digital spaces in the EU,” the spokesperson added.
However, now the situation is quite different after the confirmation of Musk’s Twitter takeover. It’s unclear what the American billionaire intends to do with Twitter at this time and the process of him purchasing the business will most certainly take months, if not years.
Read all the Latest News , Breaking News and IPL 2022 Live Updates here.


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There are dozens of platforms for startups to take their innovations to the next level. From accelerator and incubator programmes to regional tech summits, opportunities for young startups have been aplenty across the tech spectrum and beyond.
But there is one you should not miss. Mark your calendars this November 2019 for one of the most exciting startup events of the year: SLINGSHOT 2019, an international deep tech pitching competition powered by Startup SG, organised by Enterprise Singapore.
Now open for entries till 12 July 2019, the third edition of SLINGSHOT aims to provide promising startups a platform to launch their best tech and business ideas into the global market and offer deal-making opportunities.
Participating startups can pitch their ideas to 160 of the biggest VC firms, corporates, accelerators and incubators at SLINGSHOT 2019, which will be held from 11 to 13 November at SFF x SWITCH (Singapore FinTech Festival x Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology) in Singapore.
More than US$1 million worth of attractive prizes are up for grabs, including grants, cash, term sheets, corporate co-innovation offers, media packages, free workspaces and more!
At SLINGSHOT 2019, everybody’s a winner. The Top 100 Global Startups at this year’s competition will be entitled to the following:
(i) participation in SLINGSHOT’s three-day pre-competition workshop in Singapore, where they will receive one-on-one mentoring on how to hone their pitch and business model;
(ii) access to valuable investor, corporate and mentor networks within the vibrant Southeast Asia tech ecosystem;
(iii) free exhibition booth at SFF x SWITCH to display their offerings;
(iv) work visa to relocate to Singapore to further their innovations.
How past editions of SLINGSHOT have propelled participants to success
Alchemy Foodtech – Winner of SLINGSHOT 2018
Last year, Singapore-based startup Alchemy Foodtech edged out more than 1,000 applications from 80 countries to emerge the winner of SLINGSHOT 2018. The startup was founded by Verleen Goh and Alan Phua, who took home the grand prize of a S$200,000 Startup SG grant.
Alchemy Foodtech’s winning product is 5ibrePlus, a diabetes-combating additive that lowers the glycemic index (GI) of food staples, without compromising on taste, texture or colour. Foods high in GI include refined white rice, noodles and bread, and can cause glucose levels to spike. Its product will be a welcome innovation in many countries, as diabetes is a growing healthcare concern worldwide.
Alchemy Foodtech is working closely with manufacturers to come up with healthier, lower GI variants of carbohydrate food stapes using their technology. Since winning SLINGSHOT 2018, the startup has been on a roll – they launched a new food tech laboratory, [email protected], and signed new partnerships with over 20 local and international companies, including Gardenia Bread and Lim Kee Food Manufacturing.
UMITRON – Second runner-up of SLINGSHOT 2018
Swimming towards sustainable aquaculture is fish farming data analytics startup UMITRON. Founded by Masahiko Yamada, the startup took home a S$100,000 Startup SG grant after clinching third place at SLINGSHOT 2018.
UMITRON, which operates in Japan and Singapore, uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology, satellite remote sampling, and artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise our earth’s finite aquatic resources. This includes optimising fish feeding to reduce operational costs of fish farmers, as well as providing reliable data for aquaculture insurance.
Since placing third at SLINGSHOT 2018, UMITRON has since secured a US$2 million project funding in Peru from the Inter-American Development Bank Group’s (IDB) Innovation Laboratory. The funding will be used to improve the local trout farming industry’s economic and environmental sustainability in Lake Titicaca, Peru.
UMITRON also launched their newest product UMITRON CELL, an automated feeding machine that can be used to monitor and feed fish. UMITRON plans to use their S$100,000 Startup SG grant to further develop their AI feeding technology, and explore global scalability of their solutions.
Sophie’s Kitchen – Winner of SLINGSHOT 2017
In 2017, California-based foodtech startup Sophie’s Kitchen was crowned the inaugural winner of SLINGSHOT. The startup produces plant-based seafood alternatives that encourage healthier diets with the use of patent-pending technology.
Sophie’s Kitchen taps into the growing global demand for plant-based food, a market that is estimated alone to be worth over US$5 billion in the US. Their products are currently available in supermarkets in the US, Canada, France, and the UK, with the latter being the startup’s most recent entry.
“Through SLINGSHOT 2017, I learned first-hand how many talents and ideas are concentrated in this small but dynamic economy,” said Eugene Wang, Founder and CEO of Sophie’s Kitchen.
According to Wang, SLINGSHOT offered him as a foreign entrepreneur a new perspective on the opportunities present in the startup landscape in Singapore. Sophie’s Kitchen is now a Singapore-registered company and plans to move their head office to Singapore.
“The support from the government and private sectors is strong and steady,” said Wang. with regards to Singapore’s startup ecosystem. He added: “This is the first year that we are doing more business outside of the US. Making Singapore our new headquarters makes a lot of sense logistically.”
Since their SLINGSHOT 2017 win, Sophie’s Kitchen has successfully embarked on a key research and development (R&D) project — the conception of a super sustainable plant-based microalgae protein, which can be grown economically and environmentally, in tropical urban environments such as Singapore.
This newest microalgae protein product won the startup S$1 million in funding at last week’s annual Liveability Challenge in Singapore — another milestone in their journey towards promoting plant-based food.
Calling for entries: Apply to SLINGSHOT 2019!
Inspired by these stories of success? Want to take your startup to the next level? Then SLINGSHOT 2019’s just for you.
With the most important investors, corporates, industry leaders, mentors, media, and tech-savvy early adopters all gathered in one space, SLINGSHOT 2019 offers your startup a golden opportunity to connect with business and funding opportunities in the region. Don’t miss your chance to strike the deal of a lifetime.
SLINGSHOT 2019 is now open for applications. Apply here by 12 July 2019!


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Investment bank Goldman Sachs has kicked off a sale for the country's biggest maker of beer and wine bottles on behalf of American company Owens-Illinois.
Goldman Sachs' bankers sent a nine-point pitch to potential buyers over the weekend and revealed the up-for-sale business recorded $750 million a year revenue and $140 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.
Potential buyers were told Owens-Illinois' local business was the largest manufacturer of glass bottles and containers in Australia and New Zealand, supplying 850,000 tonnes of glass products a year.
Half of its revenue comes from beer bottles, while 30 per cent is tied to wine and there is another 10 per cent in non-alcoholic beverages.
Its customers include beermaker Kirin and its Australian arm Lion, Japanese rival Asahi, Heineken, Independent Wine Group, Treasury Wine Estates and ginger beer maker Bundaberg, according to a sale flyer obtained by Street Talk.
The flyer said the up-for-sale business had five glass manufacturing plants in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland, was headquartered in Melbourne and employed 1200 people.
It was pitched as the largest consumer of recycled glass in Australia and New Zealand, going through more than 375,000 tonnes a year. Its Australian-made products have 51 per cent recycled content, the flyer said, while the NZ products are 67 per cent recycled, making it "well placed to benefit from increasing sustainability tailwinds".
It is understood Goldman Sachs is targeting private equity firms and offshore industry players, as well as local packaging groups. It is expected to be worth more than $1 billion.
Private equity groups have been keen buyers of Australian arms of offshore companies in the past few years, with KKR & Co ready to take Arnott's off Campbell Soup Co, Pacific Equity Partners buying trailer and towing parts company Horizon Global's Asia Pacific business, while PEP and The Carlyle Group teamed up to buy Valeant Pharmaceuticals' iNova in 2017.
Private equity firms typically like local units with strong market share. The Owens-Illinois business was pitched with 54 per cent of all Australian glass container shipments, while it was said to have 65 per cent of the corresponding market in New Zealand.
And there's also the possibility of a sale and leaseback deal associated with any acquisition, a la KKR's first move at Arnott's. The flyer said Owens-Illinois' business had a "highly valuable land bank at manufacturing sites".
Interested parties expect Goldman Sachs' bankers to spend the next few weeks marketing the business before there is a formal auction underway. They've been told to prepare for indicative bids this side of Christmas.
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US investment bank JPMorgan has looked to Hong Kong for two new signings in its local equities business.
Cancer and auto-immune disease drug developer Immutep landed in front of fund managers on Thursday morning with a capital raising.
Goldman Sachs has turned to UBS for its latest equities hire.
Quadrant Private Equity has agreed a deal to acquire one of the country’s top childcare groups.
There’s three hot favourites in the hottest infrastructure auction of the year, Singtel’s “Project Lion”.
- 1 hr ago
- Lauren Sams


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November 13, 2006
King Research has sold its manufactured goods business to BlueCo Brands Corporation of Milwaukee, Wis.
November 3, 2006
Michigan school instructors and students should be aware of several changes to the state’s licensing exams.
In Louisiana, salons offering manicuring or esthetics are now required to have sanitizers or sterilizers for implements.
Many changes to sanitation and safety rules have been made in Nebraska during the past year.
September 22, 2006
California today enacted an urgency law aimed at protect consumers from unsanitary nail salons. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Los Angeles) signed into law AB 409, authored by Assemblymember Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/Daly City).
September 18, 2006
In August, Diana Mears filed a wrongful death suit against a Mountain View, Calif., nail salon alleging that her daughter, Jessica, died as the result of a bac-terial infection she contracted during a 2004 pedicure.
The enhanced airport security measures put in place in August have made air travel even harder for nail techs who travel in the line of duty.
September 6, 2006
Effective earlier this year, Georgia has new regulations about the signage that must be in view in the reception areas of salons.
Devices marketed as air cleaners or air purifiers are not always good for your health, a report to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) recently stated.
August 7, 2006
Following the study, the following eight recommendations were submitted to the head of each state licensing board in the United States, including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, for consideration.
July 6, 2006
The death of Kim Jackson, a 46-year-old paraplegic who died of a staph infection, can’t be directly linked to the sanitary conditions at Angel Nails in Ft. Worth, Texas, said the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Attention nail techs practicing in Texas: you must use autoclaves to sterilize all nondisposable instruments, according to an opinion by Attorney General of Texas, Greg Abbot, dated May 18.
June 27, 2006
Assembly Speaker pro Tem Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/Daly City) commended Department of Consumer Affairs director Charlene Zettel today after she unveiled a list of recommendations aimed at protecting California consumers from unsanitary nail salons.
June 6, 2006
The owner of a Dallas nail salon has agreed to pay $4,000 to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and also agreed to a probated suspension of his cosmetology license for sanitation violations that resulted in four customers contracting bacterial infections.
March 7, 2006
State inspectors are investigating a Ft. Worth, Texas, salon where a 46-year-old paraplegic woman allegedly contracted a staph infection that led to her death.
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A ‘smart’ bottle opener, weak and alcohol-free ales and lagers and cannabis brews – all visions of the future of beer offered at a brewing convention in Brussels this week.
More than 700 brewers and beer experts, from small microbrewers to megabrew executives, converged in Belgium, for many the home of beer, to debate hot topics in the $600 billion sector – including how to win drinkers back from wine and spirits.
Sessions on beer and food pairings sought to show how ales or lagers could challenge the dominance of wine during meals.
Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, has set increasing beer’s share of the overall drinks market as a top priority this year. Carlos Brito, its chief executive, told fellow brewers the sector should target mealtimes and women as areas of future growth.
Consumers should expect an even wider variety of products, particular of higher priced “premium” beers.
“Premiumization has arrived in, for example, confectionery. Look at chocolate. We have a long path ahead of us,” he said.
Cees’t Hart, the head of Carlsberg, called wine and tea “the enemy” and said brewers had identified a gap between beer and soft drinks – with low and no-alcohol brands that promised to be healthier than soda alternatives.
“That’s what we can own. This could be the future for the brewing industry,” he said.
Brewers AB InBev, Heineken, Carlsberg and China’s CR Snow sell about half of all beer drunk across the globe, but a growing number of smaller craft brewers, traditionally known for stronger ales, were also brewing low and no alcohol varieties.
Spiros Malandrakis, head of alcohol drinks research at Euromonitor International, said craft beers themselves appeared to have hit a plateau in the United States, with an estimated 6,000 breweries, but could expect to emerge in countries such as China and Vietnam.
Malandrakis also pointed to cannabis as a future growth segment, noting Constellation Brands’ $191 million investment in Canada’s Canopy Growth Corp, the first major drinks producer to invest in legal cannabis.
“The problem is that consumed in beer it would takes two to three hours to have an effect,” he said, adding a lot of effort was being put into studies to reduce this delay.
Downstairs at the convention, exhibitors displayed everything from tanks to taps and marketing to bottling technology that any budding microbrewer could want.
Among them was a device billed as the world’s first smart bottle opener, which connects to the Internet.
Although bottles must still be opened by hand, the device recognizes the bottle top and transmits that information by WiFi.
This allows brewers, large and small, to see how fast their beers are actually being consumed in bars, rather than just stocked, and also to offer promotions in real-time to push a particular brand.


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The NBA 2K franchise, from Visual Concepts and 2K Sports, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. To mark the milestone, NBA 2K24, the latest installment of the video game series, revealed that Kobe Bryant, the late basketball legend and Hall of Famer, will be its cover athlete.
Bryant will be on the cover of the 2K series a record four times with the new series entry. He has been a cover athlete for the game for NBA 2K10, NBA 2K17 (Legend Edition), and NBA 2K21 (Mamba Forever Edition). NBA 2K24 will offer a Kobe Bryant Edition, a legendary Black Mamba Edition, and the exclusive 25th Anniversary Edition.
The game will feature several new features that include cross-play compatibility, a new Mamba Moments mode, and ProPLAY tech. Mamba Moments is a game mode that allows players to relive some of Bryant’s most memorable performances and achievements, while ProPLAY translates NBA footage into NBA 2K24 gameplay.
Preorders of NBA 2K24 are ongoing and are expected to be released on September 8 on all platforms. Players in the U.S. and Canada can also purchase a limited GameStop exclusive WNBA Edition with WNBA All-Star, NCAA all-time triple-doubles leader, and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu on the cover.


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The updates are coming to Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps for the iPadOS. The new controls should make it more convenient to use a mouse or trackpad with Apple's tablet devices.
If you suspect or know you're already infected with a computer virus on your Windows 10 PC, what do you do? Follow these steps and you may be back in working order in no time.
The Flume 2 is a wireless whole-home smart water monitor that connects to your phone and Amazon Alexa to detect leaks and tell you how much water you’re using.
Walmart has released a preview of the deals for two of its three planned November sales, with some of the lowest prices we’ve seen on Apple AirPods, Roombas, and Instant Pots.
Some PCs are already on sale, but expect new Doorbuster deals every day from Nov. 16 to Black Friday on Nov. 27, with Cyber Monday and Cyber Week deals the following week.
Protect your pricey iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro with a case that adds style, offers protection, or keeps it safe while showing off its true colors.
The new OnePlus Nord products are currently targeting European markets at starting prices that translate to $430 and $230 for the N10 5G and N100, respectively.
The Braumm Outdoor Wi-Fi Smart Outlet is a weatherproof outlet that you can control with your phone or voice, but it doesn’t work with other smart devices or tell you how much power it’s using.
The Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary is an affordable, quality telezoom lens with plenty of reach for sports and wildlife.
It's a puzzling move. But for now, Facebook’s approach with cloud gaming is going to focus on free-to-play titles on iOS and Android. The company is also trying to temper expectations around the service.


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The Indian music industry has been pro-active in tackling the menace of piracy. IMI has ensured more than 4000 convictions under the Indian Copyright Act 1957 with fines ranging upto Rs 3 lacs and punishment upto 3 years imprisonment. More than 300 cases have been settled through plea bargaining with compensation ranging upto Rs. 20,000.
However, the business of music consumption has changed; music is now being consumed and traded on the internet and other digital devices and the success of this business now depends on certainty in the legal environment and on copyright law. This is a constant and ever-evolving challenge - the music market internationally continues to be distorted by unfair competition from unlicensed services.
Digital piracy is the single biggest threat to the development of the licensed music sector and to investment in artists. A study by IPSOS in 2017 estimated that more than 94% of internet users accessed unlicensed music content. The availability of pirated content discourages users from paying for music through licensed means such as audio streaming and direct downloads. A recent study commissioned by IFPI on Music Consumer Insights highlights that more users in India use piracy to download music than in any other country in the study. Thus, despite a plethora of audio streaming services which offer easy access to musical content, piracy continues to have a huge impact on the recorded music industry in India.
Digital Piracy undermines the licensed music business across many forms and channels - unlicensed streaming websites, peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks, cyberlockers and aggregators, unlicensed streaming, stream ripping and mobile applications. Advertising is a major source of income for unlicensed services and to add to the threat, pirated websites have added cryptocurrency mining malware scripts to their revenue model.
The Indian Music industry is responding with a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach. Some of IMI’s efforts cover:
- Fair Value for Content Owners from Broadcasters.
- Anti-Piracy, a multi-pronged initiative via effective public messaging driving consumers to legit sites where the content is available at no cost, amendment to IT Act section 69A where onus on blocking pirated sites are on the ISP’s and working alongside international forums like ICANN.
- Moving the consumers to a subscription based model bringing about a change in behavior towards paying for content.
- Functioning Collective Governance and Society with better use of technology leading to greater transparency
- Export Incentives
- Innovation environment partnering with Digital India to find solutions specifically for the Indian market
The Industry believes all parties in the digital economy have a responsibility to support legitimate digital commerce and help tackle piracy in all its forms. Record companies are looking to work with all stake holders like advertisers, domain registrars, internet service providers (ISPs), payment providers and search engines to achieve this goal. Indian Courts have issued orders for greater compliance from online intermediaries.


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Published by Julie Kent on January 21, 2015 - 12:53pm
Microsoft hasn't revealed yet when it will release Windows 10, the next generation Windows operating system, but it did confirm on Wednesday that the release will be free for many current Windows users.
Published by Julie Kent on December 28, 2014 - 11:36pm
Microsoft is expected to launch the Surface Pro 4 next year with multiple improvements, and two different screen size options, although it is not yet clear whether they will offer a larger or a smaller option.
Published by Julie Kent on October 9, 2014 - 10:14am
Apple started out with just one size iPhone and one size iPad, and eventually branched out to include a smaller iPad (the iPad Mini) and a larger iPhone (the iPhone 6 Plus), but what about making a larger iPad?
Published by Julie Kent on October 7, 2014 - 11:40pm
You may suspect that your diet or lack of exercise is making you put on weight, but according to new research, your smartphone could be to blame. Scientists warm that keeping your smartphone in your bedroom overnight could increase your appetite.


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MasterCard new regional manager on Azerbaijan appointed
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 15
By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend:
Yasemin Bedir has been appointed as a new regional manager of MasterCard international payment system in Azerbaijan, MasterCard told Trend Oct. 15.
Up till now Bedir supervised only Turkey. At present, she deals with the payment system in Azerbaijan.
Earlier, Hakan Acar, the country manager of the emerging markets of South-East Europe, supervised Azerbaijan. He will hold another position in MasterCard.
Bedir will be responsible for business development and strategic positioning of MasterCard in Turkey and Azerbaijan.
"Azerbaijan has a great potential in the non-cash payments," Acar said earlier. "Currently, the number of debit cards in the country is 4.6 million units, while credit cards - 1.3 million units. Some 70 percent of the credit cards have been issued over the last two years."
He said that some 73,000 POS-terminals were installed in the country in 2014.
"Despite the volume of transactions through POS-terminals in the country increased by 70 percent, this index is still quite low compared to other countries," he said.
Acar stressed the importance of holding the incentive campaigns to raise public interest in non-cash settlements. Azerbaijan became the first country in the world where MasterCard launched a new platform entitled "Priceless benefits".
The experience to be gained while using the platform in Azerbaijan will be applied in other countries in the future.
MasterCard is a technology company operating in the global payment industry.
MasterCard manages the world's fastest payment processing network, which connects consumers, financial institutions, commercial organizations, governmental and business organizations.
Edited by CN


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Marie-Noëlle.es Comunicación – email@example.com
Marbella Mayoress, Angeles Munoz, stressed the importance of entrepreneurs in the local economy and the overall growth of the region. She was speaking at a luncheon event hosted on April 7 (Friday) by the Network of Entrepreneurs in Marbella (Red de Emprendedoras de Marbella) in the Hotel Don Pepe on its first anniversary.
“Entrepreneurs have been absolutely vital in the development of Marbella and I am convinced that they will remain so,” Munoz said, “the local government will encourage them with all necessary requirements.”
Praising the collective effort of the local executives, the Mayor further highlighted some new government measures, including e-governance and better regulation, which come to the benefit of professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit for their business start-up.
Munoz also reminded that “the times of crisis are also times of opportunity”, and emphasised that the approval of Marbella Urban Plan (PGOU) will bring legal certainty and create enormous possibilities for all sectors.
The Marbella Entrepreneurs Network was born a year ago through the initiative of several women entrepreneurs with professional synergies in the area. And currently the forum has more than 70 companies.
It is to mention here that the City Council has been facilitating business and investments in Marbella by hosting various business seminars and better coordination and interaction between entrepreneurs and local authority. Moreover, the approval of new Urban Plan will certainly create new opportunities with stability.


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A recipe for a fast-food hamburger with ketchup, mustard and mustard spray may sound easy but it can be extremely addictive.
It’s a recipe that could take on the size of a regular burger and become a fast food staple.
The fast food industry has a problem with fast food.
It has to make products with appealing ingredients.
People love to eat fast food and its success is partly because the fast food is fast.
But the fast-casual burger is also an appealing one, because the menu has a lot of options.
This is the reason fast food companies are spending billions to produce their own burgers.
This is where a ketchup and mustard sprays, like the ones used in McDonalds burgers, come into play.
They’re used to coat a hamburger and it gives the burger its signature crunch and crunchy texture.
But these products also give the burgers their flavour.
These are also used to make mustard spray, a condiment that has a sticky consistency.
It gives the taste of mustard to the burger.
But these sprays don’t taste very good and people are wary of them.
One of the biggest fears for fast food chains is that people will start to skip the fastfood and start eating fast food burgers, which would be bad for the fast casual burger market.
This isn’t the only problem.
Some fast food chain outlets have recently come under fire for selling unhealthy products like the McDonalds hamburger.
Many people have been getting upset about the food and are boycotting the fast chain.
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
Read the original article.
Read the latest Business news


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RALEIGH, N.C. — The first Black-owned children’s bookstore in North Carolina is coming to downtown Raleigh this summer.
Liberation Station Bookstore will open its physical store on Juneteenth, Monday, June 19, at 208 Fayetteville St.
Victoria Scott-Miller, the owner, says Liberation Station started as a pop-up in 2019 when the oldest of her two sons couldn’t find many books featuring Black children in their local big box store.
"We were filling a need for our children and it just so happened to fill a need for the community," Scott-Miller said.
She said data from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center shows animals are represented in 29% of kids books and children of color are only represented in 12% of published children’s books.
The space is empty now, but will feature a wall full of books that have been banned or removed from schools.
Scott-Miller is excited for her family’s dream to come alive on Juneteenth.
“This will be like a candy store for them," Scott-Miller said. "They get to choose and these narratives are not going to be based in trauma. They will be based in hope and healing and excitement and imagination and innovation."
They are fundraising right now ahead of the opening on Juneteenth.


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5 million units by the end of March 2012, adding that software sales are likely to hit around 7 million units. The PlayStation Vita is due to release in Japan later this year, with a Western release due before the end of the fiscal year.
In a report published by Bloomberg Japan, Miura stressed that the PlayStation Vita's success will depend on its software line-up, with figures changing depending on the content available at launch.
Interestingly, Miura predicted that Sony will lose about ¥5,000 (roughly $65) on each Vita sold from launch, though the details of this prediction are sketchy. Kaz Hirai said at E3 that the Vita business will take around three-years to be profitable, while other executives such as Shuhei Yoshida have stressed that the business will break-even from the off-set.
Looking forward, Miura predicted that the Vita will sell approximately 8.5 million units by the end of March 2013, with around 28 million units in software sold.
Ace Secruties' Hideki Yasuda was a bit more cautious about the platform however, telling Bloomberg that the system's improved specifications will result in longer and riskier development periods. Yasuda suggested that this might result in lower uptake of software development for the system.


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Forever 21 is facing backlash from some customers who said they were disappointed to find the retailer included an unsolicited sample of an Atkins diet bar in their online orders.
The retailer, known for selling trendy pieces for people on a budget, was called out on social media by some customers who said that sending an unsolicited sample of a diet bar was offensive and hurtful.
“I have received my order of 5 items from the plus section…..oh and this #atkins bar that slipped in there. I don’t take kindly to people telling me how to live my life,” said one Twitter user named Gigi. Many others shared similar complaints.
— Katya (@wisekatya) July 22, 2019
The free bar appeared to be packed on top of many plus-sized orders, based on the comments posted online. However, a statement from Forever 21 said the bars were sent to customers of all sizes. Either way, some felt that the implication could negatively affect the recipient’s body image.
Forever 21 is sending diet bars with clothes you order and that’s so insensitive holy crap like…. how about we don’t make someone negatively reflect on their body image when trying to just order some new outfits ? ????
— taylor nicole dean (@taylorndean) 10:49 PM · Jul 23, 2019
Others felt that the promotional sample was being taken out of context.
people need to calm down with that Forever 21 shit. The granola people probably just did like a promo deal with multiple companies because I got one with my order of a motherboard off of NewEgg (Computer Parts Store) pic.twitter.com/ZiizixkEfu
— alex (@teenageshitp0p) July 23, 2019
A spokesperson for Forever 21 mentioned in a statement that it occasionally gives away free samples of third party test products to online shoppers.
“The freebie items in question were included in all online orders, across all sizes and categories, for a limited time and have since been removed,” the statement said. “This was an oversight on our part and we sincerely apologise for any offence this may have caused to our customers, as this was not our intention in any way.”


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CES 2013 - Western Digital have unveiled something quite interesting at CES this year, where they've shown off some new hybrid solid state technology known as SSHD. The new tech features the speed of a decent SSD, but the capacity that a mechanical HDD would feature.
WD says that the solid state storage will continue to be much more expensive than traditional drives for the foreseeable future. This makes WD change gears and work on hybrid drives in the meantime, until we get to a point where pricing drops to more "competitive" levels in regards to flash storage. The demo that took place at CES saw the drive loading a bunch of applications to measure just how long it takes to load.
The Tech Report reported that it took 81 seconds to complete the task using a standard drive, and just 51 seconds on a normal SSD. On WD's hybrid SSHD, it took only 55 seconds - less than 10% longer than a normal SSD, but much faster than a traditional mechanical-based HDD. WD says that the incoming writes from the host system aren't stored on the NAND, with the caching system being controlled by the firmware and host-based software drivers.
WD will unleash the new drives under their Black line and will ship in the 2.5-inch form factor with a thickness of 7mm which will allow it to fit into thinner notebooks compared to other 2.5-inch, 9.5mm products. There's also a 5mm version that will be launched in the future, and we should expect these drives in 500GB and 1TB capacities when they launch.
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In the midst of the news COVID-19 pandemic the November flash estimated Cyprus Composite Leading Economic Index (CCLEI) marked a small reversal.
The Index recorded a year-over-year decrease of 4.1% in October 2020 reaching a level of 103.2, after the year-over-year reductions of 4.3% in September and 5.4% in August (based on the latest and revised data).
According to a press release, issued by Hellenic Bank, the continued recovery of the CCLEI from the historically low levels of the crisis appears to have come to a halt since in October of 2020 the year-over-year growth rate of the Index remains around at that of September while the flash estimate of the CCLEI in November 202 (year-over-year) growth rate records a decline from the previous month.
The year-over-year growth of the Index in October, as well as the fall of the year-over-year growth rate of the November flash estimated CCLEI, are attributed to the uncertainty of the second wave of the pandemic both in Cyprus and internationally, which in any case is lower compared to March of 2020.
More precisely, it is added in the press release, in October the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) in the euro area, including Cyprus, remained at the same level as in September while in November it decreased.
In addition, despite its seasonality, tourism continues to be a brake on the recovery of the CCLEI, since for the months of October and especially November of 2020 tourist arrivals continued to be significantly reduced compared to the corresponding months of the previous year.
Moreover, the year-over-year improvement in electricity production seems to be slowing down, reflecting both the recent anti-pandemic measures and the extremely high temperatures recorded in recent months.
Nevertheless, a number of domestic variables have a positive effect on the CCLEI. In particular, preliminary estimates of the year-over-year growth rates indicate the year-over-year improvement in the volume of retail sales in October 2020 compared to the previous months, as well as a significant year-over-year improvement in the total number of sales contracts in October.
Furthermore, credit card transactions show a significant year-over-year improvement, reflecting, in part, the increasing shift to electronic means of payment.
The press release concludes that the year-over-year growth rate of the CCLEI in October and the fall of the year-over-year growth rate of the November flash estimated CCLEI reflect the uncertain economic environment due to the dynamic evolution of the pandemic locally and internationally.


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PTCom Technology, an innovation development partner of MediaTek, is actively developing IoT devices management systems to help hardware makers with IoT connections, and the company will also move to tap the market for smart home devices by leveraging the application of edge computing to voice processing, according company founder JR Cho.
Cho said that such applications and services as remote surveillance, notificatinon and control as well as big data recording have matured in the current IoT1.0 era, but the materialization of such applications and services requires the support of a set of devices management system, which is exactly the opportunity for PTCom.
Cho said that his company can provide diverse wireless software and hardware integration solutions for different systems, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooh, and NB-IoT.
Based on the concept of fog computing, Cho continued, PTCom is adopting an IoT turnkey model, allowing customers or third-party partners to build connections between cloud platforms and terminal devices through software-hardware integrated solutions.
PTCom will also move to apply edge computing technology to voice-controlled devices to better tap the lucrative market for smart home devices, Cho indicated, adding that his company will also continue exploring IoT applications to diverse sectors such as smart healthcare, Internet of Vehicles and smart agriculture.


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Apple's lead over Samsung in future-purchase plan survey cut in half
Gap between the two smartphone powers shrinks to 13 percentage points
Computerworld - From December to March, Apple's iPhone lost ground to smartphones from rival Samsung in a survey to assess consumers' future purchase plans, a market research firm said last week.
According to 451 Research's ChangeWave, of 4,000 consumers who, in a March survey, said they planned to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days, 40% said they would purchase an iPhone. That was a 10-percentage-point drop from ChangeWave's last such survey, conducted in December 2012.
Meanwhile, 27% of the people planning to buy a smartphone in the next three months picked Samsung as the maker of their likely purchase, a six-percentage-point increase from late last year.
Apple's lead over Samsung -- its biggest rival in most analysts' minds -- narrowed from 29 percentage points in December to 13 points in March 2013, when ChangeWave again conducted its purchase plan survey.
It's not unusual for projections of future iPhone buying plans to slump after the release of a new model, since many consumers know that Apple has historically launched one device annually. Apple, in fact, has cited such trends to explain fading sales in the months leading up to a launch as rumors circulate of an impending new iPhone.
Apple last refreshed the iPhone in September 2012, when it launched the iPhone 5. Most, although not all, analysts believe Apple will introduce a new flagship phone, dubbed the iPhone 5S, and a lower-cost iPhone, this summer.
Samsung's results may have been boosted by talk of the 5-in. Galaxy S4, which goes on sale in the U.S. this week through some carriers. ChangeWave conducted its survey March 4-19, the period during which Samsung revealed the Galaxy S4.
Or the results could have simply shown the continuation of an extended surge by Samsung, ChangeWave said.
"This is the fourth time in the past six surveys that we've seen a major leap for Samsung, and it's now at its highest level ever in a ChangeWave survey, double that of a year ago," said Andy Golub, a ChangeWave analyst, in an email. In March 2012, Samsung held a 13% share of intended purchases.
Other researchers have also tracked Samsung's climb in the U.S.
Earlier this month, comScore noted that Samsung's share of the U.S. subscriber market had increased by one percentage point to 21.3% between November 2012 and February 2013.
While Android-powered smartphones outnumber iPhones in the U.S., Apple continues to outsell every other manufacturer, comScore said.
ChangeWave also regularly asks consumers how satisfied they are with their current smartphone. And the iPhone continues to lead all comers on that metric, too: 70% of iPhone owners said that they are "very satisfied" with the device. Samsung placed second in that poll, with 54% of users of Samsung devices saying they are "very satisfied" with their smartphones.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter, at @gkeizer, and on Google+, or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His email address is email@example.com.
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Read more about Smartphones in Computerworld's Smartphones Topic Center.
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Washington D.C., the self-proclaimed “Chocolate City,” was named the most veggie-friendly city in the nation by the coupon site, LivingSocial. According to Mandala Research, a market research firm, “The District’s” diners have a propensity to think outside the standard American diet, choosing to patron the growing number vegetarian and vegan-inspired restaurants.
LivingSocial, which depends on research projects like this one in order to tailor their discounts to their clients’ needs, finds that many D.C. area diners see themselves as “health nuts,” willing to couple their fitness regimens with healthier meals. Considering that many of the people polled dined out over four days per week, this poll gave an indication of how much people will embrace alternative dining options if they’re given a chance to choose.
In a city where the population is over fifty percent African American, which is noticeably down from its seventy percent peak during the 1970’s, it is interesting to note where most of the vegan and vegetarian restaurants are situated in D.C.. According to VegDC’s wonderfully detailed maps of D.C.’s veggie joints, most of the vegetarian restaurants operate in exclusively white neighborhoods.
For example, four of the top five vegetarian restaurants on Yelp are located in majority white or affluent neighborhoods such as Georgetown, Dupont Circle, and recently gentrified Penn Quarter. The lone top five vegan restaurant that operates in an exclusively black neighborhood is Soul Vegetarian Exodus, which serves an vegan African American/ African Diaspora-inspired menu.
Even though there is not as much diversity in restaurant choices in black neighborhoods, as stated before, people of any race will try alternative eating joints as long they are accessible and affordable. Gentrification should not be the driving force for positive change in neighborhoods. In a city where almost ten percent of its population identify as vegetarian, education and community re-investment should open the twenty-six percent of African Americans living below the poverty line to healthy eating habits, regardless whether the food is vegetarian or not.
We here at Frugivore have profiled many of D.C. area vegans and vegetarians. Check them out and give them shout of encouragement and love!
FrugiVoice: How’s your city catering to vegetarian and vegan diners? What’s your favorite vegetarian restaurant?
DC is pretty great in the veg “options” department. It’s rare that we go out to eat and can’t find something on the menu. Also, there are a handful of great exclusively vegan or vegetarian places, including my very favorite, Everlasting Life Cafe on Georgia Ave. Some of the best soul food I’ve ever had and it’s all vegan…keeps me going when the going get’s tough.
I live in Georgia and there’s little variety when it comes to vegan or vegetarian fare. Cafe Sunflower is great, as well as Lovin It Live. But with the exception of Soul Vegetarian, there is not one vegan or vegetarian restaurant in a black neighborhood, and our demographics are similar to DC.
I checked out the VegDC site and I was jealous over how many restaurants cater to my elk in DC 🙁
I live in Dayton, Ohio and we do not have a large Vegetarian option population. Your best bet here is to go to the Farmer’s Market and cook for yourself. There is a Vegan restaurant that is located in the Mall but it’s rather expensive for Mall food and they have TERRIBLE customer service. The other Vegetarian restaurant that was located on a main road closed because no one was going to them. I guess there just isn’t a high demand for Vegetarian restaurants around here. I had going out to eat because I have to get a Salad and then request no meat. I love going to visit other cities because I get to try Vegetarian option meals that I don’t at home and fall in love all over again.


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UBM Tech announces the new community-driven Dark Reading, the cyber security industry's top destination for news and insight. The redesigned site gives cyber security professionals an editorially-supported environment to connect with peers through moderated discussions, blogs and social media, giving the community equal share of voice with reporters and experts.
UBM Tech’s announcement of our strategic shift toward a community-focused business last spring cause a bit of a stir in the media world. Known to be agile and innovative, UBM Tech's emphasis on the symbiotic relationship between our online and live communities was a first.
Create’s Robyn Duda, vice president of events, recently chatted with Expo Daily about the things she has learned while building out a custom events unit. In 2013, UBM Tech reorganized its marketing services unit into what is now called Create. In this interview Duda shares five of the key things she has learned from building out a team dedicated to custom events.
As part of EE Times' and EDN's annual 2014 ACE (Annual Creativity in Electronics) Awards for excellence in electronics design, we are inviting you to vote on the winner for the inaugural STEM Impact Award. This award category, sponsored by the ECIA Foundation, celebrates an individual or company that demonstrates a commitment to engaging young people and inspiring them to become science and technology leaders.
Facebook will launch an ad campaign structure this week that it says will improve how businesses organize, optimize, and measure their ads. Facebook's traditional advertising configuration consisted of two levels: campaigns and ads. The social network will add a third level, called ad sets.
Now in its 38th year, BMA B2 Awards will honor creative excellence, and the best in strategy and style in B2B marketing. New for 2014 are extended top-tier award categories for agencies, vendors and corporate marketers.
B2 entries are due March 14, 2014.
Nominations are open for the Best of Interop 2014 Awards. This award program recognizes the innovation and impact of IT products and services. Exhibitors at Interop Las Vegas are invited to submit a nomination to the Best of Interop program.
Paul Miller, UBM Tech CEO, has led the company through more than $50 million of acquisition activity in the past four years, as well as its expansion into China, Japan, India, Brazil, Korea and Taiwan over the past decade. Today, he is spearheading the company's evolution from a "traditional media company" to a "new media company."
B2B marketers may not have always seen the best returns from advertising on Facebook, but the social media giant is unveiling a news reader app, Paper, that could be a great platform for exposing content marketing assets.
The InformationWeek Conference is taking a sharp focus on digital business: Big Data, Marketing Automation, Cloud Computing, Mobile & Social. The initial speakers headlining this year’s executive event include Oracle’s Mark Hurd & senior IT leaders from an array of different enterprises including Coca-Cola, UPMC & Dish Network.
The industry has a lot on its plate for 2014 -- new compliance requirements, legacy systems decisions, workforce and skills issues, and an unsettled competitive environment are just some of the challenges with which bankers, solutions providers and other strategists must grapple in the coming months.
The North American health IT market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.4% to reach a total value of $31.3 billion in 2017, compared to $21.9 billion in 2012, the research firm Markets and Markets predicted in a new report.
Dealing with technology-enabled change has become business as usual for insurance executives -- and it's no different for the Insurance & Technology team.
Today, we rolled out a new InformationWeek. Think of it as InformationWeek for the connected world we live in. Think of it as the media model of the future. We're now living in the participatory age. Thanks to social apps, the ways we gather and share information have fundamentally changed. Everyone is now comfortable communicating in the one-to-many format. As a result, IT professionals want more than just great content; they want to be part of the industry conversation.
The 2014 ACE (Annual Creativity in Electronics) Awards presented by EE Times and EDN, is the most highly anticipated and closely watched celebration of excellence throughout the electronics industry.


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Apple’s always put a big emphasis on privacy, easily setting itself apart from data-hungry rivals like Google, Facebook and Amazon. But now the Cupertino company is dipping its toe into data gathering and it’s already raising some concerns from security experts.
Apple is trying something new in iOS 10 called “Differential privacy.” The experimental technology promises to gather accurate user data without revealing any private information. Here’s how Apple explains it in the official iOS 10 preview guide:
To obscure an individual’s identity, Differential Privacy adds mathematical noise to a small sample of the individual’s usage pattern. As more people share the same pattern, general patterns begin to emerge, which can inform and enhance the user experience. In iOS 10, this technology will help improve QuickType and emoji suggestions, Spotlight deep link suggestions and Lookup Hints in Notes.
Apple’s software engineering chief Craig Federighi also mentioned it briefly during WWDC 2016, claiming the company’s made some big strides in developing the mostly theoretical technology. “Apple has been doing some super-important work in this area to enable Differential privacy to be deployed at scale,” he said.
It’s possible Apple has made some huge advancements in Differential privacy, but not everyone is convinced. Matthew Green, a cryptology professor at Johns Hopkins University, quickly chimed in with his opinion.
Speaking to Gizmodo, Green added that Differential privacy is still very experimental. “It’s a really neat idea,” he said, “but I’ve never really seen it deployed.”
If Apple can pull this off, it may score a huge win against Google, offering smarter data-driven suggestions without compromising on privacy. But the alternative could mean inaccurate predictions or, even worse, a lapse in security. We won’t know either way until iOS 10 gets into enough hands for Differential privacy to start working, and that’s not exactly a comforting thought.


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Shock. It’s the predominant word that retailers are using to describe how they feel after the result of the referendum on membership of the European Union became known on Friday. Despite later polls showing a sway towards Brexit, many believed it would not become reality.
But – unfortunately, believe most people – it has. The biggest concern now is the uncertainty of what the future holds. Britain cannot be sure what Brexit will mean for business, for trading agreements and for consumer confidence. This sense of being in a state of limbo is likely to remain for some time now.
We are entering an inevitable period of chaos as the reality of Britain’s exclusion from Europe dawns and the immediate effects on currency become clear. There are so many unanswered questions: who will become prime minister? When will the UK actually leave the EU? What are the short-terms effects and how long are they likely to last? These are all questions for which Drapers will continue to seek answers over the coming months in the hope that some clarity will be found.
In the meantime, the industry must remain focused on what it does best. We must endeavour to maintain trade deals within and beyond Europe and excel in our creative excellence. British brands have a strong heritage and we are world famous for our fashion – this level of influence is not something we should forget in turbulent times.
Last week, I was privileged to listen to a presentation by the formidable Anna Wintour at Cannes Lions international festival of creativity. Introducing the American Vogue editor, Burberry chief Christopher Bailey described her as “a doer not a talker”, who is completely global in outlook, unintimidated and a relentless pursuer of the new.
As Wintour herself said: “Creativity means thinking about the lives of our audience and how we connect with them.”
These are qualities and ambitions that I have seen across the industry and it has never been so important for UK retailers to remind themselves of their strengths. It is also important for retail leaders to reassure their employees that it is a case of business as usual.
No one knows what the future may hold and I believe in the long term, the strength of Britain’s fashion retailers and brands will prevail through adversity. But for now, it is a case of “opening up shop” and making every endeavour to retain consumer confidence in our Great British businesses.


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Being a good consumer is not just about spending your hard-earned cash wisely but spending it with a clear conscience, according to the authors of fifth edition of The Good Shopping Guide. The guide gives ethical ratings for a wide range of companies, products and services ranging from kitchen furniture and cars to margarine and mortgages.
For an at-a-glance verdict on a product, look for the symbols: a tick means it scores well in its sector in all ethical areas, while a question mark reflects high scores in some areas and low in others. The cross symbol applies to brands and companies that fall behind their peers in a wide ranging ethical audit. Chocolate lovers, for example, will see that the tick symbol applies to the Divine and Traidcraft brands, while Dairy Milk and Green & Black's receive a question mark and KitKat and chocolate oranges a cross. Banks and building societies receiving a tick include the Co-op, Charity and Triodos banks, and the Ecology, Nationwide, Norwich & Peterborough and Yorkshire building societies. Abbey, Barclays, Egg, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Natwest and Woolwich all attract a cross. The Good Shopping Guide is £14.95 and is available from www.ethical-company-organisation.org.
Consumer spending on home improvements has soared by 76 per cent over the last decade from £6.4bn to £11.3bn, according to Halifax. To help DIYers spend that money more sensibly, the lender has launched www.homeimprovementadvice.co.uk, a website dedicated to tips on everything from a simple makeover to full loft conversion.
Putting a cheque on fraud
Banks and building societies are to stop accepting cheques payable simply to a financial institution. The new arrangements, which come into force on 1 October, mean you will need to add details such as the payee's name or account number to a cheque to reduce the chances of fraudsters paying it into their own accounts.
The payments clearing organisation Apacs has published a range of tips to combat fraudsters. Among them are the recommendations that cheque users never pre-sign a blank cheque, and that they should complete all sections and leave as little blank space as possible. The Building Society Association has a leaflet on its website at www.bsa.org.uk or phone 020 7437 0655.
Consumers who are worried about using financial price comparison websites to apply for credit in case they damage their credit score can use a free 'lender matching' service instead. A new website service, www.annualcreditreport.co.uk, uses a credit score derived from the consumer's actual credit record and matches lenders to consumers that are most likely to accept their application. This 'dramatically increases the chance of success' in finding a deal, according to joint managing director Barry Stamp. The service cited research that highlights the danger of using websites that offer a list of providers using the cheapest headline interest rates. Would-be borrowers who then go on to apply to several lenders in a short period can trigger the credit industry's fraud systems.
Fair deal for kids' savings
Nationwide building society is demanding a fairer savings deal for those children under 18 who are not eligible for the Child Trust Fund. It is asking the government to offer this 10-million-strong group the same tax incentives so they also have the chance to save a tax-free lump sum by the time they leave home. Children born on or after 1 September 2002 not only receive a minimum £250 lump sum from the government to kick-start their savings at birth (and a further £250 when they are seven), but the family can also top it up to £1,200 a year, where it can grow tax-free until the kids are 18. The funds can cause a divide within families, with older children likely to hit 18 with fewer savings than younger siblings. Nationwide also believes parents are less likely to contribute to one off spring's fund if their older child does not qualify.


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Driverless cars have become a moonshot project for tech companies around the world, and Microsoft’s (MSFT) Co-founder and world-leading philanthropist Bill Gates believes there’s one company that will rule the space.
In a conversation with Financial Times Editor Lionel Barber at an event in London Wednesday, Gates shared his thoughts on issues ranging from the global economy to robots to Silicon Valley. Gates said a real tipping point for change in driving will come from self-driving cars, calling it “the real rubicon.” And Uber is primed to take the lead, he added.
FT Alphaville writer Izabella Kaminska live-tweeted Gates’ thoughts:
If Gates is correct, it will validate recent moves by Uber to invest in self-driving technology. Earlier this year, Uber announced a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University to create the Uber Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh “to do research and development, primarily in the areas of mapping and vehicle safety and autonomy technology.”
CEO Travis Kalanick has made it no secret that his company sees a future where we drive without our hands on a steering wheel. “The reason Uber could be expensive is because you’re not just paying for the car, you’re paying for the other dude in the car,” Kalanick said in a conference last year. “So the magic there is you basically bring the cost below the cost of ownership for everybody, and then car ownership goes away.”
The move has set Uber up for a battle with Google (GOOG). Last year, at the Code Conference, the tech giant made public a two-seater, self-driving car after years of research. Both companies, however, will have to battle the public’s perception on giving up control of a car. A survey conducted by NerdWallet found that only 37% of women and around half of men expressed any interest in owning a self-driving vehicle.


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The Hanoitimes - Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations accounted for slightly over 54% of all reservations for overseas travel in the coming month.
Korea Herald, a South Korea newspaper, has pointed out Vietnam is among the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia for South Korean planning on overseas trips in December.
Among Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam is the top destination with 33.7% of all reservations for overseas travel in the coming month, thanks to the popularity of its famous resorts in Da Nang and other cities. Thailand and the Philippines came next.
Da Nang city, Vietnam.
The survey is based on data from Hana Tour, the largest travel agent in South Korea. According to the survey, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations accounted for slightly over 54% of the reservations.
The portion is up sharply from 34.1% for December last year. Japan followed with 12.8%, trailed by 12.8% for China. Last December, Japan claimed the top spot with 44.8%.
Earlier, Da Nang has been named among the world’s 10 destinations favored by South Korean families and couples, according to a list released by Ticket Monster Inc, a tour operator.
Da Nang’s ranking came after Japan’s Osaka on the list of Ticket Monster Inc. Da Nang has become a popular destination for tourists from South Korea. South Korean holidaymakers totaled over 500,000, which accounted for the largest portion of the international arrivals in the city in the first five months of 2018, according to the municipal Department of Tourism.
Da Nang city has many tourist attractions and lots of gorgeous beaches stretching for miles. In addition, travel is made easier owing to many air services connecting South Korean cities with the central coastal city, according to Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Director of Omega Tours.
“South Korean travel agencies and air carriers have focused on operating, promoting to Da Nang,” said Nguyen Ngoc Anh.
In recent years, South Korea has continually been one of the three biggest sources of foreign holidaymakers to Vietnam, surpassing 2.5 million in the first nine months of 2018, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
Meanwhile, Vietnam also continually been one of ten biggest sources of foreign visitors to South Korea, reaching over 350,000 in 2017.


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As the Winter Olympics take place in Beijing, you might have noticed the name of one particular athlete continuously cropping up—Eileen Gu.
The Chinese pro freestyle skier and fashion model has built her impressive profile enough in its own right—all by the age of 18, might we add—but it was one decision she made three years ago that truly propelled her to another level of fame.
Indeed, Gu was actually born to an American father and Chinese mother in the United States. It was there that she grew to love skiing. By 2018, she was representing the US in the world cup for the sport.
Then, she decided to switch from representing the US to representing China. It was a decision met with shock and confusion from her growing fan base, but Gu was firm, sharing her reasoning on Instagram at the time.
“This was an incredibly tough decision for me to make. I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings,” she wrote in the announcement post posted in 2019.
“I am extremely thankful for U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the Chinese Ski Association for having the vision and belief in me to make my dreams come true… The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love.”
She added: “Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire one young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true.”
Becoming one of the biggest athletes in China
Following the announcement, Gu’s popularity in China increased ten-fold. She now has more than 2 million followers on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, and she’s garnered a bunch of huge sporting sponsorships.
Since competing for China, she’s also earned herself no less than seven first placings at the world championships across halfpipe, slope style and big air.
At this year’s Winter Olympics, her name has been splashed across major news sites both in China, and globally as a national icon who could bring home gold for the country.
Her influence is undeniable, as she headed into this year’s games, Gu shared a poignant update reflecting on how far she had come.
“I’ve always said my goal is to globally spread the sport I love to kids, especially girls, and to shift sport culture toward one motivated by passion,” she wrote, adding that more than 300 million Chinese people have now started playing winter sports for fun.
“I’m blown away by how far we have come,” she added.
She’s a fashion model
Signed with IMG Models, Gu has modelled in numerous campaigns for major high fashion brands including Fendi, Gucci and Louis Vuitton. She’s was also marie claire China’s cover star in September 2021.
That same month, Gu attended the Met Gala, a full circle moment reflecting the fact she still has strong ties to the US as well. For the occasion, she wore a striking Carolina Herrera bubble dress.
She also attended Paris Fashion Week in 2021, where she mingled with A-listers including Serena and Stacy Martin while sitting front row at Louis Vuitton.
At 18, Eileen isn’t stopping anytime soon. Along with her sporting and athletic commitments, she’s headed America’s Stanford University where she’ll study an undergraduate degree.
Her former coach has spoken highly of Gu’s intelligence, telling NY Post: “Eileen is incredibly smart and likes to make the skier boys feel dumb. She uses bigger words than they do. She talks about things that go beyond skiing and hanging out. She throws chemistry stuff at them.”


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A surge of interest is expected when Speyside distilleries, which have never opened their doors to the public before, welcome their first tours.
Three sites will host guests for the first time as part of the annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival this spring.
Tickets for the events at Speyburn, Knockando and Balmenach are expected to sell out within hours when they go on sale next week.
The distilleries are joining dozens of others to share their once closely-guarded secrets about how their whisky is created.
Festival manager Pery Zakeri said: “If you are a real whisky enthusiast, then you will understand and appreciate just how special it is to be able to access these distilleries – it’s why tickets for these events sell out so quickly.
“It’s almost like belonging to a small and exclusive club because so few people can say that they have stepped across the threshold.
“For those who are truly passionate about Speyside whisky, being able to say they have visited somewhere only a handful of other people have been is like wearing a badge of honour.”
The tours are part of a 500-event programme that stretches from Kingussie to Forres and Buckie over five days, beginning on April 27.
Festival chairman James Campbell added: “For years, Speyside has been a bit of a hidden gem, but we now welcome visitors from all over the world – we are standing by to see yet another increase in international guests.”
Tickets for the tours will go on sale at noon on Tuesday, February 7 online at www.spiritofspeyside.com.


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For many business owners, between 70% and 80% of their wealth is tied up in their business. Research also shows that just 20% to 30% of businesses that go to market actually sell. That leaves 80% of business owners with limited options to monetize the value of their business and wealth for future financial security.
The Tampa Bay Business Journal’s recent article entitled “Selling a family business: Plan to maximize value and preserve wealth” explains that there are several factors facing Boomer business owners, as they consider selling their businesses:
It’s critical to start business exit planning now.
It’s not uncommon that when businesses are passed on from one generation to the next, family conflicts can occur. With about three-quarters (70%) of family businesses failing after being passed to the next generation, there’s good reason to reconsider leaving your business to your children in the traditional sense.
More business owner children either can’t afford to buy the family business or would prefer to not be saddled with it. In fact, UBS Global Wealth Management found that 82% of the next generation would prefer the money from the sale of the business. Half of family business owners also don't know their exit options and have no transition team or transition plan.
About half of all exits from a family business aren’t voluntary. The five Ds — death, disabilities, divorce, distress, and disagreements — can derail a sound business exit strategy. Instead of holding on too long and focusing on just income generation, business owners should look at growing the enterprise value of the business, thus making it more attractive and transferrable to new ownership.
Business owners should have secure contracts, an experienced management team and a sound succession plan to keep the business operating and demonstrate its market value.
You should aim to exit your business when it’s at peak enterprise value and while you have control to depart on your terms.
Simply gifting a family business to the next generation may not be the right decision. Ask an experienced estate planning attorney about other options to consider.
Reference: Tampa Bay Business Journal (Nov. 29, 2021) “Selling a family business: Plan to maximize value and preserve wealth”
Suggested Key Terms: Estate Planning Lawyer, Business Succession Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Financial Planning
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Are Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde Dating Again?
“There’s a piece of you in how I dress.”
Newly surfaced photos hint towards a reunion for former celebrity couple.
In a new celebrity sighting post, Olivia Wilde dons a “Space Fruity Records T-Shirt,” which appears to be the same shirt Harry Styles wore to Ariana Grande’s April concert in London. The fan news was spotted by Harry Styles Fashion Archive causing speculation as Styles and Wilde ended their two-year long relationship a few months ago – after the release of Don’t Worry Darling.
08/17/19 | Harry wore a Space Fruity Records t-shirt at the @ArianaGrande show in London. It’s a record label started by the owners of fRUITYSPACE record store in Beijing.
— Harry Styles Fashion Archive (@hsfasharchive) August 17, 2019
The pair has not been spotted together romantically since their breakup last year. But could this be an Easter egg from Wilde and co?
Stay tuned for updates.


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YuMe Acquires Audience-Targeting Company Crowd Science
Leading multi-screen advertising network YuMe announced its acquisition of audience targeting-based tech company Crowd Science on Tuesday. Crowd Science's audience management system CITRUS uses both survey technology, data intelligence, and contextual and behavioral interpretation to more accurately target audiences. With CITRUS, Crowd Science generated more than 850 brand-oriented audience segments in just four years.
"We've been laser-focused on enhancing audience measurement, modeling and targeting, and Crowd Science will be the perfect complement to our data science group that's been driving that effort," said Jayant Kadambi, Co-founder & CEO of YuMe.
With the acquisition of Crowd Science, and its first-party audience solution CITRUS, YuMe can build and extend its multi-screen audience solution, Audience Amplifier, helping brands target better audiences across video.
"Crowd Science technology allows us to significantly improve our audience reach, measurement and segmentation capabilities,” Kadambi said.
In addition the acquisition of Crowd Science's unique CITRUS platform, YuMe will introduce new additions to its marketing-research and engineering teams.
"The future of brand advertising will be defined by those with strong consumer data and broad reach in video across multiple platforms,” said Co-Founder of Crowd Science John Martin, who started the company with partners John Wainwright and Paul Neto in 2008.
“The combination of Crowd Science's audience targeting technology and YuMe's Connected Audience Network will allow us to quickly and dramatically move the industry forward,” Martin said.


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Published On: February 12, 2019 09:00 AM NPT By: Sabita Shrestha
CHITWAN, Feb 12: Poultry farmers of Chitwan are facing difficulty to meet their production costs in the face of increasing government tax on poultry feed and involvement of middle-men in pricing eggs.
Arjun Aryal of Khairahani Municipality-1 has been in poultry business for the past 18 years. The seasoned farmer says: "Contemplating the present situation, the return on investment is minimal at best."
Aryal, who has been investing 20 percent of his revenue to expand his business, will probably face a difficult term this year. The condition of other farmers is no different.
Nepal Egg Producers' Association few days ago padlocked Poultry Feed Distribution Centre to protest gradual decline in market price of eggs. After the protest, farmers are getting Rs 245 for a crate of eggs (30 units). Prior to that, they were getting only Rs 230 per crate.
Trilochan Kandel, president of the association, said farmers had to launch protest as the price offered by traders was not meeting even their production cost.
According to farmers, one of the factors that have jacked up their cost of production is the increment in the price of ingredients of feed. The government has raised tax on such products from 1.6 percent to 6.67 percent effective from the beginning of the current fiscal year. Because of the tax hike, a kilogram of corn which was available at around Rs 25 per kg now costs Rs 40-42 per kg.
Concerned by falling egg prices, local farmers held a meeting with egg traders on Saturday. The meeting decided to raise the price of eggs by Rs 15 per crate. Similarly, traders also agreed to inform farmers about market price of eggs through SMS. This decision will give farmers a space to understand the market situation and negotiate a better deal with the suppliers.
According to Kandel, the market price of chick is Rs 170 per head. A chicken consumes about 42 kilograms of feed, which amounts to Rs 2,550, in its lifetime. It lays around 300 eggs during the period. Calculating the return at current price i.e. Rs 8 per unit, revenue generated per chicken is only Rs 2,400. This does not include the cost for medical expenses on chickens as well as the cost to build necessary infrastructures, among others.
"This figure roughly translates to a loss of Rs 2 per egg,” added Kandel.
Consumers pay around Rs 12-15 per egg. This means that the middle-men are taking a huge portion of the profit. The price of eggs increases by 50-87 percent by the time it reaches the end consumers.
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