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- 4 min read
Dove’s #StopTheBeautyTest: A perspective
The marketer’s effort is indeed laudable, especially in a country that is obsessed with looks and fairness...
In February 2021, Dove, the skin and haircare brand from Hindustan Unilever, unleashed an interesting media campaign. The handle #StopTheBeautyTest announced that Dove would partner with leading newspapers and matrimonial websites to ‘educate’ and ‘nudge’ advertisers to focus on issues beyond looks and beauty. This was also in alignment with the global campaign of Dove that has been focusing on the #TheRealBeauty (of women). The marketer’s effort is indeed laudable, especially in a country that is obsessed with looks and fairness [yet another brand from Hindustan Unilever switched its brand name from Fair & Lovely to Glow & Lovely, and the move was criticized in social media as blatant ‘tokenism].
The campaign was reported to be based on research done analysing classified ads and posts on matrimonial websites, and we hope it succeeds.
But that said, fascination with classified ads is not something new with media watchers. Santosh Desai, the consumer behaviour expert, even titled his book ‘Mother Pious Lady,’ harking back to classified ads of the 1950s and 1960s. Our examination of 2000+ ads from 2003 to 2021 did not find Santosh’s mom. But we did spot a few interesting trends which defy the traditional myths about youth being more independent and choosing their partners on merits, rather than physical characteristics.
Our research spanning almost 20 years of matrimonial ads in leading English newspapers looked at the descriptive terms used in the ads. The matrimonial ads had to be looked at from what we call ‘self-declaration’ and ‘requirement declaration.’ For instance, a ‘Bride Wanted’ advertisement could say ‘Smart, handsome MBA working in an MNC with big salary package from a Hindu family requires a fair, beautiful, well-educated bride with a bank job’. Here both the declarations are pretty clear. The same advertisement could be written for ‘Groom Wanted’ and read as- ‘Fair, very beautiful girl with a bank job from a conservative Hindu family is looking for a smart, handsome MBA groom working in an MNC with a big salary package’. Both these ads are the yin and yang of Indian matrimonial ads.
Also Read: After WhiteHat Jr made peace by withdrawal of case, Pradeep Poonia fires salvo at ASCI
Dove is trying to change the narrative from just beauty, that is skin deep, to something more enduring- the values.
Our analysis of over 2000 matrimonial ads discovered that the bigger challenge might be in the ‘self-declaration’ side of the argument. And the pattern is evident when we look at Brides Wanted, and Grooms Wanted advertisements.
We found that in ‘Brides Wanted’ ads, which boys’ parents release, the declaration of complexion moved from 19% in 2003 to 20% in 2008, to 17% in 2013 to 12% in 2018 to 7% in 2021. Declaration of handsome looks, height, etc., stayed constant- 16% in 2003 to 16% in 2008 to 16% in 2013 to 15% in 2018 and 14% in 2021 across 20 years. Men are declaring themselves to be handsome but are not obsessed with their fairness.
When we analysed ‘Grooms Wanted’ ads released by girls’ parents, self-declaration levels had not moved much. Complexion [fairness] declaration moved from 24% in 2003 to 22% in 2008 to 18% in 2013 to 16% in 2018 to 23% in 2021; beautiful / looks remained around 13% for many years before showing a jump to 22% in 2021. Girls were still declaring themselves to be ‘fair and beautiful’.
The other side of the equation was the ‘requirement declaration’. There has been a steady drop in complexion requirements and looks in the ‘Brides Wanted’ ads from 19% in 2003 to less than 10% in 2018 and beyond.
Also Read: ICS 2021: Credibility of new media will come with sustained long term efforts
Matrimonial ads mirror society, its belief, and culture, and we found that education specification has seen a dramatic increase. Mention of careers has also increased significantly, both in brides (wanted) and grooms (wanted). One nagging fear is that Grooms Wanted ads are still describing girls as ‘fair and beautiful’. This points out a lack of confidence among girls and their parents to abandon these cliched descriptors.
Our submission is that Dove should spend time educating ‘Brides Wanted’ advertisers to stop specifying looks in their ads and educate ‘Grooms Wanted’ advertisers to stop labelling girls as fair, beautiful, and slim. Dove could tag the advertisements that are forward-thinking and give them extra exposure.
They could try targeting young girls to take pride in their achievements and qualifications, focusing on building greater self-confidence and not being defined by their fairness and looks. If Dove can achieve that in India, it will make the brand stand out. It would be a big boost to building ‘atmanirbhar’ emotion among girls of India.
Ashita Agarwal is a professor of marketing, and Ambi Parameswaran is an independent brand coach and adjunct professor of marketing at SPJIMR Mumbai.
Watch BE+ | Way forward mantras for post COVID world | Leading marketing leaders like Deepa Krishnan, Anurita Chopra, Samir Singh to Santosh Iyer, across sectors in the special video series


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Jointly developed with Qualcomm, the Netgear MR1100 mobile routers integrated with the X16 Gigabit LTE modem chip, and it can reach a maximum download speed of up to 1Gbps.
Consumer devices with 5G networks will start showing up in 2018, while the successor to Snapdragon 821 will have the X16 Gigabit LTE modem.
The new mobile processors feature better performance, support for X9 LTE and Dual Camera builds. Jump in to see when they'll be commercially available.
Lingering questions over the Galaxy Note7 have forced the South Korean government to step in and conduct its own investigations.
It seems that Nokia is eager to let the world know that it's back.
With the Samsung Galaxy Note7 no longer in production, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates that consumers will choose to purchase a smartphone from Apple and Huawei.
Following an earlier ban on the Note7 on most aircraft carriers, the US Federal Aviation Administration has now stepped up the severity of the offense by making it a federal crime to fly with the device.
This could be the real reason behind Samsung's decision to end production of the Galaxy Note7.
TGIF! Celebrate the arrival of the weekend with some new gadgets and toys!
Like the Portrait Mode feature on the iPhone 7 Plus, but don't like the 5.5-inch form factor and premium price tag? Here's an app to achieve the same effect on other iPhone models!

domain: news


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Here are all of the posts in the ‘News’ category.
There has been a vast increase in the number of people accessing the internet and using it on handheld devices in the UK, according to data just released from the Office of National Statistics.
It found that 43 million UK adults accessed the internet in the last three months and of these, 76% accessed it daily. In fact, 21 million more adults accessed the internet daily in 2014 than in 2006.
The research also found that the 16-24 year old age group is most likely to access the internet ‘on the go’ using a mobile device, with a huge 96% using a handheld device to go online over the last three months.
This month’s Ofcom’s Communications Market Report backs this evidence up, discovering that 16-24 year olds in the UK spend three times longer on their smart device than the average adult.
However, the Ofcom’s most interesting findings were focused on the ‘millennium generation’, who are now the most tech savvy age group in the UK. The study shows that the communications habits of younger people are changing fundamentally, with 12-15 year olds now spending just 3% of their communications time making voice calls, as opposed to 94% using text based services like instant messaging and social networking.
Glasses up to the future!
When one chapter ends and another begins, more often than not, we’ll raise a glass. It was this insight that drove the concept for our global ‘Parting Glass’ campaign with Tullamore D.E.W.: inviting fans from around the world to raise a glass to their own new beginnings.
Whether it was a wedding, stag do or new job, we encouraged Tullamore’s social media community to show us how they celebrated their ‘Parting Glass’ moments through videos, images or witty texts. Uploading their content to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, people simply had to add the #PartingGlass hashtag to enter.
By submitting their own Parting Glass moment, fans were automatically entered into a competition to be part of Tullamore’s own ‘Parting Glass’ moment. Those who displayed the most authentic celebratory moment would have the opportunity to attend the opening of Tullamore’s brand new distillery in Ireland!
Having been destroyed in a fire 60 years ago, bringing the distillery back to its hometown is a significant moment for the brand’s history, so a fantastic, unique occasion for our Tullamore fans to get involved in.
And for those fans who didn’t manage to create their own content, the Tullamore website hosted a collection of videos covering different ‘Parting Glass’ moments for the social community to personalise and share with their friends – a unique way to mark the moment.
In total, we saw over 400 images of celebrations and images of fans embarking on new hobbies and adventures – all with Tullamore in the frame.
The ‘Parting Glass ‘campaign reached over 4 million Facebook users, with a variety of entries from across five different markets.
So why not pour a glass of Tullamore D.E.W., and enjoy some of our favourites below!
New Facebook tracking tool works across devices
Facebook has created a new reporting tool, which will allow advertisers to track consumers across devices. The advertiser can find out which device a user saw an ad on, and where they made a purchase. This allows them to discover when a mobile ad led to a desktop sale, or vice versa. The tool places trackers on an advertiser’s sites and apps, which can measure a variety of conversion types: web views, basket adds and purchases.
Twitter releases Promoted Video beta
Twitter has launched a beta version of its Promoted Video ads, which will charge advertisers only when a user hits play. The network claims its intention is to create a richer video experience for users, but it must also have revenue generation in mind. Here’s what the ads look like on mobile.
Twitter adds celebrity mobile features
Twitter has added two new mobile features that it hopes will facilitate conversation between celebrities. Now, verified users on both Android and iPhone can receive mobile alerts whenever another verified user follows them, while those on iPhone can also choose to view only verified users in their stream.
Fanta produces comedy series for Vine
Fanta is taking to Vine to produce a set of weekly comedy videos. Dubbed #FantaForTheFunny, the campaign will enlist three different Vine celebrities, in the hope that it will appeal to teens and young adults.
Groupon sees success on Snapchat
Groupon has launched on Snapchat. The brand’s opening gambit saw it send out a Snap promoting a deal for Wiz Khalifa tickets. They sold out in two minutes after 700 clicks, 250 screenshots and 1,000 direct messages, all resulting from that one piece of content. Another example has seen Groupon set up a competition, asking fans for their best ‘hey grill’ chat up lines, for the chance to win (you guessed it) a grill.
AT&T’s @SummerBreak campaign spreads across social
Telecoms company, AT&T, has created a cross-platform social media campaign around ‘Summer Breaks’. This includes a set of YouTube videos, uploaded three times a week, as well as content on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Vine and Snapchat. For the latter, it has accrued almost 45,000 followers in two months, all from scratch and without the help of paid media.
AmEx produces content through design partnership
American Express has partnered with a number of artists to produce a series of social content on the theme of design. This will be posted between now and the end of the year, and it’s already producing some effective results: Instagram interactions have doubled, while Twitter favourites have increased three times over.
Brands talk shark week on social
In case you missed it, last week was shark week. Naturally, a number of brands wanted a bite (sorry) of the action. Here are some of the best examples.
— Travelocity Gnome (@RoamingGnome) August 9, 2014
— REDD’S® Apple Ale (@ReddsAppleAle) August 10, 2014
— Sprint (@sprint) August 10, 2014
Premier League to get tough on Vines
The UK’s Premier League is looking to clamp down on people sharing unofficial Vines. The Premier League’s director of communications, Dan Johnson, said of the move:
You can understand that fans see something, they can capture it, they can share it, but ultimately it is against the law. It’s a breach of copyright and we would discourage fans from doing it, we’re developing technologies like gif crawlers, Vine crawlers, working with Twitter to look to curtail this kind of activity.
We’ll see how successful they are. If we’re honest, we’re pretty sceptical.
Online now accounts for more than half our daily media consumption globally, and social media takes up 50% of that online media time, according to the latest figures from GlobalWebIndex.
A recent report looked at how adults typically spend their media time each day, finding that online now accounts for more than half of adults’ total daily time spent on media, compared with 23% for traditional TV, in second place.
Global Web Index’s research also shows that social networking accounts for just over a quarter of daily online activity, and all social media activities combined take up 50% of people’s online media time.
Hi. My name’s Tom Cauvain, I’m an Account Executive and one of the new additions to We Are Social’s London office.
As Marie Cravens took us through her time so far at We Are Social in New York with Rihanna, I’m going to intersperse this London view using Alex Turner and Julian Casablancas. Apologies.
When I say new, in reality I’m one of the old guard having been here just over a month. We’re growing quickly and more and more people join every week across all our departments and accounts.
The clichéd nerves are to be expected during the first few days, but you’re soon put at ease through the team cupcake delivery on your desk and the buddy scheme that sees you wined and dined (well, up to a £20 limit) with someone in a similar role at the agency. The focus really is on ‘Social’.
I think a lot of companies, not just in advertising, can latch on to this to make their place seem super #sosocial but We Are Social definitely embodies it in the most genuine sense.
There is a real impetus on bringing everyone across the company together, irrespective of role and position, on the slopes of Innsbruck or at Lovebox festival with the entire population of Chigwell. And in the summer, with an early finish, who’s going to argue with that?
If you want to get involved on a project or there’s something that you feel particularly suits you, say so. I’ve always been one for cars and I’m fortunate enough to work on We Are Social’s Jaguar account.
As well as this, I also have a thing for sport. When the opportunity arose to combine the two on a campaign, I jumped at the chance to help out with the mechanics – and writing some of the copy. The team have been happy to support me, guiding me in the right direction, and as a result I already feel like I have their backing when pitching in on other areas.
You could also volunteer for one of the many photo-calls on the office Skype, realising the dream of your face/body/hands featuring across multiple social media channels within some lovely creative content.
As this is only my second agency, it’s probably slightly harder to comment on the differences between workplaces. However, the overwhelming consensus is that We Are Social is a great place to work and, after my first five weeks, I certainly agree. Here’s to the next five – and passing that probation period….


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Economic confidence in the eurozone increased for
a third consecutive month in July, a key survey showed Tuesday.
The European Commission's closely watched Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rose to 92.5 points, up from 91.3 points in June.
The increase was in line with analysts' expectations.
Jennifer McKeown of the Capital Economics research group said it is "adding to evidence that economic conditions in the eurozone are very gradually starting to improve."
Leading the way were sentiment upticks in the eurozone's four largest economies - Germany (+0.7), France (+1.2), Italy (+2.9) and Spain (+1.2).
Improved confidence among consumers and managers in industry, services and retail trade drove the rise in ESI, the European Union's executive said, but confidence dropped in the construction sector.
Consumer confidence posted its eighth consecutive increase, with the commission attributing it to "further easing unemployment expectations and better savings expectations" over the next year.
"Consumers' views on the future financial situation of their households and the future general economic situation also brightened somewhat," it said.
Separate data released Tuesday by the EU's statistics agency, Eurostat, showed that the household saving rate in the eurozone increased to 13.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year, up from 12.4 per cent in the previous quarter.
Household income also rose by 0.7 per cent in nominal terms during the first quarter.
The eurozone business investment rate, meanwhile, dropped to 18.8 per cent - down from 19.5 per cent in the previous quarter - according to Eurostat.
The Business Climate Indicator, another eurozone index compiled by the commission, posted an increase in July, rising by 0.14 points to -0.53.
The ESI also jumped in July in the wider 27-member EU, from 92.6 to 95.0 points.
The release of the ESI is part of the buildup to Thursday's meeting of the European Central Bank, which may be under pressure to outline more details on its plans to keep interest rates at record low levels for an extended period.
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Jamdat co-founders resurface with Gogii
Jamdat Mobile co-founders Scott Lahman, Austin Murray and Zack Norman have again banded together to launch a new mobile marketing venture dubbed Gogii. According to peHUB, Venice, Calif.-based Gogii remains in stealth mode, but has already secured $5.175 million in Series A funding led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with KP partner Matt Murphy taking a board seat. Founded in 2000, mobile gaming publisher Jamdat was acquired by Electronic Arts in late 2005 for $690 million. Lahman, Murray and Norman all took jobs with EA post-merger, but left the company within 12 months.
For more on Gogii:
- read this peHUB article


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The first driverless bus has launched in Manchester. Run by Stagecoach, the bus will not be on the road yet in its driverless form. The technology is currently being used to get depot tasks like refuelling, parking and washing down without a driver needed.
Experts warn automated vehicles could also provide cover for drug dealing and terrorism.
You may have recently seen that an Uber self-driving car killed a pedestrian in a headline-grabbing event that re-awakened
Has tech stolen our social life?
What is yet to be determined is the impact upon the existing legal process when someone is injured by a driverless vehicle.
Research recently conducted for The Times has presented a fairly negative snapshot of the public’s perception of autonomous
When people find out I work in the auto industry they all want to ask me about driverless and electric cars. Don't get me wrong, I'm as excited about these as the next person, but when it comes to innovation in my industry, it's only the tip of the tech disruption iceberg.
Technology is advancing at an exponential rate. We have already seen technologies which were once at the forefront of innovation quickly become out of touch if they did not continually evolve to remain ahead of the tech curve. Who would have thought ten years ago the rise of the smartphone would make the iPod obsolete?
As we move closer and closer to a future where driverless cars are normal, we take a look at whether we should fear the hackers taking over our cars.
It is clear we are on the cusp of a revolution in the way we travel from A to B. Every week heralds a new breakthrough in the development of driverless cars. These and other developments in travel tech will have far-reaching implications for the automotive sector.


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Colin Farrell's "Winter’s Tale" fantasy film unveils new pic Set in a mythic New York City, "Winter’s Tale" is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the battle between good and evil.
Radical cleric pleads not guilty to terrorism charges in Jordan Attempts to deport him from the UK began in 2005 but were repeatedly prevented by judges concerned about his human rights.
AAE slams Turkey’s hypocritical policies “One of the greatest men of our era, Nelson Mandela, passed away at the age of 95. Humanity has lost one of its greatest children," the AAE said.
BMW sells record 174,996 vehicles in November BMW Group recorded a 2.7 percent sales rise from the year-earlier period, helped by a 3.2 percent jump in BMW brand sales.


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You have searched for Gao
LAST UPDATED : Apr 13, 2018, 12:04 PM IST
- China's trade surplus with US surges, calls for patience
BEIJING: China's trade surplus with the United States surged by a fifth in the first three months of the year with China asking Washington on Friday to be patient as tensions between the economic superpowers simmer. Fears of a trade war have been rumbling since last month as President Donald Trump has threatened a series of tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods, sparking tit-for-tat warnings from Beijing. The stand-off lies in the Trump administration's ire at massive levies and what it considers unfair practices by China that he says are costing American jobs. President Xi Jinping's vow this week to cut tariffs in some sectors, and Trump's warm response, have calmed some concerns -- but a vast gulf in expectations remains between the two nations. The latest data showed China continues to benefit from the two-way trade. Its surplus with the US rose 19.4 per cent on-year to $58 billion in January-March, with exports up 14.8 per cent and imports 8.9 per cent higher. However, for March the surplus fell to $15.4 billion from February's $21 billion, while it was also down from $17.7 billion 12 months ago. China registered a rare deficit of $4.98 billion with the rest of the world last month owing to seasonal factors such as the Lunar New Year holiday. Against the backdrop of recent tensions, customs bureau spokesman Huang Songping repeated China's line that it is not looking for an advantage over its trading partners. "We don't strive for a favourable balance of trade (for China), the current state of trade affairs are shaped by the market," he told a briefing in Beijing. "We hope that the US will listen patiently to rational and pragmatic voices on the trade balance issue." He reiterated that China does not want a trade war, saying "this trade friction is not conducive to China's interests, nor is it conducive to the interests of the US". After Trump unveiled another set of planned tariffs last today, Xi this week struck a conciliatory note, promising to cut tariffs on cars -- a key point of US anger -- and other imports, as well as further open up the economy. Xi "said he's going to open up China. He's going to open it up, take down a lot of the trade barriers - maybe all of them", Trump told lawmakers yesterday. However, Chinese officials have in recent days repeated that the two sides were not negotiating on the issue. The US has not "shown the sincerity needed for negotiations", commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said today. Trump has portrayed the issue in a more favourable light. "Again, we're doing really well with China. I think we're having some great discussions," he told the gathering of lawmakers in Washington, though he repeated that the US would win a trade war between the two sides. "When you're $500 billion down, you can't lose a trade war," he said. "We put a $50 billion tariff on, and then we put $100 billion tariff on. And, you know, at a certain point, they run out of bullets." During Trump's first year in office the surplus reached record highs -- $375 billion by US counting, or $276 billion according to Chinese data. So far the large threats wielded by both sides have not been implemented. Only $3 billion in goods have been slapped with tariffs in the escalating spat -- the US targeted steel and aluminium while China took aim at pork and wine among a slew of other American products. Trade between the two nations remained strong in the first quarter, with bilateral exchanges rising 13 per cent to $142 billion.
- China denies Xi comments aimed at settling US dispute
BEIJING: China's government on Thursday denied President Xi Jinping's promise of market-opening measures this week was aimed at settling a tariff dispute with Washington and said negotiations are impossible under "unilateral coercion'' by the United States. A commerce ministry spokesman, Gao Feng, complained U.S. President Donald Trump's government has "shown no sincerity,'' according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Gao said the two sides have yet to start negotiations. Gao repeated complaints that Trump acted improperly when he responded to Beijing's protest over his plan to raise tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods by saying he might add another $100 billion of imports to the list. "Under unilateral coercion, it is impossible for the Chinese side to conduct any negotiations,'' Gao was paraphrased as saying. Trump's proposed tariff hike is a response to complaints Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. China has responded with its own $50 billion list of U.S. goods for retaliation if Washington goes ahead with the increase. Gao denied Xi was making an overture to Washington when he announced plans in a speech Tuesday to cut import duties on autos, ease restrictions on foreign ownership in China's auto industry and make other market-opening changes. Share prices of global automakers rose on investor hopes their China operations, while some economists said the positive tone of Xi's comments might provide a basis for talks with Washington. "The measures to increase opening announced by China are a major decision to open to the outside and have nothing to do with Chinese-U.S. trade frictions,'' Gao was paraphrased as saying.
- Harmeet Desai loses opening match to Gao in straight games to hand Singapore a 1-0 lead. Hopes now pinned on Sharath Kamal to get Indian off the mark as he takes on Shao Feng Ethan Poh.
Harmeet Desai loses opening match to Gao in straight games to hand Singapore a 1-0 lead. Hopes now pinned on Sharath Kamal to get Indian off the mark as he takes on Shao Feng Ethan Poh.
- Paddler Harmeet up against Ning Gao, but goes down 9-11 in the first game. Something similar happened yesterday, when Manika Batra too lost India's opening game. And we all know what happened from there. If that's how it pans out, who minds this early bump?
Paddler Harmeet up against Ning Gao, but goes down 9-11 in the first game. Something similar happened yesterday, when Manika Batra too lost India's opening game. And we all know what happened from there. If that's how it pans out, who minds this early bump?
- 12 years later, Sharath Kamal seeks another double gold in Australia
Two of A Sharath Kamal's three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games were won in Australia and it is this little statistic which is driving India's finest table tennis player to go for another double in the Gold Coast edition next month.
- Over 300 illegal structures razed in 2-day drive at Diva
THANE: In a two-day demolition drive, over 300 structures and 400 hand carts operating illegally in Diva were razed by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC). The drive, which started on Wednesday, covered the stretch from Diva east station premises till Dativali Chowk. More than 150 shops were razed and 200 hand carts destroyed on the first day. The shops which had illegal extensions and were obstructing our path for road widening were demolished. Now, the work which had been delayed since six years can begin,” said a civic official. On the second day of the demolition drive, the team moved towards Sabe Gao area where 156 illegal structures and 200 more hand carts operating illegally were demolished. The authority also cracked a whip on the shops alongside the diva lake.


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Accurately value revenue for feature films streaming in the US, UK, and Canada with exclusive access to licensing rate cards and terms from three Netflix agreements.
Netflix signed a five-year deal with Sony Pictures Television worth $500 million to become the exclusive worldwide streamer for Seinfeld.
The exclusive 90-day theatrical window has become a line in the sand that theatrical exhibitors are unwilling to cross.
Netflix and Amazon, who were once touted as the saviors of the indie film market, are retreating from acquisitions to focus on producing more original films.
Apple TV+ subscription service will launch on November 1st for $4.99 a month. However, with only a handful of shows available, it will not frustrate the launch of Disney+ or challenge Netflix in a meaningful way.
Netflix’s long-time streaming competitors Hulu and Amazon Prime Video are starting to capture more viewing marketshare.
Part Two: Netflix Trends, International, Feature Films. Through the first six months of 2019, Netflix’s customer acquisition costs have ballooned to $292 per subscriber.
Part One: Netflix Subscribers and Exclusivity. Netflix lost subscribers in the United States for the first time in nearly a decade. The next battleground in streaming will take place over content exclusivity.
There is growing speculation that Amazon will acquire ViacomCBS after the post-merger dust settles.
CBS and Viacom have reunited as one company after two failed attempts since 2016. The new company will be named ViacomCBS.


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Chrysler's 'Imported From Detroit' Super Bowl Ad
DETROIT — If you haven’t seen the two-minute commercial that Chrysler Group LLC ran during the Super Bowl on Sunday, it’s worth taking a look.
The spot, featuring a brief appearance by Detroit-based rapper Eminem, has gone viral, racking up more than 3.5 million views on YouTube and occupying hours of sports-talk time on radio stations across the country. According to market researchers who tracked the impact of Super Bowl commercials, the Chrysler ad sparked a dramatic spike in online shopping for the company’s models.
“My BlackBerry started burning up right after the commercial with people talking about it,” said David Kelleher, owner David Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Philadelphia.
The commercial is intended to introduce a new sedan, the Chrysler 200, and a new tagline – “Imported From Detroit” – as well as the new, post-bankruptcy Chrysler. It opens with clips of gritty parts of the city, while a defiant narrator tells insists the company knows luxury. The spot ends with Eminem saying, “This is the Motor City. This is what we do.”
It wasn’t just a hit among car-shoppers and sports fans. Consider this: On Monday, a colleague of mine, Jeff Zaslow, did a conference call with a book club in Virginia, to talk about some of the books he’s authored. When it came time for questions from his listeners, one of the first inquiries was: “Since you’re from Detroit, what did you think about the Chrysler ad?”
I think one reason this ad resonated with many of the Super Bowl’s millions of viewers is that it offered something Detroit hasn’t always served up in the recent past: Honesty.
The Big Three got into trouble, in part, because they lost credibility with American consumers. For years, GM, Ford and Chrysler insisted their quality was good, and it clearly wasn’t. They insisted Americans didn’t want fuel-efficient cars, but there surely are many who do. Just two years ago, the chief executive of GM was adamant that there was no way the company would go bankrupt.
The Chrysler ad, however, doesn’t try to gloss over the troubles of the company, or a city that’s been “to hell and back.” The opening clips show smokestacks and a vacant building. “This isn’t New York City, or the Windy City, or Sin City,” the narrator says. “And it’s certainly no one’s Emerald City.”
“We knew we couldn’t BS,” said Joe Staples, one of the creative directors at the agency that produced the ad, Wieden+Kennedy, of Portland, Ore. “We thought we had to acknowledge what happened and move on.”
Such honesty appeals to Americans, said Jason Vines, a former head of communications at Chrysler who is now a consultant at Fleishman Hillard, a large public relations company. “We are a nation that loves the underdog, the little boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps and beats the big guy,” he said.
Moments after the spot ran during the third quarter of the Super Bowl, online searches for information about Chrysler and the Chrysler 200 spiked on auto-shopping web sites. Edmunds.com reports that research on Chrysler models on its web site jumped 328% after the ad appeared.
Autometrics Inc., a company that tracks activity on more than 100 auto-related web sites, found that reported that 131 people actually sought price quotes from dealers within 10 minutes of the ad’s airing. By midnight it was up to 839. By comparison, Audi’s commercial for the A8 generated 380 requests for quotes, Autometrics Chief Executive Stephen Shaw said.
Originally, Chrysler planned to run two 60-second commercials during the Super Bowl. One would be devoted to the Chrysler 200. The footage of Detroit was shot in early January, and the company planned to use Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself,” an ode to his own comeback from tough times, as the score.
Then Chrysler and its agency inquired about having the rapper himself appear, and when he agreed, Wieden+Kennedy had to come up with a new ending to the piece. By then, they were working with 30, 60 and 90 second versions, as well as a two-minute spot, but few thought the company had a chance to run such a long commercial, said Melissa Garlick, advertising manager for the Chrysler brand.
On Friday, Jan. 28, Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne reviewed the four versions, and late the following Sunday Ms. Garlick received word the boss wanted to air the two-minute spot.
Over the next few days, Chrysler had to get permission from the NFL to do so – the Super Bowl normally only has 90-second commercial breaks. Fox, which was broadcasting the game, also had to move commercials around to allow Chrysler to get a two-minute block of time, Ms. Garlick said.
Chrysler can use the buzz the ad has generated, but what it really needs are sales. Mr. Marchionne is counting on a big jump in sales this year to bring the company back into the black.
Dealers like Mr. Kelleher are psyched up. At his store, he’s told his salesmen to move the eight Chrysler 200s they have in stock to the front of the lot and to put one in his showroom. “I have about 20 Chrysler 200s on the way and I just in an order for another 12,” he said.
–Jeff Bennett contributed to this story.


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JC Penney in Burley will Be Closing
JC Penney in Burley will be permanently closing as part of a company restructure.
In February, JC Penney announced that it would be closing several under-performing stores across the US. Like many brick-and-mortar retailers, online commerce has impacted retail sales and JC Penney is altering their strategy in an attempt to remain competitive.
Today, JC Penney released this list of stores that will be closing and the Burley location is one of those that is scheduled to close. As far as a timeline goes, JC Penney announced that most stores will "begin the liquidation process" in mid to late April.


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I wanted us all to connect in-person, away from the world of Facebook, emails and texts. I was able to give them a hug, share a laugh and push them a little further during workouts.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (PRWEB) March 06, 2013
Keri Lynn Ford, fitness personality, celebrity trainer/coach, international cover model, and creator of online fitness community, IgniteGirls, recently held the first IgniteGirls Fitness Weekend (IGFW) in Johns Creek, Ga.. Women trekked from all over the United States, from Washington D.C. all the way to California to “Spark their Inner Athlete.” Throughout the getaway, Ford led tough workouts and sessions on nutrition and healthy cooking, while providing a forum for group bonding, inspiration and emotional support – all elements in a successful “healthy life” program.
The IGFW was held at The Forum Athletic Club, owned by two former NFL players: Dan Owens (formerly on the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons) and Roman Fortin (formerly on the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and San Diego Chargers). As such, workouts were structured in a sports conditioning-style, including:
- Turf Workouts: participants used the large, turfed space to flip tractor tires, push weighted sleighs and run cone drills, in addition to plenty of running, sprinting and high intensity interval training.
- Weight Lifting Circuit Routines: like pros, the girls cycled four times through 10 stations, each station one minute long. Exercises included Romanian dead lifts, jump squat ladders, box jumps, weighted walking lunges, squats, burpees. (A full list of exercises can be found on kerilynnford.com/news/).
The nutrition component featured cooking demonstration with professional sous chef from the Culinary Institute of the Arts in Hyde Park, Tesia Bunton. Supplemental offerings included: Q&As, one-on-one body consultations, raffles and prizes from product sponsors. The group welcomed guest speakers, including International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) certified trainer, Casey Shipp, Registered Dietitian, Dana Casendino, and Ford herself.
Philadelphia IgniteGirl, Noelle Andrews, was eager to finally meet fellow IgniteGirls. "I really enjoyed working out and learning the proper form for exercises,” Andrews said. “It’s easy to make mistakes and risk injury, but I am now confident of proper form and feel like a pro when I hit the gym. I gained a lot from this weekend—including sore muscles!”
As for the head trainer? Ford appreciated the opportunity to meet her online clients face to face. “The weekend went exactly as I had envisioned it,” Ford said. “I wanted to bring everyone together in a different way. I wanted us all to connect in-person, away from the world of Facebook, emails and texts. I was able to give them a hug, share a laugh and push them a little further during workouts. I look forward to future IgniteGirls Fitness Weekends and I know they will be as successful as this one was.”
About IgniteGirls Fitness Community
The IgniteGirls Fitness Community is an online community where women of all ages and fitness levels can interact, learn, and share health and fitness tips and find daily inspiration from Ford. The IgniteGirls Fitness Community also includes the Online IgniteGirls Program, a membership program, which incorporates custom training, nutrition and coaching for everyday women. Eah program is designed for each IgniteGirls’ individual goals, keeping previous dieting history and health in mind. Keri also offers in-person private and group training for those in the Johns Creek, Ga., area.
About Keri Lynn Ford
Keri Lynn Ford is a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), ACE certified lifestyle and weight management coach, as well as a Mad Dogg Athletics certified spin instructor. She launched her fitness training career in Hollywood, Calif., at a private gym where she helped organize and teach boot camp classes sponsored by the Jillian Michael’s online program. She has previously trained celebrity Alison Sweeney, while she was preparing for her appearance on “The Biggest Loser” finale post-pregnancy. Keri has also instructed spin classes, featuring clients such as: Gerard Butler, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jamie Kennedy, Alison Sweeney, Cristian de la Fuente, Jonny Lee Miller, Kaley Cuoco and Natasha Lyonne. She believes in a whole foods diet that focuses on balance, commitment and persistence. Keri is the creator of IgniteGirls, an online fitness community of women that offers customized meal plans for any lifestyle, printable workouts as well as accountability and unlimited access to Keri. For more information, visit http://www.kerilynnford.com. Women can stay active and involved in the IgniteGirls Fitness Community even if they are not members of the online program, by following Ford online through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Ford’s website, for daily inspiration and tips.
For additional information or IgniteGirls Fitness Weekend photos, please contact Keri Lynn Ford at keri(at)kerilynnford(dot)com


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Sign Up for Our Monthly Europe Newsletter
While the European Union has banned U.S. travelers from entering the continent, the United Kingdom (U.K.) has begun to open to tourists — including those from the U.S. — but with new rules and regulations. As of June 8, visitors to the U.K. must self-isolate for 14 days after entering.
In an interview with TravelAge West, Gavin Landry, director and executive vice president of the Americas for VisitBritain, discusses its plan to help British tourism recover and what clients should expect before traveling there.
What efforts is VisitBritain currently employing to help the British tourism industry recover? Globally, tourism has been one of the hardest hit economic sectors of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism contributes $160 billion to the U.K. economy and employs 3.1 million people across the country.
Our response to the pandemic has been focused in five areas: advising the U.K. government; industry support and communication; recovery preparation; business continuity; and acting as the interface between the tourism industry and the government to ensure that the economic impacts on the tourism industry are understood and that policy matches the scale of the response needed.
We are supporting our travel industry partners to ensure they have access to VisitBritain’s recovery approach as it develops, and we are rolling out initiatives including our dedicated online advice hub. We are also preparing a series of webinars for the latest information on traveling to Britain, as well as hotel and attraction openings.
How did the new Industry Standard Quality Mark come about?VisitEngland, in partnership with the national tourist organizations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, launched a U.K.-wide industry standard to provide a “ring of confidence” for tourism as the sector works toward reopening.
The “We’re Good To Go” industry standard and supporting mark means businesses can demonstrate that they are adhering to government and public health guidance, including social distancing and cleanliness protocols. To obtain the mark, businesses must complete a self-assessment online showing that they have put the necessary processes in place. As of June 30, more than 11,000 businesses have registered as “We’re Good To Go.”
Alongside the industry standard, VisitEngland is launching the “Know Before You Go” campaign to alert travelers about what is safe to do in England and information about specific reopenings of destinations in England.
What are the main rules/restrictions travel advisors that should tell their clients about visiting the U.K. now? The U.K. government announced a 14-day quarantine for all inbound arrivals, which went into effect on June 8. From that date, all travelers arriving into the U.K. — including residents and visitors, with a few exemptions — via all means of transport have been required to inform border authorities where they will be staying and immediately self-isolate for 14 days. This measure is subject to review every three weeks to ensure it aligns with the latest scientific evidence and supports the government’s Roadmap to Recovery.
How has VisitBritain connected with travelers virtually during the pandemic?VisitBritain is keeping the destination front of mind globally for when the time comes for us to promote travel again. We are bringing Britain to U.S. audiences at home through our online channels and social media @lovegreatbritain, and sharing the best of Britain’s culture and virtual visitor attractions from film and television to music, heritage, literature, gardens and British food and drink.
What do you want travelers to know about returning to the U.K.?We want to reassure international travelers that our planning toward the future recovery continues. The U.S. is an incredibly important market for the U.K.; it is the largest and most valuable inbound market with millions of American visitors every year. We are working closely with the tourism industry and the U.K. government, and will continue to work with the international travel trade through this crucial period.


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Suntchi (Shanghai) Brand & Technology, which has offices in Shanghai, Tokyo and New York, has formed a five-year strategic partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
This creates a gateway to China for US-based fashion brands and designers via a full-service management company focussed on the fashion and entertainment industries.
It will also enable Chinese fashion companies to access the US market, says Suntchi founder/CEO Paul Fang. He says the group takes pride in branding and marketing new and established designers, identifying cultural trends and increasing market share, and the partnership will create “massive opportunity” in China for American designers.
“Thousands of fashion and lifestyle companies can now connect to create new consumer scenarios and consumption patterns, combining entertainment, art and fashion to prompt China’s consumer adoption,” says Fang.
CFDA’s 500-plus membership includes womenswear, menswear, jewellery and accessory designers, including Donna Karan, Gerard Yosca, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Mimi So, Rachel Zoe, Ralph Lauren, Shayne Oliver and Yeohlee Teng. The not-for-profit trade association was founded in 1962 and hosts the annual CFDA Fashion Awards.
“Partnering with Suntchi aligns with our mission to strengthen the impact of American fashion in the global economy,” says CFDA president/CEO Steven Kolb.


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Stratasys, Ltd. (SSYS) Cut to Sell at Zacks Investment Research
According to Zacks, “Stratasys is one of the leading 3D printing solution providers. The stock price has underperformed the broader market on a year-to-date basis, primarily due to its recently reported dismal third-quarter 2016 results. Difficult market conditions and lower-than-expected performance at its MakerBot business remains a headwind. Also, Stratasys’ downbeat guidance for 2016 was much disappointing. Nonetheless, the company’s sustained focus on launching new products and entering into strategic partnerships will drive long-term growth. Additionally, its efforts toward turning around MakerBot’s performance are encouraging. The initiatives will help Stratasys to gain more market share as the prospect of 3D printing industry appears bright.”
Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. FBR & Co restated an outperform rating and set a $29.00 target price on shares of Stratasys in a report on Monday, October 3rd. Vetr cut shares of Stratasys from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating and set a $26.67 target price for the company. in a report on Wednesday, September 28th. Piper Jaffray Companies restated a neutral rating and set a $23.00 target price on shares of Stratasys in a report on Saturday, October 15th. Craig Hallum cut shares of Stratasys from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, November 15th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) restated a neutral rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of Stratasys in a report on Tuesday, December 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $22.00.
Shares of Stratasys (NASDAQ:SSYS) opened at 18.84 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $18.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $20.69. The firm’s market capitalization is $990.97 million. Stratasys has a 12-month low of $14.48 and a 12-month high of $30.46.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: This news story was first reported by Watch List News and is the sole property of of Watch List News. If you are reading this news story on another publication, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of US and international copyright and trademark legislation. The original version of this news story can be read at http://www.watchlistnews.com/stratasys-ltd-ssys-cut-to-sell-at-zacks-investment-research/1059773.html.
A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Stratasys by 2.7% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,195,757 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,986,000 after buying an additional 84,023 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Stratasys by 0.9% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,195,916 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,900,000 after buying an additional 20,655 shares during the last quarter. Mairs & Power INC increased its stake in Stratasys by 2.9% in the third quarter. Mairs & Power INC now owns 1,296,563 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,234,000 after buying an additional 36,080 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Fund Advisors increased its stake in Stratasys by 6.0% in the third quarter. BlackRock Fund Advisors now owns 1,231,362 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,664,000 after buying an additional 70,115 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Douglas Lane & Associates LLC increased its stake in Stratasys by 4.1% in the third quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 1,218,088 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,344,000 after buying an additional 48,029 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.54% of the company’s stock.
Stratasys, Inc is a manufacturer of three-dimensional (3D) printers and rapid prototyping (RP) systems for the office-based RP and direct digital manufacturing (DDM) markets. The Company develops, manufactures and sells a product line of 3D printers and DDM systems (and related consumable materials) that create physical models from computer-aided design (CAD) designs.
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
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Bahrain is planning to push ahead with plans for a BD100,000 ($262,000) pigeon-themed tourism attraction to rival London’s Trafalgar Square, it was reported on Sunday.
The new attraction, described as a birdhouse, will be based at Isa Town and is being developed by the Central Municipal Council, the Gulf Daily News reported.
Designs have not yet been finalised as councillors have complained that ideas so far submitted have been too vague.
"We don't know if the council wants a giant pigeon house or just a pigeon monument, which is for practical use," director general Dr Mohammed Hassan was quoted as saying.
"Proper designs cost a lot and we couldn't waste money getting them from a consultant for the council to throw them away later, so we decided to do it ourselves as a general approach. But, we can assign a specialised company if the council selects a location out of the four suggested by us - rather than leave it open."
The project is currently on hold until a design has been finalised but Isa Town councillor Khalid Amer said it hoped the project will start construction in time for Bahrain National Day celebrations on December 16.
It is "an important monument that the whole country will talk about", Amer said but added he was disappointed at the slow progress made on the project so far.
"There should have been more efforts from the responsible engineer rather than a last-minute job that doesn't satisfy anyone. We have in mind something better than Trafalgar Square or downtown Paris - a simple birdhouse that is at the same time a future tourist attraction," he was quoted as saying.
It is part of Bahrain’s efforts to reinvigorate its tourism sector after months of political demonstrations.
Last month, Bahrain's King Hamad opened the new 1,001-seat Bahrain National Amphitheatre. Built at a cost US$50m with an Arabian Nights theme and a busy program of performances that include Russia's Bolshoi Theatre and Spanish tenor Placido Domingo, it is one of the largest theatres in the Middle East.
Bahrain is also planning to restart US$80m worth of seafront projects, build a US$5m theme park based on The Smurfs children’s cartoon characters and aims to complete a 334,000 sq ft China-themed shopping mall by September 2014.
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A new report by mobile app analytics firm, App Annie, and mobile content and commerce association MEF, has identified Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey and India as the next growth markets for app publishers — with rates of app downloads in these five markets growing substantially between Q3 2013 and Q3 2014.
Brazil topped the charts for app download growth, with 100% growth over this period; followed by Indonesia with 70% growth; Mexico and Turkey on 60% apiece; and India growing by 30%. While China is identified as the largest of the growth markets, app downloads here only grew 10% over the period.
Rising rates of app downloads in these emerging markets where lower priced Android devices have gained substantial marketshare has contributed to a strong rate of global app download growth on Google Play store. The report notes that Google’s Play store is currently 60% higher for app downloads than Apple’s iOS App Store (vs Play being only around 25% higher in the 2013 report).
The iOS App Store continues to dominate Play when it comes to app revenue, with Apple’s app store revenue growth about 60% higher, according to the report:
However the report also drills down into app revenue performance in Germany, where Google’s Play store continues to lead on downloads but also showed stronger revenue growth — ending the indexed period almost on a par with the iOS App Store revenue in the market.
The report notes this marks “a significant change” from a year ago, when iOS App Store revenue was almost double that of Google Play in Germany:
When it comes to app revenue growth across the group of measured markets, established markets continue to outperform emerging markets, despite the latter’s accelerating rates of app downloading.
The report found that Germany showed the largest gain in revenue (1.8x) from Q3 2013 to Q3 2014 among the selected markets, even though its downloads remained stable — a pattern the report notes as “representative of the more established markets in the app economy”.
So, in other words, free app downloads are likely powering most of the app download growth in emerging markets where mobile users have less disposable income to spend on paid apps.
China is not included in this revenue chart because the report notes that Google Play does not offer any paid content in the market. The same is not true of iOS in China, though, and the report adds that Apple’s App Store has seen significant revenue growth there this year:
China is proving to be pivotal to Apple’s international growth strategy. In Apple’s Q2 2014 earnings call, it reported record high revenue in China of almost $10 billion, inclusive of retail sales. Apple also announced the upcoming availability of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in China. With support for TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, customers in China will have access to high-speed mobile networks from China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. It will be interesting to see the impacts of the new iPhone models in the Chinese market.
The popularity of messaging apps over the tracked period is also flagged up by the report, which notes that WhatsApp’s growth was fueled by Google Play downloads in emerging markets. That app, of course, was acquired by Facebook during the indexed period.


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Sharp Corp. will release LED light bulbs designed for home use in July 2009 in Japan. After entering the market for commercial lighting in 2008, the company is now breaking into the residential lighting market.
The main feature of the new LED lamps is their prices. There are no manufacturer's suggested retail prices, but their street prices in the market are expected to be about ¥3,900 (approx US$39.7) for the models equivalent to a 40-watt incandescent bulb and about ¥4,000 for the 60-watt-equivalent models. Thus, in terms of the price per unit time, the new lamps can now rival incandescent bulbs and bulb-shaped fluorescent lamps.
"In general, an incandescent bulb that lasts 1,000 hours is priced at about ¥100, and a bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp with a life of 6000 to 12,000 hours is sold at about ¥1,000," Sharp said. "So, an LED lamp with a life of 40,000 hours is priced at ¥4,000."
To read the rest of the story, visit Tech-On!
(Pictured: Sharp's new LED lamp to be released in July 2009.)


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Danone supports African aid effort
Danone Waters has linked up with international relief and development charity World Vision to launch an on-pack campaign.
For every one litre of Volvic sold in the UK, Danone Waters and World Vision will generate 10 litres of clean and safe drinking water in communities across Africa by providing them with mechanised wells.
The 1l-for-10l activity will be linked to pack sales across more than 70 million specially branded packs of Volvic Plain and Volvic Touch of Fruit from February to September next year. It will be supported by a £3 million marketing campaign that includes TV and print ads, in-store POS and PR activity.
Philip Spencer, marketing director at World Vision, said: "The campaign will help further generate consumer awareness in the UK of the issues of, and caused by, lack of clean drinking water in developing countries.
"This programme will have a dramatic effect on the quality of life for communities across the six identified countries, as access to clean water impacts everything from health and sanitation to education and food production."


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As the reality of television’s necessary co-existence with internet content sets in, broadcasters want to bring the ‘Buy Once, Play Anywhere’ paradigm of packaged media to streamed content. But which standard will win? Richard Dean reports.
About seven years ago, a number of people at Sony Pictures came up with a concept which they hoped would simplify and extend the consumption of digital content across multiple platforms.
The idea developed into what is now known as the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem or ‘DECE’ – although not for much longer, as a hopefully snappier brand will emerge when the system goes live later this year.
The principle sounds simple enough, namely to grant consumers rights to content irrespective of the platform on which it is delivered. The first step was to set a Common File Format (CFF). Three content publishing profiles, all based on MPEG-4 H.264 encoding, have been defined for different picture resolutions – namely HD, SD, and PD (personal display).
According to DECE General Manager Mark Teitell, not only are the CFF profiles flexible enough to cater for all flavours of interlaced or progressive HD, but will also include 3DTV as standards emerge. Consumers will be able to download firmware to enable DECE content, although some extra hardware may be required for 3D.
While it would be technically feasible for producers to work natively in CFF, Teitell says they are unlikely to select such a highly compressed codec for capture and editing. However DECE will allow the same post production-to-consumer workflow as conventional media, he adds.
What distinguishes DECE from a ‘mere’ interoperability standard is an innovative concept called the Digital Rights Locker (DRL). This involves the issue of tokens when content is bought to grant viewers access to the same material via other platforms and on other devices, and will be administered by Neustar, the Virginia-based company formed in the mid-Nineties when the US Government mandated local number portability.
“Our aim is to give consumers the simplicity of packaged media, which works on any compatible player, across multiple platforms,” says Mitch Singer (pictured), who was CTO at Sony Pictures when the project was conceived and is now President of DECE.
“For instance customers buying a disc from a retailer could gain access – or grant access to a relative – to the same content over a video-on-demand network even before they’ve taken the shrink-wrap off the physical product.”
DECE plans to offer an open Application Programming Interface (API) to allow any web-enabled shop, service or device to integrate access to the DRL into its own consumer offering. Like a DVD or Blu-ray disc, DECE will offer unlimited playback but with no de facto regional coding – although Singer adds that owners and operators may impose certain censorship or territorial limitations, plus a parental control function.
Avoiding the mistakes of the music industry
Interestingly, amongst a roll-call of industry heavyweights including Sony, Panasonic and Grass Valley plus a string of mobile, chipset, set-top and software manufacturers and most recently the leading media management company Red Bee Media (formerly BBC Broadcast), the 55-plus DECE membership also includes the UK’s largest retailer, Tesco.
While initially aimed at video, there is little doubt that the DECE token system could also be applied to games, books, music and a host of other products – not to mention untold opportunities to match spending on one with advertising for another. Singer is adamant however that customer permission for third-party database disclosure will be on a strictly ‘opt-in’ basis.
Lessons have been learned from similar initiatives in the past, such as the Secure Digital Music Initiative consortium formed as a response to MP3 in 1998, says Singer.
“SDMI was very restrictive, and in the end consumers had to check whether they had the rights to play material themselves,” he recalls. Seen by sceptics as a means of guaranteeing the record industry’s near monopoly over musical content, and using a watermarking technology allegedly detectable by ‘golden ears’ listeners, SDMI was abandoned in 2001.
From the outset, Singer and his team took a pragmatic view to the all-important issue of Digital Rights Management (DRM) underpinning the DRL. Rather than specifying one standard, DECE embraces five, namely Adobe Flash Access, CMLA-OMA V2, Marlin DRM Open Standard, Microsoft PlayReady and Widevine. “We recognised that a variety of DRM formats have been optimised for different platforms, and it is important that DECE covers 100% of CE devices,” he says.
Will the hugely successful iTunes join DECE? “We welcome all companies to join our effort,” says Singer. “We are encouraged by the success we’ve had so far in bringing new members on board, and we continue to talk to a variety of companies about their involvement,” he adds.
Indeed given that the iPhone AppStore already offers a Skype app, even if this is available only on landline WiFi (as it is blocked by mobile operators), it would be rash to rule out one for DECE.
“Apple is a company that innovates and is expanding the awareness of digital media – and don’t forget that with the number of web-enabled TVs predicted to reach 100m by 2013, the multi-platform entertainment market is still in its infancy,” says Singer. “DECE is offering an alternative, with a different feature set.”


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Most print publications have had a tough go of things over the last few years, but music magazines have been hit particularly hard. Spin is gone. Ditto for Vibe and Blender. Online media, coupled with changes in the way people consume music, has made it all but impossible for music criticism to retain its relevance in the face of legions of lightning-quick digital commentators musing about the hippest bands and latest releases.
Arguably, one of the biggest reasons no one needs music magazines anymore is Pitchfork Media, the Chicago-based publisher of Pitchfork.com, which went online in 1996 and has since emerged as one of the premier voices in music criticism. Now Pitchfork is hoping to extend its brand to the medium it helped dismantle, with a quarterly print magazine called The Pitchfork Review. According to Fast Company, which provided a first look at the soon-to-be-launched publication, the magazine will be produced in the style of literary and cultural journals, with in-depth reporting, thoughtful criticism and the kind of intricate layouts that just don’t lend themselves to digital media. Proofs of the magazine are indeed impressive, a kind of New Yorker meets Paris Review meets Adbusters.
But as impressive as it is, is it a step back in time for a brand more known for looking ahead? Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean it's a step backwards; rather, it can be seen as a show of confidence. And there is reason to believe it could turn a profit. Print still has a currency, in terms of perception and ad revenue, and a well-produced print glossy can still resonate with readers in a way that pixels can’t.
Pitchfork isn’t the first online brand to realize that. Just this month, Politico launched a new glossy magazine and companion website, an effort to capitalize on its increasing Beltway influence with the kind of blue-chip ad dollars it hasn’t been able to attract with its free newspaper. The premiere issue of Politico magazine clocked in at 96 pages.
It’s also worth noting that Pitchfork’s print foray is not the first time a magazine niche has been sought after by a digital disruptor that helped destroy it. Just over a year ago, the storied trade magazine Variety was purchased in a fire sale by Jay Penske’s Penske Media Group. The sale seems unremarkable until you consider that PMG also owns Deadline.com, Nikki Finke’s popular entertainment blog, which has been credited with diminishing the influence of show business trades in the late 2000s. Like Pitchfork, PMG sought to transform Variety into a high-class counterpart to its online properties. Within months, the company did away with Variety’s daily edition and instead focused on its more profitable weekly magazine.
The inaugural issue of the Pitchfork Review is set to go on sale on Dec. 14 at select bookstores and newsstands. Issue one includes an interview with Glenn Danzig, and in-depth feature stories on Otis Redding and the music-weekly scene of the 1980s. A full preview is available here. Let’s hope Danzig behaved himself this time.
Christopher Zara covers media, culture, entertainment and the arts. He joined IBTimes in June 2012. From 2005 to 2012, he served as managing editor of Show Business, a trade...


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There has been an intense focus in the media over the past several weeks about large companies tapping into the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”), while many struggling small businesses have yet to receive funding. In fact, new research published by Morgan Stanley shows that of the PPP’s $349 billion in initial funding, at least $243.4 million has been allocated to public companies1.
Generally, a business is eligible for a PPP loan if it has fewer than 500 employees. The SBA’s “affiliation” rules, however, require a business to aggregate its own employees with that of its affiliates. Put simply, businesses that share common ownership or control are treated as one applicant. These affiliation rules have excluded most large public companies from the PPP.
But, in what some have called a loophole, the CARES Act waives the affiliation rules for companies in the accommodation and food services industries (NAICS code 72). Accordingly, restaurants and hotels with less than 500 employees per location may apply for a PPP loan. While it appears Congress included the waiver to allow independent businesses that operate under a franchise model to apply for a PPP loan, it has also opened the door for name-brand restaurant chains like Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris to secure funding2.
Following widespread criticism, on April 23rd, the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) issued new guidance that makes it more difficult for publicly traded companies to access the next round of PPP funding. Companies applying for PPP funds must now certify loans are necessary and that they cannot tap other sources of money. The SBA has noted that it is unlikely that any company with substantial market value or access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith, and such a company should be prepared to demonstrate the basis for its certification3.
As always, we will continue to provide updated information as it becomes available. If you have questions about the PPP or the CARES Act, please feel free to contact one of our business and finance attorneys.
 See Luisa Beltran, Restaurant Chains Received Many of the Biggest PPP Loans, BARRONS (April 23, 2020 7:33 AM) https://www.barrons.com/articles/restaurant-chains-received-many-of-the-biggest-ppp-loans-51587573556.
 See Thomas Franck, Here are the largest public companies taking payroll loans meant for small businesses, CNBC (April 21, 2020 9:57 AM) https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/21/large-public-companies-are-taking-small-businesses-payroll-loans.html.


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The former Sports Illustrated model, says that the cosmetics company Irene Group together with Fortune Hills International had used images of her that had appeared in the international publication Sports Illustrated.
The newspaper reports referred to papers obtained by US news programme Celebrity Justice, in which Taylor said that the photos had been used to sell both body powders and perfumes, without either written authority or a licensing agreement.
The former Cover Girl pin-up claims the unauthorized shots of her have been used for marketing and promotional purposes by the Irene Group, a member of the Cosmetic, Toiletries and Fragrance Association, and maker of the Irene, Hermosa, Girlies and Isabel cosmetic brands.
Taylor is taking the action because she fears that the unauthorized promotion of these products may jeopardize her planned endsorsement of her own fragrance line, due to be launched in September of this year.
In the lucrative world of cosmetics sponsorship, all promotional activity is closely guarded, by both the stars and the cosmetics companies themselves.
Back in November last year, US cosmetics supplier Cosmojet took out a lawsuit against pop singer Jessica Simpson and the cosmetics provider she endorses, Dessert Beauty, claiming it still owed $200,000 for cosmetics supplied to the singer's Dessert beauty line.
Dessert Beauty claimed that it refused to pay for a portion of a $1 million delivery of products after some were found to be below the quality standards and specifications that it expected.
But with right sponsorships often proving to be make or break for many cosmetics companies, there is evidently a lot at stake.
Fragrances in particular have proved to be the biggest magnet for successful star sponsorships. Last Christmas the Britney Spears fragrance, Curious, proved to be Amazon.com's biggest selling fragrance during the all-important holiday season in 2004, helped to significantly boost Elizabeth Arden group sales.
Likewise Parlux has experienced a 73 per cent growth in net income to $10 million on the back of a 20 per cent growth in sales thanks mainly to the continued success of its branded Paris Hilton fragrance and accessories.


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One of the highest-regarded festivals in the world – Insomniac’s Nocturnal Wonderland – is returning this Labor Day weekend for its 20th year. While Nocturnal has offered camping options in past years, they are unveiling a new option for those looking to spend the weekend right next to the San Manuel Grounds.
In addition to Tent, Car, and RV Camping, Nocturnal Wonderland now offers a Premiere Camping option for ravers looking to go all-out. The VIP area boasts a wide array of perks, ranging from an air-conditioned (yes, air conditioned!) lounge to private showers to cash bars. Once you purchase your festival ticket, you can choose from two options: the Owls Nest or Nocturnal’s 20th Anniversary Tent.
While both prices are still TBA, it’s hard to go wrong with either choice. The Owl’s Nest provides you with a ‘glamping tent,’ a memory foam mattress (choice of queen or two twins), pillows, sheets, bedside tables, chairs, bath towels, and a mini fridge.
The Nocturnal Tent, which is yours to take home after the conclusion of the festival, sleeps one or two people and includes an inflatable mattress, sleeping bags and pillows, a lantern, and access to VIP campgrounds.
Being that this is the 20th Anniversary of Nocturnal, Insomniac delivered a lineup that stands as one of the best from the 2015 festival season. Armin van Buuren, W&W, Knife Party, Pretty Lights, Afrojack, Bassnectar, and Kaskade are just some of the big names attendees can look forward to seeing. With festival season wrapping up in September, Premiere Camping at Nocturnal is the perfect way to end it with a bang.
Keep an eye out for prices and more details coming in the next few weeks!


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Scenic Hotel Group Secures Pacific Island Gem
Scenic Hotel Group will have a new string in its bow with the inclusion of the Matavai Resort Niue on 1 December, 2014.
The property will take on its new name of Scenic Matavai Resort Niue to become Scenic Hotel number 10 and the group’s 18th property overall.
The Premier of Niue, Toke Talagi, will be joined by Jonathan Kings from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Special Relations Unit and Scenic Hotel Group directors to make the exciting announcement today (Tuesday, 21 October).
Scenic Hotel Group Managing Director Brendan Taylor says the Matavai property’s stunning location, reputation and standard of presentation made it a natural addition to the Group’s South Pacific portfolio.
“The property is the perfect addition to the Scenic family and philosophy of promoting unique unspoilt locations which will be a welcomed new experience for travellers wanting an alternative stunning Pacific Island adventure” Mr Taylor said.
The island of Niue is located in the South Pacific and is less than three and a half hours flight time from Auckland International Airport.
Its close proximity to Auckland positions the property well in the New Zealand domestic market as an alternative holiday destination. Guests are assured of the same high quality and exceptional service standards in a stunning yet affordable holiday destination.
The 54-room complex incorporates 44 hotel rooms, 10 apartments and a three-bedroom villa that are all air conditioned and well appointed. Additional facilities include a restaurant bar and two spectacular fresh water swimming pools nestled amongst tropical gardens, offering 180 degree views of the Pacific Ocean.
The Hon Toke Talagi has welcomed Scenic Hotel Group to Niue and looks forward to developing a long and prosperous business relationship where the expertise of the Scenic Group will complement the island’s existing businesses, hospitality and tourist operators.
Scenic Hotel Group is excited about being at the forefront of international investment into the Pacific islands and is looking forward to working with the local business community to develop and improve Niue’s tourism industry.
National Marketing Manager
P: 03 357 1941


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It’s been nine months since Google proudly announced that the Google Play store had reached ten billion app downloads through their service. The company celebrated by offering ten days of sales, and each day there were apps, songs, and books that were all only 10 cents each. In that nine months, Google has reached a whole new milestone, as they can now brag they have surpassed 25 billion app store downloads. Instead of 25 days of 25c apps, music, movies, and books, Google has announced five days of discounts starting sometime today where users will be able to take part in a 25c content sale.
Google has gotten together with Rovio, EA, Gameloft, Full Fat, and several other game publishers to make sure that the Play Store is nice and full with new apps each day for only 25c. On top of this, Google has put together collections of other content for 25c. 25 top selling magazines, 25 banned books, and 25 albums that changed the world are only a handful of what Google promises will be ian interesting five day sale.
Google’s meteoric jump from 10 billion to 25 billion is a perfect example of the dramatic increase in smartphone users over the last year. Apple’s own App Store took nearly 15 months to go from 10 to 25 billion, and the accomplishment in March of this year was incredible.The Google Play Store is now home to 675,000 apps and games, with 1.3 million activations every day it is clear that it won’t be too long before the next milestone of 50 billion is announced.
More at the Official Android blog


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TOWN OF LISBON — Kwik Trip’s
plan to significantly expand its convenience store and fueling
center operations immediately west of the intersection of Lake Five
and Silver Spring roads is another subject of a public hearing at
Town Hall Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m.
The La Crosse-based company has purchased, and is combining, two
parcels of land adjacent to its existing property at N67-W27619
Silver Spring Drive, according to town officials.
The company is proposing to build a new 7,297-square-foot store in
addition to about 6,000 square feet of gasoline and diesel fueling
area to replace its existing store and fuel pumps, according to
plans submitted to the town.
Town Administrator Gina Gresch predicted the company’s request to
operate the store and fueling center 24 hours, seven days a week may
be the most controversial issue at the joint Town Board/Plan
Commission public hearing.
Town officials have privately told Conley Media they are not
surprised at the company’s plans to expand the store and fueling
center considering the success of the location since Kwik Trip took
it over in 2017.
It was one of 34 PDQ — “Pretty Darn Quick” — convenience stores Kwik
Trip purchased in the areas of Madison, the Fox River Valley and
southeastern Wisconsin, including three in Waukesha and two in Lake
If approved, the expansion of the Lisbon Kwik Trip is likely to
prompt local officials to increase pressure on Waukesha County
officials to install a traffic light at the intersection of Silver
Spring and Lake Five.
Town of Lisbon and village of Merton officials have been working
together in an effort to persuade the county to install the traffic
light because of the increasing number of subdivisions that have
been developed along Lake Five Road, which is an eastern boundary of
the town and village.
County highway officials have agreed to conduct a traffic volume
study at the intersection, according to Town Chairman Joe Osterman.
However, the study is expected to be conducted before the Kwik Trip


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NEW YORK, NY.-
A rare sapphire and diamond ring achieved U.S. $1.35 million, including premium, at Bonhams
New Yorks Fine Jewelry auction on Dec. 8, setting a world-record for a Kashmir sapphire under 10 carats ($172,000 paid per carat).
A stunning turn-of-the-century Tiffany & Co. ring centered by an oval-cut sapphire, the stone is of rare qualitydeep and rich blueand flanked by beautiful European-cut diamonds, weighing 7.84 carats.
On the heels of three world-records at our recent Bonhams London jewelry sale, Bonhams New York sets another world-record in price per carat for a Kashmir sapphire under 10 carat, said Senior Director of International Jewelry Daniel Struyf. Its been a successful week for Bonhams international jewelry department and a sign that colored gemstones are on the rise.
Other top lots include:
AN IMPORTANT SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND RING, cushion-shaped sapphire with a certificate stating Classic Ceylon origin, sold for U.S. $269,000, including premium
AN IMPORTANT SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND RING, oval-cut sapphire, 5.23 carats of Kashmir origin; sold for U.S. $269,000, including premium
A SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND RING centered by a 24.16 carat sapphire of Ceylon origin, sold for U.S. $125,000, including premium
A FANCY COLORED DIAMOND AND DIAMOND RING featuring a 1.00 carat fancy cut gray-blue diamond, within a diamond strap band, sold for U.S. $173,000, including premium


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Bad news for many TIM users. The phone company has announced new changes to some of its rechargeable offers
In addition to the many offers and promotions already launched, several telephone operators are also working to improve their service in terms of connectivity. And unfortunately, this can also mean remodeling to the tariff plans already available.
This is precisely the case with TIM which, with the start of the new year, announced an increase in the monthly cost of some rechargeable offers. Everything will start from the first renewal following the February 28, 2022, with an expected increase of about 2 euros per month.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED >>> Apple breaks with the past, iPhone 14 will have a completely different camera
TIM remodels, here are the rechargeable offers involved
Some already customers TIM will be affected by changes to their rechargeable offers equal to 2 euros per month. A news that will become official starting from the first renewal following the February 28, 2022. Already in these days, the first ones have begun to arrive SMS alerts to all interested parties, with the possibility to withdraw their contract free of charge – as required by law – and change operator. At least for now, a complete list has not yet emerged with all the offers that will see an increase in the monthly fee. If you have a rechargeable SIM, the advice is to keep an eye on your SMS in the next few days.
MAYBE YOU ARE ALSO INTERESTED >>> Dangerous phishing mails, INPS and the Revenue Agency have raised the alarm
As already happened in the past, however, the remodulations are accompanied by an increase in monthly Giga included in the active bundle. It will then be up to the users to decide whether to accept it or decide to move differently. We talk about well 20 GB more, which are added to those already available in their rechargeable promotion. All that remains is to wait to get a more complete picture of all the offers involved in the remodeling which, as already mentioned, will start as early as March.


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It turns out the sperm’s biggest challenge isn’t reaching the egg. It’s penetrating the Apple App Store.
The life of a sperm is simultaneously full of hope (create life!) and
hindrance (tighty whities, alcohol, smoking). For Palestinian gaming studio PinchPoint, maker of mobile racing game Spermania, last week represented that duality: The game was both celebrated by the New Yorker and rejected from the Apple App Store for the forth time.
The fun game lets players race against other brave little sperm to be the one to create life.
The rejection wasn’t just difficult for the developer. The game’s lead sperm, Clark Staminate, received the sterilizing news with sadness. “Too often, the plight of the sperm goes unnoticed, and Spermania was our first chance to share our story. Apple cruelly neutered that dream,” said Mr. Staminate.
His persistence is unlikely to subside since a single sperm cell has tremendous memory — 37.5 MB’s worth.
Shortly after the rejection, Mr. Staminate made a final attempt to enter the store by cloaking himself in an ovular costume in order to sneak past Apple’s defenses. Unfortunately, his fidgitiness gave him away and he was rejected.
Despite the setback, Mr. Staminate vowed he would one day penetrate the Apple Store. “I’m used to swimming against the tide,” he said. “Apple may be a tough target – but there are 300 million of us. It’s just a matter of probability that we’ll break in.”


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U.S. telecommunications rivals Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) and AT&T Inc (T.N) are set to go through to the third and final round of bidding in the auction for Yahoo Inc's (YHOO.O) core internet assets, according to peop
China-based Weeview Inc. on Thursday showcased 'Eye-Plug', a USB Type-C accessory that can be plugged into your Android smartphone and will assist in capturing 3D videos, at the ongoing "Computex 2016" in Taiwan.
A game design company in the US, founded by an IIT-educated entrepreneur, has showcased a first of its kind wearable gaming platform meant to reduce screen time for children and increase their social interaction and physical
The tech-heavy Nasdaq is the best performing major US stock index this year, gaining 6.6 percent as the Standard & Poor's 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial averages have wavered between small gains and losses.
Nearly tripled number of miles driven by alternative fuels and advanced technology fleet in 2014 UPS released its 13th annual Sustainability Report, highlighting its growing investment in alternative fuel and advanced technol
Brainprints, on the other hand, are potentially cancellable. So, in the unlikely event that attackers were actually able to steal a brainprint from an authorised user, the authorised user could then 'reset' their brainprint:
Will allow biopharmaceutical manufacturers to further optimise their upstream processes process compacts powder media into granules Merck Millipore has introduced a new technology that compacts dry powder cell culture media i


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The First and Only World Champion Boxer in eight different weight divisions and recently elected Philippines Senator supports GTOKEN in the mobile games publishing advertising space.
SINGAPORE -‐ 6 June 2016 – GTOKEN, the world's first crowdsourced mobile games publisher and advertising platform, has announced that the first and only World Champion Boxer in eight different weight divisions and Philippines Senator, Manny Pacquiao, has acquired a meaningful stake in its company.
From left to right: Archie Teo, Eldee Tang, Kenneth Mark Yong, Senator Manny Pacquiao, Ivan Lee and Arnold Vegafria
With over a million users to date across Southeast Asia, Taiwan and China, GTOKEN has rapidly grown throughout Asia and is currently valued at an estimated US$60 million.
“Since our launch in Singapore in December 2014, GTOKEN has garnered strong partnerships and support from the booming mobile gaming community across the region,” Kenneth Mark Yong, CEO of GTOKEN said.
“We are especially honored to have Senator Manny Pacquiao believing and investing in our vision to build the fastest growing crowdsourcing community for gamers, developers and publishers alike.”
“As a world champion in professional sports and a fighter all my life, I know what it takes to succeed on the global scale,” says Senator Manny Pacquiao. “I’m confident that GTOKEN has that special fighting spirit to be one of the strongest global players in the mobile gaming and advertising space and I’m proud to be part of the team.”
GTOKEN’s founding investors include Mr Ivan Lee, a serial entrepreneur whose previous F&B company was acquired for approximately $100 million SGD. Mr Ivan is also the founder of Raging Bull, a private investment fund focused on tech. Another early investor, Mr Eldee Tang, played a key role in the success of this deal.
About Senator Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, is a Filipino politician and world champion professional boxer. He is one of the greatest boxers of all time as he is the first and only eight-‐division world champion in which he has won ten world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes.
GToken is pleased to announce that on 16 May 2016 a new series of games: BoBoiBoy by 8Elements was added on its Playground!
BoBoiBoy is an animated series produced by Aimonsta Studios featuring a boy who use his superpowers to save the Earth from alien threats together with his friends, Ying, Hannah, Gopal and Fang.
Having foreseen a great potential in South East Asia, GToken with a huge number of followers is pleased to bring this game its over 100,000 PlayToken members in South East Asia and Greater China.
GToken and 8Elements are grateful for the assist of Game Centre Solutions (GSC) to organize the initial meet up resulted in a rewarding partnership estimated to be worth USD 2 million.
8elements - a privately owned company headquartered in Hong Kong - is a leading Asian mobile games publisher specialized in localized products and services for gamers in Southeast Asia and Australia/NZL.
BoBoiBoy是由Aimonsta Studios所研发的动画系列，当中描绘一个男孩拥有超能力连同他的朋友，Ying，Hannah, Gopal and Fang一起来对抗外来威胁，拯救地球。
GToken 和 8Elements 很感谢 Game Centre Solutions (GSC) 安排的初次聚会达成了估计价值200万美元的合作。
8elements - 一家私營公司，總部設在香港 - 是一家專業從事於東南亞和澳大利亞/ NZL玩家本地化的產品和服務的領先亞洲移動遊戲發行商。
This is an official notice from GTOKEN to clarify the following:
"PLAY TOKEN and MYCARD points can be mutually redeemed/exchanged with the ratio of 1:1"， "Both MYCARD and PLAYTOKEN members can use both platforms to play games and there will also be 10BV on PLAYTOKEN platform" & "PLAYTOKEN will promote the new games at the same time as when MYCARD is promoting the new games".
The above information statements circulated online by miscellaneous blogs and websites are all INACCURATE. The content creator(s) do not represent GTOKEN nor our cooperation partners. Soft-World Intl. Corp. (智冠科技股份有限公司) should not be questioned or bothered by any third party, nor should Soft-World Intl. Corp. (智冠科技股份有限公司) be held liable for any unsubstantiated claims of service terms. Any questions regarding GTOKEN, PLAYTOKEN services and cooperation terms should be directed to our support[https://playtoken.com/Support] or email [[email protected]].
Unless the statement is officially released by GTOKEN, otherwise information circulated online should not be regarded or interpreted as true.
Soft-World Intl. Corp. (智冠科技股份有限公司) should not be implicated by GTOKEN's external cooperation and should be indemnified from any misunderstanding that may arise.
GTOKEN would like to state that it's operations and cooperation are in compliance with Taiwan's legal regulations. We are committed to constantly reinforce our security measures/sensitive information archiving process to prevent breaches and leaks of sensitive information to be misappropriated and misused by unlawful entities. We would like to thank Soft-World Intl. Corp. (智冠科技股份有限公司) for pointing out the misappropriated data and falsified content posted online.
Everyone knows Mr. Lee and his reputation for the success of his F&B venture by setting up the first Thai Express in Holland Village in 2002 and, just six years later, in 2008, sold 70 per cent of his share in the chain for $80 million.
Now, following the overwhelming triumph, Thai Express founder and Gtoken chairman Ivan Lee is setting his sights on a whole new arena – mobile gaming. Alongside with director Randy Prabowo and development manager Tan Eng Khoon, he founded mobile game studio SparkJumpers.
However, why gaming field?
Obviously the market for mobile games has been steadily growing. “In a country like Singapore, mobile phones start to become a part of you, almost like an extension of your hand, whereas we’re not at our PCs all the time”, he said, noting the potential he sees in the ubiquity of handheld devices, and with personal interest as he grew up on a steady diet of video games.
When the trio began developing a mobile game, Ivan Lee said with passion that he wanted it to be “easy to pick up, but difficult to master”. Mobile games may suck up a lot of time yet it is worth playing as long as it’s depth, moreover, not another pay-to-win game – he makes his point. Furthermore, the competitive aspect of the game is paramount factor to him.
In November last year, they organized the first EndGods – a strategic brawler, where two players deploy combinations of characters over different lanes to conquer opposing forces.- competition, which had a $30,000 prize pool, and the top prize of $10,000 was won by competitive Dota 2 player Wong “NutZ” Jeng Yih. Additionally, the company has continue their growth by launching another competition for this game called League of Gods with $100,000 prize pool, and the finals will be held in May this year at Suntec City. This time, they will push the strategic limits of the game by engaging top players from other games, Singaporean professional League of Legends player Wong “Chawy” Xing Lei will be taking part in the League of Gods tournament.
Although Engods may not yet be a household name, Mr. Lee is certain that he will make change in time to come. “When you mention Dota 2, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike, you will mention Endgods alongside”.
Original source: Lisabel Ting, “Entrepreneur eyes mobile game changers”. Straitstime newspaper.
Jan 13, 2016, 5:00 AM SGT


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Is a New Inline Six Engine On the Way For FCA?
Photo credit: Jeep
News from various publications, including Allpar, Motor1 and Automotive News have reported about Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) quest to craft a new inline six-cylinder engine. A turbocharged engine is anticipated to exceed FCA’s current 5.7-Liter Hemi powertrain ratings. Not only stronger, its expected to carry a smoother torque curve. The future FCA engine will be added to the next-generation Jeep® Grand Cherokee, debuting possibly next year, as well as the all-new Jeep Wagoneer and Jeep Grand Wagoneer, debuting in 2020 or 2021. V8 engines have been losing steam in terms of popularity for years, but the need for an engine with power has not.
Perks of Inline-Six Versus V8
A straight-six engine is lighter and thinner than a V8 engine. That’s attractive for packaging as well as creating a lighter vehicle overall. Without sacrificing power, the newest engine is expected to have a displacement of under 3.0 liters and thus allowing for less of a tax in certain parts of the world. The engine will either have twin turbochargers or a new twin-scroll turbo setup. The news that has come out from Allpar and other publications stating this news have not been confirmed, but there are reasons why this would make sense for FCA.
Aside from being a smaller engine, the need to have a powerful engine for pickups is evident, but customers feel comfortable with a six-cylinder engine as opposed to a four-cylinder. Jeep and Ram have officially listed models on their roadmap that will carry new drop diesel products and as many as eight PHEVs (plug-in hybrid) models by 2022. It is not certain whether part of the project will include the aforementioned inline six-cylinder engine, but Allpar has reported more details about the project.
The Expected Name For the New Engine
So, what does this new powertrain expected to be called? The “Tornado” is expected to be no more than three inches longer than the Tigershark 2.4-liter four-cylinder. In order to make this possible, a space-saving head would mean that the cylinders will be closely spaced and carry no cylinder liners. This is expected to be possible with the help of the Comau, a division of FCA that has developed their “SmartSpray” plasma lining technology and will be called upon to help make FCA’s latest powertrain goals a reality.
The engine is expected to be going through durability testing presently and the industry will be waiting for this new engine. For now, there’s still plenty of powerful engine options that have helped shape FCA and their brands, like Jeep, and there’s one place that has the wide array of choices customers hope to find in a dealership.
Drive In 2019 With A New 2019
Hoping to start the new year off right? Why not try out the powerful 2019 Jeep Wrangler, the latest Wrangler available? Come in for a test-drive at Kendall Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram. We are thrilled to help our customers find a vehicle that provides everything they’re looking for. Come to us for any buying, leasing, selling or trade-in offers. Let our professional team show off our wide range of brand new vehicles and large line-up of pre-owned vehicles.
Should you need any servicing, repairing or maintenance, trust us to help you get your vehicle up and running like new with an online service appointment and visit to our service center. We look forward to seeing you soon at Kendall Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram and providing an unmatched full-scale automotive experience.


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PlayStation fans, listen up: Anonymous has not hacked into the PlayStation Network, despite making claims to that effect. The hacktivist group posted to Twitter claiming to have a 50 gigabyte database of email accounts and passwords, putting more than 10 million accounts “at risk”.
The group posted a sample of the “acquired” accounts, and it didn’t take long for gamers to realise they’d seen this one before. Rather than showing any newly accessed accounts, the “hackers” simply re-posted a document of predominantly northern European accounts that had been released on March 19th by “Universe Security Sucks”. (This is one we already knew about, of course.)
Quickly after that discovery, Shane Bettenhausen, a Sony Computer Entertainment America employee working in business development, announced via a now-deleted Tweet that the claim was “totally fake”.
Then, it didn’t take long for the official PlayStation Twitter to make its announcement:
We can confirm that the recent claim that PSN was illegally hacked & that customer PWs and email addresses were accessed is completely false
The positive thing to take away from this? It probably is a good time to update your passwords anyway. Any excuse.