text:
British Airways used the National Business Travel Association convention as the forum to announce phase two of its Face-to-Face program, which supports the concept that in-person meetings help keep an economy humming.
SAN DIEGO — British Airways used the National Business Travel Association convention as the forum to announce phase two of its Face-to-Face program, which supports the concept that in-person meetings help keep an economy humming.
The carrier, with industry partners, will provide 100 Business Opportunity Grants to small U.S. companies (fewer than 500 employees) that have a valid need for international travel to grow their businesses.
The grants will provide 10 roundtrip business-class tickets wherever BA flies plus a hotel allowance at Courtyard by Marriott properties. There also is an allowance for cargo.
Simon Talling-Smith, BA´s executive vice president for the Americas, said the grant applicants must be able to articulate a business case for winning one of the grants.
If this program is successful in the U.S., BA may roll it out elsewhere, Talling-Smith said.
He also called on other travel companies to join in the effort to "kick start" business growth in similar ways. He said the extra inventory is available and would be well used in this manner.
In phase one of Face-to-Face, BA selected nearly 1,000 of 6,000 applicants for one free roundtrip to a BA destination to help boost business.
While "putting our money where our mouth is," as Talling-Smith put it, BA also released results of research it commissioned from the Harvard Business Review.
Angelia Herrin, research editor and executive director of business development for Harvard Business Review Group, said the group’s survey of 2,300 senior decision-makers revealed an overwhelming testament to the value of in-person meetings, even though the majority of respondents have mandated cuts in travel spending during the recession.
Ninety-five percent of respondents said one-on-one meetings are essential to building long-term relationships and stronger relationships, and 89% said in-person meetings were essential to closing the deal.
Herrin said the respondents, readers of Harvard Business Review, were asked what they did in person that they could not do otherwise. They said meetings allow participants to read body language.
Executives also said they needed to see counterparts in their work environment so they could see "who really makes decisions." They wanted to see counterparts’ economic environments, too.
Respondents also said that if there has been a face-to-face agreement on a deal, it is easier to get things done afterward, Herrin said. If there had been no such meeting, an agreement requires "a lot of follow up."


text:
By Kirsti Knolle
BERLIN (Reuters) – A group led by privacy activist Max Schrems filed complaints on Monday with German and Spanish data protection authorities over Apple’s online tracking tool, saying it breached European law by allowing iPhones to store users’ data without their consent.
It is the first such major action against the U.S. technology group related to European Union privacy rules.
Noyb, the digital rights group run by Schrems, has successfully fought two landmark trials over privacy against Facebook.
Apple said it was not immediately in a position to comment.
The Californian tech giant has previously said it provides users with a superior level of privacy protection. It had announced it would further tighten its rules with the launch …
Read More on Datafloq
Credit: Source link

domain: news


text:
Apple's iPad mini is a hot product that launched with a new tri-fold Smart Cover design back in Q4 2012. On Friday, the Hong Kong IP Office officially granted Apple four distinct design patents covering the iPad mini Smart Cover. On another front, Huawei is saying that Apple is slipping in the market in the hopes of shaking things up and capturing the number three spot away from LG. The thing about Huawei is that they've taken a page right out of Apple's playbook which makes this copycat one to keep an eye on going forward.
Apple has been granted four design patents for the iPad mini's Smart Cover design and one of the Registered Design forms in-part are noted below along with one of the design figures presented in their filings.
Huawei Follows Apple's Design Philosophy
Another iPhone competitor by the name of Huawei has taken a shot at Apple recently by saying that "Apple is now slipping." But that's mild compared to their cracks at Samsung by stating that their S4 smartphone is made of cheap plastic and have "built their success on hyperbole and enormous advertising spending."
The new Huawei P6 smartphone actually offers a very nice design form factor with decent specs including a 4.7" display along with a nice choice of 100 homepage design templates (Click Emotion UI, click Hundreds of themes) to choose from. Not bad for an Android smartphone.
Yet at the end of the day, Huawei goes out of their way to copy Apple's style of paying attention to design detail and more importantly, trying to copy Apple's approach to design right down to a "Jony Ive" type of presentation (Click "How elegance is made possible" bottom center video) to stress their passion for design detail.
In other segments they introduce their audience to some British designers on their team to give their video a suave Jony Ive-like air. It's nice to see Apple's influence in business in so many ways involving presentation. None have matched Apple's class but it's flattering to see that Apple has raised the marketing bar so high that others want to mimic it.
Lee Iacoca once said, "Lead, Follow or get out of the way," and we see today that Huawei is one that has decided to follow Apple's classy style while trying to find their uniqueness in the Android world.
As for Apple slipping; Well, Huawei's phone was built after the iPhone 5. So let's see what Apple delivers in September before we take that statement too seriously. Apple leads, while others follow. In so many ways, that has yet to change.
About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.


text:
There exists a huge growth opportunity for sports tourism in India
With a shift in customer awareness and desire for health-driven vacations post-pandemic, as well as with acceleration in global sports events, India is expected to create its niche in the space of Sports Tourism. The big names as well as new players in the arena of selling tourism and travel are therefore seen to develop separate streams to tap the untapped potential of sports tourism.
Monish Shah, Founder & Chief Business Officer, DreamSetGo, talks to T3 stating that in terms of international visitor arrivals to India in 2019, India was placed 34th globally, with sports tourism being a potential growth sector for industry. However, pandemic-led restrictions slowed down the growth and companies had to innovate new ways to stay relevant. The sports tourism market was still one of the first to push for the revival of the tourism sector.
DreamSetGo facilitated over 5000+ Indian sports travelers to major sporting events like the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, F1, Wimbledon, and the FIFA World Cup, and witnessed a noticeable increase in demand for corporate and MICE with a sporty twist. “Today corporates are looking to reward employees and build high loyalty with incentive travel experiences, such as MICE with a sports element. In 2022, we facilitated 15–20% of the 20,000 Indian cricket fans that visited Australia for the T20 World Cup. We strongly believe that there’s a huge unmet potential for outbound luxury sports travel in India.”, Shah added.
Indicating a progressing shape in 2023, Sandeep Sharma, Founder, SportzTank, referred towards excellent growth in both active and passive sports tourism in 2023. With a plethora of sports events happening ahead in 2023 like IPL, Cricket World Cup, Wimbledon, French Open, Tour De France, Women’s FIFA World Cup, World Snooker Championship, Golf Cup etc, it is expected that the sports tourism segment will grow with 18% CAGR this decade. He opines that Indians have identified sports tourism as one of the best ways to get engaged with wellness during tours. “So, it’s like going on a healthy vacation. We have already started receiving more entries this year for Sports Tourism, especially for South Africa and Caribbean Islands,” he stated.
Gainwell Sports witnessed an upward growth as the official hospitality agent for the ICC T20 World Cup Australia 2022 and conducted VIP experiences such as exclusive meet and greets with celebrities like Sunil Gavaskar and Brett Lee. “This year is set to take that to even newer heights with the ICC Cricket World Cup set to be played in India itself. Sports travel is no longer a new concept or an exception for Indian travelers – individual sports fans and MICE groups to these events are mainstream now. Major corporations are desperate to be the first to roll out incentive schemes to their dealer and distributor networks,” Maanav Saraf, Director, Gainwell Travel, added.
To tap the untapped potential, investment in infrastructure will be key, Shah reiterated. He stated that while cricket and football continue to dominate interest in urban areas, sports like kabaddi, wrestling, and hockey enjoy significant rural interest but offer little to no accessibility to consumers.
The need of the hour is to push for greater collaboration between private-government and develop sports tourism in India with a long-term strategy that involves infrastructure development, marketing, and skill development. By tapping into its rich sports culture, India can gradually position itself as a premier sports tourism destination.
According to Sharma, Tier 2 & 3 cities are deprived of awareness on sports tourism. Large operators must involve exclusive sports tourism packages. He further states that Government needs to take larger steps to make India a Sports Nation. “We need to make one State as the Sports Tourism State and that must be equipped with the required infrastructure for all sports, and plan sports month where global sports tourists can be invited for a huge impact on the nation’s economy.”
Saraf opines that the popular selling in India is just the mainstream sports such as cricket and a bit of football. The market for more niche/high-value sports viz. tennis grand slams, Formula 1 races, Olympics, etc has humongous potential and India is still barely scratching the surface. “If you look at USA or Europe for a relative comparison, India is still far behind. Considering we’re the most populated country in the world now, we’re a very important source market for sports events all over the world and the gap is a great opportunity for brands like ours which are making these experiences available and affordable for sports fans”, he adds.
DreamSetGo is looking to bridging the gap between the Indian sports fan and the world’s largest global sporting events. The plan is to curate innovative offerings to cater to the discerning requirements of HNIs, UHNIs, corporates and business travelers, and individual travelers. “We wish to provide greater access to global sporting events, beyond cricket. By exploring exclusive partnerships for India, we are continuing to build our portfolio, aligning ourselves with premier sports travel properties that our Indian audience can experience”, Shah added.
DreamSetGo also plans to work with several international sports organizations and expand existing portfolio, and grow business alongside partners, Dream Capital. Focusing on the ‘MICE’ segment – tapping the top 10-15 percentile of traveler profiles, the objectives are to expand reach considerably. Besides MICE, Shah expects the premium sports travel segment to grow by 200% in 2023. DreamSetGo is planning to offer money-can’t-buy experiences with premium hospitality access, legend meet and greets, and private charters with sports legends, building a premium travel segment for HNIs and HNI groups in India.
Shah highlights the partnership with the Olympic Games – Paris 2024, Rugby World Cup, F1, English Premier League, offering great tailwind opportunities for cross-border sports tourism industry to flourish. “Furthermore, we expect over 10,000 people to buy sports experiences through DreamSetGo in 2023”, opines Shah.
SportzTank is focused on building itineraries with ‘wow’ factor. Sharma also indicated on inviting legendary international players to India and putting sports camps in Mumbai. Besides, SportzTank has sponsored the Women’s Snooker World Champion (under 21) – Varshaa Sanjeev for World Snooker Championship in Thailand. There are also plans to get associated with more partners & work together in this domain.
Talking about the roadmap, Saraf says Gainwell Sports has been looking to grow internationally by shifting dependence from cricket or football to motorsports, tennis, Rugby and golf. Gainwell’s aim is to bring maximum value to the customer, with a focus to grow customer base across Middle East Asia, Europe, and USA by investing in international sports rights and technology. Gainwell is also looking at partnering with leading as well as MICE B2B travel companies across India offering them a holistic sports travel solution for all events through technology.
Marketing & Promotion
Sports fans and travelers are an extremely connected community and good word-of-mouth/referrals are our top growth drivers, according to Shah. The power of one happy traveler sharing a positive experience about DreamSetGo with his peers is said to be the core of their marketing mix. Besides, there is focus on social media and engaging with corporates among other hygiene marketing practices.
SportzTank is looking forward to participating in various international sports expos in India and abroad, along with putting the best foot forward on social media platforms. SportzTank is also focused on getting associated with sports legends and making them a part of their existing program, enabling their coaching tactics in adding value to their programs. “We want to bring a flavor of Sustainability in Sports Tourism like promoting sustainable transportation and reducing waste and adhere to various SDG’s”, adds Sharma.
Sports Tourism in India: A diving or driving unit?
There exists a huge growth opportunity for sports tourism in India


text:
Mondu partners with Mangopay to fuel growth in B2B marketplaces through flexible payments
Mangopay and Mondu collaborate to support B2B marketplace businesses through flexible payments infrastructure and payments terms
Dec 05, 2023
London, UK; 5 December 2023 – Mondu, the fast-growing B2B payments company, today announces a new collaboration with Mangopay, a modular and flexible payment infrastructure provider for marketplaces and platforms.
Through the partnership, the two companies will offer marketplaces across Europe a proven, modular payments infrastructure which can be tailored to meet their needs, with popular B2B payment methods and flexible payment terms.
Mondu first launched in 2021 in Germany with a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) B2B solution for merchants and marketplaces and has since expanded to Austria, the Netherlands and the UK, and is available to buyers in Belgium and France. Its flexible payment solutions include net terms, instalments and digital trade accounts for online checkouts as well as in-person and telesales.
Founded in 2013, Mangopay supports multiple business models in the platform economy with its modular payment infrastructure. The company has supported over 2,500 platforms and marketplaces through its programmable e-wallet solution and end-to-end payment infrastructure which covers everything from pay-in to payout.
With market reports suggesting that the B2B marketplace industry has grown by as much as 8.6 times since 2015, the payment experience continues to play a key role in the growth of businesses operating in the sector. The collaboration between Mangopay and Mondu aims to empower B2B marketplaces with robust tools and a choice of payment methods to manage their payment flows with more flexibility, including those looking to introduce a buy now, pay later service to their B2B customers.
Luke Trayfoot, Chief Revenue Officer at Mangopay, said: “At Mangopay we’re committed to finding new and innovative ways to help our platform customers create and operate payments infrastructures that will help their businesses to scale. Partners such as Mondu are an important part of our strategy, and collaborations like this further strengthen our proposition for B2B marketplaces and platforms. We’re delighted to form this new partnership with Mondu to offer B2B marketplaces more flexibility and easy access to popular payment methods such as buy now, pay later.”
Malte Huffmann, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Mondu added: “Mondu and Mangopay are completely aligned in our vision to simplify the payments process for marketplaces and empower the end customer to purchase and pay how and when they want. Payments play a key role in creating a seamless customer experience, and it’s through this that B2B marketplaces can grow sales volume through improved conversion rates and higher order values, helping to drive business growth. Mangopay provides a fantastic infrastructure service to its clients and we’re excited to partner with them.”
Notes to Editors
Mangopay - email@example.com
Mangopay empowers the platform economy with its modular payment infrastructure. Created in 2013, Mangopay has supported 2,500+ platforms and marketplaces. Built around its programmable e-wallet solution, Mangopay’s end-to-end infrastructure covers platform payment needs, from pay-in to payout, for many platform business models and workflows. In March 2023, Mangopay was named “Best Platform and Marketplace Provider” at the Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) Awards for providing best-in-class payment services to marketplaces and platforms and in October 2023 it was named one of FXC Intelligence’s most promising cross-border payment companies. www.mangopay.com
Mondu is driving innovation in B2B payments. By bringing B2B payments up to par with B2C and putting customers at the heart of the payment flow, Mondu ensures a seamless and state-of-the-art experience.
Mondu's solution enables merchants and marketplaces to offer their business customers across Europe the most popular B2B payment methods and flexible payment terms in a multi-channel setting, both online and offline. The result is a win-win story: business customers are empowered to purchase and pay when they want. This translates to a higher conversion rate and average order value, ultimately driving growth for merchants and marketplaces.
Mondu was founded in 2021 by entrepreneurs Malte Huffmann, Philipp Povel and Gil Danziger to simplify B2B payment transactions. Mondu now has offices in three markets - Germany, the Netherlands and the UK - and a diverse team of talented professionals with experience from the best companies in tech and elsewhere. Mondu has raised $90 million in equity and debt financing from leading investors Valar Ventures, Cherry Ventures, the FinTech Collective, and VVRB Bank. www.mondu.ai


text:
Last week, we saw a premature listing of an eight-inch Windows 8 tablet with a $379.99 asking price. That's already a fair bit more affordable than current Windows 8 slates, but it may only be the beginning. According to the Wall Street Journal, other small Windows 8 tablets could be available for less than $300.
That information comes from none other than Jerry Shen, Asus' CEO. The Journal says Shen predicts that Windows 8 tablet prices are "likely to fall below $300" later this year. While the paper doesn't quote Shen as saying anything specific about his company's plans, it reports that Asus "plans to sell small Windows 8 tablet computers this year." I think it's safe to say Shen gave the Journal some not-so-subtle hints about upcoming Asus gear.
Today, Asus already offers the cheapest 10" Windows 8 tablet on the market: the VivoTab Smart, which we reviewed last week. I'm sure Asus won't shy away from similarly aggressive pricing once 7" or 8" Win8 slates begin to roll out.
Sub-$300 prices would allow Windows tablets to undercut Apple, whose iPad mini still retails for $329. Depending on how far below $300 Asus shoots, we might even see tantalizing alternatives to Google's Nexus 7. Intel's Dadi Perlmutter hinted last month that Atom-powered Windows 8 tablets might reach as low as $200, although exact pricing would depend on "how Microsoft prices Windows 8."
In any event, more affordable Windows 8 tablets will no doubt sell in greater volumes than today's larger, pricier models. Asus' Shen certainly seems to think so, anyway; he told the Wall Street Journal, "We're very optimistic about sales for Windows 8 tablets this year."
|Monitors with AMD's FreeSync tech now available in select regions||45|
|Thursday Night Shortbread||8|
|We learned more about Vulkan at Valve's glNext presentation||51|
|Steam Controller gets November release, $50 price tag||19|
|Report: The Witcher 3 to be bundled with higher-end Maxwell cards||22|
|Nvidia's PhysX joins the free source party||76|
|Intel announces Achievement Unlocked dev relations program||8|
|Intel partners with Raptr to optimize game settings for Iris graphics||23|
|Socketed Intel desktop Broadwell coming mid-year||42|
|And Samsung makes new phone with no sd slot lol whaw whaw whaw||+57|


text:
Get Alerts »
Giant lobster to head back to sea
Dating site OKCupid is urging users to boycott Firefox and use another browser to find love over Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich's support of an anti-gay marriage campaign. Firefox is owned by Mozilla.
OKCupid is calling for a boycott of Firefox over its CEO's support of an anti-gay marriage campaign. Take a look at other brands and products that have been boycotted over LGBT viewpoints.
A water main break on Woodlawn Drive in Manoa Tuesday morning is affecting at least 200 homes in the area.


text:
Moth caterpillars are inflicting serious damage to grape crops in vineyards in Western Australia, leaving growers unsure of what to do. The pests are larvae of the apple looper moth, a native of Australia and New Zealand. They are not known ever to have attacked grapes before, puzzling viticulturists and entomologists alike.
"It's difficult to guess how this will effect production," said Jim White, viticulturist at Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Margaret River. "It's come as a surprise to everyone in the regions and seems fairly widespread from north to south. Damage seems to be quite sporadic."
According to Stewart Learmonth, an entomologist with the Western Australia Department of Food and Agriculture in Manjimup, some Margaret River vineyards have sustained little or no damage, while others have lost 70 percent to 80 percent of their fruit.
Leeuwin Estate Winery, a famed Chardonnay producer in Margaret River, has suffered no apparent damage and is currently harvesting, according to staff members. White speculates that production might be down 10 percent to 15 percent at Cape Mentelle thanks to poor fruit set region-wide this season and the appearance of the apple looper, but he isn't sure of those figures at this time.
While the apple looper (aka Phrissogonus laticostata Walker) has done little damage to agricultural crops in the past, it appears to have jumped to grapes this spring in Margaret River and Manjimup. The pest is difficult to detect; because it does little harm to vine foliage, the usual visual signs of insect blight aren't present. Rather, the larvae appear to be boring into the berries and eating them from the inside, leaving them susceptible to botrytis and other forms of rot and mildew.
The experts are unsure why the pest has developed a taste for grapes, how far it will travel and how much carnage it is capable of inflicting on the harvest and subsequent wine production.
"People are nervous because they have no idea what's going to happen for the rest of the season," said Learmonth. "It seems to be a spring insect, but because it's never been seen in grapes before, we don't really know what it will do."
While there are a few insecticides that are effective in the earliest stages of infestation, they cannot be applied after the grapes have reached a certain size, about that of a pea. Growers are spraying BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), a bacteria that kills caterpillars when they ingest it but that is harmless to humans.


text:
Radeon owners who want to play Thief should grab the latest graphics drivers from AMD. The new Catalyst 14.2 Beta V1.3 release has performance optimizations and an updated CrossFire profile for the Thief reboot. It also includes a couple of enhancements for Battlefield 4, plus other miscellaneous bug fixes. Here are the feature highlights from the official release notes:
In a separate email about the drivers, AMD says the V1.3 release resolves hanging and stuttering issues associated with BF4's Mantle codepath. There's no mention of stuttering fixes in the official release notes, though. Hmmm.
On February 13, EA DICE released a BF4 patch that was supposed to address Mantle-related stuttering issues. Cyril detected hitching with that version of the game and the older Catalyst Beta 14.1 V1.6 drivers, so it would be nice if the new Beta 14.2 V1.3 drivers included their own stuttering fixes. We've asked AMD for clarification, and we'll update this story when the company responds.
In the meantime, Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 users can grab the Catalyst 14.2 Beta V1.3 drivers right here. The latest beta isn't available for Windows Vista or XP.
Update: The resolved hanging and stuttering issues mentioned in the initial email we received about the drivers appear to be specific to CrossFire configurations.
|Here are two of ASRock's next-gen Z170 motherboards||14|
|Google's Project Soli radar gesture tracking looks awesome||10|
|Zotac and EVGA liquify the GeForce GTX Titan X||16|
|Nvidia's GameWorks program goes mobile||11|
|Lenovo's ThinkPad 10 tablet looks like a Surface 3 in a suit||11|
|Deal of the week: Asus' Core M ultrabook for $599 and Project Cars for $34||10|
|SourceForge adds software bloat to more installers||46|
|Google Jumps on panoramic VR video||19|
|Catalyst 15.5 betas promise gains in Project Cars, Witcher 3||28|


text:
The recent lowering of lease costs for the Chevy Volt led me to think about the amount of money General Motors or Ally Financial (also taxpayer-owned) was going to lose when the quickly depreciating leased vehicles begin to be returned. I then recognized another egregious waste of taxpayer money being spent to support the struggling car. Taxpayers are paying the tax credits, which go to the lessor of the Volt (most likely Ally Financial), to place Volts on the road for a limited period of time.
These guys at Government Motors just continue to outdo themselves. Just as Chevy Volt owners are getting over being called idiots by the head of Audi, GM comes up with an ad that lends credence to the accusation. A supposed Volt owner tells how she loves her car because her friends think it looks like a spaceship and it saves a "crapload" of money.
The Detroit News reports that Mitt Romney wants a reexamination of the General Motors' bankruptcy proceedings. Mr. Romney is quoted as stating, "I think it's important for us to go back and look at what happened and take apart this bankruptcy process. See to what extent the finger of politics was placed on the scales of justice and see if we can't be more fair to the people involved in this process." I agree with the sentiment, but I do have to ask, where were the Republicans on this issue over two years ago?
In administrating its stimulus-fed loan and grants programs, the Department of Energy has been accused of incompetence, carelessness, recklessness, and cronyism. Now it can add inconsistency to those distinguishing characteristics.
I hate to beat a dead Edsel, but the Chevy Volt story is just too important to let slip away. After last week's announcement by General Motors that it would be temporarily halting production of the Chevy Volt due to low demand, you would think that the evidence would finally be conclusive that the over-hyped, over-subsidized vehicle is a flop. The response by GM and lack of same from the Obama-loving media is worthy of continued criticism from those of us who have recognized that taxpayers have been bilked out of billions of dollars to produce a car that does practically nothing for the environment or foreign oil dependence while being unwanted by the 99% of consumers that can not afford, nor want the car. In fact, most 1 percenters don't want the car either.
It looks like there is plenty of inventory of Chevy Volts available for those aliens that seemed to be so impressed with the car on Super Bowl Sunday. Unfortunately for General Motors, earthlings do not seem as enamored with President Obama's favorite vehicle. Despite GM spending millions of dollars during the month to advertise the taxpayer subsidized Volt, only 1,023 sold in February.
There has been much written and said about the operating costs of the Chevy Volt. Proponents and critics have both been a bit deceptive on claims about just how much the Volt can save or cost you by mostly running on an electric charge before switching to gas. Snopes.com gives a fairly accurate picture of the true fuel savings in a recent analysis.
I discovered an interesting fact while reviewing the 2011 IRS form 8936 used for the $7500 EV tax credit. While under most circumstances it is the wealthy purchasers of Chevy Volts and other high priced plug-in vehicles that get the taxpayer-funded handout, it appears that General Motors' dealerships that sell the vehicles to government entities are benefiting by being able to claim the credits. These dealers are able to double-dip into the seemingly endless pool of taxpayer funds designated for cronies of the Obama Administration under the guise of green initiatives. Not only do taxpayers pay for Chevy Volts purchased by various government "units," the sellers can claim the credits which were designed to help individuals be able to afford the costly vehicles.


text:
The Gwalior police has arrested three people for panel home tampering. The complaint was registered against seven people. The FIR was filed by the police on the complaint registered by Deputy General Manager of Hansa Research, one of the vendors of BARC India that installed BAR-O-Meters in panel homes.
As per reports, it was found that a group of people were paying a small sum to those in whose houses the BAR-O-Meters were installed, asking them to watch a particular Hindi news channel.
Names of the accused and that of the news channel involved in this fraud has not been revealed by the police.
A BARC India spokesperson said, ‚ÄúBARC India is committed to a measurement system that is fair, transparent and free of any influences and malpractices. We have deployed cutting-edge technology to detect panel infiltration, and follow up with on-ground vigilance/investigations.
Since day one, we have been approaching law enforcement officials for their support in controlling this menace. We are encouraged by the fact that due to our sustained campaign and complaints, police are now taking action, and arresting those involved in this illegal activity.‚ÄĚ
This the second arrest that has been made in four months. The first arrest was in Karnataka by Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police for trying to tamper with the television viewership data generated by BARC. The complaint was filed by BARC India, which was followed by five people being detained in Telangana. The FIR was filed by the police after BARC India‚Äôs vigilance team found out that the details of the households where BARC India‚Äôs BAR-O-Meters are installed were compromised. The FIR has been filed for manipulation, tampering, cheating and breach of trust.
BARC India has also set up a Disciplinary Council headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal to strengthen transparency and credibility of its measurement system.
In an interaction with exchange4media, PC Musthafa, CEO & Co-Founder iD Fresh Food shares how the brand deals with competition and marketing strategies followed by them.
Varun Raina, Marketing Manager, Airbnb India speaks to exchange4media about the successful #LiveThere campaign and how Bollywood helps them connect with its young consumer
Tim Castree is all praises for his team in India and trusts it to be a result of ‚Äúan excellent execution of agency‚Äôs global strategy‚ÄĚ headed by Kartik Sharma
Siddharth Dabhade says Criteo‚Äôs technology allows brands to engage with shoppers, create relevant experience on retail apps, thereby driving sales and profits
To catch the 70s vibe, the set was lit up in blue and pink, with quick cuts and funky music which captures the fun aspects of Dogra and Shibani Dandekar effortlessly
Shujaat Bukhari, Editor of Rising Kashmir, was given police security after he was attacked in 2000; he was also abducted in 2006 but managed to escape
The agency conceptualized this one for brand Durex.


text:
Genesys has released new tools that enable businesses to easily build and orchestrate their own bot experiences, integrate third-party messaging applications, and provide employees with technical training.
And a new flexible consumption model gives companies access to Genesys solutions so they can scale or deploy new capabilities whenever they want, allowing them to meet changing customer and business needs.
“In healthcare, doing more with less is pretty commonplace. The ability to easily integrate third-applications on our own helps us engage with our patients more effectively,” said Robert Allen, Manager of Communication Centre Technical Operations, Rochester Regional Health. “And, access to the latest Genesys technology through regular cloud-delivered updates enables us to continuously innovate and deliver more personalized patient experiences across every touchpoint.”
“Consumers want to interact on their terms through their preferred channels – and businesses are the same way,” said ML Maco, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Field Operations at Genesys. “They want more control and flexibility over the experiences they deliver to their customers. With Genesys Choice, businesses can now access our entire product portfolio with a single subscription, so they can scale up or down or launch new features on the fly enabling them to meet their customers wherever they may be.”
Leveraging the scalability and agility of the cloud, Genesys enables companies to orchestrate real-time customer experiences that drive business value. With new low-code tools, companies quickly create personalized experiences that can be deployed across multiple channels.
New capabilities include:
- Bot development and orchestration: New Dialog Engine Bot Flows, an intuitive drag-and-drop, low-code visual interface, allows business users to build and deploy AI-driven bots. It identifies automation opportunities, taps into existing customer data to understand context, and orchestrates a personalized customer journey to deliver a seamless conversational experience across digital and voice.
- Open messaging APIs: Coming later this summer, the lightweight integration enables businesses to easily integrate their messaging apps as well as third-party applications like review sites, comment plugins and niche social messaging apps. This gives them a unified view of customer communication across all channels.
- Employee development and feedback: This new workforce engagement capability helps onboard new employees, enhance technical and CX skills, and gather feedback throughout the employee development journey. It enables employees to continuously develop their skills to deliver better customer experiences.
These new features and other Genesys solutions are now available through Genesys Choice, a flexible consumption model that provides access to all voice, AI, workforce engagement/optimization and digital capabilities — all with a single annual subscription.


text:
At this point in the year we should be gearing up for the spring market, but we just aren't feeling it yet. The consensus is we are a month behind other years. Like most of this year we are struggling with low inventories, a situation that has many puzzled. The pent up demand is evident. Walk into any open house on the weekend and see if you can find empty space on the floor to leave your shoes. The overall number of sales is beginning to perk up, but the action is still far below where it was at this time last year.
The number of new listings continued to contract last week but that could be because of the family day holiday. 25 percent fewer listings week over week created increased competition with 35 percent more sold properties and of those, 60 percent sold over the asking price. The price range between $700K and $1.5K was the most active last week with 68 percent more properties sold and of those 63 percent sold over asking.
A similar market exists in the resale condo sector. Listings were off last week by 15 percent while sales were up 21 percent week over week. And of those sales 47 percent sold at or above the asking price. The condo market has been traditionally reserved for first time buyers, but as freehold home ownership becomes less affordable we expect even more activity in the condo market.


text:
Innovations in agriculture don’t just come from veteran environmentalists or food industry heavyweights. In fact, many incredibly inspiring projects are the creations of youth and young people around the world. Food Tank is excited to highlight 10 young foodies who make us more hopeful about the future.
Back to the Roots founders Nikhil Arora and Alex Velez.
1-2. Nikhil Arora and Alex Velez, 26 and 27, on the precipice of their graduation from the University of California, Berkeley in 2009, turned down offers to enter the world of consulting and investment banking to pursue mushrooms. The pair had been experimenting with growing mushrooms on coffee grounds, and after a successful bucket of oyster mushrooms, they knew they had discovered a big opportunity. Oakland-based Back to the Roots was born, and, now five-years-old, its two main products are mushroom kits, which can grow mushrooms directly out of a cardboard box, and AquaFarm, a self-cleaning fish tank that uses the fishes’ waste to grow food. As declared on their website, “our mission is to make food personal again through the passionate development of tools that educate and inspire, one family at a time.”
3. Nicky Bronner, 17, has a sweet tooth, but found himself butting heads with his parents, who didn’t want him filling up on processed candies and junk foods. Unwilling to sacrifice peanut butter cups and chocolate bars, Bronner, then 13, worked with his father to found Unreal Foods, whose candies are made with real ingredients: no preservatives, grass-fed dairy, no corn syrup, gluten free and fair trade cocoa. The products have made their way from the Bronners’ home outside Boston, MA to big name grocery stores, and can be purchased throughout the U.S. at Target, Kroger and Wegman’s, just to name a few.
4. Tyson Gersh, 25, is owner and founder of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging community members in sustainable agriculture on vacant plots of land, providing people with nutritious food, while making the community more conscientious about where their food comes from. Gersh, who graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn this year, is now head of an organization that boasts 2,500 volunteers and grew more than 10,000 pounds of produce this year alone. “Using agriculture as a platform to promote education, sustainability and community—while simultaneously reducing socioeconomic disparity—we hope to empower urban communities,” MUFI’s website reads.
5-6. Eve and Liam Knight, 12 and 13, are better known as the Spice Kidz. The duo moved from Ireland to Pensacola, FL and was disappointed by the lack of curry, which is widespread across the British Isles. Rather than settle for less curry in their diets, Eve and Liam decided to introduce an easy-to-use spice packet (inspired by a similar product in Ireland) to Americans, allowing them to create easy and nutritious meals. The pair won an entrepreneurship competition at the Young Entrepreneur’s Academy of Greater Pensacola, and their product is being sold at a local store. “We want everyone in America to have curry for dinner,” Eve said. “And we want them to have it once a week.”
7. Emily Meko, 23, is founder and owner of Eat What’s Good, a vegan and gluten-free vendor of packaged and prepared foods, consulting services, meal planning, catering and menu development. The Ontario resident, a culinary student who has also studied food science and human nutrition, hopes to get people excited about organic, healthy, food. “It’s where healthy meets delicious, and getting away from the idea that healthy food has to taste institutionalized and boring,” she said. Meko’s products are already featured at a nearby wellness clinic as well as a yoga studio, and she hopes the reach of her healthy eats will continue to expand.
8. Benedict Mundele, 20, founded Surprise Tropicale, a food take-away and catering business, the idea for which she developed when she was in high school. The Democratic Republic of Congo resident started off by giving free breakfasts to members of the Kuvuna Foundation, an organization dedicated to sustainable development, leadership development and support for entrepreneurs. Mundele, who is studying social communication at the Catholic University of Congo, said that although her country has plenty of fresh food, it is often exported, processed, imported again and sold at higher prices. She wants to keep the DRC’s fresh food fresh, and hopes to soon supply her foods to local supermarkets. Mundele is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and will attend the World Economic Forum on Africa in Nigeria this year.
9. Ben Simon, 24, is executive director and one of the founders of the Food Recovery Network (FRN), a network of college chapters whose mission is simple: direct surplus food from their campuses to hungry Americans instead of landfills. The University of Maryland graduate started the program with several other students, and three years later, the organization boasts more than 95 chapters across 26 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Since 2011, FRN has donated more than 400,000 pounds of food, and Simon was awarded US$10,000 by the Do Something campaign in 2013 to further FRN’s goals. FRN hopes to be on 150 campuses and to have donated 610,000 pounds of food by May 2015. “An amazing amount of food gets thrown into a trash can,” Simon said. “It evokes a very innate response to jump into action.”
10. Remmi Smith, 14, has launched an online cooking show and a spin-off, published a cookbook and had her products sold at Whole Foods—all before starting high school. The Tulsa, OK resident said her passion for food and cooking was sparked by the childhood obesity epidemic, and she hopes to inspire other kids to experiment with nutritious, tasty foods. Smith is also Sodexo’s student health and nutrition ambassador, participant in the Future Chefs program, and has given cooking demonstrations in front of Congress and the National School Board Association.


text:
A quarter of the S&P 500 companies report earnings next week, and that could buffet the market as investors await the July Fed meeting.Market Insiderread more
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims a British tanker it still holds, Stena Impero, failed to follow international maritime rules.World Newsread more
Amazon hires Trump-allied lobbyist Jeff Miller as battle for Pentagon contract heats up.Politicsread more
In a series of tweets, the president addressed an unusual controversy stemming from a speech delivered Thursday by New York Fed President John Williams.Marketsread more
"You need to understand that we're about to embark on the busiest week of the year for industrial earnings," CNBC's Jim Cramer says.Mad Money with Jim Cramerread more
Boston Federal Reserve President Eric Rosengren is lining up against an apparent push to cut interest rates, telling CNBC in an interview Friday that the central bank can...The Fedread more
The MTA reported that the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 trains are all facing delays due to a network communications issue impacting service in both directions, NBC New York reports.Transportationread more
Companies aren't waiting for the U.S.-China trade war to be resolved, says the head of the world's biggest money manager.Investingread more
US officials including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow will host a meeting at the White House on Monday of semiconductor and...Technologyread more
Trump's constant berating of the Fed and its actions does not influence the central bank's decisions, Boston Fed's Eric Rosengren says.The Fedread more
The lawsuits allege J&J's talc-based baby powder contained asbestos and caused ovarian and other cancers.Health and Scienceread more
Goop, the lifestyle brand owned by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, has been reported to the U.K.'s trading standards and advertising watchdogs over allegations that it makes misleading claims about its products.
The Good Thinking Society, a non-profit charity that campaigns against pseudoscience, confirmed to CNBC Monday that it had submitted the complaint about Goop to the U.K.'s National Trading Standards and the Advertising Standards Authority. The news was first reported by The Sunday Times newspaper.
The complaint, seen by CNBC, alleges that Goop's "wellness" products are advertised misleadingly and make "potentially harmful" claims. It also holds that Goop's advertising could encourage customers to "use products which could cause direct harm" and that some of the firm's health claims about its supplement products are "unauthorized."
The charity listed 113 examples of Goop's advertising which it says are in breach of the law.
One of Goop's products, called "The Mother Load, " lists 110 percent of the "daily value" of vitamin A for adults and children aged four an above, and 69 percent of the daily value for pregnant women. But Britain's National Health Service and the World Health Organization against taking supplements containing vitamin A during pregnancy. The NHS website recommends pregnant women "avoid taking supplements that contain vitamin A."
Susan Beck, senior vice president science and research at Goop, told CNBC on Monday: "When used as recommended, goop's the Mother Load supplements are safe during pregnancy. The Mother Load contains a very moderate 450 mcg (micrograms)," or 1500 IU (international units), "of vitamin A (preformed vitamin A as retinyl palmitate), which is less than the recommended daily intake of 600 mcg per day (per NHS)."
Beck added: "The Mother Load package contains a warning that pregnant women should not consume more than 10,000 IU vitamin A daily due to risk of birth defects. To provide you with more context — All pregnant women need vitamin A."
Goop said it had not been contacted by either National Trading Standards or the Advertising Standards Authority about the complaint.
Paltrow's firm, which was set up in 2008, recently opened its first pop-up store in the U.K., and made its web store available to European customers.
Laura Thomason, project manager at the Good Thinking Society, said in a emailed statement: "It is shocking to see the sheer volume of unproven claims made by Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop about their products, especially given that some of their health advice is potentially dangerous."
Thomason added: "Gwyneth Paltrow may well have good intentions, but she and her company sell products with claims that could clearly mislead customers. Just because Gwyneth has an Academy Award, it does not mean that Goop should be given an easy ride compared to other big corporations."
"Being a celebrity does not exempt someone from abiding by the advertising law here in the U.K., and if Gwyneth Paltrow cannot provide satisfactory evidence behind the claims she makes for her products, she should not be making those claims."
A spokesperson for the Advertising Standards Authority told CNBC: "We are looking into a number of ads appearing in various places, including online. At this point we are assessing the complaints and no investigation has been launched at this stage."
A spokesperson for National Trading Standards told CNBC: "While we have received correspondence from the Good Thinking Society, the regulation of advertising is not within the remit of National Trading Standards. Any complaints about advertising should be directed to the Advertising Standards Authority for consideration under the U.K. Advertising Rules."
It's not the first time Paltrow's Goop has been confronted with legal action. It settled a $145,000 lawsuit with California prosecutors last month over the advertising of a vaginal jade and rose quartz egg which it claimed could balance hormones and regulate menstrual cycles.


text:
On 8 June, British driving licences will change from a paper-based to an online system, but Travel Insurance Geek has found that many travel insurers’ websites are failing to warn UK holidaymakers of changes in rules that could leave them unable to pick up their hire cars, as James Paul Wallis reports
The peak season for booking travel starts this month, and the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) is warning travellers to ensure they take out travel insurance and tell their insurer everything they need to know to assess the risk.
The Cayman Islands’ Department of Tourism has reported that 2014 was its best year in over a decade in terms of tourism numbers, with over 380,000 overnight guests recorded by the end of the year, a 10-per-cent increase on 2013’s figures
UK-based medical, security and travel assistance service provider Healix International has announced its intention to acquire Capita Global Assistance, a firm offering worldwide medical and travel assistance to business and leisure travellers to a portfolio of clients.
UK-based Simplyhealth Group Limited recently announced the sale of its private medical insurance (PMI) business and all related administrative duties to AXA PPP healthcare.


text:
EU lifting ban on SL fish will generate 16 b
Nation brand building intrigues me given that Sri Lanka is building bridges once again and the recent award of EU exports of fish from Sri Lanka is testimony that Sri Lanka’s efforts of nation brand building are working. However, a point to note is that the best practice from the number one brand can be a lesson for Sri Lanka.
Donald Trump’s tantrums on the campaign stage are sure to affect ‘Brand USA’
How brand USA performed
After being pushed out of the number one spot last year by Germany, the United States has taken back its position at the top of the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands IndexSM with the United Kingdom taking the third place, France in fourth.
The objectives of the study is to measure the global perceptions of 50 developed and developing countries asking questions about 23 different national attributes, which are then combined into six overall “dimensions” on which the national image is based. Those dimensions are exports, governance, culture, people, tourism and immigration/investment.
Professor Simon Anhalt, a person for whom I have a lot of respect, the independent policy advisor who created the Nation Brands Index, comments: “This year’s results stand as a reminder that although the images of countries are incredibly stable, changes can and do take place, particularly when people around the world sense that countries are contributing noticeably more or less to humanity and the planet. It’s their perceived impact on the world that affects countries’ reputation far more than their assets or achievements. Despite its continued perceived leadership in Europe, Germany has fallen back to second place, largely as a result of losing the gains it made last year. On top of that, Germany also lost ground on ‘governance’ (which incorporates both international and domestic behaviours) following its high-profile stance on European challenges such as immigration and struggling Eurozone economies. In particular, Russia’s perceptions of Germany’s governance dropped significantly, following Germany’s support of anti-Russian sanctions.”
The above are interesting thoughts given that we can see how Sri Lanka’s brand ratings have increased due the strong connectivity drive of the current government.
Brand USA using the nation brand model
In this backdrop if we do a deep dive in how brand USA focuses on building their nation brand it is a good case in point for Sri Lanka which is also pushing the same agenda.
It’s strange but domestic tourism is at full pace due to the elections in the US. Whenever a primary campaign is done in a particular state there is a surge in arrivals into the city and the overall media blitz on TV is creating a very strong global push on the share of voice. It is interesting to see how the tourism campaign ‘Brand USA’ will either be continued or will be overhauled with the new president when he comes to play in 2016 November.
The US is known as global competitive supplier of many of the goods and services, reached by a rapidly developing economy. Though GDP increases in the USA annually, the rate of growth is lower year by year, threatening the down rating of the economy and the brand equity. Exports of the USA touching a three trillion is a stronger performance and connectivity to the world. It will be interesting to see how the FB issue on the internet space will have a negative impact to brand USA from the export end.
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational software corporation and it develops, manufactures, licenses and supports a wide range of products and services related to computing. The company was founded by Bill Gates in 1975. Microsoft is considered as the world’s largest software maker measured by revenues. It is also one of the world’s most valuable companies contributing to the brand value of the USA.
The USA’s brand equity is largely affected with the continuous war initiated after the 11 September 2001 attack. Expenditure of one trillion dollars has been incurred during the post 9/11 war period for Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries like Libya.
Operation ‘Enduring freedom’ in Afghanistan cost $ 321 billion dollars. The impact of the cost of war as a percentage of GDP was 0.7% in the peak period and as a percentage of total defence expenses, 4.9%. It will interesting to see the impact on the new push in the Middle East due ISIS will have on the overall orb and index.
The nation of America consists of people who came from many different homelands. They are white, black or African, Indian, Alaska native, native Hawaii and Pacific Islander belongs to six main races. It is indeed a variety of customs, traditions and foods while they do share many of the same values and their citizens care about individual freedom, equal opportunities, fair treatment of people regardless of differences private ownership of property, and education.
More than 70% of Americans are members of religious groups. The international popularity of American music is an example of the globalisation of culture. The united nature of the all-cultural group is uplifting the brand equity of the USA.
Human development is defined as the process of enlarging people’s freedoms and opportunities and improving their wellbeing. Human development is about the real freedom of ordinary people to decide who to be, what to do, and how to live. The Human Development Index is continuously growing in the USA, which shows that the nation is more concerned about the people’s education, health and living standards.
Implications to Sri Lanka
Hence we see how the number one brand, USA, works right across the nation brand building model to become the strongest brand in the world. May be Sri Lanka needs to take a cue and develop a focussed strategy across the spectrum given the triumph on the EU fish ban been lifted with a strong push on all fronts.
(The writer is a multiple award winning marketer and business leader. The thoughts expressed are his personal observations and not the views of any organisation he serves. He can be contacted on firstname.lastname@example.org.)


text:
The launch, which is slated for March 2022, will feature the brand's plant-based take on classics such as KitKat and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the candy aisle using coconut-based ingredients.
According to a recent report from the National Confectioners Association (NCA), more than 80% of consumers report eating chocolate from at least two of three main chocolate segments: mainstream (Hershey and Mars), premium (brands such as Ghirardelli and Lindt), and fine chocolate.
With its plant-based take on familiar formats, Dream Pops is aiming to play somewhere between mainstream and premium chocolate segments.
"The vision has evolved from being a disruptive ice cream and frozen confectionery player to now, we’d really like to be the Willy Wonka of all desserts to compete with Hershey, Mars, and Ferrero, with plant-based treats. Being non-frozen also opens up direct-to-consumer and Amazon," Greenfeld told FoodNavigator-USA.
"We’re targeting American cult classics that consumers have already fallen in love with and creating plant-based versions of them with less than 8-10 ingredients and no gums or stabilizers."
While not ready to release any specific details on what the confectionery products would actually be, Greenfeld shared that they will be "snackable, confectionery" items made with coconut milk and coconut sugar instead of alternative sweeteners or sugar alcohols.
"I’m bullish on coconut sugar more so than sugar alcohols or alternative sweeteners. It's less about 'zero sugar', but more about 'good' sugar -- lower glycemic index and clean ingredients," said Greenfeld.
"There’s no reason there shouldn’t be a plant-based confectionery player, and that’s what we hope to be."
Frozen desserts: 'Snackable and on-the-go are some of the fastest growing segments'
Dream Pops frozen desserts and novelties business is still accelerating at a rapid pace, registering 300% top-line sales growth between 2020 and 2021.
From a broader market perspective, sales of frozen desserts are up +17.4% compared to 2019, according to IRI sales data for the 52 weeks ending 9/5/2021. Within the category, frozen novelties (pops, bites, sandwiches) are leading the growth with sales up 26.2% compared to 2019 compared to the sub-category of ice cream/sherbet which increased sales by 9.3% over a two-year basis.
"Snackable and on-the-go are some of the fastest growing segments in frozen desserts. There are a lot of pints, it’s super crowded. With a pint you’re committing to the entire pint of ice cream, it's not as shareable," Greenfeld noted.
According to Greenfeld, Dream Pops' 'geodesic' shape (made with liquid nitrogen and a proprietary mold) sets the brand apart from a sea of sameness in the frozen desserts aisle.
"Copackers couldn’t do it, so we had to find a new way to manufacture ice cream because all the technology for popsicles has been the same for the past half a century. There are very few food and beverage products that you know what they are out without their packaging," Greenfeld added.
The brand extended the same branding strategy to its packaging by using a zip-top pouch instead of a corrugated box. Retailers have responded positively to the brand, which is now distributed in over 3,500 doors in the US and over 1,000 doors in Canada. The brand recently gained Whole Foods Market Global authorization, expanding its retail presence in North America.
"Frozen retail real estate is really hard to break into, and the sales cycles are often 12 months when you have to convince a retailer to bet on you," noted Greenfeld.
Last year, the company launched its Bites line -- "a Nestle Dibs 2.0," said Greenfeld -- of chocolate covered frozen dessert poppable bites.
"Bites have become our hero product and have proven we’re more than just a popsicle brand. They provided a sneak peek into where we’re headed with the business and with the brand," he said.
Building brand awareness and unlocking consumer demand
A key to Dream Pops' success, according to Greenfeld, has been its digital-first approach to building organic brand awareness. The company was one of first food brands to gain a following on the social media platform TikTok three years ago and has had a number of viral moments which have boosted the brand to new audiences.
"Being an organic content creator has allowed for a lot of organic reach and long-term opportunities. We’re very bullish on the opportunities to connect the metaverse with brands. That compounds into organic brand awareness that I don’t think a lot of other brands are doing," noted Greenfeld.


text:
New Insta360 thumb-sized camera arrives next week — is it GO 3?
Insta360, the maker of highly versatile yet ultra-portable 360-degree cameras, has dropped a new teaser for a product it says will bring about a “tiny revolution.” And it could very well be the GO 3!
Insta360’s feature-rich action cameras and handheld gimbals are popular across the board. But the company is especially favored by FPV drone pilots because its tiny cameras give them the option to capture smooth footage without the hassle of pulling apart a GoPro.
When Insta360 GO 2 was launched in 2021, it was hailed as the world’s smallest action camera. The thumb-sized device, weighing only 26.5 grams, could be mounted just about anywhere and everywhere to shoot up to 2.5K (1440p) videos. Insta360 also ensured that the small but mighty camera was fully IPX8 waterproof up to 13 feet (4m) straight out of the box, with a Lens Guard installed. And in terms of battery life, the company gave the GO 2 about 30 minutes of juice on its own, which could…


text:
Shopping centre forced to replace controversial Christmas display after backlash from shoppers
| Last updated
Featured Image Credit: news.com.au
With the festive season just around the corner, it's becoming clear to see who will be spreading Christmas joy this year, and who'll be taking on the role of the Grinch.
And when it comes to a group of disgruntled shoppers in Australia, we have some names guaranteed to be going onto the naughty list after they aggressively hit out at shopping centre workers for omitting the word 'Christmas' from their decorations.
The outraged shoppers at Santa’s village at Pacific Werribee - just southwest of Melbourne - were unhappy after being confronted with a huge sign above Santa’s chair that read "Merry Everything".
And many of these enraged customers took to social media to explain their frosty feedback.
"Very disappointing display. Multiculturism gone mad. I am so glad I have left Wyndham. Ballarat loves Xmas and embraces all cultures. Best move we ever made," one shopper hit out.
Another penned: "‘Merry Everything’ is ridiculous. It’s Christmas! We don’t change names of other festivals so why come up with a silly slogan! It’s really offensive to those that celebrate it.
"It is ‘Merry Christmas’ not Merry Everything! How insulting! I believe inclusion for all is extremely important for our society," a third went on.
"I am very happy to promote and celebrate all festivals and would never want anyone to feel they need to change the name of their festivals and celebrations. I just cannot understand why you would think it’s OK to change the name of a festival!"
It wasn't long, however, before the shopping centre bosses gave in to the pressure of their customers, changing the display just two days later.
The general manager of the store later told news.com.au: "Pacific Werribee’s ‘Merry Everything’ Christmas campaign is intended to showcase our incredible range of gift giving and festive offerings available at the Centre, so customers can shop ‘everything’ this holiday season all in the one place.
"In line with the campaign, we are committed to delivering a convenient shopping experience, with a focus on providing a one-stop-shop for customers’ festive needs.
"We acknowledge some customers have raised questions in relation to the campaign and we have listened to their feedback."
He went on: "Our overriding objective is to create a vibrant and enjoyable shopping environment that meets the needs of our community, particularly in the lead-up to Christmas, which is why we made the decision to change our signage from ‘Merry Everything’ to ‘Merry Christmas’.
"We share our customers’ sentiment that Christmas represents the season of giving, and spending time with family and friends.
"We look forward to helping customers create memorable moments by providing the perfect gifts, ideas, competitions and events to make this Christmas special."
The news comes just weeks after Marks & Spencer was forced to apologise after part of its Christmas advert was branded as 'vile'.
However, it triggered heavy criticism from M&S' followers as many noticed that that burning hats were, in fact, the colours of the Palestinian flag.
Due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, some viewers appeared to accuse the popular supermarket as taking the Israeli side of the controversial conflict.
Among the hundreds of comments on the post, one follower branded the festive advertisement as 'insensitive', given the current crisis in Gaza.
Another described the post - part of M&S' 'Love This-mas (Not That-mas)' campaign, featuring TV stars Tan France and Hannah Waddingham - as 'disgusting'.
"This is absolutely vile, you should be ashamed of yourselves," a third penned.
Another added: "Absolutely disgusting. Even if it was recorded in August you should have reshot this image or used technology to make changes. Shame on you!!!"
M&S later posted an apologetic statement on social media, claiming not to have intended to cause offence.


text:
Ericsson has unveiled their latest report on mobile traffic. The most striking prediction is related to future growth of the mobile data traffic; Ericsson’s estimate is that the traffic will grow approximately 12x between 2012 and 2018, which gives 50% CAGR.
The prediction of traffic sources in 2018 is that smartphones will generate the same amount of mobile data traffic as other devices combined (mobile PCs, tablets, mobile routers). Mobile data growth will be driven mostly by video. The report also outlines the difference in data usage between tethering and non-tethering smartphone users, as well as analyses impact of game apps, especially free ad-supported games.
While there are no completely new conclusions in the report, it’s still worth reviewing, as it provides a good summary of what the mobile providers across the world will have to face in the upcoming 5 years. The predictions underline importance of new network investments, but also the need for active policy management and QoS-dependent, service-specific data charging models which can help the operators tame the growing traffic avalanche.
The report can be found here.


text:
The new cabinet of Joko Widodo is advised to further develop Indonesia’s Internet industry as enhanced Internet connectivity across the vast archipelago will result in higher economic growth. Internet has become such a vital communication channel in governance, business and private lives that a direct link to economic growth is detectable. Recently, an official at Indonesia’s Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) said that with every ten percent growth in number of Internet users, the economy expands by an additional 1.2-1.4 percent.
Semuel Pangerapan, Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Internet Providers (APJI), estimates that, provided the government and private sector put effort (and money) to develop the country’s Internet industry, the contribution of Internet services to Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP) should reach USD $26 billion (equivalent to 2.8 percent of GDP) by 2016. This estimation is based on the assumption that the number of Indonesian Internet users will reach 120 million in 2016 from 71.2 million Internet users at the end of 2013.
The internet penetration rate in Indonesia stood at 28 percent (a low figure compared to regional peers) at the end of 2013, implying that there is still ample room for growth in the country’s Internet industry as well as Internet-related businesses (for example online shopping). The APJI hopes that this this figure can be raised to 80 percent by 2019 through government programs. The government recently said that it aims to start six priority programs during the Joko Widodo administration (2014-2019) but needs private sector involvement as the government has a limited budget for development of the information and technology sector.
The newly appointed Minister of Communications and Information Rudiantara confirmed that one of his main tasks is to provide better and faster Internet across Indonesia, although he also said that it is hard to wipe out regional inequality in terms of Internet quality and connectivity. Some parts of Indonesia (particularly in the more developed western part of the country) will have better Internet connectivity than others as each region presents unique challenges. Indonesia is characterized by a relatively high degree of regional inequality in terms of income distribution, population numbers, economic activity, as well as politics in that the eastern part lags behind the dominating western part of the country. As a result of this inequality, Internet service prices in the eastern part are much more expensive than in the western part (particularly compared to Java).
Generally, the market welcomed Rudiantara as Indonesia’s new Communication and Information Minister as he is regarded a professional with sufficient experience in the country’s telecommunications sector (having had high positions at XL Axiata, Telkom, Indosat, and Telkomsel) and thus understands the importance of enhanced Internet development.
Earlier this month Akamai Technologies Inc, an America-based Internet content delivery network, released a report that places Indonesia among the world’s weakest regions in terms of average Internet connection speed (2.5 Mbps).
• With a relatively low Internet penetration rate and weak average Internet connection speed, Indonesia’s Internet industry is in need of further development
• An improved domestic Internet industry will have a positive effect on GDP growth and Internet-related businesses
• The highest Internet usage density of Indonesia is found in the western part of the country (Java, Bali and Sumatra) where telecommunication infrastructure is much more developed than in other (eastern) regions
• The market is positive about the appointment of Rudiantara as new Minister of Communication and Information in Joko Widodo's cabinet (2014-2019)
• Business Opportunities in Indonesia: Online Shopping Gains Popularity
• Internet in Indonesia: Internet Connection Speed Remains Weak
• Indonesian Government Needs Private Sector for Faster Internet Connectivity
• Internet Penetration in Indonesia: Rising but Slower than Wanted


text:
Loss widens at KB Home
Los Angeles-based KB Home saw revenues drop 25% to $196.9 million in its first quarter ended Feb. 28. For the three months, the builder posted a net loss of $114.5 million, compared with a loss of $54.7 million in the same quarter last year.
President and CEO Jeffrey Mezger pointed to some positive trends.
"Despite the many headwinds that persist in today’s housing markets, our year-over-year pretax results, excluding noncash charges and the loss on loan guaranty, improved for the fourth consecutive quarter," he said.
Mezger added that the company is seeing higher traffic compared with a year ago.
The company delivered 949 homes in the first quarter of 2011, down 28% from the same period of 2010, with decreases in each of KB Home’s geographic regions.
NAHB renames suppliers council
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has formally renamed its National Council of the Housing Industry, which represents 89 key companies that provide goods and services to builders. The new name of the organization is the NAHB Leading Suppliers Council.
The new name raises the visibility and reinforces the importance and support manufacturers and vendors give to NAHB members and the association, according to the NAHB announcement. Leading Suppliers members not only have a voice in association policy decisions through their operating committees, they also are encouraged to participate on NAHB committees as liaisons — making their specific expertise available to the members in areas of shared interest.
The Leading Suppliers also equip The New American Home, the show home created annually and put on display at the International Builders’ Show. For more information about the council, click here.
ProBuild acquires Colorado’s Harbert Lumber Co.
Denver-based ProBuild Holdings acquired the assets of Harbert Lumber Co., a building materials supplier based in Colorado, with locations in Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Aspen and Steamboat Springs.
Terms of the sale agreement were not disclosed.
ProBuild is the largest pro dealer in the country and operates 450 locations nationwide and 10 retail locations in Colorado. The company said the move comes at a time when residential and commercial construction are showing signs of returning to the region.
“The addition of Harbert Lumber will enable ProBuild to service the growing needs of our customers in Colorado, particularly in the mountain towns where we have not had a robust presence until now,” said Bill Myrick, president and CEO of ProBuild. “Within each market, ProBuild will combine local market expertise with the strength and scale of a national industry leader to continue delivering on the needs of our customers and partners.”
Harbert Lumber currently operates four locations in Colorado and employs 45 employees statewide.
“We’re very excited to join the ProBuild family,” said Gordon Harbert, owner of Harbert Lumber Co. “Their resources ensure the business we’ve built will maintain our leadership position in all the western Colorado markets we serve. We look forward to the added opportunities this merger will provide to our employees as well.”


text:
Following the announcement of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown in February, travel looks set to start to reopen from 17 May within England, as long as the four conditions are met.
The Department for Transport later confirmed that the reopening of domestic cruises in the UK would align with the resumption of domestic tourism and indoor hospitality, which confirms the plan to allow UK domestic cruises from 17 May.
What is a UK domestic cruise?
A domestic cruise is exactly what it sounds like: a cruise around different locations in the UK.
Some are themed around historical landmarks, some are sold on letting you experience mini city breaks in some of the best places the UK has to offer, and others are more varied.
The UK is far more diverse and engaging than many people first realise, and a domestic cruise is the perfect way to take it all in and begin to really appreciate what’s on your doorstep.
Will it be safe?
Cruise lines have been working with the government throughout the coronavirus pandemic to ensure passengers and crew can be kept as safe as possible.
Clia UK and Ireland director, Andy Harmer, backed this up as he explained how “protocols have already been successfully tested where cruise has been able to operate elsewhere in Europe.”
It’s clear that cruise lines will be taking the safety of everyone on board seriously, with testing, quarantine, and other health screening in place.
What are the cruise lines saying about this?
Cruise lines have come out to express their excitement about this breaking news. P&O Cruises president, Paul Ludlow, said they were “delighted” after the announcement.
The mood in the industry is very positive, and many feel this could be a good move for rebuilding cruise confidence, leading the way for international cruises to start back up when the government allows.
P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises are just two of the cruise lines that have spoken about their intentions to increase the number of UK domestic cruises they’re offering to give passengers even more options.
When can you book?
Many cruise lines are only taking bookings for later this year and into next year, with Fred. Olsen one of the only ones offering cruises this summer so far.
Keep an eye out for this to change following the government’s announcement, as P&O Cruises have already said they will start offering the ‘Ultimate Escape’ – a collection of UK domestic cruises – later this month.
It’s important that you keep in mind that reopening on cruises is dependent on the government allowing it, and while 17 May is the plan, it’s based on certain conditions being met – ensuring the virus is under control before leisure travel can start back up.
Before booking, check the terms and conditions of the cruise line to make sure you have the flexibility to rearrange your travel dates if the lockdown measures are changed.
Make sure to also take out a cruise travel insurance policy as soon as you book your trip so cancellation cover is in place.


text:
The word “deficiencies” has been circulating in the British media for the past few months. As Deutsche Welle writes, almost every week another industry complains about shortages of goods or staff. And it is not just the global economic downturn as a result of pandemic disruptions in the supply chain. THE Britain also addresses the effects of Brexit. Some indicative areas:
There is talk of a shortage of around 100,000 drivers in Britain. As a result, the supply of gas stations and supermarkets is lagging behind. Many drivers from EU member states returned to their home countries during the lockout and now, due to Brexit, face many, mainly bureaucratic, difficulties in returning to work in the UK.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables can not be stored for a long time. And because many of them come from mainland Europe, there are often shortages in supermarkets. For this reason, some large chains, in order to avoid completely empty shelves, place cartons with photos of products in which there is a shortage.
Logistics companies are desperately looking for drivers and wages have skyrocketed. This development mainly affects British public transport, with bus drivers switching to much better paid industries. The British Passenger Transport Federation speaks of a shortage of 4,000 drivers, but also the forced abolition of routes.
British clubs have been left without staff for physical and visual control.
During the pandemic, many nightclubs closed and porters looked for work elsewhere. According to the industry, until last month, one in five clubs or restaurants in the country remained closed due to lack of staff.
The British love pork. However, fewer and fewer intend to work as slaughterers. So British breeders recently warned that around 120,000 healthy livestock could be slaughtered and thrown away if the situation does not escalate. Authorities say they have up to 800 visas for those interested from abroad by the end of the year.
“We now have to turn down requests from patients with spinal problems,” said Peter Henry of Origin, which provides medical care to those in need at home. Experts in the field say that it will be difficult for Britain to fill the gap left by workers leaving mainland Europe with locals.
According to Mark Ruff from ChristmasTrees.co.uk, buying a tree this Christmas will not be so easy. This is due to the tense situation in the labor market, but also the skyrocketing cost of raw materials, such as wood for pallets or fertilizers. At the same time, the demand for British firs is increasing, as the cost of importing trees from mainland Europe is on the rise due to Brexit due to bureaucracy, but also the imposition of tariffs.


text:
A gathering of East London’s female entrepreneurs raised a glass of champagne to their business success at a training and awards event last Wednesday, 16th February.
But Art Division had an even better reason to celebrate. Director and company founder Nelly Berova took home the prestigious award for Entrepreneur of the Year.
Nelly took over the marketing for Art Division Ltd in August 2004. Since then she has been building the company’s web, graphic design and email marketing products and services and over the past six months has earned the respect and recognition of those within the Her Business project and beyond.
A spokesman said: “It is a great honour for Nelly to receive this award and the competition was tough!”
The Her Business project has 120 businesses from South London covering a wide range of areas. Some of the other companies involved include designer t-shirts, wedding dresses, matching shoes and handbags, specialist cushions and a business bartering network
A company colleague said: “Nelly’s drive and ambition, her success at networking and ability to learn and change on the job has secured her a great and well-deserved award”.Tags: Company News


text:
Set to lead the global industrial iot market 2 greater china is both a huge market for the iot and a major supplier of the component technologies the workshop of the world, china is a leading producer of all kinds of goods, including much of the world’s electronics in fact, greater china makes most. Market size and driving factors: comprehensive analysis of the global oxiracetam market during the 2012-2022 period, including market volume & value, growth and development trends, demand drivers and stimulators for oxiracetam. Global personal luxury goods market expected to grow by 6-8 percent to €276-281b in 2018, driven by strong rebound in china bain & company’s spring luxury update highlights four trends shaping the personal luxury goods market in 2018 and beyond milan – june 7, 2018 – the luxury market is on.
China’s growing share of the global economy means its familiar role as the bulwark between emerging market pain and developed economies has never been more crucial this year’s turmoil in. China's ambassador to the us has hit back at claims his country is trying to hack next month's congressional elections cui tiankai's comments come amid a deepening trade war between the us and china. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online easily share your publications and get them in front of issuu’s.
Market research report on global and chinese oxiracetam industry, 2009-2019 is a professional and in-depth market survey on global and chinese oxiracetam industry. Global china oxiracetam market research report, 2010-2019 the report investigation report on china oxiracetam market, 2010-2019 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. Most non-chinese don't trade stocks in china, but the continuing crash in the shanghai market still threatens to change their lives the challenge is that china is the world's largest exporter ($2. Global radar level gauge market research report 2018 may 09, 2018 | usd 2,850 market conditions, focusing on the main regions (north america, europe and asia-pacific) and the main countries (united states, germany, united kingdom, japan, south korea and china.
London--(business wire)--according to technavio’s latest report, the global swimwear market is expected to exceed usd 20 billion by 2019, growing at a cagr of over 5% during the forecast period. The global retail market will see steady growth over the next few years, and in 2018, worldwide retail sales will increase 55% to reach $28300 trillion this is emarketer’s first-ever forecast of the global retail market and retail ecommerce sales worldwide. Alzheimer disease drugs markets in china - china' s demand for alzheimer disease drugs has grown at a fast pace in the past decade in the next five years, both production and demand will continue to grow this new study examines china' s economic trends, investment environment, industry development, supply and demand, industry capacity, industry structure, marketing channels and major. China has remained the global e-retail leader with a rapid growth according to emarketer, the global online retail market was about $167 trillion in 2015, up by 251 percent compared with that in 2014. Chinese market 87% wt of exports go to china directly or via the hong kong sar overall dependency is even such a de-pendency may not be sustainable in the long-term is the export market stable the global market experienced two recent ‘shocks: the 2008-09 global financial crisis and when global recycling markets - plastic waste.
In the first quarter of this year, the global smartphone market shipments decreased by 89% year-on-year because of 12% decline in the chinese market. China stocks rebound after financial leaders play down market dip oct 19, 2018 / by liao shumin dollar-offshore yuan exchange rate future contracts trade on apex today. Beijing china's economic growth cooled to its weakest pace since the global financial crisis in the third quarter, with regulators pledging further policy support as a years-long campaign to.
The global market for printing is forecast to to $724 billion by 2014 in 2008 north american held the largest market share with 312 percent by 2011, asia is expected to become the market share leader due to emerging markets in the region and it expected to hold 349 percent of the market share by 2014. The newly crowned biggest worry in global markets comes from a familiar source: china investors now see the tightening of chinese credit as the most pronounced tail risk they face, according to. The lowdown: china abs market report china central depository and clearing (ccdc) published its biannual report on china’s asset backed securitization (abs) market on august 8.
By then, china’s online consumer market will have grown to $16 trillion annually—24% of private consumption (see exhibit 3) mobile e-commerce, which already accounts for 51% of all online sales in china, compared with a global average of 35%, will grow even faster. China’s $12 trillion bond market is becoming more popular with foreign investors, but sharp swings in trading volumes could present a risk to the country’s financial stability, according to.
The 'global and chinese oxiracetam industry, 2011-2021 market research report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global oxiracetam industry with a focus on the chinese market. This report is an essential reference for those who look for detailed information on global (s)-oxiracetam market the report covers data on national, regional, and global markets, including historical and future trends for supply, demand, prices, trading, competition as well as global major vendors' information. Global china oxiracetam, find oxiracetam manufacturers, oxiracetam suppliers here every day if you are a manufacturer or supplier who want more international buyers, join tradett for free now, and get your products listed here. Abstract this paper provides a brief review of the increasing importance of china in the world economy and discusses the spillover effects of the global financial crisis on china's financial markets and macroeconomy.


text:
Apple is going to announce the new iPhones and iPads soon. We have heard all kinds of rumors about the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S in the past couple of weeks. The latest one suggests that the new iPhone could have a 128 GB option. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that the iPhone 5S will have a gold model too.
The new iPhone 5S will have better hardware, including the faster A7 chip with 1 GB of LPDDR3 RAM. The new processor is expected to be 20% more efficient. The rear camera is going to be changed also. Of course, the iPhone 5S is expected to have an integrated fingerprint reader. We will have to wait till Sept. 10 to see whether these rumors are true.
It is no secret that Android tablets have come a long way in the past couple of years. The Kindle Fire HD is certainly a decent option for folks who don’t want to spend more than $200 or so on a tablet. The new Nexus 7 is speedy and quite sleek. Unfortunately for Android fans, 30% of the top 50 free and paid iPad apps are absent from Google Play. Here is what Canalys had to say about this:
one of the deficiencies of the Android ecosystem: limited availability of high-quality, tablet-optimized apps in the Google Play store. Of the top 50 paid and free iPad apps in Apple’s US App Store, based on aggregated daily rankings in the first half of 2013, 30% were absent from Google Play. A further 18% were available, but not optimized for tablet users
Android has come a long way and is quite a formidable rival to iOS. We are going to see even more tablet apps for the platform. But studies have shown than iOS developers have an easier time making more money from their apps. Google will surely invest more in its platform to get more app developers involved.