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Accra Brewery Limited (ABL), producers of the cassava beer, Eagle Lager, has presented equipment support for winners of the National Best Cassava Farmer and the Regional Best Cassava Farmers for the Volta and Eastern Regions.
The donation of a power tiller and two motor carts are valued at approximately GHC 27, 000. This follows an initial donation of 240 cases of assorted drinks by ABL in September 2013, to refresh award winners of this year’s Farmers Day celebrations. The latest package to support cassava farmers include 70 cases of Eagle Lager, ABL’s cassava beer and branded polo shirts.
Additionally, ABL together with its partner, DADTCO Cassava Processing Ghana Limited, would organise special parties for cassava farmers in Kwamanso in the Eastern Region and Kpokpolti in the Volta Region on Friday, 6th December 2013.
“This is a special donation to signify our appreciation of the value we have placed on the cassava famers who since the beginning of this year have been supplying us with the cassava for our latest brand, Eagle Lager”, said ABL Supply Chain Director, Mr Richard Edzeame.
He noted, “Our Company, through research and valued support from SAB Miller Plc. and the government of Ghana, launched the Eagle Lager, which uses 70% of Ghanaian Cassava purchased through our partners DADTCO Cassava Processing Ghana Limited, this year.”
According to Mr Edzeame, “The Eagle lager initiative has created what we call a “virtuouscycle” - consumers can afford consistently high quality beer; our smallholder cassava farmers have a guaranteed market for their crop; and the government realises increased revenues as people trade up into formal, taxable alcohol consumption. We are most grateful to the Government for their foresight in recognising the enormous socio-economic potential of this initiative.”
ABL’s decision to introduce local brands produced with mainly local materials such as the Eagle Lager Beer and Chibuku Shake Shake, is ample proof of SABMiller’s track record of using local raw materials in many of the markets where it operates. The idea is to support local agriculture.
“It is worthy to mention that the World Economic Forum's New Vision for Agriculture, of which SAB Miller is a member, builds collaboration to help agriculture become a driver of food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity. We at Accra Brewery will do more if the conditions are right,” Mr Edzeame stressed.
The two deputies of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Hannah Bissiw and Dr. Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan received the items on behalf of the farmers. They expressed their sincere gratitude towards the gesture stating that this year’s donations have seen a tremendous improvement from previous years.
But Dr Bissiw said the Ministry would still be glad to receive more items from corporate Ghana. “We believe that this would go a long way to greatly facilitate the work of our famers and ultimately translate into improved yields, and make farming more attractive to many people. Our economy stands to gain.”


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We’re thrilled to introduce the Podcast Advertising Industry Summit, our first-ever virtual summit on June 30 from 1 pm to 3 pm EST.
Update on April 22, 2020
Since our original post in March (at the bottom of this page), we’ve continued to track the podcast listening trends across the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below you can see how overall listening and category listens have adjusted in the last month across the US, Europe, wItaly and Spain.
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve signed a new agreement with Nielsen today for the use of Nielsen Audience Segments. With this contract, both advertisers who utilize Voxnest Audience Network and podcast publishers on Spreaker, a Voxnest brand, will utilize the integrated data in order to achieve a richer understanding of podcast listeners, get specific with audience targeting, and drive better advertising outcomes overall.
Introducing The State of the Podcast Universe 2019
It’s been nothing short of a banner year for the podcasting industry. While podcasts were gaining some serious steam in 2018, the explosion of growth and evolution of content this year truly took podcasting mainstream. With over 800,000 podcasts in existence and the industry on track to make $1 billion in ad revenue by 2021, there are a whole lot of factors to unpack when it comes to examining what caused podcasts to become part of more than 62 million listeners’ weekly routines this year.
In our report, we’ll unpack the biggest podcast industry breakthroughs of 2019:
- The “Hollywoodification” of podcasts takes the industry mainstream
- International podcast content thrives
- Programmatic advertising conversations rise above a whisper
And we’ll cover just about everything that’s been going on throughout the year, plus what we have to look forward to:
In the majority of the months that we’ve been covering the battle for podcast listeners between Apple and Spotify, we’ve seen both companies make serious investments and improvements to gain new users… until September. In last month’s update, we shared that Spotify was the only one who continued to make big moves in the podcasting department. However, it made sense considering that Apple’s new product releases occur most years in September. Yet, here we are detailing the happenings of October and Apple let another month go by without making any podcast countermoves.
We’re thrilled to reveal our new partnership today with Audion, an audio advertising technology company based in France. The collaboration will give podcasts in our network access to high quality audio ads via Audion’s advertising partners.
While, of course, Spotify and Apple aren’t the only places to listen to podcasts, it’s been incredibly interesting to watch the two audio giants duke it out for listeners during a year of immense growth in the industry. We started reporting on the battle in March – based on the listener data from Voxnest Audience Network – and with nearly each month’s update, we’ve seen one (or typically both) of the companies make pretty significant acquisitions, platform improvements and announcements.
Audio technology company Voxnest is proud to announce the partnership between their podcasting platform, Spreaker, and StreetLib, an Italy-based digital book distributor. The two companies are partnering in order for their podcasters and book publishers to easily develop a secondary medium to spread their stories even further.
Regardless of who you are or what you do, there’s a pretty solid chance that you’re aware of the increasing number of podcasts at your fingertips. But, the average joe might not be aware of just how much growth the podcast industry is experiencing. Yes, according to Chartable, there are 700,000+ podcasts out there; but the more staggering statistic that truly showcases the industry’s explosiveness – and helps to legitimize it – is that, as reported on by The Verge, podcasting is expected to hit $1 billion in revenue by 2021.

domain: news


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Autobytel Inc. abtl said Wednesday evening it has decided not to pursue a sale of the company as one of its strategic alternatives, but will continue to review possible acquisitions and partnership opportunities. The Internet automotive marketing services company also named James Riesenbach president and chief executive, effective March 20. Riesenbach will join the board when he assumes the roles. He once served as senior vice president of AOL's search and directional media group, said Autobytel. Rick Post, who was Autobytel's president and CEO, will remain a director.
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The South Korean automaker is all gearing up to introduce the next-gen Hyundai Tucson, which has been spied testing several times in foreign countries.
Due to its small size, the previous-gen Hyundai Tucson was not popular in North America and other international markets. The new Tucson will measure much greater than the outgoing version. Actually, it is expected to come with a long wheelbase which supports a 7-seater layout. It has been recently reported that the new vehicle will still be a 5-seater SUV and the 7-seater model will not be launched in the foreseeable future.
The new-gen Hyundai Tucson is expected to borrow some cosmetic features from the Vision T concept, which was revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The test mule, despite being heavily camouflaged, reveals some important details about the SUV. Some of the highlights include a typical signature cascading front grille, a split headlight system, panoramic sunroof, redesigned diamond-cut alloy wheels, connected LED taillights and vertical exhaust vents. Particularly, the LED DRLs are positioned on the car top while the main projector headlights are located lower to the bumper. Although the spy images reveal nothing about the interior, the new Tucson is expected to be replete with some top-notch features which include a newly-designed dashboard and new seats.
The new-gen Hyundai Tucson has been spied testing several times, revealing some important traits about the SUV.
While the motor options of the new-gen Hyundai Tucson have yet to be revealed; nevertheless, they are expected to come with greater electrification amount. A full-hybrid variant is also expected to be introduced to the international market. The new Hyundai Tucson is expected to be revealed in August 2020 and officially be launched in India next year. The South Korean auto manufacturer will also introduce the long-anticipated next-gen i20 in September 2020 and the Hyundai Creta 7-seater in the late 2020 or early 2021.
The new-gen Hyundai Tucson is likely to be launched in India next year.


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THE arrival of the new 09 number plates has failed to revive the ailing car industry, figures published yesterday revealed.
For the second year in a row, registrations of new cars plummeted, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which recorded a 30.5% slip in sales during March compared to the previous 12-month period.
The society said that last month, 313,912 new cars were logged as “sold” by dealers, but in 2008 more than 450,000 new models were registered.
Typically, March is the busiest month for new car registrations but the measure – which is seen as a barometer of the economy – has been hit by a lack of confidence in the market, created by the global financial crisis.
Car sales also took a hit, according to the SMMT.
The organisation said that the number of deals brokered on new models fell by 29.7% – 5% less than its prediction – making it likely the 2009 end-of-year-sales figure will slip below 1.7million.
Car dealers in Wales said that in order to halt the industry’s decline, a scrappage scheme should be introduced by the Government.
It would offer car owners a financial incentive to get rid of their old vehicles and replace them with greener models.
Mark Jenkins, managing director of James and Jenkins Garage in Llandaff North, Cardiff, said: “A scrappage scheme is the only way forward. People would feel they were getting a discount; it would get old cars that emit lots of gases off the roads and bring customers through the doors of car dealers.”
The initiative has worked well in other countries and has contributed towards a 40% surge in new car sales in Germany.
Mr Jenkins, who has operated his firm for nearly 25 years, added: “For us, things have been positive, as we sell nearly-new cars which can lead to savings of around £8,000 on the ticket price of a new model.
“We averaged about 100 sales last month, but in general, in the last six months the industry has had it hard, and a scheme like this could help.”
Peter Marshall, marketing director of the capital’s Mazda dealership, added: “The need to get drivers into smaller, low-emission cars can benefit the industry and the environment, by getting old environment-pollution cars off the road and driving business.”
However, Mr Marshall warned that in Germany only motorists wishing to update cars more than nine years old benefited from the scheme, which can see car-owners receive around 2,500 (£2,000) to trade in their vehicles.
He added that in the last quarter, between January and March, sales staff at the Cardiff dealership had been hitting all of their targets.
The only bright note amid the gloom in last month’s figures was the rise of the small cars section in the market.
Sales of vehicles like Ford Fiestas, Vauxhall Corsas and Ford Focuses were the best-selling models for the fifth consecutive month during March, and the sector as a whole witnessed an 84% increase in sales.
Diesel cars accounted for 43.4% of the market – up 3% compared to March 2008.
SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: “March new-car registrations are a barometer of confidence in the economy, from businesses and consumers alike. The fall in the market shows that the Government needs to do more to boost confidence.
“A scrappage scheme will provide the incentive needed and the evidence is clear that schemes already implemented across Europe do work to increase demand. The UK is the only major European market not to implement a scheme.”
A second report, also published on Monday, reinforced the need to support Britain’s new-car market.
Insurer Salaam Halal said the number of people planning to buy a new car had slumped by 40% since January 2007. It also discovered that nearly half of drivers questioned – 44% – are changing their driving habits to cut back on fuel.
Around 34% said they planned to increase their use of public transport, while 9% said they had joined car-sharing schemes to make savings on journeys to work.


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European shares up for week, hopes remain for recovery plan
EU leaders do not sign recovery plan, aim for deal in July
European shares closed higher on Friday, with defensive plays leading gains as investors remained hopeful that a massive stimulus package will soon be passed even though EU leaders made little progress in negotiations. A proposed rescue package worth €1.85 trillion was discussed at a summit by video-conference, and the leaders agreed to meet in person in mid-July to haggle and get a long-term budget across the line.
“With France, Germany, Italy and Spain all behind the idea, we think it will ultimately be agreed,” Capital Economics wrote in a client note. “But the frugal four (Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden) are still resisting a scheme based on grants rather than loans.”
The Iseq traded flat on the day, closing at 6,174 and under-performing its European peers. It was mixed day for financials with Permanent TSB rising 6 per cent to 53 cent, AIB trading up marginally at €1.13 and Bank of Ireland falling 1 per cent to €1.78. Banks have been among the hardest-hit shares in the current crisis amid concern it may trigger a spike in loan defaults. Ryanair capped off a more positive week with shares increasing by 0.5 per cent to €11.50 as the airline planned to lift off again in July. Swiss-Irish baked goods specialist Aryzta,however, fell nearly 4 per cent to 40 cent as investor awaited a strategic review of the company’s operations. Packaging group Smurfit Kappa rose 2.3 per cent to €29.48 on hopes that European leaders will soon sign off on a major pandemic rescue package for lockdown-hit economies.
London shares rose on Friday as a sharp rebound in retail sales in May bolstered hopes of a swift economic recovery from a pandemic-driven slump, while energy shares tracked a gain in oil prices. Data on Friday showed retail sales volumes surged by a record 12 per cent in May amid an easing in the nationwide shutdown imposed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Food and beverage stocks were among the top gainers, and along with personal goods took the mid-cap FTSE 250 up 0.8 per cent.
As oil prices rose on OPEC+ agreeing to meet supply cut commitments, BP and Royal Dutch Shell rose 2 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively. Lenders Lloyds, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland, however, fell after Britain’s markets watchdog proposed extending consumer credit payment holidays by three months to support borrowers. The FTSE 100 gained 3 per cent on the week, rising for the fourth week in five as optimism globally around increasing business activity overshadowed concerns of further lockdowns.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index, which like other global markets has struggled in the face of new bouts of coronavirus infections in China and a number of other economies, rose 0.6 per cent. The Stoxx 600 index ended the week higher, recovering about 36 per cent from its March lows on massive stimulus and less-than-dire economic data. Traders are now betting on urgent action to haul coronavirus-hit European economies from the deepest recession since the second World War. Wirecard lost another 35.3 per cent, after plunging about 60 per cent on Thursday, as its chief executive quit amidst the German payments firm’s search for $2.1 billion of missing cash which hit a dead end in the Philippines and it scrambled to secure a financial lifeline from its banks. Lufthansa rose 3 per cent after its biggest shareholder, German billionaire Heinz Hermann Thiele, reached out to Berlin politicians for talks, newspaper Handelsblatt reported, the latest step in a standoff over the airline’s €9 billion bailout.
US stocks advanced on Friday with the tech-heavy Nasdaq hovering near a fresh record high on hopes of a rebound in business activity from a virus-driven downturn, with investors looking past new Covid-19 cases in several US states. The Nasdaq opened above its all-time closing high on June 10th, lifted by shares of the largest US companies by market capitalisation, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon. com. Still, the index, which is rising for the seventeenth time in 20 sessions was a touch away from a new intraday record. The benchmark S&P 500 and the blue-chip Dow are about 7 per cent and 11 per cent below their respective record closing highs hit in February. Oil prices rose above $40 a barrel amid signs of gradual recovery in demand and a promise by oil producers to meet supply cuts, pushing up the S&P energy sector by 1.4 per cent. AMC Entertainment Holdings jumped 5.6 per cent on plans to reopen theaters at about 450 locations in the United States next month and the company expects to return to full-seating capacity around Thanksgiving. - Additional reporting by Reuters


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Instacart workers will strike over lack of COVID-19 protections
They're requesting supplies like hand sanitizer and hazard pay.
Uber wants government to include drivers in coronavirus stimulus package
He also asked both Democrats and Republicans to re-examine federal labor laws.
Uber offers 14 days of financial assistance to drivers with COVID-19
And those placed in quarantine by a public health authority.
Activists form nonprofit to fight gig worker exploitation
They want better pay and conditions from the likes of Uber and Instacart.
Uber makes changes in California to brace for new gig worker law
Passengers won't see the price of their ride until the end of the trip.


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The BlackBerry advertisement beamed on Indian television tells of the growth of the brand in a country where half of its 1.2 billion population is busy chatting on mobile phones. From boardroom executives to university students to housewives, the ad portrays an India clamoring for its phones, and with good reason. Beyond the phone’s traditional enterprise customers, he BlackBerry Messenger is the "in" gadget for children in India’s large cities, while their parents lap up the BlackBerry handsets developed for the Indian market.
BlackBerry handsets are now available in more than 70 Indian cities, compared with just a handful just a year ago. There are now an estimated 1 million BlackBerry users in India, according to press reports. That’s good news for the balance sheet of Research in Motion (RIM), the Canadian company that produces the BlackBerry. But the tremendous growth in such a short time span has also spurred a delicate problem: How to handle national security concerns in a country that has suffered from several recent terrorist attacks involving mobile phones in one way or another. India’s government has given the company behind the BlackBerry, Research In Motion (RIM), until the end of next January to allow its national intelligence services full, real-time access to all services available on the device. That leaves RIM in a quandary.
But this isn’t an isolated case for RIM. Several other governments and regional institutions are reviewing BlackBerry services in their countries, all citing security fears over the level of encryption employed by RIM. The German government has banned politicians and civil servants from using the BlackBerry. The European Commission opted in early August for its staff to use Apple’s iPhone and HTC smartphones instead. Meanwhile, policy makers in the U.S. Sweden, Canada and the United Kingdom are debating or passing laws giving their enforcement agencies new powers of Internet surveillance, in many cases requiring communications-system providers to redesign products and services. More are passing data retention laws, requiring companies to hang on to customer data in case they need to be investigated later.
An Open Debate
But RIM says singling out its products is futile as people who misuse its Internet-encrypted technologies would simply migrate to numerous other alternatives. Authorities, however, retort that unlike other smartphones, whose services are handled locally by a service provider, BlackBerry messages are first encrypted and securely stored within the smartphone technology. They are then sent in an encrypted manner. A country-specific solution could be to install network connection points nationwide to handle the local data.
Earlier this year, RIM came under pressure in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, which threatened to cut off certain BlackBerry services for security reasons if the manufacturer did not give the government access to its technology. But while the UAE and Saudi confrontations have ended — seemingly to mutual satisfaction — the Indian debate remains open.
In India, the BlackBerry issue surfaced in early 2008 when the country’s Department of Telecommunication asked Tata Teleservices to delay the launch of its BlackBerry service until "appropriate security mechanisms" were in place. It also threatened to shut down the entire network in India if RIM didn’t provide access to its encrypted networks. Later that year, the government announced that it had decrypted the data on RIM’s networks, saying the intelligence could intercept Internet messages sent from the BlackBerry to non-BlackBerry devices. It was widely reported that RIM agreed in principle to allow the government to monitor BlackBerry’s "consumer mails," which have a lower level of encryption than its other types of mail. RIM declined to comment on the reports.
When the UAE raised security-related concerns earlier this summer, the issue heated up again in India. RIM stated that it would try to meet India’s security needs while ensuring its clients’ privacy by agreeing to a 60-day test to see if security agencies could tap its mail services, an Indian Home Ministry spokesperson told reporters. RIM also said the test would involve feeding a copy of all corporate emails sent through a server on a company’s premises to monitoring systems run by Internet service providers. And it offered to lead an industry-wide forum to find ways to balance India’s security needs with its customers’ privacy.
On August 12, RIM announced that the decision to provide carriers with capabilities to access data would be based on four principles. First, a carrier would have to observe the access and national security requirements set by the country. Second, the carrier’s demands must be "technology and vendor neutral," so RIM isn’t asked to do anything more than competitors. Third, it would not change the security architecture for BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Fourth, RIM maintained a "consistent global standard for lawful access requirements that does not include special deals for specific purposes."
In October, the case took another turn when India reportedly rejected a RIM proposal to allow government authorities limited access to its network. RIM said it would continue to work with India "within the framework of the core principles.
The government extended the initial October 31 deadline by 90 days to give it time to assess RIM’s proposals. While RIM has not commented on what has transpired since its update in August, India’s home ministry said the company has already granted the government manual access to its messenger service and promised automated access by January 1.
While India is keen to get its hands on the encrypted email services through RIM’s enterprise servers, the company says it can’t oblige because only individual businesses offering the service to their employees have the ability to grant such access. That’s where the issue stalls. But it’s widely believed that the two sides will come to a solution as RIM has done with other governments. "We are working with Indian officials and we don’t disclose the details of the talks," Frenny Bawa, RIM’s managing director for India told a reporter recently. "Suffice it to say that we are quite bullish that the outcome will be positive."
What will RIM have to part with to satisfy a government sensitive about use of technology? In September, Canadian Trade Minister Peter Van Loan said Canada’s police were allowed to intercept telephone and other forms of communications by obtaining a warrant from a judge and India’s demand for access to BlackBerry encrypted data was similar to the access Canadian security agencies had.
It boils down to India’s government wanting RIM to deploy an interception server in India, says Gurpreet Dhillon, professor of information security at Virginia Commonwealth University. This has to be done with an Indian service provider and include a definitive tracking system, he says. It is relatively easier for Indian authorities to gain access to data from Indian service providers than from RIM, he adds.
While RIM says it will provide data just as it does to the Canadian police, but Indian officials remain unhappy. According to Dhillon, it would ultimately be easier for authorities to monitor suspect individuals continuously, rather than receive piecemeal information from RIM.
If Indian authorities install network connection points nationwide, Dhillon says, they could be used less for tracking individuals and their phone calls and data, rather than for insight into overall usage patterns in order to detect anomalous behavior. But Dhillion adds wonder who else will fall under scrutiny. "Are [India’s authorities] going to require Google and Yahoo to do the same? Or are they going to go the China and Saudi Arabia route where all Internet traffic has to pass through government-controlled filters?" he asks.
The outcome is important for RIM in a country that adds 16 million new mobile subscribers every month and still has only half the country’s population covered. A shutdown of its services, which would likely cause RIM to lose customers, would certainly dampen its growth strategy in India. Its current one million user base is likely to grow now that it has launched a prepaid service — nearly 97% of the overall Indian market is prepaid subscribers. But it is the prepaid services that its government is worried about, given that’s the service terrorists have used in the past.


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To commemorate the release of Lazaretto, Jack’s sold out show at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles tomorrow night, June 10th, will be livestreamed as part of NPR’s First Listen Live series. The broadcast will begin at 9:30pm PT/12:30am ET at NPR.org and will be available to view worldwide.
Watch a stream of Jack's release day show at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood last night at NPR.org. Don't forget to purchase Jack's new album Lazaretto which is available worldwide now:
Also, Jack will sit down with Kevin & Bean tomorrow, June 12th, at 7:05am PT to discuss his new album and perform a few songs for a special live session on KROQ LA. Listen on the radio and online, plus watch a stream at www.KROQ.com/webcast.
Jack is pleased to announce new Summer & Fall US tour dates. A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be available to Vault members today at 11am PT/1pm CT/2pm ET, with general on-sale beginning June 13th at 10am local time for all shows besides Boston. Vault pre-sale tickets for Boston will be available on June 17th at 10am ET and general on-sale will begin on June 20th at 10am ET.
Tomorrow, June 11th, Jack will stop by to chat with good friend Conan O’Brien and perform on his show Conan on TBS at 11pm ET/10pm CT.
Also, don’t forget to watch Jack’s NPR Music First Listen Live concert stream from the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood tonight at 9:30pm PT.
Watch Jack’s official music video for title track “Lazaretto" directed by Jonas & François.
Trouble viewing? Click here.
In celebration of the new music video, the 7” vinyl single of “Lazaretto,” featuring the exclusive non-album b-side cover of Elvis Presley’s “Power of My Love,” is now available for pre-order and will be officially on-sale and shipping on June 9th. This 45 RPM record comes in a gorgeous sleeve which nicely complements and continues the visual artwork theme started with the Blunderbuss series of singles.
Jack is also excited to announce that he will be returning to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC after appearing alongside Neil Young a few weeks ago. Jack will take to the couch and stage on Monday, June 9th at 11:35pm ET/PT ahead of Lazaretto’s release the next day.
Additionally, Jack’s Governors Ball performance on June 7th in New York City will be broadcast by SiriusXM on ALT NATION and online at siriusxm.com. For more information regarding the broadcast, channels and times, go to www.siriusxm.com/governorsball.
Lazaretto is currently streaming on iTunes in its entirety. Pre-order the album on iTunes and receive "High Ball Stepper", "Lazaretto" and "Just One Drink” instantly. Lazaretto is also available for pre-order on ULTRA LP vinyl and CD.
Starting tomorrow through Lazaretto release week, fans can get a special hands-on sneak preview of the Lazaretto ULTRA LP at select record stores around the world. A full list of participating stores is below. Stop by to see the ULTRA LP in all it’s glory!
Lazaretto is out June 9th/10th and available for pre-order now.


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An extreme engineer hopes his jet-powered hearse will lay the existing world record to rest.
The souped-up 1992 Ford Cardinal - named Dead Quick - is capable of reaching speeds of 200mph (322kmh), its creator claims.
Matt Mckeown is aiming to smash the current record of 115mph (185kmh).
Mr Mckeown, who already holds the Guinness World Record for riding a jet-propelled shopping trolley, is taking the hearse for its maiden spin later.
He said he has "never driven it before" but will be testing it out at Cheltenham's Prescott Hill Climb.
'New lease of life'
Mr McKeown bought Dead Quick after it was retired from active service last year.
Since then, he said, the vehicle has been given a "new lease of life", with an ex-RAF jet powered provost engine, racing seat and roll cage.
"A hearse makes a perfect shape for a land speed vehicle it's aerodynamic, long, thin, steady with a wedge back end," said Mr McKeown.
"Dead Quick's good for 200mph but this is a work in progress. We've got another more powerful engine we can put in but we're going to engineer all the suspension and brakes first and then we'll go for more power."
The current Guinness World Record for the fastest speed in a hearse is 186.04 km/h (115.60 mph) and was achieved by Australian Shane Hammond in Tasmania in 2010.
Ahead of Mr McKeown's record bid this summer, Dead Quick is being put through its paces in "low speed tests" at Prescott Bike Festival.
"I've never driven it before, the furthest I've ever driven it was getting it off a trailer and putting it on a starting grid," he said.
"I've never actually turned the wheel with the jet engine running, that's going to happen for the first time on Sunday."


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3D printed drones in India
According to Sridhar Balaram, Co-Founder, and Director, Poeir Jets, “We are happy to announce the launch of the 4 variants of these commercially viable Drone variants for global markets and India. Our expertise in 3D printing has come to the fore in developing these unique designs to address specific requirements. In line with our success in indigenously developed Microjet Engines, we see drones as presenting the next big opportunity in modern-day aviation.”
This entry was posted in 3D Printing hobby products and design., 3D Printing industry news., 3D Printing Market share., SV3DPrinter.com Policy. and tagged 3D printed drones in India, Drone, INDIA., Microjet Engines, MJE 20 and MJE 40, Poeir Jets, Sridhar Balaram, The market by 2021.


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Microsoft’s director of technical strategies Andre Vrignaud has predicted that Sony will launch a cut-price 40GB PS3 this Q4 in an effort to maintain competitiveness in the next-gen console war.
Speaking to N’Gai Croal at Level Up, Vrignaud stated: A single, $599 SKU would be untenable – if they don’t move significant hardware this holiday they’ll basically be dead for this generation.
My prediction is that you’re going to see the creation of a new, low-end SKU this holiday. It’ll likely remove integrated wi-fi, memory card reader, and most controversially, all backward compatibility.
You’ll see a new wi-fi dongle made available. And finally, this low-end SKU will likely come with a smaller 40 GB hard drive. The low-end price will be set at $399, with the higher-end 80 GB SKU dropping to $499.”
He concluded by predicting an October launch. We shall see.


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While the traditional garden showcases will still be in abundance, the main attraction to this year’s Home & Garden Show will be the unveiling of several new events, including a pet zone and a pamper zone.
The pet zone will feature animals up for adoption through The Humane Society of Weld County, according to Matt Finn, advertising sales consultant for The Greeley Tribune.
“Not only are there animals, but there are products and services to help out your pets,” Finn said.
Also new to the show this year is “barkitecture,” a contest for the most creative doghouse. The doghouses will be sold in a silent auction, and the money raised will go to the humane society.
The pamper zone will provide massages and beauty products.
“The pamper zone is going to have free chair massages, facials and manicures,” Finn said. “Women can also receive tips on hair and makeup.”
The show will feature more than 200 vendors from northern Colorado. From landscapes to living rooms to home finance, the Home & Garden Show caters to individuals and families for every aspect of the home.
Finn expects the most popular event to be the weather experience, led by Mike Nelson, chief meteorologist at Channel 7 News.
“It’s the coolest feature. Mike Nelson shows what makes Colorado weather unique,” Finn said.
In addition to new exhibits at the show, one lucky attendee will win a $1,000 cash giveaway.
Finn said these new features will help attract a large crowd. Last year, the show drew about 18,000 people, making it the largest Home & Garden Show in northern Colorado.
“This year, we hope to have over 20,000 people come through the doors,” Finn said. “People can come and take two or three hours and have a good time.”
The 24th annual Home & Garden show presented by The Greeley Tribune will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley. Admission is free.


text: Keeping up with the most up-to-date trends in corporate technology is normally https://hashbrum.co.uk/generated-post-2/ a challenge. There are a number of online sources that provide information concerning the latest fashion and issues. The Wall Street Journal’s technology department, for example , has an prime technology bureau that records for its top audience of business readers. It has coverage on Microsoft, which is America’s most valuable company and is on the multi-year acquisition gratify. It is also a great place to uncover what is happening in the cloud, which can be the latest area of competition among the tech titans and illustrating tens of huge amounts of dollars in investment.


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John Lewis is now offering specialist home insurance customers cover for cyber-fraud up to a value of £50,000.
Customers of John Lewis Specialist Cover for high value homes will now have the protection added automatically to their policies.
The cover includes push payment fraud - when people are tricked by a fraudster into authorising a payment to be made to another account.
Unlike credit card scams, victims of authorised push payment fraud have not been entitled to the same level of protection. Banks frequently refuse to refund victims of this type of scam on the grounds that they authorised the transaction.
In order to claim, policy holders will have to prove that money has been taken from their account as a result of a fraudulent communication such as an email.
John Lewis also says that before claiming you must have first attempted to recover the money from the bank or financial institution it was transferred out of.
Mike Jackson, partner and director of financial services at John Lewis & Partners, says: “Cyber crime is incredibly distressing and can have devastating consequences on finances. Should our customers fall foul of this upsetting crime, they can have confidence we will support them through it.”
Figures from UK Finance show that during the first half of 2018 consumers lost £145.4 million because of authorised push payment scams, while just £31 million was returned.
Push payment fraud criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, frequently posing as someone who has been employed by the victim, such as a builder of solicitor.
The criminals then send the victim a fake invoice to get them to send money to a bank account controlled by the fraudster.
Chris King, head of home insurance at comparethemarket, says: “Cybercrime poses a growing threat to households, so it is encouraging to see that insurance providers are taking the issue seriously. John Lewis’s Specialist Home Insurance Policy seems comprehensive, in that it offers cover for restoring home systems as a result of a cyber attack and also covers cybercrime, offering help if you’re a victim of fraud or identity theft.
"Whilst everyone has a responsibility to look after their own devices, having the peace of mind that your insurer offers professional assistance and expert help if something goes wrong will be invaluable for many customers.
"Cybersecurity protection is still fairly limited across the general insurance market. If you are planning on taking out a policy, it is important to read the terms and conditions carefully.
"They may include important stipulations and requirements for making a claim, such as reporting the cyber event to the police within 14 days and getting a crime reference number."
Cybercrime covered as standard?
The new policy cover comes as a part of the John Lewis Specialist Home Insurance Policy, a policy designed for higher-value properties. But the move could see other insurers follow suit if consumer demand for such cover is proven.
Saga also launched cybercrime cover for customers last year to help guard customers against fraud and scams.
However, the policy only covers the legal expenses relating to cybercrime and does not pay out on stolen money.
The cover is available as an add-on to its home contents insurance policy and costs £27.50.
Saga says it will restore all electronic devices to the state they were in before to the cyber-attack and it will also cover the cost of a 12-month subscription for credit monitoring after the attack.


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The anticipated WordPress 3.9.1 patch was released late last week. The release notes indicate that some 34 bugs were squashed in this update, which is certainly a good thing. Interestingly, there is no mention of security fixes, so apparently, WP 3.9 is already fairly secure.
WordPress 3.8 was released late last week. In addition, Bluehost customers have been getting notices that their accounts will be upgraded to the latest version of PHP. I address both these issues in my latest blog post.


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The invite to media doesn't give much away, other than that the phone will be unveiled in Barcelona on February 26, but does confirm that the renders we've seen thus far are accurate.
The larger and longer screen (which, again, has been confirmed in the past) is once again present and correct in the image, with the transparent panel highlighting how the screen is going to take up much of what you're holding.
We've seen multiple leaks of the LG G6 so far, with the most recent showing a slightly thick-looking model with a metal back, as well as previous snaps displaying a phone with a screen taking up much of the front.
But why, LG?
LG has long had a history of 'leaking' its own phones, showing different elements of the phone in teasers and press-releasing new components to be used in the handset ahead of its launch.
It's a confusing strategy to some – after all, it's the antithesis of what the most successful smartphone manufacturer does, with Apple's secrecy still legendary at a time when the internet is full of leaks.
However, LG has always been proud of the fact many of its components – such as the screen, battery and camera modules – come from internal divisions, and press-releasing that they'll be part of the upcoming flagship smartphone likely has a halo effect when dealing with other customers.
As to why the name is always announced ahead of time... well, it's hardly a surprise there either, given this is the sixth time the LG GX moniker has been used, so generating column inches now rather than trying to cut through the melee at MWC 2017 makes sense.
That said, LG could still do with remembering it has a press launch – at the LG G4 unveiling in London two years ago, executives were just showing off the phone to anyone that asked in the hours before the unveiling started.
Here's hoping there's still a smidgen of a surprise to come in Barcelona...
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Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.


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that when the '80s hit Voltron
relaunches on the airwaves later this year in the form of Voltron Force
, there will be video games on shelves to herald its arrival. According to the article, the titles will be published by THQ, which has secured the exclusive ability to do so from rights holder World Events Productions.
No further details were divulged, such as which developer (or developers) will be in charged of translating the cartoon -- which features a five-person team piloting robotic lions that combine to form the titular mega-robot -- into something we can actually play. We've contacted THQ for comment and will update when we hear back.


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MULTAN: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) served notices on 19 food outlets as they failed to meet required standard operating procedures (SOPs) stipulated for holding their production.
According to DG Food Authority Rifaqat Ali, food safety teams discovered some minor to big kind of impurities in food production process, with unhygienic situation into the premises.
Some of the production areas were found dirty with warms and flies.
Many of the food points couldn’t produce medical fitness certificate of their workers which was required by the authority.
Freshco sweats and Madina Milk Shop were fined Rs. 10, 000 fine each.
DG PFA expressed resolve to carry out indiscriminate checking of food points.
He said action would be made against those which would neglect required standard for preserving or manufacturing food items.


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The sales arm of Turkish broadcaster Kanal D is distributing two BluTV series, Innocent (pictured) and Possessed, while Eccho is selling Puhu TV original Phi.
Kanal D said its shows are the first Turkish original dramas for BluTV, while Eccho made a similar claim about Phi’s debut on Puhu.
BluTV is Kanal D’s over-the-top service, while Puhu is part of Dogus Media division Dogus Digital.
Innocent is a crime drama cented around a seemingly ordinary family, and comes from D Productions and writer Berkun Oya. Seren Yüce is the director, and Haluk Bilginer (Ezel), Nur Sürer (Under the Trees) and Ali Atay (Leyla) are among the stars.
Possessed is billed as “the first horror genre miniseries… produced for an OTT platform”. Again from D Productions, it follows strange events that go on around a young couple in a small village.
Turkish horror director Alper Mestçi wrote and directs the series, with Funda Güray (Broken Pieces) and Baran Akbulut (Forbidden Love) among the stars.
Kanal D International noted BluTV planned more originals in “following seasons”.
Eccho, meanwhile, will give Phi its international debut at MIPTV on Monday, April 3 at 12pm in Cannes.
The 20-episode series comes from Magnificent Century producer Ay Yapim, and is based on a trilogy of novels from Turkish author Azra Kohen. Seasons based on books two and three, titled Chi and Pi are planned.
The psychological and romantic thriller is centred around a womanising celebrity psychiatrist, who is obsessed with his new neighbour.
Serenay Sarıkaya (Medcezir), Ozan Güven (Magnificent Century), Mehmet Günsur (Magnificent Century) and Büsra Develi (Pretty Little Liars).
“Phi marks the next step in Turkish drama production, specifically targeting digital audiences for the first time,” said Pelin Distas. The amazing cast as well as the 60-minute episode format marks Phi as a completely new production from Turkey,” said producer Pelin Distas.
Ay Yapik CEO Kerem Catay said these productions would be “the future of TV, which is why we’re investing in leading this movement”.
“We believe in the importance and potential of OTT platforms, which we see reforming the style of storytelling and local content,” he added.
Eccho is branding the series a “Turkish Drama Original” to ape the Netflix Original and Amazon Original brands that those SVOD services release their exclusive programming under.


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Seattle-based Neon is an independent video game studio and publisher headed by Mark Long, a longtime gaming leader who spun the company out of HBO. It’s another example of game developers answering the siren call of blockchain and nonfungible tokens (NFTs), which are as hot as can be right now.
But Long’s company isn’t planning on making a game with cute little collectible characters. In an interview, Long said his company plans to bring the highest production values to making a game with blockchain and technology.
Griffin Gaming Partners led the round and other investors include Polychain Capital and Forte. Forte will also provide technical support to the project.
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Long talked to more than 60 venture capital firms in crypto and gaming. Long said in an interview with GamesBeat that he chose to work with the smartest VCs because he believes they can help the game succeed.
“I couldn’t be happier to be working with them,” he said.
Designed to reward and empower players and creators, Shrapnel’s full details will be revealed next year.
Long said the company did market research and saw that players really want to own their own digital items. And he plans to tap Griffing Gaming Partners’ expertise and the technical chops of Polychain and Forte to bring to life a game and mod platform that Long has dreamed about making for years.
Spun-out from HBO Interactive, the Neon team has years of professional experience in transmedia, virtual production, and gaming-as-a service. Comprised of BAFTA and Emmy award-winning video game industry veterans hailing from some of the world’s leading video game companies including Xbox, Electronic Arts, HBO, Irrational, and Zombie Studios amongst others, Neon’s vision is to create the most immersive gaming experience ever seen in the crypto space.
“Griffin is thrilled to be working closely with Mark and the Neon team as well as an awesome group of strategic partners,” said Pierre Planche, partner at Griffin Gaming Partners, in a statement. “It is exciting to see a triple-A games team of this caliber contribute to moving the blockchain gaming ecosystem forward with a focus on quality gameplay and long-term value.”
He added, “Neon is authentically leveraging some of the most exciting pillars of utility that blockchain has to offer gaming — its core game design innovates on competitive game modes, and its digital economy will directly reward and empower the community. As a long-time FPS player and prior esports competitor in the genre, I know Shrapnel is exactly the experience my peers and I can’t wait to get our hands on.”
Ben Perszyk, Partner at Polychain, said in a statement, “Polychain has long held that crypto will enable novel, unforeseen behaviors, businesses, and use cases, and we are seeing another example of that now with Shrapnel. We believe crypto assets and incentive structures will fundamentally change the way users play games, and we’re extremely excited to see the experienced team at Neon push the envelope forward on what’s possible in the crypto gaming industry by integrating crypto into a deep, immersive, triple-A-style FPS experience.”
And Josh Williams, CEO of Forte, said in a statement, “Experienced game developers like the Neon team know that core gameplay and engagement mechanics are crucial for staying power. They are committed to creating sustainable blockchain ecosystems by putting game design and user experience first and we are honored they’ve chosen Forte to help them bring their vision to life.”
Long made a familiar argument about why NFTs are good for players.
“Players never really own what they buy,” he said. “It’s all locked inside the company. But there are surveys from Newzoo that indicate that players would really love to own what they’re buying.”
Long didn’t always feel that way, as he “came slowly to blockchain.” He started looking into cryptocurrency in 2017, which was relatively early for a lot of game executives. He was dismissive about the initial coin offerings (ICOs) that faced regulator crackdowns from U.S. regulators.
“My thesis is that this generation of gamers has grown up learning to visually program Minecraft and then aging into Roblox, which is kind of the Legos of game creation,” he said. “We have Fortnite with its build mode and we know they’re going to spend a billion dollars to turn it into a user-generated game platform.”
Long knows that he doesn’t want to create a game with a pyramid of users, which some of the blockchain games are doing as they embrace “play-to-earn” strategies where players can earn rewards, own their own digital items, and sell them to players who join later. But he sees a lot of opportunities that so far have been unexplored in blockchain games.
One of the reasons that Long chose to take money from Forte is that they’re immersed in the blockchain infrastructure. Companies like Forte are trying to offload the difficult chores so that players don’t have to worry about issues like compliance or figuring out how to create crypto wallets, Long said.
Long acknowledged that the legalities of blockchain, crypto, and NFTs are very complex and navigating them isn’t easy. The company has had to hire economists to make sure the economy of the game works properly with NFTs. The company has 10 people now and Long hopes to scale it up to around 70 people.
Making a free-to-play first-person shooter would be “folly,” Long said.
“But because it’s blockchain, you’re in a blue ocean of opportunity,” he said. “More importantly, what we’re really thinking is an extraction game that players can modify to their heart’s content. I look back to the 1990s, and I loved modding Quake and America’s Army and there is something about that joy that I want to return to with this title.”
Long said the company will make an “extraction-style game.” Long believes that a lot of games have low density when it comes to packing players into a first-person shooter map. Those maps suddenly flip to deathmatch, high-density maps when you call for an extraction.
Long plans to create a platform that allows players to build mods that can create different versions of the game.
To support this vision, a range of blockchain and deep tech experts will support the architectural and design needs of the game.
Neon is currently hiring for its Seattle-based team. Game developers looking to join a best-in-class team at the vanguard of a new era in gaming can reach out to firstname.lastname@example.org.
Advisers include Mike Wilson of Devolver, and Derek Kolstad, who was the creator of the John Wick series. I met Long years ago when he was creating the Hawken mech combat game at Meteor Entertainment.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.


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Simons clothing retailer opens first branch in Calgary. The 95,000-square-foot store is located downtown in the Core Shopping Center.
It is the fourteenth point of sale for the Quebec banner and the second to open its doors in Alberta. “The key to our Calgary store was to bring Simons into the heart of the city so we could blend our contemporary style with the legacy of a historic building,” said Peter Simons, CEO of the company. “The result is a five-storey, multi-faceted store to create an exciting shopping experience where customers can explore our brands,” he says.
A cafe of about forty places, baptized Eve, is installed in the trade. Over the next few months, a second store will open in Edmonton.
For the Quebec City region, the retailer, whose head office is located in Old Quebec, is expected to take possession of its new premises – the Target alumni – in the spring. This new “new generation” store should welcome its first customers in spring 2018.


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SHERBROOKE, Que.—A Quebec sheet metal manufacturer has launched an expansion project that will allow it to drive further into the automotive market.
Verbom, which specializes in aluminum thermoforming, has kicked off the second phase of an upgrade project at its Sherbrooke, Que. facility. The company invested in a new production line last year after winning a contract to supply aluminum body parts for Tesla’s Model X SUV.
The second phase of the project brings the manufacturer’s total investment to $19 million and will allow it to buy new specialized equipment used to produce larger aluminum body parts for vehicles. The federal and provincial governments have committed $1 million and $2.5 million respectively to the work—adding to more than $7 million awarded for the first phase of the project.
Along with the automotive industry, Verbom builds components for the mass transit, appliances and power sports markets. It was founded in 1978 and operates two plants in Quebec.
Together, Verbom expects the first and second phases of its latest expansion project to create about 100 jobs at its Sherbrooke site.


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Only six months after their Korean launch at beLAUNCH 2012, BellaDati have opened their first international office in Seoul after experiencing huge interest and engagement from numerous local businesses.
Just under six months after the initial visit, BellaDati has opened its first international office in Seoul and local businesses are already benefitting from its agile analytics solution. “We experience huge interest from companies across various industries,” said Martin Trgiňa, BellaDati CEO, who launched BellaDati at beLAUNCH startup conference event in July 2012.
Burgeoning partnership is anticipated to start massive adoption and penetration of BellaDati to numerous businesses on the Korean peninsula. Mr. Ko Kiwon, the new country manager believes that “companies from telco, broadcasting or on-line gaming can utilize BellaDati agile data analytics. A fresh stream of regional requirements and perspectives will also shape the future of BellaDati and strengthen its position among leading analytics and big data services in the cloud.”
The Korean office will serve customers with analytical and integration services and will be fully supported from BellaDati’s headquarters. Businesses will have the option of leveraging an on premises version or accessing BellaDati exclusively in the cloud. Mr. Trgiňa also revealed that the company is already in process of establishing another international office.
About BellaDati: BellaDati is an agile analytics and reporting cloud tool reinventing the ways business users interact with business data. Equipped with merely a web browser or mobile device, data can be instantly visualized in beautiful reports and turned into eye-catching dashboards. BellaDati offers both on premises and cloud versions and was originally founded as enterprise software integration by Martin Trgiňa in Prague, Czech Republic.
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.
Peter Fedoročko, PR Manager
Office Phone: 00420 702 023 558 / E-mail: email@example.com
Martin Trgiňa, CEO
Office Phone: 00420 603 224 613 / Email: martin.Trgiňa@belladati.com


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After having conversation with registrant, he concludes –
The mythical Google PC remains mythical, and we have no idea what may or may not happen with ClimateSaverPC.com. But this story has produced one shocking revelation: irony exists in the Googleplex.
Google has been environment savvy from very start and now, it is opening its green-initiatives to the rest of world…perhaps in form of Google PC which might be named as Climate Saver PC :!:.


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Rumors: found a mention of PlayStation 5 in the code for Unreal Engine 4
Netizens found in the files of the Unreal Engine 4 the mention of the new platform — some Erebus. Perhaps it is the code name for the PlayStation 5.
The mention of Erebus can be found in the list of supported platforms Unreal Engine 4 /Epic Games/UE_4.20/Engine/Plugins/Online/OnlineSubsystem/Source/Public/OnlineSubsystemNames.h.
Erebus is also mentioned in other files, Unreal Engine 4. For example, below you see a screenshot of the code that checks that support cross-platform online game. The presence of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 suggests the idea that Erebus will crossplay with the current generation of consoles.
Arab in Greek mythology — one of the first five beings born of chaos. And Sony tends to give their games a similar name. PlayStation 4, for example, was the code name Orbis, the PlayStation VR — Morpheus.
The PlayStation 4 was released almost 5 years ago, in November 2013, and Sony releases a new console every 6-7 years. Therefore, the fact that the PlayStation 5 will be released in 2019-2020 year seems quite likely. And the emergence of platforms Unreal Engine 4 now looks logical, because many developers use this engine for their games.


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Compaq has announced plans to cut a further 1500 jobs worldwide, adding to its originally planned 7000 redundancies announced this year.
The latest cuts will affect primarily access segment, supply chain and administrative functions, and will be made both inside and outside the US, the company confirmed.
Compaq justified the move by saying it believed it would make a profit of four cents a share, excluding restructuring fees and investment gains, on revenues of $8.4bn for the second three months of the year. The company had revenues of $9.2bn in the first three months of the year.
Originally, Compaq had said it expected to make about $9bn in revenues, but has lowered this estimate after seeing a weakness in Europe, particularly in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. Analysts had expected revenues of $8.8bn for the period.
"We continue to see very aggressive pricing across all regions, with it being most apparent in North America but catching up in Europe," said senior vice president and chief financial officer Jeff Clarke.
The firm said it had already cut 3500 of the 8500 jobs it plans to axe this year. In all, Compaq estimates that the cuts will result in annual cost savings of $900m.
Previous cuts have come as the firm consolidated its commercial and consumer PC divisions. This year, the firm has lost its status as global PC market leader to Dell, but is still top in Europe.
Compaq has said that servers, storage and services will become the main focus of its operations in the future, and has begun a 180-day plan to change the company's outlook.
Latest Tesla news: Tesla stock price tanks amid reports of 'widening probe' by SEC and claims the base Model 3 loses money
SEC 'probe' takes its toll on Tesla as new research suggests that Tesla loses $6,000 on every $35,000 Model 3
10nm Cannon Lake Core i3-8121U CPUs make a rare outing with Intel's NUC mini PC
'Notorious' Australian child hacker thought he had executed 'flawless' hack
The former employee says that Tesla fired him for bringing the accusations to management internally


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Shortly after Japan’s public broadcasting company reported that the country may ban sales of new cars with internal combustion engines by the mid-2030s, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson dropped a new hint about the Swedish automaker’s plans to electrify its lineup of cars and SUVs.
“I would be surprised if we wouldn’t deliver only electric cars from 2030,” Samuelsson said during the Financial Times Future of the Car Summit.
Volvo has clear-cut goals for making its transition away from fossil fuels. This year, the company wants 20% of sales to be electrified models, with its customers selecting from the newly named Recharge lineup of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) or the new 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge, which is fully electric. In support of this goal, Volvo has lowered the price of its PHEVs and redesigned its consumer website to emphasize electrified models.
By the end of 2021, Volvo’s next-generation Scalable Product Architecture (SPA2) platform debuts under the redesigned 2022 Volvo XC90, production of which moves from Torslanda, Sweden to the automaker’s new factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina. The SPA2 platform is engineered for electrified powertrains, and the new 2022 XC90 will reportedly come only in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric formats.
This shift to electrified powertrains will continue as Volvo redesigns its models and puts them on the SPA2 platform. By 2025, Volvo predicts half of its sales will be electrified models. It is reasonable, then, that by 2030 Volvo could retire its current Drive-E family of internal combustion engines and offer only electric vehicles.
“Once you have realized that the petrol and diesel engine are really not part of the future, it’s rather easy to see you have to move fast into the new world,” Samuelsson said.


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Algae in various forms can be integrated into a wide array of foods and beverages, ranging from veggie shakes and smoothies to meal replacements and the growth potential is limited only by the capacity to establish a robust, ever-expanding supply chain.
Startups of various kinds are branching out from the world of agrifood tech into the world of fintech, both to make their products more accessible to their target customers and to generate more value from their core offerings.
An agrifood tech investor takes leave after accusations of sexual misconduct, plus more personnel changes and agtech team-ups in this week's brief.
A few possible solutions to this "nasty" disease have emerged, but no cure even after $400 million in investment form the USDA.
Blue Apron and Chipotle are getting new CEOs after a tumultuous year for both companies, plus more in our weekly news brief.
A small group of farm robotics startups is taking on various farming tasks in the hopes of saving labor, adding efficiency, and improving precision agriculture.
Founder Janette Barnard tells us the story of The Poultry Exchange, a chicken meat marketplace startup. After struggling to get an intractable industry to change its ways, The Poultry Exchange ceased operations in July.
Emergency food providers are attempting to leverage technology to make the massive logistical undertaking of distributing food assistance more efficient for food pantries, despite some of the smallest budgets even within the nonprofit world.
Ag biotech is a central focus of agrifood tech investing; here Brett Morris from TechAccel says out the firm's market map of the category.
Advanced Animal Diagnostics CEO Joy Parr Drach tells us how her thinking about the role of gender in business has changed over the years in the latest installment of our Women in Agtech Series.
Barilla, the family-owned company best known for its signature blue pasta box, announced a new food-focused venture fund and accelerator called Blu1877, plus more in our weekly brief.
As India grows its horticultural capacity, Indian agribusiness marketplace startups are rushing to add technology and structure to a centuries-old, largely informal supply chain.
A recent report evaluating new innovations in the food system based on potential impact on post-harvest food waste and commercial feasibility reveals what the authors call “high-priority investible innovations.”
The number of high-raising food delivery startups that have shuttered in the last two years suggests that even with millions of potential customers within a few miles, online restaurants are a hard nut to crack.
US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced plans to withdraw Obama-era revisions to biotechnology regulations involving genetic modification and editing plus more in our weekly industry brief.
Though historical Israeli agritech strengths are in irrigation and water management, and livestock and poultry, smart farming has developed three times faster than other sectors, with 29 new companies forming in the last five years.
In honor of Veterans Day, we compiled a list of funds, grants, loans, and programs available to US military veteran entrepreneurs in farming and tech.
Agtech entrepreneurs may not have the sharpest, most polished pitches, but you can be sure that they're not over-hyping their businesses, according to Frank Meehan, cofounder and partner of SparkLabs Global Ventures and Asia's leading startup accelerator program.
The city has companies from all over the globe relocating to take advantage of the wealth of resources at hand, but it also suffers from an exodus of companies that reach a certain point. What makes St. Louis a serious contender for the leading agtech ecosystem?
It's a scary fact for any parent, particularly at bedtime tomorrow: children eat an average of three cups of sugar on Halloween.


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Value of ‘brand Ireland’ rose 26% to almost €470bn in past year
Ireland breaks into top 30 while US is world’s most valuable nation brand and UK is down
“Brand Ireland proves ever more appealing.” Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
The value of “brand Ireland” rose 26 per cent over the past year to $538 billion (€469 billion), making it one of the fastest-growing “nation brands” in the world, new figures show.
The latest Nation Brands report from Brand Finance, which was set up in 1996 with the aim of “bridging the gap between marketing and finance”, shows Ireland jumped six places in the ranking to break into the top 30.
The report said this could be explained by a combination of factors, including the continued growth of the Irish economy over the past five years and a renewed appeal as a location for domestic and inbound investment.
Brand Finance Ireland managing director Simon Haigh said the State was proving an attractive proposition for investors.
“Despite US tax reductions, discussions on EU corporate tax harmonisation, and the vagaries of Brexit deal negotiations, brand Ireland proves ever more appealing,” he said.
“Many financial and corporate entities established in the UK continue to head to Dublin to ensure the preservation of EU passporting rights after Brexit.
“Investors from other jurisdictions, including China, Australia and the US, are also continuing to choose Ireland as it remains an attractive location for brands and IP companies.”
A “perceived vulnerability” undermined Britain’s standing on the global stage, which was reflected in its brand strength falling slightly since last year, from 85.3 to 84.8.
However, the report pointed to “a healthy economy and positive growth forecasts” as evidence of the UK’s “resilience in the face of Brexit”. Its brand has recorded a solid 20 per cent growth year on year to $3.8 trillion, replacing Japan in fourth place.
Brand Finance chief executive David Haigh said Britain’s performance in this year’s study shows that perceptions of Brexit “go against the economic reality”.
“What the exact scenario and consequences of exiting the EU will be still remain to be seen, but both current market conditions and economic forecasts for the coming years reaffirm Britain’s ability to make the most of its post-Brexit future,” he said.
Topping the table as the world’s most valuable nation brand was the US, which rose 23 per cent over the past year to $25.9 trillion.


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- The net loss comes to $106 million at the conclusion of the third quarter.
- Tesla’s losses did not have a significant impact on the company’s fundamental operations.
Tesla, the electric vehicle (EV) maker, has reportedly invested $1.5 billion into Bitcoin since the beginning of 2021, as reported in the company’s latest quarterly financial report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
The company has an unrealized loss of $170 million as a result of the decline in the fair value of its investments as of the present time. Still, the $64 million in profits made from Bitcoin investments at different times over the last two years helped to reduce the net loss to $106 million at the conclusion of the third quarter.
Not Much Impact
According to the document, Tesla’s losses did not have a significant impact on the company’s fundamental operations. The electric vehicle maker had a 169% increase in earnings from $3.3 billion during the first nine months of 2021. Tesla, though, claims to have just around $218 million worth of Bitcoin in its coffers at now.
So, if their fair values go down, Tesla will have to take an impairment charge, but it won’t adjust for price rises until they’re sold. Gains on investments are not taxed until they are sold, and losses may be offset against earnings to lower tax bills.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is well-known in the cryptocurrency community for his advocacy of digital assets, fondness for meme coins like Dogecoin, and $44 billion goal of acquiring social media behemoth Twitter. The billionaire tech star has promised to “eliminate the spam and scam bots from the platform,” claiming that they make the product considerably worse, as the purchase continues.
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Every day, there is some new hack that is discovered by the researchers. Now, a group from the Zheijiang University in China have found a way to enter into smartphones and open malicious websites and gain access to connected smart devices using ultrasound frequencies.
Well, going by the report, the hack uses the Dolphin Attack where the frequencies higher than 20KHz are sent to a nearby smartphone in order to attack the digital voice assistants such as Google Assistant, Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa and others. The microphones of the smartphones can catch these frequencies that humans cannot hear.
The voice assistants can catch these high frequencies and take the commands without the consent of the users. With this attack, the researchers were able to translate human voice commands into ultrasound frequencies and play them back using cheap components. These components include a regular smartphone, a battery, an ultrasonic transducer, and an amplifier.
This Dolphin Attack method is likely to work on all the digital voice assistants such as Google Assistant, Samsung S Voice, Amazon Alexa, Apple, Siri, Samsung Bixby and more on devices such as MacBooks, iPads, Amazon Echo, Audi Q3 and more. The scariest aspect of this attach is that the speech recognition can easily recognize this frequency on any of the above-mentioned devices and the attack works despite having the necessary security measures in place.
The Dolphin Attack does not require any access to the device to carry out this hack. The effectiveness of the attack was demonstrated by the researchers. They showed how they could change the navigation on an Audi Q3 and commanded the smartphones to do tasks such as open dolphinattack.com', and 'open the back door'.
One has to note that there are some preconditions for this hack to work. The smartphone to which the signal has to be transmitted to should be within five to six feet from the transmitter. Then, the voice assistant installed in the phone should be activated. The user is alerted immediately as the assistants beep a tone or reply back to the high frequency commands. Eventually, the conditions require the device to be near and unlocked with the voice assistant activated and the user should not be around or should be distracted. On the whole, this is definitely a very unlikely scenario but it can happen if the hackers are serious about causing harm.


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After failing for almost a decade to convince Apple to ditch Google and set Bing as Safari’s default search engine, Microsoft quietly changed tactics and offered to sell Bing to Apple in 2018, unsealed court documents showed Friday, confirming a Bloomberg report from last year.
According to Google’s post-trial brief filed in the US Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against the search giant, Microsoft in 2018 dangled perhaps its best offer to Apple: Either “sell Bing to Apple or enter into a joint venture regarding Bing.”
Microsoft seemingly hoped it could tempt Apple into partnering up by promising Bing’s search quality had drastically improved, but the proposed deal didn’t make it past the conversation stage. Apple rejected the 2018 offer after concluding “that Bing’s search quality had failed to improve and that little credence should be given to Microsoft’s representation of improved quality,” Google’s brief said.
Apple’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue—considered one of the antitrust trial’s star witnesses—testified that the 2018 deal was no good, Google’s brief said.
“Microsoft search quality, their investment in search, everything was not significant at all,” Cue said. “And so everything was lower. So the search quality itself wasn’t as good. They weren’t investing at any level comparable to Google or to what Microsoft could invest in. And their advertising organization and how they monetize was not very good, either.”
At the trial, Cue also testified that Apple had also briefly considered building its own search engine. What perhaps stopped Apple from building its own search engine or purchasing Bing was “that Google continued to have a strong lead in search relevance,” Google’s brief said.
Google retained this lead despite Microsoft investing “nearly $100 billion in Bing” over two decades, the DOJ’s brief said, which the US government considered a troubling barrier to entry in the general search market.
In 2020, just as the Safari deal fell under DOJ antitrust scrutiny, Microsoft continued to push Apple to replace Google with Bing for default search on Safari, hoping that investing billions to control the default would help Bing improve search results and expand its 5 percent search market share. But Google defended its default placement, fearing that losing the Safari deal would cause billions in losses—the precise amount redacted in the DOJ’s filing.
Ultimately, it proved impossible for Microsoft to edge out Google, partly because “some elements of Google’s search engine are trained on 13 months of data—a volume that would take Bing over 17 years to accumulate,” the DOJ’s filing said. Apple similarly shut down its own efforts to launch a rival search engine because it would require years of long-term investments. To Apple, it was seemingly a no-brainer to maintain the Safari deal and keep taking billions from Google instead.
The DOJ has argued that Google’s deal with Apple—valued at $26 billion in 2021—helped to build a “moat around Google’s monopoly” by blocking any meaningful new entrants in the general search market. This alleged monopoly, the DOJ claimed, has kept Google from improving its own search quality, only doing so when competitors like Bing started to get ahead. This means that Google can afford to spend years providing slower and less accurate results, the DOJ alleged, without losing its market dominance.
At the antitrust trial, Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained that Google pays Apple 36 percent of its search advertising revenue from Safari to keep its search engine set as the default in Apple’s browser because default placements can be “very valuable.”
“We know that making it the default will lead to increased usage of our products and services, particularly Google search in this case,” Pichai said. “So there is clear value in that, and that’s what we were looking for.”
In 2018, it was estimated that Apple was paid between $3 billion and $9 billion from its deal with Google. These licensing fees helped fund Apple’s investments in its own services that generated the company’s then-best quarter ever, $10 billion in revenue. At that time, Apple CEO Tim Cook defended the Safari deal with Google as Apple choosing the best search engine for the best user experience, which remains Google’s primary defense against monopoly accusations. According to Google, Microsoft simply failed to invest and innovate in search as Google has.
“In sum, Google has won the competition to be the preset default on the Safari and Firefox browsers based solely on Google’s superior product quality and monetization,” Google’s brief said.
The Safari deal appears to be working out well for Apple, which presumably does not regret declining to purchase Bing in 2018. In the first quarter of 2024, Statista estimated that Apple generated $23 billion in services revenue, besting its $22 billion record quarter at the end of 2023.
The ruling in the DOJ’s antitrust case over Google’s search empire is expected to come late this year, The Wall Street Journal reported, with closing arguments scheduled for May. If the DOJ wins, Google may have to break up its search business, perhaps even being forced to break off its Chrome browser or Android operating system into separate businesses, The New York Times reported.


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Normally, when consumers redeem their credit card rewards points they are somewhat limited as to how and when they can redeem those points. Citigroup is looking to change all that by allowing their members to redeem their ThankYou Rewards Points any way they choose.
Building a Stronger Customer Base
In order to keep their most loyal and valuable customers, Citigroup is looking to build partnerships with major businesses so card-carrying Citi members can pay for goods and services using their ThankYou Rewards Points with the same ease as using cash or paying with a credit card. So far LiveNation has jumped on the bandwagon, and now members can pay for any event ticket by using their ThankYou Rewards Points.
Members will have the option to use all their rewards points or a portion depending on how many points they may have accrued. Citigroup’s head of co-brands and loyalty programs, Ralph Andretta announced that Citi is in development with other merchants and expects to announce similar deals by the end of this year.
The Right Combination for Customers & Promoters
Citigroup is not the first credit card issuer to use this strategy though. Last year Discover, American Express, and J.P. Morgan Chase allowed members with specific cards to apply their rewards points on purchases made at Amazon.com. As more credit card companies look for ways to keep their current customers happy and entice new ones to join, their rewards programs continue to become a viable channel for affiliate marketers to explore. Consumers are always on the hunt for a good deal, so if a credit card company allows them to make purchases while earning points which they can later use on other goods, it’s like a shopaholic’s dream come true.
Top of the Heap
Scott Strumello, a payments consultant with Auriemma Consulting Group, noted that “the average consumers has anywhere from three to four cards in their wallets… the question is which one do they reach for when they’re going to make a purchase. If you can get your card to be top of wallet, that’s all part of the engagement strategy.” It’s this strategy that all credit card issuers are vying for, and the only way to do it is by giving consumers a good reason to pull out their card over the competition’s. While the analysts fight each other over how the economy is doing, consumers are continuing to apply for credit cards and spending on the things they need.
As June draws to a close, it’s difficult to say whether consumers will prove analysts right, but what is certain is that credit card companies will continue to roll out programs that keep consumers happy and urge them to use their credit cards more often. This gives affiliate marketers an opportunity to reap the benefits of every new program out on the market, and as long as credit card companies keep coming up with new programs, there will always be new consumers to win over.


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Google recently announced that the company will now automatically delete the history of your activity, including web, search, and location after 18 months. But this new default settings won’t be affecting existing users.
To make Google auto-delete your data after 18 months or 3 months, you’ll have to enable the settings in the Google Account. To do so, follow this step-by-step process and you’ll be able to do so.
You will also get an option to disable Google from storing activity data. This is also explained in this guide.
How to auto-delete Google web and location data
Step 1: Log in to your Google account and select the “Data & Personalization” option from the left-hand many.
Step 2: Scroll down and you will see the “Activity Controls” section. It will have three items listed — Web & App Activity, Location History, and YouTube History.
Step 2: Now, click on the “Web & App Activity” section, scroll down, and click on the “Auto-Delete” option.
Step 3: You will now have the option to select when to delete data — after 3 months of 18 months. Once you have selected it, click on “Next” to confirm and continue.
Step 4: Now repeat the same process for other types of data that you want to auto-delete, such as Location History and YouTube History.
You can also disable history collection by clicking the toggle slider off. It is located to the right of the title of data collection. If the toggle is enabled, it will be shown in blue color and if it’s disabled it will be shown in grey color.
OnePlus Nord to come in dark grey and include ultrawide selfie cam – MobileSyrup
OnePlus has shared that the hotly anticipated OnePlus Nord is going to have a 105-degree front camera to make taking group selfies a breeze.
Alongside that news, the OnePlus Twitter account shared a picture of the handset in a dark grey colour scheme. The image has a ‘#01’ on it, and the tweet says people can enter for a chance to win one of the first 10 OnePlus Nords to be released.
Own a piece of history. https://t.co/QtaFidNcSB
— Carl Pei (@getpeid) July 13, 2020
It’s unclear if regular consumers will have the option to buy this colour or if it’s exclusive to the first 10. Since the phone isn’t coming to Canada, it’s highly unlikely that Canadians will be able to get their hands on this stealthy version of the phone.
It’s also exciting to see OnePlus pack a wide-angle camera into the front of the display alongside a regular selfie shooter. Many phones such as the Pixel 4 and the iPhone 11 have been using wide-angle lenses to help people up their selfie game, so it’s nice to see OnePlus follow suit.
Leaks have been speculating that one of the selfie cameras will be 8-megapixels, while the other will be 32-megapixels. If I had to guess, the 8-megapixel lens will be the ultra-wide, and the other camera will be the primary lens used for video chatting and taking pictures, but there’s no concrete evidence yet.
OnePlus seems to be releasing small bits of information via the Nord Instagram account, so stay tuned to that channel until July 21st to get all the new information the company is sharing.
Apple's iPhone 12 won't be available until October: analyst – MobileSyrup
In a new research note, analysts from Wedbush say that Apple will go ahead with a September launch event for the iPhone 12 series, but that the smartphone likely won’t be available to purchase until October.
Several Apple leakers and analysts have predicted that the 2020 iPhone’s release will be delayed by at least a few weeks due to supply chain complications brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Further, Wedbush purposes a few scenarios. First, Apple could drop all 2020 iPhone models at the same time but with very limited availability and a lengthy delivery delay.
Second, it says Apple could adopt a strategy similar to the iPhone X and XR. In the case of the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus launched first, followed by the X a few weeks later. The company did the same thing with the release of the iPhone XR following the initial release of the iPhone XS.
The firm goes on to state the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in minimal quantities following its September reveal.
Lastly, there’s a possibility Apple could delay the entire keynote until October so that there is more availability of all iPhone 12 models.
Previous rumours indicate Apple has plans to launch several 2020 iPhones, including 5.4-inch and 5.1-inch iPhone 12 models and a Pro version available in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes.
Other reported features include a more squared-off design similar to recent iPad Pro models, a new faster 5nm A-series processor and 5G connectivity.
Ubisoft: Sexual misconduct probe sees three senior heads resign – BBC News
Three senior executives at game-maker Ubisoft have stepped down amid an investigation into sexual misconduct.
The French company’s chief creative officer, Canadian studios head, and global HR chief had all left their roles, Ubisoft said.
Ubisoft is a major player in the games industry, best known for the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
The resignations came just before its annual showcase of new games, which made no mention of the allegations.
In a tweet ahead of the event, Ubisoft said: “Because all the content has been pre-recorded, we wanted to recognise that the issues we’re currently dealing with won’t be addressed directly in the show.”
The company has already seen one of its most senior executives depart and another placed on administrative leave.
Many of the allegations have been made anonymously online, with a particular focus on the company’s Canadian studios.
Ubisoft has not publicly made any specific allegations against its own staff as its investigation continues.
But Both French media and the gaming press have published allegations the company ignored complaints of sexual misconduct and had a culture of harassment, sometimes fuelled by alcohol consumption at company events.
Ubisoft said the latest three executives to step down “are a part of the comprehensive work the company is doing to improve and strengthen its workplace culture”.
Chief creative officer Serge Hascoët “has chosen to resign from his position” with immediate effect, the company said.
Mr Hascoët was widely seen as a key figure in the company, with games journalist Jason Scheier calling him “the most powerful creative force” with the power to single-handedly “greenlight or cancel a project”.
Canadian studios managing director Yannis Mallat is also leaving the company immediately.
“The recent allegations that have come to light in Canada against multiple employees make it impossible for him to continue in this position,” Ubisoft said.
And global head of HR Cécile Cornet “has decided to step down from this role, as she believes it is in the best interest of the company’s unity”.
As part of its internal investigation, Ubisoft is bringing in an external consultancy to audit its HR process.
Ubisoft’s chief executive and co-founder Yves Guillemot said the company had fallen short of its responsibility to employees.
“This is unacceptable, as toxic behaviours are in direct contrast to values on which I have never compromised,” he said.
Mr Guillemot is also taking over Mr Hascoët’s creative leadership role, and promises “a complete overhaul of the way in which the creative teams collaborate”.
A week earlier, Ubisoft vice-president Maxime Beland resigned from his role amid allegations of misconduct.
Ubisoft said at the time it was continuing to investigate allegations against Mr Beland.
And another vice-president, Tommy François, had been placed on leave.
It comes as the wider gaming community deals with allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct.
Last month, Twitch dealt with a wave of complaints against popular streamers on its platform, while the fighting game community saw an outpouring of allegations of inappropriate behaviour by well known figures.
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DUBAI: Dubai Lynx, the leading creativity festival in the Middle East and North Africa, has launched a series of podcasts discussing topics ranging from experiential marketing to diversity in the advertising industry.
The latest podcast, “Social Media & Consumer Behavior in the KSA Market,” brings together Shivani Kulshrestha, strategist at Socialize Agency, and Osama Taher, projects director at Create Media Group, Riyadh.
Arab News spoke to Kulshrestha and Taher to discuss the growth of digital and social media in Saudi Arabia and the subsequent changes in marketers’ approaches.
The Kingdom is the biggest market in the GCC. What can you tell us about the nuances of this market?
Taher: “The Saudi market is quite special because of the age group that is actually consuming digital content. More than 70 percent of the nation is below 35 years old, and this gives marketers a huge opportunity to focus on this age group.
“The second thing is how Saudis, especially the younger generation, have good exposure. More than 1.2 million Saudis have traveled abroad to continue their studies — this is a huge number. These people have been exposed to different cultures and languages. So, all of that combined with Vision 2030 has helped build a very unique market.”
Kulshrestha: “We saw 8 percent year-on-year growth in social media usage, which means that 80 percent of the country is using social networks and messenger services. So, social is really where you want to be if you want to target the Saudi audience.
“The other thing to bear in mind is that this audience is ‘hyperconnected’ at a level that is ahead of the rest of the world. On average, people around the world spend about two hours and 25 minutes every day on social media, whereas Saudis spend three hours and six minutes. They also have way more accounts than the average person at 10.4 social accounts per person, which is twice the global average.
“The one distinction to make is that even though they’re spending a lot of their time on their favorite platforms, they’re just not as engaged with the content. The level at which they’re engaging is the lowest in the world with an average engagement rate of 0.03 percent versus 0.11 percent globally.”
How did the use of social and digital media change during the pandemic?
Kulshrestha: “Usage on all social platforms increased and the Kingdom was no exception to this. We saw YouTube growing by 14.5 percent, Twitter by 13 percent and TikTok by 12.8 percent when you compare year on year. But what’s more interesting is that the need for entertainment and videos has grown by almost 10 percent.
“The data shows that 83 percent of people between the ages of 16 and 64 now regularly use entertainment video apps compared to 75 percent in 2020. And it’s not just down to YouTube; TikTok is giving all social media platforms a run for their money.”
With the emphasis on content and entertainment, how has storytelling evolved in the digital age?
Taher: “Storytelling is still the same; it’s just the tools that we’re using to tell the stories are quite different. Earlier, before the pandemic, we had the freedom to get in our car and go and experience a product or service in one place. Now, brands have understood that they have to bring the experience to audiences in a creative way.
“Online shopping has been around since forever, but there were some brand categories, like automotive and real estate, which could not offer it. However, during the pandemic, there was one automotive brand that used augmented reality content to provide a full online experience, resulting in a 32 percent increase in sales compared to the previous year.”
Kulshrestha: “When it comes to social media, you only have a few seconds to capture your audience’s attention. And so you have to make your time with them effective by communicating your brand message in the first three seconds. That is the more traditional way of looking at storytelling.
“The other way to really ensure your storytelling is effective is lengthening the time you have with your audience, and the way you can do that is through ‘collaborative storytelling.’ Specifically in the Kingdom, there are two key ways you can do this.
“The first is to change the way or the place you have been telling your story. Taher mentioned augmented reality, and another way is gaming, which is huge in the Kingdom, with about 91 percent of internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 saying that they play games on any device.
“The second method is to move beyond storytelling as a form of passive communication; it’s now a technique where the audience is invited to take part.
“Either you change the way you’re speaking to people by finding them in spaces where they’re already connecting with each other like gaming, or if you are going to stick to the normal social platforms, think about the ways you can invite your audience to be part of the story.”
What are your top three takeaways for marketers in the Kingdom?
Taher: “Simplify, localize and never judge a book by its cover.”
Kulshrestha: “Don’t advertise to your audience; entertain them. Invite your audience into your storytelling experience, and get into gaming.”
The full episode of “Social Media & Consumer Behavior in the KSA Market” is now available for streaming on Anghami.