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Looking For News Sites For Both NC and SC? Try Gannet’s – Depending on the scope of the news, they may or may not affect closely to our lives. The smaller and closer the scope, the more plausible it is to affect us directly. That’s why local news sources will be more reliable day-to-day compared to national ones. However, what if you can’t find any that seems reliable? Try and visit news sites under Gannet.
• What is Gannet?
Gannet is a top news brand that operates in the US, UK, and Guam. They offer both local and national news sources. The brand has the most audience in America and considered the biggest news brand in the states, thanks to its biggest platform USAToday.
Otherwise, Gannet created local news sources in different cities in each state. In other words, you can reach for international, national, and local scale level of news with this brand – making Gannet a reliable source of news as long as you know which site to go. This is similar to https://kongbet.net where online games players around the world seeking for new updates on online casino and other games.
• Why Gannet?
Despite being practically the same area, North and South Carolina cities can be too far apart to give relevant news to one another. That’s why there’s a need for separate news sources in each state and even each big city. With Gannet, you can get websites that fit the bill in not just NC and SC, but also all the other states of the US. If you visit their official website and scroll down a bit, you will find a selection of American states to choose from. Just choose one of them to reveal selections of news sites that are based in a town of the states and works under Gannet. Plus, you can also choose news sources that uploads daily or weekly to your preferences.
• Local News Sources For Carolina
If you are looking for a news site that is not only specific to your state but also your city, then Gannet definitely makes things easier. If you followed the tutorial on the last point and picked either NC or SC, you will see a list of sites from different cities. From then on, you can choose the sites that are closest to your living area.
As a news brand, Gannet is definitely the biggest brand in the US. They host numerous local sites in all states of America including North and South Carolina. If you want to find reliable news sources, you can easily pick one of their local sites to go with.


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In the last five years, the Indian market has seen a growing interest in high-performance exotic cars. The company, McLaren officially announced its entry into the Indian automobile market in 2021. Last year, the company delivered its 720S Spider model to West Bengal-based businessman Parveen Agarwal.
According to CarToq.com, a car advising platform, the supercar, McLaren 765 LT Spider is more exclusive than any other super in India as the manufacturer is capped at 765 units. It is one of the fastest convertibles McLaren has ever made.
The 765 LT Spider offers a highly aerodynamic design like the coupe version. It comes with a convertible roof that unfolds in just 11 seconds. It is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine and the engine generates 765 Ps and 800 Nm of peak torque. It is paired with a 7-speed sequential gearbox, and all the power is sent to the rear wheels. It has carbon fibre used for the bodywork, and it gets a little more aggressive front bumper, splitter, side skirts and a wraparound rear bumper.

domain: news


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Reiterating on what was said before, it is the perfect time to be a PC gamer. NVIDIA had announced its RTX SUPER series cards at Computex 2019 and will mark the first refresh of its latest-gen graphics cards. Historically, Team Green has always led the charts in performance over its competitors. Even with the vanilla RTX series cards, the company has managed to stay ahead of any new-gen graphics cards released by AMD. We have already reviewed the RTX 2070 SUPER and now we see how the RTX 2080 SUPER holds up in its comparison.
Notably, the RTX SUPER series will replace their vanilla versions except the RTX 2060. Both standard RTX 2070 and 2080 will cease production to [...]


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Facebook users have been able to add profile picture frames to express support for sports teams, causes and movements, and they can now showcase pride in their countries, too.
The social network Thursday added nearly 200 country flag frames to its list, which users can temporarily or permanently add to their profile pictures.
These new frames and the pre-existing ones can be found here or by tapping “Add Frame” on a user’s own profile picture in Facebook’s flagship iOS and Android applications.
If users are following pages or people that are using profile picture frames, they can also tap the “Try It” button, which will add the same frame to their own profile pictures.
A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Social Pro Daily:
Whether you’re showing support for your favorite sports team or solidarity with a cause or movement, profile frames help you express yourself. Now we’re adding flag frames to the mix, in addition to the frames people will be able create on their own thanks to our Camera Effects Platform.
The social network launched Camera Effects last December in Colombia, Mexico, Taiwan, the U.K. and Ireland, giving users in those countries the ability to create their own custom profile picture frames.
Facebook said in an email to Social Pro Daily that Camera Effects is currently being tested in those countries, as well as Italy, Hungary, Argentina and Spain.


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Appointments at Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan has appointed Shoshana Goldberg as deputy editor and Amy Bannerman as fashion director.
Goldberg has 20 years of journalistic experience, serving as freelance editor and writer at various publications including Women’s Health, Daily Mail, Sunday Telegraph Magazine, Daily Express and SHE.
Bannerman currently serves as fashion editor at InStyle and will join the Cosmopolitan team on 4 January 2016. She has previously worked at Glamour, ELLE, Stylist and Sunday Times Style and will work on Cosmopolitan’s instructional fashion pages.


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GUWAHATI: All Assam Small Tea Growers' Association (AASTGA) vice-president Dinesh Sarma has been elected as vice-chairman of the Tea Board of India (TBI). Sarma, who has succeeded incumbent vice chairman CN Nataraj, is the first person from among the small tea growers to be appointed to the post. He is also the first from Assam to be selected as vice-chairman of TBI.
Sarma is small tea grower from Doom Dooma in Tinsukia district of Upper Assam and has been associated with the sector for more than three decades. Sarma said his priority would be to ensure welfare of small tea growers across the country.
Tea organizations and representatives of this sector in the state welcomed the appointment, saying it was a good move to select someone from the state and that too from the small tea growers' sector. tnn
AASTGA said Sarma's appointment to the post has fulfilled the aspiration of having someone in the vice-president's post from the small tea growers sector. "We are elated at Sarma's new post because he is the first in the country who has been selected for the vice-chairman's post from small tea growers. We, on behalf of small tea growers across the country, welcome the appointment," said AASTGA general secretary Karuna Mahanta.
He added that as Sarma is from the small tea growers sector, he would be able to find a solution to the problems faced by small tea growers across the country.


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More stores on the way for Jamaica Blue, as it celebrates 25 years
Owned by the Foodco Group, Jamaica Blue began as a suburban New South Wales cafe in Miranda in 1992, and has since grown to become an internationally recognised chain of 170 cafés across seven countries including Australia, New Zealand, China, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore and the UK.
General manager Drew Eide attributes this success to the company’s ethos of empowering franchise partners and constantly evolving to meet market trends and customers demands.
“Jamaica Blue has been on an extraordinary journey for the past 25 years and this month, we’re proudly reflecting on where we started, what we have achieved, and what our plans are for the future,” he said.
Jamaica Blue’s latest developments include collaborating with Food & Nutrition Australia to launch the Signature Harvest Collection menu and a charity partnership with Beacon Foundation to tackle youth unemployment.
In the past 12 months, Jamaica Blue has opened eight new franchises within Australia, and Eide said this growth is set to continue.
“Our business model is evolving and we’re diversifying our offering include fully licensed cafés, and hole in the wall espresso bars within malls, airports, hospitals and universities,” he said. “We’re very much looking forward to where the next 25 years will take us.”


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december 11 , 2018 :
At an Amazon warehouse in Robbinsville, New Jersey a 255g can of bear repellent was punctured by an automated machine and 24 employees were taken to hospital.
The repellent, designed to scare off wild bears contained a highly concentrated pepper spray solution. The fumes released quickly filled the contained area of the warehouse and resulted in an entire wing of the building being evacuated.
Amazon says the incident was the result of an “automated machine” and the employees were taken to hospital “as a precaution”.
The emergency services were called on Wednesday where, in a 911 call it was reported that 54 workers were experiencing symptoms. In total, 24 workers were taken to local hospitals and a further 30 received medical treatment at the scene.
Rachael Lighty, External communication manager for Amazon said, “The safety of our employees is always our top priority and a full investigation is already underway. All of the impacted employees have been, or are expected to be, released from the hospital within the next 24 hours.”
The incident has intensified negative attention for Amazon, as their warehouses in the US and UK are increasingly criticised for their poor working practices, low pay and a focus on productivity above worker safety.
Stuart Appelbaum, the president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department store Union, said: “Amazon’s automated robots put humans in life-threatening danger. This is another outrageous example of the company putting profits over the health and safety of their workers, and we cannot stand for this. The richest company in the world cannot continue to be let off the hook for putting hard working people’s lives at risk.”


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Article 4KAcurusAragonAWOL VisionBarcoBluesoundBluOSBridgeeCEDIA Expo 2023Definitive TechnologyDolby AtmosDolby VisionEpsonGrimani SystemsHDRHigh-Resolution AudioHome TheaterIndy Audio LabsKaleidescapeL-AcousticsMadVR LabsMeyer SoundMicroLEDMini-LEDMSE AudioNADOSD AudioPro Audio TechnologyprojectorsPSB SpeakersRow One SeatingSamsungScreen InnovationsSevertson ScreensSeymour-Screen ExcellenceSmart HomeSonosStormAudioTheory AudioWhole-House AudioWhole-House VideoWireless AV
Audio solutions from top brands and hot video display technologies have ushered a new era in which home entertainment rivals the performance of commercial cinemas and post-production facilities.
Sep 14, 2023
At CES 2023 LG introduced its new 97-inch Signature OLED M3 Television. According to the global electronics company, its latest OLED television is the first consumer display to incorporate Zero Connect technologies. Through the use of the Zero Connec
Jan 05, 2023
Tony Ostrom, president of the Wireless Speaker & Audio (WiSA) Association, discusses product happenings and why integrators should be excited about wireless AV installs.


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A class-action lawsuit filed in 2019 over Apple’s Family Sharing feature has been settled for $25 million and if you are a U.S. resident and use it, a $30 check might be coming your way.
The allegations by Walter Peters claim that Apple “misrepresented the ability to use its Family Sharing feature to share subscriptions to apps.” According to the suit, Apple ran an advertisement promoting Family Sharing support in apps that did not actually support the feature. As a result, the suit states, people “were induced to purchase subscription-based apps… believing that those apps could be shared with up to six family members.”
Family Sharing technically works with all of Apple’s services—Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Card—as well as iTunes, Apple Books, App Store purchases, iCloud storage, and photos. Apple also says “eligible App Store subscriptions” can be shared, but very few developers allow subscriptions to be shared.
As a result of the settlement, Apple will pay up to $30 per person who a) and b) subscribed to a third-party app that used Family Sharing between June 21, 2015, and January 30, 2019. As usual, Apple admits no wrongdoing per the terms of the settlement, but since Apple changed its advertising practices after January 2019, it appears as though at least some blame can be applied.
If you fit the criteria, you can file a payment election claim on the Peters Family Sharing Plan site. You have until March 1 to file a claim before an April 2 hearing to finalize the settlement.
Source : Macworld


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Aldi has been given the green light to extend its head office and warehouse in Warwickshire, which the grocer said will create 850 new jobs.
Plans for an extension to the discounter’s existing Atherstone headquarters have been approved by the local council. The blueprint includes a multi-storey car park with 596 spaces, an 87,000 sq ft office extension and the construction of over 120,000 sq ft of new warehouse space.
The first phase of the development will feature two new office blocks and the new warehouse. A further two office buildings have been earmarked for construction later.
Aldi said the first phase of the expansion is expected to support around 50 new jobs in the warehouse, and at least 375 new office jobs. The second phase will create a further 440 jobs.
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Papa John’s pizza founder John Schnatter is out as CEO after his criticism over the NFL protests cost the company big bucks. Now he’s resigned as Chairman of the company after using the N word on a conference call.
This is no joke. One day after April Fools’ Day, Little Caesars is giving away free lunch combos to anyone, all thanks to the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Really. Get all the delicious details.
Happy National Pizza Day! It’s the most wonderful day of the year, and you can celebrate with great deals and free slices throughout the country! Are you psyched for some cheesy, saucy goodness? Click through for all the amazing pizza deals!
February 8 is National Pizza Day — not to be confused with National Cheese Pizza Day on September 5, or National Everything But Anchovies Pizza Day on November 10! Pizza is so, so good, and this incredible holiday brings with it fantastic deals, and even some opportunities for free slices throughout the entire United States! Click through to learn about these amazing deals!
Bachelor Pad host Melissa Rycroft was totally surprised to discover that she was pregnant, just months after marrying Tye Strickland in December — she thought she just had indigestion!
“I took 15 [pregnancy] tests just to make sure,” admits mom-to-be Melissa Rycroft, in the new issue of OK!. Still not convinced that she and husband, insurance salesman Tye Strickland, had actually conceived, the former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader called her doctor to see if maybe it was just something she ate! “She just kept laughing and said I was definitely pregnant,” says the host of Bachelor Pad and former Dancing With the Stars contestant.


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Chipotle customers in California should prepare for “significant” price hikes after the state recently approved minimum wage increases for fast food workers, one of the company’s top executives told shareholders this week.
Jack Hartung, Chipotle’s chief financial and administrative officer, told investors on an earnings call on Tuesday that the price hikes are necessary to keep up with increasing labor costs.
“We know we have to take something as a significant increase when you talk about a 20%-ish increase in wages,” Hartung said.
California’s new minimum wage law, which pays fast food workers $20 an hour, is set to go into effect in April.
The state’s estimated half-a-million fast food employees had been earning $16.21 an hour before Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed into law AB 1228, which also authorizes a panel to raise the minimum wage by up to 3.5% a year depending on inflation.
Hartung has previously said that Chipotle paid workers at its 475 California locations an average wage of $17 an hour.
Hartung declined to specify the scope of the anticipated price hikes. Currently, a steak a burrito in the state costs about $11.
“We haven’t made a final decision, in terms of pricing,” he said.
“We’ll wait and see just what the landscape looks like, what the consumer sentiment is, what other companies are going to do.”
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski warned in October that the Big Mac maker would also need to hike the price of its menu items in California.
The chain has increased prices nationwide amid rampant inflation, including charging $18 for a Big Mac meal.
Kempczinski admitted on an earnings call with Wall Street analysts on Monday that low-income customers making less than $45,000 a year have largely stopped ordering from McDonald’s.
“Eating at home has become more affordable,” Kempczinski said. “The battleground is certainly with that low-income consumer.”
Last year, Chipotle started testing automation-driven technology that it hopes would eventually cut down on labor costs.
The company is testing robots that cut, core and peel avocadoes used to make guacamole. It is also developing a robot that can make burrito bowls.
Last year, Chipotle spent $2.44 billion on labor — an 11% increase from the year before.
In contrast, the chain spent $2.91 billion on food, beverage and packaging costs.
The Post has sought comment from Chipotle and Newsom.


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The company recently revealed it has begun prototyping a new IP, so its likely the culmination of this project will be an Xbox 360 exclusive. "Microsoft have been good friends to us," wrote production director Jonty Barnes. "You can see the strength of our relationship in Halo. We're really focused on continuing our collaboration in making the best games we can, and that right now is on 360."
Bungie's negotiations with Microsoft give the Redmond computer giant a minority equity interest in the studio, control of the Halo franchise, and publishing rights to Bungie's other products.


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Galaxy S8 First Major Problems May Make You Think Twice About Buying It
The first sets of Samsung's Galaxy S8 have finally reached buyers this week, but major problems have already surfaced regarding this premium smartphone. Although the issues are not critical, they could be setbacks for the phone company. The first big problem with the handset involves the phone's most important feature: the Infinity display.
The Infinity display of Samsung's latest flagship has reddish tint according to some buyers. This is a bit mind-boggling since infinity display is one of its best features, and it's what makes the phone currently unique. Samsung went for a curved OLED display with a screen that is even rated as the best screen in the market by some experts, making the iPhone 8 to reportedly want to feature the OLED screen manufactured by Samsung.
According to BGR, the reddish tint issue on the Galaxy S8 might be caused by the color balance of the screen after Samsung used deep red AMOLED to strengthen the red. However, some customers said that it did not improve after correcting the color display settings. Samsung responded that it is not a quality issue, and it can be easily adjusted with the phone itself, or customers can have it changed at the service center.
Meanwhile, according to Forbes, there are other late problems involving the new handset's physical features. These include the position of the fingerprint sensor, the rear camera, and smaller battery size. These are not serious problems but some people complain about it, citing lack of innovation and poor design as reasons for the issues.
Regarding the rear-positioned fingerprint sensor, some people say that the location of the sensor leads to smudges on the camera's lens. When it comes to the rear camera and battery sizes, there really isn't anything Samsung can do much about it. The premium price also makes some people complain, but Samsung have been using quality materials and upgraded designs, and people really can't expect to pay less for a premium phone.
Russian Terminator Robot Does Horrifying Things While Putin Denies Risk Of Robot Army
The Russian Terminator robot is shown to be able to shoot guns with both hands. It can also drive a car and do press-ups, making people nervous despite Putin's assurance that the violent exercises are just part of the machine's decision making and coordination training.
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A woman in Michigan was trapped and killeds by a robot that was not supposed to be in her working area. 57 year old Wanda Holbrook died from severe head trauma after the rogue robot crushed her skull.
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London Startup Company Brings the Virtual Reality Gaming Chair to Life!
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Okay so is Walmart's social media person trolling Super Smash Bros. fans? Or are they clueless about what they even posted? Or is this a legitimate teaser at the next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC fighter?
Find out all of this and more next time on "leaked Smash Bros. DLC rumors." Next episode? Right now.
Pyra and Mythra were the last Smash fighter to be released from Fighters Pass Vol. 2. But there are still two slots remaining. Some of the big contenders for this honor are Crash Bandicoot, another Japanese RPG character, Rayman, Sora, and basically anyone with a sword. Xbox fans have also been throwing around Master Chief for a while — and now it seems this could be a pretty big possibility.
Super Smash Bros. fans have been confused for the past few days over Walmart's cryptic (and possibly even meaningless) tweet. After Halo's official Twitter put up a post acknowledging and celebrating Master Chief's birthday, Walmart replied by sending Master Chief a card. But not just any card.
"We actually got John a little something to celebrate," Walmart Canada Gaming's social media person tweeted. "Just need an address..."
The attached photo showed the highly recognizable and now iconic Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC invitation. It's basically used in every Nintendo Direct when a DLC fighter is announced as a way to tell everyone that the character has been invited to fight in Smash.
So now three possibilities remain:
Number one: Walmart accidentally leaked the next Smash DLC. Retailers often have access to embargoed information. But would they have it this early? And why would that highly secretive information be given to Walmart Canada's Twitter manager? And if they did know, why would they leak something so sensitive? It's possible they wanted to quit and didn't give a crap about doing something so insane, but it seems unlikely.
Number two: Walmart is trolling the Smash community for clout. Random chains like Wendy's have realized that trolling and memeing are the only viable ways to reach millennials and zoomers, who otherwise would find these social media accounts "cringe." This has forced many companies to become quite creative with their online marketing. Walmart even has a strange Facebook trend where a random employee holds up "succulent corn." And it's strangely worked very well. Are millennials okay?
Number three: Walmart's social media manager is a boomer. The third possibility is that whoever is running Walmart Canada's social media account is completely clueless about what this invitation actually is. Maybe they looked up "video game card" or something on Google to try and relate to "fellow kids" online. This is definitely possible, but since the social media person also knew some Halo information I assume they are aware of the Smash invitation.
For now, it remains unclear if Master Chief is the next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC. It's definitely a possibility — and it's one that fans have been throwing around for years. But it's unlikely that this Walmart tweet is actually an indicator of Smash's future DLC.
I'm personally rooting against this tweet meaning anything because I only want one Smash DLC and that's Captain Toad.
Esports writer and editor with a passion for creating unique content for the gaming community.


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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) – With doors wide open, businesses in downtown Saratoga Springs are ready for another season at the track.
“I’ve been at it the last two weeks and it’s been pretty steady but even over the last couple of days, people have been coming into town,” says Shane Zanetti whose sister owns the Dark Horse Mercantile. “It was really busy last week for the SPAC concerts so I think it’s going to be really good during track season.”
From boutiques to bars, breweries and coffee shops, business in Saratoga booms during track season. “Some people are coming back to Saratoga for the first time in years. And so this might be the first time trying Walt Cafe and Whitman Brewing so kind of being that spot all day. Morning we have breakfast and at night, we get a lot of tourists that check us out in the morning and come back later in the day so we are definitely expecting that and expecting that building that customer relationship,” says Katie Crager of Walt Cafe and Whitman Brewing Company.
According to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the race course brings about $240 million a year to the area. With thousands descending upon the Spa City during track season, staffing those businesses could be a challenge for some.
“Labor has been an issue and but it is a family business and the family has been involved but I would say our team has grown over the past 3-4 months and we feel good about going into this season,” says Kathy Crager who owns Walt Cafe and Whitman Brewing Company.
While the track brings people from out of the area, the locals are just as vital for business. “We’re going to the track tomorrow but today we’re doing some shopping because we are going to Maine and need a white dress,” says Tammy Phair of South Glens Falls.
“I think coming off of COVID has helped all of the local businesses to stimulate the economy. So we came down to get Pearl some ice cream and just enjoy all things Saratoga,” says Cassandra Wilusz who was walking her dog Pearl downtown Thursday.
Prior to the pandemic, the Saratoga Race Course drew around one million people to the city. Rivaling that of other major sporting events in New York State.


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Bellevue-based Donuts, which owns top-level domains such as .photography and .restaurant, is buying Kirkland’s Rightside.
Two local companies in the business of managing newly released website-domain names are merging.
Bellevue-based Donuts, which owns top-level domains such as .photography and .restaurant, is buying Kirkland’s Rightside for about $213 million.
The move comes less than a year after publicly traded Rightside rejected an earlier bid from Donuts to buy its registry business. It’s been a year of changes for Rightside, said Donuts CEO Bruce Jaffe.
Rightside sold its eNom business for $83.5 million in January, letting go of a large part of its “registrar” business, which allows people to register websites such as janedoe.social.
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Donuts focuses on the “registry” side of the business — buying the top-level domains (TLDs), then allowing other companies such as GoDaddy to register websites using them.
“We’ve been working together for years as partners,” Jaffe said. “Combining became a natural next step.”
Donuts has about 40 employees, and Rightside has about 135. The two companies are in the “planning stages” of what the combined business will look like, Jaffe said.
Donuts, a privately held company, will buy Rightside for $10.60 a share, a nearly 9 percent increase over Rightside’s Tuesday closing price.
Shares of Rightside jumped 10.3 percent Wednesday to $10.75
The deal is expected to close before the end of the year.


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Qualcomm on Tuesday announced its intention to file an immediate appeal against a recent ruling given by the Seoul High Court which dismissed the tech giant's attempt to suspend a remedial order that the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) issued against it in late 2016, ordering the firm to pay the today's equivalent of over $900 million for what it deemed was monopolistic behavior. The San Diego, California-based semiconductor manufacturer stated that the latest turn of events still doesn't impact its main appeal against the order itself, with its representatives stating that Qualcomm continues to believe the verdict it was hit with was a result of an unjust procedure which didn't allow the firm to use its due process rights, hence not being backed by the law in the Far Eastern country.
Qualcomm is still adamant to stay the remedial order which it claims will cause "irreparable damage" to its operations and needs to be suspended until the original ruling is overturned, which it believes is a probable scenario. The company is consequently filing an appeal with the Korea Supreme Court, the top judicial body in the country and its last chance for winning the dispute at hand. For the time being, Qualcomm is still required to engage in what the KFTC describes as bona fide negotiations with other chip companies interested in licensing its numerous patents or amending their existing license agreements. The tech giant continues to argue that its patent licensing policies are in line with contemporary industry practices and aren't any anti-competitive in any way.
Accusations of Qualcomm using an unfair business model aren't exclusive to South Korea; the company is currently leading similar legal battles in both Europe and the United States, having recently clashed with the European Commission, U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and even Apple. The latter previously claimed the firm's per-device royalty fees allow it to profit from inventions it had nothing to do with, accusing the company of trying to monopolize the market with this practice, a notion that Qualcomm vehemently denies. An update on its dispute with the Korean antitrust watchdog is likely to follow by early 2018 when both the Seoul High Court and Korean Supreme Court are expected to rule on its two appeals.


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In China, Tecno doesn’t have a single store. Its towering headquarters in the southern megacity of Shenzhen goes largely unnoticed among skyscrapers bearing the names of more famous Chinese tech firms. Tecno has never sold a phone in China.
In cities like Lagos, Nairobi and Addis Ababa, busy streets are awash with the bright blue shopfronts of Transsion’s flagship brand. Tecno, completely unknown in the west, dominates markets across Africa. Global giants like Apple and Samsung are trailing in its wake.
Other top Chinese smartphone companies like Huawei and Xiaomi started out in China, and then expanded overseas, but Tecno confidently decided on a different route.
One of the reasons for Tecno’s success in Africa is because the camera is optimized for the African complexion. Transsion Vice President said, “Our cameras adjust more light for darker skin, so the photograph is more beautiful. That’s one of the reasons we’ve become successful.”
Battery power was also important to African customers because of poor electricity. Tecno provided phones with greater battery life to manage the situation, and this was instantly appealing to many customers all over Africa.
Given that network operators were charging exorbitant prices for the network they provided, most phone users had more than one sim card, alternating between cards depending on what they wanted to do. Tecno was among the first brand of phones that quelled this quagmire when they manufactured phones with two sim cards, allowing users to reduce the habit of turning their phones off and removing the batteries just to switch sim cards.
Continually meeting the primary phone needs of African customers have given them an unbelievable appeal, and incredibly successful.


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De La Rue management 'confident' despite third profit warning
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Shares in De La Rue have slumped again after the group issued its third profit warning this year and said it could breach its banking covenants if it is unsuccessful in securing key contracts at its Currency wing.
The security printing PLC issued its half-year results today (23 November). Exceptional charges of £21.4m – mainly related to the termination of its supply agreement with Portals – propelled the group to an operating loss of £12.6m compare with the prior year’s £13.8m profit.
De La Rue CEO Clive Vacher said the Portals deal had removed what would have been a £119m obligation over six years “for just £16.7m”.
Sales at its Currency division fell by 12.3% to £116.4m “due to subdued market”. Authentication sales were up 2.5% to £44.5m but margins were lower due to “adverse sales mix and supply chain headwinds”.
Legacy activities at its Identity Solutions business resulted in sales up 14.3% to £2.4m.
Overall group sales were down 8.3% at £164.3m.
De La Rue management said that the full-year adjusted operating profit was expected to be £30m-£33m, compared with analyst estimates of around £36m.
Shares in De La Rue fell by 20.55% on the news, to 79.45p (52-week high: 169.26p, low: 71.10p).
Although De La Rue has extended its banking facilities to 1 January 2025, the group warned that in a “severe but plausible downturn scenario” regarding its Currency contracts, and without sufficient cost mitigation, it would breach its EBIT/Net interest covenant, which casts a material uncertainty on the group’s ability to continue as a going concern.
De La Rue stated: “Notwithstanding the above, management is confident in its ability to secure and deliver key contracts in line with the assumed quarterly phasing as well as executing the planned cost saving initiatives modelled within the base forecast.”
De La Rue said it was “rightsizing the Currency division for the softer conditions in the banknote market that currently prevail”, while fresh leadership in the Authentication division has restructured the business to drive sales and growth opportunities.
Following the end of its supply deal with Portals, De La Rue is conducting a tender process for its future paper requirements, with the aim of establishing a suite of contracted suppliers around the world.
Five orders have been placed already, with the group on track to achieve the anticipated £4m in annual cash savings.
These initiatives will generate additional savings of £12m per year by the end of its 2024 financial year. More jobs will go as a result, but details were not available at the time of writing.
Activist investor Richard Bernstein of Crystal Amber Fund, which holds one of the biggest stakes in De La Rue and has called for chairman Kevin Loosemore to resign, reacted to the interims announcement by tweeting: “De La Rue 3rd profit warning of 2022. Material uncertainty going concern audit qualification. Management fails to take responsibility. Instead blaming Crystal Amber "distraction" for articulating shortcomings. Staff and shareholders are the losers here. Chairman needs to go now.”
Vacher said the 2020 Turnaround Plan had “saved De La Rue”.
The group’s future plans include capitalising in on its “world-leading offering” for highly secure polycarbonate data pages for passports, where it is investing in a second production line.
It also expects to bring “game-changing polymer security features” to its expanded banknote polymer product.
“By 2028 if successful in our plans, De La Rue will be a transformed group. Legacy issues would be fully resolved, including the pension scheme deficit, though we are considering options for improving the overall position before the final deficit reduction payment is made in 2029.”
In a reference to Crystal Amber’s suggestion that the group should “participate in industry consolidation”, De La Rue also stated: “As a normal course of business, the board annually reviews how to deliver the highest value for shareholders, including evaluating possible corporate actions. The latest review, which was the subject of independent assessment, concluded that the greatest value generation comes with executing the existing strategy and retaining the current group structure.”
Shareholders will vote on Crystal Amber’s proposal on 2 December.


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Posted on Saturday 27 October 2018 by Ulster Business
Robert Maye is now group sales manager
at 3fivetwo Group’s. Mr Maye’s new
role will be to drive sales growth and
revenue for the group, implementing a
strategic sales plan while managing and
supporting the sales team.


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Real Vision chief govt Raoul Pal says Ethereum (ETH) will “for sure” surpass the main crypto asset by way of market cap.
In a brand new YouTube interview with The Stakeborg Talks, the macro guru says that the present velocity and development of the Ethereum community point out it’s going to outperform Bitcoin (BTC) sooner or later.
When requested if he sees ETH “flippening” BTC’s market cap, Pal solutions confidently.
“Yeah, for sure. For sure.”
Pal additionally cautions that there isn’t a lot of some extent in evaluating the 2 crypto belongings.
“One is the web of worth, and the opposite is a retailer of worth.
They’re not the identical factor.
The worth of all the cell phone networks on this planet is price much more than gold, however no person compares them. That’s silly. But individuals evaluate these items.
Now, if in 10 years’ time, Bitcoin has good contracts, has low-cost transactions, all of these items that Ethereum affords, then high quality, that will change once more.
I don’t consider it essentially as a everlasting flippening. Maybe one thing else occurs. I’ve a totally open thoughts.”
Ethereum‘s present market cap is about $452.9 billion, roughly half of Bitcoin‘s market cap, which sits above $903 billion.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl will not be funding recommendation. Investors ought to do their due diligence earlier than making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital belongings. Please be suggested that your transfers and trades are at your personal danger, and any loses chances are you’ll incur are your duty. The Daily Hodl doesn’t suggest the shopping for or promoting of any cryptocurrencies or digital belongings, neither is The Daily Hodl an funding advisor. Please observe that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing online.
Featured Image: Shutterstock/tugol/Natalia Siiatovskaia


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Earlier today, IntelExtremeMasters (IEM), organised by ESL, announced that Amazon.com will be an exclusive retail sponsor for the up and coming event, IEM San Jose 2015, from November, 21-22 at the SAP Center.
The partnership between ESL and Amazon will see a $25,000 increase to the event’s prize pool, but it is currently unclear how the money will be distributed across Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and League of Legends. As well as this, Amazon will be providing community funding for both of the games at this event.
Amazon do not stop at an increase of the prize pool, as the hardware made by IEM’s sponsor lineup, Intel, HyperX, GIGABYTE and BenQ, will all be at a discounted price with an “exclusive discount” on Amazon.com. A percentage of the sales will go towards further increases of the prize pool for both eSports titles.
Go to Amazon.com/IEM for the full offer!
“We’re excited to have the support of Amazon.com for our Intel Extreme Masters activities. The community prize pool funding is a winning moment for everyone involved, especially the fans, who will have an opportunity to support their teams in a new way.” – Michael Blicharz, VP of Pro Gaming at ESL.
A full team list of the IEM San Jose event is yet to be released as the final spot will be awarded to the winner of the iBUYPOWER Invitational, this weekend.
Be sure to keep up-to-date with all of your Counter-Strike: Global Offensive news and updates at our Twitter – @ESNCS.


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Holidays: Simon Calder reveals cruises have been hit the hardest
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued a new travel update continuing to warn Britons against all cruise holidays. The news comes as another blow to holidaymakers who were gearing up for cruises in the coming months.
With the FCO lifting the need for a quarantine period upon return home from some destinations, the future of holidays was beginning to look brighter.
However, for those hoping to adventure at sea, they could be left with further cancelled plans.
Am I entitled to a refund on my cruise holiday?
The good news is, due to the FCO warning, most travel and tour operators are liable to refund customers if they are forced to cancel cruises.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: "The FCO's advice against cruise ship travel will lead to most upcoming cruises being cancelled or postponed.
“Most cruise holiday customers should be legally entitled to a cash refund within 14 days under the package travel regulations, but as we've seen across the travel industry recently, operators facing a surge in refund claims are often taking longer to return customers' money to them.
"If refunds will be delayed, cruise companies must urgently let customers know and give a clear timetable for when money will be returned.
“The FCO should also extend its warning to include a definitive date, to give operators and customers clarity over when it will be safe to rebook."
Though the average refund time for a cancelled holiday is supposed to be 14 days, amid an influx of claims, some lines are taking longer to offer refunds.
In many cases, cruise lines have amended and relaxed cancellation policies in the wake of the virus, which means even if your holiday isn’t cancelled yet, you may be able to claim, a refund or reschedule your trip regardless.
Nicky Kelvin, director of content for The Points Guy UK explained: “The good news for those itching to cancel a booking is that it’s easier than you might think — at least for now.
"Many cruise lines have greatly eased their cancellation policies.
“Plus, most lines are proactively cancelling departures on a rolling basis.”
Cruise: Holidaymakers could now face further cancelled plans
What if my cruise departs from another country?
For Britons who have cruises departing from countries outside of the UK, it is understood that cruise bans remain in place in a number of places.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains its “no-sail ban” and the majority of big-name operators have put sailings on hold as far into the future as the autumn months.
The best thing to do is to contact your cruise provider directly and speak to them about the unfolding situation.
How do I claim a refund?
The refund process varies from cruise line to cruise line.
The best thing to do is to contact the cruise or travel operator directly and speak to them about options and how to file a claim.
Many operators have now set up refund claim portals on their websites to speed up the process.
Others are contacting customers on affected holidays directly.
Cruise: Genting Cruise Lines to resume sailing [UPDATE]
Portugal holidays: Portugal entry requirements change - FCO update [FCO ADVICE]
Martin Lewis: When to ‘get militant’ on easyJet and Ryanair refunds [COMMENT]
Should I accept a future sailing voucher?
There is some speculation from experts as to whether or not holidaymakers should accept a voucher for future sailings.
In some cases, they are warned this many not offer adequate consumer protections, and there is the threat that some firms may not survive the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Kelvin added: “If you take a future cruise credit from your cruise line, you’re assuming you’ll be able to find an itinerary at the line you will like. But that might not be the case.
“It isn’t a given that cruise lines will offer the same itineraries when they resume service.”
Will my travel insurance cover me?
It is thought that, in most instances, cruise operators themselves will cancel sailings that are affected by an FCO travel advisory.
If you purchased your travel insurance policy prior to March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organisation (WHO) named coronavirus a pandemic, it may offer some coverage.
Many travel insurers were unable to offer coronavirus coverage on existing policies purchased after this date.
Should a holidaymaker choose to go on a cruise when an FCO advisory is in place, this will invalidate any existing travel insurance policies for the trip.
What is the current FCO warning for cruises?
The FCO updated its travel guidance for cruises on July 9.
It reads: “The Foreign & Commonwealth Office advises against cruise ship travel at this time.
"This is due to the ongoing pandemic and is based on medical advice from Public Health England.
“The government will continue to review its cruise ship travel advice based on the latest medical advice.
“If you have future cruise travel plans, you should speak to your travel operator or the travel company you booked with, for further advice.”
Though the FCO says it is working with the Department for Transport to help speed up the resumption of international cruises, some insiders have said they are not satisfied with the advice.
Phil Evans, owner of Cruise Nation, told Travel Weekly: “The update from the FCO is lacking in information and we need clarity on it. We also need a date when we can expect the next update on this.
"The last update from the FCO was four months ago, and there’s been nothing in between that and this latest, so we need to know that we won’t be kept waiting for another four months.”


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- FashionUnited |
Amsterdam Fashion Week kicked off this Thursday and one of the biggest surprises for this Spring/Summer 2019 season is the participation of discount retail chain Lidl. The collection, which will be presented on Sunday, September 9, was created in collaboration with the German retailer and supermodel Heidi Klum. This is the grocery chain’s second time showing on a catwalk after debuting last year at New York Fashion Week SS 2018. How did Lidl make the leap into fashion? FashionUnited’s timeline takes a look at Lidl’s journey to the catwalks of New York and now Amsterdam Fashion Weeks.
Photos: Courtesy of Lidl, Courtesy of Esmara by Heidi Klum available at Lidl


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Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon has announced some big strategic investment plans for fiscal 2018 and 2019. With plans to invest $11 billion in capital expenditures, raise U.S. eCommerce sales by 40 percent, and add 1,000 online grocery locations, Walmart has laid out an ambitious set of initiatives priming the company for robust growth.
“We have good momentum in the business, we’re executing our strategy and moving with speed to win with the customer, who is more connected than ever and embracing tools that will save them both time and money,” McMillon said in a statement released prior to the company’s investor meeting. “We’re combining the accessibility of our stores with eCommerce to provide new and exciting ways for customers to shop. I’m proud of the team we have in place, the work we have underway and how we are positioned for success in the future.”
In its pre-meeting news release, Walmart highlighted several new strategic plans to implement going forward, including its U.S. division’s goal to continue to prioritize store remodels and digital experiences over new stores. Investment in digital experiences will likely include enhanced supply chain capabilities, more fulfillment capabilities, and an $11 billion capital expenditure budget for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.
Other highlights from the company’s release include:
At the meeting, Walmart CFO Brett Biggs discussed financial projections. In a statement, Biggs commented, “We feel good about where we are as a company. Our plans are designed to win with both customers and shareholders as we operate within our financial framework. Our financial position is strong, which allows us to invest in the business while returning significant cash to shareholders.”
Will an ambitious slate of growth initiatives and redoubled eCommerce efforts propel Walmart to the top of the pile as retailers vie for consumers’ business? Deli Market News will keep you in the know.


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Ontario cannabis sales spike amid COVID-19 concerns
Ontario is seeing record cannabis sales with online orders up 80 per cent this weekend, as people are being told to self-isolate amid COVID-19 concerns.
Ontario Cannabis Store says there has been “a marked increase” in online orders over the last three days, as well as a high demand for same day and next day delivery.
Some authorized retail stores also reported an increase, he said.
Online orders on Saturday were up 80 per cent over an average Saturday, with almost 3000 online orders, he said.


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Welcome to This Month in The Grower
On this page you can access all of the columns and feature articles in this months issue of The Grower magazine.
Environmentally friendly no-till maintains tomato yields, profits
Growers and researchers have shown that reduced-tillage production systems are effective in maintaining yields and profitability while promoting sustainability.
Product cuts nitrogen volatilization, enhancing fertility regimes
When crop yield and environmental benefits are enhanced by the same product, it makes for the proverbial win-win situation. That accounts for some of the marketing success of the nitrogen stabilization product Agrotain.
Pooling product can enhance marketing, but start slowly
Growers can find strength—and profit—in numbers, banding together for marketing, distribution and other efforts.
Gray mold fungicide resistance grows in Southeastern strawberries
The fungal organism that causes gray mold in strawberries has become completely resistant to some fungicides that Southeastern growers have been relying upon for years.
Texas officials hope they’ve caught citrus greening early
With the recent find of citrus greening in the Texas Rio Grande Valley, state citrus industry officials say they hope their years of planning have helped limit the disease spread from an area near McAllen.


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Watchdogs Legion Online Delayed until 2021
Published November 27, 2020 | 683 views
Ubisoft has announced that Watchdogs Legion Online will be delayed. Until next year. Ubisoft made this announcement recently noting that the game ought to have been released 3rd December, 2020. However, there are projections that the game will drop early 2021. Hence, we regret to inform you that one of the most anticipated multi-player experiences of this year will no longer be available next week as originally planned.
Reason for the Watchdogs Legion Online Delay?
The reason for the delay is due to the litany of bugs experienced by testers in the Watchdogs Legion Online game. As a result, the game will now be released early 2021. The delay is to give the developers enough time to fix the bugs discovered in Watchdogs Legion Online and produce the best online component they possibly can.
Ubisoft wrote on their website giving a reason for the delay
“As part of our commitment to fixing the game’s issues, we’ve decided to delay the Online mode of Watch Dogs: Legion to early 2021. This will allow us to focus on fixing issues with single player, and it will give us more time to test the online experience to help ensure a smooth launch of the mode. They are releasing a patch 2.20 this week which will hopefully fix some of the bugs and save corruption experienced in the game. Their statement further reads
“As an immediate next step, this week, we are releasing Update 2.20 to PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Stadia. The update will add a manual Save Game button to PC, as well as bring further stability improvements for Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, and PlayStation 4. You can find the full list of patch notes here.”
Possible Improvements we should expect in Watchdogs
Ubisoft is currently focusing on improvements to the game, including cross-save progression, GPU performance on PC, and various bug and performance fixes.
Plus, when Watch Dogs Online finally arrives, it will bring a host of new game modes.
It will introduce new missions to be played in four player co-op, as well as dynamic events and PvP mode. With regards to PvP, up to eight players will be able to battle it out in the Spider Bot Arena, using the Spider Bot drones.
Lathieeshe Thillainathan, live producer on Watch Dogs: Legion says
“The online for Legion, we built a dedicated online sandbox, so it’s a completely different world. We’re taking all of London and putting it into an online sandbox, and we built dedicated online content. So, we built the co-op missions and the tactical ops and everything else – those are all built for online. And then you have your own team that you build in online as well. It’s a complete, separate, piece of content to the single-player campaign.”
This means that when you start the game, you can either choose single player campaign or multiplayer as both have different missions, reward systems and team composition.
Furthermore, to test your team’s communication skills, the tactical ops special missions have been added.
We will have to be patient until 2021 before we will be able to march into dystopian London with friends. However, we think the wait will definitely be worth it in the end.
What do you make of the recent news? Do you think WDO will be a success? Let us know in the comments section below. Also, While we await Watchdogs Legion Online, kindly check out our piece on Watchdogs: Legion Review
Thank you for reading The Great Gamers


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A British supermarket became the first in the world to let shoppers use their veins to pay for groceries.
Sthaler CEO Nick Dryden on creating a high-tech finger-vein scanner.
Businesses paid hundreds of millions of dollars to hackers last year, a new report shows.
'Weekly Tasting' Sommeliers Lauria Maniec and Elizabeth Schneider on how the company helps consumers learn about, and try, new wines.
Anastasia Beverly Hills CEO Anastasia Soare on how she became a business success in the U.S. after fleeing Romania under Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.
Only half of America’s smallest businesses now offer health coverage to their workers because many say steady cost hikes have made it too expensive to afford a benefit that nearly all large employers still provide.
Some of the United States’ most prominent retailers are shuttering stores this year amid sagging sales in the troubled sector.
Linda McMahon, Small Business Administration administrator, discusses small business optimism and rebuilding efforts in the wake of hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Rocket Fizz co-founders Robert Powells and Ryan Morgan on the company's celebrity licensing for its sodas and its unique flavors.
No matter how many times you see a 3-D printer in operation, it’s a sight to behold. They make for great YouTube videos, no doubt. Starting a 3-D printing business? There’s…
It's not only been a breach of data affecting 143 million users, but it's a breach that has cut to the core of the cloud's credibility. This is not Game of Thrones or an old credit card number. This is a company that stores our most private and confidential information used in financial and background checks, including Social Security numbers, drivers’ licenses and birth dates.
U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon on the potential impact of tax reform on small business, efforts to help small businesses recover from Harvey and Irma and the state of small business in America.
The Dover Group president Butch Yamali on rebuilding after Hurricane Irma.
Tampa Business owner Gio Bunjak hands out free water to people affected by Hurricane Irma.
Homer Logistics CEO Adam Price on helping small businesses improve their delivery services.
Rep the Squad CEO Brian Watkins on the company's subscription based service for NFL jersey rentals.
The strongest Category 5 storm ever recorded—Hurricane Irma—is expected to make landfall in Florida by the weekend and early next week.
Jon Taffer, best known as host of the reality series “Bar Rescue” on Spike TV, supported President Trump’s plan for middle class tax cuts during an appearance on FOX Business.
'Bar Rescue' host Jon Taffer on how President Trumps tax plan can boost small businesses and fuel the U.S. economy.
Bobby Jucker has had it with hurricanes.


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US-based Nigerian rapper, Speed Darlington has mocked Tunde Ednut after his Instagram account got deactivated.
Tunde Ednut’s Instagram was deleted following a report from the image-sharing platform that the user violated the policy of the app.
Reacting to the news, Speed Darlington mocked Tunde Ednut. He expressed shock to the account being deactivated despite being verified.
In a 2-minutes long video, Speed stated that Tunde failed to do the needful by arguing with trolls on the platform rather than blocking anyone who had beef with him.
Watch video below:
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that he once considered selling the electric car maker to Apple.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Elon Musk said he reached out to Apple CEO Tim Cook “to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla (for one-tenth of our current value). He refused to take the meeting.”
Elon Musk said he sought out the meeting with Cook during the darkest days of the Model 3 program, a reference to Tesla’s first electric car designed for the mass market.
Tesla’s market value is $616 billion, as of the close of trading Tuesday. One-tenth of that is $61.6 billion.
As recently as 2018, Tesla was struggling to meet its vehicle production goals and turn a profit.
However, Tesla is finally making money on a consistent basis after years of losses and continues to hit milestones for deliveries of its vehicles.


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Standalone VR goggles expected to boom in China
Huang Xiaojie, CEO of Baofeng Mojing, delivers a keynote speech on Dec 20, 2016, during the launch event for the company's new products in Beijing. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
A domestic virtual reality (VR) hardware manufacturer launched a brand new standalone head mount display (HMD), further stimulating the segment market already in full swing.
On Tuesday, Baofeng Mojing, the VR arm of the Baofeng Technology Co Ltd, unveiled the "Matrix" -- VR goggles equipped with 3K resolution built-in display.
The company claimed the HMD device is the lightest gadget that hit the market among the same category of products.
Feng Xin, CEO of Baofeng, said at the product's launch ceremony that the device fulfills the three major pain points of the VR device for consumers, which are the demand for higher definition, lighter weight and decrease of feeling faint.
The device was priced at 2,499 yuan ($360), and the company said one hundred early-adaptors will be selected and will receive the products for hands-on trial, with purchasing at a discount price of 1,999 yuan.
No specific dates for the publicly shipment were announced during the event.
The industry witnessed an investment shrink when fierce homogeneous competition appeared in the market this year.
More companies are forced to curtail the R&D process or even went bankrupt due to suffocated fundraising.
Baofeng Mojing cut down 50 of its headcount and about 100 employees, who are specialized in content building, were shifted to new established VR subsidiaries.
"We're hoping to become a dominator in the market to promote the industry from winter to a vibrant spring," said Feng. "VR will become commercialized and major vendors in the market will be making profits by 2017 to 2018."
He elaborated that VR will be massively exploited and implemented in industries such as tourism, education, automobile, real estate and sports in the next two years and standalone HMDs will become one of the next bestsellers.
"Domestic vendors, such as Xiaomi and Huawei, as well as major domestic internet companies and global players, like Facebook, will all be eager to participate and aim to grab a piece of the market shares," Feng added.
Baofeng's Matrix, a standalone HMD and its accessories are displayed on Dec 20, 2016, during the product launch event held in Beijing. [Photo by Liu Zheng/chinadaily.com.cn]
The existing consumer VR devices sold on the market include three major categories - Google's Cardboard-like mobile VR, all-in-one, or known as standalone HMD, and PC or game console driven goggles, such as HTC Vive or Sony PSVR.
Many Chinese vendors tend to invest in the first two categories, and similar to Baofeng Mojing, DeePoon, Pico, 3Glasses, 3Dinlfe and Lingvr have all unveiled standalone HMDs in recent years.
Neo Zheng, a research manager of client system research at International Data Corporation (IDC) told chinadaily.com.cn that according to the market analysis data monitored by the company, the shipments of VR devices in China is seen continually rising, and the technology bottlenecks, such as processing performance and battery life will restrain new vendors who are keen on investing in the standalone HMD market.
"But we're optimistic about the market boom in the mid- and low- end market as upstream manufacturers, such as, Intel and Qualcomm launch more powerful chips and mobile solutions," said Zheng.
Julian Tan, an analyst at the industry consulting company GfK China also said that the standalone HMD market will see a certain amount of increase next year.
"More time should be given to make breakthroughs in the core technologies and consumer education in the segment market," she added.
Another domestic vendor DeePon has announced it will start crowd-funding on Friday for its latest all-in-one VR device on Taobao.
Latest statistics from IDC show that the worldwide VR headset shipments will reach 10.1 million units, and by 2020, the volume is expected to achieve 61 million, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 100.7 percent.
Tom Mainelli, IDC's program vice president of Devices & AR/VR, said, "This year we saw major VR product launches from key players such as Oculus, HTC, Sony, Samsung, and Google. In the next 12 months, we'll see a growing number of hardware vendors enter the space with products that cover the gamut from simple screen less viewers to tethered HMDs to standalone HMDs."
According to industry consultancy iResearch Consulting Group, China's VR market revenues are expected to top 5.6 billion yuan this year, up from 1.5 billion yuan in 2015, and will reach 55 billion yuan by 2020.


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The Messenger, an ambitious digital news startup aimed at reaching affluent young professionals, announced Wednesday that it is shutting down operations effective immediately after less than a year since its launch. Employees were stunned by the sudden closure, with most finding out not from leadership but from media reports.
Background on The Messenger
The Messenger first made headlines in March 2023 when it was unveiled by owner Jimmy Finkelstein as a “next generation news brand” targeting growth in digital subscriptions. Backed by $20 million in seed funding, the New York-based outlet hired nearly 100 employees to cover business, technology, luxury goods and lifestyle stories.
The company aimed to leverage data analytics to cater content specifically to young professionals earning over $200,000 per year. This target demographic was woefully underserved by current news publishers, Finkelstein argued.
However, The Messenger struggled to build an audience and obtain paying subscribers from the start. Headlines touting luxury brands and high-end real estate failed to resonate with millennials burdened by student loan debt and rising cost of living.
By late 2023, it became clear that the core strategy was flawed. Leadership scrambled to shift focus towards more general interest news and investigative pieces. But despite winning awards, the revised approach failed to deliver a meaningful boost in site traffic or subscriptions.
Employees Blindsided by Shutdown
On January 31st, 2024, Finkelstein informed staff that The Messenger would cease operations immediately in a brief emailed statement. Stunned employees first learned that their jobs were eliminated from media reports tweeted by New York Times reporter Ben Smith and others.
Finkelstein’s email blamed the shutdown on insufficient audience and revenue growth. He announced that staff would not receive any severance pay, unused paid time off, or health insurance. The lack of warning or transitional assistance outraged many impacted by the layoffs.
Over 75 employees across editorial, sales, product and technology departments were affected. As the outlet failed to build traction, extensive layoffs throughout 2023 had already reduced headcount by half from its initial size.
Expected Fallout Across Media Industry
The abrupt nature of The Messenger’s failure sent shockwaves across the digital media landscape. Many publishers had applauded the founding team’s credentials and ambition last March. Now the episode may deter venture capital and private equity firms from funding similar startups in the near future.
Industry insiders say established news brands like The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal will become even more dominant as investors flock to proven models. Struggling publishers may find credit lines frozen as lenders grow wary of market turbulence.
For media professionals, The Messenger’s collapse signals continued volatility ahead. As outlets face pressure to cut costs, job security increasingly hinges on audience growth and subscription sales rather than journalistic merits alone.
What Went Wrong? Analysis of Flawed Strategy
In announcing the closure, Finkelstein acknowledged failures to build a sufficiently large audience and viable subscription business. But many critics argue the underlying strategy contained deeper flaws.
|Strong demand for luxury/lifestyle news among young professionals
|Apathetic response, debt burdens limit willingness to pay
|“White glove” personalized content via analytics
|Perceived as elitist, tech failed to scale
|2023 optimal time to launch news outlet
|Macro economy deteriorates, risk aversion rises
“The Messenger fundamentally misjudged its audience,” said long-time media analyst Ken Doctor. “Data can help editors make content decisions at the margins. But no algorithm could override the fact that ostentatious wealth is deeply out-of-step with this generation.”
According to its mission statement, The Messenger sought to “empower the ambitious” with “reporting for leaders and innovators.” But modern young professionals rarely identify with the extravagance and exclusivity touted.
By attempting to build a luxury niche brand, The Messenger sacrificed both higher traffic potential of general news and loyalty of a distinct subculture like business or tech. It was left stuck in no man’s land.
Bleak Future for Digital News Startups
The disappointing outcome casts further doubt on the viability of scaling digital journalism. Over the past decade, venture capital has poured billions into publishers chasing young readers online. Even well-funded players like Buzzfeed and Vice have struggled to turn profits though.
Partisan ideological media frequently outperforms established brands for audience engagement on social channels. But sustainability concerns plague both models. As economic outlook darkens, investors may abandon digital news as an excessively risky sector.
While exceptions exist like Axios and The Athletic, successful subscriber conversions generally rely on specialized topical expertise rather than demographic targeting. Wooing fickle online audiences proves extremely expensive -especially for broadly focused outlets.
Of course quality content matters too. But building a brand and platform that resonates with users at scale is infinitely harder. The Messenger’s abrupt flame-out shows even tens of millions in capital cannot guarantee that crucial ingredient. The next wave of news disruptors may need to set their sights lower.
What Happens Next For Laid Off Employees
Nearly 100 journalists, analysts, engineers and business operations professionals now confront unemployment. Most are young, many carrying substantial student loan debt. Health insurance has already been terminated by The Messenger effective immediately.
With no severance or notice period, affected staffers must urgently cut expenses and search for new positions. But abrupt layoffs spanning an entire organization presents daunting challenges.
“I’m worried employees will be scared away from media startups after this,” said Casey Johnson, a tech reporter for The Messenger. “We took a chance on this place because they made big promises. Now we’ve been burned badly without even getting paid time-off.”
While larger publications continue hiring, most openings seek experienced candidates proven to increase subscriber conversions. Displaced Messenger employees may need to pivot industries or accept lower salaries at smaller outlets.
Uncertain economic conditions further cloud job prospects across white collar sectors. With tech and finance industries shedding workers, media layoffs could persist throughout 2024. Unfortunately The Messenger team seems poised for an especially messy transition.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.


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Lagos State consumed 6000 cows estimated more than $5.1 million (N2.1 billion) worth of red meat daily, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya has said.
Speaking during while inauguration 11-man Task Force on Veterinary Practice Premises in the State in furtherance of its Red Meat Transformation Agenda, the Commissioner added that the sector also slaughters 2 million heads of cows annually
Ms. Abisola Olusanya who inaugurated the Task Force when she received the Working Team from the Veterinary Council of Nigeria explained that the Task Force was expected to inspect, register and license veterinary premises that meet set requirements…
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News Archive from before July 2018


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MUMBAI: Universal Pictures president of marketing Eddie Egan has made some key changes in the studio’s marketing department.
As per the changes, 11-year Universal veteran executive Michael Moses will become co-president of marketing and report directly to Egan. In a restructuring of the creative advertising department, Maria Pekurovskaya has been promoted to executive vice president and head of creative advertising, where she will oversee newly appointed senior vice president of creative advertising Jackson George and senior vice president of creative advertising Scott Abraham. Frank Chiocchi, who is the executive vice president of creative advertising will continue to report directly to Egan. Pekurovskaya also reports to Egan.
"Michael is an incredibly gifted strategist. I trust his instincts and know he has the creative capacity and the experience to help me lead this team," said Egan.
Egan, who has been with Universal since 1994 and became president of marketing in 2007, will continue to oversee all aspects of marketing for Universal’s domestic feature-film releases, including creative advertising, media, digital marketing, publicity, creative services and promotions, research and administration. Egan reports to Universal Pictures chairman Adam Fogelson. In his new role, Moses will be involved in all areas of the department and will directly oversee publicity, digital marketing and creative services and promotions. Together, they will manage a staff of 104 people.
Moses is currently executive vice president of publicity and marketing, a position he has held since 2002. He came to Universal in 2000 as vice president of national publicity. For the past eight years, he has overseen domestic publicity campaigns for every Universal title. Before coming to Universal, Moses worked in publicity at Disney and, before that, Warner Bros.
"We identified Maria as a huge talent from very early on, and her abilities have continued to grow in the nearly 10 years she’s been at the studio. She and the entire team comprise what I feel is one of the most formidable creative departments in the industry," said Egan. Jackson George comes to Universal from Overture Films, where he served as head of creative advertising for two years.
"Jackson is strategic, passionate, tenacious, and wildly creative," said Pekurovskaya.


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It is not complete – there are restrictions that prevent, say, a French architect from easily practicing in Germany.
But in financial services, telecoms and data, aviation, accounting, pensions and insurance – services that are easily traded – the EU has created common minimum standards and harmonised regulations – and this has prevented national governments from favouring their own companies.
Now that the Brexit talks will move on to trade, Britain will have to choose.
It can maintain EU rules and stay in the customs union, minimising economic costs.
But bilateral agreements are highly unlikely to offset the losses from foregone trade, investment and migration with the EU.
Britain’s economy is already very open, so it can’t offer much in return for other countries agreeing to open their markets.
The UK can try to make up for lost trade with Europe, either through a series of bilateral trade agreements, or unilateral free trade.Britain’s entry to the European Economic Community (EEC) sharply opened the economy to trade: trade as a proportion of GDP jumped from 40 per cent in 1972 to 57 per cent in 1974.From the early 1980s, the UK progressively relaxed restrictions on foreign ownership of business and property.Yet the alternative, unilateral free trade, is not negotiable with the British electorate.By eliminating all tariffs and deregulating its economy even further, the UK would offset some of the productivity losses from hard Brexit.
Foreign competition and technological progress resulted in steadily falling employment in manufacturing and heavy industry.


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creative soul - Fotolia
Spending on learning in the UK has risen across all sectors – including technology, according to research from Bersin by Deloitte, Deloitte Consulting. And organisations continue to move towards forms of learning beyond classroom or instructor-led training, including those enabled by technology.
Many of the trends highlighted in the research hold true for the technology industry, but there are some differences.
One of the biggest differences is the amount of cash spent. Overall learning and development (L&D) spending by the technology industry increased by 11% in 2015, on a par with the increase seen nationally. The national average spend on L&D is £1,068 per employee, while tech companies spend an average of only £488 per learner – about 46% of the national average.
Assuming that training delivered in tech companies is as effective as training delivered nationally, how is it that tech companies can spend so much less? There are at least two key differences that underscore some of the identified advantages of operating in the technology sector.
Tech companies delivered an average of 20.4 hours of training per employee, or a full six hours more than the national average, the Deloitte research showed. The technology companies surveyed spend an average of 46% of the national average per employee, which means L&D in tech organisations can, on average, deliver more learning with fewer resources.
The tech companies surveyed also reported a 31% average increase in staffing year on year, compared with the national average of 11%. At first glance, this might suggest that L&D organisations in tech companies are not as lean as they appear on the surface. But digging into the data may assuage doubts.
L&D payroll as a percentage of total spend for the tech industry is 65%, compared with 55% elsewhere. This means many tech companies are spending more of their overall budget on headcount than other industries are, which leaves less money for other L&D budget items.
It is therefore likely that L&D staff taken on by technology companies tend to be e-learning creators, programmers and user experience designers, rather than facilitators.
This brings us to the second shift taking place among L&D organisations in tech companies.
Across all sectors, Deloitte data indicates that UK L&D is moving away from traditional classroom or instructor-led training in favour of other methods, including online self-study, virtual classrooms and on-the-job activities. In fact, classroom or instructor-led training in the UK has dropped by 45% since 2009, with only 32% of training hours now in this format.
Tech companies appear to be following suit, but even more so, with only 24% of their learning hours in the instructor-led format. Many of these organisations now offer most of their training hours (42%) in an online self-study format – significantly higher than the 26% national average.
It appears tech companies typically run leaner and leverage technology, resulting in lower costs. Environments, infrastructure, employee preferences and the nature of the training also align well with the use of technology for learning and development.
Dani Johnson is vice-president, learning and development research, Bersin by Deloitte, Deloitte Consulting LLP.
For more information and trends on L&D in the UK, see Bersin by Deloitte’s WhatWorks® brief which summarises the findings, or access the entire report, UK Corporate Learning Factbook 2016: Benchmarks, Trends, and Analysis of the UK Training Market.


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As it stands nowadays, individual states are absolve to prohibit or practice gambling of their borders while significant restrictions and limits are put on interstate and this activity. Recently, online gaming has seen harsher regulations. With the Unlawful Net Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIEGA), it had been not explicitly banned but instead it was online financial transactions which were outlawed. This meant that online financial dealings from gambling providers were now illegal which resulted in various offshore gambling operators excluding US consumers from their services.
Existing in this lawful grey area, it is no longer a concern of if online gambling will key in the united states market but when and perhaps how. As lately as this month, three claims have got legalized online gambling and plan to begin offering bets by the finish of this year. Naturally, a gaming firm in Las Vegas referred to as Ultimate Gaming was the first ever to offer online poker but also for now restricting it to just players in Nevada. New Jersey and Delaware also have legalized online gambling therefore far ten other states are considering legalizing it in some form or another.
Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Video games Association has stated that “Unless you will find a federal bill passed, we are going to have the greatest expansion of legalized gambling in america. I don’t believe that’s what anyone intended, but it is what we’re seeing.” This poses lots of questions not to mention concerns for many existing commercial casinos in addition to American policy makers. Will lawful online gambling mean fewer folks in brick and mortar casinos? Will this develop a new source of revenue at hawaii and national level? Think about taxes and regulations? A rise in gamblers?
Lots of people including Arnie Wexler, former chairman of New Jersey’s Council On Compulsive Gambling offers voiced concern that with all the good this could do to generate income and revenue for specific states there could be problems with a rise in compulsive gambling. There is link slot88ku regarding social media marketing in america as some areas like Zynga have already begun taking real-money bets.
Taking in mind all the questions and concerns, many hotel casinos are already making ideas to develop into online gambling to check their physical casinos. Geoffrey Stewart, general manager of Caesars INTERNET POKER has said “Like any other business, you’re always searching for what is the next distribution channel.”


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(Pocket-lint) - Invites have gone out. Specs have been leaked. Now we have an official press shot, according to habitual leaker @evleaks.
The new phone, which is scheduled to be announced on 1 August in New York, will supposedly look like the picture posted.
"Designed not as an early adopter’s phone, but instead as an everyman phone, the X is the new Motorola’s first attempt to push some serious volume under new-ish owner Google," says Evan Blass, the man behind the @evleaks tag.
With that in mind the images make sense, suggesting that this will be a Nexus 4 replacement rather than a device that will complete against the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One.
The official shots don't give much away as to the specs, but it does look like the back will be made of Kevlar, a favoured material by Motorola and already used on the Motorola RAZR I, RAZR M and Droid Maxx range.
Rumours suggest that the Moto X will feature a 720p 4.5-inch display, as well as a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.
The cameras include a 10-megapixel shooter on the back and 2-megapixel shooter on the front. It its also likely to have Android 4.2.2 on board, with support for LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR and 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
With only 10 days to the event on the 1 August, we don't have long to wait. Pocket-lint will be covering all the news as it happens.


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After success in Chicago, Charlie Sheen one man show tickets rise in NYC
Charlie Sheen's Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option tour definitely got off to a rocky start as the former Two and a Half Men star was booed off stage in Detroit.
Things looked up when he moved on to his second stop in Chicago where the troubled actor received a standing ovation.
After the unfortunate performance in Detroit tickets for his show at Radio City Music Hall dropped to $24 on StubHub.com Monday morning, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.
Within 24 hours, though, ticket prices bounced back up to $40 and $42 for his New York City shows.
According to The Hollywood Reporter there are a good number of seats left. There are 1,127 tickets left for $42 and 1,587 for tickets priced at $40.
This is still quite a low cost considering their initial face value was $126.
Sheen will perform Tuesday night in Cleveland, Ohio and then on Wednesday in Columbus. He will perform in New York City on Friday and Sunday.
There's a couple things here I've got to ... work out, Sheen told E! News. I don't know if I start the show alone and it turns into this [a Q&A format] or I just stay with this 'cause it's ... working and we'll... return to it if I don't.
Gasoline sales boost U.S. retail sales
Sales at U.S. retailers rose for the first time in three months in May as expected, lifted by strong gasoline and building material receipts, according to a government report on Thursday that bolstered views the recession was abating.
The Commerce Department said total retail sales rose 0.5 percent after falling by a revised 0.2 percent in April, previously reported as a 0.4 percent drop.
Excluding motor vehicles and parts, sales rose 0.5 percent in May, compared to a 0.2 decline the prior month. Vehicles and parts sales rose 0.5 percent after a 0.4 percent fall in April.
Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales rising 0.5 percent in May. Excluding motor vehicles, sales had been predicted to gain 0.2 percent.
Gasoline sales jumped 3.6 percent in May after dropping 0.8 percent the previous month. Excluding gasoline, retail sales rose 0.2 percent. Sales of building materials climbed 1.3 percent in May, the biggest advance since April last year, after falling 0.6 percent in April.
Soft spots in the report included sales of electronic goods, which fell 0.5 percent in May after declining 0.9 percent the previous month.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
One of the richest athletes in the world is headed to prison.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. will begin an 87-day jail sentence on Friday in Las Vegas. The boxer will be incarcerated on a domestic battery charge that dates back to September 2010. He pled guilty to the charge on Dec. 22, 2011.
Mayweather is hardly the first high-profile athlete to serves a jail sentence during his career. Numerous stars in the world of sports have had their careers derailed because of off-field issues. Mayweather was scheduled to surrender at 1:45 p.m. EDT.
Here are five other athletes who went to jail in the middle of their careers.


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US Airways may not be the most service-oriented passenger transportation company around, but it is looking to one aspect of creature comforts.
The airline has just introduced a variety of new offerings to its in-flight drinks menu.
The additional non-alcoholic beverages include Red Bull, Starbucks Frappuccinos and AriZona Arnold Palmer Lite Half & Halfs, an iced tea and lemonade concoction, priced at $3 each.
They additional alcoholic cocktails are a pomegranate martini, a margarita and a mai tai, priced at $8 each. They are made with real fruit juice, triple-filtered water and cane sugar.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.


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US MINI Lineup Changes Confirmed
However, some current models might remain in the MINI line-up even after the launch of the new platform. In the last year, the MINI Cooper Hardtop and the Countryman accounted for about 75% of sales in the US and Jim McDowell, vice president of MINI USA told Edmunds that they will, most likely, still be available in a year from now.
"When we start to replace models, I think you will see that we won't replace every model exactly. When I joined Mini, we knew that we would have two models. Ultimately, we (now) have seven. We are starting the next generation a year from now. You may actually put your chess pieces on the board differently if you know that you can have seven," said McDowell in an interview at the 2013 NYIAS.
Talking about the Rocketman concept, McDowell said that, for the moment, the company is still pondering over how it could be designed.
"It would require some componentry that we don't currently have. MINI's engine and transmission are too heavy for a car that short. It is not to say that we won't build it, but we can't confirm any plans to build it. But a lot of the features that people really liked on the Rocketman are definitely coming on the next generation of Minis," said McDowell.


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Imagine for a moment that you are an up-and-coming fashion designer, and someone has given you the chance not only to have your designs featured in a retail store, but also to run part of the store. This is the opportunity four young New York City designers found in Forward, a retail incubator for start-up fashion designers.
Funded by the Lower East Side Business Improvement District (BID), Forward was created as a place where young entrepreneurs could combine their passion for fashion and clothing with the business side of retail. Forward's first four participants, chosen from among 60 applicants, each paid $4,200 to be part of the six-month program, which organizers dubbed "The Real World of Fashion."
Angela Kettler had already been designing a line of clothing from her home when she learned about Forward. And while she had a good feel for fashion and design, learning about the business side presented a challenge. "Doing business [at Forward] gave me better [knowledge] of financials and pricing," she says.
Getting in sync with the other three participants presented some logistical challenges, according to Kettler, 24. Coordinating four different schedules and ensuring everyone did their part in keeping the store looking good and running smoothly were just a few of the hurdles. After all, there weren't any employees to help with the workload. But, says Kettler, "There's a lot that working with [the others] had to offer-their skills, contacts and business information."
That's a sentiment echoed by Forward participant Franklin Rowe, founder of Franklin Rowe International. "It's great to work in an artistic environment where everybody is doing the same thing but has different interpretations," he says. "You have to leave [your] egos at the door and realize we're all after the same thing."
Rowe, who had a little more experience in the fashion industry, heard about Forward through a friend at BID. He'd always wanted to own a retail establishment-but up until then, he'd largely been designing custom pieces for clients.
Sharing a storefront with other hip designers brought in all sorts of clientele-including famous faces like actor Robert DeNiro and Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Fields. The Forward program itself also garnered a lot of publicity for the store, including an article in The New York Times that generated serious foot traffic and calls from customers worldwide.
From that, says Rowe, "I learned what people actually want
and spend money on-what women buy and what the average consumer
wants in terms of price, fit and fabrics." Rowe plans to use
this newfound knowledge as he continues to build his
The store was originally slated to open at the end of 2001, but Forward delayed its launch until January 2002 due to the terrorist attacks and troubled economic times. Still, the participants have learned a lot since then-and they all point to a noticeable increase in sales since opening the store. Jennifer Dwin, 26-year-old founder of Dwin Design Group Inc., is a graduate of the Pratt Institute of Art & Design in New York City (as is Kettler). In her last days at Pratt, someone at her senior show mentioned Forward. Of launching her company after getting out of school, Dwin says, "It was perfect timing."
And the fact that Forward hooked her and the other participants up with some entrepreneurship courses has certainly helped. "Working in the store has been a huge learning process," she explains. "Coming right out of school, I really had no clue in the beginning."
Cooperating with other designers benefited her as well-especially her collaboration with Siri Wilson, who had already designed the Sirius line of clothing before joining the Forward program. The two created a line of home accents to sell at the store. Wilson, 29, didn't have a fashion design background when she started her business; she had gone to film school and then worked as a graphic designer. "I was taking [fashion] classes at night and I started thinking 'I could do this as a real business.'" In addition, Wilson wholesales to other stores.
Luckily for the participants, Forward provides various avenues that let them continue to participate. At press time, Rowe planned to stay for another six months to grow his business, while Kettler had agreed to rent showroom space from the program. Forward also keeps an alumni rack in the store where former participants can sell their designs. "It's not like you're here for six months, then it's 'OK, bye!'" says Kettler. "[BID] is working with us to figure out our next steps."
BID is currently seeking a new group of designers to take part in the program. Think you have what it takes? Log on to www.lowereastsideny.com for more information.


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Get the latest announcements from MEF Members across the mobile ecosystem globally in this weekly review of member news…
BICS has unveiled its Voice Roaming Firewall solution, which helps operators reduce fraud losses connected to roaming.
It can take hours or even days to detect incidents of fraud in roaming, and this has been exploited by criminals.
The Voice Roaming Firewall solution is an automated and fully managed service that blocks fraudulent voice call attempts in real time. It taps into BICS’ crowdsourced database of 50+ million fraudulent numbers.
Katia Gonzalez, Head of Fraud Prevention Operations & Services at BICS, said: “Our fraud intelligence database has already helped block 550+ million minutes of fraudulent traffic on our carrier platform. We anticipate our new Voice Roaming Firewall solution will achieve so much more.”
China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba has grand ambitions in IoT, and it has now partnered with Gemalto to improve the safety of smart devices.
Gemalto will apply its Allynis Trusted Service Hub to YunOS, Alibaba’s operating system for IoT devices, chips and sensors.
“The YunOS is not merely about connecting things, it connecting everything by credible perception, reliable connectivity, and efficient circulation of services,” said Zhang ChunHui, Alibaba OS Business Group President.
“By being a one-stop IoT security solutions provider and a long-time trusted partner, Gemalto has the right credentials and is an ideal fit to fulfil our YunOS vision.”
The era of paying with a tap of your wristband just got a little closer thanks to a major new push by Mastercard.
It has teamed up with FitPay to reduce the time-to-market, cost and complexity of putting contactless payment inside wearables. Device maker Wearatec has already signed up.
FitPay says its platform requires quick set-up and no investment in software development. The new partnership will see the platform sync with the Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES). This is the service that tokenises payment information to make it safer to move around.
Kiki Del Valle, Senior Vice President, Digital Payments and Labs at Mastercard, said: “The Commerce for Every Device programme puts in place a standard for expanding secure contactless and embedded payment options globally, and our work with Fit Pay and its set of cutting-edge device manufacturers will further help us meet merchant and consumer needs.”
Mobile messaging specialist Veoo has strengthened its Eastern European footprint with a new base in Hungary. This follows an office opening in Ukraine earlier this year.
Veoo says the market for SMS competitions around subscriber content is booming in Hungary. It plans to ‘take the pain out of Premium Billing Services’ by providing a 24/7 customer care, local translations, regulatory and compliance support and localised marketing/content campaigns.
Matthew Winters, CEO of Veoo, said: “The take up for this particular offering has been terrific. As a result I am sure that with our full service capabilities on the ground we will see other products really take off.”
Veoo has tripled in size and turnover in the last year and expects to double its revenue in 2016. It has offices in the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Russia and Ukraine, but expects to have a presence in more than 26 countries before the end of 2016.
Taxpayers in India can dramatically simplify their tax affairs by using the new ‘Insta Services’ app from Axis Bank.
The app lets any citizen submit the Form 15G/H by taking a photo of KYC documents such as passport, visa and so on inside the app.
Axis Bank is the first bank to digitise the process this way. Rajiv Anand, Executive Director, Axis Bank said: “Insta Services further reinforces our commitment to improve our customers’ online experience by deploying cutting-edge technology solutions that provide both security and convenience.”
Form 15G/H are required by senior citizens who wish to apply for tax relief on investment income.
Calldorado has completely redesigned its app – and it even makes money for developers when users are inactive.
The Danish company offers an app that Android users can use to see the identity of a caller even if they are not a contact. Meanwhile if offers developers an SDK, so they can serve ads to the Caller ID screen at the end of a call. In theory this means developers can make money even when their app is inactive.
Calldorado 2.0 also includes a bold new design, improved ad targeting, and additional ad formats.
“We’re committed to constantly improving the Calldorado experience for both users and developers,” said Claudia Dreier-Poepperl, Calldorado co-founder and CEO. “We had good feedback on our first iteration, but Calldorado 2.0 is even faster, more intuitive and can boost revenue generation.”
One million of Xiaomi phone owners in India can claim one year of free Hungama Music app membership, and three months of membership to Hungama Play.
The offer is available to anyone who buys a Redmi 3S, Redmi Note 3, Mi Max and Mi 5. To activate the membership, users must download the Hungama music app and Hungama Play app from the Google Play Store.
Xiaomi made a $25m investment in Hungama in April 2016.