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HARRY Potter is about to wave his magic wand again. With a new film out next week and the final book due on the shelves later this month the boy wizard is certain to conjure up another fortune for JK Rowling in sales and royalties.
But the author is just one of the big winners of the Potter gold - here we look at the other lucky muggles who've made a mint out of Harry...
Universal Parks & Resorts
THE theme park giant is opening The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, in 2009 - and are so confident of success they have reportedly sunk half a billion dollars into the project.
Potter Gold: Potentially billions
Warner Bros Products
THE merchandising wing of the entertainment giant controls all licensed Harry Potter merchandising and over 400 separate items of branded merchandise are available. According to a spokesman for the British Toy Retailers Association: "Any new film is going to have a new line of must have toys released alongside it."
Potter Gold: £1billion a year
AS Rowling's agent and head of the Christopher Little Literary Agency, he can command as much as a 15 per cent slice of his client's earnings. According to one report he earned £19million in 2002 alone.
Potter Gold: An estimated £75million
HARRY Potter's creator is now wealthier than the Queen - although when she signed her publishing contract as a penniless young writer in 1996 she was warned "not to expect to get rich writing children's books".
Now married to a doctor, she has since bought a number of properties in London and Scotland, including Killiechassie House, a 19th century estate on the banks of the River Tay and a Georgian mansion in west London with an underground swimming pool and 24-hour security. Last year she holidayed in America's millionaire's playground the Hamptons, staying in a seven bed beachfront house for around £76,000 a week.
Potter Gold: At least £545m
DESPITE coming into his huge fortune when he turns 18 this month, the young star shuns the celebrity party scene. "What I love is acting, rather than all the stuff that goes with it. The money is fantastic and I'm very grateful, but it's not what drives me. I don't plan to suddenly buy a sports car." True to his word, young Daniel was spotted eyeing up a new Fiat Punto.
Potter Gold: £20m now, £25m later
ALTHOUGH she admits to a passion for shopping for clothes, the 17-year-old who plays the feisty Hermione declared recently that her greatest extravagance has been an Apple laptop computer. She claims to be saving the rest to help her through university and says that all her cash is "locked away" until her 25th birthday.
Potter Gold: £5 million and rising
THE 18-year-old who plays Harry's best friend Ron Weasley has recently branched out, appearing in the film Driving Lessons. His greatest extravagance has been an ice cream van - something he's wanted since before he'd even heard of Hogwarts. "It's really cool. It's got a freezer, a big kitchen and a bell that plays a tune."
Potter Gold: £5million and rising
Alan and Marcia Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe's parents own all 1,000 shares in the company they set up to manage their son's business affairs. Although the capital is all Daniel's, the company has also invested in future film projects and scripts.
Potter Gold: At least £5million
THE 19-year-old who plays evil classmate Draco Malfoy is unashamedly extravagant. He bought himself, his parents and each of his three brothers black BMW 318 coupes. Now he has his eye on a Lamborghini for himself, enjoys safari holidays and has developed a taste for Armani clothes.
Potter Gold: £1million - for now
IN 2005, the year of the last Harry Potter film, the top 15 licensed Potter toys shifted over 169,000 units between them - with even more sales expected this year. John Campbell of industry analysts NPD Group, says "We definitely get a sales peak whenever a new film comes out."
Potter Gold: potentially billions
THEY signed JK Rowling for just £2,500 in 1996 and have stayed with her ever since while Harry Potter became the most profitable series of novels in history. However, profit forecasts are falling in the face of the imminent end of the series.
Potter Gold: Shares up 10-fold
THE six official tie-in video games have each sold more than a million units - with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets shifting a whopping nine million. The company, which produces numerous other games, posted a revenue of £2billion this year - but attributed an 89 per cent rise in profits to the Potter franchise.
Potter Gold: Expected £100m
THE 19-year-old student at Notre Dame University in the US set up unofficial fansite MuggleNet.com as a 12-year-old and now generates a reported "six figure income" from advertising. Lucrative spin-offs include "fan trips" taking American tourists to Potter landmarks in this country.
Potter Gold: £50,000 a year
THE 27-year-old New York journalist has built a career on the back of the Harry Potter franchise. As well as running The Leaky Cauldron, a very profitable fansite, she hosts regular Harry Potter podcasts and is about to publish her own book "Harry, a History: The Fiction, Fans and Phenomenon of Harry Potter."
Potter Gold: Potentially millions
BRITAIN'S largest inhabited castle after Windsor Castle the Northumberland pile is used for exterior Hogwarts shots in the films and has seen visitors per year rise from 68,000 to 195,000. Wi th admission at £9 for an adult and £4 for a child, that's been a pretty healthy rise in revenue.
Potter Gold: Takings up 286%
Christ Church College, Oxford
LOCATION for Hogwarts dining hall has seen a huge increase in visitors more interested in Quidditch than Dreaming Spires.
Potter Gold: Takings up 50%
Daniel's "Potted Potter" show - in which he acts out all the books in an hour - has been a hit with the critics and is now enjoying a sell-out nationwide run as well as securing him appearances on TV. Not bad for a show he started "as a joke."
Potter Gold: Filling theatres
THE Somerset teenager last week sold a rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in his local auction house. He says he is going to use the cash to fund his studies at Oxford University
Potter Gold: A cool £7,200
Dean, 42, has been working as a lookalike of the villainous Lucius Malfoy with the Fake Faces Agency for a couple of years and says he has more bookings than he can keep up with right now.
He has previously worked as Ozzy Osbourne and Borat, but reckons that children far prefer the evil Lucius to his other characters.
JOE is such a ringer for Harry Potter that he is often mistaken in his native Gloucestershire for Daniel Radcliffe. The Fake Faces agency which manages him say that Joe is "booked almost solidly" through the summe r. As well as performing by himself, Joe can also be booked with a Hagrid and a Dumbledore.
Potter Gold: £450 per event


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Kathmandu, October 30:
A delegation of Nepali businessmen today left for Taipei to take part in the 40th anniversary and 21st conference of the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), scheduled for October 30 to November 2.
A 12-member delegation led by Chandi Raj Dhakal, president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), will also participate in 71st CACCI council meeting.
Besides regular event of review of past activities and setting up of new plan of action, business leaders and entrepreneurs from the Asia Pacific region will extensively discuss various contemporary issues of regional trade and commerce as well as investment and tourism promotion, according to FNCCI, which is a member of CACCI.
On the sideline of the meeting, business leaders will also discuss on technology transfer and inter-member country trade and investment promotion. Among CACCI members, the Nepali business delegation plans to hold discussions with participants from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to attract foreign investment and technology transfer.
Dhakal will chair the meeting of Textile and Garment Council under CACCI, in which Nepal will raise the issue of preferential market access to products from LDCs.

domain: news


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For most editors, making editorial content shoppable was anathema. For decades, the editor’s opinion carried the weight of law and editors could single-handedly shut down commercial initiatives that imposed on their turf.
Not anymore. Even editors recognise that times have changed and the media and media consumers don’t play by the same rules. Editors also recognise they must change with the times in order to stay in business.
“There is still some concern left about making sure that the content maintains editorial integrity,” shopping technology company 72Lux CEO Heather Marie told MPA, the US Association of Magazine Media. “We’re challenged with integrating the technology in a way that shows that we’re not changing editorial strategy; we’re just launching new functionality.”
“It’s not really a matter of consumers being concerned if a publisher is recommending a handbag for a particular reason,” Marie said. “If consumers like a product, we shouldn’t make it hard for them to buy it.”
In addition to editorial firewalls, excessive cost and labour requirements prevented publishers from enabling shopping directly from their content — until the advent, that is, of e-commerce middlemen such as 72Lux and ShopAdvisor.
These companies and others like them handle the various technological demands of making a magazine’s site or tablet edition shoppable while producing easy-to-use, elegant shopping tabs and checkout options.
72Lux, the brainchild of CEO Marie, does about 30 per cent of its business with magazine media brands; its dedicated shopping platform is called Shoppable. “Publishers are increasingly enabling integrated shoppable content because they’re seeing that it’s great for the consumer,” Marie said.
Time Inc’s Essence, a monthly covering lifestyle, fashion, and beauty for black women, recently partnered with 72Lux to launch Beauty Matchmaker. Available on the Essence website — and fully functional on an iPad — it’s a quick and easy product-finder, akin to services offered by beauty companies such as CoverGirl and Garnier but with a key difference from the perspective of publishers.
The difference is that 72Lux’s platform allows consumers to shop directly within the Essence website, across a variety of vendors, including Beauty.com and Sephora. This ease of use, coupled with the curation offered by the magazine, makes consumers far more likely to purchase, as opposed to merely browse — and the ability to complete a purchase without ever leaving the Essence site may mean a greater degree of interaction with the site, Marie said.
Currently, the median age of the online Essence visitor is 41, two years younger than the magazine’s median age of 43. The high-spending, coveted 18-34 demographic comprises 37 per cent of online traffic.
Condé Nast International’s Allure is also experimenting — quite successfully — with its Allure Beauty Product Finder app. Free and available across all major platforms, the app boasts 30,000 downloads to date.
ShopAdvisor, which touts itself as a shopping experience company, is similar to 72Lux but with a distinguishing feature: the ability to delay gratification.
Allure and ShopAdvisor recognised that not every reader is always in a position to purchase items immediately, but magazines and advertisers don’t want to lose them as customers. Enter the “watch list.”
The ShopAdvisor technology enables readers to add items to their “watch list” which will trigger email alerts when an item’s price drops or an out-of-stock item becomes available. The list is also there for when the consumer has the resources to make the purchase. The consumer can access his or her list via a mobile device, enabling them to call it up when they are shopping in a store.
According to ShopAdvisor, more than 90 per cent of users respond to these post-discovery notifications, establishing significant ongoing engagement.
In an interview with Mobile Marketer, ShopAdvisor CEO Scott Cooper explained the company’s natural shopping model. “Today’s consumer goes on a discovery journey when shopping. They do not distinguish between editorial and advertising, both forms of content are equally valuable when learning about and researching their consideration set of products. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to shop-enable both.”
Time Inc’s All You is working with ShopAdvisor — specifically to target its bargain-hunting audience. A joint survey conducted by All You and the Insight Strategy Group discovered that many women spend time researching product deals on smartphones and tablets.
“Ninety percent of women in the survey think of themselves as smart bargain shoppers,” deputy editor George Kimmerling told Folio. At present, the focus is entirely on creating that all-important engagement. According to Kimmerling, the magazine isn’t closing off advertising opportunities, but is currently more focused on metrics and how readers interact with the magazine’s new shopability.
Condé Nast’s Allure also implemented the ShopAdvisor platform last year, starting with the September issue. An unobtrusive yet easy-to-spot “Shop” or “Buy it now” button appeared at the end of a review or at the top of shoppable ads. The issue included 64 shoppable pages (60 editorial pages and four advertisements) featuring brands such as CoverGirl, Bare Minerals, Macy’s, Sephora, and Shiseido.
“While we are still early in our commercial rollout, we have seen some surprising trends,” Cooper continued. “For example, we’re seeing consistently that when a publisher makes editorial and advertising shoppable, their readers are spending more time engaging with those ads — although both have stronger engagement rates and time spent than non-shoppable content… It demonstrates the importance of lighting up the brand across the entire publication and reinforces the idea that the consumer is going on a discovery journey where the type of content, or medium for that matter, is irrelevant at that stage of their consideration process.”
And lest anyone thinks e- and m-commerce are only for magazines looking to make up for revenue losses, Time Inc’s Sports Illustrated Golf Group in January 2014 began offering buying opportunities to its readers. The Golf Group’s premier title, Golf Magazine, subsequently achieved a 12 per cent yearover- year gain in ad pages, according to MPA.
FIPP Innovation Forum
Mobile, ecommerce and mcommerce will feature at FIPP’s Innovation Forum taking place in less than 2 weeks, on 26-27 June in London.
With speakers from Buzzfeed, Quartz, Elle, Hubert Burda Media, and Time Out (that are just some of them!), there will be sessions dedicated to tablets, phablets and smartphones, as well as sessions on video, including top campaigns, native advertising and e-newsletters, an in particular optimising these for mobile.
Come along to see top innovations and strategies, engage, discuss and debate current and future developments, and come away with practical take-outs to help develop your business and brand strategies, and help you execute on promises.


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Broadband Users Top 21 Million in Nov.
The number of people who have high-speed Internet connections at home grew to a record 21.3 million in November, a 90 percent increase over the same month last year, according to a report.
In all, broadband users make up about 20.2 percent of the total of all home Internet surfers, whose ranks grew only 11 percent during the same period, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.
The shift in growth, despite the slumping economy, bodes well for Internet commerce. Last year, broadband surfers spent 67 percent more money online than dial-up, or "narrowband" users, the report said.
"Broadband surfers tend to log onto the Internet more often, stay online longer and are more likely to shop online than narrowband surfers," said T.S. Kelly, NetRatings' director and principal analyst.
Other research firms estimate that about 12 million households will have broadband access by the end of this year. NetRatings differs by counting the number of unique users who have access, said Jarvis Mack, senior analyst at Nielsen/NetRatings.
Cahners In-Stat Group, for instance, forecast about 12.1 million total households connected to the Internet via cable modem, digital subscriber line, fixed wireless or satellite, said senior analyst Ernie Bergstrom.
The year's growth in broadband usage comes as several service providers have filed for bankruptcy protection or gone out of business.
NorthPoint Communications and Rhythms NetConnections, which provided high-speed access over telephone lines, shut down earlier this year.
ExciteAtHome, which provides services over television cable lines, announced earlier this month that it will close down at the end of February after months of financial turmoil.
In most cases, users have shifted to other broadband providers, such as major telephone companies for DSL or cable companies for cable modem service.
On the Net:


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China will continue its campaign to scrutinize the internet sector to remove practices that include blocking company website links by competing platforms and ensuring that small businesses have room to grow and develop, according to the Chinese Minister of Industry in an interview with local and foreign newspapers, where the Chinese government launched a massive campaign last year among its regulators to rein in the internet sector of the economy, which is led by names such as Alibaba Group, Tencent Holdings and others.
Last July, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched a six-month monitoring campaign aimed at addressing issues related to market disruption, infringement of users’ rights, data security compromise and users suffering from unblockable advertisements and pop-ups.
The ministry stated that the problem of blocking links between competitors’ platforms has been resolved, and pop-ups are being permanently eliminated, and the ministry will work with other government ministries and the technical industry to ensure that small and medium-sized companies have more room for development.
Last month, China’s largest social media platform, Tencent Holdings’ WeChat, began allowing users to open links shared from competitor platforms in chat conversations on its app, and Alibaba also started allowing consumers to use WeChat Pay on several of its affiliate platforms, including meal delivery service Ele.me, video streaming platform Youku, online ticket buying platform Damai and its overseas e-commerce platform Kaola. Read more [Alibaba Group Holdings Partners With WeChat].


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The British Retail Consortium Global Standard (BRCGS) is the trade association for retail businesses. Founded in 1996, they are globally recognised across both food and non-food categories and operate a rigorous third-party certification scheme.
PFF’s own standards and processes have met with those required by the scheme, since 2008. Last year, amidst the onset of the pandemic, the Keighley site was awarded an ‘AA’ Certificate of Conformity with zero non-conformances – the highest grade and accolade that can be achieved under the revised Issue 6 of the Standard.
As Group Compliance, Environmental & Technical Liaison Officer, Kevin Maltby (pictured) oversees PFF’s quality and compliance systems. He has a long-standing career in quality and joined the company eight years ago. He explained how maintaining PFF’s robust standards is a year-round process to ensure they provide a framework that makes the business work and drives continuous improvements.
Compliance Officer, Brenda Greenwood (pictured) joined PFF in 2016 when the BRCGS transitioned from Issue 4 to Issue 5. Last year saw a transition from 5 to 6. She said, “The Standard is equally about creating a safe environment as well as the integrity, quality, legality, and safety of the food packaging that PFF manufactures.”
A wider team manages certification for PFF’s Keighley and Washington sites, which require individual accreditation audits. Kevin described how last year’s appraisal at Keighley presented a challenge, having to adapt to social distancing and personal safety requirements that were implemented following the outbreak of Covid-19. It took place in October and November which fell in-between two lock-down periods. It was a credit to the team that the highest awarded certificate was achieved and that no non-conformances were noted.
Kevin said that compliance is an integral part of PFF which requires smooth on-site management backed up by dedicated, collaborative teamwork. It is about being progressive and audit-ready, 24-7.
Kevin is leading a new Systems Review and Improvement Project at PFF. He said, “Our current systems and process have served the company well and seen PFF gain excellent post-BRCGS audit outcomes year on year. However, we operate a growing business that has ever-increasing and complex demands on technical compliance. A review of our Business Management Systems will position the company so that we can capitalise on the momentum of growth that PFF is seeing following the set-up of our new health division.”Back to News


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By European law, only licensed butchers working in the region can manufacture Black Forest ham. Thousands of the continent’s tastiest consumables – from Stilton to Newcastle Brown Ale – are protected this way. Using so-called “geographical indications”, the EU has long tried to extend these safeguards beyond its borders. But in America, Black Forest ham can still be found in everything from Subway sandwiches to Tyson packages (with the charming “Smoked Black Forest Ham and Water Product”) – with nary a thought to a German forest.
Now, though, negotiators are attempting to force the United States to comply with European labeling via current talks for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The move has prompted furious outpourings from several bi-partisan groups of senators declaring it an assault on the nation’s cheeses, and “various meats”.
For its part, the EU says it wants to stop businesses getting a “free-ride on the good reputation developed by the producers of the original product,” according to Roger Waite, EU Spokesman for Agriculture & Rural Development. But Jaime Castaneda, head of the Consortium for Common Food Names, says the US created entirely new markets around these names.
A group of senators doubled down in a recent statement, essentially telling Europe: You can have our bologna, when you pry it from our cold dead hands.
“The term ‘Black Forest ham’ is primarily an American creation,” he says, “Nobody from Bologna, Italy ever did anything to promote bologna in the States. The names should be available to the people who built those markets.”
A group of senators doubled down in a recent statement, essentially telling Europe: You can have our bologna, when you pry it from our cold, dead hands.
In fact, bologna is a generic name in Europe too, only “Mortadella Bologna” has any protections, but you might forgive the senators’ zeal. After all, America has been developing its own brand of bologna since Oscar F. Mayer was slinging wursts on Chicago’s North Side in the late 19th century. Today American bologna has its own song and national day of celebration, and is a world away from the handmade Italian sausage that originally inspired it, which is more likely to wind up in a tortellini than a Kraft Lunchable.
Still, protections like those being pushed by Europe are designed to favour local producers over big food brands. The United States has refused to introduce its own geographical indications, arguing that a new system would simply sap government resources, while the existing trademark regime works just fine. But precious few American foods and preparations are currently safeguarded in the way of Europe. Idaho potatoes, Maine lobster and Vidalia onions have trademark protections, but many others, like Boston baked beans and New England yellow crookneck squash are on their own.
Idaho potatoes, Maine lobster and Vidalia onions have trademark protections, but Boston baked beans and New England yellow crookneck squash are on their own.
Meanwhile, Europe’s rules do have significant upsides for food makers: They promote sound environmental practice, strong animal welfare standards and can help bolster sales. The Black Forest Ham Association, protected since 1997, now claims to produce the best-selling smoked meat in Europe, in spite of its high price tag (around $18/kilo) — an example of how a luxury market can rise around a premium product.
Timothy Lang, a British food policy professor at City University, argues geographical indications acknowledge important cultural capital. “It’s a way the old and the more artisan can be formally recognised,” he says.
Given the concerted opposition to Europe’s labeling requests, it appears unlikely the US will agree to any trade deal that will affect the domestic market. Jaime Castaneda, at least, is confident: “I can assure you, it will never happen.” Indeed, the senators seem focused on using the talks to reverse recent deals the EU has made elsewhere, including with Chile and the US’s biggest export partner, Canada, urging the Obama administration to, “push back against the EU’s efforts to restrict our meat exports.”
Lang, for one, hopes such bids fail. “The protections should not get lost in a new round of triumph for transatlantic trade liberalisation,” he says. Undermining geographical indications at the TTIP, he adds, will be “a terrible step” in the direction of ultra-processed foods, “characterized by salty, fatty, sugary ingredients and bland ubiquity.”


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At that time, the Santa Clara, Calif., semiconductor maker's presence in the smartphone market was essentially nonexistent. Today, Intel has 10 phones shipping in 20 countries (though not the U.S.), and it keeps improving its power consumption and performance.
BARCELONA, Spain--General Motors cars rocking their own 4G LTE connection will hit the road next year.AT&T and GM's OnStar service unit struck a deal to bring millions of connected cars to the market, starting with the 2015 fleet, which comes out late 2014. GM said most Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac cars will get wireless connections. It's the latest win for AT&T, which has been particularly aggressive in going after the connected car business, a lucrative one in which the company believes it can eventually generate a billion dollars in revenue. Furthermore, the … Read more
Samsung is set to send out invitations this morning to a "Samsung Unpacked" event in New York for next month, CNET has learned. While the invitation contained little details, CNET has confirmed with a high-level executive that the Galaxy S4 will make its debut there.
After the blockbuster success of the Galaxy S3, anticipation has surged for the successor to the Galaxy S franchise. The Galaxy S3 last year emerged as a true rival to Apple's iPhone, even seeing … Read more
BARCELONA, Spain--Samsung Electronics is getting serious about attacking the business world.
The South Korean consumer electronics giant unveiled Knox, an additional layer of security software that will run as part of its SAFE (Samsung for Enterprise) initiative. Samsung is considering embedding Knox into Samsung's next flagship smartphone, YH Lee, executive vice president of Samsung Mobile, told CNET.
Samsung considers the business world to be its next avenue of growth, and has already positioned its ads to emphasize the security and enterprise-ready aspects of its products. In doing so, Samsung is going after a business long dominated by BlackBerry, and … Read more
BARCELONA, Spain--Samsung Electronics expects to release its first smartphone running on the Tizen mobile operating system in July or August, CNET has learned.
The Tizen Association is scheduled to make the official announcement later this week at Mobile World Congress.
Tizen is an upstart operating system seen as an alternative to the stranglehold that Google's Android and Apple's iOS has on the smartphone industry. Samsung and Intel have been spearheading the development of the mobile OS, and Japan's NTT Docomo has already committed to carry the phones.
Tizen is just one of many emerging mobile operating system … Read more
BARCELONA, Spain--Laying the groundwork for its nascent Firefox OS, Mozilla has won over a sizeable list of allies including LG Electronics and China Unicom, and the first phones with the browser-based operating system should arrive in the second quarter of the year.
Mozilla announced today at the Mobile World Congress show here that it's persuaded 18 mobile network operators and four mobile phone makers to back its open-source mobile operating system. That's not enough to unseat the incumbent powers of Google's Android and Apple's iOS slayer, but it is enough to ensure Firefox OS at least … Read more
BARCELONA, Spain--Get all the details of ZTE's Mobile World Congress press conference right here.
CNET's Brian Bennett, photographer Stephen Shankland, and I will be bringing you the news, photos, and commentary from the event, which begins at 7 a.m. PT on Monday.
ZTE is expected to build upon its expanded presence at last year's show and go big with the smartphone announcements. The company has in the past unveiled phones here that don't make it to the U.S., although it has made progress in its relationships with the U.S. carriers.
You can tune … Read more
BARCELONA, Spain--It's a vow we've heard many times before: Huawei will be a top global brand.
Here at Mobile World Congress, Huawei used its press conference as yet another opportunity to plead its softer side.
Addressing a room full of journalists, Huawei's director of global brand management, Amy Lou, passionately shared Huawei's philosophy for aggressively pursuing its dream of becoming a major mobile heavyweight. Sweeping imagery of Earth and dust, and powerful language like "visionary" and "spirited" signaled a new step for Huawei, one that's far more philosophical and emotional than … Read more
BARCELONA, Spain--LG has no immediate plans to sell a Windows Phone 8 handset, CNET has learned.
The Korean consumer electronics manufacturer remains open to using Microsoft's mobile operating system, but doesn't see a huge demand for the product.
"We want to give customers what they ask for," an LG representative told CNET.
LG's reluctance to embrace Windows Phone 8 underscores the difficulties that the platform faces with both consumers and vendor partners. LG was one of the early partners that signed on with Microsoft, releasing the LG Quantum in the first wave of Windows Phone … Read more
BARCELONA, Spain--Mozilla, Ericsson, and AT&T announced today they're demonstrating technology to place Internet-based voice and video calls that bridge traditional telephone services and the Web.
The demonstration, at Mobile World Congress here, uses the nascent WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communications) standard to set up browser-based communications between different devices.
The "proof of concept" links a Web app with a person's existing phone number and "shows how consumers can easily take and receive video calls from their mobile phones or desktop browser using WebRTC or share their Web experiences with friends or family who might … Read more


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Those hoping that a full package of NFL games might return to cable and satellite this week, after DAZN’s disastrous debut, are out of luck.
DAZN, a live and on-demand sports streaming service, says it has resolved “many of the issues” that dismayed Canadian subscribers during Week 1 of the NFL regular season.
“Our debut in Canada did not go as planned. No excuses — it is not how we wanted our journey to start in a country of such passionate fans,” Alex Rice, a DAZN director said in a statement Thursday. “Our top priority has been getting to the root cause of the issues and giving fans the viewing experience they expect from us. We have reviewed the entire customer experience so far and can confirm that many of the issues subscribers faced last weekend have been resolved.”
Social media was full of complaints last weekend that some brands of web-connected digital devices — such as smart TVs, tablets, smartphones and games consoles — could not connect to the DAZN service. For those who could, constant rebuffering, lack of HD video, audio dropouts and other technical snafus ruined the experience.
Some Canadians who live in rural areas complained their wireless signal will never be strong enough to watch NFL games via streaming. Others complained that to stream games for eight or more hours every Sunday could cost hundreds more dollars per month in data-usage charges.
DAZN is the exclusive Canadian provider of live access to every NFL game. The U.K.-based company bought those rights this summer for the next five years, Previously, the NFL sold its Sunday Ticket package through cable and satellite providers. Those subscribers were left in the dark when the season began.
Bell Media, through the broadcast rights it holds, still programs much of the weekly NFL slate on TSN, its CTV regional stations and the CTV Two network. For Week 2, 10 of the 16 games are available through those Bell-owned stations, although that doesn’t mean all cable or satellite customers can see each of those games. Some fans may also find additional games available on CBS or FOX network stations picked up by their cable or satellite provider.
The NFL had no immediate comment Thursday on DAZN’s statement.
Many fans had been hoping the NFL would do whatever necessary this week to bring back cable and satellite options. But that’s not happening.
DAZN’s entry into Canada seemed to be a big win for NFL fans here, at least financially. DAZN’s first-year price to purchasers is only $20 a month, with one month free, and with no monthly minimum — whereas Canadian cable and satellite providers in previous years had been charging about $35 a month, with a minimum four-month commitment.
But the DAZN service proved unreliable from the start of preseason games in August, but complaints exploded last Thursday, Sunday and Monday with Week 1 regular-season games, as more purchasers bought the service.
Below is the full statement from DAZN’s Rice:
Statement from Alex Rice, managing director, rights and strategic development, DAZN (September 14, 2017)
“Our debut in Canada did not go as planned. No excuses — it is not how we wanted our journey to start in a country of such passionate fans. Our top priority has been getting to the root cause of the issues and giving fans the viewing experience they expect from us. We have reviewed the entire customer experience so far and can confirm that many of the issues subscribers faced last weekend have been resolved.
Here is what we can tell you about the issues we had last weekend:
• The audio issue on Thursday, and the late start to the Colts @ Rams game on Sunday were the result of human error. We understand the frustration for fans and we can assure them these are not ongoing issues. We have put in place additional checks and measures to strengthen this process.
• The error codes subscribers were seeing have been resolved. Again, we understand why fans were frustrated having to troubleshoot this during the game.
• Some subscribers have been experiencing picture quality issues. We’ve completed detailed diagnostic analysis and found that while the majority of fans are connecting to DAZN in HD, some have been unable to enjoy our full HD experience due to connectivity issues. We are working as hard as possible to bring this to everyone. We’ve identified a number of technical solutions, which will help more of our subscribers to access the full HD experience across all connected devices. Some solutions will be in place beginning this weekend. We will be making further enhancements over the next few weeks, during which time those affected will see incremental improvements.
• Some subscribers have also been experiencing a broadcast time lag. While an element of lag is inherent with OTT (over the top) streaming (usually up to 30 secs), we know that our feed has been delayed longer at times. We are working to close this gap so that DAZN is where it needs to be.
DAZN was built by sports fans for sports fans. Please believe us when we say — we feel your pain. We will continue to engage with our subscribers and the broader sports fan community in Canada to listen and understand the issues. We’re continuing to explore further ways to improve the experience for those currently affected and will be reaching out to them to ensure they’re suitably compensated.
Live streaming of sports is complex, but offers many benefits. We’re committed to fixing the current issues and delivering on our goal of providing the best sports viewing experience possible for Canadian fans.”


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Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo launched a successful product with the first model of the new smartphone series Reno and managed to attract the attention of a considerable consumer base. Oppo, with its announcement yesterday, announced that Oppo Reno will offer a new color option to consumers.
According to Oppo’s statement, Reno’s new color option will be Coral Orange. The bezels, back panel and physical keys of the device will turn completely orange, while the screen frames will continue to maintain their black color. Although bright colors do not look nice on phones under normal conditions, we can say that Reno looks ‘cute’ with its new color in the image published by Oppo.
Oppo Reno Features
- Snapdragon 710 processor, Adreno 616 GPU
- 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128GB UFS 2.1 storage – 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 256GB UFS 2.1 storage
- 6.4 inch (2340 × 1080 pixels) Full HD+ AMOLED display
- Android 9.0 Pie operating system
- 48MP, 1/2.25″ Sony IMX586 sensor, 0.8um pixel size, f/1.7 aperture + 5MP, dual rear camera with f/2.4 aperture
- 16MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture
- Fingerprint reader embedded in the screen
- Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS/GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C
- 3765mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 fast charging support
It is not known what price tag the Coral Orange Oppo Reno will have and in which markets it will be offered for sale, including Turkey. The Coral Orange Oppo Reno will be officially announced and launched on May 30. Information on pricing and availability is expected to be announced at this press event.


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News & Reviews: Redmi K50S Pro
Jul 27, 2022
Xiaomi is preparing to debut its very first 200MP smartphone, the Redmi K50S Pro. Before the launch date gets confirmed, an "official-looking" image has been leaked and shows us some tech specs that the device will offer.
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 and Redmi K50S Pro spotted getting TENAA certifications, revealing their specs listJul 25, 2022
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi may be getting ready to launch two new smartphones in the near future, the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 and the K50S Pro under its sub brand Redmi. Both devices were spotted getting TENAA certifications recently, which also meant that some of the devices’ specs were also revealed.
Jul 07, 2022
Xiaomi is still not done with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1-powered devices after releasing the Xiaomi 12S series. According to sources, the brand is now preparing to launch another two devices with the chip, the Xiaomi 12T Pro and Redmi K50S Pro. Besides that, they're also said to pack a 200MP camera.


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More Than 20,000 Pounds of Chicken Salad Products Recalled Due to Possible Salmonella
To date, 37 confirmed cases of illness have been identified, with onset dates ranging from January 14, 2018 to February 6, 2018
Triple T Specialty Meats, Inc. is recalling approximately 20,630 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken salad products that may be contaminated with salmonella typhimurium.
The ready-to-eat chicken salad items were produced on various dates between January 2, 2018 and February 7, 2018 (view recalled product labels).
On February 9, 2018, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was notified by health officials in Iowa of an investigation of salmonella typhimurium illnesses. The Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, and Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory determined that there is a link between the chicken salad from Triple T Specialty Meats and this outbreak.
Based on epidemiological investigation, 37 confirmed case-patients have been identified in Iowa, with illness onset dates ranging from January 14, 2018 to February 6, 2018. Results are pending on whether the outbreak strain is resistant to antibiotics.
Sold at Fareway Grocery Stores
The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals and the Iowa Department of Public Health issued a joint Consumer Advisory on February 13, 2018 advising consumers to throw away any chicken salad purchased at Fareway grocery stores.
The affected chicken salad products were sold from January 4, 2018 through February 9, 2018 in various weight containers from the deli section in Fareway stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
FSIS continues to work with state and federal health officials to determine if there are additional illnesses linked to this product, including illnesses in states outside Iowa.
Dangers of Salmonella
Consumption of food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider.
What should consumers do?
FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers' freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. The products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Consumers with questions or concerns about this recall can contact Jolene Heikens with Triple T Specialty Meats at (641) 847-0031.


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Mexico's Profepa environmental protection agency on Monday fined German automaker Volkswagen's local unit just over 168 million pesos (around $9 million) for selling 2016 model vehicles that lacked the corresponding environmental compliance certificates.
Volkswagen Mexico was fined for importing and selling 45,494 Audi, Bentley, Porsche, Seat and Volkswagen vehicles in Mexico, Profepa said in a statement.
In a December 2015 inspection, the agency discovered that those vehicles lacked two NOM environmental compliance certificates, one that establishes the maximum allowable level of total hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and particles from new cars' exhaust pipes and another that sets the maximum allowable level of noise and the measurement methodology.
Profepa said the fine was separate from an investigation being conducted in Mexico over the Volkswagen defeat device scandal.
In September of last year, Environment Secretary Rafael Pacchiano said Mexico would review Volkswagen's emissions certificates for diesel engine vehicles the automaker had sold in Mexico since 2009 to verify if they were in compliance with national standards.
That probe came after Volkswagen acknowledged that the defeat devices had been installed on nearly 500,000 2.0-liter diesel-powered Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen vehicles sold in the United States since 2008.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accused the automaker last September of using the devices to dupe regulators.
The software on those engines detected when emissions testing was taking place and turned on emissions controls only when the vehicles were being operated in a test laboratory.
When those same vehicles were being driven under normal conditions, the controls were turned off and they spewed up to 40 times the United States' legally allowable amount of nitrogen oxide, which contributes to the formation of smog and acid rain.
The automaker said last September, after the scandal broke, that 11 million of its vehicles worldwide had been equipped with the defeat devices. EFE


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Magnetic card cancellation delay planned
The Thai Bankers' Association (TBA) plans to seek the central bank's approval to put off the regulator's deadline to cancel the use of magnetic-stripe ATM and debit cards until early next year from the end of this year.
The TBA will propose the Bank of Thailand push the cancellation to Jan 15, 2020, as compliance by year-end could affect magnetic-stripe cardholders the volume of banking transactions during that period is always highest, said TBA chairman Predee Daochai.
The central bank's requirement calls for debit and ATM cards issued from May 16, 2017 to have chip-embedded technology with enhanced security features. Magnetic-stripe cards are valid until Dec 31, 2019.
Facilitating the migration from a cash-based society to a cashless society under the central bank's e-payment policy is another reason for shifting to chip-enabled cards.
Despite over two years passing since the central bank announced the moves, some cardholders continue to use ATM and debit cards that do not have chip technology.
"Banks should encourage consumers and offer them promotional campaigns again to ensure that magnetic ATM and debit cardholders shift to chip-embedded cards. The chip cards will benefit customers by providing higher security and better features that can keep up with technological upgrades," he said.
The industry's card fraud problem has declined significantly after the push to chip-embedded cards, he said, adding that greater consumer awareness about security has also contributed to the reduction of fraud.
The TBA has called for existing holders of cards with magnetic technology to migrate to chip-embedded cards to improve the country's overall card business.
Mr Predee, who is also a co-president at Kasikornbank (KBank), said his bank has total 13 million ATM and debit cards, of which around 1.4 million use magnetic-stripe technology.
KBank's magnetic-stripe ATM and debit cards numbered 3.2 million at the end of 2018. Marketing, promotional campaigns and fee charge waivers have encouraged the switch to chip cards.
KBank, the country's second largest lender by assets, estimates 335,634 of magnetic-stripe cards are due to expire this year, 1.02 million next year and another 992,713 cards in 2021.


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Lupin executives keep talking up their plans for U.S. expansion. Buying brands, buying companies, pumping up its own launches of generic drugs--the Indian drugmaker says it's going to pull out all the stops to build up its stateside presence.
It's all about improving margins and positioning itself for long-term growth after the biggest patent-cliff years are past. Generics are Lupin's staple, and it's aiming to reap as much growth from the newly off-patent blockbusters as it can. But its branded drugs deliver a much greater portion of sales to the bottom line, so adding to that business is a key goal. On the generics side, Lupin is looking toward products that aren't as commoditized as the garden-variety generic, and as such enjoy bigger margins.
For a hint of what sort of companies Lupin might be interested in snapping up, consider this: It shopped ISTA Pharmaceuticals, the eye drug specialist, before Bausch & Lomb agreed to buy it for $500 million. As The Wall Street Journal points out, that's a much bigger buyout than Lupin has ever engineered in the U.S.
Apparently, though, Lupin is willing to sock that kind of money into a U.S. deal. The company sources about 35% of its sales in the States now, and sees the U.S. as its primary growth market. Preferred therapeutic areas include dermatology, ophthalmology, respiratory and women's health. "We've looked at small-sized acquisition opportunities as well as opportunities in the $400 million-$500 million price range," group president Vineeta Gupta has said (as quoted by the WSJ).
- read the WSJ piece
India's Lupin shops for U.S. brands to bolster margins
Lupin expands Japanese reach with I'Rom buy
Lupin said to weigh sale of Indian pharma unit
Medicis inks $58M dermatology pact with India's Lupin


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Growth across Eastern Europe, and in Russia in particular, has been surprising on the upside, and the domestic demand story is gradually coming back. The upward revision of Russian economic growth continues, and the consensus is getting close to our forecast of 5%. Recently, the World Bank increased their forecast by approximately two percentage points, to 5-5.5% for 2010, and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch set the highest estimates last week, at 7%. Some institutions, most notably the IMF and some Austrian banks, still have fairly conservative forecasts for this year, but this is probably mostly due to lagging revisions. As a matter of fact, the IMF will present their spring forecast in late April, and it would be surprising if they did not continue to upgrade the growth estimate for this year (see chart below). A similar, albeit not as dramatic, trend is evident elsewhere in the region.
But perhaps even more interesting is the fact that more attention is being paid to how the underlying growth drivers are changing: from exports to consumption and investment. In Russia, industrial production bottomed out in Q209, and is now growing briskly but unevenly in year-on-year terms (7.8% in January and 1.9% in February), driven by inventory adjustment. Investment has not yet however turned positive on a year-on-year basis (-8.7% in January and -7.4% in February according to unreliable preliminary figures), even though it bottomed out at the same time. Retail sales, a proxy for private consumption, bottomed out in Q309, but have already turned positive on a year-on-year basis (0.3% in January and 1.3% in February), on the back of rising pensions and wages at the beginning of the year. The economy as a whole grew as much as 5.2% y-o-y in January, according to preliminary numbers.
This trend is not only evident in Russia, but in a number, though far from all, of the economies in the region. We are, for instance, seeing how industrial production is rather strong in Central Europe and that retail sales are positive on a month-on-month basis, but not yet on a year-on-year basis.
It is interesting to note that the domestic sectors outperformed the tradable sectors before as well as during the crisis, which again is an indication that our focus on domestics is a viable strategy over time.
Opinions and comments on RGE EconoMonitors do not necessarily reflect the views of Roubini Global Economics, LLC, which encourages a free-ranging debate among its own analysts and our EconoMonitor community. RGE takes no responsibility for verifying the accuracy of any


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MAPLE SHADE — Police arrested a Maple Shade woman Thursday for allegedly stealing credit cards from a Rutgers University police officer’s personal car, and are still searching for a male accomplice.
Police identified the suspects as Lisa Gill, 36, of Maple Shade, and Robert Reed Jr., 31, of Cape May.
Maple Shade police put out an alert Wednesday night after the theft of a cop’s wallet from his personal car. The officer’s badge, police ID, driver’s license, credit cards and cash were in the wallet.
Police obtained photos of the suspects after finding out that a credit card of the victim was used at a Wawa in Maple Shade around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. The card was also used at the Jug Handle Inn and the Wawa in Cinnaminson.
Chief Gary Gubbei credited the news media for publishing the photos, leading to several phone call tips.
Gill was arrested and released on her own recognizance. She faces charges of credit card theft, credit card fraud, and conspiracy to commit credit fraud. The charges against Reed are the same, plus theft and motor vehicle burglary.
Reed’s bail was set at $40,000, full cash.
Police describe Reed as a white male, approximately 5-foot-6, with a thin build and shaved head. He was wearing white sneakers and black socks, a black shirt with an unknown emblem — possibly Adidas — and shorts.
The Rutgers University police officer lives in Maple Shade but has no affiliation with the township police department, according to Lt. Jeffrey Hoch. He has not yet recovered his property.
Maple Shade Police are asking anyone who can identify the suspects to contact them at 856-234-8300 and reference case 2014-11446.


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Seventure Partners, one of Europe’s leading venture capitalists, is investing as lead investor in Sentryc GmbH, a technology company founded in 2019. Sentryc offers companies and brands a digital solution as a brand protection specialist with its proprietary brand protection software to detect and curb product piracy and brand abuse on online marketplaces.
Sentryc raises EUR 5 million in Series A funding
“Our goal is to protect companies and consumers sustainably and effectively. With Seventure Partners, we are pleased to have gained a partner who shares our vision and is very familiar with the challenges for companies due to the proximity to the heavily affected French market,” says CEO Nicole Hofmann.
With the substantial multi-million financing round, the digital focus and the strong partner network of the new investor, the team around CEO Nicole Jasmin Hofmann and CPO Hendrik Schüler gains effective support for the planned further development of the SaaS solution, growth and further expansion into Europe.
“Sentryc has already been able to record strong growth in a very short time and acquire well-known customers. The growing need for brand protection, the team and the innovative software convinced us to invest in Sentryc”, concrets Dr. Andreas Schenk, Venture Partner Germany for Digital Technologies at Seventure Partners.
In the completed VC round, the existing investors join forces with the new investor Seventure Partners to put Sentryc’s growth on a broad foundation. The tech sector around brand protection and plagiarism prevention is an attractive growth market. Both the acceptance of anti-piracy measures and the cross-industry perception of the risks are continuously increasing. https://www.ingenieur.de/hannover-messe-special/produktpiraterie-massnahmen-zahlen-sich-aus/


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As you might be aware of the fact that ZTE showcased a crowd-sourced Kickstarter project smartphone, the ZTE Hawkeye at the CES 2017 and today the company has officially posted the specifications of the smartphone on their website.
It was back in 2016 that ZTE asked the users to give some ideas to build a smartphone and the most voted concept was the Hawkeye. However, at the CES, the company did not reveal the specifications of the phone.
The most interesting aspect of the phone is it comes with a price tag of just $199 (approx. Rs. 13,000). There are some innovative features such as an eye-tracking sensor, self-adhesive back, etc. Regarding hardware specifications, the ZTE Hawkeye boasts of a 5.5-inch Full HD display and is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 625 SoC, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. ZTE also added the support for microSD card for further storage expansion up to 256GB.
The ZTE Hawkeye comes with two cameras on the rear of 12MP and 13MP. One of the camera sensors has support for optical zoom, which the company did not mention. Also, there is an 8MP front-facing camera.
The phone boots Android Nougat out-of-the-box and is backed by a 3000mAh battery. The phone also has support for Qualcomm QuickCharge 2.0 and a fingerprint sensor is also present in the phone. The phone is expected to be shipped sometime in September 2017. But for now, ZTE is asking its users to choose colors and materials to manufacture the phone.


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Sharp just unveiled a salvo of 4K TVs at CES, and even one that approaches near 8K resolution. One of the neat sets that enjoyed a brief sidebar during Sharp’s press conference was a TV the company is calling a “Super Slim” set because the panel is less than half-an-inch thick (not including the set mount).
Oh hey, a TV — wait, where’d it go?
The Super Slim is only different from Sharp’s newly announced UE30 and UH30 with its skinny figure. The set will still come with the SmartCentral 4.0 platform, developed by Sharp, as well as Google’s Android TV. The set pictured above is a 70-inch but a Sharp representative told me that they’re also considering an 80-inch option. This set is no where near final pricing info but will be available near the end of 2015.


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|Tuesday, 23 February 2010 00:00
|Visa appoints head of mobile
Visa Inc has appointed Bill Gajda, currently chief commercial officer at the GSMA, as head of mobile.
Visa says Gajda's appointment is designed to further advance its mobile strategy, working in collaboration with the wireless and financial services industries to drive mobile payments and related services to consumers around the globe.
Gajda comes to Visa with nearly 15 years experience in the wireless industry, including seven years with the GSMA, the organization which represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem.
During his tenure at the GSMA, Gajda held senior level positions including chief marketing officer, and most recently, chief commercial officer, where he was responsible for strategic initiatives including Mobile Money, Mobile Money Transfer, Mobile Advertising, Strategic Partnerships, Mobile Innovation and Business Development. Gajda also currently serves as president of the GSM Foundation, a position he will continue to maintain as head of mobile at Visa Inc.
"Visa has made great strides in forming strategic alliances and working in collaboration with the wireless industry to bring mobile financial services to consumers in both mature and emerging markets," said Elizabeth Buse, global head of product at Visa Inc. "Bill's experience in working with mobile network operators, handset manufacturers and other leaders in wireless, combined with his track record in helping to developing successful business models, will be a significant asset as Visa's aims to commercialize mobile financial services around the globe."
Previous to his role at the GSMA, Gajda was head of marketing at Ericsson, and also held a number of positions at Bell Canada International and TELUS.


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Sept. 25th 2016 – Raveon has formed a strategic partnership with myDevices to complement our line of IoT wireless radios and provide our customers with a true end-to-end IoT platform. myDevices provides a progressive IoT software suite, Cayenne, which will make it quicker and easier for our customers to setup their smart devices and put their data to work. With an appealing user interface and powerful user-customizable dashboards, Cayenne will help Raveon in offering one of the most seamless architectures for IoT, SCADA and smart device monitoring applications.
It’s a murky world right now in the IoT industry. There are plenty of companies offering a piece of the IoT puzzle but there doesn’t seem to be anybody offering the whole pie. In an attempt to advance the industry forward with true end-to-end solutions, we’ve been vetting various software suits that could add value to our wireless radio infrastructure. myDevices’ Cayenne IoT Project Builder and front-end data visualization tools are a perfect fit in a changing world where every customer needs to have full control over their system to customize it to their needs. “myDevices is pleased to collaborate with Raveon to provide a complete solution of tools to quickly bring IoT projects to life,” said Kevin Bromber, CEO of my Devices. “Our combined efforts provide developers with an out-of-the-box solution with M2M communication and IoT connections that will facilitate innovation in the healthcare, home, energy, public safety, industrial, transportation and retail markets.”
MyDevices develops middleware platforms that “simplify the connected world.” myDevices’ connectivity and device-agnostic technology empowers engineers and enterprise partners to easily develop and deploy IoT solutions into their existing infrastructure and business. The company also hosts a vibrant online community of IoT developers where users collaborate and share information. For more information, visit www.mydevices.com.
Raveon designs and manufactures wireless radios for the M2M and IoT industries. With a newly released line of LoRa products as well as Arduino and Raspberry Pi extension modules, Raveon aims to provide IoT device manufacturers, solution providers and systems integrators with all of the necessary hardware to get their devices to market. For more information about Raveon’s wireless data products, visit raveon.com/iot or call 1-760- 444-5995.
MyDevices and Raveon personnel are members of the LoRa Alliance, an open, non-profit association dedicated to promoting the LoRa protocol.


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Workplace strategy and office furnishing company Alfred Williams & Co., with S.C. offices in Columbia, Greenville and Charleston, has acquired Texas-based interior office design firm Workplace Resource.
The deal, finalized July 1, will form a combined company with annual revenue of more than $200 million, according to a news release from Alfred Williams. Austin-based Workplace Resource will add that market, along with San Antonio and Louisiana, to an Alfred Williams portfolio that also includes Charlotte and Nashville, Tenn.
“For more than 150 years, Alfred Williams & Co. has been driven by smart, creative and talented people,” Blount Williams, chairman and CEO of AWC, said in the release. “This expansion will help us fulfill our mission of defining, designing, and delivering spaces that matter, something that takes on even more significance as employees return to offices across the country. This acquisition opens up new regions for us to increase revenues while offering the same excellent customer service and quality products our customers have come to expect.”
Alfred Williams, one of Herman Miller’s largest North American dealers and a partner for DIRTT Environmental Solutions, will continue to offer the line of products supplied by both AWC and Workplace Resource, and all Workplace Resource employees will be retained, according to the release.
“Our succession strategy included a critical list of characteristics we believed would ensure long-term success for our employees,” Virginia Visser, who served as principal for Workforce Resource, said. “Alfred Williams & Co. checks every box, as a highly respected business who cares deeply about their employees and communities. The cultural alignment between our organizations is simply remarkable. We are extremely excited for the future this transition creates for Workplace Resource team members.”


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KOLKATA: Dining out may not pinch your pocket this Puja. Most Kolkata restaurants, which usually hike their rates in the lead-up to the festival, have decided to defer their annual price revision this year. With GST having lowered tax on food bill from 20.5% to 18%, encouraging people to spend more while eating out, the economies of scale have made it possible to stick to the prevailing prices, the restaurants say.
The eateries are also reaping the benefits of input credit or tax concession on investments and recurring expenses that was introduced with GST in July.
Around 50% of restaurants in the city effect a price rise in September to offset inflation. The hike varies between 5% and 10%. “But this year, the GST has made it possible to avoid the hike. While our patrons are spending more on food and drink following the GST slide, we are saving around 20% through input credit. So, it makes sense to let our customers enjoy the tax benefit for some more time, especially when we are being able to offset the inflation through the input credit,” said Sudesh Poddar, owner of Song Hai and president of the Hotel and Restaurants’ Association of Eastern India (HRAEI).
Input credit allows restaurants a tax reduction on all expenses, including food material and recurring costs like cutlery, air-conditioning, paper and even printer cartridges. “So far, we received a tax rebate on food material, but now it extends to everything we buy for the restaurant, which is a substantial relief,” added Poddar. Mocambo and Peter Cat on Park Street are among those which have decided against a pre-Puja hike. “We are keen to let our patrons enjoy the GST benefit. Pujas are a time when people love to dine out and they should be allowed to enjoy the tax slide. In any case, people are spending more on food now which helps us,” said owner Nitin Kothari.Oasis, another popular Park Street restaurant, has also decided to keep its prices unchanged. “The input credit has let us offset the inflation to a great extent. Also, lower taxes are making people spend more so we are not losing out,” said owner Pratap Daryanani.
Chilli’s, however, is contemplating a price revision this month, but may lower the cost of some food items, said owner Hrishi Bajoria. The restaurant is also planning to do away with the 10% optional service charge that it now levies. “Prices of vegetables have risen manifold over the last few months, making it very difficult to sustain with the existing rates. We have not revised our prices for the last two-and-half years. But yes, the GST benefit has been a boon for the industry and we are trying our best to allow our customers enjoy it longer. So, the rise will be marginal and we are looking at reducing the prices of some dishes,” said Bajoria.
The input credit benefit, however, is a negligible one, feel restaurateurs. “If you consider the inflation, then it just about sets it off,” Bajoria said. Kothari agreed. “The way inflation is going, this benefit will be negated soon,” he said.
Bar-B-Q and One Step Up on Park Street, too, will be holding on to the same prices till the pujas. “We have decided to wait and watch since the GST has just made eating out more affordable. But since we must consider the inflation-induced price rise, an upward revision is not being ruled out. But we are going to wait till at least the pujas,” said owner Rajiv Kothari.


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The LANG Companies, Inc. helps sponsor the 2016 Romp’n Rally Pet Walk in Sussex Village Park
WAUKESHA, Wis. April 28, 2016 – The LANG Companies, Inc. and associates are joining together to give back to their community by sponsoring the Humane Animal Welfare Society’s 33rd annual pet walk, Romp’n Rally, kicking off on Saturday, May 7, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in Sussex Village Park. The LANG Companies, Inc. will also donate 1% of the net proceeds from each item sold at the event and online starting Saturday, May 7th through Sunday, May 8th.
“We are very excited to help sponsor the HAWS event this year,” stated Amy Hanson, Retail & Mobile Marketing Manager for LANG. “This will be out first outdoor event of the summer, and what’s better than to have it be in our very own community.” “LANG has long been creating animal art inspired gift & specialty products so we are pleased to be able to offer fellow animal lovers an opportunity to shop while supporting the HAWS organization.”
LANG will be featuring an assortment of animal art inspired products from calendars, mugs, stationery and puzzles which can also be found online at www.LANG.com.


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Retail store closures continue in the United States:
“So far, 7,062 store closures have been announced by U.S. retailers this year, according to a tracking done by Coresight Research. And the tally could top 12,000 by the end of 2019, setting a new record, Coresight says. Last year, Coresight tracked 5,524 store closures, down more than 30% from an all-time high of 8,139 closures announced in 2017.”
P.S. The future looks bright for Walmart. Are you ready to continue doing business with this evolving retailer? Get in touch with us today to schedule a consultation with one of our experts.


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“(Russell’s) played at an All-Star level,” LeVert said. “Everybody wants to play with a great point guard, a great floor general, and he’s put himself in that conversation for sure. That lessens the load for a guy like Kevin Durant or another superstar who wants to come play with us.“They don’t want to be the only one on the team, so that’s very attractive that D’Angelo has elevated himself to that level to play with.”The Nets have exceeded expectations this season and entered play Sunday in seventh place of the Eastern Conference standings with a 38-36 record. Russell is averaging a team-high 20.7 points and 6.9 assists while shooting 36.6 percent from 3-point range in 2018-19. Warriors’ Kevin Durant says everyone’s trying to push Dirk Nowitzki out of NBA Caris LeVert thinks Kevin Durant should consider signing with the Nets.The 30-year-old forward can opt out of his contract and become a free agent after this season. LeVert, the third-year wing, said his team has all the pieces to lure Durant to Brooklyn. “I don’t think superstars, especially Kevin (Durant), want to be the one who has to carry the whole team, the full load on his own,” LeVert told the New York Post. “He’s in his 30s now, so he definitely wants to go to a team that has a good core, has a good culture, has good guys on the team, and we fit all those categories.”Nets guard D’Angelo Russell, who made his first career All-Star team in 2018-19, will give Durant a tour of Brooklyn during the Warriors star’s new video series “Fly By,” according to the Post. LeVert said Russell’s improved play could be a major selling point to impending free agents. Related News “It speaks to not only what we’ve done this season as a team, but to what D’Angelo has done on the court and also being a leader off the court that guys like Kevin Durant want to be close to him and a part of what he’s doing,” LeVert said.Meanwhile, LeVert is fourth on the team in scoring at 13.1 points per game.
Help wanted: Busy chiropractic office needs a professional, team-oriented, multi-tasking, energetic, dependable assistant with positive attitude.Â Position involves organizing workload, attention to detail, andÂ handling busy reception area.Â Customer service and phone skills a must.Â Previous experience with therapy desirable but not required.Â Email resume to [email protected]
DES MOINES — Another proposal to alter the state’s “bottle bill” has emerged in the Iowa Senate.For decades, legislators have debated making changes in the system that charges a deposit fee on bottles and cans of alcohol and carbonated beverages. For years, the stores that sell those beverages have objected to being the place customers go with their empties to get their nickels back.Pam Mackey-Taylor, a lobbyist for the Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club, said the group opposes major changes.“We like the convenience of the grocery stores and convenience stores and the accessibility throughout the state, including in rural communities,” she said during a senate subcommittee hearing yesterday.But a bill that got its first hearing at the statehouse Wednesday would let grocery stores and convenience stores exit the redemption business. Brad Epperly, a lobbyist for the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, said retailers spend a lot to process the empties.“We devote square footage. We devote people. We have to do extraordinary cleaning measures…because this is where you buy your groceries,” Epperly said. “There are convenience stores in this state that have to rent space because they have no where to put them.”The proposal a panel of three senators reviewed would raise the fee paid to recycling or “redemption” centers from one penny to two pennies out of the five cent deposit on each can. Troy Willard owns the “Can Shed” with locations in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. He told the senators that increase in the handling fee is badly needed.“I would say most redemption center owners also have that concern about convenience,” he said, “as far as whether there would be enough redemption centers pop up to replace retail.”The businesses that bottle and distribute the pop and beer also say the current system is unfair, but they oppose the bill. Senator Mark Segebart of Vail said going 40 years without making improvements to the “bottle bill” makes no sense.“As a farmer, you have to adjust things all the time,” he said. “The rule is don’t over adjust. If you adjust 10 things on a piece of equipment, you don’t know what you did that fixed it, so this is a fairly simple bill. It’ll fix a couple of little pieces. It won’t fix everything. But guess what? I’ll be back next year.”Segebart, gesturing with a nearly empty can of pop, told the crowd at Wednesday’s hearing there will be adjustments in his bill. And groups involved in this decades-long debate over the “bottle bill’s” fate say they’re working to develop other alternatives, too.


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The Great Recession was a worldwide phenomenon and the largest global downturn since the Great Depression. It lasted in the US from December 2007 until June 2009, and the economic contraction resulted in two straight years of declines in US ad spending. More than 10 years later, as the new coronavirus spreads around the world, the US faces what looks to be another recession.
What happened to ad spending during the Great Recession?
In 2008 and again in 2009, spending on US advertising declined—including an almost 18% drop in spending in 2009. With many businesses in financial distress and consumers keeping wallets shut, marketers were forced to be conservative.
Why was digital advertising a relative bright spot in 2007-2009?
Digital ad spending declined in 2009 as well, but only by single digits—and that was after eking out an increase in spending in 2008. At the time, digital was a relatively small share of total ad budgets, and digital advertising was still playing catch-up in terms of its share of ad spending vs. consumer attention. Digital’s measurability made it attractive to frugal marketers looking to drive performance.
How is the situation today similar or different?
Digital is now a more significant chunk of budgets. The nature of this downturn is different, with supply and demand shocks—many of which may not be felt yet or at all, depending on the course of the pandemic and governments’ responses to it. And not only do consumers spend more time online and with mobile devices than they did a decade ago, their media usage habits are evolving in the face of large-scale social distancing.
WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report provides a look back at our estimates of US ad spending during the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and how we revised our outlook over time. We also discuss what is and isn’t applicable to the coronavirus pandemic.
KEY STAT: During the Great Recession, US ad spending declined for two years in a row—the first time that’s happened since 1940. But the bounce back turned out to be swifter than we expected when we were in the trough of the recession.
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The designers Ksenia and Anton Schnaider present KSENIASCHNAIDER FW 2020 collection. For the new season, the designers together with their team created KSENIASCHNAIDER multifunctional wardrobe – special clothing for tech intellectuals who exist beyond hype.
Gigi Hadid was recently spotted in KSENIASCHNAIDER upcycled cardigan leaving left Le Royal Monceau hotel during Paris Fashion Week.
As the new decade unfolds the KSENIASCHNAIDER team has been thinking of ways to optimise the wholesale experience for buyers and to lessen the carbon footprint. Thus in Pre-Fall 2020 we launching a test version of digital showroom experience for our buyers, who won’t be able to make it to our physical stand in Paris.
the KSENIASCHNAIDER asymmetrical jeans as the most significant event in July 2019 according to LYST year in fashion
Best Fashion Awards 2019 committee has awarded Ksenia and Anton Schnaider with two titles.


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September 12, 2011 (Canton, Mass.) – Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, today announced a multi-season sponsorship with ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. The deal gives Dunkin’ Donuts exclusive rights to Field Pass segments that air during each Monday Night Countdown telecast. Field Pass takes fans to the field and gives them an inside look at how the players are preparing for the game. The segment uses different cameras on and around the field to give fans a unique look at the activity and player preparation as kickoff approaches.
Monday Night Countdown, one of ESPN’s highest rated shows, features host Chris Berman and NFL analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen and NFL Insider Adam Schefter who review Sunday's games, look ahead to the Monday Night Football matchup and give fans an update on the latest league news. Stuart Scott, Trent Dilfer and Steve Young also contribute to the 90-minute show from the site of that night's Monday night game, along with ESPN’s on-site reporter with all the latest news on the competing teams. “Dunkin’ Donuts long-time association with sports and its new connection with ESPN's Field Pass make a perfect match,” said Ed Erhardt, president of Customer Marketing and Sales at ESPN. “We are thrilled to have them as a partner with Monday Night Countdown.”
“The sponsorship makes perfect sense for our brand as the Dunkin’ Donuts Field Pass will give our brand unique visibility during one of ESPN’s most popular programs”, said John Costello, Chief Global Marketing and Innovation Officer at Dunkin’ Brands. “America Runs on Dunkin’ and certainly the country’s interest in professional footballhas never been greater.”
Currently, Dunkin’ Donuts has regional sponsorships with the New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.
The sponsorship will provide Dunkin’ Donuts with select advertising opportunities during Footballtelecasts throughout the season. Additionally, Dunkin’ Donuts and ESPN will expand the Field Pass program to include various online and social media channels. Details regarding these components will be unveiled in the coming months. The sponsorship was negotiated by Hill Holliday, the advertising agency of record for Dunkin’ Donuts,
For more information about Dunkin’ Donuts, please visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/DunkinDonuts).
About Dunkin' Donuts
Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts is America's favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin' Donuts is a market leader in the regular/decaf coffee, iced coffee, hot flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin' Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for five years running. The company has more than 9,700 restaurants in 31 countries worldwide. In 2010, Dunkin' Donuts' global system-wide sales were $6 billion. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: DNKN). For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.
Gift the Joy of Donuts with Dunkin’®: “Free Donut Wednesdays” Return with the Debut of the Holiday Menu
November 01, 2023
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Dunkin’® Joy in Childhood Foundation® Distributes $4.3 Million in Grants to 224 Organizations Across the Country
October 12, 2023


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Top up agents and subscribers of the Airtel brand has expressed shock, dismay and frustration over the company’s poor mobile networks, coupled with lack of top up cards and electronic vouchers on the market and failure to adequately inform the public.
Mohamed Sesay, a top up seller along Siaka Steven Street in Freetown, says “ Airtel mobile company has put him out of business for the past couple of days and his family is suffering at home because his earning has reduced to feed the home”.
“I am married with three kids and usually spend Le 15,000.00 on food out of my daily profits, but since Airtel top up cards and the electronic voucher blocked, sales have dropped considerably and profit margins have declined drastically, so is my spending spree on food at home.”
He said ‘we the top up agents have not been adequately informed about the situation and we have faced serious embarrassment from our customers’ additionally stating that Airtel has not treated us as responsible agents in this country.
Sesay says, “Airtel management should explain to the public about the top up situation so as to avert economic and social crisis for subscribers of the Airtel brand”.
Cross-section of subscribers interviewed by this reporter expressed dismay over the non- utilization of bought top up cards for its intended purpose.
One Airtel subscriber, John Sesay said, “I was shocked to realize that the top up cards, I bought cannot be activated on my sim which created an embarrassment to my clients, as I have several businesses in Freetown and the provinces and I need to contact them”. Airtel is the only company in some of the areas, he said.
He also queried the company for not sending a simple text message to us the subscribers to inform us about the situation.
Our sources at Airtel Headquarters disclosed that their systems are faced with technical problems and progress is being made to address the situation by the technicians.
However, some of the Airtel staff at the operations department have in recent times expressed concerns over poor conditions of service and had to down tools for hours, accusing the Managing Director of lack of respect for Sierra Leonean staff.


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For those on the hunt for a pair of practical yet chic shoes that also do some good in the world, Alice + Whittles may provide the answer. The Geneva-based brand has launched a new website in conjunction with an expanded rubber-footwear collection for fall ’15.
The brand has also partnered with nine international artists in a push to illustrate its commitment to working with artisans. Alice + Whittles co-founder Sofi Khwaja told Footwear News that the site is designed to be a digital reflection of what the brand is doing daily.
Alice + Whittles, which was founded in 2014, employs ethical and transparent practices to create its shoes, including using natural rubber because it’s both more durable and planet-friendly. “Keeping rubber trees in the ground is also a huge carbon sink,” says Khwaja. “So it has a positive environmental impact.”
Alice + Whittles produces its rubber shoes and boots in Sri Lanka, a country that has a long history of rubber production. “It’s not about charity — it’s about empowering and creating a self-sufficient community by giving people the tools to move forward, allowing them to define their own needs and, as a result, having long-term effects,” says Khwaja.
Khwaja says the decision to widen the rubber-footwear category came from necessity. “When we looked to our own suitcases, we saw a real need to expand on the essential rubber shoes because there weren’t a lot of great options that reflected our aesthetic and ethical sensibilities when it came to fall shoes.”
Her favorite style? The brand’s black-and-white ankle boot, which retails for $180. “It can take us from a variety of climates with ease, whether it’s the forests of Sri Lanka or the streets of Geneva and Toronto.”
On Wednesday, Alice + Whittles launched its new website after working with digital artists and designers. “Now, when people visit our site, they can explore the significance of the work we are doing in an online space and not just through our product alone.”
The site goes beyond being a place to purchase the brand’s shoes, Khwaja says — the brand hopes customers get a better understanding of how exactly their purchases can affect others. “Whether they connect with us through our products or the artists we showcase on the site, we want people to feel that they are a part of an intricate fabric and that they can inspire change through their purchasing decisions.”


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A north-east businesswoman has won a top accolade.
Kate Stott, owner of beauty app BeautyBooker was awarded the title of Scottish Business Woman of the Year at the National Business Women’s Awards in London.
The entrepreneur, who started her company earlier this year, developed the innovative and unique app which allows clients to book into their favourite salons at their convenience.
Providing customers with easy-to-book appointments, all at the touch of a button, she has taken out the stress of clients having to find a salon with an available appointment.
The awards celebrate hardworking and enterprising businesswomen nationally.


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They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but that person probably didn’t imagine artificial intelligence, better known as AI.
We’ve featured a few stories here in the past about how AI is changing everything from the actual composition of your photos to telling you how you can take better photos or even taking those “better” photos for you itself, but we’ve yet to stumble upon a photo contest judged by AI – until now.
The Huawei “Spark the Renaissance” photography competition will be judged by artificial intelligence in a gimmick that is part cyberpunk dystopia and part reality.
But don’t worry, just in case you were thinking of entering your photo, your entry won’t be wholly at the whims of our future robot overlords: A Leica photography representative, Alex Lambrechts, will also be doing the honors of evaluating the competition’s submissions.
Billed as the world’s first photography competition judged by an AI, “Spark the Renaissance” will accept photo entries from photographers via an innovative chatbot on Facebook Messenger according to Photography Blog.
CMO Huawei Western Europe Andrew Garrihy described the process for judging the photos: “We have trained the AI in our P20 Pro smartphone to understand what makes an amazing photo…This innovation is helping us to identify emerging creative talent across Europe and showcase their photography potential to others.”
The competition will start accepting submissions on July 12, 2018, and ends after eight weeks. There will be different themes for the photos submitted including A New Renaissance, After Dark, and Deep in Detail, among others.
Winners will receive a Huawei P20 Pro and will be entered to win a chance to travel to Florence, Italy, often credited as the birthplace of the renaissance in Europe, where they will receive a photography masterclass courtesy of Leica.
There will be another round of photography judging after the masterclass in Florence where photographers will then have an opportunity to win a grand tour of Europe.