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Invest in Pakistan Summit: Can Pakistan Benefit From US-China Tech War?
US-China Tech War:
The technology war between the United States and China has been going on with the roll-out of the 5G next generation broadband wireless technology. China has developed its 5G technology in an attempt to become independent of the technology developed and controlled by companies in the United States and other western nations. US has been actively trying to stop adoption of Chinese company Huawei's 5G technology in Europe, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. So far, the US has had limited success while China's Huawei is continuing to win customers around the world.
Tech Supply Chain Bifurcation:
President Trump has also attempted to block Chinese companies' access to semiconductor components and software developed and sold by US companies. Both Huawei and ZTE have been riding a roller coaster with President Trump's daily tweets on this issue. It has affected reliable access to communication chips, Android operating systems and Google apps store.
The net result of it is that the Chinese have lost faith in US companies' reliability. They are now seeking to to create their own supply chain free of companies from US and its close allies in Europe, East Asia and elsewhere.
China is currently a net importer of technology. The country wants to move “up the value chain” from final product assembly using imported components to creating advanced technology in China itself, but imports of chips and technology will be the norm for many years to come, according to a report by James Lewis of Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) based in Washington DC.
As of now, only 16% of the semiconductors used in China are produced domestically, and only half of these are made by Chinese firms. It is dependent on foreign suppliers for advanced chips. China aims to produce 40% of the semiconductors it uses by 2020 and 70% by 2025, according to the CSIS report.
Opportunity For Pakistan:
China will need 500,000 engineers trained in chip development over the next 5 years to meet its goal of producing 70% of semiconductors within the country, according to Pakistani-American entrepreneur Dr. Naveed Sherwani who presented at the Invest in Pakistan Summit in Silicon Valley.
Naveed and his wife Sabahat Rafiq see this as an opportunity to train a significant number Pakistani engineers in semiconductor chip development to meet China's needs. This will help develop Pakistan's tech-oriented human capital and open up the possibility for Pakistan to build its own chip design and development industry.
Sabahat said she is already training some engineers at an institute in Lahore for this purpose. She is hoping to expand it to accommodate more trainees in near future.
Naveed currently heads SiFive, a Silicon Valley startup specializing in RISC V microprocessor cores for customized systems on chip (SoC) development. RISC V is an open source chip architecture developed at UC Berkeley. It is the hardware equivalent of open source Linux OS software. Naveed is promoting SiFive in both China and Pakistan for "low-power embedded microcontrollers (as small as 13.5k gates) to multi-core applications processors".
Naveed talked about the availability of cloud-based advanced chip design tools that Pakistani chip designers can take advantage of. Among the top vendors offering such tools is Amazon Web Services (AWS).
AWS says it "offers a secure, agile, and scalable platform with a comprehensive set of services and solutions for high performance design, verification, and smart manufacturing, supporting electronic design automation (EDA) and rapid semiconductor innovation in the cloud. Semiconductor companies, including fabless and integrated device manufacturers, and their IP and foundry partners can benefit from the massive scale of AWS infrastructure to design next gen connected products".
Here's how AWS describes its cloud-based chip design tools offering:
"Semiconductor design simulation, verification, lithography, metrology, yield analysis, and many other workloads benefit from the scalability and performance of the AWS Cloud. For example, compute performance for these applications is enhanced by latest generation EC2 instance types, including the z1d. Run more jobs per core with z1d, the fastest single thread performance of any cloud instance delivering 4GHz sustained CPU, 16 GiB RAM per core, and local NVMe storage. Our virtually unlimited cloud storage and high performance computing (HPC) capability enable you to innovate faster, rapidly design and verify new products, and scale seamlessly to meet increasing demand".
US-China technology war has recently been triggered by US President Trump's actions against Chinese technology giants Huawei and ZTE. In response to the US threat to restrict access to American core technology, China is aiming to develop and produce 40% of the semiconductors it uses by 2020 and 70% by 2025, according to the CSIS report. China needs about 500,000 engineers to achieve this goal. Can Pakistan, a reliable ally, train and provide some of these engineers? Pakistani-American entrepreneur Dr. Naveed Sherwani and his wife Sabahat Rafiq believe the answer is an emphatic Yes. This will help develop Pakistan's tech-oriented human capital and open up the possibility for Pakistan to build its own chip design and development industry.
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Pakistani-American's Game-Changing Vision


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One of the major goals of Volvo trucks is to not just keep its place as a leader in the transportation industry – they want to change the face of trucking. Speaking in Washington, D.C. at the lend of last month, Lars Stenqvist, the CTO for Volvo, stated Volvo trucks want to change the trucking industry through automation, electromobility, and connectivity.
Connectivity At All Levels
The trucking industry relies on transparency and communication at every step of the supply chain. Through the use of sensors, cloud-based software, RFID, and blockchain technology, Volvo trucks are planning to keep people informed about shipments at all stages of the process. From monitoring individual items in a shipment to reduce the need for expensive recalls on damaged or defective products, to sensors to manage the wear and tear on the trucks themselves, Volvo believes that there is no such thing as too much information. By implementing connectivity throughout the supply chain, customers, distributors, fleet owners, drivers, and everyone else in between can stay informed and reduce costs across the board.
Volvo Trucks And Alternative Energy Sources
Lars Stenqvist dismissed the idea that traditional combustion engines are nearing obsolescence. However, he put forward that hybrid and fully electric engines could reduce fuel consumption and increase productivity, while reducing costs for the trucking industry. With various states in the U.S. pushing legislation for cleaner running commercial vehicles, and the recent increase in the cost of petroleum products, making the switch may be a more cost-effective move in the long run. Stenqvist noted that electric engines are becoming more powerful, and experience much less strain than conventional petrol-powered engines.
Volvo Trucks And Self-Driving Vehicles
Not a day goes by when we aren’t hit with the latest news about self-driving trucks. Automated commercial vehicles seem like they are simultaneously right around the corner and decades away from becoming a reality. Volvo trucks are currently testing self-driving commercial vehicles in an underground mine, with a driver walking ahead of the truck itself. The technology is there to make long hauls, but Volvo trucks are being tested on a smaller scale, to ensure safety with more immediate hazards and pedestrian traffic. Volvo has always been committed to safety with all of their vehicles, and while the larger picture is in place, being able to have Volvo trucks automatically, successfully, and safely navigate city traffic is currently the focus of the company.

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Who made the biggest, most disruptive impact on the music industry in 2012? Here are ten to consider…
(1) Jeff Price, former CEO, Tunecore.
Balls, he’s got ’em. Fights, he picks ’em. Results, he sometimes gets ’em. And in an industry mired in hugely complicated and logjammed issues with endless doubletalk, that’s pretty good.
There were a few plum headbutts this year. Prior to getting fired from the company he started, Tunecore’s Jeff Price was unabashedly confrontational with huge companies like Amazon and Grooveshark, not to mention Tunecore itself. Price remained unafraid to call out deeply-entrenched machines (ie, Amazon’s songwriter payout structures), question endless subterfuge (ie, Grooveshark’s resistance against paying mechanicals), and even call bulls–t on your favorite music industry trade magazine (ie, Billboard).
(2) Daniel Ek, CEO, Spotify.
Let the artists eat cake? Well, if streaming is the future, Ek’s Spotify is now extremely well positioned to be your bakery. Ek is all about growth, and in 2012, Spotify reached 5 million subscribers, 1 million in the US, and a $3 billion valuation. Be very afraid of this man.
(3) Ellen Shipley, songwriter.
She co-wrote an 80s smash hit, and in 2012, crystallized a discussion around internet royalties. After receiving 3.1 million plays over a three-month span on Pandora, Shipley received an astonishingly-paltry $39, and soon put it all in a WTF post. That continued to put Pandora’s fight for lowered artists royalties in a different light, especially with top executives like Tim Westergren and Tom Conrad cashing tens of millions in stock. Other writers, including Desmond Child and Kara DioGuardi, were soon sharing similarly-despressing stats on Capitol Hill.
(4) Brian Zisk, SF MusicTech Summit.
If overbloated, dinosaur conferences are holding on for dear life, Zisk is serving a smaller, scrappier business. SF MusicTech Summit is not only affordable to attendees and sponsors, it’s packed every time. The future is smaller, and Zisk is creating a conference that fits.
(5) Daniel Glass, Glassnote Records.
If Glass won’t share his secret sauce, maybe someone will buy it. In 2012, Glassnote Records continued to smash concepts of what an indie can accomplish, with Mumford & Sons the biggest success story. That is percolating rumors of an acquisition in 2013, though the more interesting story might surround Glass’ next breakthrough artist.
No, PSY probably won’t deliver another ‘Gangnam Style,’ especially if all that anti-Americanism catches up with him. But in 2012, PSY redialed expectations around virality by creating the biggest video in YouTube history, and that rarely ubiquitous cultural landmark.
(7) Axel Dauchez, CEO, Deezer.
Deezer isn’t in the US, yet, though CEO Axel Dauchez is very carefully considering that entrance. Even so, Deezer has 3 million subscribers, $130 million in financing, and different take on low-rent, freebie access. If you’re Spotify, Deezer is now a problem.
(8) Rich Bengloff, President, A2IM
He’s getting millions from Congress to fly indie artists around the world. Any questions?
(9) Scott Borchetta, President & CEO, Big Machine Label Group.
Borchetta’s had a deliciously disruptive 2012. Big Machine is now inking some groundbreaking, direct licensing deals with major radio conglomerates, and chipping away at a decades-old legacy of extreme radio royalty complication. He’s also shown the chutzpah to thumb his nose at Spotify, while maximizing revenue through deals that emphasize full album sales.
(10) Jimmy Iovine & Dr. Dre
Iovine and Dre already upended the white earbud, but in 2012, they pounced on MOG. That sets the stage for a potentially disruptive shakeup on the software side in 2013, one that challenges not only fast-rising services like Spotify, but also a sea of fidelity mediocrity.
(11) Oh, there’s one more guy…
In one fiery and insanely-viral post, performer and professor David Lowery somehow managed to reframe the entire debate over technology, piracy, and the plight of the artist. And, draw attention from seemingly every corner of both the tech and creative communities. It was the biggest post of the year for the music industry, and potentially, the start of a very different type of discussion in 2013.


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Apple's updated Music app is its latest step toward reclaiming iTunes' throne
Apple has made an updated version of its Music application available to developers as part of the iOS 8.4 beta release. It boasts a new design, new playback options, and other refinements over the current version of the app.
The app remains limited to music purchased via iTunes or streamed through the Pandora-like iTunes Radio service that made its debut in September 2013. But, thanks to Beats Music, those restrictions might not be in place forever.
9to5Mac's Mark Gurman previously reported that the final version of this Music update could include a streaming service based on Beats Music. (Apple acquired the service, along with its parent company, for $3 billion in 2014.)
If that happens -- and it's hard to imagine Apple choosing not to bundle the service with its Music app, barring any regulatory concerns -- the company will have a good chance of retaking the musical throne from Spotify and its ilk.
Think about it: Would you rather sign up for a service that requires you to download a new application, or use one bundled with an app that can't be removed from your iPhone, your iPad, or your Mac computer of choice?
Besides, it's not like it would be hard for Apple to create a better experience than Spotify or Rdio or other popular services. Those apps are frustrating, buggy, and enough to make you think about turning back to cassette tapes.
Just look at Rdio. It seems like there isn't a day that goes by without the app freezing -- and, worse, making it so I can't get to the home screen without frantically pressing the iPhone's home and lock buttons until it all goes dark. I've also had issues with syncing, music playback, and other basic features.
Assuming whatever service Apple introduces costs the same as Rdio, has a similar music catalog, and is accessed through a better application, I would abandon Rdio's service in a heartbeat. Others would do the same with Spotify, particularly those who pay for a monthly subscription to avoid ads and to have full mobile functionality. Convincing the users of Spotify's free tier, however, to pony up cold hard cash every month for Apple's offering -- which will likely not include a free, ad-supported version -- is no easy proposition.
But with only a fraction of the global population accessing music through Spotify or other on-demand streaming services, Apple doesn't need to "steal" these consumers to build a strong user base.
Of course, Apple could just leave Music as the app fuddy-duddies use to access the music they bought through iTunes. (Apparently that's a thing some people still do? And here I thought we all listened to music via Spotify and YouTube.)
But that seems unlikely. Acquiring Beats Music was the first step towards reclaiming the music market after streaming services overthrew iTunes. This new Music app is the next step; the only thing left to do is bundle everything, release the service to consumers, and see if Apple can relive its glory days as the biggest name in digital music.
[illustration by Brad Jonas]


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FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - When the city council in Fort Collins on Tuesday approved a plan requiring retailers to charge 5 cents for every disposable bag, it followed several Colorado communities that have enacted similar measures.
Here's a look at other towns and cities that charge fees -- and two whose voters rejected measures.
Aspen: 20 Cents For Paper, Plastic Banned
Aspen's city council voted in October 2011 to ban plastic bags at two local grocery stores and charge a 20-cent fee on paper bags. The ordinance went into effect on May 1, 2012.
It affects grocers, but other stores can participate voluntarily. The money generated reimburses stores (up to $1,000 a month for the first year and $100 a month after), distributes reusable bags to residents and visitors, and educates the public on environmental issues related to single-use bags.
On Aug. 12, a state judge ruled Aspen's charge is a fee, not a tax, and can remain in place. The ordinance was challenged by the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, which said that all taxes need to be approved by voters under the state's Taxpayers Bill of Rights.
Boulder: 10 Cents For Paper Or Plastic
On July 1, 2013, the city of Boulder began charging 10 cents for every plastic or paper bag customers need at checkout. Forty percent of the money collected goes to the store, while the city uses 60 percent to address bag-related environmental issues.
Because the charge is considered a fee and not a tax, it can't be used for general government purposes, the city said.
Bags used for produce, bulk items, meat and poultry, newspapers, restaurants and pharmacy items are not subject to the fee. The fee also doesn't apply to low-income families who participate in a federal or state assistance program.
The city council approved the fee in November 2012.
Carbondale: 20 Cents For Paper, Plastic Banned
The town's board of trustees approved a 20-cent paper fee and a ban on plastic in the fall of 2011. It cited studies it said prove that banning plastic and imposing fees on paper "dramatically reduce the use of both bags."
Its ordinance went into effect on May 1, 2012, the same day as Aspen's. Voters narrowly approved the change, 718-691, according to the Post Independent.
Like other cities, the bag ban doesn't include bulk items, meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, and bakery goods. Newspapers and other non-grocery bags aren't banned.
Town trustees said less than 5 percent of the 2 billion plastic bags used annually in Colorado are recycled, and that plastic bags contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and litter, and harm wildlife and the local economy.
The town also approved penalties for grocers not complying with the ordinance, including $50 fines for the first offense and $100 for the second.
Telluride: 10 Cents For Paper, Plastic Banned
In March 2011, the mountain town of Telluride became the first Colorado municipality to ban plastic bags. Two months earlier, it started charging 10 cents for paper bags. The city council voted to ban plastic in October 2010.
Bags containing meat, produce, newspapers and pharmacy items are exempt.
Some other Colorado towns have rejected similar efforts:
In April 2012, voters narrowly defeated -- 51 percent to 48 percent -- a 20-cent fee on paper and plastic grocery bags, according to the Aspen Times. In September 2011, the town council had approved the ordinance and sent it to voters. Had it been approved, it would have gone into effect on May 1, 2012.
On Nov. 5, 2013, voters rejected a proposed fee by a 56 percent to 43 percent margin.
The town's "disposable checkout bag fee" would have imposed a 10-cent charge on plastic and paper bags.
The proposal would have called for grocers and businesses that opted in to receive 50 percent of the collected fee. But it could have only been used to educate customers, train staff in implementing the fee, provide recycling stations and address other bag-related concerns.
- Written by Tim Skillern for CBSDenver.com
for more features.


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Chinese police bust 7 suspects in large data theft operation
Xinhua reports on a huge bust:
Police in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region announced Friday that they have arrested seven suspects for stealing more than 2 billion items of personal data.
The data included people’s email accounts and passwords, ID numbers, cellphone numbers and payment accounts from more than 60 countries and regions, said police in Chongzuo City.
Read more on Xinhua.net.


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All eyes are on Samsung's Unpacked event in San Francisco and the launch of the Galaxy S10. Can Samsung's next flagship device save the smartphone industry? This roundtable discussion seems as relevant as ever.
Welcome to what I hope is the first of a regular series of virtual roundtable discussions about important questions facing the future of technology. In this installment, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Jason Perlow, and I look at where we're going with smartphones.
Jason's comment from April -- "We have almost certainly reached peak smartphone OS" -- got me thinking about this subject. I was curious whether that could be true. That gave the accompanying video our starting point.
It's all happening in the cloud. All innovation needs the cloud. There are definitely apps -- for example, biometric systems, smart room planners, exercise trackers, and food managers -- that have a long way to go until they're as useful as they can be, and all those apps rely on cloud-based data and AI.
Will inexpensive phones do it all?
Smartphone hardware is becoming commoditized like the PC market was in the last decade. Inexpensive phones under $200 will perform many of the tasks we expect from higher-end phones, including providing excellent cameras. Those devices are likely to be almost disposable, replaced every year or so.
Instead of the value being in the hardware, it's up to the apps connected to the cloud to provide value and differentiation. While the phone hardware innovation is likely to be incremental, cloud-enabled apps have a tremendous amount of innovation headroom.
Does the smartphone form factor work?
While the smartphone was once a convergence device, expect a raft of secondary gadgets connected to smartphones. The smartphone form factor doesn't work for everything.
Will vendors force an app gap?
Microsoft might have the answer for developing smartphone apps more so than even Google or Apple. Microsoft is becoming a tools vendor and an infrastructure vendor rather than primarily an OS vendor.
Will vendors force an "app gap" by fostering exclusives on their platforms? This could mirror how video game platform companies are trying to distinguish themselves and get buyers onto their platforms.
We're not looking at mobile-first companies. We're looking at cloud-first, and mobile is how you get to it.


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Kroger testing one-way aisles at some stores to slow spread of COVID-19
In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Kroger is reportedly testing a new concept at some of its stores.
One-way aisles could soon be coming to a store near you. According to to numerous reports, the Cincinnati-based grocer will begin testing the one-way aisle system at select stores to further promote social distancing.
Signs will likely be on the floor to direct the flow of traffic. A list of which stores the new measures will be placed in was not released, so its unclear if this will happen in the Louisville-southern Indiana area.
It's the latest directive from the grocer amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recently, Kroger has installed plexiglass partitions at checkout lanes, pharmacy and Starbucks registers across the enterprise. Floor decals were put in place to promote physical distancing at checkout lanes and other counters.
Cleanliness has also taken a renewed focus. Stores are enhancing daily sanitation practices, including cleaning commonly used areas more often like cashier stations, self-checkouts, credit card terminals, food service counters and shelves.
Adjusted store operating hours will allow more time for employees to clean and replenish inventory.


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CMP Technology, presenter of the Game Developers Conference, has teamed with publisher International Data Group (IDG) to produce GDC China
, from August 27 to 29 2007.
The inaugural event, situated in Shanghai, will feature content selected by an advisory board of Chinese developers, with an aim to advance the state of the country’s game industry by “cultivating a sense of community”, and will offer unique learning and networking opportunities for those involved in the market, and those looking for an entry point.
Meggan Scavio, Senior Conference Manager of GDC notes that while the conference is known for “connecting the worldwide game development community”, certain markets require a “specialized experience”, adding that “the local developers on the GDC China advisory board hope to make that experience a reality and give the burgeoning Chinese market an infusion of creative ideas and strategic partnerships”.
“A Game Developers Conference in China is long overdue,” notes Hugo Shong, President and CEO of IDG Asia. “At long last, there will be an opportunity for Asian and Western game makers to discover everything that the Chinese game market has to offer.”


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Posts Tagged «SSDs»
Crucial M500: The first 1TB SSD, priced at just $0.60/gig April 9, 2013 at 2:08 pm
That day has finally arrived: Crucial is selling a 1TB SSD for just $600. Not only is this the first mainstream SSD to offer a terabyte (960GB) of capacity, but it also clocks in at just 60 cents per gig — by far the cheapest high-capacity SSD on the market. Crucial’s 1TB drive is actually significantly cheaper (per gig) than the smaller drives in the same range.
Researchers use ultrasound to improve SSD storage density February 22, 2013 at 9:30 am
Consumers are always looking for more storage capacity at a lower price point, and now we’re fighting with physics to allow high density storage. Instead of piling more platters or more flash chips in a smaller space, researchers at Oregon State University have found a way to harness high-frequency sound waves to allow for higher density magnetic storage.
This is my rig: ExtremeTech’s Sal Cangeloso November 23, 2012 at 11:00 am
Having built my previous desktop in October 2008, I’ve been long overdue for a new system. I had delayed the build a number of times, usually waiting for the next cool thing in the pipeline — an occupational hazard when you look at technology news all day long — but with the release of Intel’s Ivy Bridge and Microsoft’s Windows 8, it was clearly time to put together my next PC.
HDD Pricewatch: Black Friday deals, and prices finally reach pre-flood levels November 22, 2012 at 11:00 am
Hard drive prices are taking a tumble for at least the next few days, as are SSDs — but we’d be wary of the solid state deals that are likely to come flying.
Chemists create self-assembling polymer that increases hard drive capacity by 5X November 14, 2012 at 10:25 am
When you think of increased storage capacity, you most likely don’t think of self-assembling polymers that only require heat in order to rearrange themselves. However, with the potential to increase HDD storage capacity fivefold, researchers at the University of Texas might make self-assembling polymers the norm.
New server-class SSDs from Samsung and Intel reach 800GB, up to 800MB/sec November 8, 2012 at 10:18 am
The past two weeks have seen two interesting announcements, and this is going to help SSDs get even more traction in the server market, and maybe even help out regular consumers.
Fusion Drive: Apple jumps on the (ridiculously overpriced) SSD cache bandwagon October 24, 2012 at 9:37 am
Apple’s new Fusion Drive unveil points toward the adoption of a cache accelerator structure, similar to what we’ve reviewed before. Good performance benefit, but the price is steep.
Does the consumer hard drive have a future? October 1, 2012 at 8:11 am
Like it or not, there just doesn’t seem to be a ton of advancement happening on the consumer hard drive front. What does this mean for consumers, PC builders, and “power users”?
Cache of the titans: SSD storage accelerators from Intel and Corsair face off August 7, 2012 at 11:43 am
Today, hard drives are too slow and solid-state drives are too small. SSD cache drives have emerged as a means of bridging this gap — they bring SSD speed to HDD capacity in an affordable package.
Asus boosts USB transfer speeds with new SCSI-based protocol July 23, 2012 at 11:53 am
On Asus’s new motherboards — the P8Z77-V and some of its contemporary cousins — there’s an intriguing new feature: USB attached SCSI protocol, or UASP for short. Asus says that UASP can almost double the speed of USB 3.0 connections to external hard drives and SSDs.


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On Monday we did something for the first time at Walt Disney World…we mini-golfed at Winter-Summerland!
After years of waiting and speculating, today Walt Disney World Announced that it’s newest resort Disney’s Art of Animation Resort…
The Weather Channel is giving visitors to weather.com online or on mobile the chance to enter to win a grand prize of a Disney Cruise.
I have been attending the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival for about 10 years and it never ceases to amaze me.
Tonight, 2-10-10, Meg Crofton, President of Walt Disney World Resort, announced to a crowd of media that Summer Nightastic is coming to Walt Disney World this summer.


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Algorithms are reshaping many parts of our lives, including how news gets to us. Around the world, entrepreneurs make use of algorithms to program their ideal news apps, and while they normally agree on universal objectives like fighting fake news, their views diverge elsewhere, leading to different applications of machines and user experiences.
No one has a monopoly over the “right” approach to build an algorithmic news app, but it’s perhaps timely and necessary to examine various players in the field and ask how their black boxes affect people’s content consumption. We need look no further than China and the U.S., where machine-driven news platforms are in full bloom.
Show me more of what I want
Before ByteDance became synonymous with TikTok globally, it was known in China for its algorithm-powered news app Jinri Toutiao, or Today’s Headlines. The Chinese app has not disclosed its user numbers for years, but third-party data suggests it had 360 million monthly active users by January 2020, eight years after launching.
Zhang Yiming, the founder of ByteDance, built Toutiao with the goal to give users more of what they want.
“We pictured Toutiao’s feed to be a smart antenna linked to an infinite ocean of information. When you swipe, you retrieve what you’re most interested in right now and in this place,” said Zhang at the company’s seventh anniversary. His remark echoes the app’s catchy tagline: Only what you care are headlines.
To achieve its mission, the app predicts user preferences based on a few parameters, Toutiao’s scientist Cao Huanhuan revealed in a speech in 2018: profiles per the app’s understanding of user demographics; content’s timeliness and popularity; users’ locations; and what similar users like to consume. The app then measures the success of its recommendations by tracking clicks, time spent, likes, comments and shares.
Having world-class algorithms is just part of the story; the other challenge is to create Zhang’s “ocean of information.” Early on, Toutiao relied on crawling the internet to fill its reservoir; these days, the app runs a publishing platform with creators ranging from news outlets, bloggers, celebrities, through to influencers. To sustain the torrent of information available, the app doles out subsidies and devises monetization methods for creators, sharing ad revenue and allowing them to sell products.


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Kieran Mathew, the 24-year-old founder and CEO of Gen Z marketing specialists Amplify, took to Instagram this week to share how he’s dealing with feelings of anxiety during an incredibly stressful time.
“When I experience these uncomfortable states, I recognize that they are not unnatural, especially right now,” he wrote. “I also actively work to greet those feelings with compassion and non-judgement, resistance does not help.”
His post kicked off a new campaign, #DistantButTogether, inspired by recent Amplify research examining how Gen Z is feeling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey of 357 consumers aged 16 to 24 covered a wide range of topics about the Gen Z cohort—from how they feel about distancing and how the government is handling the crisis, to their online shopping habits, app usage and where they are getting their news (see more below).
It also asked about their emotional wellbeing. “They were basically very anxious and quite depressed unfortunately,” said Mathew. Scores for moderate to high anxiety and depression were up 22% and 17% respectively.
While that wasn’t unexpected in the middle of an unprecedented global health and economic crisis, Mathew said the research uncovered something else. “We saw that they were generally less willing to share how they were feeling with their peers. As a result, we want to find a way to kind of start that dialogue, which is why we launched this campaign.”
#DistantButTogether asks young people to speak openly about how they are coping as a way of normalizing the conversation and encouraging others to share how they are feeling. It also offers personal tips and a list of resources to help them stay happy and healthy at home.
Amplify will make a small donation to CAMH foundation, and is asking some of its clients to contribute as well.
The campaign was also shaped by some of the other findings in the Amplify research.
For example, just over half of respondents said they are okay with advertising, but don’t want to be sold to, said Mathew. They want to know what brands are doing to look after employees and help their communities. “Their biggest concerns are family and friends,” he said.
More than half of respondents (55%) say that the crisis has motivated them to want to do more to help in their community, even if they are limited in what they can do right now.
“It just shows brands that they can market very effectively to these consumers by treating their people well and working to do some sort of cause-related initiative in the community,” said Mathew. “If they find ways to actually engage Gen Z in some of these initiatives, there’s a very high likelihood that some of these consumers will actually want to participate.”
That’s the simple logic behind #DistantButTogether: figure out how you can help, and how you can make it easy for young people to participate. “We believe that’s where brands are really going to thrive right now because [Gen Z consumers] are looking for ways to connect with their peers in a deeper way,” said Mathew.
He points to Canadian fashion retailer Aritzia as a good example from the pandemic. In early April, Aritzia said it would do “absolutely everything” not to lay off or furlough staff, and that “all proceeds during this time go directly to the Aritzia Community Relief Fund—100% of which will be distributed to our people.” The fund has raised more than $9 million for its employees.
“They had a very thoughtful response when it came to committing to paying their people during this time, as well as supporting their community,” said Mathew.
That’s the kind of initiative that Aritizia employees—many of whom would be considered Gen Z—want to share on social media, he said. “It led to an employee-driven campaign where they’re basically sharing what Aritizia outfits they’ve been wearing around the house and to do quarantine-related tasks,” he said. It’s the kind of campaign that engages young people to feel they are helping a brand that is helping its employees and the community.
“They actually are kind of marketing their products right now in a way that is tangible and that people will want to buy—products people are wearing around the house—but it only is working because they really started by adding value first and prioritizing their people,” said Mathew.
- Other findings from Amplify’s “Gen Z—Responding and Adapting to COVID-19”
- 52% said they’re willing to be advertised to, but only 27% said they don’t want to see advertising;
- Asked about their preferred sources for news, 73% of those 16 to 20, and 64% of those 21 to 24, indicated social media, while 48% listed TV;
- Males seem to have increased their online shopping much more than females, with 33% of men saying they are spending more and 27% saying they are spending less, compared with just 26% of females are spending more while 43% are spending less;
- Nationally, Facebook is the most popular app, used by 60% of respondents. It is followed by Instagram at 59%, YouTube at 48%, video conferencing apps at 46%, Snapchat at 44%, Twitter at 37%, Linkedin and TikTok at 34%.


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We have the highest rate of Air Passenger Duty (APD) in the EU which puts UK business and trade at a massive disadvantage compared to other EU countries like Germany, France and Ireland. This makes no economic sense when we need to be expanding global trade links as Brexit gets ever closer. Please support our call for at least a 50% cut in this Tax on Trade to make Britain competitive.Get InvolvedFind out more
A campaign calling for the UK Government to significantly reduce Air Passenger Duty (APD) to at least half the current levels across all of the UK has launched ahead of the Budget.
The campaign, A Fair Tax on Flying for the Whole Country, is calling for the UK Government to guarantee APD will be applied fairly and consistently throughout the UK, to ensure that families in one part of the country are not having to pay more tax to enjoy an annual holiday than those in other parts of the country. Campaigners have taken the fight for a lower, fairer rate of APD to Parliament. MPs from across the political divide are vigorously lobbying Ministers – by tabling Parliamentary questions, signing a Commons motion, and sending letters to the Chancellor – urging the Government to dramatically cut APD in March’s budget. The industry recently met with 10 supportive MPs to discuss the issue in further detail and next-steps, and 20 MPs have signed a House of Commons Early Day Motion.
The campaign is being led by ‘A Fair Tax on Flying’ – a coalition of travel and tourism partners seeking lower levels of APD in order to boost the UK economy, particularly our tourism sector. A Fair Tax on Flying has successfully campaigned previously to reduce and simplify long haul rates of APD, and to exempt children from paying the tax.
The Scottish Government has pledged to cut APD by 50% (with a view to subsequently abolishing it altogether) from 2018 to boost tourism and business travel in Scotland. The campaign welcomes the Scottish Government’s recognition that APD is a damaging tax, but are calling for any reduction of APD in Scotland to be met with reductions elsewhere in the UK to ensure a lower, fairer APD for the whole country.
A spokesperson for the campaign, Stephen D’Alfonso, said:
“APD is among the highest taxes of its kind anywhere in the world, and at its current level, it is unfair on families and business across the UK. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor committed in the General Election campaign to ensuring that cities and regions would not lose out as a result of devolution, and it is clear that inconsistent rates of APD across the UK will put some at a real disadvantage.
“Surely the Government does not consider it fair for a family from Falmouth to pay double the amount of APD on their summer holiday as a family from Falkirk, and for a small electronic components business from Glasgow trading with China to pay half as much APD as a similar business from Grimsby? APD should not be a postcode lottery.
“No matter where in the UK you live, you pay the same amount of tax when you buy a pint or go out for a meal – why should APD be any different?”
For more information please contact James Ford on 020 3463 0823 or email firstname.lastname@example.org


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- 4 min read
Ensuring faster D2C deliveries with analytics and warehouse management
Presenting his views, Shankar Prasad, founder and CEO, Plum Goodness, said that with 3PL the evolution has been quite heartening. From the initial horizontal expansion of adding more pin codes to developing the ability to process returns, there have been a lot of technology based interventions in the industry, said Prasad adding that “What we need is same day delivery to be democratized.”
In the third panel discussion of the series ‘Supply Chain Digital Dialogues’ organized by ETRetail and logistics aggregator Delhivery, some of the prominent D2C leaders came together to discuss how brands are ensuring faster delivery with analytics and warehouse management.
Panelists discussed how using analytics and new-age warehousing solutions can help brands plan their inventories better, reduce RTO percentages, optimize costs and consequently improve customer shopping experience by offering faster deliveries.
3PL’s supporting D2C growth
Sharing insights on how third-party logistic players are helping D2C brands meet the changing consumer expectations, Sreedha Singh, co-founder and CEO, The Ayurveda Co, said logistic aggregators understand and support the scalability of D2C brands.
“Today, logistic aggregators offer end-to-end services from warehousing to last mile. This helps brands like us in the initial stages to scale very fast without going aggressive on operational expenses and helps lower the overall manpower allocation requirements with offerings such as RTO calling, address correction calling, COD, prepaid calling and more.”
Presenting his views on the same, Shankar Prasad, founder and CEO, Plum Goodness, said that with 3PL the evolution has been quite heartening. From the initial horizontal expansion of adding more pin codes to developing the ability to process returns, there have been a lot of technology based interventions in the industry, he said.
Sharing his wishlist for logistics, Prasad said, “What we need is same day delivery to be democratized.”
Agreeing with Prasad, Sachin Singhal, co-founder, Foxy.in said that getting closer to consumers from a delivery or dispatch point is important and imperative, adding that this helps in faster delivery, faster prediction of how stocks would flow out, and more efficient and effective from a pure economics perspective. “I am seeing early signs of democratization,” he added.
Predictive analytics helping brands move closer to the consumer
The capabilities third party logistic providers have deployed for D2C are leading the future, according to Manish Chowdhary, co-founder, WOW Skin Science. He further shared that as a brand transitioning from online to offline, the company is leveraging 3PL offerings such as data and analytics to be closer to the consumer, identify store locations near customers, and use predictive planning in supply chain. “We are in the evolution of creating dashboards, tools, and data science to get more granular towards understanding the consumers much better.”
Sharing how Delhivery plans to support the evolution of D2C businesses, Rajaganesh Sethupathi, head - enterprise solutions, Delhivery commented that the company is pushing hard on same day delivery services. “Our single delivery offering is about giving customers the ability to order say by 1 PM or 3 PM and then get it delivered the same day.”
Explaining more on how the logistics provider aims to achieve this Sethupathi said, “We are creating a network of smaller warehouses inside cities. This requires forecasting and planning by brands and we could help with that too. When we get orders we enable the dispatch and delivery through our existing network. So, we are not creating an extra direct dispatch network. We are actually finding more ways to connect it to our existing last mile. And by doing that we're trying to provide two things - one is to give as late an ordering cutoff as possible and second, keep the costs low.”
Lowering returns by offering faster deliveries, incentives
Sharing experience of managing return orders, Sujata Biswas, co-founder, Suta said that having good customer support and an active social media team resolving customer queries proves to be handy in managing returns and deliveries. She further shared that incentivizing customers especially those who can be converted from return to an exchange helps a lot.
Sharing her thoughts on how to minimize RTO percentage, Singh said that the brand is offering additional discounts on prepaid orders and is communicating with the consumer via multiple channels such as whatsapp, text messages, and email to prove brand intent.
Sethupathi from Delhivery said that despite the challenges associated with it, return has been a game changer. “In the past. if you bought a product you could never return it. But e-commerce has changed the habits of consumers. And as a result, today offline retail too gives consumers the facility to return products,” he said.


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Newsmaker: Agenda Show in Long Beach Trade Show Goes Consumer
In 2017, the Agenda trade show made a bold and unique move for a big business-to-business trade show by producing a consumer day.
The inaugural Agenda Festival took place in the summer with popular hip-hop acts performing at the event, held at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif. The first run of the consumer day drew in 15,000 attendees, according to Agenda executives, with tickets selling for $45.
Most of the brands that had exhibited at the Agenda trade show transformed their booths into pop-up shops.
In 2018, Reed Exhibitions, which owns Agenda, announced it would shutter the business-to-business aspect of the Long Beach trade show. The January 2019 Agenda show was postponed. The Long Beach Agenda show in July will be turned into the consumer-focused Agenda Festival.
Agenda’s Las Vegas shows, scheduled Feb. 5–7, will continue to offer a B-to-B marketplace, according to a Reed statement.
Agenda founder Aaron Levant told California Apparel News in November there is still a viable trade-show market for fashion in Las Vegas. But consumer events, such as the Agenda Festival and its sister festival held in November called ComplexCon, are on the rise. They are absorbing some of the elements of business-to-business trade shows
“I saw as many trade people at ComplexCon as I did at trade shows,” Levant said. “It’s not a trade show, but it has a trade edge.”
Inviting the public to the shows might better serve manufacturers and brand owners. They’ll be able to witness firsthand the brands and products their customers prefer.
While the Agenda show is taking on a different format, Kristin Savilia, chief executive officer of Joor, believes trade shows have a good future.
At Joor's platform, businesses can take care of many of the same tasks performed at trade shows, but they complement physical trade shows.
“Trade shows are super important, but there are too many of them. When there are too many, you have to right-size them,” she said. “There’s still value getting together and seeing what is going on. We believe in trade shows and see a future for them.”


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Tuesday city commissioners will discuss settling a lawsuit with the developers of Atlantic Crossing.
A 23-year-old West Palm Beach man faces multiple charges after crashing a stolen car on Interstate 95.
From closed airports to bans on certain air operations, a new report breaks down the possible economic impacts on Palm Beach County.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin June 2 for Dalia Dippolito’s third trial in her murder-for-hire case.
Consumer Watchdog Jenn Strathman shows you where you might be dirty dining.
Before you fire up the grill this Fourth of July, we're showing you the hidden problem you need to look for. The Consumer Watchdog…
Drivers are frustrated as paint chips off cars piece by piece. The Consumer Watchdog shows you how to protect your car.
Three restaurants temporarily closed for roaches.


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TruForce Collectibles has revealed their San Diego Comic-Con 2016 Exclusive Designer Series – X-Boost Figure. We got a small glimpse of this figure earlier this month with teases for the Bluefin SDCC 2016 Exclusives. While this is an exclusive to SDCC, Kickstarter backers for the original figure will also have a chance to order the figure. Here’s the details direct from TruForce:
TruForce Collectibles is proud to announce its first San Diego Comic Con Exclusive…X-Boost! This is the form where X’s armor has no limit and his true ability is unleashed. The boost energy from his buster and thrusters increase significantly, however it puts tremendous pressure on his body. Therefore, X-Boost can only maintain this form for 10 seconds.”
The figure stands at around 6 inches tall, features LED in the buster, diecast armor, multiple accessories, pink blast effect parts and a stand.
Those who backed us on Kickstarter will have an opportunity to purchase this figure as well online (similar to X-Kai) in the near future.
The figure will be priced at $90. It will be available at booth #401 during the con.


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Dixons Group has outsourced its customer service centre at Nunnery Square in Sheffield to Capita Group.
Some 800 call centre workers will be affected by the deal, which will see Dixons paying£90 million to Capita over the next five years. The Nunnery Square premises has also been leased to Capita, and the affected call centre workers will not be relocated.
The move is part of an ongoing attempt by the retailer to improve its customer service, which is widely seen to be in need of repair. One analyst accused Dixons shop staff of knowing more about extended warranties than products.
At this year's Retail Week Conference in March, Dixons managing director Nick Wood vowed to take what the group had learned about customer service at sister retailer The Link and apply it at his own chain.
'It's all about the process of improving customer service, not about cutting costs,' said a Dixons Group spokesman. 'Included in the deal is an understanding that Capita will invest in new systems that we couldn't afford to.' One of the IT projects that Capita has agreed to undertake is introducing voice recognition systems into the call centre.
Only routine customer enquiries will be handled by the Capita-run call centre. The Dixons spokesman said that specialist enquiries about products in the stores would still be dealt with by the retailer's own staff.
The Nunnery Square site was set up by Dixons less than five years ago.
At the time, reports indicated that it would create 2,000 jobs.


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Neptunia Virtual Stars has finally released on PlayStation 4 physically and digitally in North America. There are some DLC bundles and a nic
Thursday, May 18th, 2017
I can't wait to dive into this!
Thursday, April 13th, 2017
Time to slay some Oni and save the world!
Tuesday, March 21st, 2017
More demon hunting action!
Thursday, February 4th, 2016
Koei Tecmo launches official Japanese website.
Wednesday, September 10th, 2014
The Xbox One joins the fray, even if for only one week of relevance.
Wednesday, April 16th, 2014
Happiness is a giant hammer.
Thursday, February 27th, 2014
In which Tyler has a slice of humble pie.
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014
Some great demon-hunting on the go!
Wednesday, February 5th, 2014
We have some new Toukiden screenshots and a video for your viewing pleasure.
Monday, February 3rd, 2014
Suddenly, the wait for Monster Hunter 4 doesn't seem as bad.
Friday, December 13th, 2013
Yeah, David F. went a little overboard this year.
Monday, July 29th, 2013
This is a guide to current and upcoming games you should check out for the Vita.
Wednesday, July 10th, 2013
Earth Defense Force 2025 takes the top spot as a surprise shows up on the chart.
Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013
Gundam, Toukiden, and Etrian Odyssey take the lead this week.
Friday, June 21st, 2013
Toukiden sees two new videos showing off the opening and gameplay. The game comes out in Japan on June 27 for PSP and Vita.
Wednesday, June 12th, 2013
Toukiden's first western trailer released at E3, 2013.
Wednesday, May 29th, 2013
E3 is off to a good start and it hasn't even begun!
Saturday, April 6th, 2013
New screenshots show off the Dual Blades and Spear.
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
Toukiden, the latest monster slaying epic from Tecmo Koei, shows off gameplay and character portraits in this new trailer.
Saturday, February 9th, 2013
Omega Force and Tecmo Koei have released several screenshots and early details of their upcoming PSP and PS Vita game Toukiden.


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To meet the country’s growing power demand, adequate capacity additions have been made in the generation and transmission segments over the past few years. However, the distribution segment has continued to wrestle with an array of challenges with untimely tariff revisions, high network losses, and poor billing and collection efficiency resulting in high accumulated losses. The poor financial health of discoms has impacted their power offtake ability and, in turn, affected the performance of the generation segment. With power demand expected to surge in the coming years, especially given the government’s 24×7 Power for All scheme, the revival of the distribution segment is imperative. To this end, the electricity regulatory commissions are expected to play a crucial role in the distribution segment to bring together all stakeholders and ensure that all activities in the sector are in the best interest of consumers. Since power distribution is the only segment that involves the participation of the end-consumers, the regulator plays a significant role in managing the segment.
At a recent Power Line conference, state regulators shared their perspective on the key issues affecting the distribution segment and the way forward. Excerpts…
The fundamental issue being faced by the distribution segment is the poor financial health of discoms, which have accumulated losses of about Rs 3.8 trillion. This can be partially attributed to the non-remunerative retail power tariffs. Unless there are timely and adequate tariff revisions, a healthy distribution segment in the country will be a pipe dream. An important aspect for ensuring appropriate retail power tariffs is the adoption of long-overdue amendments to the existing regulations and corrections to the tariff structure. The fine-tuning of the tariff structure could help reduce the revenue gap of discoms. Another important factor in improving the financial health of discoms is to control the AT&C losses. Electricity theft, faulty meters and improper billing are major loss-making areas for discoms. Electricity theft has depicted a varying trend across states. While states like Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan witness high electricity theft, some other states are better placed. The regulatory commissions must ensure that discoms provide consumers with good quality meters and replace the faulty ones.
Competition in power distribution
The Electricity Act, 2003 had mandated the state and central governments to make the distribution segment competitive. Competition was envisaged through open access and parallel licences. However, with the imposition of additional surcharges by discoms, open access has failed to take off in its true spirit. Besides, the implementation of parallel licences in the segment has not gained the desired traction. Typically, allowing parallel licences, which will entail establishing new distribution infrastructure, makes no economic sense. In order to make the distribution segment competitive, the government has proposed the segregation of carriage and content. This is expected to address the challenges associated with the implementation of open access as well as parallel licences. However, it is widely believed that the Indian power market is not significantly mature for adopting carriage and content segregation. Even after the approval of the amendment bill for segregation, it may take another four to five years for its implementation. Nevertheless, it is only with carriage and content segregation that the distribution segment can be made competitive.
Some discoms are taking a hit on their balance sheets in complying with the renewable purchase obligation (RPO) targets, as the retail tariff set by the regulatory commissions does not appropriately take into account the cost of more expensive renewable energy. Apart from this, some of the regulators have set unachievable targets without considering the fuel-wise generation mix of the state. Subsequently, discoms often seek to carry forward their RPO targets.
The regulatory commissions face the issue of inadequate manpower. Often, they rely on external consultants hired to meet the transitory staffing demand. As a result, the capacity and skill building abilities of the staff are hampered. In addition, appointing regulators from varied disciplines is necessary to manage different issues and petitions.
In order to improve the current situation of power distribution in the country, the regulators need to focus on timely revisions of tariffs, and improvement of metering, billing and collection. Meanwhile, the discoms need to take stringent measures to reduce network losses by improving their infrastructure and undertaking vigilance activities. Besides, the union government is extending significant financial support to the states for network strengthening under the Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana and the Integrated Power Development Scheme.
Going forward, the health of discoms is crucial for the growth of the sector, and all the stakeholders need to function in tandem to obtain the desired results.
Based on a panel discussion among R.K. Choudhary, Member, BERC; Anand Kumar, Chairman, GERC; M.S. Puri, Member, HERC; and Vishvanath Hiremath, Chairman, RERC at a recent Power Line conference


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Hydrow announced investments from names across music, sports and entertainment, including Lizzo, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Timberlake, Whitney Cummings, Travis Kelce, Kevin Hart, and retail partner Fabletics.
The almost $200 million in cumulative funding will help fuel innovation and global expansion to make the sport of rowing more accessible to consumers. The announcement is timed with the company’s announcement its sales last year had increased 500 percent.
“It is an honor to have some of the most well-regarded names in music, sports and entertainment support our crew as we strive to enhance our members’ lives through the shared experience of rowing,” said Bruce Smith, founder and CEO, Hydrow. “As we continue to focus on positioning rowing as an accessible and mainstream lifestyle choice, we are excited to join forces with these exceptional people who each offer unique experiences and insights to help us in achieving this goal.”
Hart was named creative director of the connected-rowing brand last October and has since been providing innovative ideas across the business, including working out with Hydrow’s athletes and community.
“I invested in Hydrow because pound for pound, there’s no better workout out there than rowing,” said Hart, who is the founder of HartBeat Ventures. “I signed on as creative director because I truly believe in this machine’s potential to change people’s lives. You’re getting so much more than a workout each time you strap in. You’re shifting your mindset, and that’s a powerful thing.”
Hydrow noted that the funding follows the appointment of several strategic new hires, including its first general counsel, Ben Berman and chief commercial officer, Gretchen Saegh-Fleming.
Photo courtesy Hydrow/Kevin Hart


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The Lincoln Aviator will debut at the Los Angeles auto show
Lincolns latest luxury 'ute will make an appearance at the LA auto show
November 7, 2018
The luxury make showed off what it called a "production preview" of the Aviator in March at the New York auto show. The production version is expected to retain most of the production preview's features.
The three-row, rear-wheel-drive crossover will come with a gasoline or plug-in hybrid powertrain and is expected to go on sale in the second half of 2019.
Inside, the Aviator will offer the same 30-way adjustable seats as those in the Navigator and Continental, and a 12-inch digital cluster, Wi-Fi and multiple charging ports will be standard. Also standard will be the brand's new Lincoln Co-Pilot360 suite of driver-assist technologies.
It’s no secret that Jeep is building a Wrangler-inspired pickup -- it’s just a matter of what it’ll be named, what it will look like and when it’s going to ...
Lincoln said the vehicle's chimes to alert drivers about open fuel doors or an unlatched seat belt were recorded by musicians with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Executives call the Aviator the "epitome" of Lincoln design. The styling includes an updated mesh grille described as an inverse of the face worn by the Navigator, Continental and other Lincolns. The vehicle is a sibling of the Ford Explorer, which is also being redesigned on the same rear-wheel-drive platform.
Lincoln used the Aviator nameplate on an SUV until it was discontinued in 2005. It's returning as the brand is trying to reach 300,000 global sales by the end of the decade -- and is relying heavily on crossovers and SUVs such as the Aviator and recently redesigned Navigator to lead the way.
The article “2019 Lincoln Aviator to bow at L.A. auto show” originally appeared on autonews.com


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By FileTrekker 4 years ago, last updated 4 years ago
You'd be forgiven for thinking Dead Island 2 had gone the way of abandonware, given there's been very little said about the game since way back in 2014, but happily for fans of the first game, THQ have confirmed the game is still under development, although there wasn't much else.
During a financial presentation meant for investors and shareholders, THQ Nordic's Lars Wingefors confirmed that "Dead Island 2 is still being worked on. Stay tuned." - literally nothing else was mentioned about the game unfortunately.
It's been nearly nine years since the original Dead Island released, and while it's still a fantastic game, fans have been clamouring for more ever since. The new title won't be developed by the original team, though, as Techland went their seperate ways to work on titles such as Dying Light.
Sumo Digital still list the game on their website, so we believe they may still be developing this new instalment in the series, but the development arrangements have changed a few times already in the past. Stay tuned to GameFront for more on Dead Island 2 as we learn it.
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The capital’s iconic black taxis are having to wait NINE HOURS for a job at London’s Heathrow Airport as coronavirus continues to decimate the taxi industry.
According to figures released by the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), cabbies waiting on London’s biggest taxi rank face the huge wait due to a dramatic fall in demand.
The number of black cabs passing through the feeder park was down 96 percent on last year’s figures in April, May and June. It picked up slightly in July when it was down 90 percent and in August and September down 83 percent. As new restrictions were introduced in October it fell again, down 85 percent on last year.
The average waiting time for a fare at Heathrow in October was a whopping nine hours from the time the driver entered the waiting area for the terminal taxi rank known as the ‘Feeder Park’, until being dispatched to the terminal itself.
New national lockdown measures have also meant the pattern has been repeated on the streets of London away from the airport.
Colts Cabs, one of London’s biggest taxi rental fleets, has been detailing the daily number of card payment transactions taken by one of the industry's card payment companies.
On Friday 6 October the number of payments dropped by over HALF to just 10,859 compared to the 22,883 payments recorded seven days earlier.
Lisa, a taxi driver from Enfield, said: “I have had my badge for nine years and over that time I have loved being a London taxi driver, it’s the best job I have ever had and I was proud to do it every day. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on my livelihood and completely changed my life.
“Trade collapsed during lockdown and my income fell to almost nothing. I was one of the lucky one able to get help from the Government with the grant for the self-employed, which was a godsend. I wouldn’t have been able to survive without it.
It took me five years to pass the Knowledge but the time I invested was well worth it and I had thought I would carry on driving a cab until I retired.
“However, with the costs of keeping the cab on the road and less money coming in, I was worried about the future and needed some security, so with a heavy heart I made the decision to give up the cab trade, at least for the time being. I was able to find a job working for a supermarket warehouse picking deliveries and I am lucky that I did so early on, as I am not sure this would be as easy to do given where we are now, with record levels of unemployment.
“I am hoping to be back as soon as possible, hopefully next year if things get back to normal but who knows what will happen.”
Richard Massett, Chairman of the LTDA, said: “Our members are reporting going hours in between jobs and earning around just 20 percent of their usual income. We also estimate that only 20 percent of drivers are even back at work, as there is simply not enough demand to sustain the majority of drivers.
“With fare income once again being decimated by new restrictions and a new lockdown starting later this week, the situation is only going to get worse.“
Massett continued: “These drivers are now reaching a point where they simply can’t earn enough to carry on. The taxi trade urgently needs a tailored package of support to help it survive the difficult winter ahead.”


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Americans are deferring spending for now in favor of saving, a cautiousness that has restrained broader economic growth despite signs household outlays may rebound later in the spring.
Consumer spending barely rose in February, increasing a seasonally adjusted 0.1% from the prior month after two consecutive declines, the Commerce Department said Monday. Spending on goods and services, when adjusted for inflation, actually declined slightly for the first time in 10 months.
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Indian garment manufacturers and exporters are under pressure due to reduced demand amid global economic challenges. Domestic brands and retailers are seeking extra discounts on orders placed previously, a practice the manufacturers deem unethical. International brands are also pressuring Indian exporters to reduce garment prices, citing poor demand at their retail stores in the United States and Europe. The exporters, however, are reluctant to drop their prices and are asking for governmental support to navigate these economic issues.
According to industry sources, garment manufacturers based in Ludhiana are grappling with a financial burden of approximately Rs. 150 cr due to a major domestic brand demanding an extra 5 percent discount. The brand, which placed orders for summer garments in February this year, requested its suppliers to email a debit note for a 5 percent discount to lift consignments. Manufacturers are seeking assistance from the members of parliament in Punjab and officials in the ministries of textiles and MSME to counter this pressure.
Lalit Thukral, a Noida-based exporter and Chairman of the Northern region’s executive committee of the Apparel Export Promotion Council, told, “Such demands for additional discounts are unethical from domestic brands and retailers. It is happening not only in Ludhiana but in the entire north India. Garment manufacturers are already working with low margins. They cannot afford to accept such demands for additional discounts.”
Thukral acknowledged that global brands are also pressuring for lower prices on their orders. The current slow-paced market situation presents significant challenges, particularly for small and medium-sized manufacturers and exporters. Despite the tough conditions, he is optimistic about receiving more orders in the future. He said that the India International Garment Fair (IIGF) for the Spring/Summer 2024 season will take place in Noida from June 26-28, 2023. More than 1,000 exporters are anticipated to participate in the fair. Thukral also noted a positive response from importers and global brands, which he expects will lead to substantial trade enquiries during the fair.
K M Subramanian, President of Tiruppur Exporters Association (TEA) told, “Currently, we are getting limited orders from global buyers, but we are not offering additional discounts to attract buyers.” He argued that garment exporters and manufacturers cannot offer lower prices due to the high cost of production. He noted that the average garment prices are nearly the same as last year when they increased due to a record rise in cotton prices. While cotton prices have since dropped by about half, other production costs have increased.
Subramanian expects that orders for winter garments will arrive in the coming months. He suggested that exporters can meet Christmas supply deadlines, provided they receive orders by the end of July. The current global market conditions are quite challenging; however, he was optimistic about the slightly better domestic demand, which is currently serving as a lifeline for the industry.
The current situation is far from favourable for many exporters and garment manufacturers. Many have had to scale down their production due to a lack of orders from both domestic and global markets. This state of affairs is widespread across the country. Fabric and yarn manufacturers are similarly experiencing reduced demand, compelling them to cut down on production. These challenges are anticipated to persist, driven by high inflation in Europe and the US, and the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.


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Stories about faculty, staff and students’ involvement in/success with entrepreneurship
May 15, 2020
Each year, NC State Entrepreneurship selects a new cohort of Miller Fellows, a program that supports newly graduated entrepreneurs who wish to pursue their venture full-time after graduation. The six May graduates selected represent 4 university colleges and five unique […]
Apr 27, 2020
NC State alumni Kevin Miller and Ryan O’Donnell build Pledge My Check website, encouraging others to pledge a portion of their stimulus check payments to those impacted by COVID-19.
Apr 17, 2020
Frank Buckless, dean of Poole College of Management, recently spoke with Triangle Business Journal about his efforts to ensure the college stands out among competitors and engages in industry.
The Lulu eGames is NC State’s annual startup competition where students compete for awards for over $100,000.
Apr 9, 2020
Poole's Lewis Sheats provides expert insight on the struggles small businesses are having with the Paycheck Protection Program applications.
Apr 3, 2020
Poole's Jeffrey Pollack gives small business owners seven tips to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis.
As the program manager, Gonzalez is tasked with expanding the entrepreneurial footprint across NC State and into the Triangle community.
Apr 2, 2020
As COVID-19 continues to impact the global economy, Poole College anticipates a new launch of entrepreneurship.
Mar 2, 2020
Derrick Dreier, a senior in business administration, was set to launch an accessory clothing line, Visus, at the end of February.
Jan 16, 2020
Sejal Patel, a 2006 alumnus of the Poole College of Management, is opening his restaurant Nomad in Hillsborough, North Carolina, at the beginning of February.


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Tue December 27, 2011
Big Technology A Threat To Small Businesses?
Many business owners were outraged when Amazon.com released an app offering discounts on items that customers scanned in stores but later bought on Amazon. Jasmine Johnson started an online petition against Amazon's promotion techniques. She and technology culture reporter Omar Gallaga speak with host Michel Martin.


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CalFresh - Register now for food support
posted 11 months ago by jrshepherd from LO*OP Center, Inc.
New Applicants: Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP)
On November 29, 2018, FNS approved California’s request to operate a D-SNAP in Butte County starting on December 12. Look for specific information regarding D-SNAP eligibility and operations on state web pages or call the State’s SNAP hotline. -- SNAP Hotline: 877-847-3663 -- If you need assistance with or a replacement of your EBT card, please call the State’s EBT customer service number at: 877-328-9677
Continuing/ongoing recipients: Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP)
On November 29, 2018, FNS approved California's request to issue automatic disaster supplements to ongoing SNAP households in the following zip codes in Butte County: 95916, 95928, 95942, 95954, 95965, 95966, 95969, and 95978.
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NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) - BuzzFeed laid off 50 of the 74 employees who were furloughed this spring as the digital media company struggles to replace lost revenue during the pandemic.
The cuts include 10 employees in BuzzFeed's news division, as well as staff involved with its studio, sales and administration, the company said.
BuzzFeed lost some custom advertising deals in areas like hospitality and travel at the start of the pandemic, costing the company tens of millions of dollars in revenue. In addition, Amazon.com paused some affiliate deals. That meant that when BuzzFeed readers bought a beauty product via the site, for instance, the media company was no longer getting a cut of the sale.
The 50 jobs eliminated represent 5.7 per cent of BuzzFeed's US staff. The New York-based company is covering health insurance through Sept 30 for the former employees.
BuzzFeed's efforts to reduce costs have also included pay cuts through the end of the year and breaking real estate leases in certain locations. The measures are expected to keep the company's losses for the year under US$20 million (S$27.7 million). At the start of the year, the company expected to turn a profit of about US$30 million.
Many media companies are struggling during the pandemic with the sudden loss of revenue from advertising and other businesses, like live events.
While some turned to furloughs and pay cuts, layoffs have become unavoidable as the crisis drags on. Last week, Vox Media, home of the Verge, Eater and New York magazine, cut about 72 jobs, while The Guardian said it will dismiss about 180 employees. In June, The New York Times cut 68 jobs, largely in advertising. In May, Vice Media culled 155 employees, while The Atlantic cut 68 positions, including many who worked in live events.


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The war has accelerated Ukraine’s transition from a commodity-based to a food-based economy.
According to Deputy Minister of Agricultural Policy Taras Vysotsky, agricultural producers and farmers have realized that it is very risky to concentrate on one or two grain and oil crops. He pointed out that one of the pieces of evidence of the transition to the food model is the stable growth of dairy product export, which has been the highest in the last two years. Also, according to the minister, the livestock numbers in industrial pig farming and poultry farming are increasing. This is explained primarily by the decrease in the price of fodder, and the trend towards the development of animal husbandry will continue. Moreover, investment in bioenergy is also growing. The sector realized that producing bioethanol, biogas, and biomethane is much more profitable than selling raw materials and then buying natural gas at exorbitant prices. Another developmental direction is the increased processing of grain crops: the production of flour, ready-made pasta, amino acids, etc.


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Orissa International collaborated with a federal US government agency located in Thailand to organize a webinar called “Taste the World with USA – Key Trends in Reviving the Food Retail Industry”, which was held in conjunction with Thaifex, one of Asia’s largest Food & Beverage (F&B) exhibition. During the webinar, five US exporters showcased their various retail-ready F&B products to buyers and influencers in Thailand. The US exporters that we assisted were able to attract interest from Thai companies, one of which was the biggest retail chain in the country, while another was the largest F&B distribution company in Asia.
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Posted on 15 August 2009 by Budi Putra
At least $1.5 million in checks have already been deposited via an iPhone app, which launched just five days ago, according to United Services Automobile Association bank. The app has been installed nearly 150,000 times, and more than 58,000 users to update their accounts.
Posted on 10 August 2009 by Shane McGlaun
When payday rolls around I often end up forgetting to go to the bank and deposit my checks. My bank has branches inside local grocery stores and Walmart locations where I am several times per week and I still forget to make deposits.
iPhone owners who use USAA bank and meet certain conditions can now get a free iPhone app that ... continued »


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SINGAPORE—Cariflex Pte. Ltd., one of the world's largest suppliers of polyisoprene rubber latex, has announced a $350 million expansion that will double its global capacity.
The decision to build anew on a 6.1-hectare site in Jurong Island is strategic, the company said, as it brings Cariflex closer to its Southeast Asian customers who manufacture surgical gloves, condoms, and other medical and consumer products.
The investment and expected capacity expansion are the largest in the company's history, coming on the heels of a $50 million investment in a Brazilian production site.
The plant will be the first polyisoprene latex production facility in Singapore, according to Cariflex.


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March 31, 2015 by Suara Kebenaran
KUALA LUMPUR: Director-General Khazali Ahmad was spewing complete and utter nonsense when for the first time ever, “we hear that the Government was planning not only to control prices of certain basic goods, but now also on the ‘profit margins’ of normal goods and services”, said DAP’s Tony Pua.
“Khazali seems to have forgotten that we don’t live in a communist country like the Soviet Union or the Mao Tse-tung China of the past where the government controls all prices and profit margins,” said Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua. “With the exception of price-controlled items, which are zero-rated anyway, there are no laws in Malaysia which tells a business how much profit it can make.”
Why should a poor makcik who operates a warong be penalised for increasing her teh tarik prices by 20 sen when tycoons operating hotels get away with charging an exorbitant RM18 for the same drink?
Khazali’s warning was not only unlawful, Pua warned, it was conceptually ridiculous and worse, impossible to administer.
How would the Customs officers even be able to determine the cost of the products after taking into account shop rentals, labour costs and service quality when attempting to “measure” if there has been an increase in “profit margin” which was deemed punishable?
Pua, who is also DAP National Publicity Secretary, was taking the position a day before the GST was to be implemented, that the Royal Malaysian Customs was in a state of panic over the significant price hikes Malaysians would be facing upon the implementation of the GST.
He was commenting on Khazali’s statement on Monday that businesses must not increase profit margins for the next 15 months following the introduction of the GST. Khazali warned that those who flouted the “moratorium” would be penalised.
“So, for example, if their profit margin was 10 per cent, they cannot increase that for the next 18 months from January this year,” said Khazali.
The Royal Malaysian Customs should not resort to wild threats and ridiculous regulations to mitigate the inevitable inflationary pressures resulting from the controversial Goods and Services Tax (GST), added Pua.
“Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have been harping and pleading with the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to postpone, stop or suspend the plans to implement the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for the past two years.”
Malaysians, according to Pua, were doomed and resigned to significantly higher prices as could be seen by the mad rush to purchase pre-GST goods over the past week throughout the country.
“The fault lies squarely with the ignorant and obstinate Cabinet Ministers who refuse to listen to logic and rationale.”


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14th September 2017
Grayling has been named a finalist in PR News’ Digital Awards in the category Locations-Based Digital for Grayling's Taking a Bite out of the Big Apple campaign on behalf of VAIO.
In addition to well as co-ordinating a reviews and influencer engagement program for VAIO, Grayling conceived, designed and placed a geo-targeted display advertising campaign in New York – a key market for the brand.
After going out on their own and breaking away from Sony, VAIO wanted to take on the big apple and Grayling helped to reintroduce the New York market to VAIO by way of a geo-targeted display campaign paired with a contextually-relevant series of subway ads, strategically positioned on lines where they would grab the attention of creative pros and business travelers.
Will Kunkel, EVP of Creative and Content for Grayling US: "This was a terrific campaign to work on. VAIO were open to our ideas and we were able to ensure that the display ads we created integrated perfectly with the comms program we were delivering alongside them."
The campaign reached a number of impressive key benchmarks including:
The overall campaign saw a MOAT score of 584 (MOAT is a measure of overall attention paid to ads, score range is 300-850)
The rebates offered drove more traffic to the landing page, with the larger ads generating more clicks and boosting overall CTR
The campaign delivered bonus impressions, on budget
The 2017 Digital Award winners will be announced on November 8 at the Yale Club in New York City.
PR New's Digital PR Awards celebrates the year's most outstanding digital communicators and campaigns in a variety of media such as video, website design, mobile apps and more.
27th October 2016
PayPal's campaign devoted to people living in remote parts of Russia scoops a silver prize at the Golden Drum international festival of creativity.#WhereverYouAre is a documentary series...Read More
27th July 2016
Grayling has been shortlisted for a PRWeek Award 2016 in the category Public Sector for the campaign 'Protecting Consumers at Christmas'.The Awards presentation will take place on Tuesday 18th...Read More
17th February 2016
Hot on the heels of winning Africa’s ‘Best Newcomer Agency’ award, Grayling’s Africa expansion took another big step forward today with the appointment of the company’s first recruit in...Read More


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The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra tends to be one of the brand’s next phones. But, in addition to the high-end specifications, the smartphone should bring another feature that will put it in the competition with the Galaxy S22 Ultra: support for a smart pen with Bluetooth. Edge X30 can also be released globally as Edge 30 Pro.
That’s what XDA-Developers says. According to the specialized website this Sunday (09), the Motorola Smart Stylus would be able to connect to the cell phone via Bluetooth, possibly like the S Pen that will accompany the future Galaxy S22 Ultra. In addition, the pen would still have a button, support for in-air gestures and wireless charging.
To improve the use of the pen, the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra also tends to have the Folio Case cover. The commercial name has not yet been confirmed, but the accessory is expected to have a space to store the Smart Stylus in the back and a flap on the front with an always-on display to show the time, notifications and other information. The case would also be responsible for refilling the pen.
There is still no release date for the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra.


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The Consumer Electronics Show 2017 is just around the corner and Samsung will be one of the many companies present there to unveil new products. Samsung unveils new TVs at CES every year so there’s no reason to believe it won’t do the same in 2017. According to a new report, Samsung’s new smart TVs will eliminate the need to buy a streaming adapter because they’re apparently going to have Chromecast-like functionality built-in.
Samsung already has an app out called Smart View that enables smart TV owners to cast photos, videos, and music from their mobile devices to their TVs. The next iOS version of this app was apparently published ahead of time on the App Store and while the app description hasn’t been updated, the screenshots reveal that big new features are incoming.
The app gets tabs for content from multiple streaming video services like YouTube, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. A live TV content tab is also present which lists shows watched recently alongside featured content and more.
If these screenshots are any indication, it appears that users will be allowed to beam content from any of these sources mentioned in the app directly to their Samsung smart TVs. This will free up the phone which may also double as a remote control.
Samsung has not yet commented on this report and with CES 2017 just a few days away it’s unlikely that the company will say anything about this now.


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The global hotel management group signed an agreement with the Nairobi Institute of Business Studies (NIBS) Resort Company Limited to manage what will be known as Swiss-Belinn Nairobi.
Swiss-Belhotel will soon begin implementing its international standards and enhancements at the Kenyan site, targeting a complete rebranding to Swiss-Belinn Nairobi by 15 January 2024.
Nestled in the Kileleshwa neighbourhood, the hotel features 89 rooms, nine well-equipped meeting rooms and a gym.
The property also offers an all-day dining restaurant and a rooftop bar with panoramic views of Nairobi’s skyline.
Kenyan entrepreneur and founder of NIBS, Lizzie Wanyoike, attended the agreement’s signing ceremony along with her family, Antony, Stella and Eric Wanyoike, the directors of NIBS Resort Company Limited.
The Wanyoikes stated: “Swiss-Belhotel International’s reputation for excellence is well-known. We believe their presence in Nairobi, through the Swiss-Belinn brand, will positively influence and diversify the city’s hospitality offerings.”
Gavin M Faull, chairman and president of Swiss-Belhotel International, remarked: “We are proud to introduce the Swiss-Belinn brand in the exciting destination of Nairobi.
“Entering Kenya, and specifically Nairobi, with a reputable partner like NIBS Resort Company Limited, aligns perfectly with our global expansion plans. It is the first operating hotel for our group in Africa and therefore marks a significant milestone for us.”
Laurent A Voivenel, the brand’s senior vice president – operations and development, EMEA and India added: “The Middle East and Africa are key growth markets for us.
“With recent tourism data indicating healthy growth in Africa, and Nairobi emerging as a key destination, Swiss-Belhotel International’s debut is aptly timed. We look forward to delivering on our brand promise at Swiss-Belinn Nairobi.”


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Yedlin: Small business tax mess a misguided Liberal money grab
As the fall session of Parliament wears on, the Trudeau government is dealing with the inevitable backlash that has followed its misguided attempt to change the tax code at the expense of small businesses.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau and his advisers appear not to understand how small businesses function and the collective role they play in capital formation.
Let’s accept the fact there is excess cash sloshing around in a family or small business.
That cash cushion — as many businesses in Alberta can attest — is an element of prudent fiscal management. Companies big and small set aside money for when times are tough.
Alberta-based companies in particular have experience with this painful subject. Many are now navigating difficult economic circumstances — whether it’s seeking relief from landlords, laying off staff or simply paring back their business.
Their access to capital is generated from business activities and what they manage to set aside.
In addition to the economic challenges in this province, Alberta companies are also juggling a number of policies affecting their cost structure, including the carbon tax, minimum wage increases, changes to workers’ compensation and higher personal and corporate taxes.
And, given the persistent weakness in the provincial economy, it’s not as if these firms can pass on the higher costs to their customers.
Now the federal government wants to tinker with how these firms manage their cash.
Small businesses will not fill the empty office towers downtown, but the fact there are 2,000 businesses representing 400,000 employees within the Calgary Chamber of Commerce’s membership should tell everyone — federal Liberals included — they’re a very important part of the economic infrastructure. And that’s just Calgary.
Setting aside cash within a business should be seen for what it is: prudent business management.
“Our members told us this is a way to manage our business,” said Addington.
Think of franchise owners who are contractually obliged to invest capital in their businesses within a certain time period. They must save to do that. The company that owns the master franchise licence is not going to be giving them the money.
Beyond the commitments, this so-called dead money is actually put to productive use — when there is a business case to do so. That’s because these small businesses are also part of the capital formation ecosystem.
They are often investors in the ideas of other entrepreneurs who might be family members but don’t have sufficient access to capital through banks and other more conventional sources.
They are often part of the early-stage, angel investor network.
He points to the consolidation of smaller investment dealers — many of which were active in raising capital for small companies — and the decrease in the number of deals to raise capital on the Toronto Venture Exchange as two key metrics.
This is of particular importance in Alberta, which is seeking to diversify its economy by supporting and encouraging startups in new sectors to set up shop in the province. The money has to come from somewhere.
“These small businesses are investing and creating new businesses with that capital,” said the Chamber’s Addington.
There are ways to look at this issue differently, such as tax credits when the dollars are invested in other businesses. But for now the government seems content to stay with its ham-fisted approach.
And when it comes to the issue of income-sprinkling, let’s take this on as a feminist issue.
That income is sometimes ‘sprinkled’ to the spouse of someone running a small business — or someone incorporated as a professional corporation. The spouse — more often female — supports their partner. The fact they get paid something that is later taxed at a lower rate for working isn’t a crime. Some would call that fair — especially when they choose not work outside the home. Others might call it anti-feminist.
Whatever happened to ‘this is 2015 and gender parity shouldn’t be questioned’ line, when the federal cabinet was unveiled?
The federal government is clearly in a quest to increase its revenues. When the GST was enacted under Brian Mulroney, it was meant to be a lever the government could use to increase or decrease revenues.
Why is that option not on the table?
The fairest tax — as financial experts point out — remains a consumption tax.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper cut the GST from seven to five per cent purely for political purposes. Trudeau might be making the calculus that raising the GST would be worse for his government than the small business tax reform.
But he just might be proven wrong.
A middle-class tax revolt is brewing — and with that, the middle-class vote.


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Leadership Changes at Naim Audio
Today we announced that Dr. Trevor Wilson will become Managing Director of Naim from 1st July 2015. Paul Stephenson, current Managing Director, will then move to the role of Chairman of the company.
Trevor Wilson has been with Naim for eight years, most recently as R&D Director, where he has led the team of 40 plus highly skilled engineers. Trevor has a wealth of experience in developing high end audio products and has previously held senior engineering roles at Bentley and Jaguar.
Paul Stephenson commented: "Naim Audio has been a huge part of my life for over 30 years. I am immensely proud of the international brand we have built and the truly innovative contributions we have made to the audio industry.
“We are busier now than at any point in our history, with extraordinary products in development for our ever growing customer base around the world.
“Every successful organisation must plan for the future and now is the right time for me to take a step back and hand over the running of the business to the next generation, while I focus on our product development strategy. I can’t think of a better person to entrust the baton to than Trevor.”
Trevor Wilson added: “I have loved the challenge of developing Naim Audio’s industry-leading products and I am honoured to now be leading the Management team. We have a well-established, long-term strategy for growing the Naim Audio brand. I look forward to working with our hugely talented team and our valued partners to deliver that.”
Christophe Sicaud, CEO of Vervent Audio Group, parent company of Naim Audio, added: “Paul has been central to the phenomenal success of Naim Audio over so many years. He has helped to shape Naim Audio into the world leading brand we see today. I am delighted Naim Audio has a worthy successor in Trevor, who brings a wealth of engineering expertise and experience to the role. Naim Audio is an engineering led company and it is that focus, on developing the best possible products, that will ensure its continued success.”
“Trevor is also supported by an excellent leadership team spanning the central functions of Research & Development, Manufacturing, Marketing & Sales. Naim Audio’s management team has never been stronger.”
“I thank Paul for his huge contribution and I am delighted he will continue to be a key member of the Naim Audio family for years to come.”
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